Appetite is an instrumental factor in healthy digestion and food absorption. If you ever feel like eating with or without hunger, you have a good appetite. Lack of appetite can be problematic as it implies a health problem.

Several factors can increase or hamper appetite. Weather changes and your ongoing health problems like stomach problems can decrease your food cravings and affect your appetite. While hunger is a physical feeling that manifests itself in food cravings, appetite is an emotional feeling that causes a strong desire for a particular food item or flavor. Let us find out the factors that influence appetite and ways and means to increase your appetite. 

Factors That Affect Appetite

Many factors can impact your regular appetite either positively and favorably or under the influence of stress.  

Illnesses: Several medical conditions, such as bacterial and viral infections, thyroid problems, and chronic diseases like cancer, can reduce your appetite. Such ailments cause a loss of taste or smell and may affect your hunger and appetite.

Medications: Some prescription drugs, including antidepressants, antipsychotics, and diabetes medications like insulin, can push up your appetite and cause weight gain.

Diet: Your eating habits can affect your appetite. A 2011 study revealed obese men trying to lose weight by eating a high protein diet improved appetite control and satiety.

Mental wellness: Mood or emotional state can increase one’s desire to eat. Feelings of stress can cause a person to overeat or under-eat. Mental health conditions like depression and eating disorders may also affect feelings of hunger. 

Pregnancy: Expecting ladies can dislike certain foods and cravings for others. Common complaints during pregnancy, such as nausea and constipation, can reduce pregnant women’s natural appetite.

Social company: The surrounding people may influence your general eating habits and food choices. People mostly model their eating patterns to those around them.

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Ways To Naturally Increase Your Appetite

An average person may have difficulty fulfilling one’s calorie requirements to maintain an average weight. Although you can use a calorie calculator to maintain muscle and minimize fat gain, here are some relevant tips to get your appetite back on track. 

Consider MCT Oil

Bowl Being Poured With Yellow Liquid

Medium-chain triacylglycerols (MCT) oil helps increase appetite by stimulating the release of ghrelin, the hunger-promoting hormone. Spiking coffee with MCT oil has gained popularity among paleo and keto dieters. MCT oil fires up body metabolism and may keep hunger at bay. Start your day with the energizing MCT oil-spiked coffee to restore nutrient-dense calories while also fueling your appetite for the balanced part of the day. You may add a spoonful of MCT oil to shakes, salad dressings, cereals to bulk up dishes.

MCTs are a source of energy and help protect your heart and promote weight loss by reducing body fat and increasing fullness. Talk to a nutrition professional about the potential benefits and risks of adding MCT oil to your diet plan.  

Limit Your Fiber Consumption

Flat Lay Photography of Asparagus

Fiber helps to keep you more full, hence not advisable for people struggling with low appetite. Pick white rice over brown rice, bread over whole grains, low-fiber fruits, and veggies like skinless potatoes, melons, stone fruits, and bananas to avoid fiber's filling effects.

Females should stick to 28 grams of fiber, whereas men can take 38 grams. To keep up your digestive regularity (as you increase your calories), consider taking a fiber supplement like psyllium husk for your late evening consumption. 

Keep To Your Fitness Sessions

Sports activities and fitness connect with burning body fat and hunger stimulation. Those who don’t exercise have poorly regulated hunger hormones. Starting an exercise program helps you eat closer to the number of calories your body needs.    

Maintain or adopt bodyweight training or an exercise of a longer duration to build your hunger levels and appetite. You can also go for light to moderate exercises, such as morning or evening walks, to stimulate your taste buds.

Build Anticipation For Your Next Meal 

If you find it tasking to have a good appetite, try tempting your senses to build eagerness for your next meal. Scroll through tempting pictures of fast-food items like pizza, cakes, burgers on Pinterest or Instagram. Keep looking at good food images to trigger the release of the hunger hormone ghrelin that increases appetite.

Food scent is also a dominant appetite stimulant. Freshly baked cookies or certain sauces and spices simmering on the stove give off a delicious scent. Be sure to smell a scent that matches what you will be eating.

Wrapping Up

Train yourself to eat and lift more and consistently. Going from under-eating to overeating may make you feel uncomfortable at first, but set yourself a schedule to eat by choice, not force. Pair your diet with solid training. Also, look for ways to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.