Hunger management: 6 foods to naturally suppress your appetite

A lot of folk say that most of the time, they eat well enough and exercise with moderate enthusiasm. 

Still, keeping hunger at bay is a MAJOR pickle for most of us.

Whether it's that slump between breakfast and lunch; the nibble-heavy period between lunch and dinner, or pre-bedtime evening rumblings – there always seems to be a tempting snack lurking in the background.

But rather than reaching for a slice of toast, a bowl of cereal, or a bar of chocolate, there are instead certain foods that suppress your appetite… naturally. 

Basically, they're the foods that are a dieter's dream: here, SHEmazing! rounds up the six of the best, most readily available ones…

 

1) Apples

An apple a day keeps excess pounds away! And that's largely because of soluble fiber and ursolic acid, a natural compound that has been found to boost fat-burning and may promote lean muscle mass.

A medium apple has just 95 calories and 6g of fiber. Just be sure to eat the whole apple, as the ursolic acid as well as beneficial antioxidants are concentrated in the skin.

2) Eggs

Eating a breakfast that's rich in protein (20-30g) suppresses ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates your appetite, while elevating peptide YY and GLP-1, two hormones that enhance satiety, according to research.

Studies also suggests that eating eggs for breakfast encourages you to eat fewer calories throughout the day. In fact, an egg breakfast may help control hunger for a full 24 hours. 

3) Chickpeas

Chickpeas – not to mention beans, peas and lentils – contain lots of fiber; are excellent sources of slow-to-digest protein, and have a low glycemic index to keep blood sugar and carbohydrate cravings in check.

A recent report published in the journal Obesity indicated that people who ate about 155g of legumes felt 31 percent fuller than those who didn't.

Another study published recently reports that overweight people who ate a bean-rich diet could lose 4.5kg in 16 weeks.

4) Nuts

Yes, they're high in calories (about 170 calories per 30g serving), but nuts can still be very slimming. Studies show that nut lovers are thinner than those who avoid or rarely eat nuts. Why? Nuts keep you fuller longer; their calories aren't fully absorbed by the body, and they boost your metabolism.

In particular, opt for in-shell pistachios: fiddling around with the shells should help you consume around 40 percent fewer calories – and you'll have a visual reminder of just how many you've eaten.

5) Mangos

Fiber-packed mangos are definitely diet-friendly. The fruit contains numerous bioactive ingredients, including mangiferin, a compound that has been shown in preliminary research to help reduce body fat and control blood sugar levels.

Research published in the British Journal Of Nutrition also reports that mango added to the diets of rodents prevented weight gain and improved blood sugar and insulin levels when the animals were fed a high-fat diet.

6) Natural yoghurt 

Dairy's not really in vogue at the moment, but having full-fat, natural yoghurt (such as Greek style) every day might help you keep your weight in check: one study, in fact, suggests it makes you 20 percent less likely to become overweight and 38 percent less likely to become obese.

Researchers reckon the protein (a serving of plain Greek yoghurt has as much protein as four large eggs), calcium, and probiotics all play a role.