SARAH DI LORENZO: You don’t need Ozempic to curb your appetite, these foods help control hunger to lose weight

Controlling your appetite can be one of the hardest things to do especially when trying to lose weight. Our appetite is regulated by several hormones which signal our brain to give us energy, tell us when to eat and when we are full.

There’s ghrelin, which tells you are hungry and leptin, that tells you that you are full. Insulin regulates our blood glucose levels. There are others like amylin, sex hormones and gut hormones such as Peptide YY. Due to the surge in weight loss medications such as Ozempic, many of you have probably heard of glucagon-like peptide 1 (or GLP-1).

For those of us who have cravings, feel fatigued, emotional, stressed, bored or love a late night snack our appetite can often get the better of us and in most cases it does.

But there are some solutions that are natural without taking any medications that can help reduce the cravings, give you a slow release of energy and help you get or stay at your health goals. So I am going to share with you my top natural ways to suppress your appetite.

My first bit of advice is to drink water. This seems so basic but often when we crave food we are actually thirsty. The messaging of hunger and thirst are the same until we are basically parched and dehydrated. Another great tip is to have half a litre of water before meals, this will promote a full feeling, reducing your food intake. Remember, mineral water and herbal teas still count as water.

It’s essential to make sure you are having protein with every meal. Unlike fats and carbohydrates, protein takes longer to digest as it can sit on our stomach for up to eight hours making us feel satiated. Protein increases GLP-1 and peptide YY and decreases ghrelin (the hunger hormone).

It also helps build muscle which can regulate blood glucose and preserve muscle when you are losing weight. Think eggs for breakfast, nuts for snacks, chicken for lunch and fish for dinner.

Fibre is something that many of us don’t get enough and is very important for our health. It expands our stomach therefore slowing down digestion and leaving us feeling full. Make sure to snack on apples, add chia to meals and eat plenty of oats and legumes.

Lots of us have coffee first thing in the morning and don’t feel hungry. The caffeine in coffee can stimulate thermogenesis which is our body’s internal calorie burning. Dopamine can also be increased by caffiene and therefore help reduce any emotional or stress eating.

A different good source of caffeine is Green tea because it also has a very powerful antioxidant called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate) which helps to reduce appetite and boost metabolism.

One surprising natural appetite suppressant is chilli. Adding chili to your foods, will give you a boost in it’s powerful compound capsaicin, which will also boost metabolism. I like to add fresh chilli to meals, but chilli flakes are always good to have on hand.

Don’t let the Netflix documentary of the same name completely put you off apple cider vinegar. Recent research has shown it may help keep blood sugar stable. This can give a feeling of fullness and slow down stomach emptying. Apple cider vinegar is very popular in the form of capsules and can be diluted in water before meals or between meals to suppress appetite. I have seen a lot of my own clinical success with apple cider vinegar as an appetite suppressant.

Snacking out a couple of squares of dark chocolate can reduce and help manage cravings, as well dark chocolate can give you a hit of dopamine and improve mood.

Fresh ginger is another excellent addition to any meal, but you could also add ground ginger to meals. I add ground ginger to my yoghurt when I have that for breakfast with a fruit salad and cinnamon. There was some recent research showing ginger may reduce appetite and increase feelings of satiety.

Eggs are fantastic when it comes to appetite control. They have the protein to keep you full plus fat as well and to make them even more fantastic they contain b-vitamins that can help give you energy. Eat them for breakfast, have boiled eggs as snacks or make a frittata or quiche for lunch or dinner.

Some final thoughts are to be mindful when eating, consider keeping a journal and eat slowly taking time to chew. Always make sure you are sleeping well, have a balanced diet, exercise daily and definitely stay hydrated.

Next time you are making your shopping list, start to add one of these small changes week by week and over time you will be in control of your appetite, not it controlling you.