How do I open my appetite to eat

Anorexia

Many people with thinness suffer from anorexia, as it is difficult for them to eat healthy and varied food due to the lack of desire to do so, and this problem may result from taking some types of medications, depression or anxiety, or due to advanced age, as it can be due to more serious health problems; such as cancer, digestive diseases, or AIDS, and it is worth noting that it is important to open the appetite to promote health.

How to open the appetite to eat

There are several simple ways that can help increase appetite and food intake, and the most important of these methods follow:

• Eat small meals: Eating three main meals can be difficult for a person who suffers from a lack of appetite, while dividing them into five or six small meals may stimulate eating them, and after the appetite begins to improve, the size of these meals can be increased, and more ingredients can be added to them.
• Make mealtime fun: Preparing and eating food with family and friends can help stimulate appetite, and food can be eaten while watching TV if no one is available to share the meal, as this helps distract attention from food and thus increase its intake.
• Serving food in large dishes: It can be discouraging for people with anorexia to see large portions of food that they have to eat, and therefore the brain can be deceived by serving these portions in larger dishes, thus the amount of food will appear less, and studies have shown that this method helped to eat larger quantities. of food.
• Set meal times: As people usually eat because of feeling hungry, but in cases of lack of appetite, it is preferable to set specific dates for meals, and remind them to help eat regularly, and this also contributes to stimulating appetite, and eating sufficient amounts of calories and nutrients.
• Do not skip breakfast: Where breakfast is one of the important meals to increase appetite and weight, and studies have indicated that skipping this meal leads to eating smaller amounts of food during the day, and breakfast also helps to increase the effect of energy generation in the body, and thus increase the burning of calories during the day; Which can increase appetite.
• Eat less fiber: Where fiber-rich diets help increase the feeling of satiety, reduce calories, and thus reduce weight, as fiber slows down the digestion process, and despite its importance in balanced food, it is recommended to reduce it if the goal is to increase appetite, by eating foods with low content. Of which.
• Eat foods rich in nutrients: As people who suffer from a lack of appetite usually resort to eating empty calories (in English: Empty calories); Such as sugary candy, and potato chips with the aim of gaining weight, although these foods are high in calories; However, they contain only a few nutrients, and it is better to focus on foods rich in various nutrients in addition to calories. Such as proteins and healthy fats, where you can eat a cup of yogurt with berries and cinnamon instead of eating ice cream.
• Adding more calories to meals: Where the calorie content of the meal can be increased by preparing it using high-calorie ingredients; such as olive oil, butter, nut butter, and whole milk.
• Calorie intake: Drinking nutritious and calorie-rich drinks can be more stimulating than chewing food when you don't feel hungry, and examples of these drinks are; Milkshakes, juices, and the use of vegetables, fruits, and healthy foods to prepare them. Protein sources can also be added; Like yogurt.
• Eat healthy snacks: As snacks are small in size, and easy to eat, so they are suitable for increasing the amount of calories eaten during the day, and they can also be carried to eat them at any time, but it is advised not to eat them close to the main meals, and examples of snacks are; Fruits, protein bars, yogurt with fruit, and popcorn.
• Eating favorite foods: Research has indicated that if a person participates in choosing what he wants to eat, he will eat larger quantities of it, and therefore it is important to prepare the preferred foods in advance so that they are at hand, and in the event that the preferred food is unhealthy such as fast food, it can be tried to prepare it in Home with healthy ingredients.
• Playing sports: As exercise helps to burn calories; Which increases the appetite to compensate for the calories burned, and it is worth noting that the appetite begins to improve after exercising for several days, in addition to that, the exercises affect a number of processes that stimulate appetite in the body; Such as increasing the metabolic rate and muscle mass, and changing the production of hormones.
• Not drinking water with meals: Where drinking water and fluids during or before meals reduces appetite, which reduces food intake, and it appears that this effect is more in older people than in young people, and therefore it is advised not to drink water thirty minutes before a meal.
• Use of spices and herbs in food preparation: As some types of foods lead to a delay in digestion and the production of gases, which causes a feeling of heaviness in the stomach and reduces appetite, and some types of spices can help reduce bloating, abdominal gases, and increase appetite. Fennel, peppermint, coriander, mint, cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper. These herbs also help to give a distinctive taste and flavor to food, which stimulates appetite. On the other hand, some other herbs such as the blessed thistle (in English: Blessed thistle), and the wolf's paw (in English: Gentian), and cornflowers (in English: Centaury) can stimulate the production of digestive enzymes and increase appetite.

Medicines and nutritional supplements to open the appetite

A person may need some nutritional supplements and medicines that help open the appetite, including the following:

• Nutritional supplements: Where the deficiency of some vitamins and minerals can lead to loss of appetite, and among the most important supplements to increase appetite that can be added to the diet are the following:
  • Zinc, as the lack of this element in the body leads to a decrease in appetite and an imbalance in taste, which reduces the desire to eat.
  • Thiamine, as its deficiency is associated with reducing appetite, as it leads to increased energy burning at rest, and thus weight loss.
  • Fish oil, as studies have shown that these supplements can increase appetite and reduce the feeling of satiety in women after eating meals.
  • Echinacea herb, as studies have indicated that it helps stimulate appetite, in addition to its ability to boost the immune system.
• pharmaceutical: The US Food and Drug Administration has approved three types of medications to stimulate appetite, and it should be noted that a doctor should be consulted before using these medications, including the following:
  • Dronabinol (in English: Dornabinol); It affects cannabinoid receptors in the brain, helps increase appetite and reduce nausea, as it is used for AIDS patients and chemotherapy patients.
  • Megestrol (in English: Megestrol); It is used to treat anorexia and wasting syndrome (Cachexia).
  • Oxandrolone (in English: Oxandrolone); It is usually prescribed to increase the appetite and weight of patients after infection, trauma, and surgeries.