We can sacrifice anything except the demand of our taste buds. We can cross any boundary just to satisfy our taste buds. But sometimes, situations may turn different. Our appetite may cheat us and our taste buds as well! Several dishes will be lying, feeling "rejected" in front of us and we may not have the desire to touch them even! And a doctor will describe this condition as "poor appetite".
Decreased appetite can result from various conditions. If this is temporary, then it will not alarm you. But serious or long-term symptoms may denote a medical condition including emotional issues, anorexia, pregnancy, liver or kidney disease and cancer. People with poor appetite or those who have lost their appetite may consume small amounts of food or may feel full after eating very less amounts of it. They may not feel hungry at all. In such cases, these home remedies may work out well:
- Safflower, Horse radish, ginseng, barberry, garlic, hops, goldenseal, oat straw and parsley will boost your appetite.
- A thiamine supplement and niacin, zinc, biotin, vitamin A and B-complex act as appetite promoters.
- Drink peppermint tea for the same purpose.
- Chop a fresh ginger into small pieces and flavor it up with some lime juice and some rock salt. Then munch it to stimulate your appetite.
- Take the dried kernels of mango seeds. Take some curry leaves and pepper corns and add them to these kernels. Then grind them so as to make a fine paste. Use water to make this paste. Add buttermilk to this paste. Add some salt to taste and then take this mixture with rice. You may also use soft mango leaves instead of the mango kernels. This remedy boosts appetite by stimulating the taste buds.
- Mix equal proportions of ginger, asafetida (hing), cumin (jeera), black salt and mustard seeds. Crush these ingredients to form a powder. Pour this powder to a glass of buttermilk and have it one hour before taking a meal.
- Figs (anjeer) and dates will not only make you gain weight, but will also help to stimulate your appetite.
- Mix honey with fresh pomegranate juice and add a little amount of rock salt to it. Sip this mixture slowly.
- Combine together equal proportions of coriander (dhania) seeds, cardamom (elaichi), fennel seeds (saunf) and cinnamon (dalchini) bark. Bathe these constituents in cold water and let them stay overnight. Drink this mixture the next day, in the early morning.
- Bitter greens consisting of dandelions, watercress, endives, kale, arugula, mizuna, sorrel, radicchio, collards, endives, escarole and red or green mustard help in boosting appetite by promoting digestion.
- Fennel is a common digestion boosting agent. It does not only boost appetite but also helps provides relief from stomach upset.
- Hot pepper promotes metabolism and appetite.
- Take a cup of warm water and immerse 10 grams of tamarind in it. Allow around half an hour to pass. You'll get tamarind juice if you press the mass. Some amount of table salt will add taste to it. Powdered ajwain seeds (around 2 grams) should also be added. Take this before your meals to help improve your appetite.
- Basil tea also promotes appetite.
- Oregano oil can also help relax tension in the stomach and stimulate your appetite. Oregano oil can be diluted with water, then massaged into your skin or used as a hot steam.
- Californian Raisin (Monakka), salt, black pepper (kali Mirch) taken together with hot water, helps to improve Appetite.
- Sugarcane (ganna) juice with honey, lemon juice and a pinch of clove (laung) powder taken together, helps to improve appetite.
- Sweet neem (curry patta), garlic can be used regularly in cooking, which helps to improve appetite.
Other Tips
- Eat smaller meals.
- Avoid snacks too close to meal time.
- A pleasant eating atmosphere may help reduce emotional stress and make food and eating more appealing when your appetite is reduced.
- Regular physical exercise can also help restore your appetite.
- Cardiovascular forms of exercise, such as walking, jogging, biking or swimming, are ideal because they increase blood circulation and stimulate your metabolism to use and your body to replenish calories.
- Fluids can fill you up during meals and keep you from consuming appropriate amounts of food. For this reason, drink water between meals rather than during meals. Stop fluid intake at least 30 minutes before your meals.
- Stimulate your appetite with good smelling meals.
- Foods that increase hunger include oranges, ginger, grapes, garlic, apples, cinnamon, lemons and the foods that use artificial sweeteners.
It is you, who will know what works as a wonder for you! Poor appetite can make you defy the call of your taste buds. And you can defy poor appetite by allowing them to get provoked!
