4 Ways To Keep Your Appetite Under Control

Want some ideas for keeping your appetite from getting out of control? Here are 4 things you can do to suppress those hunger pangs from taking over:

1. Get enough sleep at night.

It may be surprising to know that not getting enough sleep can actually increase your appetite. It's because when we don’t get enough sleep, our levels of ghrelin, a hormone that increases appetites, goes up (weight gain) and levels of leptin, a hormone that suppresses the appetite, goes down (so we are hungrier). So as adults, we should try for 7-8 hours of sleep nightly.

2. Eat more protein and Fiber.

Protein takes more time to digest and so will keep you full longer. Fiber helps by absorbing water, and then expanding in your stomach – literally creating bulk to make you feel fuller and have less room for more.

3. Eat in the light.

This may sound funny, but try it the next time you go out to eat. Sit in a well-lit part of the restaurant. That’s because when you’re eating in a well-lit area, you’re more likely to consume fewer calories. You are more self conscious and feel others can see what you’re eating, so you’re likely to curb your appetite accordingly.

4. Keep Temptation Away.

This is not really anything new here...but try to keep a minimum of snack choices available in your kitchen. The more you snacks you have to choose from, the greater your appetite will be.

Persistent Cough? Low Iron Levels Could Be Culprit

I found this to be an interesting piece of health information for women. It seems that many women simply do not get enough iron in their diets, which can lead to feeling lethargic and unfocused, since your blood needs iron to transport oxygen to all of your body’s cells, including those in your muscles and your brain. Skimping on iron may also be one reason why some women are not able to shake a chronic cough.

A recent study suggests that iron deficiency damages the tissues that line the mouth and nose, back of the throat and trachea, making them more vulnerable to irritants and more prone to ­inflammation.

Interestingly enough, women that were studied in the research project and had persistent coughs that would not go away, had these coughs clear up after taking an iron supplement for three to four months.

This research could help explain why women are more likely than men to suffer unexplained coughs. Women are more likely than men to have insufficient iron stores because women lose the mineral through menstruation.

Tips for getting iron in your diet:

There are two forms of iron in the diet: heme and nonheme. In foods from animal sources, such as meat, poultry and fish, about half the iron is heme iron and the rest is nonheme. Iron from dairy foods, eggs and plant-based foods is entirely nonheme. Iron is better absorbed by the body from heme sources. Vitamin C also improves absorption of both forms of iron when consumed at the same meal. Fortified products, such as breads, cereals and breakfast bars, can contribute significant amounts of nonheme iron to the diet as well.