Spread the Ayurveda Goodness

Now what exactly is appetite? Appetite is a desire or longing to eat. The quantity of food you eat has a great impact on your ojas (vitality). Therefore, a normal appetite is necessary for a healthy body. Here are some natural ways to increase appetite.

Natural Ways To Increase Appetite With Ayurveda

1. Spices To Spike Your Appetite

Ginger: This natural appetite stimulant has a permanent place in the Ayurvedic kitchen. Crushed ginger juice does wonders for your appetite and digestion. Not just that, it has a host of other benefits too.
Coriander leaves: This lovely herb is a popular garnish. If you want to know how to boost appetite with it, blend some fresh coriander leaves and drink on an empty stomach. The juice will help release gastric enzymes and prepare your tummy to take in food.
Carom seeds: Also known as ajwain, it is particularly used in cooking as a digestive aid. It activates digestive enzyme secretion, and acts as an antacid and anti-flatulent. A few carom seeds in a glass of warm water daily will boost digestion as well as appetite.
Fennel seeds: Fennel seeds can increase your appetite by stimulating bile production and enhancing digestion. Make a nice fennel herbal tea with a teaspoon of fennel seeds and some honey.

2. Yoga Or Exercise Is A Must.

Yoga asanas and pranayamas (breathing techniques) can help increase Pitta, strengthen the digestive fire, balance hormones, and improve appetite. Here are some yogic techniques you can use:

Skull Shining Breath (Kapalbhati Pranayama)
Thunderbolt Pose (Vajrasana)
Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)
Shoulder Pose (Sarvangasana)
Wind Relieving Pose (Pawanmuktasana)
Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar)
Humming Bee Breath (Brahmari Pranayama)

Regular exercises like walking, cycling, jogging, swimming are also other natural ways to increase appetite.

3. Try Eating Smaller Meals At Regular Timings.

For those with a weak appetite, Ayurveda would generally recommend eating smaller and more frequent meals. Instead of a huge lunch, have two small snacks in the afternoon. And importantly, maintain regular meal timings so that your body will naturally start feeling hungry at these times. Irregular meal times confuse the body and can hamper appetite.

4. How To Boost Appetite? Eat Proper Food.

You are what you eat. So be careful what you feed your body. Eat foods that are nutritious and not just empty calories. Go for proteins, whole grains, and healthy fats. Moreover, go slow on the fibre content as it will keep you full and bring down your appetite. Enjoy delicious fruits, nuts and seeds, vegetables, whole grains, and organic dairy. Use spices and ghee to boost flavour. Avoid heavy foods as they load the system and curb appetite.

5. Eat Mindfully & Happily.

Ayurveda lays a lot of stress on how you eat. Always eat in a peaceful and positive environment. Sit straight. When you sit properly, your body can produce all those important gastric and pancreatic juices effectively. One of the ways to naturally increase your appetite is to eat with your full focus and attention on your food. Cherish every morsel. You can even eat with your hands so that all your senses are involved!

So if you are looking to increase your appetite, we suggest not going for artificial tonics or supplements, unless of course you are painfully underweight and have been advised to do so by a doctor. Just a normal loss of appetite can be dealt with using these simple Ayurvedic ways. Any questions on how to boost appetite? Let us know!

Note: Posts on Ayurvedum are solely for the purpose of sharing the goodness of Ayurveda and bringing awareness about natural and healthy living. Please do not substitute it for professional medical advice. Ingredients discussed can interfere with certain medications. So, before using anything to treat yourself, always consult an Ayurveda doctor or practitioner.