Be aware !! We might not feel like eating foods or have low appetite due to these important reasons?
Posted on: 23/Dec/2022 6:08:17 PM
To be healthy and to do all the day to day activities, we need energy and that is provided by the food. We eat food when we feel hungry or when we have an appetite. Sometimes, a person would have loss of appetite temporarily and this is not a serious issue. The issue would become serious only when a person does not have an appetite for days together.
There are few important reasons for the loss of appetite or not feeling the need to eat food these are
Stress:
Our digestion would get slowed down and we would have loss of appetite when we get stressed. This is due to the fact that our CNS would release hormones that would lead to loss of appetite in us. It is believed that those with chronic anxiety or depression would not have any interest in eating foods.
Infections and chronic conditions:
Issues like cold, flu, cough etc could lead to loss of appetite in us. The interest to eat foods would diminish when we have issues like nasal congestion, sinus and other respiratory infections and that could be due to the loss of smell and taste. Joint pain due to arthritis could result in the loss of appetite. Various chronic conditions like IBS, hypothyroidism, HIV etc could lead to loss of appetite.
Medications:
It must be noted that certain medications like antibiotics, diuretics, sedatives etc could lead to loss of appetite in us.
Ageing:
It is true that when we age or grow older the interest to eat foods would come down. This would be because of the fact that ageing would slow down metabolism, reduce hormone functions and decrease the ability to chew foods etc.
Pregnancy:
During pregnancy, a woman would undergo various hormonal changes and this could also result in lack of interest in consuming foods. A pregnant woman would have issues like morning sickness, nausea, heratburns et cand these would reduce her appetite to a huge extent.
Ways to increase the appetite:
By avoiding eating alone:
When we eat alone we might not have interest in eating foods but when we eat with friends or family members etc our appetite would get stimulated. We would feel more urge to eat foods if the foods are tasty and of different varieties etc
By having just small meals:
Instead of eating a huge meal once, it is good to eat small meals often. By this, our appetite would become better.
By setting reminders:
It is true that those who have depression, anxiety etc might lose track of their basic health requirements. In that case, it is important to keep reminders.
By sleeping well:
Research studies have mentioned that those with poor sleep routines would have loss of appetite because the body`s circadian rhythm could affect hunger
By having nutrient rich diet:
It is essential to have calorie rich food like avocado salads, nuts and seeds mixture etc. To meet our daily requirements, we must eat those foods that are rich in minerals, vitamins etc. This would increase the appetite.
