Curb your appetite naturally

The holidays will soon be over, but your waistline won't forget the sins of your overactive taste buds that quickly. If you're looking to get back on track with your eating habits, know that there are some great, all natural ways to curb your appetite.

These natural appetite suppressants are not stimulants. Instead, they work on the various pathways in the brain that control hunger. One of the main complaints of common appetite suppressors in the store is that they cause nervousness, dizziness and even heart palpitations.

A great natural appetite suppressant to try is apple cider vinegar. Whether consumed in tablet form or straight from the bottle unfiltered, when taken before meals, apple cider vinegar stabilizes blood sugar levels. It helps to keep insulin levels stable after eating a meal and prevents blood sugar crashes, which ultimately lead to spikes in appetite.

While we're on the subject of apples, the whole fruit itself is also an excellent appetite suppressant. Apples contain a natural fiber in them called pectin. This fiber helps control blood sugar, and also gives the feeling of fullness for hours.

There are also herbs and plant derived extracts that can help control the appetite. The first and most notorious is hoodia gordonii. This plant, a part of the succulent family, gained media exposure when it was found to be used by tribesman as an appetite and thirst suppressant.

The reason behind hoodia's hunger suppression properties is a molecule called "P57", which is a steroidal glycoside. This steroidal glycoside is thought to work directly on the hypothalamus, which is the center of the brain responsible for appetite control. To date, no other plant in nature is thought to have this molecule.

Another plant derived appetite suppressant called caralluma fimbriata is also a member of the succulent family. The reason behind the appetite suppressing qualities of caralluma is a bit different from hoodia gordonii.

Caralluma is thought to work by interfering with certain enzymatic activities which form fat reserves. By doing this, it supposedly forces the body to burn fat reserves that are already in place. Since you are already burning fat and do not need more calories to burn for energy, you feel less hungry.

Bee pollen is another natural appetite suppressant. Bee pollen is thought to increase energy levels, thereby reducing appetite. This makes sense, since a primary function behind hunger is to gain energy from the nutrients we get from eating.

There are various types of fiber which are excellent at controlling hunger as well. Flax seed is foremost on that list since it has two components that are excellent for appetite control.

First, it is a "bulking" fiber, which means it fills the stomach by expanding, keeping you full. Second, it contains monounsaturated fat, which is known to signal the brain of fullness more quickly.

Flax seed is excellent added to fruit smoothies. It gives a pleasant, slightly nutty flavor and creates a thicker consistency.

Psyllium fiber is another good one.