What you need to know about summertime appetite loss and digestion

According to nutritionist Bhakti Kapoor, the weather can affect digestion by making us feel more hungry in case it is a cool day, or less hungry on a particularly hot day. It can make us feel dehydrated also, in case of less intake of water, or make our digestion sluggish. On the other hand, the weather can also make us susceptible to food infections.

Kapoor further explained in an Instagram caption that it is the brain that controls our appetite and not the stomach. “Our appetites are usually controlled by the hypothalamus, which is the brain’s appetite centre. It also regulates satiety, which determines whether you are full or not,” she wrote.

The expert added that in summers, “the heat dehydrates the body”. “This is because the body is attempting to regulate its temperature by sweating out excess water.” As such, the summertime appetite loss is your body’s way of letting you know what it needs.

 

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A post shared by Bhakti Kapoor (@gethealthyhigh)

And instead of force-eating, “listen to your body and drink plenty of water”.

“Appetite suppression is a natural and temporary phenomenon. When the monsoons arrive, you’ll crave hot tea and greasy pakodas all over again,” she added.

Kapoor also mentioned that in winters, it is normal to feel hungry, because “our appetites are stimulated as a result of the colder weather because [of which the] body temperature drops. This is due to the fact that eating helps to generate internal heat, which causes a rise in body temperature.”

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