One Easy Way to Curb Hunger

Do you ever get peckish an hour or two after eating?

This is annoying, especially if you've just eaten a filling, nutritious meal and you know you don't really need to eat, but your stomach is telling you otherwise.

When I'm in weight loss mode, one of the things that makes or breaks my efforts are the little choices. It's not always, do I have a cookie or piece of pie, but rather, do I have seconds? Do I have another tortilla? Do I eat a little more so that I'm really "full"?

One of the easiest ways to cut back on calories is to eliminate mindless eating--eating just to eat. eating because you're bored, or eating between meals.

I'm not a big snacker, but there are times, especially when I'm doing calorie restriction (ie. trying to lose weight) when I might have just eaten but still want more.

Want to know an easy thing I do to curb hunger?

I drink peppermint tea.

There load of benefits from drinking peppermint tea, and this post is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but rather, I want to share with you why I drink the stuff:

• I like the minty taste.
  Most "healthy" herbal teas (nettle leaf, dandelion, are 2 examples) take quite a bit of nose pinching to knock back, but peppermint tea is refreshing, cooling, & doesn't require boatloads of sugar to douse out it's actual taste.
• Peppermint tea soothes my tummy. Mint has always been used to aid in digestion, & mint tea is no different. Drink after meals to help soothe the tum.
• It really does curb hunger. I don't know what it is about peppermint, but it not only calms my nerves but calms that part of my brain that tells me I need to eat some chocolate or a cookie.
• Sipping tea is a ritual that is associated with lower BMI. Populations like the Japanese, for example (who daily drink 8 or more cups of tea!), have a much lower BMI than their non-tea drinking counterparts.
• When a craving hits, drink peppermint tea. Instead of going for food, I tell myself, "Okay, you can have _____, but you need to drink a cup of peppermint tea first & then see how you feel." Most times, after waiting to boil the water, steep the tea, & then drinking it gives me enough time to realize whether or not I'm truly hungry, or if it was just a passing craving, boredom, etc.
• No stimulants or caffeine. Unlike green, black, & many herbal teas, pregnant & nursing moms can drink this tea to your heart's content!

So next time a craving or in-between meal hunger hits, what are you going to do?

1. Get a cup of peppermint tea.
2. Sip away!

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Have you tried peppermint tea?

When do you get most hungry? In between meals, or after eating?

Do you have any tips or tricks that help you to keep calories in check?

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