How can chewing gum help curb my appetite?

You could crush that three p.m. cookie craving just by chewing a little of this -- gum.

That's right. A study found that chewing gum can really put the kibosh on your afternoon appetite in a big way.

People who chew either sweetened or sugar-free gum after lunch feel full longer, have fewer hunger pangs, have fewer cravings for sweets and eat fewer afternoon snacks compared with people who don't chew gum.

How does chomping gum suppress hunger? It's simple. When you eat, your taste buds are stimulated by the food. But the cool thing is that exposure to the tastes and smells of food also lessens how good it tastes. That, in turn, is one of the cues that signal your brain that you're full, so cravings go away. Chewing gum may have this same effect -- but without all the calories!