Did you know that you can use essential oils for weight loss? Incorporate these potent and precious liquids into your weight loss management program to achieve a healthy weight!
Almost everyone nowadays has a few extra pounds they want to shed to attain a healthy weight and shapely figure, however, it’s not easy. It takes a lot of self-control in today’s world where you can find dozens of fast food restaurants cropping up in every street and people posting pictures of their delicious food on all kinds of social media!
Weight loss doesn’t just mean staving off unhealthy fatty foods, it means working your butt off as well as balancing your hormones, reducing stress, making lifestyle changes and so much more. To reduce excess weight fast, you need to do daily work, without missing one single day. For me, after childbirth, what worked wonders in reducing weight super fast was daily intermittent fasting and cardio workouts that helped me quickly lose 12 pounds in 8 weeks.
Incorporating the essential oils below in your weight loss routine is a valuable thing you can do to lose weight fast! What makes essential oils so special? Read on…
How Do Essential Oils Help Weight Loss?
Essential oils are becoming an increasingly used holistic technique for weight loss and obesity because certain oils contain aroma compounds that curb insatiable food cravings and create a feeling of fullness that prevents overeating.
Below are some of the ways essential oils help those who want to reduce a few extra pounds:
- Suppressing appetite
- Creating a feeling of ‘fullness’
- Fighting emotional hunger and bingeing
- Reducing accumulation of abdominal fat
- Combating depression which leads to overeating
- Reducing too much stress
- Increasing metabolism
- Regulating blood sugar levels
- Increasing stamina and endurance
- Increasing energy
- Staving off sugar cravings
- Eliminating toxins in the body
- Reducing fluid retention
- Minimizing unnecessary weight gain
- Balancing the hormones
- Clearing cellulite
- Improving overall body health
- Helping you consume fewer calories
Research on Essential Oils for Weight Loss
Below are some of the studies conducted on the effects of essential oils on weight loss:
►Study One:
Grapefruit & Lemon Oils Suppress Body Weight Gain
A study conducted by Japanese researchers, Niijima A. and Nagai K. experimented on the effect of olfactory stimulation of the scent of grapefruit oil and lemon oil on the efferent nerve activity in the sympathetic branch of the White Adipose Tissue (WAT) of the epididymis in a anesthetized rat. The final results showed that the flavor of both of the citrus oils increased sympathetic nerve activity to WAT in the rat, which suggests an increase in lipolysis and a suppression in body weight gain. (1)
►Study Two:
Smelling Essential Oils Having Fresh Scents Reduces Chocolate Cravings
A study was conducted to find out the effect of the olfactory sense on chocolate craving in college females. In the experiment, the participants were told to rate their craving levels after viewing images of chocolate while inhaling essential oils: one with a fresh scent and one with a sweet scent (vanilla). The results showed that inhaling a fresh scent reduced the females’ craving levels and the sweet scent increased their chocolate craving levels! Therefore, the fresh scents of peppermint, eucalyptus, cypress, spearmint and more can be used as appetite suppressants to stave off sugar cravings. (2)
►Study Three:
Abdominal Fat Significantly Decreases After Essential Oil Massage
A Korean study by Kim HJ was conducted to examine the effect of aromatherapy massage on abdominal fat and body image in post-menopausal women. Participants were divided into two groups: the experimental group which used essential oils of 3% grapefruit, cypress and three other kinds of oil while the control group only used grapeseed oil.
All participants received one hour of whole body massage as treatment by the same researcher every week for 6 weeks. The participants also massaged themselves on the abdomen two times every day for 5 days each week for 6 weeks. Data was collected before and after the treatment using Siemens Somatom Sensation 4, a tape measure and MBSRQ and it was analyzed by ANCOVA using the SPSS/PC+Win 12 Version.
The results of the experiment revealed that abdominal subcutaneous fat and waist circumference in the experimental group significantly decreased after aromatherapy massage compared to the control group. Body image in the experimental group was significantly better after aromatherapy massage than in the control group. (3)
Top 15 Essential Oils for Weight Loss
1. Grapefruit Essential Oil (where to get it)
2. Peppermint Essential Oil (where to get it)
3. Cinnamon Essential Oil (where to get it)
4. Ginger Essential Oil (where to get it)
5. Lemon Essential Oil (where to get it)
6. Spearmint Essential Oil (where to get it)
7. Fennel Essential Oil (where to get it)
8. Bergamot Essential Oil (where to get it)
9. Rosemary Essential Oil (where to get it)
10. Eucalyptus Essential Oil (where to get it)
Other Essential Oils for Weight Loss that Work
11. Basil Essential Oil (where to get it)
12. Cypress Essential Oil (where to get it)
13. Tangerine Essential Oil (where to get it)
14. Lemongrass Essential Oil (where to get it)
15. Sandalwood Essential Oil (where to get it)
How to Use Essential Oils for Weight Loss
Below are 6 great ways to use essential oils for weight loss and management:
1. Massage Oil for Weight Loss & Cellulite
Excess fat in the body usually leads to appearance of cellulite, which are characterized by dips and on the skin, caused by accumulation old fatty deposits. Massaging cellulitic areas with essential oils can help breakdown of these deposits thereby helping move toxins and waste to the sites of elimination and getting rid of that fat.
What you need
- 15 drops grapefruit oil
- 10 drops rosemary oil
- 2 tbsp olive oil (where to get it)
- 2 oz glass dropper bottle (where to get it)
Method
- Combine all oils in a glass dropper bottle.
- Place 10 – 12 drops of this blend on your hand, rub your palms together and deeply massage your whole body or only flabby areas. Note: you don’t need to use a lot to make your skin greasy.
- Leave the oil to penetrate at least 30 minutes before showering.
2. ‘Stave off Sugar’ Diffuser Recipe
Diffuse this blend in your room whenever you feel the sugar cravings kicking in!
What you need
- 3 drops mandarin orange
- 2 drops peppermint
- 2 drops ginger
- Non – plastic cold air diffuser (where to get it)
Method
Add the oils to your cold air diffuser with the required amount of water suggested in the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. ‘Fight Food Cravings’ Roll – On Blend
Apply this roller bottle blend about 3 times daily to fight off food cravings and suppress large appetites!
What you need
- 15 drops peppermint
- 10 drops eucalyptus
- Grapeseed oil (where to get it)
- 10 ml roll – on bottle (where to get it)
Method
- Remove the roller ball and add the essential oils drop by drop.
- Top up with grapeseed oil and replace the roller ball.
- Close the bottles cap and shake it well to combine everything.
- Roll on the back of the neck, behind ears and on shoulders to benefit from the appetite suppressing properties of the aroma.
4. Detox Bath Recipe
An invigorating detox bath is just the thing you need in your weight loss journey to draw out toxins as well as promote proper circulation of lymph and wastes to the sites of elimination.
What you need
- 1 cup bentonite clay (where to get it)
- 10 drops ginger oil
- 10 drops grapefruit oil
- 10 drops rosemary oil
- 2 tbsp olive oil (where to get it)
Method
- When the bath is running, add the bentonite clay and let it dissolve.
- Once you’ve drawn your bath, mix the essential oils in the olive oil and add it to the water.
- Stir it with your hand and soak in for at least 25 minutes to sweat out toxins and waste.
5. Personal Inhaler
Having a personal essential oils inhaler is a must-have when you want to benefit from the aroma therapeutic benefits of essential oils anytime, anywhere. You can easily slip it in your pocket or purse and take it with you.
What you need
- 5 – 7 drops any of the above weight loss essential oils or a blend
- Personal essential oils inhaler (where to get it)
Method
- Place 5 – 7 drops of the essential oil in a small dish (non – plastic).
- Remove the wick from the personal inhaler and use it to soak up the oils.
- Place the wick back in the inhaler and enjoy your personalized weight loss inhaler blend!
6. Direct Inhalation
When you have intense sugar cravings, go and sniff grapefruit, peppermint or rosemary straight from the bottle to fight off the cravings!
References
(1) Niijima A, Nagai K. Effect of olfactory stimulation with flavor of grapefruit oil and lemon oil on the activity of sympathetic branch in the white adipose tissue of the epididymis. Exp Biol Med (May¬wood). 2003 Nov;228(10):1190–2.
(2) Firmin MW1, Gillette AL2, Hobbs TE2, Wu D2. Effects of olfactory sense on chocolate craving. Appetite. 2016 Oct 1;105:700-4. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.07.004. Epub 2016 Jul 6.
(3) Kim HJ1. Effect of aromatherapy massage on abdominal fat and body image in post-menopausal women. Taehan Kanho Hakhoe Chi. 2007 Jun;37(4):603-12.
Will you try using essential oils for weight loss? How do you plan on using them? Share your valuable comment below!
