Essential oils are concentrated extracts from plants. It takes a large amount of plant material to make a small amount of essential oil. Essential oils can be used in aromatherapy, applied topically to the skin, or inhaled. I use all three methods. I love to fall off to sleep with my aromatherapy diffuser going. I change to a different combination of oils every night, but it always starts with lavender essential oil which is great for sleep. We’ll talk more about that in future posts. I also like to inhale them using nasal inhalers that I purchased from Amazon. I add a few drops of the oil to the inhaler and then, based on what I’m trying to accomplish, I inhale that particular oil or combination of oils.
Our first set of essential oils to start is for our less than favorite struggle, weight loss. Who hasn’t wanted to lose a few pounds now and then? If you haven’t found it necessary, consider yourself lucky or blessed however you look at it. Below is a list of essential oils commonly used for weight loss. Some you may know and some may be new to you; I'll break each one down and give you some of the best combinations I've found over the years to use for success. I am no expert on this subject, but I will discuss information that I have personally researched as well as what has worked for me. For expert advice consult your personal physician.
Every essential oil possesses its own unique set of healing properties, each of which can contribute to your weight loss efforts. Many essential oils are powerful anti-inflammatories, some promote sleep, and still others help with anxiety or stress as well as weight loss. So if you find yourself struggling with plateaus, sugar cravings, emotional or digestive issues--all of which can cause weight loss plateaus--then the essential oils I’ll be discussing may be the key to finally losing those excess pounds. Let's begin.
Peppermint: Peppermint Essential Oil has a very soothing aroma. I find that it also suppresses my appetite and reduces my sugar cravings when I inhale it during a craving. Peppermint Essential Oil is also great for poor digestion. If we’re not digesting our food properly, we’re definitely not losing weight. It also helps to lift your mood and fight fatigue which can help with wanting to exercise more often, an essential part of your weight loss regimen. I often include Peppermint Essential Oil in my belly fat reduction blend I mentioned above.
Lemon: First let me say that I love the smell of lemon essential oil. I know I say that about them all, but the citrus oils are my favorite. I find it so refreshing. It has so many benefits, but today we’re talking about how it benefits weight loss. Lemon essential oil is known to boost metabolism, reduce blood sugar levels, and reduce sugar cravings. I use it topically along with pink grapefruit essential oil and a carrier oil. Lemon essential oil contains D-limonene which is the oil extracted from the lemon or grapefruit skin. Not only is lemon essential oil helpful for weight loss, it may also lower cholesterol and burn fat.
Turmeric: Normally, turmeric is used as a spice in cooking, but it also has a host of health benefits. As an essential oil it helps with weight loss by regulating blood sugar levels. Curcumin, which is found in turmeric essential oil, can actually suppress fat tissue growth. Turmeric Essential Oil is also considered an anti-inflammatory and can boost your metabolism. I usually apply this oil topically, but I also use the spice version when making golden milk. This is a delicious evening drink you can easily make using the turmeric spice and a few drops of turmeric essential oil with coconut milk. Turmeric Essential Oil can also be used in coffee with cinnamon, ginger, and other spices.
Ylang Ylang: Ylang Ylang has such a lovely aroma that is reminiscent of honeysuckle. Ylang Ylang Essential Oil has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial components. Ylang Ylang Essential Oil has also been shown to be helpful in controlling diabetes which causes blood sugar issues. Published research has shown Ylang Ylang to be helpful with depression. I have just recently started this oil so I’ll update you on how this works for me.
Ginger Root: Ginger Root Essential Oil is according to studies shown to reduce cravings, reduce inflammation, and acts as a fat burner and metabolism booster. I usually add it into my belly fat reducing topical oil. Ginger Root Essential Oil can also be combined with other essential oils for topical use. I have heard of people pouring ginger root essential oil along with jojoba oil directly into the belly button as a weight loss cure, but I have not tried this myself. Ginger Root Essential Oil has so many great benefits for weight loss and would be a great addition to your weight loss regimen.
Pink Grapefruit: When I started using pink grapefruit essential oil, I had already heard many things about grapefruit’s uses for weight loss. I had tried pink grapefruit juice for weight loss, but I never really saw much success with it. As I mentioned before, citrus oils are my favorite so I love the smell of them. Knowing that they help with weight loss is a huge bonus. Pink grapefruit essential oil is considered a fat burner and appetite suppressant according to studies. It also helps stabilize blood sugar and boost metabolism, all great for weight loss. I use it topically to reduce cellulite as well as to burn fat.
Bergamot: Bergamot is another citrus essential oil. It’s helpful in lowering cholesterol, balancing blood sugar levels, and contains extremely large amounts of polyphenols. Bergamot essential oil is also considered a stress reliever and helps combat emotional stress which is a huge factor in overeating.
Fennel: I am not a big fan of the licorice smell of fennel essential oil, but I use it due to its health and weight loss benefits. Fennel acts as an appetite suppressant as well a metabolism booster. It is known for breaking down the fat already in your bloodstream. Something I didn’t know about fennel essential oil is that it contains melatonin which helps with sleep, but can also help prevent weight gain. It is also a diuretic which may help with water weight.
Rosemary: Last, but not least on our list of weight loss essential oils is rosemary essential oil. Like many of the essential oils we've discussed, rosemary essential oil helps reduce stress, lower blood sugar levels, boost metabolism, and reduce cortisol. I also use rosemary essential oil for thinning hair, but we’ll talk more about that in a future post.
Cinnamon: When we think of cinnamon, we first think of the spice that we sprinkle on our food or drinks. What we are discussing here is the cinnamon essential oil. Cinnamon essential oil is a very strong oil with a sweet taste. It should not be used directly on the skin because it can burn. A carrier oil (an oil that helps essential oils safely cross through your skin to the bloodstream) like coconut, grapeseed, or castor oil should always be used with cinnamon essential oil. Please go lightly with this because even when used with a carrier oil, cinnamon essential oil can burn your skin if you use too much. I have learned this from experience. I used too many drops in my coconut oil once and it burned like crazy. A drop or two can also be used internally in a tea or smoothie. I use cinnamon essential oil along with many of the oils below as a weight loss topical ointment. I also use my topical blend with a waist trainer to help burn belly fat. I've seen a difference in my personal usage, but I haven’t found any concrete medical research that confirms this is a widely accepted result for most users. This should be completely obvious, but let me say that none of this works if you’re eating cookies, donuts, and fast food daily. A healthy diet is a major part of this as well.
Clove Bud: Clove Bud Essential Oil you need to be very careful with because even small amounts can cause severe side effects such as seizures and liver damage. This oil can cause burning, like cinnamon essential oil, if placed directly on skin. clove bud essential oil has the benefits of being anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, and is also used as a pain reliever for things like toothaches and muscle pain. Clove Bud Essential Oil has not been specifically used for weight loss; but because of it’s warming effects I use it along with the cinnamon oil for the belly fat reduction technique I explained above.
This concludes this weeks blog about essential oils for weight loss, I hope you found some value in it and I hope you’ll subscribe for more.
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