This article is going to take you through essential oils for weight loss. You may have heard about essential oils for weight loss, but do you know how they work for weight management? We cannot promise you magical weight loss results with essential oils or dropping 50 pounds overnight, but ingestion, diffusion, or topical application combined with a healthy, nutrient-rich diet and regular exercise will boost your weight loss journey.
What are essential oils?
Essential oils are compound extracts from plants. The oils inherit the plant’s scent, essence, and most health benefits. This makes every essential oil unique with unique characteristics all linked to the plant it is extracted from.
Essential oils are extracted through distillation or mechanical methods. Those oils extracted through chemical processes are not considered as true essential oils.
After extraction, the extract is combined with a carrier oil to create a ready to use the product.
They are mostly used in aromatherapy which is a form of holistic healing treatment that uses natural plant extracts. This treatment enhances both physical and emotional health.
However, essential oils are also used for weight loss; which is the main focus of this article.
Types of essential oils.
There are many types of essential oils, with each having a unique scent and essence. Some of the popular essential oils include;
- Lavender.
- Peppermint.
- Rose
- Tea tree.
- Chamomile
- Jasmine.
- Lemon.
- Sandalwood.
How can essential oils aid weight loss?
Essential oils don’t directly help weight loss but they can enhance your diet, exercise, and general body health through the following ways.
- Essential oils reduce anxiety, stress, and depression.
- They help with better sleep.
- Improve digestion.
- Some essential oils reduce appetite.
- They can energize workouts.
- Boost metabolism.
What are the essential oils for weight loss?
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Sage essential oil.
Sage is a flowering plant native to the Mediterranean. Essential oil is obtained from the leaves and buds.
Sage has a refreshing scent and is mostly used in skin balms and aromatherapy treatment.
Sage essential oil for weight loss.
- Through aromatherapy, the scent from sage can reduce stress and anxiety. Since stress is one of the major causes of weight gain, using sage essential oil can calm stress and prevent weight gain associated with stress.
- Sage essential oil can protect the body against oxidative stress which is a major cause of obesity and a weakened immune system.
2. Grapefruit oil.
Grapefruit essential oil is an orange-tinted, citrus-scented oil extracted from grapefruits.
Through cold-pressing, oil is extracted from the glands in the grapefruit peel.
Grapefruit essential oil for weight loss.
- Through aromatherapy, grapefruit oil can boost metabolism by increasing the rate at which the body burns calories.
- It also elevates the moods to help prevent stress-related weight gain.
- Grapefruit oil can also help reduce appetite thereby controlling food intake through aromatherapy.
- Grapefruit oil helps to reduce oxidative stress levels by balancing between free radicals and antioxidants.
- The oil can also boost energy and moods giving you a workout mindset when inhaled.
3. Peppermint essential oil.
Peppermint is an aromatic herb from the mint family. It’s a cross between spearmint and water mint.
The peppermint essential oil has a sharp scent and a cool refreshing taste.
Peppermint essential oil for weight loss.
- Through aromatherapy, peppermint oil can control appetite, cravings, and food intake. A reduced food intake means fewer calories thus weight loss.
- Peppermint essential oil can improve digestion which can increase weight loss.
- This essential oil can improve your moods and help you focus during workouts.
- Peppermint essential oils are a natural pain killer and can help relieve pain caused by workouts. This can help soothe sore muscles and ease workouts.
4. Lemon essential oil.
The lemon essential oil is extracted from peels of fresh lemons using a cold-pressing process that pricks and rotates the peel as oil is extracted.
Lemon essential oils for weight loss.
- The lemon essential oil may reduce anxiety and depression. It has powerful calming abilities that can help prevent weight gain associated with stress.
- It can help you feel alert and concentrate on workouts.
- Lemon essential oils are known to melt fat and reduce cholesterol levels when inhaled.
- The lemon essential oils also boost metabolism. A high metabolic rate increases fat burning.
5. Cinnamon essential oil.
Cinnamon is a spice that is got from the bark of the cinnamon tree. It is highly delicious and has a sweet aroma packed with many health benefits including weight loss.
The essential oil made from cinnamon is derived from the bark or leaves of several types of cinnamon trees. Commercially, cinnamon oil is extracted from the Cinnamomum cassia tree
Cinnamon essential oil weight loss benefits.
- When inhaled, It can also boost metabolism by activating thermogenesis; a process that burns calories to produce heat thus weight loss.
- Cinnamon essential oils can also relieve stress and all the weight gain related to stress, depression, and anxiety
6. Ginger oil.
Ginger essential oil is extracted from the rhizome of the ginger plant. It is packed with lots of benefits such as easing nausea, arthritis, digestive upset, colds, and weight loss.
Ginger essential oil for weight loss.
- It helps to improve the digestive system and boost quick digestion which aids weight loss through massage on the belly.
- Ginger oil also calms the mind and gives relief of stress, anxiety, and depression. This helps boost weight loss by preventing weight gain caused by stress conditions.
Does massaging belly fat help lose weight?
Massage is the act of rubbing and kneading the body using hands and oil. Several types of massage focus on various body parts.
A massage therapist applies gentle or strong pressure to joints and muscles to ease pain and reduce tension.
Various essential oils are also used in massage with common ones being lavender, coconut oil, and others.
Massage for weight loss.
Massage doesn’t directly aid the weight loss of the belly or body. However, there are some benefits of massage that can help with weight loss.
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Massage decreases stress, anxiety, and depression.
Stress causes weight gain in many people due to many factors like emotional eating. However, getting a massage can give relief and bring back the good moods. This helps to prevent stress-related weight gain conditions.
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Massage can boost proper digestion.
In some circumstances, a slowed digestion causes weight gain. However, getting a massage on the belly can ease digestion which may help weight loss
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Better sleep.
To people who suffer from insomnia and end up snacking at midnight, massage may be the cure for you. massage can help relax the body for a peaceful sleep. In case you didn’t know how sleep helps in weight loss, read the article that explains the whole information here.
How do you use essential oils for weight loss?
Essential oils don’t boost weight loss directly but its stressing calming powers that can help you control emotional eating, energize the body, and other ways as discussed in this article.
Using essential oils and adding them to your weight loss plan can help you achieve weight loss faster.
All the above essential oils will work best if you learn how to use essential oils for weight loss.
To begin with,
Essential oils aren’t diluted and contain highly concentrated essences of spices, herbs, and trees from which they are extracted. Therefore, diluting them first can make them safe with reduced risks like skin irritation, sensitization, and others.
A few drops of essential oils should be diluted with carrier oils like almond, olive, and coconut to avoid reactions. These are the oils to which essential oils should be added.
The carrier oils chosen should have their therapeutic value and can be easily absorbed by the skin.
What are the risks associated with using essential oils for weight loss?
Essential oils can be more harmful when you dilute them. They are not safe to ingest even in small amounts.
When you orally ingest essential, the following side effects occur;
- One may experience seizures.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Diarrhea.
- Persistent coughing, gagging, choking.
- Headaches.
- Mouth irritations and sores.
- Eye redness.
- Drowsiness and difficult breathing.
- Skin irritation if exposed to the skin.
How to choose the right essential oils.
Being able to choose the right essential oils can help you get the best out of them. Although the label may have the word “pure” they may not be true essential oils.
To find the best quality of essential oils, here is what you should know;
Purity: choose essential oils that contain only aromatic compounds with additives. Pure oils always label the plant’s botanical name instead of just terms.
Quality: the less number of times you change the essential oils during their extraction, the better the quality. Avoid extracting oils through chemical processes.
Purchase essential oils from a popular brand that produces high-quality products.
The bottom line.
Essential oils can help boost weight loss though we can’t rely on as effective weight loss strategies. For a guaranteed and safe weight loss, choose exercise and dieting.
From this article, you will learn what you need to know about weight loss myths; facts and fiction
Essential oils can also be safe if used correctly. Don’t consume essential oils orally as they have many associated health risks. even when consumed in small quantities.
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