Using essential oils for weight loss is like adding another super player to the winning team. Losing weight takes a whole team of managing your food intake, increasing your exercise and watching your emotions in case you are an emotional eater. Essential oils can certainly complement the approach in tackling weight loss. Using essential oils can be helpful to motivate you to go for that early morning walk or curb your cravings, but can it do more than that?
Essential oils for emotional support
I am an emotional eater. When I am stressed or sad I can quickly reach for the ice cream tub instead of doing something more helpful thing like going for a walk. Stress cause your body to secrete more cortisol and the link between cortisol and weight gain is significant. You can read more about it here.
Various essential oils have been used very effectively to support the body on an emotional level:
- Calm the nervous system
- Uplifting our spirit – especially necessary when you slip into depression about your weight
- Motivating to persevere or to start doing something about your weight.
Essential oils for physical support
Although essential oils will not be able to replace exercise, they can be very helpful on a physical level.
- Increase energy and feeling more alert
- Support your digestion
- Increase your gut motility
- Stimulating on your lymphatic system
- Relieve painful joints and muscles that prevent you from getting active to start with
Best essential oils for weight loss
Grapefruit essential oil
When I think of any diet that I have tried before, grapefruit comes to mind because it is always on the meal plan. Well there is good reason for that. Grapefruit contains an enzyme called nootkatone that helps to control the body’s energy levels and metabolic rate.
Grapefruit essential oil though comes from the peel of the grapefruit. It contains limonene which helps to curb food cravings and reduce your appetite. I know for myself that if I just cut the amount of my food intake I can certainly lose some weight.
It is a great lymphatic stimulant and anti-inflammatory. It contains the anti-inflammatory enzyme Bromelain which is a good helper in breaking down cellulite. Helpful for digestion and can help you to lift your mood and feel a bit more energized.
Warning : Grapefruit essential oil can interfere with medication such as antidepressants and blood pressure meds.
Also avoid sun exposure after using Grapefruit essential oil. It can cause photosensitivity.
Fennel oil
Fennel oil is one of my top picks of oil for digestion as well as emotional health. It can help the digestive system in various ways:
- Increase motility
- Ease intestinal cramps
- Relieve constipation and bloating
- Curb your appetite
- Boost your metabolism
- Stimulate your lymphatic system
- Helpful on an emotional level for worriers and over thinkers which affects our gut. Quite helpful to clarify your thinking.
- Helpful to assist the body in regulating its circadian rhythm or sleep cycle which also has a huge effect on your weight loss or rather weight gain.
Read more about Fennel oil and how to use it here.
Peppermint oil
A great stimulating oil and one of my favorites. When it comes to helping you to shed some extra kilos, here are the reasons why you should include peppermint oil.
- To help you focus and deal with mental fatigue
- very helpful with digestive issues
- Stimulate lymphatic system
Lime oil
- Appetite suppressant
- D-Limonene actually assist in fat burning
Cypress oil
If you want things moving, then reach for Cypress oil.
- Cypress is a great aid to increase circulation and to move blood and energy.
- Boosting self-confidence – which is really necessary in the weight loss process. Often our self-esteem and confidence takes a nose dive when we gain weight or try to shed those extra pounds.
Ginger oil
- Digestive aid
- Helpful for bloating
- Helpful to deal with flatulence
You can read more about the uses and benefits of ginger oil here.
Cinnamon oil
- Helpful to stabilize blood sugar levels
- Can assist the body to burn body fat
- Curb sweet cravings
Black Pepper oil
- Boost metabolism
- Energizing oil
- Beneficial for weight loss
- Helpful for digestive issues like flatulence, bloating
- Great oil to use to help you break additions
How to use essential oils for weight loss
Diffusing oils
Breathing in essential oils is a very quick and easy way to get the benefits of the essential oil. Simply add the oils to your diffuser. A couple of drops is all you need. Essential oils are very concentrated so a couple of drops is all you need. Be mindful that some essential oils can be toxic to dogs. You can read more about that here.
Dilute in a carrier oil
Essential oils should always be diluted with a carrier oil and never be applied just neatly to the skin. The dilution ratio is important as well, especially when you are dealing with some hot oils like ginger that can irritate the skin.
Here is a dilution chart for safe dilution.
You can read here more about different carrier oils.
Make a spritz
I am very fond of using a spritz. It is important to note though that essential oils will not mix with water. Water also can be a breeding ground for microbes such as fungus, mold and bacteria. Therefor it is really important to use a preservative. Alcohol is a good preservative but it is not just grabbing the cheapest vodka in the liquor store. There is a scientific method behind this and you can read that here.
Here is my recipe for my slim-down, fat melting, craving stopping spray:
30 ml of 95 % ethanol
90 ml distilled water
10 drops Grapefruit
5 drops Fennel
5 drops Ginger
10 drops Lime
5 drops Cypress
Recipes
Curb the cravings
6 drops Grapefruit
6 drops Lemon
3 drops Black Pepper
6 drops Peppermint
Mix with 30 ml of carrier oil . This recipe is great to use in a roller applicator and apply to wrist area to make it easier to smell the fragrance.
Slim down, trim down
6 drops Lemon
6 drops Grapefruit
6 drops Cypress
4 drops Ginger
Mix with 30 ml of carrier oil and apply morning and night on your tummy and other areas like thighs or buttocks. Some carrier oils absorb quicker into your skin so it is easier to prevent your clothes getting oil on. Read more about different carrier oils here.
Take care of you so that you can take care of those you love
Elize
References
https://upnature.com/blogs/news/top-14-amazing-essential-oils-for-weight-loss-and-how-to-use-them
https://draxe.com/essential-oils/fennel-essential-oil/
https://tisserandinstitute.org/effective-use-alcohol-aromatic-blending/