Essential Oils to Help with Weight Loss

Essential Oils to Help with Weight Loss

Many people think that smelling an essential oil or blend a few times a week will help them lose weight. Well, I’ve got some bad news…it doesn’t. It may help calm your stress level, an emotion, or even instigate lymphatic movement. However, without two specific actions, you won’t see much results.

Then how does it work? What is the big secret?

There’s actually THREE secrets.

1. Rotation

AND

2. Consistently

AND

3. Method of use

Rotating scents and blends that you smell periodically can help keep the lymphatic and circulatory systems moving. When things are moving, they are not stuck. When things are stuck, it builds up creating a “pool” of toxins that adds weight (and size).  Think of a balloon filled up with water. When you hold onto the end of the balloon, the water builds up and it gets fatter. When you drain or release the water, it goes thinner. Same thought process if you not releasing toxins.

When you rotate scents, you can do it 3 different ways (pick the one that you will actually do and stick with).

1. Smell an energizing blend in the morning & a relaxing blend in the evening
2. Smell a single citrus, minty or camphorous oil in the morning (like lemon, or peppermint, or eucalyptus) and a flower or woodsy oil in the evening (like chamomile or pine)
3. Smell the same custom blend morning and evening for 60 days, then make a new custom blend

The second part is that you need to be CONSISTENT! Smell the blends or single essential oil 2-3 times a day at the same time, every day. The body works on a clock. It likes rhythm, routine and consistency. Small, repeated amounts of support, just like eating breakfast, lunch and dinner (even adding in snacks, or a few extra whiffs in between).

The third part is your METHOD of smelling the essential oils.  You have two ways you can smell – waft or draft. Wafting means you place the scent under the nose (not touching it), and move the scent from side to side, allowing the scent molecules to be released and enter into the nose without force.  Drafting means you hold the scent directly under one nostril, and sniff, 7-10 times per nostril to fill up your olfactory receptor sites. When you do this, it also satiates the taste buds. hence, cravings and hunger go down as it is replaced with this beneficial scent.  Often times you are not hungry, but thirsty. So, I recommend drinking 2-4 ounces of water, then drafting an oil, to calm food cravings, emotional cravings, and combat negative thinking keeping you in a repetitive bad habit mode.

Essential oil & Aromatherapy Practice Benefits

So now that you have your plan of action, it’s time to get a blend or oil that will work for you. To do that, you need to match it up to your needs and benefits you want.

Aromatherapy practices involve smelling a pure scent to shift, inspire, motivate, nurture and encourage a shift in the mind and body. It promotes movement physically, psychologically, biochemically, and energetically.

• balances, supports, calms or activates metabolism
• strengthens glandular functions which are closely related to weight management that includes thyroid, adrenal, hormone and blood sugar functions
• calms certain food cravings & emotional eating
• liver, gallbladder & lymphatic congestion – if you don’t have a gallbladder, your body has a harder time breaking down fats which means it gets stored more often leading to weight gain
• mental & emotional support

Culprits to Weight Gain

There is not just one organ responsible for weight management. All organs have work together to create a unified flow, just like an engine in a car. When one process or organ is not working right, it can throw off everything, even in the slightest way.

• poor diet: high sugar & low protein and good fats
• inadequate sleep: not getting enough sleep disrupts the circadian rhythm, metabolism & maintenance on your detoxification organs making them more sluggish and tired
• hormone imbalances
• diabetes
• immobility leading to sedentary lifestyle
• unhealthy lifestyle choices such as drinking alcohol (sugar), smoking, etc.
• chronic inflammation

Beneficial Carriers

Antidiabetic & weight management carriers include –

• hazelnut (source)
• olive (source)
• Nigella sativa (source)
• safflower (source)

Essential Oils to Help with Weight Loss

• Spices: Cinnamon & Cardamom helps with calm cravings & emotional eating habits (source)
  • Cinnamon is great to balance blood sugar, calm emotional eating and help you feel satiated, brings comfort when emotionally eating.
• Citrus: Pink Grapefruit & Lemon help activate and metabolism while moving stuck emotions& lymph
  • Yuzu: shown to have a hypo-cholesterolemic effect aiding in weight reduction, fat metabolism, glucose metabolism & diabetes (source)
  • If you or your client does not have a gallbladder, and you are making a weight management blend, be sure to add in at least 1 gallbladder supporting essential oil such as grapefruit, lemon or cypress.
  • Bergamot is great to curb cravings (especially for sweets), for eating disorders, addictions and anxiety-eaters.
• Flowers: balances metabolism and emotions contributing to weight gain
  • Chamomile calms emotional eating linked with anger
  • Lavender calms emotional eating linked to feeling overwhelmed & unworthy
  • Geranium is linked to emotional eating around the menses or hormonal issues
• Mints: Peppermint & Spearmint aid in digestion of foods and excess fat stored causing weight gain
• Herbals: Rosemary & Thyme stimulate circulation and metabolism movement (when it is slow)
  • Oregano is good to smell when your boundaries feel invaded, and you don’t feel strong enough to defend yourself
  • Patchouli stimulates lymphatic movement to help you release physical & emotional weight you are holding onto. Also helps you combat feeling out of control.
• Trees: Myrtle & Pine helps support metabolism functions, as well as emotional eating linked to grief and feelings of guilt

Application Methods & Instructions

• Diffusers: smell your blend in a diffuser for 30 minutes, twice a day
• Nasal Atomizers: Smell every 2 hours to keep your body in rhythm & combat the rollercoaster of highs & lows
• Roll-ons: Apply to temples, neck, wrists and over abdomen 3 times a day