Friday Mar 29, 2024

Lose Weight by adding Grapefruit, Cinnamon, Lemon and Fennel Essential Oils to your Diet

Thousands of people around the world struggle with weight loss. Whether for health or cosmetic reasons, the battle of the bulge continues to be an uphill struggle for many. While many out of desperation or frustration turn to gimmicky diets, weight loss pills with dubious success records, or even medical procedures, these are often not only limited in their success, but also extremely costly. Why not find a more affordable, accessible, and natural solution?  Essential oils have recently gained attention in their role to combat obesity and in particular everyone’s trouble spot: belly fat.

Consequences of Carrying Too Much Excessive Weight

Health effects of excess weight

For many persons struggling with weight loss, fat in the abdominal region is of particular concern. It is frequently an issue for people not only for reasons of self esteem and wanting to look their best in clothing, but perhaps more importantly for one’s overall health.

There are two kinds of abdominal fat: subcutaneous fat, which is fatty tissue that rests just beneath the skin’s surface, and visceral fat which resides inside the abdomen, around the internal organs.  While the former is no worse health-wise than any other type of fat on the body, visceral fat carries with it a host of potential harmful effects.  Any waist measurement beyond 40 inches for men or 35 inches for women is considered to be abdominal obesity.

Insulin Resistance and Diabetes

The medical community advises that fat carried around the midsection can pose a host of health concerns, including an increased risk for insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, cardio vascular disease, colorectal cancer, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, and even premature death from a variety of different causes. Studies show that abdominal obesity even in persons with an otherwise healthy weight can significantly increase the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Thus, it is clear that carrying excess fat in the belly region is cause for concern, even beyond cosmetic considerations. However, it is also one of the most stubborn areas on the body to shed weight from.

Attempts to Rid Yourself of Belly Fat

Many individuals seeking to shed pounds from their abdominal region are willing to try almost anything.  There is a huge market that makes substantial profits on such people, capitalizing on their frustration and desperation and promising quick success with a variety of rather dubious products.

Weight Loss Industry is Huge

The weight loss industry is one of the fastest growing enterprises in the world, particularly in the United States.  Americans as a collective spend over sixty billion dollars on weight loss products a year, and diet pills and meal replacement containing so many synthetic and potentially dangerous chemicals products bring in approximately three billion dollars on their own. For the few who can afford it, liposuction often does not meet with patient satisfaction, and the pain and required downtime and bed rest after the procedure is a deterrent to many.  Luckily, there is now an alternative: one that is readily available, low cost, and completely natural.

Organic Solution

While essential oils have been used for centuries to combat a wide variety of health issues, now they have recently been employed in the fight against belly fat, with excellent results. In addition to a healthy diet and exercise, essential oils can help you start to see a reduction in the circumference of your abdomen.  Below is a list of the top six most effective essential oils for weight loss, as well as instructions for their use.

Six Most Effective Oils for Weight Loss

Grapefruit Essential Oil

Grapefruit oil for weight loss

The Essential oil has been used for a variety of different purposes and remedies, including being used as an antiseptic and disinfectant.  While the fad of the grapefruit diet may have passed, the use of the essential oil derived from the grapefruit peel is enjoying a new wave of popularity. Grapefruit peels contain high levels nootkatone which is a chemical compound that helps to regulate the body’s metabolic rate, energy levels, and lower body fat.

Data Findings

A clinical trial reported that nootkatone can help to stimulate one’s metabolism and prevent diet-induced obesity. In a recent study it was demonstrated that lab rats who were exposed to grapefruit oil for fifteen minutes at a time, three days a week had a reduced appetite and body weight. Used to simultaneously boost metabolism, increase energy, and reduce food cravings, it is clear that grapefruit oil boasts of numerous ways to help you meet your weight loss goals.

How to Use Grapefruit Essential Oil for Weight Loss

Like many of the other essential oils discussed here, grapefruit oil can either be injected or used topically.  To take it internally, add a several drops to a glass of water.  Its power is enhanced by also adding a few drops of patchouli oil as well.  You can also apply it topically by adding a few drops to your wrists, but it should be mixed with a carrier oil first (a neutral oil such as coconut oil, olive oil, or jojoba oil) before being applied to your skin, particularly if you have sensitive skin.

A clinical study discovered that using grapefruit oil with other essential oils including cypress to create a massage oil for the abdomen yielded noticeable results in post menopausal women. The subjects used the mixture of oils in massaging their abdomens twice a day for six weeks and noticed significant improvement.  To try this yourself mix two ounces of a carrier oil with five drops of grapefruit oil, five drops of Cypress oil, and five drops of Lemon oil.  This can be placed in a glass container for storage.

Cinnamon Essential Oil

Cinnamon Essential Oil

Cinnamon essential oil is produced from the inner bark or leaves of the cinnamon tree.  It has been used to address a number of health concerns such as fighting viruses, increasing blood circulation, and to decrease inflammation.  In terms of its use for combating obesity, it helps to suppress appetite, boost metabolism, and even improve digestion which can aid in weight loss.

It even helps your body to regulate blood sugar, and uneven blood sugar can lead to healthy eating sabotages such as low energy and weight gain.  Perhaps most significantly, cinnamon extract has been shown to help heighten insulin sensitivity which can affect a person’s weight due to craving sugary foods as well as developing insulin resistance.  In persons suffering from insulin resistance the body begins to store fat instead of burning it which produces not only weight increase, but also makes it more difficult to lose weight.

This storage of fat cells most frequently occurs in the belly region. Cinnamon extract has also been shown to help to impede the growth of certain inflammatory cells that are frequently found in persons who are genetically prone to obesity.

How to Use Cinnamon Essential Oil for Weight Loss

Cinnamon essential oil can be ingested by adding one to two drops of it to a cup of warm water.  It is best to do this before meals or in the evening to help curtail food cravings.  It can also be applied topically after diluting it with a carrier oil to your wrists, or inhaled by placing the diluted mixture on a cotton ball and breathing the scent in. Again, this should be done prior to eating or later in the day to help prevent cravings and over consumption at meals.

Lemon Essential Oil

Lemon Essential Oil

Lemon essential oil is derived from cold pressing the peel of the lemon, and it has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties.  It has been used as a body cleanser, to treat indigestion, as well as a disinfectant.  It’s benefits as part of your weight loss strategy are also manifold.  Not only is it a proven energizer and mood booster to help you stick with your workout routine, but it also has a detoxifying effect on the body, but it also contains high levels of limonene which is a phytochemical which helps regulate a healthy body.

Data Findings

A study demonstrated that when used in conjunction with grapefruit oil (also high in limonene) it was able to help increase lipolysis (which is the breakdown of fat in the body) and the suppression of in body weight gain. It helps reduce your appetite and dissolve body fat.

How to Use Lemon Essential Oil for Weight Loss

Lemon essential oil can also be used with other oils to make a massage mixture for belly fat.  Combine seven drops of lemon oil with seven drops of grapefruit oil with one quarter of a cup of a carrier oil and use by massaging it into your belly. It can also be taken internally by adding one two drops to a glass of water, and is best taken in the morning to help boost your metabolism for the rest of the day.

It can also be used in aromatherapy – add a few drops to a cotton ball and breath in the scent prior to meals to help reduce overeating and cravings during the evening. Lemon oil can also be used in conjunction with other essential oils to help combat unsightly cellulite.

Blend about twenty to thirty drops of the lemon oil with twenty to thirty drops of other essential oils such as rosemary or juniper in a half a cup of a carrier oil, and massage into your cellulite prone areas for about ten to fifteen minutes per day.  This massage helps to stimulate the lymphatic system to help your body to eliminate toxins and reduce the cellulite.

Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint oil has been used to treat a variety of conditions, including cold symptoms and headaches.  It has been used to help manage Candida, a condition which frequently has an impact on a person’s weight.  In addition to aiding with digestion which can aid your weight loss efforts, peppermint essential oil also increases energy and helps with sore muscles for both before and after your work out routine, and it also works as an appetite suppressant.

A study conducted in 2008 showed that participants who inhaled peppermint oil every two hours reported decreased hunger cravings and appetite which lead them to consume fewer calories. It helps reduce bloating which contributes to the appearance of belly fat, as well as speed up the flow of bile in your system which can help food move through the body more quickly.

How to Use Peppermint Essential Oil for Weight Loss

Peppermint essential oil can be taken internally by mixing a few drops in a glass of water, and drinking this before meals to help combat over eating and reducing cravings later in the day.  It can also be mixed with a carrier oil and placed on a cotton ball to inhale the scent. You can even try a full submersion bath in order to help boost your metabolism and cut down on food cravings – this allows the oil access to all of the pores in your body where it can be absorbed. To do this place five to ten drops of the oil into your bath, and soak for at least fifteen to twenty minutes.

Fennel Essential Oil

Fennel essential oil is a less well-known oil that is derived from steam distilled fennel seeds.  It is helpful for a host of digestive problems, including digestion and bloating which can contribute to abdominal fat.  Fennel oil can help to clear out bowels and provide constipation relief, as well as help to treat and prevent gas.

It also contains melatonin which is the hormone that helps regulate our sleep cycles – in addition to contributing to a more restful sleep which will give you the energy to complete your workouts, studies have shown that melatonin helps to lessen weight gain by creating more so-called beige fat (which gets burned off as energy) rather than so-called white fat which is stored for energy.

Data Findings

Fennel oil has also been shown to seemingly reduce appetite: a study done where rats were exposed to the smell of fennel oil for ten minutes per day for eight weeks ate fewer calories and also had  a faster rate of food digestion. This potentially provides scientific backing for its use in the middle ages when people would chew on fennel seeds to help control their appetite on days where they were required to fast for religious reasons.

How to Use Fennel Essential Oil for Weight Loss

You can create a massage mixture combining a few drops of fennel oil to a carrier oil and massage it into the abdomen for 30 minutes or so, before washing it off. You can also use it in aromatherapy by mixing it with a carrier oil and applying it to your wrist with a cotton ball. A few drops can be poured into a warm bath, where you should soak for at least fifteen to twenty minutes.

While on their own these essential oils may not have a huge impact on your weight loss efforts and attempts to eliminate belly fat, when used in conjunction with diet and exercise they will likely help increase your chances of weight loss success. They are relatively inexpensive, readily available, non habit forming, and completely natural.  Especially in comparison with the alternatives that many frustrated people have turned to in order to help them lose weight, essential oils boast clear advantages.

@OilAdmin

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