Are you struggling to lose weight even after a strict diet and exercise routine? Are all other weight loss plans that you have tried have failed? So, do you want to know how to burn fat and lose weight fast but also safely and effectively? Then, essential oils may come to your aid.
Although essential oils are not a weight loss miracle on their own, they can help you on the way. Apart from reducing the stress caused by today’s hustle and bustle of life, they can be very useful to curb your appetite, boost metabolism, improve digestion, control blood sugar levels, and balance your mood. Essential oils work directly on the hypothalamus gland, which regulates appetite by sending hunger signals to the brain. When this gland is activated, you hardly feel the craving for extra nibbling. The best part is that you can better your results significantly by combining the use of essential oils with other mainstream methods of weight loss.
Here are few essential oils and blends that will promote weight loss, when combined with a healthy, well-balanced whole food diet and regular exercise. Remember that you’re not going to start using essential oils and lose 20, 30 or 50 pounds. But it could help your body in shedding a few pounds.
A. Essential Oils For Weight Loss
The list of possibilities is quite long but the most popular essential oils used in weight loss include:
1. Grapefruit Essential Oil
Commonly used as an antiseptic and disinfectant, grapefruit oil has a sweet, crisp, and uplifting aroma that helps to curb cravings, suppress appetite, boost metabolism, increase fat breakdown, and reduce abdominal fat accumulation. Grapefruit oil helps the body to get rid of water retention and bloating.
Why Does It Work
Grapefruit contains nootkatone, a natural chemical compound. Nootkatone activates an enzyme AMP Kinase that controls the body’s energy levels and metabolic rate. When nootkatone is introduced into the system, AMPK accelerates chemical reactions in the tissues of the brain, liver, and skeletal muscle. It helps to prevent accumulation of fat in the abdominal area, development of hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia and high-sucrose and high-fat diet induced obesity. When nootkatone is taken for a longer time, it results in increased endurance, reduced weight gain and a decrease in body fat, as well as improved physical performance. The limonene content of grapefruit allows the body to release fatty acids into the bloodstream where they are used for energy.
How To Use
- Take 1-2 drops of the Grapefruit essential oil and mix it with 5-6 drops of carrier oil (coconut or almond oil) and massage the area where fat has accumulated for at least 30 minutes. Do not wash off the oil immediately. Repeat this procedure every day.
- Mix 1-2 drops of Grapefruit essential oil in 1 glass of water. Drink it first thing in the morning. It will act as a detoxifier and help to rinse your system internally and aid in weight loss. Make sure to buy quality essential oils that is safe for consumption.
- When mixed with patchouli oil, grapefruit oil is known to lower cravings and hunger, which makes it a great tool to lose weight fast in a healthy way. Add several drops to your water, diffuse it in your office or home, or massage some onto your chest and wrists when a craving strikes.
2. Ginger Essential Oil
This oil made from the hot and fragrant spice can aid weight loss by helping to improve digestion and resolving other digestive issues. It works to increase energy while warming the body and acting like an herbal tonic to stimulate the systems of the body. It also helps to curbs cravings, regulate blood sugar levels, reduce bowel inflammation, increase absorption of nutrients, lower cholesterol, and prevent inflammation-induced obesity.
Why Does It Work
Gingerol is a compound found in ginger which has anti-inflammatory, glucose-sensitizing, anti-oxidant, antinociceptive, anti-hypertensive and stimulatory effects on the gastrointestinal tract. Ginger works because it also reduces sugar cravings and helps reduce inflammation in the body. It’s so important that if you’re going to lose weight, that you’re also reducing inflammation, and supporting digestion and absorption of nutrients.
How To Use
- Mix 1-2 drops of ginger essential oil to 5-6 drops of carrier oil (coconut or olive oil) and massage the area where fat has accumulated for at least 30 minutes. Do this every day.
- Add 1 drop of ginger essential oil to black or green tea. Have it in the morning before breakfast. Make sure to buy quality essential oils that is safe for consumption
- Add 1-2 drops of this oil to a glass of water and drink first thing in the morning.
You can also add 1-2 drops of ginger essential oil to smoothies or fresh fruit juices.
3. Lemon Essential Oil
Refreshing and rejuvenating, this oil also helps in the digestion, appetite suppression, boosting metabolism, increasing energy, enhancing mood and keeping you active. Due to its refreshing aroma, lemon oil is also a mood booster that helps keep the stress away.
Why Does It Work
Lime Essential Oil is obtained from Citrus aurantifolia, which is also known as sour lime. This citrus oil has a high content of vitamin C, which is cellulite’s worst enemy. Limonene, an active compound found in lemon also helps in the breakdown of fat (lipolysis).
How To Use
- Mix 1-2 drops of lemon essential oil to 5-6 drops of carrier oil (coconut or olive oil) and massage the area where fat has accumulated for at least 30 minutes. Repeat this every day.
- Add 1 to 2 drops of this oil to your morning water to help your body kick start digestion and eliminate more toxins. Make sure to buy quality essential oils for internal use.
- Add 1-2 drops of this oil in your morning black/green tea. This will act as a detoxifier and flush the toxins out of your body.
- Add a few drops of this oil to a cotton ball and put it in a whiffing pendant. Smell the scent to curb your cravings.
4. Peppermint Essential Oil
Fresh, minty, and quite intense, peppermint oil contains menthol which has a calming and cooling effect that can even help you get rid of headaches. This refreshing aromatic oil is known for its ability to increase energy and mental alertness, boost metabolism, elevate mood, aid digestion, curb cravings and reduce appetite. Lastly, take a smell of it before you exercise and it will help with stamina.
Why Does It Work
Peppermint acts by stimulating bile and gastric secretion and bowel movement. This helps the digestive system to function properly, promotes absorption of nutrients and maintains blood-glucose levels. Since peppermint also gives you a full feeling after a meal, you will tend to eat less, ultimately leading to weight loss.
How To Use
- Mix 1-2 drops of peppermint essential oil to 5-6 drops of carrier oil (coconut or olive oil) and massage the area
- where fat has accumulated for at least 30 minutes. Repeat this process every day.
- Add 1-2 drops of this oil to one glass of water and drink first thing in the morning to reduce appetite and prevent overeating. Make sure to buy quality essential oils for consumption.
- Add a few drops of this oil to a cotton ball and slowly breathe in the vapors before a meal to avoid overeating and reduce appetite.
5. Bergamot Essential Oil
Bergamot is a citrus, fragrant fruit, which has a similar color to lemon and has the size of an orange. The fresh smell of this plant oil oozes positive energy, boosts mood, lowers cholesterol, maintains blood sugar levels, burns stored fat, and prevents fat accumulation and emotional eating. Bergamot Essential Oil also effectively cures the problem of depression, which is one of the vital causes of obesity.
Why Does It Work
Bergamot essential oil is packed with polyphenols, which are also found in green tea, and help your body to burn fats and sugar. Many people eat more when they are stressed or emotional. The scent of bergamot can help to relax and lift your spirit to avoid eating when you are not truly hungry. The antidepressant or mood lifting properties of Bergamot essential oil allows you to stay relaxed and gives you a sense of satiety. The oil also stimulates hormones that help maintain proper metabolic rate.
How To Use
- Mix 1-2 drops of bergamot essential oil to 5-6 drops of a carrier oil (lavender oil) and gently massage the area
- where fat has accumulated for at least 30 minutes. Repeat this every day.
- Use a cotton wick to soak up a few drops of the essential oil and put it in a whiffing pendant. Smell the scent
- whenever you feel depressed or stressed out.
- Or add a few drops to your morning bath to help you through the day.
6. Cinnamon Essential Oil
Derived from the inner bark or leaves of the Cinnamomum tree, cinnamon essential oil has a warm and sweet fragrance. It helps to regulate blood sugar levels, which in long-term will help with weight loss and help reduce those cravings for sugar. Unstable blood sugar can lead to overeating, low energy, and weight gain, but adding cinnamon oil to your diet routine helps slow the rate at which glucose is released into the blood. This oil assists your body to break down sugars for energy, instead of storing them as fat. It improves digestion, regulates glucose tolerance factor (GTF), protects from irritable bowel syndrome, improves insulin sensitivity and reduces inflammation.
Why Does It Work
Insulin is the hormone responsible for metabolizing carbohydrates and fat by facilitating the absorption of blood glucose by either converting it to energy or storing it as fat. When cells in the body stop responding to insulin – a condition called insulin resistance – the body erroneously begins to store fat instead of burning it, resulting in not only weight gain but also in difficulty losing weight. Leading to fat accumulation in abdomen area, high blood-glucose level, high blood cholesterol level and elevated blood insulin levels, it is a precursor for Type 2 diabetes. Cinnamon extract, however, has been shown to help heighten insulin sensitivity in the brain and increase the rate of blood glucose uptake. The polyphenols in cinnamon bark act as an insulin sensitizer.
How To Use
- Mix 1-2 drops of cinnamon essential oil to 5-6 drops of carrier oil (olive oil) and massage the area where fat has accumulated for at least 30 minutes. Repeat this procedure every day.
- Add 1-2 drops of cinnamon oil to your morning black/green tea and drink before eating breakfast. Make sure to buy the quality essential oil for consumption.
- Add 1 to 2 drops of cinnamon oil to a cup of warm water with a little honey. Drink before a meal or before going to bed to avoid midnight cravings.
- Add 3-4 drops of cinnamon essential oil in the cake that you bake or fresh fruit juices and drinks.
- Use a cotton wick to soak up a few drops of the cinnamon essential oil and put it in a whiffing pendant. Smell the scent whenever you experience an untimely craving for food.
7. Sandalwood Essential Oil
Sandalwood essential oil has been used for centuries around the world to provide people with emotional balance. Sandalwood oil’s sweet and earthy fragrance helps to relieve stress, rejuvenate your cells, suppress cravings of emotional eating, uplift mood and keep blood circulation active.
Why Does It Work
Sandalwood essential oil provides your body with an overall sense of well-being which ultimately helps you overcome stress eating. Sesquiterpenes, a compound found in sandalwood essential oil, influences the limbic system that controls emotions.
How To Use
- Mix 1-2 drops of sandalwood essential oil to 5-6 drops of carrier oil (olive oil) and massage the area where fat has accumulated for at least 30 minutes. Repeat this procedure every day.
- Use a cotton wick to soak up a few drops of the cinnamon essential oil and put it in a whiffing pendant. Smell the scent when you crave for food at odd times.
B. Essential Oil Blends For Weight Loss
Blending essential oils can be a fun way to experiment with your favorite scents, all while achieving the healing qualities of each oil.
1. Fat-Burning Blend
Ingredients
- 2 drops of cinnamon essential oil,
- 2 drops of lemon essential oil, and
- 2 drops of peppermint oil
How To Use
- Massage the unwanted fat area with this essential oil blend (mix with a carrier oil) for about 20-30 minutes to help curb your appetite and speed up fat-burning mechanisms.
- Add 1 drop of this blend to morning black/green tea.
- Add 1-2 drops of this blend to warm water and drink it first thing in the morning.
2. Metabolism Boosting Blend
Ingredients
- 2 drops of lemon essential oil
- 2 drops of peppermint essential oil and
- 3 drops of grapefruit essential oil
How To Use
- Massage the unwanted fat area with this essential oil blend (mix with a carrier oil) for about 20-30 minutes to help curb your appetite and speed up fat-burning mechanisms.
- Add 1-2 drops of this blend to warm water and drink it first thing in the morning.
- Whiff the fragrance by dabbing the blend on a cotton ball. You can also apply it on your wrists.
3. Craving Curbing Blend
Ingredients
- 2 drops of sandalwood essential oil
- 2 drops of ginger essential oil and
- 3 drops of bergamot essential oil
How To Use
- Massage the unwanted fat area with this essential oil blend (mix with a carrier oil) for about 20-30 minutes to help curb your appetite and speed up fat-burning mechanisms.
- Add 1-2 drops of this blend to warm water and drink it first thing in the morning.
- Add 1 drop of this blend to morning black/green tea.
- Whiff the fragrance by dabbing the blend on a cotton ball. You can also apply it on your wrists.
How To Use Essential Oils For Weight Loss?
- Buy quality essential oils. Ingest oils that are safe to take internally.
- Make sure you are not allergic to the essential oil.
- Always blend with a carrier oil before massaging the essential oil on your skin.
You can also add few drops of any of the above essential oils to your bath to feel calmer and rejuvenated. Make sure that the water is lukewarm.
Essential oils have been used for over five thousand years. They’re one of the most powerful forms of medicine in the world, but the above essential oils are probably the most effective essential oils for weight loss.