Over the years, people have doubted the effectiveness of aromatherapy for weight loss. More recently, though, scientists have studied the relationship between weight loss and the sense of smell. And they’ve reached some interesting conclusions.
So… Can you use aromatherapy for weight loss? The short answer is “Yes”.
This is not to say that aromatherapy is a “magic bullet” or instant weight loss cure – there is no such thing. But aromatherapy can be a valuable part of a healthy, sensible weight loss program.
Aromatherapy does two things: It can help manage cravings and feelings of hunger, and it can also address some contributors to weight issues such as stress, anxiety and depression.
How Aromatherapy for Weight Loss Works
Research shows that appetite and the sense of smell are closely connected. In fact, studies have found that our sense of smell actually triggers feelings of fullness before our stomach does.
When you inhale an essential oil, its microscopic molecules directly affect a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. An area inside the hypothalamus called the “satiety center” controls feelings of hunger/fullness.
The satiety center ‘reads’ certain essential oil molecules as a signal that you are full. And the good news is, this happens much faster than your brain gets the signals from your stomach telling you you’re full – so you feel full sooner!
The most well-known essential oil for weight loss is Pink Grapefruit.
Basil, Bergamot, Clary Sage, Cumin, Dill, Fennel, Ginger, Lemon, Marjoram, Patchouli, Peppermint, Sandalwood, Spearmint, Thyme, Vanilla and Ylang Ylang are some other appetite-suppressing essential oils for weight loss.
The trick to using these essential oils to curb your cravings and suppress your appetite is to inhale the appetite-suppressing essential oil for at least five minutes. Inhaling for less than five minutes can actually stimulate your appetite – not good!
Make Your Own Aromatherapy Weight Loss Inhaler
Use this handy aromatherapy inhaler any time you feel a craving come along. Carry it in your bag, keep one in your desk, your kitchen… wherever it will do the most good.
Pour a teaspoon of coarse sea salt in a very small dark glass or PET plastic bottle and add one of the following blends:
Aromatherapy for Weight Loss Citrus Blend
30 drops Grapefruit essential oil
4 drops Lemon essential oil
1 drop Ylang Ylang essential oil
Aromatherapy for Weight Loss Mint Blend
20 drops Peppermint essential oil
10 drops Bergamot essential oil
4 drops Spearmint essential oil
1 drop Ylang Ylang essential oil
Aromatherapy for Weight Loss Herb Blend
15 drops Basil essential oil
15 drops Marjoram essential oil
1 drop Oregano essential oil
1 drop Thyme essential oil
To use your aromatherapy weight loss inhaler, take three long, slow, deep breaths of the aroma. Take a short break, then take three more deep breaths. Do this three times. Sniff long and hard through each nostril. Really flood your nose with scent – in this case, more is better!
Use the aromatherapy weight loss inhaler before eating and whenever your appetite is triggered. Scientific studies show that the more often you inhale essential oils for weight loss throughout the day, the more effective it will be.
Some studies suggest that aromatherapy is more effective for weight loss if you change up the scents every day. You might try making an aromatherapy inhaler with each of the essential oil weight loss blends above, and then use Citrus on Monday, Mint on Tuesday, Herb on Wednesday and so on.
In these stressful, hectic times it makes sense to use every tool available to support our health – both mental and physical. Using aromatherapy for weight loss will not only help you meet your weight loss goals, but it will also help you feel happier, calmer and more able to cope every day. After all, that’s the nature of essential oils!
Further reading about aromatherapy and weight loss:
http://www.aromapatch.org/Hirsch_Weight_Loss_Smell.pdf
http://www.gritman.com/EO_Papers/Weightloss.html
Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to treat, prevent, diagnose, or cure any condition.
Kyley Zimmerman works from home and focuses on making her family life happy, healthy and eco-friendly.
She shares her love of making natural bath, body and home products at http://www.easy-aromatherapy-recipes.com/ Check it out!
Colour variants of mobile phones is not a new phenomenom, however the new Nokia N79 has found company with another in the range that is a little different.
Rather than simply changing the colour of the external casing Nokia have reverted back a few years to a time when personlising a mobile phone was a major craze, we are only talking about a couple of years ago but the fad of buying and changing exterior fascias looks set to return in a big way.
The Nokia N79 is supplied with three different coloured fascias also known as Xpress-On covers, depending on the users mood these panels can simply be ‘popped off’ and replaced with a colour of the users choosing, the new Nokia N79 White edition is no different to the original model.
The Nokia N79 back panels or fascias come in many different colours, these include: Light Sea Blue, Espresso Brown, Olive Green, White and Coral Red, each Xpress-On cover has a built in chip which will automatically change the colour of the interface theme accordingly. ie: Slipping on the green fascia will change the colour of hte wallpaper, menu options and selections to a green theme.
This is a step further than the personlisation of days gone by and makes for a great USP, if for example you were a girl about town out in a nightclub not only could you match the colour of the external casing to match that great new dress but when the N79 lights up this will also compliment the look!
Aside from the cosmetics, this new N-Series handset packs a punch when it comes down to features and makes for a real alternatrive to the other latest releases from this high specification range including the Nokia N96 and Nokia N85.
The latest Nokia N79 White edition offers exctly the same technology, features and candy-bar design as the original model which is also known as the grey edition.
The Nokia N79’s 5 mega-pixel camera & Carl Ziess optics lets users capture moments in amazing clarity whilst the dual LED flash allows for quality photographs even in the poorest lighting conditions. Geo Tag support automatically records the location of photos, to let users see when and where their pictures were captured.
The Nokia N79 White offers built in AGPS technology alongside Nokia maps software providing instant navigation, on foot or by car, letting users find their way to a destination quickly and easily. An extensive POI (Points Of Interest) database means that new places can be found in the users location, find cinema’s, clubs, bars or even cash points.
The Nokia N79’s high speed 3G (HSDPA) and Wi-Fi connectivity allows user sto stay up to date with the latest news, sports, views and gossip plus fast connections to on-line neighbourhood- friends, deeds and favourites user scan also connect to the web with the Nokia MiniMap web browser, which displays complete websites just like a desktop.
Browse, stream and download millions of songs at the Nokia Music store, downloads can then be stored on the 4GB microSDHC memory card. 3G services also allows for face to face video calling with compatible handsets making communication that little bit more personal and facilitating professionals.
A relatively new software addition to this range of phones isNokia lifeviNe which simply and automatically documents mobile activity creating unique personal files about whatever a user wants. Photos, videos and music can be tagged on a map wherever a user may be and uploaded on-line to be saved, searched or shared with friends.
The new white edition of the Nokia N79 has initially been made available as a SIM Free device which is unlocked to all of the UK networks operators, this is great news for consumers who may struggle to pass the strict network credit checks or who may need to replace a lost or stolen phone. It also opens up the possibility of purchasing the N79 as a present for tohers as there is no registration required at point of purchase.
The Nokia N79 may be classed as a fashion phone but with the onboard features and technology this phone has to offer it will be an attractive proposition for busy professionals and business users alike. The Nokia N79 is the first candy-bar designed phone to be launched since the previous Nokia N82, with the new features and personlisation aspect this phone should appeal to those users now looking to upgrade their older model.
The new White Nokia N79 and original Nokia N79 are two of many new N-Series devices to be launched this year, for further details please refer to our online mobile phones shop.