Aromatherapy for Weightloss and Health

Aromatherapy History

Essential oils have been used for thousands of years as stimulants, sedatives, and for religious and medicinal purposes. Aromatherapy is the century-old practice of using volatile plant oils, also referred to as essential oils, to support overall health and well-being.

It’s easy to see how our sense of smell impacts our feelings. The sense of smell is incredibly powerful. Your body can distinguish more than 1 trillion different scents, and can provide a variety of healing benefits. For example, some oils have powerful anti-inflammation properties, while others are anti-microbial, antiseptic or insecticidal. In the same way there are some unique essential oils that have fat-burning compounds or others that can help alleviate cravings and uplift mood.

Eucalyptus is purifying and invigorating, and often used in topical preparations.

Ginger can be used to stimulate the appetite.

Juniper Berry is associated with restoring and supporting benefits, and comes from the berry of the juniper tree.

Lavender is used in baths, sprays, lotions, oils and more; plus, lavender promotes a calm and relaxed feeling.

Lemon is a refreshing and cheering oil that should be heavily diluted if you plan on applying to the skin or using in cleaning products for a fresh scent.

Peppermint is refreshing and cooling, and can help invigorate you with its powerful, minty aroma.

Rosemary is clarifying scent is often used in household sprays, soaps and shampoos.

Sage has a warming effect from its camphor scent.

Spearmint is a refreshing and cooling essential oil, which can help refresh your skin if you add a few drops to your bathwater.

Tea Tree may support immune system health and has cleansing properties.

Ylang Ylang is sourced from the ylang ylang plant, which was originally cultivated in the Philippines, but it soon made its way around the world because of its distinctive scent and beautiful appearance; this essential oil is used to relax both the mind and body.

When essential oil molecules are inhaled, research suggests that these areas are stimulated which in turn influences our physical, mental and emotional states directly and affects everything from our mood, heart rate and stress levels to blood pressure, sleep and motivation.

The Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Institute of Chicago discovered that inhaling a culinary smell like rosemary, peppermint, grapefruit, orange etc. "regularly throughout the day, especially when hungry can suppress the desire to taste and therefore eat," and that by inhaling an aroma deeply 3-6 times in each nostril, "the desire to eat is inhibited."

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ESSENTIAL OILS FOR WEIGHT-LOSS

1. GINGER

2. GRAPEFRUIT

3. MINT

4. CINNAMON

Inhale directly: Have a sudden craving? The fresh scent of grapefruit oil can do wonders. Inhale directly from the bottle or add a few drops to a cotton ball and breathe deeply. Smelling grapefruit oil relaxes the parasympathetic gastric nerve, the body’s main mechanism that activates ghrelin-induced feeding (our body’s natural process of having food cravings).

3. Apply topically: Rubbing grapefruit oil on your wrists, chest, temples, and just under your nose can instantly help to control cravings and curb your appetite.

4. Diffuse: Add a few drops of grapefruit oil to your diffuser, especially when a craving strikes - great to restrain late-night snacking.

5. Reduce cellulite: Grapefruit oil is an effective diuretic (prevents water retention), and stimulates the lymphatic system. It also contains bromelain, a powerful anti-inflammatory enzyme that helps to break down cellulite. This is why grapefruit oil is used in many cellulite creams. Try the chemical-free blend below to reduce cellulite naturally.

I hope this article inspires you to add more essential oils to your life! I've included some links to great products. Some of my favorite all natural, strongly scented items come from Dani Naturals. A small business from the USA! Check them out:

https://daninaturals.com/

We use 100% vegetable oil bases and essential oil blends. We use organic ingredients in all our bath & body products and 100% soy wax in our candles. We make all our products in the USA. We use the highest quality, most natural ingredients available… allowing us to make the finest products possible.

What we don’t use: Petroleum, Parabens, GMOs, Artificial colorants or dyes, SLS or ALS (sodium laurel sulfate or ammonia laurel sulfate) or Paraffin

We care about the environment. From our use of recyclable containers, to the 100% bio-degradable packing materials we use… from our soy-based inks to our minimal (yet elegant) packaging… you can be sure that if it isn’t good for the environment, it isn’t used in or around our company.

Interested in learning more about your health, nutrition and workouts? Check out my 6 and 12 week coaching programs here.

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XO,

Leah Peters

Leahpetersfitness.com

Online Weight Loss Coaching