I use Essential oils as a natural aid for YOGALEAN weight management. My house is full of them as they have a very positive impact on weight management efforts when combined with a healthy diet, yoga, and meditation. I use them in my water, on my skin, and in the bath daily. Essential oils can really help with weight management by helping to make your water more alkaline. It helps melt the fat and help the body carry less toxins. Some essential oils can suppress cravings, increase metabolism, reduce fluid retention, and help alleviate emotional stress and stress eating.

1. Grapefruit

Grapefruit is one of the best essential oils for weight management due to the d-limonene found in grapefruit. It helps in releasing fatty acids into the bloodstream where the body breaks them down and uses it for energy. A study conducted on the protective effects of d-limonene in animals shows that it helps reduce the lipid peroxidation which can help in lowering cholesterol.

It has long been used for various health benefits like metabolism stimulant, lymphatic system detox, and fat burning. It is packed with Vitamin C and the powerful antioxidant Lycopene which helps detoxify and cleanse the lymphatic system. Toxicity in the body creates unwanted weight gain. Our body stores toxins in the excess fat when it does not know how to release it from the body. Citrus oils like grapefruit, lemon and orange essential oils work great to release the toxins from our metabolic pathways. Along with natural weight management properties, grapefruit has antioxidant properties and anti-inflammatory uses.

How to use:

1- Drink it like I do: add 1 to 2 drops of grapefruit essential oil to your daily glass of drinking water to flush out toxins and fat burning effect especially before breakfast in the morning. It also enhances the flavor of water and food.
2- Massage on skin for at least 30 minutes on areas where fat accumulates by adding it into 1 to 2 oz of carrier oil like raw organic virgin coconut oil or extra virgin olive oil. Do not wash off for several hours.
3- Bathe Add 5 drops of grapefruit essential oil to your warm bath

2. Ginger – Craving something sweet?

Ginger essential oil is found to promote a feeling of fullness after meals. It’s like a perfect desert. It works to enhance the effect of all other weight management essential oils. It is also found to be very effective against candida which influences weight gain. It also stimulates the immune system.

Ginger helps increase blood circulation, stimulates the immune system, improves gut health, aids with irritable bowel syndrome, helps with metabolism. Ginger balances moods and provides a sweet treat. Use for my YogaLean Bran Tea Receipe – I do this almost every night.

How to use:

1- Add to to a cup of hot water with lemon and honey as a great desert
2 – Inhale it with a few drops on a cloth
3 – Put a few drops under your pillow to sleep well
4 – Use for improved balance and to prevent sea sickness

3 Peppermint essential Oil:

Peppermint essential oil has unique weight management benefits. It is also great for a huge array of heath issues. Peppermint alone has been known to sooth an upset stomach. Peppermint oil also helps with candida that often influences weight management. Peppermint essential oil is packed with nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin C, and minerals like potassium, iron, and magnesium. Helps with weight management and nourishes the body and promotes a feeling of well-being. It is great for reducing appetite and helps suppress cravings. We feel full because of a special mechanism in our brain. Peppermint works on that part of the brain which then triggers the feeling of fullness when you eat. It is found to be more effective than any other scent in creating serotonin in the brain that is linked with cravings for sweets. A study on the effects of peppermint scent on appetite control confirms that participants inhaling peppermint essential oil were less likely to feel hungry and had fewer cravings than the ones who didn’t inhale peppermint essential oil. The Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Institute of Chicago found that inhaling lemon and peppermint essential oil is a more natural and effective way to control appetite to help with weight management.

How to use:
1- INHALE – Peppermint essential oil smells refreshing use before meals to reduce the appetite. Put it in your ears to wake up like I do — be careful
2- Drink it Peppermint tastes great and gives an extra little energy as an added benefit so you can even add 1 to 2 drops of oil to your glass of water and drink before the meals to have the same effect of reducing appetite.
3- Bathing – add few drops to your bath in the morning to suppress cravings and have energizing start of the day.

4 . Lemon Essential Oil:
Fresh and clean – wake up with Lemon Oil. It contains d–Limonene and full of minerals and vitamin C. Lemon essential oil is great for addressing intestinal parasites that are often a secret cause of weight gain. It helps in weight management by dealing with various digestive ailments, balancing your metabolism and increasing energy levels. It helps the body to carry less toxins which it stores in the fat cells for no good reason.
The Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Institute of Chicago found that inhaling lemon and peppermint essential oil scent is more natural and effective way to control appetite to help with weight management.

How to use:
1- Daily rubbing and massaging lemon essential oil to the cellulite areas helps to eliminate toxins and waste that are stored in the fat cells. Ridding the body of these toxins will make it thinner and healthier as well.
2- Adding 1 to 2 drops of lemon essential oil in the drinking water before breakfast will have a gentle detoxifying effect on the body.
3- You can also inhale or diffuse lemon essential oil before meals.

5. Bergamot Essential Oil:
Feel better now – Helps control bad cholesterol and stress eating- This oil it is perfect for those who eat when they are stressed. Sedative properties of bergamot essential oil make it perfect for fighting with stress related weight gain and controlling stress triggered eating. It can be more effective if you pair it with lavender essential oil.This oil is very effective in weight control because it contains extremely large amounts of the polyphenols (that are also found in green tea). This polyphenols content is great for fat oxidation (halt production of blood fat), increasing metabolism and preventing the absorption of cholesterol.

How to use:
1- inhale the vapors to calm and relax when you are stressed out and hungry
2- You can also put a drop into one teaspoon of honey or drink in a 4oz of coconut milk to have more calming effect.
3- It can also be used for applied or massaged to the feet or on the neck adding it in the carrier oil like extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil.
4- Bathe – It can also be diluted in a warm bath to feel fresh

6. Cinnamon essential oil:

A sweet treat. Cinnamon essential oil is found to promote a feeling of fullness after meals. It works to enhance the effect of all other weight management essential oils. It is also found to be very effective against candida which influences weight gain. Cinnamon is also known for its anti-inflammatory uses and it stimulates the immune system, and may even help with increased libido. Cinnamon helps increase blood circulation, stimulates the immune system, improves gut health and irritable bowel syndrome and metabolism.

How to use:
1- Drink few drops of cinnamon essential oil combining it with honey in one cup of warm water before breakfast and at night before sleeping.

2- Inhale or diffuse cinnamon essential oil before meals or try adding 1 to 2 drops of oil to drinking water and take before half or one hour before meals to help with appetite.

7. Eucalyptus Oil

Want energy? Tired and stress eating? This great oil wakes you up. It helps overcoming negative feelings and behavior so that you no longer feel tempted to eat more to deal with stress.

How to use:
1- Diffuse it and inhale the vapors by diluting it a diffuser for a fresh home
2- Apply it directly on the stomach or to the feet.
3- Add 1 or 2 drops in your water

7 Ways of Using Essential Oils for Weight Management

Essential oils have myriad health and mood benefits, some more familiar than others. Most of us have heard of the calming effects of lavender and the invigorating effects of peppermint, but we seldom consider the fantastic support these and many other essential oils can add to our weight management efforts.

There’s no reason to wait for a special occasion to benefit from the transformative powers of essential oils. I love to incorporate a variety of oils in my daily life for many purposes. Below are a few of my favorite tricks for using essential oils to encourage weight management. I especially like our partner’s oils because you can inhale them, apply them to your skin, and ingest them.

1. Peppermint oil has a powerful ability to awaken and stimulate the system. It offers a terrific boost in energy and an excellent alternative to that sugary snack or excess cup of coffee that, while providing a quick fix, will soon lead to a crash. I love to put a few drops of peppermint oil in my water to wake up in the morning. And, before I go on a run, I massage a couple drops into the back of my neck for alertness and endurance. Peppermint is an excellent aroma for greeting a new day!

2. Eucalyptus oil, like peppermint oil, has a powerfully enlivening effect. It’s perfect to keep on your desk, dot a little on your wrist, and treat yourself to an inhale in the middle of a tiring workday.

3. Lemon oil has a bright, fresh flavor that elevates the mood. It is also an excellent detoxifying agent, working to alkalize the body and purify the liver. I like to use it to flavor my drinking water.

4. Cinnamon oil can be used as a sweet treat in your coffee that tastes indulgent while remaining lean. It’s an excellent, aromatic alternative to the sugar-packed seasonal lattes we tend to see at Starbucks.

5. Ginger oil has a sweet and spicy aroma. Ginger in itself has often been known to have a positive effect on digestion. I like to pair this with lemon oil in water or juice for delicious and detoxifying support.

6. Lavender oil is deeply relaxing and known to reduce levels of cortisol, the stress hormone that makes us hold on to extra weight. Its calming properties are very conducive to meditation– I love to dab some on the scarf I wear while meditating. You could also drop a little in a hot bath or on your pillow to promote deep, peaceful sleep, another crucial component of weight management.

7. Grapefruit oil is purifying and energizing, producing an alkalizing effect in the body. This oil makes a refreshing and highly beneficial addition to your water, especially if you’re doing a cleanse.

These oils help ensure our success in weight management by enhancing our mood and energy level. They are integral daily elements to any weight management process: easy to incorporate, simple to use, and wonderfully effective. For further detail on the health properties of these wonderful oils, visit BethShaw.com.