Aromatherapy for Weight Loss

At some point many of us take a look at the scales (or our waistbands) and hit the panic button; it's time to diet. However, what can we do to make this time any different from any other diet regime we try? What can we do to make changes to our lifestyles, eating habits and our approaches to food that will actually work?

Significant research has been carried out (predominantly in the UK) into the role aromatherapy can play in helping individuals to lose weight. Researchers were particularly interested in ways to harness the sense of smell in order to suppress the appetite. Their findings yielded positive results: if you inhale a strong spicy or food-related fragrance for at least five minutes prior to a meal you can suppress the appetite. However, there's a catch: inhale that fragrance for less than five minutes before eating and you'll actually increase your appetite.

How to Suppress Your Appetite

• The easiest way to use aromatherapy to suppress your appetite is to create a blend that you can put on a tissue – and then place in a shirt pocket or in your bra. Wear it throughout the day if you know you tend to graze or snack a lot. Add three drops each of up to three essential oils to a tissue and inhale as required.
• Essential oils with the most effective track record for appetite suppression include Grapefruit, Vanilla, Benzoin, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Clove, Fennel, Lemon, Marjoram, Orange, Mandarin, Ginger and Black Pepper.
• Choose essential oil(s) that remind you of the foods you like – this will increase the effects. If you know you love sweets, biscuits or chocolate, focus on Vanilla, Cinnamon, Grapefruit or Orange for your blend.

If your new regime includes more exercise and a commitment to losing inches as well as weight, aromatherapy can help you further.

Detox and Inch Loss

• Try giving yourself anti-cellulite massages. Use up to three of the essential oils listed here (and three drops each of the essential oils in 20 mls of a carrier oil like sweet almond oil). Apply the massage oil to the areas you want to focus on such as your legs, hips and thighs). Then massage vigorously using plenty of percussion movements (like hacking and cupping). Daily application of this style of treatment can result in visible inch loss  (as well as an associated improvement in muscle tone) within six weeks of starting the treatment.
• Use Rosemary, Grapefruit, Juniper, Angelica, Cypress, Lemon, Bergamot in this blend. Juniper or Angelica are key oils to consider if you are focusing on detoxing.
• If you find you have an increased urge to urinate it means the blend is working. Keep drinking plenty of water too. This will help the body to remove any toxins.

Motivation to change

• Finding the energy to cast aside any sluggishness and actually show up at the gym is often one of the hardest parts of dieting. All of the essential oils listed here help to improve your state of mind and get you moving again. Ginger is particularly recommended if you think you may need a bomb stuck under you before you'll make any changes.
• Frankincense, Grapefruit, Juniper, Ginger, Peppermint

Do you comfort eat when things are going badly? Reward yourself with food when things go well? Eat if you are bored? Do you have a snack drawer at work? Do you stop eating if you are profoundly unhappy? These can all be signs of a tendency towards "emotional eating". If you know you do this, then it may be that you need to tackle your habits too – and separate the associations you make with food.

Emotional Eating

• Try any of the following essential oils to help you break any habits you have developed as a result of linking your emotions to your eating habits.
• Lemongrass, Melissa, Frankincense, May Chang, Geranium, Palmarosa, Juniper, Cypress, Sandalwood.
• Try keeping a Food/Mood diary for two weeks – this can be a powerful reminder of just how closely your emotions are tied to your eating habits.

Self Image, Self Confidence, Self Worth

• The great thing about a diet is discovering a new you as you slowly shed the burdens you have been carrying. If you know that how you feel about yourself right now is making it harder for you to maintain an appropriate weight, then consider adding any of the following to the tissue going into your shirt pocket. All of these essential oils help to lift your spirits. Most are also known aphrodisiacs and can help you to feel better about yourself.
• Sandalwood, Patchouli, Black Pepper, Jasmine, Neroli, Rose, Vetiver, Ylang ylang, Geranium

Cyclical Cravings

• If you know you gain or lose a regular amount each month as a result of your menstrual cycle, then it is quite likely that you are faced with more than a bad case of water retention.
• Each of the following essential oils are known to help regulate the menstrual cycle as well as to suppress the appetite. You may find that certain essential oils are more appealing at different times of the month.
• Try Geranium, Clary Sage, Jasmine, Patchouli, Rose or Fennel

Please note that some of the essential oils suggested above have safety indications, and the way they are used will vary if you have sensitive skin, certain medical histories, if you are pregnant, breast-feeding or younger than 16 (and older than 60). For a personal approach to aromatherapy for weight loss – and to discover some of the other ways that aromatherapy could help you on a day-to-day basis, find a professional aromatherapist in your area.

Other Options

Bach Flower Remedies can be a great support if you know you are prone to emotional eating. Find a flower essence therapist in your area.

Nutrition therapy is very helpful if you suspect that food sensitivities or intolerances may be contributing to your weight issues. Find a dietitian in your area.

Counselling, hypnotherapy and psychotherapy are all worth considering if you feel you have an unhealthy relationship with food and eating and wish to tackle these issues on a cognitive level.

Colonic hydrotherapy can be a great support for those undertaking a detox diet. Consult with your colonic hydrotherapist to determine how many sessions they advice during or after your detox regime.