How to Suppress Your Appetite Naturally with Essential Oils
Whenever I step into my favourite diners in town, I always seem to be completely hypnotised by the tantalising aromas surrounding me. My stomach starts to growl, I start to salivate, and I am mentally prepared to devour the entire meal down anytime. I’m pretty sure you know this feeling too. All the herbs, spices and grilled items coming from the other tables around simply excites our sense of smell.
I start to get excited to see what’s serving, and the moment I take my sit and place my order, time seems to slow down for some reason, and the food takes an eternity to arrive.
The aroma from the food is received by our olfactory senses and it subconsciously reminds us that food is coming. This is how many of us were conditioned to be since young, where we anticipated for a delicious meal the moment we get a whiff from what’s cooking in the kitchen.
Apparently, the reason for the anticipation is pretty simple. According to a study by the Wageningen University’s Division of Human Nutrition, Food scents causes you to build up an appetite regardless if you are hungry, or already in a satiated state.
Yes, this means that the smell of food even after a decent meal, still makes us want to eat more simply because it gives us a sense that food is still coming.
To prevent overeating, it is good to distance ourselves away from food scents.
This does not mean that you should not ever step into a diner or restaurant. But when it’s not time to eat, by not being in an environment full of food aromas, you will be less likely to build up an appetite to eat again.
Using Essential Oils to Curb Appetite
With the help of certain essential oils, food cravings can very likely be reduced, helping you to cut down on all the unnecessary and unhealthy midday snacks.
This study by Flinders University’s School of Psychology shows that a neutral non-food odor could help to reduce a person’s appetite and cravings. In their research, the scent of water, green apple and jasmine were presented to 67 women for them to to smell. The scent of jasmine significantly reduce their cravings to chocolate as compared to water and green apple.
Peppermint
Peppermint promotes fullness, making you less likely to overeat.
Sniffing peppermint 5-10 minutes before having your meal can help you to reduce your appetite, making you eat in moderation.
Peppermint also has other amazing beneficial properties such as being a decongestant and anti-inflammatory. It aids as a mental stimulant, increase alertness, and helps to reduce headaches from a weak digestive system.
Grapefruit
Grapefruit oil contains the component, limonene, which helps to reduce the appetite and body weight. Grapefruit has a compound that helps to bring down insulin levels, boosting your metabolism and helping you to lose some pounds along with a good diet and some exercise. Grapefruit itself is also a very popular fruit in many diet plans. It has very little calories per serving, and is often eaten before a meal.
Fennel
Fennel is a good digestive aid, and is known to relieve gas, bloating and indigestion. The aroma of fennel is airy and light, and could help in reducing the appetite for some people, when inhaled before meals. You may also inhale funnel after a meal to ensure good digestion and to improve your nutrients intake.
Bergamot
If stress is causing an increase in your appetite, bergamot oil could be helpful to alleviate some of the stress, making you less likely to go on an eating binge. Bergamot helps to reduce a stress hormone called cortisol, which is usually raised during tense moments.
Clove
Clove oil is good for digestion due to its stimulative properties. It is also very useful for regulating your appetite so that you can manage your hunger appropriately. Clove oil also has anti-parasitic properties which helps to combat intestinal parasites.
Lemongrass
Limonene, the component present in many citrus oils, is also present in lemongrass oil. Limonene helps to reduce your appetite and weight, and is great for curbing the midnight snack you might be craving for.
Other tips:
Drinking water – Whenever you feel like having a snack, try drinking a glass of water first. Most of the time, this simple trick works because water helps to fill your stomach, giving you a sense of satiation, thus reducing your appetite.
This also works during mealtimes. By drinking a glass of water before your meal, you are likely to eat lesser before feeling full. This is also an effective method for dieting and preventing overeating.
In Summary
So to summarise it up, here are the 2 main steps that you can take action with today, to help you to curb your appetite, and prevent overeating.
- Limit yourself from being in an environment where food is being served. Put it this way, the smell of food is simply irresistible to all of us. Your appetite will build up just by being around food.
- Use essential oils as a non-food odour to distract your mind and reduce the unnecessary in-between meal cravings. Diffuse a neutral, non-food related oil into the air and you will be pleasantly surprised at the difference it makes.
Have any other natural appetite suppressant tips that work for you? Please share it with us in the comments below!
