There are many ways that aromatherapy can benefit your well-being. The right smells can reduce your stress, increase your energy levels or even get you in the mood, but did you know that aromatherapy can help you to lose weight? According to recent research, certain food scents can trick your body into feeling full on less food, which causes you to eat less and lose more weight.
According to study published in the Journal of Neurological and Orthopedic Medicine and Surgery, which was conducted on 3,193 overweight women between the ages of 18 and 64, sniffing banana, green apple and peppermint before, after and during a meal leads to weight loss. Lead researcher Dr Hirch explains, ‘Odours have a direct effect on the satiety centre in the brain, which is the area that tells your body when you’ve had enough to eat.’ Researchers at the Human Neuro-Sensory Laboratory also found that inhaling certain scents before and after a meal helped people to lose an average of 19 pounds in six months, compared to those on a placebo who lost an average of four pounds.
So how can you get the best out of the scent diet? Firstly, as food aromas play a significant role in weight loss, filling common food areas with the smell of your favourite foods will help to decrease your cravings. It’s like when you spend the day cooking and actually end up eating less, as you trick your brain into believing you’ve already eaten that food. Plus, yummy smells filling the house will do wonders for your well-being. You might want to take food scents when you’re out and about, and take a sneaky sniff of your purse when you feel the hunger coming on. Finally, drinking water throughout the day can help any diet, but it’s even better if you add a few drops of diet scents each time.
For healthy foods and super scents that help to curb your cravings, try eating the following:
1. Aromatic rosemary and basil bread
2. Sweet smelling strawberries
3. Earthy mushrooms sautéed in buttery no-calorie cooking spray
4. Citrusy lemonade prepared with clear water and no calorie sweetener, topped with a cherry.
5. Roasted sweet dried tomatoes mixed with spring vegetables
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