Tips and Tricks: Losing Weight Through Sniffing

A few weeks ago I came across an interesting article all about how the olfactory sense can suppress appetite and aid in weight-loss. That's right folks! This article claimed that by using your sense of SMELL, you could trick your body into shedding those unwanted pounds.

Sound far-fetched?

Maybe.

But my curiosity was piqued and I wanted to find out more.

Several studies point to aromatherapy as an effective tool in weight-loss, particularly as an appetite suppressor. In addition, scent was shown to increase energy for your workout and to even help you sleep better.

Alan Hirsch, M.D., head of The Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago said, "The aroma triggers signals in the brain's satiety center. This fools your brain into sending the message that you're full, without the extra calories."

The scents found to be most effective are grapefruit, green apples, lemon, bananas, peppermint, lavender, and eucalyptus. Here is a little bit more about a few of them:

Peppermint
Peppermint is probably the best known scent to decrease appetite. It promotes a feeling of fullness, which lessens the chance that individuals will overeat, and also helps cut back on cravings for sweets. Sniffing peppermint oil 10 to 15 minutes before eating should help curb your appetite during a meal. You can also add a few drops of the oil to your water so you continue to smell it throughout the meal, increasing the chance that you eat fewer calories.

Grapefruit
Grapefruit has long been associated with weight loss, and there is a fad diet based on eating a piece of the fruit before every meal to promote more efficient fat-burning. While those claims are dubious, grapefruit is commonly used in weight control aromatherapy because its crisp, bright fragrance helps lessen cravings for sweets. Pink grapefruit essential oil is particularly helpful in lessening appetite. Grapefruit essential oil may be rubbed between your hands, so when you cup them together you can slowly inhale the scent. It is also easy to adjust the intensity of the aroma by moving your hands closer or further away from your face. For best results, sniff grapefruit oil at least five minutes before eating. It is also helps to drink a glass of water after inhaling the oil because the water increases the feeling of fullness.

Lemon
Many aromatherapists believe that the scent of lemon speeds up the metabolism and provides fuel to fat-burning cells in the body. It is also believed to affect the appetite. A study was conducted on the effect of lemon aroma on the brain and evidence was gathered that it stimulates the hippocampus, the part of the brain that controls rational, left brain thought. This helps prevent emotional eating and binges by allowing individuals to realize when their appetite has been satisfied.

So if you walk through your kitchen and a craving strikes, grab a banana and sniff (not eat) it to your hearts content. After reading this, I have a strong desire to invent some kind of contraption that holds a banana under my nose all day, similar to dangling a carrot in front of a donkey. Although it would probably be just as effective to rub some peppermint oil on my upper lip!

Better than holding a banana under your nose all day, try this recipe:

Super-Slimming Potpourri:
Soak 1/4 inch slices of 1 banana in lemon juice for 6 minutes. Place on a paper towel on a microwave- safe plate. In microwave, heat 5 mintues; cool. Place in a bowl with dried petals of 6 roses, 5 cinnamon sticks and 1/2 cup walnuts. Display wherever snack attacks strike.