Essential Oils Apothecary Tip: The Power of Scent and Managing Your Weight
12/05/19 • 5 min
So, let’s talk about how essential oils can help you reach your weight-loss goals. Trust me, it’s not hocus-pocus. There is an entire branch of science that validates why essential oils “work.”
Scent can communicate to your body that it’s time to burn fat. According to one study, “Olfactory stimulation with scent of grapefruit oil excites the sympathetic nerve innervating the white adipose [fat] tissue. It [the scent] can also reduce appetite and body weight.” Pretty cool, huh? But let’s go a little deeper.
Inhaling volatile organic compounds has a direct effect not just on your body but also on your brain. That’s because these compounds affect the limbic system of your brain (aka your primal brain) that controls emotions, mood, and memory. This explains why certain scents can be associated with certain memories and can even trigger post-traumatic stress.
Here’s how it works: When you smell a rose, for example, the volatile organic compounds in the rose oil dissolve in the mucous lining on the roof of your nasal cavity and stimulate olfactory receptors. Sensory neurons carry signals from your receptors to your brain’s olfactory bulb, which filters and then processes the input signals of the rose scent. Next, mitral cells carry output signals to the olfactory cortex, which allows you to perceive and recognize the rose scent. This system is amazingly complex, but even more amazing is that it happens within an instant.
The Limbic Brain and Weight Management
What role does the limbic brain play in weight management? In simple terms, the scents of various essential oils impact your brain’s responses. A response to grapefruit oil can decrease your appetite and even stimulate fat breakdown. Orange oil can help alleviate depression, making you less likely to reach for (junk) food to cheer you up. Peppermint oil boosts your energy level by relaxing bronchial smooth muscles, thereby expanding your lung capacity so you can breathe in more oxygen. The result is that your cells burn fat more efficiently.
So, let’s talk about how essential oils can help you reach your weight-loss goals. Trust me, it’s not hocus-pocus. There is an entire branch of science that validates why essential oils “work.”
Scent can communicate to your body that it’s time to burn fat. According to one study, “Olfactory stimulation with scent of grapefruit oil excites the sympathetic nerve innervating the white adipose [fat] tissue. It [the scent] can also reduce appetite and body weight.” Pretty cool, huh? But let’s go a little deeper.
Inhaling volatile organic compounds has a direct effect not just on your body but also on your brain. That’s because these compounds affect the limbic system of your brain (aka your primal brain) that controls emotions, mood, and memory. This explains why certain scents can be associated with certain memories and can even trigger post-traumatic stress.
Here’s how it works: When you smell a rose, for example, the volatile organic compounds in the rose oil dissolve in the mucous lining on the roof of your nasal cavity and stimulate olfactory receptors. Sensory neurons carry signals from your receptors to your brain’s olfactory bulb, which filters and then processes the input signals of the rose scent. Next, mitral cells carry output signals to the olfactory cortex, which allows you to perceive and recognize the rose scent. This system is amazingly complex, but even more amazing is that it happens within an instant.
The Limbic Brain and Weight Management
What role does the limbic brain play in weight management? In simple terms, the scents of various essential oils impact your brain’s responses. A response to grapefruit oil can decrease your appetite and even stimulate fat breakdown. Orange oil can help alleviate depression, making you less likely to reach for (junk) food to cheer you up. Peppermint oil boosts your energy level by relaxing bronchial smooth muscles, thereby expanding your lung capacity so you can breathe in more oxygen. The result is that your cells burn fat more efficiently.
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Holiday Hospitality: Tips from a Professional Host
Showing holiday hospitality, especially at this time of year, is a great way to serve and show your love for others. However, for some of us, hosting holiday events can be intimidating, stressful or downright scary -but it doesn’t need to be!
If you don’t know how to get started, we’re here to help make it easy. In this week’s podcast, we will provide expert tips from Mama Z’s years of experience as a “hospitality pro.” Tune in to learn everything you need to know to host a smooth function, from planning to clean up.
And if you’re attending an event and don’t know what to do, we have tips for you as well. From what to bring to a potluck, to setting the mood when hosting, we have it all covered so you can have a blessed and joyous holiday season with those you love!
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
- Topic introduction, diffuser reveal, book news & an announcement! (2:28)
- Your reviews (7:08)
- A system for holiday hospitality (11:01)
- Why holiday hospitality is important (20:48)
- Advice for those who are uncomfortable hosting (26:32)
- What to bring to a potluck & what you get out of hosting (29:13)
- How to get things ready for your event (36:30)
- Planning recipes & to-go items (42:11)
- Making time for prayer and more on potlucks (48:51)
- Timing your meal and setting the mood (57:32)
- Mama Z’s final holiday hospitality tip (1:03:05)
- Natural living tip and episode wrap (1:05:30)
Next Episode
Giving the Gift of Health This Holiday Season
At Christmastime, people often give gifts that are not-so-healthy and we want to empower you to give the gift of health instead! Just think about it: loads of sugar (tasty treats) and lots of chemicals (smelly body care & perfumes) are just the tip of the iceberg.
This year, join us in starting a NEW tradition and let’s bless the people around us with healthy gifts that will truly be appreciated!
In today’s episode, we’ll explore the best gifting options to fit any budget. Whether it be a DIY gift that you pour your heart into, healthy events that you can do together, or simple gifts like an essential oil, we have you covered. We’ll even tell you how to figure out what to give, and how to put it together super fancy!
We’ll also share lots of recipes and other ideas to bless loved ones and the people with natural gifts that help them share in the abundant life this holiday season.
Join us to get your holiday gifting started!
EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS:
- Diffuser reveal, testimonial time & topic introduction (3:06)
- Why give the gift of health? (9:37)
- Healthy gift-giving tips and ideas (16:32)
- DIY gifts & recipes (25:46)
- DIY toothpaste gifts & recipes(33:15)
- More DIY gifting tips (37:43)
- Gifting single essential oils (49:06)
- The gifts of the magi (1:00:21)
- Natural living tip and episode wrap (1:05:25)
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