Smell Your Way to A Slimmer You

Two groups of sedentary men participated in a study that compared the measurable benefits of jogging vs. walking. Researchers had participants jog or walk for 30 minutes, four times per week. Which group did better?

Surprisingly, the walkers showed similar results to the joggers in terms of weight loss and endurance. A second study conducted for the British Journal of Sports Medicine backed up the findings. Over the course of 12 weeks, previously sedentary women began walking. Participants lost body fat, improved their HDL cholesterol concentration, and gained endurance. When they stopped walking for an additional 12 weeks, their results were reversed.

Your Body is Designed to Walk

You might have heard that the human body is designed for movement. We are amazing in our ability to bend and flex, and we have an astonishing capacity for endurance. Yes, we have the ability to run, but we truly excel when it comes to walking.

Think about what our ancestors had to do to survive. They spent hours and sometimes days tracking animals, gathering food, and moving from one camp to another. They ran short distances, but for the most part, they walked, engaging in a technique known as persistence hunting. In persistence hunting, animals were methodically tracked until they were too exhausted to escape. The hunters got the meat their people needed to survive, and it’s quite likely that they carried it long distances back to camp, walking steadily until they arrived home.

Later, most people continued to do lots of walking in pursuit of food and other goods. While horses and other pack animals helped, most people spent the majority of their time in motion, planting, harvesting, gathering, hunting, and handling essential chores. There wasn’t much sitting! Today, others do these things for us, and we have machines to take care of mundane tasks.

Think about it: Now that food is readily available, we don’t have to walk long distances to get to it. We can get it at a fast-food drive through, and we can even have it delivered if we like, walking just a few feet from the couch to the front door and back again. This is just one example! We have elevators and escalators to save the number of steps we take. We have cars and buses and trains. We look for parking close to movie theaters, where we spend free time sitting. I could go one and on – but I’m sure you get my point. If you think about the amount of time you spend in a seated position for work, during your commute, and during your downtime, you’ll probably come up with a shocking figure.

Sitting is the New Smoking, and What Happens when you Cut Back

This isn’t meant to shame anyone, but instead, to raise awareness of the potential for serious problems. There’s a common saying that sitting is the new smoking, thanks to research that links our sedentary lifestyles with health concerns ranging from obesity to high blood sugar to an increased risk of cancer and heart disease. Luckily, even simple actions such as spending time standing, stretching, and walking at a leisurely pace can make a huge difference. As study after study shows, exercise doesn’t have to be intense to provide benefits – especially when it has been a long time since you got up off the couch or took time away from your desk to move your body.

Some Primary Benefits of Walking

Besides weight loss, better heart health, and improved HDL cholesterol, what can you look forward to when you make walking part of your weekly plan?

Less stress
Better mood
Greater self-esteem
Enhanced focus and creativity
Better productivity at work
Stronger, more flexible muscles
Better joint health
Enhanced immunity
Better balance
Better, deeper sleep

There’s a lot more, but for now, we’ll end the list of benefits with these findings from a study released by California State University, Long Beach:

“Walking more each day is related to a wide variety of mood and personality variables. The more people walk each day, the more energetic they feel and the better their mood. Although intuitively it would seem that walking more reduces energy, the opposite is true. More walking is associated with more energy. In addition to more energy and better mood, self-esteem and happiness increase when people walk more. Also, walking more appears to result in better nutrition. Why this occurs is unclear, but it may be related to the energy connection (Thayer, 1996). It is apparent that energy is an important variable as demonstrated by increased sleep being associated with more walking.

How to Get Started

You don’t need much to get started with walking – in fact, all you really need is a place to walk, comfortable clothing, and a pair of shoes that feel comfortable on your feet.

You can walk almost anywhere, meaning that you don’t need a gym membership or even a specially designated walking trail. You can walk at malls or shopping centers during bad weather. You can walk up and down the hall for five minutes at home or get your blood pumping by walking up and down stairs a few times. You can go around the block once or twice.

You don’t have to spend long stretches of time to start receiving the benefits of walking. In fact, little bits add up. If for example you took four 5-minute breaks to walk each day, it would add up to 140 minutes – almost 2 ½ hours per week. Add just one more 5-minute walk break and suddenly you’ve upped your weekly exercise time to a touch over 3 hours.

Here are a few easy ways to get some walking in without much effort at all:

If you watch TV, stand up and walk around during commercials.
If you work at a desk, set a reminder to stand up and walk around every 30 minutes or so. Try to take longer 5-minute breaks to walk up and down a long hallway or go outside for a quick lap around the parking lot or a city block.
Take 5 or 10 minutes to walk around your neighborhood after dinner.

Of course, longer walks are beneficial and they can be enormously enjoyable, particularly when you’re able to get outside for a little sunshine and fresh air. Imagine taking a break, listening to your favorite music (or the sounds of nature) and clearing your head for about 30 minutes. You’d return feeling refreshed, relaxed, and ready to face whatever is next on your agenda.

More Walking, More Benefits

Like so many things in life, the more you put into your walking program, the more you’re going to get out of it. A little is good, and more is even better. Once you’ve gotten into the habit of taking little walks, you’ll probably be ready to take the next step – in fact, you’re likely to notice that you crave the gentle motion of walking, along with the mental release that accompanies it.

When you get more intentional with your walking habit, your benefits will increase. Here are some things you can look forward to when you decide to walk for about 30 minutes per day on most days of the week:

Walking regularly can improve your body’s insulin response and help you shed stubborn belly fat.
Walking helps prevent constipation by encouraging the digestive tract to move things along, so you enjoy greater regularity.
Your risk of heart disease will drop. The exact percentage depends on other factors; however, every little bit helps.
Lower depression risk. Those who are depressed notice reduced symptoms.
Stronger, tighter muscles.
Stronger bones: Walking for as little as 4 hours per week reduces the risk of hip fractures by about 43%.
Lower diabetes risk: If you log an average of 3,500 steps daily, you can cut your risk of diabetes by about 29%.
Less sugar cravings, even when you walk for as little as 15 minutes.
Enhanced immunity, particularly during flu and cold season. A study found that people who walked for 20 minutes per day or more, 5 days per week, took 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised just once per week. Those who did get sick had milder symptoms and a shorter recovery time than low- to no-exercise study participants.
Better memory: People who walk for just 120 minutes per week protect their brain’s ability to plan and remember.
Lower arthritis risk and less joint pain for those who have already developed arthritis.
Greater longevity: Even walking for 75 minutes per week can add about 2 years to your lifespan.

If you’re female, you may want to consider gradually upping your daily walks to about an hour or take some longer walks on weekends. According to the American Cancer Society, 7 hours of weekly walking can reduce your breast cancer risk by about 14 percent, even if you have other risk factors like being overweight or taking hormones.

Easy Ways to Up Your Walking Game

Getting more than a few short walking breaks per day can sometimes feel like a bit of an effort in the beginning. It helps to make a commitment to yourself, but as most of us know from experience, it takes more than commitment to stay motivated! Try one or two of the following tactics to increase the amount of time you spend walking each week and within a month or two, you’ll be in a habit that’s very easy to maintain for life.

Make definite, actionable goals, i.e. “I’ll take a 20-minute walk after dinner each night.” When that 20-minute walk has become a habit, you may want to increase your time by five or ten minutes, or you might want to add another longer walking session to your daily routine, such as a ten-minute walk during your lunch break.
Get a pair of comfortable walking shoes if you don’t have them already. I keep my shoes and a few pairs of clean socks in my car, so I can take a nice walk whenever I feel like it.
Engage your body by looking forward, standing in an upright, relaxed posture with your stomach muscles lightly tightened. As you walk, allow your arms to swing naturally and notice that your feet want to naturally roll forward from heel to toe.
Ensure that you’re well-hydrated. Carry water with you!
Start tracking your progress. People who wear a fitness tracker or keep a simple journal detailing the amount of time they spent walking tend to feel excited as their step or time total grows. It feels great to see how far you’ve come!
Get together with a friend or loved one and connect face-to-face during the time you spend walking. Some people do this outdoors, others head for side-by-side treadmills at the gym.
If you like audiobooks or music, make listening part of your routine. I personally enjoy my Audible membership and I crave my exercise time because it’s my opportunity to catch up on my “reading.”
Take time for active, on-your-feet fun. Try outdoor festivals, museums, nature trails, or even some window shopping.
Get your health care provider in on the game. If you’ve been sedentary for a long time and you have significant health problems, see about tracking data such as your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, weight, and waist-to-hip ratio. You can keep track of a couple of these metrics at home using a scale and a tape measure, in case extra doctor visits aren’t available to you. Like tracking steps or time, tracking physical progress can be extremely motivating.

Last but not least, don’t worry too much if you miss a day here or there. But if you notice that you’re making excuses not to walk, re-evaluate and start over again. This exercise is so simple and so natural, and it feels so good to be a little more active!

Paired with other easy, actionable steps we’ll discuss in coming articles, even a little bit of walking helps you make massive strides toward better health for your body, mind, and spirit. Get started now and you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to begin feeling and looking better.

Essential oils are everywhere these days. Even some big box stores carry a selection! Besides smelling fantastic, some essential oils can help support your weight loss journey. They’re surprisingly easy to use, and many are inexpensive, too.

What are Essential Oils?

The “essential” in essential oils comes from the term “quintessential,” although I love these oils so much that I find them “essential” for many of my healthy practices! These oils are sourced from the aromatic portions of natural plants. Many come from flowers, leaves, and stems; some come from fruits, and some even come from roots.

Inside living plants, essential oils provide a variety of functions. Some attract pollinators, some deter pests and predators, and some provide defense from bacteria, viruses, and fungal infections. Essential oils help our bodies the same way they help plants – and they provide some other benefits too.

When an essential oil enters your nose, the tiny chemical compounds that make up its signature scent interact with your brain via the olfactory system. These tiny scent molecules do a whole lot more than simply smell good: They have an automatic effect on the limbic system, which in turn links to your emotions, blood pressure, hormones, and more. Essential oils can help you mitigate stress, access memories, sleep better, and more.

How Essential Oils Can Help You Through Your Weight Loss Journey

It would be nice if essential oils could promote weight loss on their own. Instead, they can be used to support weight loss by enhancing your lifestyle in terms of diet, exercise, relaxation, and even sleep.

There’s more: Some essential oils can provide you with a nice energy boost to help you get through your workouts. If you tend to look to food as a primary source of pleasure, you may be able to use aromatherapy to help deal with tough cravings as you detoxify. A few can even help you deal with water retention.

One key to deciding which essential oils to use and how to work them into your routine is to determine which problems are keeping you from meeting your goals. Some common ones include:

Anxiety
Stress
Poor sleep
Food cravings
Low energy

Best Essential Oils for Weight Loss Support

There are so many wonderful essential oils available that it’s impossible to mention them all in this guide. Here are a few to consider. You’ll notice that some essential oils make their way onto multiple lists.

Diuretics – Best for Water Retention

Diuretic essential oils encourage the body to release excess fluids. These are best when mixed with a carrier oil and massaged onto the skin or used in a soak such as a bath or a foot bath.

Chamomile
Cypress
Fennel
Geranium
Grapefruit
Juniper
Lavender
Lemon
Rosemary
Tangerine
Tea tree

Anti-Stress – Great for Binge Prevention

If you feel stressed and you’re tempted to break your chosen eating plan in favor of a snack that will lead to hours of regret, consider reaching for one of these anti-stress essential oils instead. There are lots of ways to use them: diffuse them, add them to a bath, or add them to aromatherapy jewelry.

Bergamot
Cedarwood
Chamomile
Clary sage
Eucalyptus
Frankincense
Grapefruit
Jasmine
Lavender
Lemon
Lemongrass
Mandarin
Orange
Peppermint
Sandalwood
Tangerine
Ylang-Ylang

Anti-Cravings – Ideal for Beating a Sweet Tooth

You know that ditching sugar is one of the best ways to kick weight loss into high gear. These essential oils have a great reputation for helping people get over their cravings. I like to diffuse these while enjoying a cup of my favorite tea. Fifteen minutes later, I’ve usually forgotten all about that sugary treat that seemed so tempting a short time ago!

Bergamot
Black pepper
Cinnamon bark
Dill
Fennel
Ginger
Grapefruit
Jasmine
Neroli
Peppermint
Rosemary

Energizing – Great for Getting Motivated

We all know how important it is to stay active, but sometimes we feel like staying on the couch. If you’re having trouble with your get up and go, consider trying one of these energizers.

Basil
Black Pepper
Cedarwood
Cinnamon bark
Eucalyptus
Ginger
Grapefruit
Juniper
Lemon
Lemongrass
Mandarin
Orange
Peppermint
Pine
Rosemary
Spearmint
Tangerine
Thyme

Relaxing – Helpful for Unwinding

Sleep plays an important role in weight loss. Without it, you’re likely to have some trouble losing weight, and you won’t have enough energy to boost your physical activity levels as recommended. Poor sleep even increases your appetite! These are just a few reasons why it’s so important to do everything you can to get enough rest. Here are some essential oils that can help when you diffuse them or add them to your nighttime personal care routine.

Chamomile
Clary sage
Frankincense
Geranium
Jasmine
Lavender
Lemon balm
Patchouli
Rose
Valerian
Vetiver
Ylang-Ylang

Important Tips for Getting Started with Aromatherapy

Manufacturers use a few different processes to extract essential oils while preserving the complex chemicals that make them unique and give them their functions. Choose essential oils from well-known providers and look for organic versions whenever possible. When you’re shopping, compare prices for the same sized bottles from a few different brands before you make a decision. Be leery of anything that’s far cheaper than other brands; some providers cut their essential oils with chemicals or cheaper oils, and some go so far as to package synthetics in their bottles while claiming that they are all natural! Here’s a short list of some trusted brands:

Ananda Apothecary
Aura Cacia
doTERRA
Edens Gardens
Lisse Essential Oils
Mountain Rose Herbs
NOW Foods
Piping Rock
Plant Life
Plant Therapy
Rocky Mountain Oils
Young Living

Never use an essential oil from a plant that you’re allergic to, and always consider warnings when deciding which essential oils to add to your weight loss arsenal. If, for example, you take medications that contraindicate grapefruit consumption, you’ll want to avoid remedies that include grapefruit essential oil. If you have a chronic or serious underlying medical condition, be sure to talk to your physician about essential oils that you are considering.

Essential oils aren’t generally recommended for women who are pregnant. Be sure to talk to your health care practitioner if you’d like to use any essential oils during pregnancy or while nursing.

If you plan to use an essential oil topically, be sure to do so safely. There are a few essential oils that experienced practitioners sometimes use without dilution, but for general use, it’s always a good idea to avoid skin irritation and blend your essential oil with a “carrier” before application. Carriers are usually other oils such as coconut, fractioned coconut, or almond oil. Even unscented lotion, shampoo, conditioner, and body wash can serve as carriers! You’ll want to check for dilution guidelines on each essential oil that you decide to use since different oils should be diluted at different rates.

Lastly, remember that the general goal with using essential oils is to promote overall well-being. When you feel good physically, mentally, and emotionally, you set yourself up for success by creating an atmosphere that is conducive to weight loss.