January 2016: Essential Oils for Mood & Appetite Support

Winter limits our exposure to the sun and our levels of vitamin D decrease, sometimes leading to seasonal depression. Our emotional state can trigger an increase in appetite and a desire for comfort foods. Combined with constant exposure to holiday treats and meals it can be easy to get away from healthy habits and gain weight.  But don’t distress, the Earth provides us with everything that we need in the form of powerful essential oils!  When inhaled, specific essential oils help us to maintain a happy state of mind and keep those cravings and impulses in check. The more you use the oils the more effective they will be. Luckily, most of the essential oils pertaining to depression also work to balance cravings and weight gain.
    
The essential oils that are the most uplifting are also some of my personal favorites: Sweet Orange, Lemon, Bergamot, Clary Sage, Lavender, and Grapefruit. The citrus essential oils contain a chemical called D-limonene, which support a balance in mood and emotions. Sweet Orange has antidepressant properties that brighten gloomy feelings, dissipate depressing thoughts, and subdue tension and stress. Bergamot is refreshing and uplifting. Studies have shown that Bergamot affects the hypothalamus to help balance emotions and nerves. Clary Sage balances emotions, restores emotional equilibrium, is a nervous system tonic and eases fear and nervousness. Lavender was prized by the ancient Greeks and Romans for its perfume and cleansing properties. Lavender oil is great for emotional difficulties such as depression, fear, hysteria, insomnia, irritability and melancholy. Below are some recipes with a blend of these powerful essential oils to uplift your mind and soul.

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Winter Blues Blend
(Makes 1/3 oz roll-on)

• 5 drops Sweet Orange oil  (brightens gloomy feelings, dissipates depression)
• 4 drops Grapefruit oil (helps mental fatigue and depression)
• 3 drops Clary Sage (balances emotions)

Fill the rest of the roll-on with Jojoba oil to preserve the scent of your essential oils.

Depression Blend
(Makes 1/3 oz roll-on)

• 6 drops Bergamot oil (stimulant and tonic to balance emotions and nerves)
• 3 drops Lavender oil (great for depression and melancholy)
• 2 drops Clary Sage oil (restores emotional equilibrium, nervous system tonic)

​Fill the rest of the roll-on with Jojoba oil.

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After all those tempting and delicious holiday treats, there are essential oils to help you resist sugar cravings and promote weight loss. The essential oils that help curb your appetite and promote weight loss are Grapefruit, Lemon, Peppermint, Tangerine, Sandalwood, and Ginger. Grapefruit is a natural appetite suppressant. It is a great weight loss oil because it promotes the process of lipolysis. Lipolysis is a process in the body that breaks down stored fat into two main components, glycerol and fatty acids for energy. Grapefruit essential oil with one to two ounces of coconut oil can be massaged for 30 minutes on areas where fat accumulates. Grapefruit can also help the mental side of things. Grapefruit helps headaches, mental fatigue, hangovers and depression. Lemon helps balance your metabolism and increases energy levels in the body. This increase in energy will increase your motivation to exercise. Inhale Lemon essential oil before meals to increase your metabolism. Peppermint is not just a great digestive aid and stomach soother, but it also makes you feel full after a meal. Inhale Peppermint essential oil before meals to activate the feeling of being full. Tangerine is a great diuretic and it also calms the nervous system. So if you have extra water weight, Tangerine essential oil is the one for you. Sandalwood helps control stress eating. It works by helping you overcome negative feelings and behavior so that you no longer feel the temptation to eat more to deal with stress. Apply Sandalwood essential oil with coconut oil directly on the stomach or to the bottoms of the feet. Ginger essential oil works great for weight loss because it helps reduce sugar cravings. We all know sugar is a weight loss enemy due to the fact that whatever isn’t immediately burned for energy gets stored as fat. Below are two blends to help with weight loss and appetite.

Skinny Blend
(Makes 1/3 oz roll-on)

• 5 drops Tangerine oil (diuretic)
• 5 drops Grapefruit oil (appetite suppressant, promotes the process of lipolysis)
• 5 drops Sandalwood oil  (helps prevent stress eating)
• 5 drops Lemon oil (balances metabolism, increases energy)

​Fill the rest of the roll-on with Jojoba oil.

Suppress the Appetite Blend
(Makes 1/3 oz roll-on)

• 5 drops Peppermint oil (inhale before meals to feel full)
• 7 drops Lemon oil (balances metabolism, increases energy)
• -3 drops Sandalwood oil (helps prevent stress eating)

​Fill the rest of the roll-on with Jojoba oil.

​*Do not ever apply essential oils directly on the skin. Always use a carrier oil such as Jojoba, Coconut oil, Almond oil, or even Virgin Olive oil.


After you have blended your recipes you can apply them to your pulse points. Which are located on the wrist; palm side. Enjoy these great recipes, and keep up the weight loss journey!

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