Maintaining a healthy weight can lower the risk of chronic conditions and improve blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. However, many struggle with keeping weight off or sticking to a weight loss plan long enough to see results.
A study on weight loss strategies found that, on average, participants lost more than 50 pounds and kept it off for over three years because of perseverance and long-term goal-setting. This shows that effective weight loss doesn't magically happen overnight but results from healthy habits and lifestyle changes.
Including natural remedies in your daily routine is one of the best ways to build long-term habits for weight management and overall health. Below, we take a look at some of these tried-and-tested natural remedies and how they can help you succeed in your weight loss journey.
Natural Remedies That Can Help You Lose Weight
Herbs and teas
Slimming teas have boomed in popularity with the promise of helping you lose weight quickly. However, most of these teas are not FDA-approved, and some have even been flagged for containing laxatives and causing severe side effects. Rather than falling for these advertisements, it's in your best interest to take the natural route through herbal teas.
Research shows that drinking oolong tea can help burn fat even while you're asleep since it has caffeine, which stimulates your metabolism. Oolong and other well-known tea varieties, such as black tea and green tea, also help with weight loss by speeding up the process of fat breakdown.
Nutrient-rich foods
There’s a misconception that you must limit or deprive yourself of food for diets to work. But a strategy that has worked and continues to work is choosing foods that are rich and dense with nutrients. These foods have fewer calories but can still make you feel full and deliver the nutrients your body needs.
In fact, successful weight loss programs are geared towards helping you make healthier choices and choose appropriate portion sizes so that you can meet your nutritional needs and weight goals at once. Among the nutrient-rich foods that add flavor to your meals and support your overall health are fruits, eggs, cottage cheese, and chicken breast. It also helps to track which foods you eat throughout the day to ensure that you’re getting the most nutrition out of fewer calories.
Probiotics
Another option that you can consider incorporating into your diet is probiotics. Probiotics are live bacteria that, when consumed, can improve your digestion and regulate the healthy gut bacteria that influence body weight. Additionally, probiotics can also reduce the absorption of dietary fat in the intestines and the size of fat-storing cells, thus helping you lose weight altogether.
The best source of probiotics and other essential nutrients is yogurt. A study found that yogurt consumption among overweight adults helped reduce body fat accumulation and the metabolic risk factors associated with obesity, such as chronic inflammation and insulin resistance. Dietitians also advise picking high-protein, low-sugar yogurt, which is lower in calories and can keep you on track with your weight loss journey.
Essential Oils
While most of the natural remedies on this list focus on foods and beverages you can consume, another solution is to try essential oils that are typically used in aromatherapy. These oils come from plant extracts and are well-documented for their benefits on health and well-being, but they can also positively influence your weight loss.
For one, essential oils for digestion, such as ginger, can be used to solve overindulgence, which causes weight gain. Massaging your stomach with ginger essential oil or using it in your diffuser can calm digestive issues, reduce bloating, and nurse yourself back towards better eating habits.
Additionally, you can try out essential oil blends to maximize the benefits on your gut health and overall wellness. For more information on the best essential oils, we have resources available on our official website.
