How Herbs Can Help With Weight Loss
Dawn Gates
As an herbalist I always have people asking me if there are herbs that will help them lose weight. My answer is always yes and no. Herbs can help you get your body into an optimal state of balance, clean-up inefficient organs and yes there are a few herbs that can speed up a sluggish metabolism, but taking herbs alone will not help you shed those excess pounds. So how does one use herbs to lose weight? Well the first and most mimicked answer is watch your diet and increase your exercise. That in addition to correcting imbalances in organ systems (with herbs and lifestyle changes) will help you lose the most weight. Once you have made the decision to make these life-style changes there are some supplemental herbs you can take to assist you in your weight loss efforts.
The first and most important piece of this puzzle is to watch what you eat. Now by watching your diet I do not mean starve yourself, I mean pay attention. Some foods obviously make you fat, chips, alcohol, that hot dog with chili you had for lunch; but the other piece is to watch what you eat and how your body reacts to it. For example I have a client who by eliminating dairy and processed foods in addition to correcting an inefficient digestive system has lost 14 pounds. This weight loss was not the reason she came to me initially but was simply a by-product of the herbal and nutritional consult. This paying attention to how your body reacts to food is very important because everyone is different and no two people react to foods and food combinations in the same way. For example; one person may be able to eat steak and potatoes and lose weight while another may not be able to eat meat to lose the same amount of weight. It sounds hard but it is really simple, all you need to do is be aware of what you eat and how your body reacts to it. Another important step that is important is to find out what your eating triggers are. For example I have a client with a kapha body type who craves sweets at 9:30 every evening, so she grabs a glass of wine or a chocolate bar to help her "relax". By identifying the triggers you can adjust your behaviors. You may choose to grab fruit instead of a candy bar. In the case of this client I made her a tea that both relaxed her and satisfied the need for that sweetness.
One of the other dreaded pieces of common sense is to get moving. Weight loss involves burning more calories then you ingest. The guidelines for weight loss state that you can still burn calories by participating in short bursts of activity in increments of 10 minutes, but 30 minutes of activity at a time is still the optimal for burning body fat, and improving cardiac health. Activity can be anything from walking the dog to dancing, just do what you enjoy and try to increase the time spent in activity. Some herbs to help you increase energy to do this are nettles, spirulina, alfalfa, kelp, some of the ginseng family including: eleuthero (siberian ginseng), and panax species including the white and red varieties. Before using an herb to increase energy check with your healthcare provider (holistic or otherwise) because some of these herbs are inappropriate for certain diseases and body types.
Another important part of weight loss is drinking more water. Now this water can be fizzy, flavored, decaffeinated tea, or coffee, but it has to be caffeine free. For every caffeinated beverage you drink you should drink an additional glass of water. The recommended amount of water is 8-10 (8 oz). glasses a day;but if you need to lose weight then you will need to drink at least 10-12 glasses a day. This is because our body uses a lot of water in the break down of tissue, this includes body fat. This water makes the transportations of toxins (and fats) that are released easier. If these toxins are not released and eliminated they are again stored. Also our bodies in a state of starvation or dehydration will automatically switch into a state of hypo-metabolism, which is a primitive survival mechanism. This survival mechanism can save your life if you are in the desert with no food or water, but it does hinder the weight loss process.
Another important step which should be done before starting a weight reduction program is too correct systemic imbalances that may be keeping you from losing weight. An example of how an imbalance might affect your weight loss efforts might be if your digestive system is out of balance. If your digestion it is too hot and you are hungry 2-3 hours after eating a big meal you will not only eat more often, your body will be trying to store everything it can so that it doesnt "starve" in between meals. A digestive system that is too cold will be inefficient at digesting and may try to digest foods in the wrong sequence or try to digest the easiest foods (overly processed) first, while ignoring the healthy (more complex) food that is eaten. There are other organs involved in digestion, the pancreas, liver, and gallbladder any of which if are out of balance can contribute to an inefficient processing of nutrients. There are many herbs to help get the body back into a state of balance and these imbalances should be addressed by an herbalist or holistic practitioner.
There are several herbs that can help with weight loss. They work in partnership with the above mentioned steps to speed up the metabolism, decrease cravings, and feed the body. There are many herbs that can be taken to assist you in your weight loss journey, not all of these herbs will work for everyone, but by trying different ones you will find the combination that works well for your body type. One of my favorite weight loss herbs is kelp. Kelp is a type of seaweed and it can be bought in pills, tinctures, and dried. It is delicious and can be used a salt substitute, or eaten as a snack. One of the ways it works is by strengthening the thyroid, which can increase the metabolism. The other way it works is by giving your body easily absorbed nutrients which feed the body on a cellular level which reduces cravings. Another excellent weight loss herb is chickweed. Chickweed in several studies has shown its ability to break down fat molecules. I usually recommend this in combination with burdock root which helps balance oils and fats in the body; the chickweed breaks down the fat and the burdock helps transport it out of the body. Another herb that has a reputation to assist in weight loss is cayenne. In one study it was shown that cayenne increased core body temperature, which in turn increased the metabolism and caused the participants to lose more weight then the group not taking cayenne. Another herb that helps the weight loss process is nettles. Nettles is high in nutrition and helps clears toxins but it also has a effect on weight loss that isnt clearly understood, but it is believed that it helps by feeding the cells on a deeper level which reduces cravings. One of the best herbs for decreasing sugar cravings is gymnema sylvestre. It decreases sugar cravings by acting on the pancreas enabling it to maintain a steady blood sugar, which decreases cravings and hypoglycemia. Herbs can be used to assist in the weight loss process, while they may not be enough on their own, when used in combination with dietary changes and mild exercise can make most weight loss attempts very successful.
