Herbs for Weight Loss in Chiangmai
Herbs for Weight Loss in Chiangmai
If you want to lose weight, get fit, or reduce bloat, the only long-term strategy to ensure lasting success is by changing how you eat and increasing your activity level. However, several herbs and spices can help your fitness journey by boosting your metabolism, increasing your fat-burning ability, and stifling your cravings. These herbs and spices can accelerate your natural ability to eliminate body fat safely and effectively.
1. Turmeric
Turmeric (Curcuma longa), a member of the ginger family, is bright yellow and full of health benefits, including stimulating weight loss. You can buy the root and use it fresh, or buy dried, ground, turmeric. It’s known to reduce systemic redness, swelling, and irritation in the body. Turmeric also has high levels of antioxidants and supports normal blood sugar, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. A study found that mice fed a high-fat diet and turmeric gained less weight and body fat over a twelve-week period compared with the control group who did not get turmeric.
How to Use Turmeric
To get the same dose the mice got in the study, adjusted for humans, add ¾ of a teaspoon of ground curcumin spice to your food, or take three to four one-gram curcumin capsules daily.
2. Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper — and specifically the capsaicin it contains — has a powerful ability to help you burn more calories. Studies show eating it not only reduces your cravings for fatty, salty, and sweet foods, it also increases your metabolism and makes you feel full faster. Cayenne pepper is a key part of the popular Master Cleanse, which incorporates organic lemons, cayenne pepper, and maple syrup in a lemonade drink.
How to Use Cayenne Pepper
Take one gram of capsaicin to get the full weight loss effects. That will make food quite spicy, so you may want to take it in a capsule. Drink with plenty of water so that you avoid a burning sensation in your throat.
3. Hoodia
Hoodia gordonii made serious gains in popularity a few years ago when its beneficial properties became more well-known by the general public. Now, the dust has settled a little, but pure Hoodia gordonii is still an effective weight loss aid with serious backing. Used by the San Bushmen from the Kalahari desert in Africa, chewing on the succulent leaf and stem helped them suppress their appetite while hunting. It reduces cravings and allows you to cut calories without feelings of deprivation. There are many weight loss products that boast the Hoodia gordonii name, but not all are legit. To be certain that what you are getting is the real thing, purchase only from verified, reputable brands.
How to Use Hoodia
Studies suggest that you should take at least 500 mg of Hoodia every day for best results.
4. Damiana
Damiana (Turnera diffusa) is a wild shrub native to the West Indies, Mexico, and Central America. It has a variety of uses, especially as a weight loss aid. This could be because of its effects on the digestive system sometimes encouraging loose stools and the subsequent loss of water weight. However, one study showed that when paired with other herbs, damiana helped delay gastric emptying, which provided a sense of fullness for a longer period after eating.
How to Use Damiana
Most people take 100-400 mg damiana daily. Combining it with yerba maté and guarana slows stomach emptying, which can enhance damiana’s effects.
5. Gymnema
Gymnema is a herb native to Africa and India that has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine. It is said to balance blood sugar levels, block sugar absorption, and stop sugar cravings, a major contributor to some people’s weight concerns.
How to Use Gymnema
You can purchase tea that includes gymnema, but people usually take it in liquid or capsule form. Look for between 400-600 mg of the leaf that contains 100 mg of gymnemic acids. Take one capsule before one or two meals per day.
6. Kelp
Kelp is rich in iodine, a substance that can aid in weight loss. Kelp contains alginate, which blocks fat absorption. A significant iodine deficiency can lead to hypothyroidism – a condition linked to weight gain. In addition to helping with weight loss, kelp is high in iron, which is needed for thyroid hormones that affect metabolism.
How to Use Kelp
You can try several types of kelp, including wakame, kombu, and arame, but not all seaweed species are kelp. I recommend 600 mg daily if you take kelp in a capsule, but you can add it to your diet in seaweed snacks, Japanese cuisine, or as a sprinkled condiment on salad, soup, or any dish.
