Use Plants in Your Weight Loss Diet
The benefits of maintaining your ideal weight are widely known yet this seemingly simple goal is beyond the reach of so many people. There are literally thousands of diets to choose from on the web, in magazines, books and in DVD format. Some are based on sensible, evidence-based advice whilst others are downright bizarre. A small number are even potentially harmful to health.
Before we discuss weight loss diets any further it is vital to point out that you should always consult a health care professional before you embark on losing weight. Your body has specific needs dictated by your age, gender, any chronic health conditions and physiological demands (like breastfeeding).
Furthermore, weight loss diets only work if you stick to them over a long period and combine them with plenty of exercise. If you go back to a calorie-laden diet you will put the weight back on! For this reason, it is very important that you choose a diet that you can stick to and an exercise regime that is sustainable.
Don’t fall into the trap of dieting for a specific event, such as a wedding or a holiday. People who do this nearly always gain the weight back after the event and may even put on more weight than they originally lost! Stop and think about your relationship with food and make up your mind to change it for good!
Some of us have an unhealthy relationship with food that stretches back to our teens or even to childhood. We may have slipped into endless cycles of crash diets and weight gain – the so called yo-yo diet experience. This approach to food and weight loss is not good for our physical or psychological health, and it is best to get out of this cycle as soon as possible. View your diet as a complete lifestyle change rather than a temporary state of affairs. Aim to reach a healthy body weight and to stick to it.
Once you have made the decision to adopt this lifestyle change you may want to consider making plants a part of that change!
Plants cannot make you lose weight all by themselves but they can work very well in conjunction with a balanced diet, plenty of exercise and lots of water to help you achieve that streamlined appearance you deserve.
Which plants help with weight loss?
The following plants help the body remove retained fluids that make it difficult to lose weight. They also help improve circulation and effectively help eliminate toxins and waste products from the body via the urine.
Fennel
Fennel has been shown to have diuretic properties, it also improves digestion and stimulates the metabolism.
You can make fennel tea by steeping 25g of dried root in one litre of water for a 15 minutes. You can drink up to three cups a day.
Pansy
Make an infusion of pansy by steeping one teaspoon of the dried herb in one cup of water. Drink 3 times a day.
Dandelion
Boil a handful of dried dandelion leaves and roots for 15 minutes in a 1.5 litres of water. Drink one cup before each meal.
Nettle
Make an infusion of nettle by adding one tablespoon of dried plant per cup of water. Drink 4 cups a day.
Bay leaf
Make an infusion of bay leaf by adding a few leaves per cup of warm water. Leave for 10 minutes. Drink up to 4 cups a day.
All of these plants have diuretic properties, so they encourage the body to release excessive fluids. For this reason it is dangerous to consume them in very large quantities. You should not drink them if you are already taking diuretic medication. Check this out with your doctor.
You should also talk to your doctor to makes sure these plants don’t interfere with any other medication that you are taking or any chronic health condition you are suffering from.
Don’t use all the plants at once. Try them one at a time and discover which ones you find most palatable and that give you the best results. Everyone is different!
