9 Natural Herbs For Weight Loss & Nourishment

If you have come looking for natural herbs for weight loss, let us tell you that there is no magic pill that will help you lose weight. All the fad diets that come and go, are unreliable without much scientific info and also suit only select body types. A lot of slimming potions and tablets, which claim to help you lose weight, also come with their share of side effects. So what natural solutions can help you manage weight, minus the side effects?
The answer is herbs and spices.

How are Herbs and Spices the Solution?

Herbs do act as mild diuretics that help reduce water weight by making you urinate more often. This is essentially what a ‘detox’ is, when you lose excess fluid and sodium from the body. Some others have thermogenic effects on the body and hence increase metabolism rate that is responsible for weight loss.

So, when you incorporate some specific herbs into your meals and beverages, weight loss becomes a breeze. So, a basic knowledge of how food and herbs can help nourish your body and help you lose weight in a healthy fashion will help you decide how to incorporate them in your daily diet.

Ideal Herbs & Spices for Weight Loss

Let us the do the work of finding ratified information of how these prized herbs and spices work. We have compiled a list of top 9 natural herbs for weight loss and nourishment.

Ginger 

For many, ginger might be a spice but its fresh root is an herb and a spice in its powdered form. It has been used in the domestic medicinal herb for thousands of years. The way it works is that ginger contains compounds like Shogaols and Gingerols. The gingerols help the body digest food faster which in turn speeds up the metabolism and shogoals are responsible for the curative properties of ginger. Furthermore, it helps increase satiety which leaves us feeling fuller for longer. This will indirectly help us lose weight because we will be snacking less and taking in less calories. 

One of the best ways to consume ginger is through Ginger teas. We recommend trying our favorite Lemon Ginger Green Tea, our Ginger Masala Chai or our herbal variant - the Turmeric Ginger Herbal Tea Tisane.

Rosemary 

Rosemary is a natural immune booster, has antibacterial properties, improves body circulation, detoxifies liver and aids in digestion. There are research studies that have found that rosemary is a good herb for weight loss because it contains carnosic acid, which is an antioxidant that boosts weight loss while reducing weight gain and glucose levels in our bodies. It also helps in building immunity by neutralizing harmful free radicals in our body.

Don’t forget to add rosemary to your pasta sauces, any egg, chicken, or lamb dishes.

Turmeric 

This herb and spice is very similar to ginger; very popular as one of the most popular Indian herbs for weight loss. Actually, the phytochemical called ‘curcumin’ helps counteract any inflammation in our body. So, our body gets in tune with becoming more responsive to the metabolism-signalling hormone called leptin. And, this is how it works as a very efficient herb for weight loss. Turmeric is also great for keeping your blood pressure in control. Turmeric has many other benefits for your body. Read our comprehensive guide on health benefits of turmeric.

You can incorporate turmeric in teas, milk, smoothies, chicken dishes, meat marinades and what not! Another healthy and easy way to consume more turmeric is through turmeric teas which blends turmeric with black pepper, which increases its bio-absorption by 2000 times! Try our award-winning Turmeric Spice Herbal Tea Tisane.

Cinnamon 

Yes, we are talking about the warm-peppery, woody-vanilla spice known as cinnamon. This spice works excellent for weight loss because it lowers insulin levels that allows fat burning. Cinnamon also reduces the bad-effects of high-fat foods and it also helps in regulating blood sugar reducing the risk of Type-2 Diabetes.

We love taking Cinnamon in our afternoon and evening teas. Sweet Cinnamon Masala Chai  is a great choice for  effective weight management. With its signature flavor of strong Assam tea along with freshly crushed cinnamon and cardamom, this chai is perfect anytime of the day.

Cardamom 

Next is cardamom, which is a popular spice with origins in India and Indonesia. It contains essential oils that have rich antioxidant properties, that work as a digestive stimulant, thereby linked to weight loss. This also helps reduce bloating and indigestion. This is not just it! It also helps regulate and maintain normal digestion, which is the key to good health. Cardamom also contains a hormone called melatonin which assists in turning fat into energy, especially harmful abdominal fats that affect your cardiovascular health, by increasing your metabolic rate.

Known for its strong and complex flavor, it is best used in teas, stews and curries. You can try our Cardamom Masala Chai that is a blend of high grade CTC Assam Tea and cardamom pods.

Black Pepper 

 

Black Pepper is a fat-burning super spice. It helps increase nutrient absorption in the body which prevents forming of new fat cells, thanks to its active bio-compound called ‘piperine’. Black pepper also contains Vit. A, C, and K, and also contains beneficial fatty acids which helps boosts metabolism, something which is essential for weight loss. Black pepper is also known to break down fat cells efficiently.

You can incorporate our Turmeric Pepper Herbal Tea that has the goodness of freshly ground pepper. Did you know that with black pepper increases the bio-availability of ‘curcumin’ in Turmeric by 2000 times?

Garcinia Cambogia

Courtesy : Healthline

Garcinia Cambogia is a tropical fruit that also goes by the name ‘Malabar Tamarind’ is made into a spice or is consumed as a dried herb. It is quite popular as a weight loss supplement. Garcinia cambogia is known to suppress your appetite, which has a direct effect on keeping your weight in check. It contains hydroxycitric acid, that inhibits the citrate lyase to do its job which is storing fat in the body. Hence, garcinia cambogia blocks your body’s ability to make fat. It also lowers cholesterol levels, the LDL or bad cholesterol.

You can try out our weight loss support tea - Lean, which contains Garcinia Cambogia alongside Green tea, Ginger, and Moringa.

Dandelion

Dandelion is one of the most effective natural herbs for weight loss found in gardens and often ignored as weed. How it works is that dandelion contains high levels of potassium that provides relief from bloating and is a proven diuretic which means that it help you urinate more helping flush out excess fluid and sodium. It also boosts immunity and reduces fatigue which is important when you exercise.

If you are trying to cut down on your caffeine and, looking for something low in calories and help curb those sugar cravings, switch to Dandelion Tea.

Garlic 

Now, Garlic is technically a vegetable but also used as an herb or spice for weight loss. For almost every dish we use garlic. And why not, as it is a powerhouse of flavor and good health benefits. Known for its medicinal purposes as an anti-inflammatory ingredient, and also a natural antibiotic. Garlic boosts energy that will help increase the number of calories you lose. Also it helps in boost your metabolism, thereby helping in losing weight naturally.

Conclusion

Fortunately, we, at Vahdam, make a variety of artisanal herbal teas, green teas, and superfood elixirs with these herbs and spices, packaged right at source, that will help further your weight loss efforts if you make them a part of your daily regime. But like anything else, herbs must also be used wisely and in moderation. Always know this, that these ingredients will only work if you couple them with a healthy diet and some exercise.

Until next time!

Heena Mahajan,

Contributing Wellness Author for Vahdam India