A motivated person who is inspired to lose weight not only for their appearance but also for their health, can use acupuncture and Chinese medicine to help them achieve and maintain their weight-loss goals. If you are ready to begin losing weight, or have been trying to lose weight but are having difficulty, acupuncture can be a valuable adjunct therapy to your weight-loss program.

It is important to address both the physiological and psychological aspects of weight loss. Since acupuncture will treat the physical, mental, and emotional components of many illnesses, you will get multiple benefits while you are losing weight.

1) Regulates Your Metabolism:

Acupuncture helps to regulate metabolism. A history of irregular eating, overeating, and even thyroid dysfunction can contribute to slow metabolism. Acupuncture can help to increase metabolism by stimulating the thyroid and endocrine glands as your body adjusts to the changes in your diet and exercise. Acupuncture can benefit the endocrine system that helps to stabilize the blood sugar levels.

2) Stops Food Cravings:

Regular acupuncture treatments can help curb food craving. Acupuncture has been proven to help control craving for addictive substances like tobacco and alcohol. Support from acupuncture is equally effective in eliminating food craving.

3) Improves Digestion:

Over time, crash diets, irregular eating habits, and excessive greasy or fattening foods all take their toll on the digestion system. Chronic symptoms such as bloating, gas, heartburn, constipation, and diarrhea are signs that the digestive system is out of balance. Acupuncture can help to harmonize the digestive organs to rid you off many of the above symptoms. Proper digestion ensures that you are getting the nutrients you need from your food so you will feel less hungry.

4) Calms And Relaxes The Body:

When acupuncture needles are inserted into specific points on the body and in the ears, they stimulate the release of endorphins. Endorphins have a calming and relaxing effect on the body. Naturally releasing endorphins make it easier to deal with stress, frustration, and anxiety which can be triggers for emotional eating, overeating, and binging on fattening foods.

5) Cleanses Toxins:

Acupuncture treatments help to cleanse your system. Toxins that built up over time from excess weight and adipose tissue can cause symptoms such as fatigue, acne, and depression. These can be relieved or eliminated with acupuncture, whether or not you are trying to lose weight.

Nutrition And Weight Loss Success

In your weight Loss program, dietary recommendations are individualized from the perspective of Chinese medicine. Many people who try to lose weight struggle to maintain certain dietary restrictions or follow some “fad diets” that disagree with their digestive systems. The difficulty in achieving success is not necessarily due to a lack of will power. It is due, in part, to the nutrition and sustenance your body needs. Not everyone is meant to live without carbohydrates and not everyone is meant to be a vegetarian. Chinese medicine takes into account your personal health and the dietary recommendations that are specific to your constitution. Nutrition plans based on Chinese medicine are made to support weight loss, reduce food craving, sustain energy, and provide an overall sense of health and well-being. Herbs taken on a daily basis continue working on the digestive system. They help to balance and strengthen the digestive organs, regulate metabolism, and control appetite and unhealthy food craving.

Research Studies Showing Weight Loss Success With Acupuncture

In a recent study, acupuncture helped promote weight loss. 20 women between the ages of 22 and 42, all with BMI (Body Mass Index) higher than 27, were divided into 2 groups. The group of women who followed a regimen of a 2,000 calorie per day diet, daily exercise and weekly ear acupuncture treatments lost on average more than twice as much weight as those who only dieted and exercised, even if they did not comply exactly with the treatment plan.

In another study, The Journal of Medical Acupuncture found that those receiving acupuncture lost more than three times more weight than the control group. Also, in a study conducted by the University of Adelaide in Australia, 95 percent of the participants receiving electro-stimulation on acupuncture points reported appetite suppression. The study results showed that the acupuncture group was more likely to experience a reduced appetite and to lose weight than the control group.