5 Reasons To Try Acupuncture For Weight Loss

If you are like most people, you are probably wondering how acupuncture helps you lose weight. Often when we start a new exercise or diet plan, we suffer from hunger pangs and a lack of energy. Acupuncture can help with weight loss because it increases our energy levels and gives us more willpower to do what is necessary to take off those extra pounds. Acupuncture can also boost metabolism and increase circulation through the application of acupuncture needles which mobilize the body’s energy reserves. This helps support weight loss along with the added benefit of lowered cholesterol.

If you are concerned about acupuncture being “new and unproven” you can feel at ease knowing that the practice of acupuncture is more than 5,000 years old, which is significantly older than Western medicinal therapies. Getting started with an acupuncture for weight loss program involves finding a licensed acupuncturist in your area and making an appointment for a consultation.

Once the root causes of your weight gain have been identified, a treatment program will be designed for you. In the case of overweight people, an acupuncture specialist will begin with a physical and psychological examination in order to understand the reasons for the individual’s weight problem. Once the fundamental causes of the weight problem are identified, the acupuncture specialist will insert needles into different areas of the person’s body in order to help improve the body’s functioning.

The insertion of very fine sterile needles into the body at specific points called “energy pathways” allows the free flow of energy throughout the body. This stimulates the body to repair and heal itself. For a patient who wants to lose weight with acupuncture, the acupuncturist normally inserts five needles in each ear. Of these needles, four help with detoxification of the body: kidneys, lungs, nervous system and liver.

The final needle aids in relaxation. Acupuncture stimulates your body to release endorphins, which are the body’s own pain-relieving chemicals. It is theorized that one way acupuncture weight loss treatments work is by helping to control appetite through the release of these brain chemicals. A key Chinese acupuncture technique for weight loss is ear stapling.

This technique involves manipulating pressure points on the ear to control cravings for food. What is known as auricular acupuncture has helped cigarette smokers to quit the habit, and is also effective for people looking for an alternative to standard weight loss methods. When properly administered by a qualified acupuncturist, this technique can support other efforts to lose weight.

One study found that ear acupuncture, combined with eating 2,000 calories and a short daily walk, produced significant weight loss. In the study, approximately half of those overweight individuals who underwent weekly sessions of ear acupuncture lost weight (an average of 10 lbs.). Those persons who did not receive ear acupuncture lost only 3 pounds, on average. What is more, the study participants who received the acupuncture treatments reported an overall decrease in appetite and food cravings.

How Effective is Acupuncture for Weight Loss? An acupuncture treatment program for losing weight will most likely consist of a multifaceted approach. For example, your acupuncture practitioner may attempt to encourage weight loss by increasing the output of the pituitary gland. Acupuncture may also help to reduce cravings for certain foods.

Your acupuncturist will attempt to encourage a decrease in natural appetite through specific needle placements that are thought to lower insulin and lipid levels in the blood. One very appealing aspect of acupuncture weight loss therapy is that there are no harmful side effects and thus there is no chance of addiction.

Acupuncture serves to support other weight loss activities like exercise and calorie control by bolstering your willpower. How Does Acupuncture Help With Weight Loss? Food Cravings: Regular acupuncture treatments can help stop food cravings, in the same way they have been shown to help with cravings for other addictive substances like alcohol and cigarettes.

Metabolism Regulation: Acupuncture also helps to regulate the body’s metabolism. Irregular eating, overeating and even thyroid dysfunction all contribute to a slower metabolism. Acupuncture can help to increase metabolism by stimulating the endocrine and thyroid glands while a person’s body adjusts to changes in diet and exercise. Blood sugar levels may also stabilize.

Better Digestion: Poor eating habits, “crash” diets and too many greasy or fattening foods all take a toll on the body’s digestive system. Chronic problems like gas, heartburn, constipation and diarrhea are all signs that one’s digestive system is out of whack. Acupuncture can help to re-harmonize the digestive organs to eliminate these problems.

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