Acupuncture for Weight Loss

It’s that time of year again when everyone is declaring New Year’s resolutions. Inevitably, health-related goals tend to be at the top of most everyone’s list. The ultimate goal is to feel better and look amazing, and the great news is that acupuncture can assist you with whatever health goals you may have for this year and beyond.

Get Fit

Getting in shape is by far the most common New Year’s resolution, and there’s no question as to why. After all, we still feel a bit of a hangover from the holiday feasts and extra sips of wine we felt compelled to ingest just to make it through another holiday with the in-laws. And let’s not forget about all the Halloween candy we’ve been sneaking from our kiddo’s candy stash. It’s true that not many of us are able to get through these past few months without adding a little cushion to our physique.

Partnering with a skillful practitioner of Chinese Medicine is a great start to getting in shape. Although your acupuncturist won’t do all the work for you by pulling you off the couch and driving you to the gym or going grocery shopping and cooking healthy meals for you, a knowledgeable practitioner can assist with the following:

• Boost energy and metabolism

• Improve willpower (help yourself get off the couch)

• Improve focus and drive

• Provide nutrition guidance that is best for your unique constitution

Weight Loss

Acupuncture is an effective tool to assist with weight loss too, and it helps in several ways by targeting the various underlying causes of weight gain. Acupuncture for weight loss can assist with the following:

• Reduce and control food cravings (especially sweet and salty foods)

• Decrease appetite

• Increase metabolism

• Regulate and balance hormones

• Tighten skin in abdominal region

• Improve digestion. When the digestive system functions optimally, weight loss is most effective.

Smoking Cessation

Acupuncture is one of the most successful and commonly used natural methods to assist with smoking cessation. The key to using acupuncture as a smoking cessation tool is to receive frequent treatments. Here’s how acupuncture can help a smoker kick the butt:

• Detoxify the body

• Reduce cravings and symptoms of withdrawal

• Calm the mind and body

• Increase willpower

Stress Management

It is challenging to appropriately manage stress during these fast-paced, modern times. So much contributes to stress in our lives, whether it is daily stressors such as traffic and deadlines or major life changes such as death and divorce. No one is immune to the effects of stress, and it can seriously wreak havoc on health by contributing to hypertension, heart disease, insomnia, hormonal imbalance, depression, and more.

There are many healthy ways, such as yoga, meditation and exercise to effectively manage stress. Adding weekly acupuncture treatments to your routine will help alleviate the effects of stress in an even more profound way. Just 45 minutes of acupuncture each week can help ease tension by doing the following:

• Calm the mind, body, and spirit

• Regulate hormones

• Improve sleep

• Alleviate brain fog

• Elevate mood

• Regulate blood pressure

• Alleviate aches and pains associated with muscle tension and stress

• Alleviate tension headaches and migraines

Make acupuncture this New Year’s resolution, and feel the transformation to a healthier, happier, and more vibrant new year!

*This article was originally published in Indigo Sun magazine.