MASSAGE THE FAT-LOSS STATISTICS
At a time of year when weight gain seems inevitable, we’ve sniffed out a rather luxurious way to keep your gut in check
For all our best-laid plans, the balance of calories in and calories out all too easily tips the wrong way come Christmas. The obvious prescription is to squeeze in yet more exercise. But for those committed to indulging in a proper three-week rest day, that sounds a bit exhausting.
Gratifyingly, scientists may have found a soothing alternative. Book in for a COVID-secure massage and ask your therapist to add a few drops of grapefruit essential oil to the lotion. That might sound far too decadent to be a certified weightloss technique, but Japanese scientists have discovered the beneficial effects of the scent of grapefruit. In a rodent study, they recorded electrical activity in the nerve pathways to the animals’ fat tissue and observed that the smell seemed to activate “good” brown fat – the type that breaks down blood sugar and fat molecules to create heat and maintain body temperature. Furthermore, a component of grapefruit essential oil called limonene was found to suppress appetite. If you’re sceptical about whether these effects will translate to humans, fret not. All it takes to get the fat-burning, mince-pie-limiting benefits is to lie on a massage table.
Another study, published in the Journal of the Korean Academy of Nursing, found that people who massaged grapefruit oil onto their bellies twice a day for six weeks experienced a significant decrease in abdominal fat and waist circumference. This means a relaxing session on the massage table could help you recover your physique, as well as your senses.
Not to be sniffed at, we think you’ll agree.