10 Herbs To Boost Metabolism, Bust Belly Fat, Gain Energy & Lose Weight

It seems we are always looking for that magic pill, drink, spice or Chinese herb that will rev up our metabolism, suppress appetite, melt belly fat, increase energy and ultimately help us lose weight fast! Healthy, sustainable and long-lasting weight loss using herbs like ashwagandha or turmeric requires patience but can be a delicious and proven path to success. In this article we will explore 10 herbs that can help get you to your weight loss goals in the right way. 

What Are the Most Powerful Weight Loss Herbs

Psst… I want to tell you a secret. Sustainable, healthy weight loss isn’t about “losing”, it’s about “re-gaining” healthy function. Your body will eliminate toxicity, digest and burn fat, and avoid inflammation if you give it the support it needs to run its best. Here are some of our favorite “weight loss” herbs that give your body back its God-given ability to be a healthy weight: 

• Cinnamon (Cinnamomum)
• Eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus)
• Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
• Yerba Mate (Ilex paragauriensis)
• Matcha (Green Tea) (Camelia sinensis)
• Gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre)
• Garcinia (Garcinia cambogia)
• Baobab (Adansonia digitata)
• Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
• Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)

We love these herbs so much, they are featured in several of our products here at Soda Farm!

Our Favorite Soda Farm Products That Support Weight Loss

Metaboost

Adaptogen Extract

Ache Ease (Indian Spice)

Golden Milk Latte Blend

How Do Herbs Help You Lose weight?

Herbs can encourage weight loss in a number of ways. They can support the body’s eliminatory channels, increase fat burning, regulate hormones or simply nourish us. Occasionally we find an herb with a strong alkaloid that inappropriately stimulates our metabolism when overused, mixed inappropriately or synthesized. The sad story of Ephedra, a hugely popular Chinese herb, is one that gives using herbs for weight loss a bad name. It is no longer legal to use Ephedra (in specific, its compound ephedrine) in diet supplements in the US due to the danger of heart issues.

Herbs Can Help Weight Loss with Fat Burning

Herbs that increase the heat factor (thermogenesis) and supercharge our metabolism tend to help us burn calories and fat in particular.

• Green Tea
• Garcinia
• Yerba Mate
• Eleuthero- studies have shown enhanced fat breakdown (particularly triglycerides) during exercise, meaning it increases your body’s ability to use fat deposits for the energy you need during a workout.
• Garcinia- not a fat burner, garcinia contains a compound (HCA) that blocks fat formation.

Herbs Can Aid Weight Loss with Blood Sugar Balance

Blood Sugar imbalances wreak havoc on our body, resulting in increased inflammation and uncontrolled weight loss.

• Baobab
• Cinnamon
• Eleuthero
• Gymnema

Herbs Support Weight Loss by Balancing Hormones

So many women in particular struggle with weight loss that no amount of starving or working out will vanquish. They are not overdoing it or being lazy- their hormones are imbalanced (seen with thyroid issues) or have shifted during menopause! Hormonal imbalance can program a body to hold onto more fat than you would like in self-defense. This can happen to men and young women too- a simple digestive issue can cause hormonal impacts and subsequent weight gain that is best stopped at the source!

• Cinnamon
• Eleuthero- due to ability to aid with stress and for its reputation during menopause for balancing hormones
• Fenugreek
• Ashwagandha- thyroid and adrenal (cortisol levels)- belly fat!!

Herbs Can Help You Lose Your Water Weight

Ever hear someone say “all you lost is water weight”? That’s not a bad thing!! It’s actually a great start. When our kidneys are not working as efficiently as they can, we retain fluid and this adds weight, pressure and keeps us feeling miserable. Some of our favorite herbs for weight loss encourage the body to let go of the water weight it does not need so that you can get moving more and feeling great!

• Cinnamon
• Matcha Green Tea
• Ashwagandha 

Anti-inflammatory Herbs Can Be Your Secret Weight Loss Weapon

Every herb in our top 10 list above has anti-inflammatory properties. It’s one of the things we like best about them for weight loss. When your body is inflamed, you will retain fluid, you swell, your systems don’t reject what isn’t needed anymore (cellular waste)- and they pack it onto your belly and thighs!! Way before you consider a new membership to the gym, you’d do yourself a favor to pick up REAL FOOD eating and grab a daily supplement that supports reducing inflammation! 

Herbs Can Boost Your Weight Loss Acting as Appetite Suppressant

In the herb world, an appetite suppressant doesn’t mess with your head and try to trick you. The reason you don’t want to snack when you include these supplements in your day is that the fiber and nutrition they contain make you feel full and satisfied- crazy notion!

• Yerba Mate
• Fenugreek
• Ashwagandha
• Baobab
• Cinnamon

The Most Common Reasons You’re Gaining Weight. 

• Stress
• Lack of Nutrition
• Hormonal Changes (ex. menopause, under active thyroid)
• Toxic Food Additives
• Medication Side Effects
• Lack of Activity

The diet industry was valued at $192.2 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach $295.3 billion by 2027. It’s a profitable business to get into because:

1. Food industry products make us fat.
2. Crash dieting makes us fat (so the more “diets” you pay for, the more you’ll need the next one)
3. People are increasing their time sitting in front of a screen.

In today’s world, it is easier to find a quick fix for weight gain than to find straight talk about what we all need to do to have healthy bodies. Quick fixes can be found in every grocery store or social media feed. They are traps, leading you into deeper sickness- and usually into greater weight gain.

The truth is that, at the bottom of a majority of the weight issues that are so prevalent, people are simply sick and starving. You heard that right! The person who needs to borrow a wheelchair to get through the store and buy their food is starving.

I think we can all agree that plastic is not food, the body isn’t designed to gain any nutrition from it or use it in any way. If you sit down to eat a plate of plastic, your body will gain nothing. If you overeat plastic, your body will yell at you at the end of the meal that you are very hungry. If you sit down and eat some more plastic, you may stretch your stomach and “fill” it up, but very quickly your body will still send you emergency warnings that it is hungry. Hungry isn’t a mood, or a testament to your ability to be virtuous. It is a self-defense mechanism that is part of our perfect design. This mechanism ensures that we are getting what is needed to not only run our body’s various systems, but to build new cells and feed our organs.

Now, not all mass market food is plastic (though some actually is), the point is that as long as someone eats a substance that is not designed for the body to digest and use, they will be hungry. Without the nutrition it needs, a body goes into distress. Disease develops merely because organs can’t function without being fed. The body holds onto ANYTHING it is given and the starving individual begins to pack on flesh and fat as their systems desperately attempt to survive.

That same “hungry” when we put it into a system that is eating REAL FOOD… food that is designed to break down in a healthy body and be used to fuel all the systems… that hungry shuts off when there is – enough. It is so.much.harder to over eat when you are eating real food. Period. Convince me otherwise.

Weight loss isn’t about exercising your brains out. It isn’t about denying yourself different nutrients, labeling carbs bad or counting every calorie. Weight loss, healthy and sustainable weight loss, is about healing. It’s why we created our 10 Day Reset… and it’s why we know that herbs can be used to boost metabolism and help people lose weight.

What Is the Fastest Way to Lose Weight During Menopause?

As it was mentioned above, if you are a woman around the age of 50 you naturally see a shift in hormones that often means a resulting gain of weight. Supplementing with the herbs in our top 10 list above is a great start to help balance those hormones and prevent unnecessary weight gain. Adding in real food eating that focuses on the increased needs for B and E vitamins, as well as Calcium/Magnesium and good sources of protein will take you to your goal even faster.

What Are the Side Effects of Using Herbal Medicine for Weight Loss?

There are side effects with using anything natural in excess, in the wrong combination or in the wrong person. Be wise and look before you leap! As with any other herbal medicine, there can be individual sensitivities to various herbs. These aren’t common, but they do happen. The great news is, if a plant you are supplementing with doesn’t make you feel right you can simply switch it out for another- the planet has millions of them!

Following up on that Ephedra story mentioned earlier, it is very important to carefully consider any new supplement you decide to take. Is it trendy? Take a moment to consider if it’s right for you instead of being swayed by the success of other people. In the case of Ephedra, most of the damage was done by synthesizing the natural ephedrine found in the fairly harmless plant. Removing ephedrine and taking it in high doses, along with caffeine effectively dosed huge numbers of the human population with amphetamines. Did some people get skinny? Yes… but do you look at the pictures of drug addicts and dream of looking like them?

What Is the Right Way to Lose Weight?

There are many different “right” ways to lose weight honestly. Each of our body’s hold onto excess fat for different reasons. Complicating things further is our individual goals for weight loss. Some people may focus on short term goals such as an upcoming event, while others want a long-term change in their body.

Your “why” dictates how best to lose weight, but overall, the healthiest way to lose weight is with a focus on getting healthier rather than an obsession with numbers on the scale. Our top recommendation is to supplement along with a plan to EAT REAL FOOD! That’s why we launched the 10 Day Real Food Family Health Reset. As you begin to eat right and move more, you naturally will see a change in how your pants fit. When you are fully nourished and balanced, your body will seek its natural, healthy, just-right-for-you size.