Introduction to Epsom salt for weight loss
Your frustration must have bordered craziness for those extra pounds bulging out around your waistline, but none of your efforts are paying off. It can be incredibly infuriating, and perhaps you must have already started changing your hobbies, lifestyle, clothing, and each essential activity to better suit your current size and shape, thinking that you are going to stay the same for the rest of your life. Is it so? Well, then, you must have surely never heard of Epsom salt for weight loss. And how magical it can turn out to be for weight loss!
Named after the town in the UK where its discovery got marked, Epsom salt has been around for more than 400 years now. Epsom salt has been heavily used for weight loss and as a cure for various digestive as well as skin ailments ever since the early 1900s.
Interested to know more about the role of Epsom salt for weight loss? Just walk through this brief post to learn more about Epsom salt and its immense potential in weight loss regimen.
Epsom salt and weight loss – How are they connected?
You can derive significant benefits of Epsom salt from its active ingredients. While it looks somewhat similar to table salt, both of them have completely different chemical compounds.
While taking Epsom salt bath for weight loss doesn’t make a drastic direct difference in your body weight, it supports a healthy lifestyle and, when combined with other types of weight-loss strategies, it can surely help you achieve your weight-loss goals.
Epsom salt bath helps in reducing weight by:
● Improving your metabolism and nutrient intake
● Reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome
● Enhancing the detox system of your body
● Acting as a laxative to ease constipation
● Preventing emotional eating
● De-stressing and calming your body naturally
● Detoxing and flush heavy metals
How does Epsom salt help in weight loss?
When we talk about Epsom salt for weight loss, the crystals of Epsom salt mainly work in three ways as discussed below:
● Your skin absorbs Epsom salt very quickly and starts increasing the levels of sulfate and magnesium in your bloodstream almost instantly.
● Epsom salt also acts as a natural detoxifying agent to extract excess toxins (all nitrogenous, phosphorus, and sodium) from your body. It ultimately boosts the calorie-burning potential of your body.
● Epsom salt also flushes out toxins from your system to regularize the metabolism of your body. As a result, the capacity of your body to absorb nutrients increases significantly. It also reduces the habit of emotional eating and, therefore, aids in reducing weight naturally.
Steps to prepare an Epsom salt bath
Preparing a bath of Epsom salt for weight loss is extremely easy. Just follow the steps given below to prepare an Epsom salt bath quickly at home:
a. Fill the bathtub or bucket with warm water (anything between 92°F to 100°F (33°C to 37°C) is considered as a healthy heat range).
b. How much Epsom salt for a bath? Add around two cups of Epsom salt to the warm water. Do not add an excess of it as it may result in adverse effects.
c. You may add a few drops of essential oils if you so prefer. Avoid using too much essential oil. Before adding any essential oil, do a patch test so that you know whether you are allergic to it or not. Also, always dilute the essential oil before bringing it to use.
d. Gently soak in the Epsom salt bath for about 12 minutes. (Some physicians recommend up to 40 minutes; however, to begin with, lower the duration and see how your body reacts to it).
e. Make sure you have a glass of water at hand to drink during and after the bath – drinking water during and after an Epsom salt bath helps prevent dehydration and supports full-body detox.
How often should you take a bath?
While it is not unsafe to take an Epsom bath for weight loss regularly, you must avoid taking it every day since it might create a risk of overexposure.
Epsom salt is completely safe and non-toxic even if used regularly for bathing, your body has its natural detox process, and it’s not always necessary to support or maintain it through external healthy habits.
However, when you soak in an Epsom salt bath, your body responds to the increased levels of sulfate and magnesium in the environment, and it may lead to a detox reaction.
Your body continually works to maintain the right balance of minerals and nutrients, and overexposure to the Epsom salt can lead to toxicity or could stress your body. That’s the main reason why diabetes patients and people having any kidney disease are advised to avoid using them altogether.
Ask your physician before making Epsom salt bath a routine part of your lifestyle. Only a physician who knows your medical history can tell you whether or not regular use of Epsom salt is safe for you.
DIY variations to make your Epsom salt bath for weight loss better
Other than using just plain Epsom salt for bath, you can also try some popular DIY (Do It Yourself) variations to get enhanced results. Here are some widely-used variations of Epsom salt bath that will add a sense of diversity to your weight-loss plan along with motivating you to stick to your weight-loss program.
1. Epsom Salt and Baking Soda Bath
This process comes handy in removing the excess toxins from your body along with cleaning the dead skin cells.
How to prepare?
1. Add one cup each of baking soda and Epsom salt to a tub full of warm bathing water.
2. Gently rub your body with a soft sponge.
2. Apple Cider Vinegar and Epsom Salt Bath
Vinegar is widely considered an effective home remedy for arthritis and stress. Hence, along with losing weight, you’ll also get significant relief from joint aches and muscle stress.
Steps to prepare
1. Add Apple cider vinegar and Epsom salt in the ratio of 2:1 in a tub of warm bathing water.
2. Soak yourself and relax in the bath for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Once you get out of the bathtub, make sure you pat dry yourself
Are there any side effects?
Though this salt consists of very important sulfates and magnesium, still your body needs the right amount of each nutrient, and not an excess of them. Epsom salt bath for weight loss rarely leads to an overdose of magnesium. However, if an overdose occurs, it may cause the following side effects:
● Drowsiness
● Thirst
● Hypotension
● Death
● Cardiac arrhythmia
● Coma
● Muscle weakness
● Respiratory depression
Since your kidneys process magnesium, anyone suffering from a kidney disease must entirely avoid using Epsom salt for weight loss and consult with a health physician before supplementing with magnesium.
Precautions to follow
Although it is completely safe to use Epsom salt bath for weight loss, a few precautions can help you get the most favorable results and avoid any unnecessary complications. The most important precautions for using Epsom salt for weight loss include:
a. Never include more than 600 grams of E. salt in your bathtub. Excess of it can lead you the side effects mentioned above.
b. Avoid taking Epsom salt bath for more than 30 minutes.
c. Remember to drink enough water before and after having an Epsom salt water bath as it dehydrates your body.
d. Avoid internal use since it may lead to diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
e. Do not take Epsom salt bath if you’re suffering from heart disease, kidney disorder, diabetes, or irregular heartbeat.
f. Pregnant women must consult their physicians ahead of adding Epsom salt bath to their lifestyle.
Epsom salt bath is a conventional weight-loss regimen for numerous Hollywood Celebs, thanks to its multifaceted benefits to detox and de-stress the body. It not only aids in shedding those extra pounds off your body but also helps in maintaining a silky smooth skin.
However, there are a few gentle words of caution that need to be followed to avoid the adverse effects of Epsom depending upon your existing health conditions. Following the simple tips provided in this post can ensure that you get the most favorable benefits of Epsom salt for weight loss.
