Ayurveda for Weight Management

Everyone wants to look good and be healthy too. Having too much fat, especially belly fat can make a person look out of shape. It is not just looking out of shape but a person with excess weight may actually be unhealthy. Excess fat on the abdomen is dangerous. It can lead to excess blood sugar, cholesterol build up, and heart problems. Obesity is a major health concern affecting people of all ages. This is an external manifestation of undue visceral fat.

Even children are becoming obese due to unhealthy lifestyle. Targeting a healthy way to lose weight is essential for those who are obese. Ayurveda can provide a holistic treatment for overweight and obesity. A traditional treatment program in Ayurveda aimed at weight loss primarily recommends lifestyle changes and appropriate modification in daily diet to improve health along with oral medications that would help in optimizing the metabolism steadily.

Obesity

• Obesity is a disorder involving excessive body fat that increases the risk of health problems.
• Obesity often results from taking in more calories than are burned by exercise and normal daily activities.
• Obesity occurs when a person’s body mass index is 25 or greater. The excessive body fat increases the risk of serious health problems.

The Ayurvedic Perspective on Weight

According to Ayurveda, being overweight involves an inherent excess in kapha dosha. While kapha may not be the only factor at play in your struggle with excess weight, it is certainly an important player.

One of the foundational principles of Ayurveda is that like increases like and that opposites balance. Kapha and excess weight share many of the same qualities; they are both heavy, slow, cool, oily, smooth, dense, soft, stable, and substantive.

Therefore, being overweight can provoke kapha in the body, and excess kapha in the body can lead to being overweight. Conversely, a return to balance requires an increase in opposing influences—those that are light, sharp, hot, dry, rough, liquid, mobile, and subtle.

Using the wisdom of Ayurveda for weight management is an approach that does not focus on short-term gains, only to fail us later, so you won’t need to starve yourself, or unrealistically limit the variety of foods that you can enjoy.

Why Should I Follow Ayurvedic Treatments For Weight Loss?

Ayurvedic treatment focuses on the type of body a person has and gives specific treatment accordingly so that one can have the best results out of it. According to Ayurveda, there are three body types.

1. 1.Vata– The kind of people who have a flat chest, skinny figure, less muscle development, and visible joints and veins. It’s not likely for them to suffer from obesity except for belly fat.

   Pitta – The type of people with a slender body, moderate muscle development, soft skin, silky hair, proper metabolism, and average height are considered to have a Pitta body.

   3. Kapha – The type of people with excessive weight, proper muscle development, a thick layer of skin, expanded, and oily skin. People with a Kapha figure are likely to suffer from obesity. They need to maintain a strict diet and do exercise for losing weight.

Eating according to your dosha

Ayurveda traditions teach that human beings need to balance three forms of energy, and each energy is linked to natural elements:

• Vata. The energy of movement associated with space and air.
• Pitta. The energy of metabolism associated with fire and water.
• Kapha. The energy of your body’s structure associated with earth and water.

Although all people have vata, pitta, and kapha, a person’s dosha is the form of energy most dominant in your constitution. In the Ayurvedic tradition, the way you eat should correspond with your dosha.

Dietary recommendations for vata-dominant people

• Eat 3 to 4 small meals daily, at least 2 hours apart.
• Incorporate lots of cooked vegetables.
• Avoid nightshade vegetables, such as eggplants, peppers, tomatoes.
• Eat juicy, sweet fruits and avoid astringent fruits like cranberries and raw apples.
• Limit legumes.
• Eat a wide variety of nuts and seeds, especially in the form of nut milks.
• Avoid addictive products like sugar, alcohol, and tobacco.
• Avoid foods that are raw, frozen, or extremely cold.

 Dietary recommendations for pitta-dominant people

• Eat lots of raw vegetables and salads, especially in spring and summer.
• Limit your intake of animal foods like meat, seafood, and eggs.
• Avoid spicy foods, coffee, and alcohol.
• Avoid nuts and seeds.
• Eat legumes and lentils in moderate amounts.
• Eat and drink dairy products, especially those that have been sweetened.

Dietary recommendations for kapha-dominant people

• Limit the quantity of food you eat.
• Avoid dairy and foods high in fat.
• Limit protein.
• Eat lots of leafy greens and vegetables grown above ground (as opposed to root veggies).
• Eat astringent fruits like apples, cranberries, mangoes, and peaches.
• Limit animal foods, nuts, and seeds.

Ayurvedic weight loss remedies

Herbs and herbal remedies are an important part of the Ayurvedic tradition. Many of these herbal treatments have been in use for over 1,000 years, but few have been researched in clinical settings.

Triphala

Triphala is an herbal preparation that combines three super fruits, all of which grow in India:

• Amalaki (Indian gooseberry)
• Bibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica)
• Haritaki (Terminalia chebula)

It is found that triphala was effective at reducing blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes. It also led to greater weight loss for participants.

Guggul

Guggul is the dried resin of the Mukul myrrh tree. Although it’s been used as a weight loss aid in Ayurvedic medicine, clinical research on its effectiveness has produced inconsistent results.

It is found that the active ingredient in Guggul preparations did cause fat cells to break down.

Kalonji

Kalonji, also known as black seed or black cumin (Nigella sativa), has been studied extensively for a wide range of uses. Nigella sativa seeds and oils have both improved weight loss for women and men living with obesity.

Vijayasar

Extracts from the vijayasar tree (Pterocarpus marsupium), also known as the Kino tree, may help you lose weight. Studies have shown that the extract caused fat reduction in rats.

Other weight loss remedies

Ayurveda recommend these botanical or herbal remedies to aid with weight loss:

• Punarnava
• Aloe vera
• Ajwain
• Lemon-honey
• Pepper (piperine)
• Ginger-garlic lemon

Ayurvedic diet tips for weight loss

1. Practice mindfulness, even while you eat. Adding meditation to your daily life can reduce the amount of cortisol (the stress hormone associated with weight gain) in your body. Another way to increase mindfulness is to eat slowly and quietly. Listen to your body’s signals about how much to eat and when to stop.
2. Eat your largest meal during the day, not at night. Sources show that large caloric intakes late in the day can lead to obesity.
3. Sip warm lemon water to start your day. lemon water aids digestion.
4. Exercise.If weight loss is your goal, exercise is an important part of the plan.
5. Sleep well. Research shows that poor sleep is linked to weight gain.

Ayurvedic medicine is a holistic, prevention-oriented healthcare approach that originated in India about 5,000 years ago. Ayurvedic diets are generally designed to support health in each of three constitutions or doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha.

Ayurveda focuses on whole foods, exercise, stress reduction, and healthy sleep. There’s a substantial body of evidence to support these practices and their role in healthful living and weight loss.

Choosing to practice the Ayurvedic lifestyle will improve your health and make you more attentive to your intake, activity, and current state of being.

Reducing calories, increasing physical activity, and finding support for your weight loss goals are all the best ways to lose weight.