Ayurveda For Weight Reduction

According to Ayurveda, excess body weight is the predominant cause of most illnesses.  Ayurveda, the ancient Indian healthcare system, follows the philosophy that healthy living means living in harmony with nature. When the balance of the life forces inside and outside the body is disturbed, diseases occur.

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Obese people are first made to lose weight before any treatment can start as they are considered unfit for any treatment in their obese state.

According to Charak Samhita, the Ayurvedic text, there are eight different body types that are disease prone.   The obese body is the one that gets afflicted with most of the diseases. Obesity is the condition of the body which has excess fat deposits.

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The effect of excess fat accumulation in the body tends to put a strain on the liver, kidneys and weakens the joints in the skeletal system at the knees, ankles, and hips. The other diseases that overweight people are prone to are high blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, liver and gall bladder disorders, coronary thrombosis, etc.

Reason for Obesity

The main reason for people to become overweight is their overeating or irregular eating habits. Sometimes eating foods that contain incompatible combinations of tastes or ingredients may cause obesity. The other cause of excess weight gain is lack of exercise or a sedentary lifestyle with no physical activity.   So To control weight gain Ayurveda suggests a change of lifestyle that consists of consuming the right kind of foods, the right ways to take food, exercise, yoga, and meditation to relax and calm the nerves.

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Ayurvedic diet for Reducing Weight

Ayurveda recommends the following diet regimen to achieve weight loss significantly

• Early in the morning – Warm water mixed with the juice of half a lemon and a teaspoonful of honey.
• Breakfast should be sprouts of wheat or green gram with a cup of skimmed milk.
• For the midmorning, a glass of orange, carrot, or pineapple is recommended.
• Lunch should consist of bread or chapattis made from whole grains and a glass of buttermilk or salad of raw vegetables such as cucumber, carrots, cabbage, beetroot, etc. Buttermilk in which a pinch of salt, green coriander leaves, grated ginger, and roasted cumin seeds are mixed.
• In the mid-afternoon, a few dry fruits fluids like coconut water, lemon tea, or soup made of fresh vegetables can be taken.
• Dinner can consist of bread or chapattis made from whole grains and steamed vegetables with some seasonal fruits barring bananas and apples.

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Ayurvedic Home Remedies for Weight Reduction 

• Avoid taking excess sweet and salt in food
• Avoid dairy products such as cheese, butter, and non-vegetarian food rich in fat such as red meat
• Diet should contain more vegetables and fruits
• Mint helps in weight loss, so include it more frequently in the form of chutney or in tea
• Reduce consumption of rice and potato as the carbohydrates in these foods can induce weight gain
• Spices like cinnamon, dry ginger, and black pepper are helpful in losing weight and should be taken more
• Honey, is very effective in reducing weight as it helps in getting rid of excess fat from the body. Taken with lukewarm water in the early morning is highly effective.
• Regular exercise is also helpful in weight reduction as it helps in burning the calories
• Diet should consist of tastes such as pungent, bitter, and astringent.  Foods with these tastes have anti-Kapha properties and are helpful in burning fat.  The tastes that must be avoided are sweet, sour, and salty.
• Avoid snacking; eat at least one big meal a day.

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Ayurvedic Remedies for Reducing Weight 

According to the Ayurvedic concept, the aggravation of Kapha dosha causes obesity and advises the reduction of Kapha in the body. Kapha is identified by qualities such as cold, wet, dull, soft, fixed, and sticky.  Effective metabolism of food is the key to effective weight management. The fire in the stomach, known as ‘Agni’ in Ayurveda turns them into rasa which supplies the nutrients to the cells to build healthy tissues.  Reducing the calorie intake by 300 and increasing physical activity so that 200 calories are burnt each day is advised for a reduction in weight of 400 grams per week. Ayurvedic weight loss programs are very popular as they help in reducing weight permanently in a natural way without side effects.