Weight Loss the Ayurvedic Way
by Brent Hewinson

The term Ayurveda is slowly becoming a household name. Pronounced Aa-yer-vay-da and originating from India, it is said to be the world’s oldest healing science. As more people turn to natural solutions for their health problems, the popularity of Ayurveda continues to grow.

There is much skepticism about the myriad of fad diets that come and go, so it is wise to turn to ancient wisdom that has stood the test of time. We see more and more evidence that crash diets are no solution for long term weight loss. For starters, we see that the weight lost on such diets is often quickly put back on once the dieting stops. And there is also evidence that some crash diets can have detrimental side effects to our health, sometimes long term.

So what we should be looking for is a holistic solution that allows us to lose excess weight and keep it off, while also improving our overall health. The Ayurvedic approach is the perfect answer.

The Ayurvedic system can be applied to every person’s body type (unlike some diets that may help certain individuals, but cause problems for others) and it is an overall health system that works towards wellness physically, mentally and spiritually.

Ayurvedic healing and weight loss is generally done on an individual level, with a plan being tailored to the individual, however there are some guidelines that are helpful to everybody.

Here are some tips that are applicable to people of all body types who are trying to reduce their weight.

If you want to go on a diet:

• A mild, long-term plan is more natural than crash diets.
• Winter is not a good time for dieting because the cold can lower one’s resistance and body heat.
• Reducing or Lightening therapy is helpful, with a light diet, fasting, digestive (spicy) herbs and mild laxatives.

To lose excess weight and maintain a healthy body weight:

• Do not overeat – especially cold, oily and heavy things.
• Do not sleep right after eating.
• Do not eat late at night.
• Avoid refined sugars.
• Avoid carbonated drinks.
• Cook with spices like cayenne, tumeric, black pepper, ginger and rock salt.
• A teaspoon of grated ginger with a pinch of rock salt is a good appetizer.
• A teaspoon of ghee with rice aids digestion.
• Avoid drinking water immediately before or after meals as it will slow digestion.
• Excess consumption of water may produce obesity.
• Avoid eating substances prepared with wheat like cakes, pastries.
• Avoid eating meat products, they slow digestion and cause heaviness.

Aside from the above suggestions on eating habits, we should also look at our overall lifestyle. Naturally we need to have regular exercise to maintain a healthy body, and we should also try to reduce stress, as stress is often the cause of bad eating habits. Stress can be reduced by various relaxation and meditation techniques, and a calmer mind will give us more willpower to control our eating and lifestyle habits.

If you are interested in looking further into the Ayurvedic health system, and how to lose weight according to your particular body type, check out the different books on Ayurveda at our Down to Earth stores.

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