The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine classifies ayurveda, a traditional healing system of India, as a whole medical system, one that uses natural remedies to achieve the desired goal. Losing weight can be a tough road. The ayurvedic approach looks not only at the foods you eat but how you see yourself as a person. Consult your doctor before you begin any new type of weight loss plan.
Enhance Digestion
In the ayurvedic tradition, the people most likely to be overweight are those with a kapha dosha, or an energy force that is characterized by broad physical features and a sluggish digestive system. Enhancing the digestive process, or in ayurvedic terms enhancing the digestive fire, is the first step to weight loss. Enyzmes that are found in tropical fruits are particularly helpful to boost your digestive fire, according to Holistic-online.com. Papaya, ginger, mango and pineapple can kick-start your digestion to help you lose weight. Flavoring your foods with spicy herbs might also contribute to weight loss, because they can increase your metabolism. Spices to try include cumin, cayenne pepper and mustard seed. Reserving one day each week to consume liquids only, no solid foods, is also recommended as an ayurvedic weight loss remedy. Beverages can include hot water, fruit and vegetable juices, fat-free milk and broths.
Eliminate Toxins
Eliminating toxins, called ama, from your body is another weight loss remedy in ayurveda. Ama occurs when you do not digest your food as efficiently as you should and the toxins block channels of your body. Getting rid of ama can help you maintain your ideal weight. Herbal supplements such as turmeric, trikatu--a mixture of black pepper, Indian long pepper and ginger--and barberry effectively eliminate ama, according to ayurvedic tradition. Speak to your practitioner about specific doses for each herb.
Become Introspective
Ayurvedic weight loss remedies include not only strategies for eating and cleansing but also for examining your life. Holistic-online.com suggests that you become more introspective and reconnect with yourself by visualizing how your life is and how you want it to be. Set goals for your weight, and ask yourself how you feel, both physically and emotionally. Be honest with yourself--and others, if verbalizing your accountability is easier--about why you eat, whether you indulge in emotional eating or truly to satisfy physical hunger. Learning more about your motivations and needs can help you stick with a program that will help you reach your goal.
Relax and Exercise
Exercise plays a role in ayurvedic weight loss remedies as well as in conventional medicine. Your dosha, or grouping that you identify with most, might help you determine what type of workout will best aid your weight loss efforts. According to ayurvedic tradition, people in the vata dosha are most likely to choose the slow, graceful movements of yoga, tai chi and other forms of exercise that provide relaxation benefits. Pitta and kapha doshas, the people who are more likely to be overweight due to their constitutions, should choose exercise that is more aerobic and vigorous in nature, such as running, swimming, hiking or team sports.
Member Comments