Ayurveda is one of the oldest holistic alternative medicines, its roots trace back to the Indian subcontinent: Using turmeric to treat wounds, and neem to relieve skin disease symptoms to practicing yoga and meditation for the wellbeing of body, mind, and soul.
Ayurvedic medicine, teaching, and learning cover a much wider aspect than just simply healing symptoms of illness, thereby also encouraging a healthy way of living.
Why Opt for Ayurveda for Weight Loss?
Being obese or overweight may have a detrimental impact on both the physical and mental health of a person.
At the end of the day, we all are human beings who are naturally inclined to look the best version of ourselves and one way to achieve this is to remain healthy and fit.
It’s all correlated, there is no shortcut to weight loss. The best way to get slim is to adopt a healthy lifestyle and make necessary dietary changes - via Ayurveda.
The initial change in the weight loss may be slow and steady but the effects will last way longer than losing weight via following any risky or unhealthy diet regime.
Principles of Ayurvedic Weight Loss
According to Ayurveda, the universal life forces manifest as 3 doshas:
- Vata
- Pitta
- Kapha
These doshas derive their qualities from the following 5 elements:
- Akasha (Aether)
- Vayu (Air)
- Prithvi (Earth)
- Agni (Fire)
- Jal (Water)
Collectively these 5 elements are known as Panchabhuta. A human being’s constitution is made of a combination of these doshas and an imbalance in the 3 doshas gives rise to illnesses.
These doshas consist of 1 or 2 elements: Vata ( Aether + Air), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Water + Earth).
Obesity is linked with the aggravation of Kapha doshas - which targets body tissues thereby causing body retention and fat accumulation.
That is why it’s important to come up with a personalized weight loss plan specially curated depending on the imbalance of kapha dosha and how to balance it with the other two doshas.
Without intervention, excess body weight may further increase the risk of developing the following health related issues:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Fatty liver disease
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Sleep disorder like: Sleep Apnea
- Osteoarthritis
Ayurvedic Dietary Recommendations
Sattvic Diet for Weight Loss
The Sattvic diet (plant based diet), divides food into 3 guna (yogic qualities). The diet focuses more on clean, fresh, and easily digestible vegetarian food (excluding garlic and onion), being rich in nutrient value and low on highly processed foods.
Some examples of foods one must incorporate in their regular diet for balancing doshas:
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Vata-Pacifying Foods |
Pitta-Pacifying Foods |
Kapha-Pacifying Foods |
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Foods to Avoid for Each Dosha
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Vata Doshas |
Pitta Doshas |
Kapha Doshas |
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Ayurvedic Herbs and Remedies
Methi Seeds (Fenugreek seeds)
Methi seeds contain Galactomannan (polysaccharide), which curbs hunger by allowing people to feel full for a longer period of time.
It’s very simple to include methi seeds in your diet without much hassle: add two teaspoons of methi seeds to a glass of water, soak overnight, and drink it the next morning on an empty stomach or make a warm cup of tea with fenugreek seeds - boil seeds in water, strain them, and you have the perfect tea to drink.
Turmeric (Haldi)
Haldi is that one spice that is easily available in every Indian spice box. This warming spice enhances body temperature which results in improving metabolism and reduces systemic inflammation.
Now just because turmeric aids in weight loss does not mean that one has to continuously increase the amount of turmeric levels in your dietary regime - as consuming too much of anything is not good for health, be mindful.
Apart from inculcating turmeric in home cooked meals, one can also consume it in the form of haldi doodh by simply adding one teaspoon of haldi and pepper to already boiled milk.
Triphala
Made from the mixture of the following three herbs, namely: Haritaki, Bibhitakhi, and Amalaki - the efficacy of these individual ingredients is enhanced when taken together in mixture form, and is known to balance tridoshas.
Rich in antioxidants- it helps in flushing out toxins from the body, it improves metabolism due to its ability to act as a natural laxative - thereby getting rid of excess amounts of water and easing bloating.
One can consume triphala in powder form along with a glass of water (make sure you consult an Ayurvedic physician before including triphala in your dietary regime). It is also available in markets in capsule and juice form.
Guggul
Obtained from Mukul myrrh tree, guggul is a gum resin, which has been used in the ayurvedic treatments since ancient times. Constituting of following phytochemicals:
- Guggulsterone (A, Z)
- Guggulsterone M
- Dihydro Guggulsterone
- Guggulsterone Y
- Triterpenoids
- Sesquiterpenoids
- Flavonoids
It is known to reduce low and very low density lipoprotein, improving metabolism, and decreasing cravings - thereby removing excessive weight faster (however, more research is required in this area).
One can easily get guggul supplements in the form of powder and tablets in the market and consume them after consulting an ayurvedic physician.
Garcinia Cambogia
It is a tropical plant local to south asia and southeast asia- with its fruit bearing similarities to pumpkin. It contains phytochemicals- polyphenols, luteolin, kaempferol, and hydroxycitric acid (which is extracted and made into a dietary supplement).
Studies showcase that it interferes with the body's potential to store fat by diminishing appetite- in a way also keeping cholesterol and blood sugar levels in check.
Though effective in some scenarios, the usage of Garcinia Cambogia supplements (which are easily available in markets) comes along with a fair share of side effects, and thereby should not be included in one’s dietary regime without consulting a physician.
Try Slim Veda to lose weight naturally
Ayurvedic Practices for Weight Loss
Apart from a plethora of wonder herbs, which may help in your weight loss journey (all of which sadly of course cannot be mentioned in one single blog).
Ayurveda also is home to various practices, daily routines, rituals, beliefs, and techniques: which have been passed down from generation to generation and have proven their efficacy.
Dinacharya (Daily Routine)
It is very crucial to have a dinacharya (daily routine), in the absence of which you will not be able to achieve one’s goal- as to achieve any goal it is very important to have discipline and one may never achieve that discipline without proper dinacharya. Your dinacharya may include the following steps:
- Brahmamuhurta jagran: Waking up at an early hour- that is around 4:30 a.m. - 5:00 a.m.
- Mukha Prakshalana: Cleansing your face, eyes
- Danta Dhavana: Brushing your teeth.
- Jiva nireekshana: Tongue cleaning
- Ushapaan: Drinking water on an empty stomach
- Saucha Karma: Evacuation of bowel and urine
- Abhyanga: Massaging the whole body with oil
- Vyayama: Physical exercise to keep the body moving, building muscle, and stamina.
- Snana: Take bath regularly- to maintain personal hygiene
- Dhyana: Meditation - to relieve stress and anxiety and improve mental health.
- Ahara: Having a proper dietary regime- that is having well portioned, balanced, and proper meals at proper time intervals rather than snacking late at night.
- Ratricharya: Unwind, eat a light digestible dinner, and improve your sleep by going to sleep at an early hour (aim to sleep by 10 p.m.)- take at least 7-8 hours of sleep.
Ritucharya (Seasonal Routine)
Ritucharya ( Ritu = Season and Charya = Regime) - refers to the regime that includes lifestyle and dietary changes to cope with the changing seasons one may have on one’s body both physically and mentally. Focus on eating fruits and vegetables that are in season, given below are a few examples of the same:
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Hemantha (Early winter) |
Sisira (Extreme winter) |
Vasantha (Spring) |
Greeshma (Summer) |
Varsha (Rainy) |
Sahradh(Autumn) |
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Panchakarma (Detoxification Processes)
If one is eager to lose weight through Ayurveda, then he or she can opt for Panchakarma therapy. It is a treatment which cleanses and rejuvenates the body, mind, and concise - detoxifies the body, thereby removing all toxins.
The treatment consists of following therapies which are effective for weight loss:
- Udwarthanam: This therapy deals with ayurvedic herbal massage - where herbal decoction is rubbed and massage in opposite direction of hair growth. This allows improvement of metabolism, thereby helping in reducing excess fat.
- Swedhana: In this therapy the body is made to sweat, which allows it to flush out toxins along with helping in shedding some kilos at the same time.
- Virechana: In this therapy a laxative is used to quicken metabolism, removing toxins, cleansing the digestive system, and helping in removing excess fat.
- Vamana: In this therapy vomiting is induced by administering herbal decoctions, under the supervision of ayurvedic physician, in order to remove toxins from the body- which inturn improves metabolism and aids in weight loss.
Exercise and Yoga in Ayurveda
Ayurveda preaches the importance of setting aside at least half an hour from your dinacharya to Vyayama (Exercise).
Yoga and meditation forms an intrinsic part of ayurvedic belief and way of living - the power of yoga asanas which have been passed down and practiced from generation to generation and still is thriving as ever in the year 2024.
Not only does yoga asanas and meditation help in weight loss but they also aid in improving optimal well being of body, mind, and soul. It helps you disconnect from your mindless thinking, external and internal noise - allowing you to connect with your immediate surroundings and nature.
The sensation of calm, freshness, and peace one feels after their Vyayama session forms the very essence of ayurvedic way of living.
Mention below are some yoga asanas and their benefits:
Surya Namaskar
- Improve metabolism
- Improves flexibility
- Strengthens muscles
- Improves digestive health
- Reduces stress
- Reduces Anxiety
Kapalbhati
- Improve metabolism
- Enhances blood circulation
- Helps in maintaining taut belly
- Improves digestive health
- Clear the nadis
Trikonasana
- Enhancing energy levels
- Improving digestion
- Relieves stress
- Improves concentration
- Strengthen legs
Bhujangasana
- Improves flexibility
- Reduces abdomen fat
- Helps in maintaining slim waist line
- Elevate mood
- Strengthen arm muscles
Success Stories
At the age of 20, Priya was diagnosed with thyroid condition. At the age of 26 she weighed around 79 kgs, this weight gain not only affected her physical health but also mentally made her feel insecure.
After trying several diets in hopes of achieving instant weight loss, Priya finally tried to lose weight through ayurveda. At present Priya is 28 years and weighs 58 Kgs.
This journey of losing 21 kgs of weight was not easy but she never lost her faith. Losing weight through Ayurveda is a slow process, it is not like an overnight miracle, apart from making necessary dietary and lifestyle changes one has to stick to it, making consistent efforts.
Priya believes that the idiom “slow and steady wins the race” fits perfectly with her weight loss journey. Initially there was no instant change but as Priya followed her routine religiously practicing yoga diligently , her body became slimmer and fit.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- It is very important to understand the workings of doshas to get a better understanding of one’s body. It gives a better picture of which dosha is the dominant one and helps curate a better dietary regime to balance the doshas. This will help in figuring out which type of food is compatible and incompatible with the body according to their dominant doshas.
- Over-reliance on herbs alone can be very dangerous and lead to possible side effects. One should always keep in mind that before including any kind of herb in their dietary routine or consuming any kind of herbal supplement one must always consult with an ayurvedic physician - always keep in mind that an overdose of anything is never good for health.
- Skipping Meals or fasting Improperly will not help in losing weight in a healthy way - it might end up contributing to unhealthy weight gain.
Conclusion
The Ayurvedic approach to weight loss will be a long and steady journey- the results will not be instantaneous but they will be a lot more healthier.
Patience, consistency, and discipline are the key - as months go by one will be able to see positive changes in their body, they will be more energized, calm, slimmer, fitter, and healthier.
