Ayurveda focuses on the balance between the mind, body and spirit to improve holistic health and wellness. The World Health Organization has acknowledged Ayurveda as the world’s oldest and most scientific health system. This science encourages healthy living rather than treating symptoms after their onset and also provides effective methods for weight loss.

The bedrock of Ayurveda is mindful nutrition and cultivating a balanced lifestyle that includes active exercises to prevent the onset of disorders. It also recommends specific dietary practices and natural ways to lose weight.

 

Diet Plan For Weight Loss According to Your Dosha

According to Ayurveda, eating according to your dosha is essential for effective weight loss. Doshas are the tendencies of your body that are determined by a combination of the 5 elements within you – earth, water, air, fire, and space.

Ayurveda emphasizes the importance of balancing the three doshas:

• Vata: The energy connected to space and air
• Pitta: The energy of metabolism connected to fire and water
• Kapha: The energy of your body’s structure connected with earth and water

Your body’s constitution is a combination of all these three doshas. However, your dosha is the form of energy that is most dominant in your constitution. As per Ayurvedic tradition, your diet should conform to your dosha and Ayurvedic specialists use your dosha to suggest natural ways to lose weight.

Ayurvedic consultants at The Happiness Center use the ancient non-invasive technique of pulse diagnosis to determine your dosha and suggest personalized diet plans for weight loss.

Research has established the positive impact of Ayurvedic diets based on an individual’s body type. Ayurveda states that food should be consumed mindfully with a sense of gratitude and that the food you eat must be fresh, of high quality, easily digestible as well as gratifying to the senses.

It advocates the best approach to making, eating and digesting food based on your unique body type. This approach also considers the time of the day when the meal is consumed, the season, the age of the person and where the person lives {1}.

Diet Plan for Weight Loss for Pitta-dominant individuals

• Reduce the consumption of meat and spicy foods.
• Avoid beverages such as coffee and alcohol.
• Make salads consisting of raw vegetables a major part of your meal, even more so during the hotter months of the year.
• Include sweetened dairy products in your diet.
• Avoid nuts and seeds. 
• Eat legumes and lentils in moderate amounts.

Diet Plan for Weight Loss for Kapha-dominant individuals

• Limit the amount of food you consume during each meal.
• Reduce the consumption of dairy and high-fat foods.
• Restrict your protein intake.
• Make leafy greens and vegetables a major part of your diet. Vegetables should be those that are grown above the ground rather than root vegetables. 
• Apples, mangoes, cranberries etc., can be a part of your diet since these fruits are astringent.
• Avoid the intake of animal foods and meat of any type. 
• Limit the consumption of nuts and seeds.

Diet Plan for Weight Loss for Vata-dominant individuals

Vata-dominant people are generally lean and are known to make attempts to gain weight rather than lose it. If you’re vata-dominant, you can keep the following things in mind:

• You can maintain your body weight with the intake of high nutritional foods spending on your digestive system. Check with an Ayurvedic specialist for the best foods that suit your body type.
• Consume milk and milk products.
• Intake of fruits that are pulpy or juices of such fruits is recommended. Seasonal fruits will be easier to digest.
• Include nuts, almonds, and dates as a regular part of your diet.

Note that these diets are only representational. We recommend consulting with an Ayurvedic specialist to understand what foods are best for you based on your dosha.

 

Ayurvedic Medicines for Weight Loss

Health care experts use the Body Mass Index (BMI) as a measure to decide whether weight management medications are required in certain scenarios. Typically, individuals with a BMI between 25 and 30 are considered overweight and those with a BMI above 30 are obese. 

However, it is important to note that not everyone who is overweight or obese requires medicines. A holistic lifestyle plan is useful to address other factors like eating triggers and insufficient sleep that could cause you to gain weight.

Ayurveda has successfully relied upon the effectiveness of herbs and herbal extracts to treat various conditions for thousands of years and Ayurvedic medicines are also used widely for weight loss. Some of the important Ayurvedic herbs that aid weight loss are:

Triphala

Triphala is a combination of three herbs – Amalaki (Indian gooseberry), Bibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica) and Haritaki (Terminalia chebula) – usually prepared with equal proportions. Research shows that Triphala helps lower blood glucose levels in individuals who have type 2 diabetes and helps with weight loss as well {2}.

Ayurveda as well as western medicine agree on the fact that good health and disease begin from the gut. Triphala is an Ayurvedic preparation that is suitable for Vata, Pitta, and Kapha dominant individuals – that is people of all types and it improves absorption, digestion and elimination of food.

Kalonji

Kalonji (Nigella Sativa), commonly known as black seed or black cumin, has been in use for a variety of purposes, especially Thymoquinone, which is the most abundantly present active constituent of this herb. Research on this herb has shown that it is effective in weight loss in both men and women with obesity {3}.

Guggul

Guggul is the dried gum resin of the Guggul tree or the Commiphora mukul (a thorny tree known as the tree of myrrh). Research has presented evidence that the active ingredient in Guggul – guggulsterone – causes the breakdown of fat cells and has antiobesity effects {4}.

Other herbs for weight loss

Ayurvedic literature also mentions the impact of herbs such as Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa), aloe vera, pepper and ajwain (Trachyspermum ammi, also called bishop’s weed) in weight loss. Present-day research has shown that extracts from the Vijayasar tree, commonly known as the Kino tree (Pterocarpus marsupium) also help in weight loss, although further research is required in this regard.

 

Ayurvedic Treatments for Weight Loss

Being overweight or obese brings significant risks of the onset of other disorders. While Ayurveda prioritizes the prevention of diseases by following an active lifestyle and a healthy eating plan that helps individuals stay healthy, it also suggests effective treatments that can help with weight loss.

Ayurvedic treatments for weight loss focus on aspects such as increasing the Agni (digestive fire) to ensure optimum digestion of ingested food as well as removing toxins from the body that reduce the fat content. This is done through bio purification treatments such as:

Udvartana (dry massage)

This therapy improves absorption, opens minute channels and improves blood as well as lymphatic circulation to reduce excess body fat {8} & {9}.

Virechana (medicated purgation)

Virechana has a corrective effect on fat metabolism and brings down body weight, BMI, serum triglycerides and blood glucose level. It also breaks down stored fatty acids and increases insulin sensitivity and allows the cells to use blood glucose more effectively, resulting in reduced blood sugar levels {6}.

Basti (enema therapy)

Basti reduces serum cholesterol, LDL and also helps in the reduction of BMI and body fat {7}.

Vamana (medicated emesis) 

Vamana is an Ayurvedic procedure that eliminates fat-soluble toxic substances from the body {5}.

Churna Pinda Sweda (medically induced sweat)

Churna pinda swedana is usually done using a mixture of fenugreek (Methika), mustard (Sarshapa), and flax seed (Atasi). A mixture of these medicated ingredients is kept in cloth bundles and dabbed on your body to improve blood supply and aid digestion {10}.

Dhanyamla Dhara 

This treatment involves pouring herbal liquids that contain cereals (Dhanya) and a blended mixture of grains on the forehead. The treatment improves blood circulation and promotes the removal of toxic products formed as a result of faulty metabolism leading to better digestion {11}.

 

Ayurvedic Weight Loss

The principles of Ayurveda have been practiced for millennia and have stood the test of time. Several people have benefitted from Ayurvedic medicines and treatments for weight loss that are not just sporadic but are effective as well as viable in the long term.

An Ayurvedic diet is rich and includes a variety of proteins, whole grains and vegetables for a wholesome and healthy meal. Ayurveda emphasizes on treading the middle path and avoiding extremes. This means avoiding binge eating as well as starving.

It also endorses constant, mindful attention to your health that includes moderate physical exercise such as yoga and reduced stress. It is a holistic, prevention-centric approach that takes into account each of the three constitutions or doshas – vata, pitta, and kapha to determine the right diet, herbs and treatments.

Practicing an Ayurvedic lifestyle will not only lead to improved health but will also make you more aware of what you eat which has a major impact on the state of your mind. Lowering your calorie intake, increasing physical activity and bearing a consistent approach will help you meet your weight loss goals.

 

Natural Remedies to Lose Weight

Ayurveda also suggests a few natural remedies to lose weight. Although these techniques have benefited thousands of people, ensure that you’re comfortable with them before you proceed. If you’re not sure, you can consult an Ayurveda expert who can guide you based on your specific disposition.

Dietary cleanse

A dietary cleanse is one of the most effective home remedies to lose belly fat. Our digestive system is hard at work breaking down and converting ingested food into energy. 

Providing our digestive system with a break for half a day or even a full day not only helps it recuperate from the constant activity but also improves the breakdown of fat cells. During your cleanse, you can consume fruits and juices that are easily digestible.

Kindle the digestive fire

You can fuel the digestive fire around 30 minutes before your meal by chewing on a slice of fresh ginger. If you wish, you can also add a few drops of lime juice and a few drops of honey to make it more palatable.

Prioritizing long-term health and sustainable habits is critical to maintaining your health as you lose weight and is a better option to ensure lasting weight loss rather than wanting to lose weight fast.

 

The Happiness Center offers personalized packages to help you lose weight. You can also enroll in our foundation to good health package to understand more about the Ayurvedic lifestyle and how it can benefit you.

 

 

About the Author:

Venkat is a freelance writer and an SEO buff. He writes about health & wellness, technology and finance.

 

Sources:

Jyoti Shankar Tripathi: “A critical review on Ayurvedic principles of Diet & Nutrition  with special reference to prevention & management of lifestyle diseases.”

Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine: “Therapeutic Uses of Triphala in Ayurvedic Medicine.”

Journal of Pharmacopuncture: “Review on Clinical Trials of Black Seed (Nigella sativa) and Its Active Constituent, Thymoquinone.”

Obesity: “Guggulsterone Inhibits Adipocyte Differentiation and Induces Apoptosis in 3T3-L1 Cells.”

An International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda: “Observations on Vamana procedure in healthy volunteers.”

An International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda: “A clinical study on Virechana Karma (therapeutic purgation) over the gut flora with special reference to obesity.”

An International Quarterly Journal of Research in Ayurveda: “Assessment of Lekhana Basti in the management of hyperlipidemia.”

MAT Journals: “Role of Udvartan Chikitsa and Navak Gugullu in Obesity: A Case Study.”

International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology: “Udvartana (Ayurveda Powder Massage): A Review Article.”