How to loss weight

1. Weight Loss
Being overweight is generally a kapha-type disturbance. When there is excessive kapha dosha
in the body there can be the formation or accumulation of toxins (ama) causing the body to
become lethargic. A person with this condition can seem averse to change and need
motivation to get moving towards health and shed the extra weight.
Remember that lasting change requires patience, practice and discipline. Do not be too rigid
or impractical in your expectations. Set realistic, achievable goals for yourself. It is important
to recognize that many people in an unhealthy state can have a distorted perception of their
bodies. If this may be true for you, request the help of an Ayurvedic practitioner or other
health care provider to determine an ideal weight that is healthy and comfortable for you.
Transformation takes time. Allow yourself a reasonable amount of freedom and flexibility to
adapt to your new routine.
Some main causes of being overweight are
overeating (particularly foods that are heavy
and sweet), oversleeping (particularly
sleeping during the day) and living a
sedentary lifestyle. An individual can keep
kapha dosha in balance by getting enough
exercise and not overeating.
Exercise is the most important remedy for
eliminating excess weight. Kapha dosha can
be slow, solid and stubborn. Inviting
movement into the body increases the
body's digestive fire, helping to melt away
excess fat, liquefying kapha and burning
ama.
Ayurveda promotes gentle physical
activities that involve conscious movement of the body like tai chi, yoga, walking and
swimming. These forms of exercise should be practiced consistently at a more vigorous
pace. Finding an activity you love and a partner to do it with is both fun and rewarding.
Having a partner also helps to keep you motivated and stimulated, enlivening your exercise
routine so that it is something that you look forward to each day.
Çushruta, a great surgeon and founding physician of Ayurveda defines the benefits of
exercise in the ancient text below.
“Wholesome physical exercise helps the symmetrical growth of limbs and
muscles while improving digestion and complexion. It reconstitutes energy
making the body light, firm and compact, while safeguarding against inertia and
inducing cheerfulness.”
Developing healthful dietary habits is imperative to achieving weight loss. Food is
nourishment for the body. It is important to honor our food and respect our bodies by
choosing meals that will balance our constitutions. To counter the kapha qualities of heavy,
dense and moist favor the opposite qualities of light and dry in your food choices.
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2. Avoid heavy foods such as meat, potatoes
and dairy as well as greasy, fried or fatty
foods. Favor lighter foods such as red lentils,
split peas, garbanzo and pinto beans. Eat lots
of vegetables, preferably steamed, roasted or
stir-fried. Have meals that are fresh, warm
and easy to digest.
Limit foods with a predominant taste of
sweet, sour or salty and favor foods with
tastes of bitter, pungent and astringent. If
you do need to satisfy a sweet tooth, dates
can be a wonderfully fulfilling sweet treat
without the heavy and cold qualities of a treat
such as ice cream. Raw unheated honey is the
best sweetener to balance kapha. In
Ayurveda it is used to gently scrape fat.
Use warming spices such as black pepper, cinnamon, ginger and cardamom in your cooking
to enkindle agni or digestive fire and aid digestion. Be careful not to overeat. Ayurveda
suggests one anjali, which is the quantity your two hands cupped together can hold, as an
ideal amount of food to consume for a meal.
Sip warm water with fresh lemon juice as a cleansing beverage throughout the day to help
dissolve excess kapha in the gastrointestinal tract. Ginger tea is another optimal beverage
choice for balancing kapha. The warming qualities help to enkindle the body's digestive fire
and burn ama.
Herbal remedies are powerful medicine and an integral part of an Ayurvedic health regime.
Traditional Ayurvedic herbs such as Punarnava, Chitrak, Kutki, Vidanga, Guggulu and
others specially may be individually formulated to support proper metabolism, eliminate
excess kapha, promote elimination of toxins and support healthy digestion. Triphala, a
powdered blend of three fruits, used in a cold infusion keeps the bowels clean.
Particularly during the winter season, when kapha dosha is most susceptible to accumulation,
it is very important to stay balanced. Here are just a few more practical kapha-balancing tips.
Stay warm and dry. Eat only between 10 AM and 6 PM with the largest meal at lunch time.
Learn the joy of fasting, fasting one day a week or one week a year. Pranayama is excellent,
particularly right nostril breathing or Bhastrika, for raising the digestive fire and increasing
metabolism. All cold drinks should be avoided as they dampen the digestive fire (agni).Try
dry body brushing before bathing to stimulate the lymphatic system and increase circulation.
Take regular steams to help liquefy and move kapha from the respiratory system.
Aromatherapy oils of eucalyptus, sage, camphor and allspice can all be stimulating and
beneficial for kapha.
Resolutions are ways to integrate a wholesome observance into our daily lives. Draw on
Kapha’s strength and stability in your commitment to yourself knowing that you are taking
steps towards a richer, more enjoyable life. These simple Ayurvedic weight loss tips can
support you toward your ultimate healthcare goal. 5/10/05
J I V A K A A Y U R V E D A
———————————————————————————————————————————————
949-497-3134 • rob@jivaka.com • www.jivaka.com