Losing weight and looking like supermodel Tyra Banks is everyone’s dream. Unfortunately, weight loss is a costly process. You will have a major headache each time a bill from the health club or weight loss clinic arrives in your mailbox. Further, not many diet plans and exercises work well.
Fortunately, there are other alternatives to prescription diets. Weight watchers have turned to Ayurvedic medicine, an attractive dieting alternative. It includes a host of easy-to-prepare, natural remedies. They complement other weight loss methods, such as diet shakes by Ideal Shape.
The Mystery of Ayurvedic Therapies
Ayurvedic medicine is a system of medicine with roots in India. It is a traditional, alternative therapy that goes with existing medical treatments. Practitioners have included it in many wellness applications.
Proponents of these natural treatments believe that there are connections between everything in the universe. They base treatments on the five elements of Earth, Fire, Air, Water, and Space. They combine to form three life forces Vata Dosha (space and air), Kapha Dosha (water and earth) and Pitta Dosha ( Fire and Water). Everyone has a unique combination of these elements. The doshas control physical functions, and you become unwell when they are out of sync.
Vata Dosha controls essential bodily functions. It determines breathing, heart function, and blood flow. How well you digest food depends on how strong it is. You may encounter problems with your digestive system if this is your life force.
Then, there is Pitta Dosha, which determines your metabolism. This dosha also controls appetite hormones. When it is out of balance, you may experience obesity-related problems like Chron’s disease or high blood pressure. To keep it healthy, you must avoid foods high in fat.
The last of these life forces is Kapha Dosha, which controls your strength and growth rate. It also determines the health of your immune system, and your weight. Obesity issues may arise if Kapha Dosha is your life force.
In all, practitioners base their therapies on the premise that it is important to maintain these doshas.
10 Weight Loss Principles: How Ayurvedic Medicine works for Weight Loss
Ayurveda is a viable, perhaps more comfortable alternative to clinical weight loss treatments. Before you can start using Ayurvedic remedies for weight loss, be aware of a few principles that you need to follow.
The first, of course, is to know your dosha. As explained earlier, each person has a dosha with a unique blend of energies. Find out what yours is before you start using these remedies. You will then know if they will work for you.
Another principle is that you must prepare your food with a passion. The effort and emotion you put into cooking it will determine its quality. If you love preparing lighter, less calorific meals, your weight loss journey will be less arduous.
To keep your energies in harmony, eat the correct portions of food. Eat the heaviest meal of the day at lunch because you expend the most energy in the middle of the day. Eat light meals at dinner because this is when your metabolism begins to slow down.
These medical treatments emphasize being one with nature. You will find many practitioners drinking herbal teas and using natural remedies. When you are in harmony with nature, you are in sync with your body. You will find it easier to lose weight.
Further, do not eat leftovers if you use Ayurvedic treatments. It is important to eat food that is high in nutritional value when you are trying to lose weight. The nutrients in leftover food would have depleted, so consuming it would mean taking in empty calories.
As an Ayurvedic practitioner, you should practice Panchakarma or cleansing. This process purges negative energy and toxins from your body. It includes drinking a lot of water and taking in Ayurvedic oils.
Try Yoga, as it is part of Ayurveda. Both Ayurveda and Yoga were born of the same philosophy, so their principles complement each other. Both center the mind and keep the body fit.
You will always be in good health if you follow the basic rationale of Ayurveda.
Lose weight with these Ayurvedic remedies
Ayurveda is helpful if you want to treat weight gain the natural way. These natural therapies will bring about a slimmer you.
Guggul is an unchallenged champion among Ayurvedic treatments. From the Commonphora Mukul tree, it helps bring your weight down quickly. It contains Guggulsterone, which supposedly aids thyroid functions, though researchers need more evidence to support this fact. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, however, found that it improves your mood and helps you drop weight fast. You usually measure the strength of a guggul extract by the guggulsterone in it. It is available at most health food stores.
Gymnema will help you fit into that tight little LBD. It is an age-old herb that has appetite-suppressing glycosides. Users of this herb believe that chewing on it contributes to reducing sugar rushes. This wonder herb has properties that block sugar. Subjects of a Korean study found that they had fewer sugar cravings when they chewed on it. Evidence also proves that it slows the onset of diabetes, a weight-related condition. Supplementing your diet with Gymnema increases insulin production. Naturally, reduced sugar intake increases the possibility of weight loss.
Another treatment, ginger, is famous among Ayurveda proponents for its weight loss properties. Besides being an anti-inflammatory agent, it relieves pressure on the gastrointestinal tract. It also facilitates digestion. With better digestion comes weight loss. Studies point out that it suppresses Cortisol, the compound that creates belly fat. Enjoy a cup of ginger tea, and lose weight as well.
Many weight loss remedies focus on calorie burning, but Triphala is different. Much of the processed food we take in these days becomes stuck within our digestive tract. Triphala, a combination of three fruits-Amalaki, Bibhitaki, and Haritaki, cleanses the digestive system and helps you drop weight. You can take it in capsules or powder form.
Curry powder, containing high amounts of curcumin, aids weight loss. A study by the USDA Agricultural Research Service found that rats which ate a high-fat diet gained less fat after taking curcumin. The magazine Biofactors also confirmed that it can help a person stay slim. Eating curry has weight loss benefits, but you must know the number of calories in it. They vary depending on the amount of coconut milk used.
Garshana, or dry skin brushing, is a timeless weight loss solution. It hastens slow lymphatic flow and aids digestion too. You lose weight when your food breaks down. It rids your body of excess body fat as well. To perform it, massage all areas of your body, excluding inflamed or sensitive ones. Massage your joints with circular strokes. Strokes should always move towards your heart. Apply more pressure on areas with thin skin.
Try these therapies and go to that party looking trim and fit.
Side Effects of Ayurvedic Medicine
One of the common problems of these medications is toxicity. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that some have high amounts of metal. Out of the 70 supplements they tested, 14 have high amounts of mercury and arsenic.
You should not take these herbs if you are going through chemotherapy. Doctors at the World Health Organization have found that it interferes with anti-epileptic drugs as well.
Lose weight the natural way with these treatments.
Sources
1. Ayurveda – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia