 |
Cooking | Health | Nutrition | Weight Gain | Weight Loss | Women | Baby | Social Planning | SITEMAP
How to lose weight | Weight Loss FAQ | Weight Management Tools | Weight Loss Cooking Recipes | Obesity
Basics of Ayurveda Weight-loss
Ayurveda weight loss depends on how we eat, mental state, when we eat, the temperature of foods, and the foods themselves
Ayurveda healing connects body and mind with the environment.
Body Posture
Always sit-up in a comfortable position to eat foods. Whether you squat on the floor, or sit in a chair at the dinner table is not important, as long as your stomach is in relaxed position. This improves with digestion. Do not eat standing up, walking around. Our minds should not be distracted doing other tasks such as watching TV, or keeping an eye on the road while driving. Mental awareness about the taste texture and aroma of the food directs our body to produce digestive juices to help in digesting foods
Digestive aids
1. When you wake-up in the morning start your day by drinking: one cup of warm boiled water with juice of half fresh lime, and one Tablespoon of honey. Both honey and lime juice are considered as detoxifiers.
2. At the start of a meal, eat a piece of Fresh Ginger (soaked in lime juice and a bit of Kala Namak or sea-salt) to activate salivary glands to produce digestive enzymes.
3. If you have over-active digestion (acid and heat), eat 'Pomegranate Churan'. It helps stomach acid and reduce gas
3. Cilantro and Peppermint Chutney made with ginger and lime juice helps with digestion. The Chutney can be used as a dressing for salad, or an accompaniment.
4. During meals, or after meals, have a cup of Lassi (Ayurvedic Lassi is thinned yogurt), or Ayurvedic Chaach (Skimmed butter milk). This helps lubricate the intestines and help with digestive tracts. It also reduces gas and bloating
5. Do not drink water immediately before meal or immediately after the meals. It slows down digestion
Food Temperature
All foods to be consumed should be at room temperature or slightly above room temperature. Cold foods extinguish the Digestive fire
- Do not eat very cold and very hot foods simultaneously, it could cause cramps, bloating and general discomfort
- Eating cold foods on regular basis will accumulate ama (undigested molecules that will clog channels) and lead to weight gain
- If you have over-active digestion (acid and heat), you drink cooler type beverages (NOT Cold or Frozen) in-between meals. Examples: Thin Rose and Screwpine Sharbat, Milk blended with dates, Fresh Mango, Fresh Pomegranate
Time to eat
- Ayurvedic healing connects body and mind with the environment The digestive fire is strong when sun is hottest (12 pm to 2 pm). Therefore, the lunch should be the largest meal of the day.
- Digestion is weaker in the evening. Dinner should be smaller and lighter meal eaten before 8 pm.
- Do not lie down or go to sleep within three hours of eating. When you lie down to sleep, it slows down digestion, metabolism, and circulation. The food digestion will be incomplete creating toxins, fat and excess weight
Composition of Foods
- Eat a balanced diet of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Within every category, eat a wide variety of available foods. Balanced diet keeps you feel less hungry
- Avoid high fat dairy products (Cheese yogurt Butter), Foods prepared with refined flour (cake, pastry, cookies, biscuits), left-over foods, cold foods, processed foods, red meats, White Rice, Potatoes, Refined sugars, Carbonated beverages, and desserts
- Eat soupy or stew like meals (Brown rice and lentils, Barley and lentils, pulverized raw vegetables, vegetable soups)
- Use whole grain products (Roti, Rye crackers)
- Raw Nuts and seeds
- Drink fresh juices specially Carrot juice
- Fish and fowl may be eaten in limited quantity
Sugars Spices and Herbs Fats
- Do not use refined sugars, use honey or raw cane sugar instead
- Incorporate fresh herbal items: Peppermint, Cilantro, Ginger, Onion, Garlic, Hot peppers (Jalapeno, Serrano, Hari Mirchi), Fenugreek leaves
- Incorporate spices such as Dried ginger, Black Pepper, Cayenne (Lal Mirchi), Fenugreek seeds, Turmeric, Cumin, Coriander, Dried Fenugreek leaves (Kasoori Methi), Cinnamon, Cloves
- Do not use salt. If needed use Kala Namak or sea-salt
- Do not use refined oils specially Corn oil and Soya oil. Do not use hydrogenated oils such as Vanaspati or Margarine. Use Organic extra virgin olive oil. Un-refined organic Ghee in limited quantity
- Carrot Juice
Freshness of Foods
Fresh foods are more readily digestible than the cooked food. After the foods are cooked, the nutritional and digestibility degrades even if the cooked foods were stored in the refrigerator and reheat before eating
- Eat raw foods when possible.
- Eat freshly cooked foods. Left-over foods have diminishing digestibility
Lime Honey Fasting
Ayurveda Medicine suggest one day a week of fasting. Drink Lime Honey water every 90 minutes or 2 hours
Lime Honey Water
- Boiled or Bottled water: 8 cups
- Juice of fresh limes: 4 Limes
- Honey: 3 Tablespoons
Drinking Water
Bring 10 cups of water to a boil. Let it boil for ten minutes. Boiling will get rid of Chlorine. On the bottom of the pot and around the top you will see white deposits, this is known as the hardness that you want to also eliminate. Now transfer the water to clean jug
- Drink warm water by sipping throughout the day. Helps cleanse digestive tract of the toxins
- Improves digestion and assimilation of food
- Makes you feel less hungry between meals
Life Style
- Take a walk in the morning sun
- Practice meditation and Yoga every day to keep mind and body balanced to reduce mental craving for food
- Detoxify body every two months. Cleanse Colon, Liver, and Kidney
Recipes
Chooran (Pomegranate seeds) balls
Chooran (Pomegranate seeds) powder