The chief cause of obesity or
overweight is often overeating, irregular eating habits and not
following the rules of eating such as improper mixing of food items in
one meal.
In ayurveda, Charak Samhita describes eight different types of bodies
that are disease prone. Out of these, the obese body is described as the
one afflicted with the most diseases and troubles. Obesity is the
condition or physical state of the body when excessive deposition of fat
takes place in the adipose tissue.
Extra fat puts a strain on the heart, kidneys, liver and the joints
such as the hips, knees and ankles and thus, overweight people are
susceptible to several diseases like coronary thrombosis, high blood
pressure, diabetes, arthritis, gout, liver and gall bladder disorders.
Chief cause of obesity is overeating, irregular eating habits and not
following the rules of eating or mixing non-compatible food items in one
meal.
To decrease weight and get rid of obesity three things must be kept in
mind:
- Controlling eating habits.
- Regular exercise.
- Avoiding the causes of weight gain
Diet recommended to lose weight
- Early morning
Juice of half a lemon mixed in a glass of warm water and a teaspoon
of honey.
- Breakfast
Wheat or Mung bean sprouts and a cup of skimmed milk.
- Midmorning
A glass of orange, pineapple or carrot juice.
- Lunch
- Salad of raw vegetables such as carrot, beet, cucumber,
cabbage, tomatoes. Steamed or boiled vegetables
- Whole grain bread or whole wheat chapatis (Indian bread) and
a glass of buttermilk.
- Roasted cumin seeds, green coriander leaves, a little salt
and some grated ginger mixed in the buttermilk.
- Mid-afternoon
- Coconut water
- Dry fruits
- Lemon tea
- Fresh vegetable soup
- Dinner
- Whole grain bread or chapatis
- Steamed vegetables
- Seasonal fruits except banana and apple.
Home Remedies for Losing Weight
- Increase the quantity of fruits and vegetables and low calorie
foods.
- Avoid intake of too much salt as it may be a factor for
increasing body weight.
- Milk products like cheese, butter etc. and non-vegetarian foods
should be avoided as they are rich in fat.
- Mint is very beneficial in losing weight. A chutney of green mint
with some simple spices can be taken with meals. Mint tea also
helps.
- Spices like dry ginger, cinnamon, black pepper etc. are good for
loosing weight and can be used in a number of ways.
- Regular intake of carrot juice.
- Avoid rice and potato, which contain a lot of carbohydrates.
Among cereals wheat is good.
- Vegetables like bitter gourd (Karela), and bitter variety of
drumstick are useful in loosing weight.
- Honey is an excellent home remedy for obesity. It mobilizes the
extra deposited fat in the body allowing it to be utilized as energy
for normal functions.
Dosage: One should start with small quantity of about 10
grams or a tablespoon, taken with hot water early in the morning. A
teaspoonful of fresh lemon juice may also be added.
- Fasting on honey and lime- juice is highly beneficial in the
treatment of obesity without the loss of energy and appetite. For
this, mix one teaspoon of fresh honey with the juice of half a lime
in a glass of lukewarm water.
Dosage: Take several times a day at regular intervals.
- Raw or cooked cabbage inhibits the conversion of sugar and other
carbohydrates into fat. Hence, it is of great value in weight
reduction.
- Exercise is an important part of any weight reduction plan. It
helps to use up calories stored in body as fat.
- Walking is the best exercise to begin with and may be followed by
running, swimming or rowing.
- The gum of Commiphora Mukul called 'guggulu' is the drug of
choice for the treatment of obesity.
Preparation of Home Remedies
According to ayurveda home remedies are prepared in the same way and
with the same purpose as other ayurvedic medicines. The main aim is to
obtain the maximum therapeutic benefit while making it palatable.
Some common methods of preparing home remedies are:
- Juice
The juice may be taken from the fresh leaves, flowers or stems of
the herb. The part of the herb used should be crushed or ground in a
mortar and pestle, to make a paste. This paste should be put in a
piece of cloth and squeezed to take out the juice.
Dosage: One to two tablespoons twice a day.
- Powder
Dried herbs are used for powders. The herbs are usually dried in a
cool, shady and well-ventilated place, although some herbs are dried
in direct sunlight. The herbs are then ground into a fine powder and
stored in a dry, airtight bottle. The powder may be taken with
water, or if specified, with milk or honey.
Dosage: Half to one teaspoon twice a day
- Decoction
A decoction is prepared by boiling the herb in water (ratio: 1 part
herb to 16 parts water). The herbs are broken into pieces and soaked
in water overnight. This mixture is then boiled until it reduces to
one quarter of the original volume. It is then filtered and stored
in a glass bottle.
Dosage: One to two tablespoons twice a day.
- Infusion
Herbs are soaked in water to make an infusion (ratio: 1 part herb
to 8 parts water). Hot infusions result from adding herbs to hot
water, or gently heating but not boiling the mixture. This is
strained and taken internally. Herbal teas are forms of hot
infusions. Cold infusions are made from soaking the herb overnight.
Honey can be added.
Dosage: half to one cup once or twice day.
- Paste
A paste can be made from either fresh or dried herbs. The flowers,
roots, stems, leaves or bark are ground and mixed with water. Pastes
are mainly used for external application, in cases of cuts, burns
and swellings. The paste should be thick enough to be applied in a
layer to the skin.
- Tablets
The herbs should be first dried separately and then mixed together
in a powder form, in fixed proportions. Water or herbal juice can be
added to this powder to make a paste, from which tablets of a
specific size or weight are made. Tablets remain potent longer than
juices, powders, pastes or decoctions.
Dosage: 1 or 2 tablets twice a day.
- Medicated ghee and oil
Ghee is cooked with herbal juices, decoctions or pastes. The ghee
should be heated with the herbal mixture at a moderate, controlled
temperature. High temperatures can easily burn the ghee or oil,
destroying its effectiveness. Medicated ghee and oils are either
used internally or massaged externally.
Dosage: Half to one tablespoon.
