According to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of health and healing, the Kapha Dosha (humour) is primarily responsible for fat and adipose tissue in the body and therefore reducing Kapaha is the key to a successful weight loss program. Below you will find some effective tips from ayurveda to help reduce Kapha Dosha and thus battle obesity and being overweight.
Of the four dimensions of our being, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual, in this article I will cover the Physical Dimension which is most important for the reduction of Kapha and the correlating reduction in weight.
Weight Loss Tips from Ayurveda:
1. Ayurvedic Diet for Weight Loss:
Obviously an anti-kapha diet is the place to start when looking to lose weight. This means eating lots of fruits, vegetables, spicy foods and whole grains.
2. Exercise for Weight Loss:
The following Ayurvedic guidelines should be followed for proper exercise with regard to weight loss:
- More Exercise the Better: Kapha\'s qualities of fixed, dull, heavy, soft and cold are all negated via exercise. In other words, the more exercise you do the more you reduce Kapha and therefore fat in your body.
- Exercise Without Excessive Strain: According to Ayurveda, Kapha individuals need the most vigorous exercise, but at the same time, the exercise should never be extreme. Find a good balance between doing too little and over doing it. Breaking a nice sweat is good, but being totally breathless is probably too much.
- Be Consistent: A Kapha body type has a propensity towards weight gain so you need to make exercise a daily part of you life. The hardest part will be to get the exercise program underway. Once this is done Kapha people tend to be very determined and steady, so they will be able to adhere to it long term. Getting started though is another matter for Kapha types and usually requires shock treatment. In the spirit of shock treatment, understand that by NOT exercising and NOT losing the weight you are putting your longevity and quality of life at risk. Enough said, start today!
- Yoga for Weight Loss: Yoga offers an excellent way to include holistic exercises into your fitness program. These exercises will not just help you lose weight, but will also help your overall health and well-being.
- Post Exercise Diet: After exercises do not drink cold liquids. This period is key as you are trying to increase the metabolic fire in your cells so they burn more calories and drinking cold liquids at this time will negate this important benefit which exercise bestows.
According to Ayurveda reduction of Kapha is promoted by living a physical, active lifestyle. In today\'s age of technology, computers, TVs, TiVO, internet, etc, manual labor is getting more rare for people to do. So you need to consciously incorporate physical work into your life. Whether that be mowing the lawn, tending to the garden or shoveling snow, it is important to not live a sedentary live of watching TV and eating twinkies.
4. Massage Therapy to Reduce Fat:
There are many treatment modalities in Ayurveda of which massage is highly recommended. In the context of weight loss and reducing Kapha, strong massage with light oils such as mustard or flaxseed is helpful.
5. Sleep Guidelines for Weight Loss:
No napping or going to bed early. If you want to reduce Kapha and weight remember you burn more calories when you are awake and being active, than when you are happily snuggled under the blanket.
The above recommendations will surely help you with your weight loss goals and in addition to helping you get slim, they will also make you more healthy and fit.
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