Blog

In a society that bombards us with fad diets and quick-fix solutions, it can be challenging to navigate the path of healthy weight loss. The constant stress and confusion surrounding weight management can take a toll on our well-being. Is there a sustainable approach to shedding pounds and maintaining a healthy weight without compromising balance or jumping from one diet to another, only to find ourselves back where we started? The answer lies in an ancient system of medicine that has withstood the test of time for over 5,000 years: Ayurveda.

Ayurveda, the sister science to yoga, is a holistic system developed in India that focuses on preventing diseases, promoting health, and fostering balance and longevity. It follows the natural rhythms of nature, the seasons, and the time of day to guide us towards optimal well-being. Within Ayurveda, there are eight gentle and natural tips that can help you embark on a holistic and healthy weight loss journey, free from chemicals, processed foods, or extreme diets strong

• Start your day by drinking a large glass of warm water with organic lemon. This simple ritual boosts your entire digestive system and provides a fresh start to your day.

• Incorporate exercise into your daily routine, aiming to break a sweat. Ideally, engage in physical activity for 45 to 60 minutes each morning. Find an activity that you enjoy and can sustain in the long term.
• Carve out a few minutes each morning for peace and relaxation. Mind-body practices such as yoga, meditation, or qigong induce a relaxation response in the body, alleviating stress, a major contributor to weight gain. These practices also cultivate a present state of mind, enabling better decision-making throughout the day.
• Embrace three balanced meals a day, without snacking in between. Food acts as fuel, and when we constantly supply our bodies with food, it forgets how to burn fat efficiently. Have a nourishing breakfast between 7:30 and 9:00 am, a substantial lunch between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm, and a lighter dinner between 5:30 pm and 8:00 pm when digestion is weakest.

• Align your diet with the seasons and preferably the region you reside in. Nature offers specific foods during each season to keep us cool, energized, insulated, or cleansed. By consuming organic, local, and seasonal whole foods, our bodies naturally digest and assimilate the nutrients they need.

• Experience all six tastes in your meals. Ayurveda recognizes sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent tastes. Incorporate all six tastes into your daily diet. The anabolic tastes (sweet, sour, and salty) should be balanced with the catabolic tastes (pungent, bitter, and astringent) to prevent excessive weight gain. Bitter leafy greens, spicy chili peppers, and astringent pomegranate seeds offer counterpoints to the building nature of the other tastes.
• Engage in light movement after each meal. Taking short walks after eating stimulates digestion, with particular emphasis on a walk after lunch, lasting 10 to 20 minutes at a moderate pace. If possible, lie on your left side for 10 minutes after the walk, which aids digestion further.
• Align your sleep-wake cycle with the natural rhythms of the sun. Our ancestors would wind down when the sun set, gathering around a fire or candle before bedtime. The screens we expose ourselves to at night disrupt our natural inclination to slow down. Limit screen time two hours before bed and aim to sleep before 10:00 pm, avoiding the second wind that can disrupt our sleep. Consistently obtaining seven to nine hours of quality sleep allows the body to reset and maintain healthy cortisol levels, a hormone linked to stress-induced weight gain.

These eight steps can have a profound impact on your life. However, it’s crucial to meet yourself where you are and avoid overwhelming yourself with drastic changes. Decide if you want to fully embrace this plan or incorporate a few elements into your routine at a time. Starting small is perfectly fine. Slowly but surely, the wisdom of Ayurveda can guide you towards stress-free, healthy weight loss, empowering you to achieve sustainable well-being.