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The Ayurvedic Approach to Weight: A Healthy Weight Management System by Maharishi Ayurveda
Maharishi Ayurveda offers a comprehensive weight management program
that can not only help you achieve a balanced weight but results in
side benefits such as more stamina, better functioning body and
youthful appearance. Vaidya Mishra, Director of Research and
Development at Maharishi Ayurveda Products International, helps
people balance their weight by first determining their ayurvedic mind-
body constitutions (Vata, Pitta or Kapha) and existing imbalances.
Here, Vaidya Mishra discusses the three weight management systems
offered by Maharishi Ayurveda:
"The first type of overweight imbalance is due to a lack of digestive
fire (low agni) and lack of metabolism. These individuals, even
though they may eat very small amounts of food, tend to gain weight.
This type of person seems to gain weight just by being around food.
Two things are occurring with this type of imbalance; digestive
impurities (ama) is being created and fat tissue is accumulating in
the body. Also, the transformation of bone tissue is slowed down due
to increase of fat tissue. This is a very common weight problem and
the solution is to follow an ama burning program," says Vaidya Mishra.
You can enhance the elimination of ama by taking two Maharishi
Ayurveda herbal products: Be Trim 1 herbal supplement and Be Trim
Tea. Individuals on the ama burning diet are also recommended to
participate in an exercise program for 30 minutes each day, brisk
walking or other activities such as dancing, swimming or weight
training. Exercise helps to burn ama and increases circulation and
metabolism. For the diet, eat foods that reduce kapha, favoring
astringent, bitter, and pungent tastes and reducing salty, sweet, and
sour foods. Be Trim? Therapeutic Aroma Oil Blend(R) can be used at
night to stimulate the metabolism and a morning massage called
garshan can be done with silk gloves to help stimulate digestion or
agni and increase circulation. Once a week, preferably on the
weekends, a gentle laxative therapy is recommended by using Herbal
Cleanse. This helps to further eliminate toxins.
The second type of overweight imbalance occurs if someone has long-
term ama and the channels around the stomach area have been clogged,
creating too much heat in the body. Here, the appetite may be very
high and the individual may experience a lot of thirst. The person
may also experience heartburn or other pitta aggravated imbalances,
such as irritability and impatience. Vaidya Mishra recommends Be Trim
2 to help eliminate toxins and fat without disturbing pitta. Instead
of Be Trim Tea, an herbalized water consisting of small amounts of
fenugreek, coriander, licorice and fennel should be taken during the
day.
The herbalized water assists the thermogenic process: fenugreek burns
fat and helps absorption, coriander eliminates toxins, licorice is
cooling and fennel helps with digestion.
To make the water, boil 1 quart of water and pour into a thermos. Add
2 pinches ground fenugreek, 2 pinches licorice root, 1/4 teaspoon
whole coriander seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds. Drink
throughout the day.
This program calls for moderate exercise, about 30 minutes 3-4 times
a week. It is recommended that this type of person choose their
exercise from the following: brisk walking, yoga, swimming, and light
weight training. "Do not hesitate to eat sweet juicy fruits," says
Vaidya Mishra. These individuals should be on a pitta-pacifying diet,
and include squash, warm milk, and homemade buttermilk in their diet.
Stewed prunes and figs can be eaten on the weekends to provide a
gentle laxative therapy without disturbing pitta. A self-massage
called "abhyanga"with Cool Sensation Massage Oil will help to further
balance pitta. Vaidya Mishra also recommends using a spice mixture of
1 part tumeric, 2 parts cumin, 3 parts coriander, and four parts
fennel to be cooked with vegetables or legumes.
The third type of overweight imbalance may be due to nutritional
deficiencies and hormonal imbalances. For this type of imbalance,
Vaidya Mishra recommends taking Be Trim 3 herbal supplement and
drinking Be Trim Tea. These individuals should be on a mild to
moderate exercise program and can include Triphala once a week for a
gentle laxative. They should include more fiber in their diet as well
as whole grains, lots of leafy greens, legumes, sweet juicy fruits,
and herbalized water. A self-massage with 50% Rejuvenation Massage
Oil and 50% olive oil is recommended each day.
Common to all imbalances is overeating due to emotional stress. This
is eating when you are not hungry or looking for something sweet to
pacify a bad mood. If this is the case, Vaidya Mishra recommends
taking Blissful Joy to uplift to the emotions or Worry Free Tablets
and Worry Free Tea to help avoid overeating due to anxious thoughts.
A teaspoon of Rose Petal Preserve, Be Trim Tea, one date, or a little
lassi will also help if you experience sugar cravings. Practicing
stress reducing techniques such as Transcendental Meditation, or
doing yoga asanas is also effective. Receiving massage therapy once a
week, regular exercise and surrounding yourself with positive people
are other practical tips mentioned by Vaidya Mishra to overcome
emotional overeating.
Maharishi Ayurveda also recommends avoiding commercial protein powder
drinks and instead eat live protein filled with the intelligence of
nature from almonds (no more than 10 per day), walnuts, legumes,
sunflower, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and milk products.
Vaidya Mishra also imparted the following very practical, general
recommendations regarding weight management:
- Limit fat intake to 2 teaspoons of ghee or olive oil per day
(1 teaspoon at lunch and 1 teaspoon at dinner).
- For lunch and dinner, 50% vegetables, 20% power grains such
as quinoa, whole barley, oats, millet, or amaranth, and 30% protein,
either lentils, paneer, nuts, or for non vegetarians fish and chicken.
- Two (2) cups of hot or warm milk a day are recommended, and a
small cup of lassi at lunch to help with vitamin B-12 if you are a
vegetarian and to help balance sadhaka pitta.
- Barley water or kanji water is recommended to drink during
the day to help cleanse the system, give energy, and help with hunger.
- Avoid cold beverages, aged cheese, potatoes, yeasted breads,
butter, cookies, cakes, ice cream, chocolates, deep fried foods, and
cream sauces and reduce your intake of rice.
- For breakfast include stewed apples and/or pears.
- Do not skip meals.
- Eat your largest meal at lunch and have a smaller dinner
eaten before 7 PM. Do not eat anything after 8pm.
The Maharishi Ayurveda weight management system gets to the root of
the problem by balancing fat and carbohydrate metabolism to help your
body:
- break down your stores of fat, so you'll have more energy
- slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, so you don't crave
sweets and overeat
- maintain a good appetite, so you absorb the nutrients you
need to stay healthy and balanced.
Patience is also one of the key factors that should be included in
this diet. This is not a fast method to shed pounds but a holistic
approach from which you will see satisfying results over a period of
months. Once the digestive fire is strong and the metabolic processes
are balanced, then you can enjoy a little more flexibility with your
diet.
Note : This ayurvedic information is educational and is not intended
to replace standard medical care or advice.
Copyright MAPI, 2002.
For more information on Ayurveda or to subscribe to free newsletters,
plaese visit http://www.mapi.com
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