Overweight has become a serious problem for today’s generation. Unhealthy lifestyle, junk food, stress all these factors lead to various diseases and most common among them being obesity which if not taken care of at right time, may cause further heart diseases and worse. Many start to diet, exercise, gym, yoga and other weight loss techniques and then quit midway due to some reason or the other which again affects health in a bad way.
Ayurveda is an age old life science which uses traditional methods to treat various diseases. So here we provide you with 15 tips to fight your stubborn body fat and remain healthy with some of the old school methods:
1) Yoga or Exercise:
Well not just for a week or 2, but find that one exercise which you can do for the rest of your life for at least 30 minutes. Though it is easier said than done, it is very important to follow a routine. This not only will help you in burning calories but also provide you with a structure to work more efficiently in life.
2) 3 meals a day:
It’s very important to have 3 meals a day: breakfast (between 7:30 – 9 AM), lunch (between 11AM to 2PM) and finally dinner (between 5:30 to 8). First meal should be the heaviest one, followed by lunch and then dinner as during this time i.e., 5:30 to 8, your digestive fire is the weakest and so it’s very important to have a light meal. Snacking in between these three meals must be strictly avoided.
3) Lemon in morning:
A glass of warm, organic lemon can be very helpful if taken daily in the morning. The sour taste will help the digestive fire with a good digestion and quick metabolism.
4) Routine sleep and wake times:
Early to bed early to rise. It is very important to have a good amount of sleep every day with the same routine. Proper sleep not only relieves us from unwanted stress but it also helps in healing and repairing our heart and blood vessels. Deficiency of the same can increase the risk of various heart and kidney diseases. Sleep deprivation can badly affect your weight.
5) Experience all six tastes:
Ayurveda recognizes all 6 tastes, namely, sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. Having all the 6 tastes in your daily meal will not only help you in eating less and will bring a sense of satisfaction with what you’re eating but also its nutritious for your body. This further will make your tummy feel better and satisfied. A few examples for each taste can be:
Sweet – grains such as wheat and rice, vegetables such as sweet potatoes and dairies like milk or sweetened milk.
Sour – lemon, curd, and pineapple.
Bitter – Leafy vegetables such as cabbage, spinach and bitter guard.
Pungent – Ginger, cumin, cloves, raw onion.
Astringent – Honey, turmeric, sprouts, lettuce.
6) Move a little after each meal:
Walking after any meal fastens the digestion and metabolism process in the body and burns calories. And with that, it also helps in lowering down blood pressure and is good for diabetic patients as well.
7) Tongue Scraping:
According to Vedas, your tongue tells you about what’s there inside your body and in particular your digestion. So after brushing just make sure you clean your tongue properly and don’t let that white toxin settle there.
8) Herbs and Spices:
Ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper and cumin are some of the few spices which one should consume in his or her daily diet and which can help in a great way in losing a few pounds.
9) Massage:
Full body massage can greatly help in reducing fat and providing energy and strength to the body. With herbal oils and herbs, this is beneficial for a healthy body as well as skin.
10) Turmeric:
Ayurveda suggests that turmeric stops the fat to spread with its angiogenesis and also helps in lowering down the blood pressure.
11) Honey:
With lukewarm water, if taken daily in the morning, it is great for a healthy body. In fact, honey lemon with warm water forms a great combination.
12) Avoid taking salt, sugar, and maida:
It is important to have all the 6 tastes in your meal but with a proper quantity. Sugar and salt must be minimized while maida should be avoided at all times.
13) Avoid daytime sleeping:
Good sleep is a must but sleeping at odd timing is definitely not. After meal sleep or any napping more than 30 minutes in a day can cause bad effect on health.
14) Avoid caffeine, alcohol, tobacco:
Not just for losing weight, but for a healthy lifestyle it is very important to avoid these things.
15) Avoid stress:
Stress causes development of hyperthyroid which further causes strong metabolism resulting in weight gain. High level of stress can also drive craving for junk food which again leads to weight gain.