All of us think about losing a couple of pounds now and then, especially when our clothes stop fitting us. But maintaining a healthy weight is not just about appearances. It is critical for our health. It may help ward off diseases like diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and even some cancers. And it can help keep your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels under control.^[1][Weight Control].U.S. National Library of Medicine. We’ve got you covered, if you’re looking for ideas to lose weight naturally.

1. Choose An Ayurvedic Diet Based On Your Dosha

Obesity has been described as ‘sthaulya’ or ‘medoroga’ in ayurvedic texts. According to ayurveda, it is a condition in which ‘medo dhatu’ (fatty tissue) is in a state of vikrita vriddhi (abnormal increase). Besides your diet, Ayurveda also implicates heredity (bijadosha), and psychological factors in the causation of obesity.

According to ayurveda, three forces – pitta, vata, and kapha – composed of elemental aspects such as fire, water, earth, and space govern all biological processes. When these three forces or doshas are in a harmonious state you’re healthy. Any imbalance, on the other hand, leads to disease and causes problems like obesity. Therefore, obesity is treated by bringing the doshas back into balance. Aggravation of kapha dosha is thought to be generally responsible for obesity. This aggravation is considered to cause fat accumulation and water retention. Various strategies may be recommended by ayurveda for weight loss:

• Upwasa (fasting)

• Ama pachan (use of digestives to improve fat metabolism)

• Ruksha udwartan (dry medicated powder massage)

• Having a light diet

• Physical exercises and mental work etc.

Ayurveda also considers the constitution of an individual to be an important factor in addressing obesity. Dietary interventions are based on an individual’s constitution or their predominant dosha.

1. Vata: This dosha is composed of air and space. And it is considered to have the quickness and mobility of these two elements. For those with vata composition, a diet consisting mostly of potato, wheat, rice, gram flour, fish, and black gram can be helpful.

2. Pitta: This dosha is associated with the element of fire. For those with a pitta constitution, a diet consisting mostly of gram flour, barley, dairy (paneer), amla, rice, green gram, soya, and animal foods such as eggs or chicken can be helpful.

3. Kapha: This dosha is composed of earth and water and is associated with the stability and solidity of these elements. For those with a kapha form, a diet consisting mostly of barley, wheat bran, soy nuggets, green gram, garlic, and gram flour can be helpful.

One study found that an intervention based on the above diet resulted in significant weight loss in people of all three constitutions over a period of time.^[2]Sharma, Shikha, Seema Puri, Taru Agarwal, and Vinita Sharma. “Diets based on Ayurvedic constitution–potential for weight management.” Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine … Continue reading

2. Opt For A Well-Balanced Low-Calorie Diet

Taking in fewer calories than you burn is the simple equation that leads to weight loss. However, do keep in mind that it is safer to lose weight at the rate of ½ kg to 1 kg per week, rather than cutting calories drastically. This means that typically:

• Men should limit themselves to a maximum of 1900kcal in a day.
• Women should limit themselves to a maximum of 1400kcal in a day.^[3][Start the NHS weight loss plan]. NHS.

Another important factor to consider when you cut calories is that you’re opting for a healthy diet that gives you all the nutrients that you need. So what should a healthy diet contain? Here are a few pointers:

• Listen to your stomach because it can point out how good your digestive fire (agni) is, which directly impacts your metabolism.
• Have plenty of vegetables, fruits, low fat or fat free milk and milk products and whole grains. Adding colorful foods – leafy greens, tomatoes, oranges etc. – is one way of making sure that you’re getting a range of nutrients.
• Have a variety of foods containing protein such as eggs, seafood, poultry, lean meats, beans, soy products, seeds, and nuts.
• Limit your consumption of saturated fats, cholesterol, salt, trans fats, and added sugars.^[4][Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight](https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/index.html “Healthy Eating for a Healthy Weight”). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Precautions

• It is always a good idea to speak to a doctor before going on a diet. This is particularly important for pregnant women, those suffering from medical conditions, and growing children or young people. ^[5][Start the NHS weight loss plan]. NHS.
• You should never go on a very low calorie where you take in 800 or fewer calories in a day unless your doctor recommended it and is supervising it.^[6][Very low calorie diets]. NHS.

3. Pay Attention To Portion Sizes

One way to reduce your calorie intake while still having a balanced diet is by controlling the portion size. Here are a few tips to help you do that:

• Use smaller plates to have food. Using a salad plate rather than a dinner plate will automatically reduce the amount of food you eat. Not bringing serving dishes to the dining table can also help as you’ll need to get up from the table to have a second helping. If the food’s out of sight and out of reach it’s easier for you to resist overeating.
• Do not have snacks straight out of the packet. This makes it more likely that you’ll have too much. Instead, take a small portion out into a bowl so that you’re conscious of how much you’re eating.
• Fill up half your plate with green veggies. Use the other half for whole grains and proteins. This is an easy way of making sure that you’re getting a large helping of healthy greens.^[7][Portion size]. U.S. National Library of Medicine.

4. Include Proteins, Dairy, And Veggies In Your Diet

Research shows that having proteins, dairy and vegetables can help you lose weight. Let’s take a look at how they help.

i. Proteins

• People on low calorie diets with higher protein content show greater fat mass loss and weight loss compared to those on low calorie diets with lower protein content.
• People have higher levels of hormones that signal that you’re full (satiety hormones) and also feel fuller after having meals that are high in protein.^[8]Leidy, Heather J., Peter M. Clifton, Arne Astrup, Thomas P. Wycherley, Margriet S. Westerterp-Plantenga, Natalie D. Luscombe-Marsh, Stephen C. Woods, and Richard D. Mattes. “The role of protein … Continue reading
• Try healthy foods such as low fat dairy products, nuts, lean chicken, fish, beans etc. to fill up on protein. Avoid sources of protein that contain a lot of saturated fat or are highly processed.
• Spread out the protein that you have across meals rather than concentrating on a single meal for your protein intake.^[9][When it comes to protein, how much is too much?]. Harvard Medical School.
• Experts recommend that healthy adults should get 10% – 35% of their total calories from proteins.^[10][Protein in diet]. U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Precaution:

• Having excessive amounts of protein can be harmful. High protein diets are not recommended for those with kidney disease. Check with your doctor before you go for a high protein diet.^[11][When it comes to protein, how much is too much?]. Harvard Medical School.

ii. Dairy

Research shows that having at least 3 servings of dairy products daily can significantly reduce body fat mass in obese people. It also speeds up body fat loss and weight loss when compared to people on low dairy diets. Calcium present in dairy foods appears to play a role here. It appears to reduce weight gain and the accumulation of body fat when you overeat. It also increases the breakdown of fat and preserves metabolism when you’re on a calorie restricted diet.^[12]Zemel, Michael B. “The role of dairy foods in weight management.” Journal of the American College of Nutrition 24, no. sup6 (2005): 537S-546S.In fact, one study that looked at the impact of consuming yogurt on people who were on a calorie restricted diet found it to be extremely beneficial. Those who had yogurt lost 81% more than the group which didn’t.^[13]Zemel, M. B., J. Richards, S. Mathis, A. Milstead, L. Gebhardt, and E. Silva. “Dairy augmentation of total and central fat loss in obese subjects.” International journal of obesity 29, … Continue reading

iii. Vegetables

• Higher consumption of vegetables is linked to a lower risk of becoming overweight. One study found that those who had four or more servings of vegetables per day over a period of 10 years had an 82% lower risk of gaining more than 3.4 kg. Increasing vegetable consumption also had a small impact on weight loss.
• But consuming starchy vegetables can lead to weight gain. So stay away from those potato fries if you’re looking to lose weight.^[14]Nour, Monica, Sarah Alice Lutze, Amanda Grech, and Margaret Allman-Farinelli. “The relationship between vegetable intake and weight outcomes: a systematic review of cohort studies.” … Continue reading

5. Don’t Cut Down On Carbs Drastically

• While it’s a good idea to include protein, dairy, and vegetables in your diet, make sure that you don’t slash your carb intake too drastically. Extremely low carb diets may not meet your nutritional needs.
• Choose unprocessed sources of carbohydrate such as fruit and whole grains and avoid refined calorie rich sources like cakes, and soft drinks.
• Experts recommend that you get 45%-65% of your calories from carbohydrates.^[15][Weight loss and carbohydrates]. Better Health Channel.
• If you reduce your intake of carbohydrates excessively, your body will go into ketosis. That is, it starts burning fat instead of carbohydrates for energy. While this may sound like a good deal, it can have many harmful side effects such as low blood sugar levels, poor concentration, moodiness, and bad breath. Your body can also start converting protein into carbohydrates. And this can, over a period of time, increase your risk for kidney and heart disease.^[16][Getting enough protein]. Better Health Channel.

6. Avoid Sugary Drinks

Water is the best drink for avoiding dehydration if you’re looking to lose weight. That’s because it has zero calories. Other drinks like milk or buttermilk are also good choices since they offer many nutrients even though they contain calories. However, it’s best to avoid drinks that contain a lot of added sugar such as soft drinks, flavoured milks, coffee with cream and syrup etc. They tend to contain a lot of added sugar and are nutritionally poor.^[17][Weight loss – common myths]. Better Health Channel.According to Ayurveda, sugar is madhur (sweet) and guru (heavy). And that is the exact opposite of what you should be consuming if you want to lose weight.

7. Have Foods That Boost Weight Loss

Some foods like eggs, turmeric, and pepper have the capacity to boost weight loss:

• One study looked at people who were on a low calorie diet. It found that those who had eggs for breakfast showed a 65% more weight loss, 34% more reduction in waist size, and 16% more reduction in the percentage of body fat when compared to those who had bagels for breakfast. But it’s worth noting that having eggs for breakfast did not result in weight loss when it was not part of a low calorie diet.^[18]Vander Wal, J. S., Alok Gupta, Pramod Khosla, and N. V. Dhurandhar. “Egg breakfast enhances weight loss.” International Journal of obesity 32, no. 10 (2008): 1545-1551.
• Ayurveda considers foods and herbs with laghu (light), ushna (hot), ruksha (dry), and tikshna (pungent) properties to be helpful in managing obesity. It classifies spices like pepper and turmeric in the lekhanīya category. That is, they have the capacity to thin out tissues or reduce obesity.^[19] Ranade, Anagha, and Rabinarayan Acharya. “AYURVEDIC MANAGEMENT OF AARTAVA KSHAYA WSR POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME–A CRITICAL REVIEW.” Scientific research appears to support this ancient wisdom as piperine – a compound present in pepper- and curcumin – a compound present in turmeric- can help with weight loss.^[20]Shah, Shreya S., Gaurang B. Shah, Satbeer D. Singh, Priyanshi V. Gohil, Kajal Chauhan, Khyati A. Shah, and Mehul Chorawala. “Effect of piperine in the regulation of obesity-induced dyslipidemia … Continue reading^[21]Akbari, Maryam, Kamran B. Lankarani, Reza Tabrizi, Majid Ghayour-Mobarhan, Payam Peymani, Gordon Ferns, Amir Ghaderi, and Zatollah Asemi. “The effects of curcumin on weight loss among patients … Continue reading(

8. Try Triphala Churna

Triphala churna is a medicinal powder made up of three fruits bibhitaki (T bellirica), haritaki (T chebula), and amalaki (E officinalis). The rasa or taste of Triphala is sweet, sour, pungent, bitter, and astringent; the only taste not contained within the formula is salty. It is considered to balance all three doshas. It has been traditionally used by ayurvedic physicians to promote satiety and digestion. And it can be helpful in tackling obesity. One animal study found that mice who were fed a high fat diet experienced a significant reduction in body weight and percentage of body fat when they were also given triphala churna. Additionally, their cholesterol levels also improved. Your ayurvedic doctor can prescribe the appropriate dosage for you if you’re looking to use this ancient medicinal formulation as an aid on your weight loss journey.^[22]Gurjar, Shaifali, Anuradha Pal, and Suman Kapur. “Triphala and Its Constituents Ameliorate Visceral Adiposit y From a High-fat Diet in Mice With Diet-induced Obesity.” Alternative … Continue reading

9. Eat Mindfully

Many of us tend to munch on something while we’re watching television, driving, or even working. Because we’re not paying attention, we’re not completely aware of what or how much we’re eating. This sort of mindless eating could pile on the pounds. That’s why the ancient science of ayurveda advocates mindful eating. According to it, eating mindfully enhances digestion by focusing all your attention on one single body process.

• Pay attention to your food when you’re buying, preparing, and consuming it.
• Eat slowly.
• Pay attention to the color, flavor, aroma, and texture of the food.
• Stop eating before you become completely full.^[23][8 steps to mindful eating].Harvard Medical School.2016.

10. Drink Sufficient Water

Plain old water can help you lose weight. According to a study people on a low calorie diet lost more weight when they drank 500ml of water before eating. How does that happen? It’s probably because they filled up on water and this led to them having a smaller meal.^[24]Dennis, Elizabeth A., Ana Laura Dengo, Dana L. Comber, Kyle D. Flack, Jyoti Savla, Kevin P. Davy, and Brenda M. Davy. “Water consumption increases weight loss during a hypocaloric diet … Continue readingIt’s also worth noting that research has found that drinking 500ml of water increases energy expenditure by 24% over the course of the next hour.^[25]Boschmann, Michael, Jochen Steiniger, Gabriele Franke, Andreas L. Birkenfeld, Friedrich C. Luft, and Jens Jordan. “Water drinking induces thermogenesis through osmosensitive mechanisms.” … Continue reading So make sure you’re drinking enough water. And make sure you don’t mistake thirst for hunger and reach for a calorie- dense snack instead of calorie free water, as people often do.^[26][Hunger vs. thirst: Are you eating when you should be drinking?]. The Seattle Times.

11. Try Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting aims to reduce calorie intake by alternating fasting and non-fasting periods. It mainly comes in 3 avatars:

• Alternate day fasting: where you alternate a day of normal eating with a day of fasting where you have only one meal of around 500 calories.
• The 5:2 plan: here you eat normally for five days in a week and have a very small meal the other 2 days.
• Time restricted eating: where the window of time where you consume food is restricted to a period 8 hours. Some variations restrict the period where you can eat for 6 or 10 hours too.

Intermittent fasting can not only help you lose weight, it can reduce body fat and help control blood sugar levels too.^[27][How Good a Diet Is Intermittent Fasting?]). Scientific American.2020. Laghana chikista (fasting therapy) is also considered an important step in weight management.

Precaution:

• You should check in with your doctor before you try intermittent fasting. This approach to weight reduction is not recommended for those with heart related problems, kidney disease, or diabetes.^[28][5 questions about intermittent fasting]. National Library of Medicine.

12. Get Ample Sleep

Research suggests that not getting enough sleep is linked to being overweight. One study found that overweight women who reported better sleep quality had a 33% higher chance of successfully losing weight. Sleeping more than 7 hours a night was also found to improve the likelihood of successful weight loss. That’s because the amount of sleep you get can impact your hormones. Inadequate sleep has been found to reduce leptin – a hormone that promotes satiety – and increase ghrelin – a hormone that promotes hunger.^[29]Thomson, Cynthia A., Kelly L. Morrow, Shirley W. Flatt, Betsy C. Wertheim, Michelle M. Perfect, Jennifer J. Ravia, Nancy E. Sherwood, Njeri Karanja, and Cheryl L. Rock. “Relationship between … Continue reading

Prakriti And Ayurvedic Diet Conditions

• Everyone cannot eat the same thing. The prakriti they have helps in deciding the appropriate dietary requirement for them. Patients have to modify their regular food intake if needed.
• In general, individuals with vata prakriti should take warm, unctuous and sweet substances. Pitta prakriti individuals should take heavy, cool, bitter, sweet and astringent food articles. Kapha prakriti individuals should consume warm, dry, light, bitter, pungent and astringent food items.
• Ayurvedic dietary suggestions for vata-pitta, pitta-kapha, kapha-vata type individuals usually follow a common sense approach. They need to make small changes in their food choices and eating habits. A wholesome diet which includes all the food groups is very important.
• Also, there are guidelines on foods and beverages which should be avoided or limited. These are recommended based on the unique properties of the dominant dosha of the individual and analysis of the properties of foods.
• Because, the food intake directly influences the doshas and thus results in illness.

Diet For Vata Prakriti

Rasa (Taste of foods):

• Diet should contain Madhura (Sweet), Amla (Sour), Lavana (Salt) taste.
• Sour and salty taste should be preferred in summer.
• In winter you should consume salty predominant food and sweet taste can be consumed in both seasons as a supplement.

Guna (Properties of foods):

Properties of the diet should be opposite of properties of vata like snigdha (unctuous), guru (heavy), ushna (warm), etc.

Example: Person of vata prakriti can take regular foods like cereals such as rice, wheat; pulses like black gram, horse gram. Fruits like, gooseberry, grapes, banana, dates, apple, pineapple, pomegranate. Spices like asafoetida, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, cumin, garlic, coriander. Dairy products like milk, ghee, curd, buttermilk, butter. Oils like sesame oil, mustard oil, coconut oil. Meat of cow, goat, buffalo, etc.

Note: Vata dosha is aggravated and increased during varsha (rainy season), autumn and early winter. During these seasons all mind-body types can include some of the above foods and decrease others. Mental and emotional peace and constructive daily life routines are vital to restoring and maintaining stability.

Diet For Pitta Prakriti

Rasa (Taste of foods):

• Diet should contain madhura (sweet), tikta (bitter), kasaya (astringent) rasa (taste).
• Ayurveda suggests the intake of bitter and astringent foods during both summer and winter to promote vata in summer and kapha in winter.
• One can take sweets all year around.

Guna (Properties of foods):

Properties of the diet should be opposite of pitta guna, like as ruksha (not unctuous), sheeta (Ccold), food with moderately heavy texture etc

Example: Person of pitta prakriti can take regular food like cereals such as rice, wheat, barley, millet; pulses like green gram, bengal gram, ghee, butter, fresh curd, milk; vegetables such as snake gourd, bitter gourd brinjal, cabbage, spinach; fruits such as gooseberry, grapes, apple, dates pomegranate, banana; spices such as coriander, turmeric; meat of deer, goat, buffalo and rabbit are beneficial. Oils like sesame oil, coconut oil and sunflower oil.

Note: Pitta dosha is aggravated and increased during summer, hot, dry seasons. During these seasons all mind-body types can include some of the above foods and decrease others. Mental and emotional peace and constructive lifestyle routines are important to restoring and maintaining balance.

Diet For Kapha Prakriti

Rasa (Taste of foods):

• Diet should contain tikta (bitter), katu (pungent), kasaya (astringent) rasa (taste).
• Ayurveda suggests the intake of bitter and astringent foods during both summer and winter to promote vata in summer and kapha in winter.
• Excessively pungent foods should be avoided in summer.

Guna (Properties of foods):

Properties of the diet should be opposite of Kapha guna, like as laghu (light), ushna (hot and worm food), Dry etc

Example: Person of kapha prakriti should take regularly cereals and grains like rice, barley, corn, millet; pulses like bengal gram, horse gram, greengram; vegetables like brinjal, radish, snake gourd, bitter gourd, cabbage; spices like asafoetida, black pepper, cloves, coriander, cumin, turmeric, cardamom; fruits gooseberry, grapes, pomegranate, papaya, lemon; dairy products like buttermilk; meat of goat, rabbit, deer; oils like sesame oil, mustard oil.

Note: Kapha dosha is aggravated and increased in the spring season. During this season you should consume less food and select drier, fibrous foods during the cold season.

Diet For Dwandvaja Prakriti And Samadoshaj Prakriti

Individuals having a constitution dominated by a combination of two or three doshas should follow the diet of combination of the respective doshas.