Ayurveda considers your “prakriti” – which takes into account your body type as well as your mental and physical predispositions – to be a determining factor in working out your ideal body weight.

The three doshas – kapha (associated with the elements of water and earth), pitta (associated with the elements of fire and water), and vata (associated with the elements of air and ether) – are said to regulate your biological process. And your prakriti is determined by which dosha is predominant.

Of the three, people of Kapha prakriti typically gain weight easily and may struggle to manage their weight. Your ayurvedic doctor can help you figure out your ideal weight based on your prakriti and your current circumstances.
Ayurveda also tailors weight loss strategies for individuals based on their prakriti and circumstances.

What Foods Are Good For Your Dosha?

• For people of kapha prakriti: Eating a variety of warm, light and stimulating foods, having primarily foods with pungent, bitter and astringent tastes, as well as avoiding sweet, cold, oily, rich, heavy and excessively sour or salty foods may be recommended. Physical activities such as energizing yoga, dancing, cycling, running, performing sun salutations at dawn etc. may also be recommended.
• For people of pitta prakriti: Eating cooling and cleansing foods, favoring those with sweet, bitter and astringent tastes, as well as avoiding salty, sour, spicy, oily, and fermented foods may be recommended. Physical activities such as calming yoga, walking, hiking, swimming etc. may also be recommended.
• For people of vata prakriti: Eating warming, nourishing and comforting foods, with an emphasis on foods that taste sweet, sour and salty while avoiding bitter, cold, fermented, and raw foods may be recommended. Physical activities such as restorative yoga, walking, swimming, gardening, etc. may also be recommended.

Meanwhile, modern medicine also recognizes the importance of maintaining a healthy weight. Having a BMI (body mass index, which is a measure that takes your height and weight into account) between 18.5 to 24.9 is typically considered healthy. Anything over 24.9 is usually considered to be overweight. But because people who are extremely muscular can have a high BMI without having too much body fat, waist size is also taken into account to determine if you’re overweight.

Similarly, you can be obese even if your BMI is within the healthy range if your waist size is too large. This is because, like obesity, excess abdominal fat too is linked to many harmful conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 disease, high blood pressure, sleep disorders, and certain cancers.

A combination of a healthy, balanced low calorie diet along with physical activity is considered to be the best route for losing weight.^[1][Belly fat in men: Why weight loss matters](https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/mens-health/in-depth/belly-fat/art-20045685 “Belly fat in men: Why weight loss matters”). Mayo Clinic. ^[2][Overweight and Obesity](https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/overweight-and-obesity “Overweight and Obesity”). National Institutes of Health. ^[3][Obesity](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/ “Obesity”). NHS,UK. And while we cannot minimize the importance of a healthy low calorie diet or physical activity, certain foods can certainly give you a boost on your weight loss journey. Green tea is known to help with weight loss.

Is Green Tea Actually Good For You?

Green tea is produced by immediately steaming freshly harvested tea leaves. This prevents fermentation and allows the tea to retain its color when it’s subsequently rolled and dried. The process of producing green tea helps preserve natural polyphenols which have many benefits. Many of the benefits of green tea are linked to its catechin content, particularly a catechin called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). Green tea is thought to have a host of beneficial properties – it can help keep your heart healthy and has antiarthritic, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol lowering, and neuroprotective effects^[4]Chacko, Sabu M., Priya T. Thambi, Ramadasan Kuttan, and Ikuo Nishigaki. “Beneficial effects of green tea: a literature review.” Chinese medicine 5, no. 1 (2010): 1-9.

How Does Green Tea Help In Weight Loss?

One study looked at the effect of green tea on obese people who had excess abdominal fat. It was found that having green tea for 12 weeks resulted in reducing their BMI, body weight, body fat, body fat ratio, waist circumference, hip circumference, and abdominal fat.^[5]Nagao, Tomonori, Tadashi Hase, and Ichiro Tokimitsu. “A green tea extract high in catechins reduces body fat and cardiovascular risks in humans.” Obesity 15, no. 6 (2007): 1473-1483.

Let’s take a closer look at how green tea works its magic:

1. Green Tea Reduces Body Fat

Our bodies oxidize or breakdown fat to release energy. Research shows that fat oxidation is negatively related to body fat, that is, lean people have higher fat oxidation and obese people have lower fat oxidation.^[6]Westerterp, Klaas R., Astrid Smeets, Manuela P. Lejeune, Mirjam PE Wouters-Adriaens, and Margriet S. Westerterp-Plantenga. “Dietary fat oxidation as a function of body fat.” The American … Continue reading One study looked at the effect of consuming a higher dose of tea catechins for 12 weeks. This resulted in a marked enhancement in dietary fat oxidation.^[7]Harada, Ushio, Akiro Chikama, Shinichiro Saito, Hideto Takase, Tomonori Nagao, Tadashi Hase, and Ichiro Tokimitsu. “Effects of the long-term ingestion of tea catechins on energy expenditure and … Continue reading

2. Green Tea Suppresses Appetite

Do you find it hard to stop yourself from reaching for a second helping? Green tea to the rescue! During the course of a study participants were given either 300ml of water or green tea along with their breakfast. Those who had green tea experienced significantly higher satiety. They found it less pleasant to have more of the same food and had a weaker desire for their favorite food. The researchers have suggested it may be bringing about this effect by impacting hormones that send an ‘I’m full’ message to your brain.^[8]Josic, Julija, Anna Tholén Olsson, Jennie Wickeberg, Sandra Lindstedt, and Joanna Hlebowicz. “Does green tea affect postprandial glucose, insulin and satiety in healthy subjects: a randomized … Continue reading Other studies have found that the polyphenol EGCG plays a role in suppressing appetite and could significantly lower food intake.^[9]Kao, Yung-Hsi, Richard A. Hiipakka, and Shutsung Liao. “Modulation of endocrine systems and food intake by green tea epigallocatechin gallate.” Endocrinology 141, no. 3 (2000): 980-987.

3. Green Tea Reduces Calorie Absorption

A fairly simple equation governs weight loss – you need to expend more energy that you take in. And studies show that green tea can reduce the calories that you absorb from food. One study looked at the impact of EGCG supplements on obese mice. It was found that EGCG reduced fat accumulation. It was also observed that it reduced the calories absorbed by the body and increased calories expelled from the body as stool.^[10]Klaus, S., S. Pültz, C. Thöne-Reineke, and S. Wolfram. “Epigallocatechin gallate attenuates diet-induced obesity in mice by decreasing energy absorption and increasing fat oxidation.” … Continue reading

4. Green Tea Increases Energy Expenditure

Green tea doesn’t just reduce the calories that you absorb from food. It works on the other part of the equation too – it increases expenditure. How does it do this? By increasing thermogenesis. Thermogenesis is the process through which your body produces heat. And it uses up a lot of energy doing this. Catechins and caffeine present in green tea are thought to be responsible for its ability to increase energy expenditure.^[11]Türközü, Duygu, and Nilüfer Acar Tek. “A minireview of effects of green tea on energy expenditure.” Critical reviews in food science and nutrition 57, no. 2 (2017): 254-258.

5. Green Tea Inhibits Fat Cell Formation

One lab study found that EGCG can inhibit the formation of fat cells (adipocytes) as well as cause the death of mature fat cells. While this does sound exciting, it’s important to keep in mind that the number of fat cells in adults tends to remain constant even when they lose weight. It’s the volume of fat cells that changes. That is, your fat cells shrink when you lose weight.^[12]Lin, Ji, Mary Anne Della‐Fera, and Clifton A. Baile. “Green tea polyphenol epigallocatechin gallate inhibits adipogenesis and induces apoptosis in 3T3‐L1 adipocytes.” Obesity research … Continue reading ^[13]Ed Yong.[Fat cell number is set in childhood and stays constant in adulthood]( https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/fat-cell-number-is-set-in-childhood-and-stays-constant-in-adulthood … Continue reading

6. Green Tea Helps With Complications Linked To Obesity

Green tea doesn’t just help you manage your weight. Research shows that it can also help with complications linked to obesity such as high blood pressure and diabetes.^[14]Nagao, Tomonori, Tadashi Hase, and Ichiro Tokimitsu. “A green tea extract high in catechins reduces body fat and cardiovascular risks in humans.” Obesity 15, no. 6 (2007): 1473-1483. ^[15]Liu, Kai, Rui Zhou, Bin Wang, Ka Chen, Lin-Ying Shi, Jun-Dong Zhu, and Man-Tian Mi. “Effect of green tea on glucose control and insulin sensitivity: a meta-analysis of 17 randomized controlled … Continue reading

How To Prepare Green Tea

• To prepare green tea, steep the tea leaves in water that’s around 82°C to 85°C for approximately three minutes. Use a teaspoon of tea for 8 ounces of water for best results.
• Steeping the tea in cold water for a longer period (about 2 hours) rather than using hot water can increase the amount of antioxidants in your tea.^[16][Green Tea Benefits and Side Effects](https://www.verywellfit.com/green-tea-health-benefits-2506112 “Green Tea Benefits and Side Effects”).Verywell Fit.
• Adding sugar or milk to green tea can detract from its health benefits.^[17][Tea]( https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/food-features/tea/ “Tea”).Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
• For most people 3 cups of green tea a day is considered beneficial.^[18][How Much Green Tea Should You Drink Per Day?](https://doctor.ndtv.com/living-healthy/how-much-green-tea-should-you-drink-per-day-1831848 “How Much Green Tea Should You Drink Per Day?”).NDTV.

Precautions While Consuming Green Tea

• It is thought to be safe to consume up to 8 cups of green tea a day for healthy adults. If you’re consuming a beverage with added caffeine make sure that you don’t exceed 400 mg of caffeine in a day. And do keep in mind that drinks like coffee, cola, and energy drinks also contain caffeine.^[19][ Caffeine: How much is too much?](https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678 “Caffeine: How much is too much?”). Mayo Clinic.
• It may not be advisable to have more than 1 or 2 cups of green tea a day while pregnant or breastfeeding. Caffeine intake also needs to be limited to around 300 mg. Do keep in mind that caffeine can pass on to breast milk and can affect your baby. Green tea may increase the risk of birth defects linked to folic acid deficiency.^[20]Chacko, Sabu M., Priya T. Thambi, Ramadasan Kuttan, and Ikuo Nishigaki. “Beneficial effects of green tea: a literature review.” Chinese medicine 5, no. 1 (2010): 1-9.
• Green tea can hamper the absorption of iron and folate.^[21][How Much Green Tea Should You Drink Per Day?](https://doctor.ndtv.com/living-healthy/how-much-green-tea-should-you-drink-per-day-1831848 “How Much Green Tea Should You Drink Per Day?”).NDTV.
• People with liver disease should speak to their doctor before taking green tea extracts or supplements. Stop taking green tea extracts if you notice symptoms of liver problems like dark urine, abdominal pain or jaundice and consult your doctor.
• Green tea can impact your blood sugar and blood pressure. So if you’re taking medicines to manage these please check with your doctor before having green tea. Also, check with your doctor to know if any medication that you’re on interacts with green tea.^[22][Green Tea](https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/green-tea “Green Tea”). National Institutes of Health.