Ayurveda is much more than an alternative medicine - it is an alternative, total way of thinking about the medicine.

Ayurveda is not only one of the oldest, but also one of the most complex systems of natural medicine that is still used. Small wonder that among its eight undesirable body constitutions (nindya prakruties) there is a place for obesity, too.

According to Ayurveda, there are two reasons for getting obese. The first one is due to the increase in the fat component and the other is connected to general body malfunctioning. Those two types of obesity require two different treatments. This article, however, concentrates only on the first kind of the overweight.

So, what does Ayurveda tell us about healing obesity? Surprisingly enough, the ancient medical art of India asks us to do the same things most contemporary doctors will ask: the prevention. Ayurveda concentrates on keeping the patients out of trouble instead of healing them. That's why it calls for the following precautions:

Do not eat too much, especially just after the meal and/or when you digest,
Don't sleep during the day, especially less then hour from your last meal,
Do regular exercises,
Limit the amount of fat and carbohydrates you eat, but don't quit eating them completely,
Don't drink a lot of alcoholic drinks or water on the empty stomach.

If they are kept, you are generally free from the danger of obesity. However, if you are already overweight, Ayurveda warns that though healing is still possible, it will be much more difficult and will call for a complex approach. Instead of relying heavily on any single factors that cause overweight, Ayurvedic medicine call for a more complex approach, including such elements as:

Udvartana - the weight loss massage accompanied by the herbal paste application all over the body. This herbal massage is supposed to have several other beneficial effects in addition to stimulating the weight loss, including the fight with cellulites and restoring the sense of touch,
Yoga exercises - the special set of exercises lets the attendant to clear and strengthen his or her mind, making the rest of the weight loss process much easier,
Weight loss diet - creation of an individual diet that takes into account both the individual reasons of overweight and the person's tastes,
Using herbal supplements such as Yava and Alamaka powders as well as those of Vidanga, Suthi and Yavakshara. They help in losing the weight in a balanced way.
Light exercises - usually walking in order to keep the muscles intact.

This total approach, very different from the usual diet-only or diet-and-exercises overweight treatments, has excellent results. Though the weight loss speed rate is not terribly high, the yo-yo effect is relatively rare and many Ayurvedic practitioners claim that their methods are the only one working for longer than a few years.

Ayurvedic obesity and overweight treatment is an interesting alternative to other, younger ways. The complex approach serves the Ayurveda well, making it easier to heal the whole man, not only the most immediate problem. Choosing it might be a good idea if you want to lose weight once and for all, but you don't have to do that in a single week.

All Article Text on this site is copyrighted© 2006-2007 weightcontrolroom.com All rights reserved. Do not copy.
The info on this site is for informational purposes only and not medical info in any way, see disclaimer.