Managing Excess Weight Gain With Ayurveda

by Kottakkal Support November 16, 2023

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) the major causes behind the climbing rates of obesity include the lack of fresh food markets, food chains controlling the supermarkets, and the ever increasing amount of processed foods.

In recent years, excess weight gain has become common for both adults and children. The media generated by the food industry has normalized many foods that are quick to prepare but lack prana, life force or nutrition. As well the media generated by the fast food or restaurant industry has normalized eating excessively large portions that are beyond what is a proper meal size.

We are living in a world that has normalized excess weight gain and statistics worldwide show an upward trend toward weight gain associated with chronic lifestyle disorders.  

Common Symptoms From Excess Weight Gain

• Excess body fat, especially around the waist
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating more than usual
• Difficulty sleeping and snoring
• Skin rashes from excess moisture in the skin folds
• Loss of physical flexibility, balance and endurance
• Fatigue ranging from mild to extreme
• Pain, especially in the back and joints
• Low self-esteem, depression, shame, and social isolation

Being overweight contributes to many serious health disorders. Ayurveda recognizes that excess or aggravated kapha dosha is why our bodies are storing excess fat. When excess weight gain is chronic it directly coincides with chronic lifestyle disorders. Lifestyle disorders include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar which are triggered by an aggravated kapha dosha. Weight gain and lifestyle disorders manifest from improper eating and lifestyle choices that have become chronic daily habits. Changing our daily habits is difficult and requires an individual approach toward managing a successful lifetime weight loss program.

Chronic Disorders Caused By Excess Weight Gain

• High blood pressure, caused by the heart working too hard to pump blood.
• High cholesterol causes blockages in the arteries, leading to stroke or heart attack.
• Type 2 diabetes is linked to excess weight gain.
• Some types of cancer are linked to excess weight gain.
• Difficulty breathing upon exertion is linked to excess weight gain.
• Kidney disorders caused by chronic high blood pressure is linked to excess weight gain.
• Osteoarthritis from excess strain on the joints, bones, and muscles.
• Gallbladder disorders caused by the improper digestion of fats.
• Sleep apnea and snoring from fat deposits in the neck and tongue that block airways.
• GERD, hiatal hernia, and heartburn from excess weight pushing and opening the valve that keeps the stomach contents from moving upward into the throat.

Foods that aggravate and produce excess kapha have qualities that are cold, dense, and heavy to digest. Foods like wheat, yogurt and cheese are at the top of the list. Eating foods that are warm, airy and light will be easy to digest and metabolize into energy that makes you feel energetic and not tired. Foods that are overly sweet, sour, and salty increase kapha dosha and weight gain.

Kapha Increasing Foods Trigger Excess Weight Gain

Sweet taste aggravates kapha dosha

• All sweet tasting foods include meat, milk, yogurt/curd, ice cream, wheat, freshly harvested rice, sweet fruits like mango, watermelon, cantaloupe, banana, jams, jellies and canned fruit.  

Sour taste aggravates kapha dosha

• Fermented foods like idlli, dosa, vinegar-soaked olives, pickles, tamarind, yogurt, buttermilk, cheeses and sour fruits.

Salty foods aggravate kapha dosha

• Saltwater fish, all processed packaged foods, including frozen meals, canned soups, salted nuts, and pickles.

Our daily habits of how and when we eat play a significant role on whether we are able to maintain healthy weight or not. Ayurveda has two key rules for healthy eating, the first one is to only eat when you are truly hungry and the second one is to eat only until 75 percent full.

Waiting to eat until you are hungry allows the previous meal to fully digest before asking your digestive system to start all over again. And by leaving some room in your stomach it allows the digestive enzymes to do their work and properly break down your food into nutrients for energy. By always following these two rules you will not only maintain healthy weight, but you will also improve your digestion, metabolism, and absorption of nutrients.

Unhealthy Eating Habits Trigger Excess Weight Gain

• Eating within 2 – 3 hours before bedtime
• Snacking in between meals
• Drinking cold or iced water or beverages
• Drinking milk with or right after a meal
• Eating before feeling hungry or overeating
• Combining foods that do not digest together - dairy with fish, meat, or fruit
• Eating old, overly cooked, processed for shelf life, or leftover foods
• Eating any foods that make you feel sluggish or sleepy
• Read our recent article “Rice Preparation for Weight Loss and Improved Health”.

Unhealthy Lifestyle Habits Trigger Excess Weight Gain

• Going to bed after 10pm winter/11pm summer
• Habitual lounging or sleeping during the day
• Lack of daily exercise, walking, yoga, biking, etc.
• Drinking alcoholic drinks on a regular basis   
• Engaging in excessive chronic stress – practice disengaging
• Sitting for long hours working at a computer
• Sitting in air-conditioning that is overly cool – below 75 degrees

Excess weight gain is the root cause of many lifestyle disorders and why it makes us feel unwell. When we do not feel well it is even more difficult to lose weight. And becomes a never ending cycle of aggravated kapha, weight gain and worsening lifestyle disorders that damage many organs, like the heart, pancreas, kidneys, and gall bladder to name a few.

If you are currently overweight and able to follow the Ayurvedic recommendations for maintaining healthy weight then you are truly fortunate and should get started right away. However, If you are overweight and have developed other chronic illnesses, then it is recommended to work with an Ayurvedic doctor or practitioner to offer you the extra support needed to guide you toward a healthier weight and reduction of lifestyle disorders.

Supplements Support Healthy Weight Loss

Varadi Kashayam contains the herbal formula triphala and helps to balance kapha dosha, improve agni or digestive strength, helps to lower excess meda (fat) and is good for balancing weight.

Varanadi Kashayam contains the herb varana and helps to balance kapha dosha, improve agni or digestive fire, helps to lower excess meda (fat) tissue and supports the urinary system.

Varanadi Kwatham contains the herb varuna which helps balance kapha dosha and helps support weight loss and removes ama from the gut.

Ayaskriti Arishtam balances kapha dosha, supports healthy iron in the blood, removes ama and meda, helps to maintain a healthy weight and balance blood sugar and supports healthy skin.

Loha Asavam contains loha which is a Sanskrit word for iron, balances kapha dosha, helps maintain healthy weight, eases swelling and inflammation, and supports healthy skin.

AYURVEDIC CONSULTATION

Kottakkal is committed to offering the highest quality Ayurvedic Healthcare. We offer two ways to have an Ayurvedic consultation. 1. Free 15-minute Consultation with our Ayurvedic practitioner, Julie Wardwell for when you need a product recommendation for a basic health problem. 2. In-depth Consultation with our Ayurvedic doctor, Vaidya Vishwanath Guddadar for when your condition is chronic with multiple symptoms.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Kottakkal Ayurveda products and information are not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. If you have serious, acute, or chronic health problems, please consult a trained health professional. If you are seeking the advice of a trained Ayurvedic professional, call (800) 215-9934 or email us at contact@kottakkal.shop. We will provide you with information to consult with Ayurvedic professionals. Always check with your doctor before taking herbs when pregnant or nursing.

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