Ayurveda Weight Loss
Articles
Don't Skip Breakfast!
An Ayurvedic Perspective
According to Ayurveda, fasting is not recommended because it irritates pitta, vata, and kapha dosha. Skipping breakfast particularly irritates sadhaka pitta, a subdosha of pitta. Sadhaka pitta is responsible for maintaining an even temper and when in balance, brings joy and contentment. An imbalanced sadhaka pitta can result in irritability and unsettled emotions.
Many people are too busy in the morning to eat breakfast or just do not feel hungry. If you've been used to skipping breakfast, start with a little something each morning and work your way back to a healthy breakfast. A good way to break the habit of skipping breakfast is to make and drink fresh fruit or vegetable juices. Rehydrating the body with fresh, natural, and nourishing fluids will help you get a head start on a busy day. Try a juiced blend of fresh carrot, cilantro and zucchini, or fresh sweet grape, apple, or pear juice. Pick ripe sweet fruit. Orange juice is not recommended on an empty stomach because it is too acidic. Whichever fruit or vegetables you choose, fresh juice is always the best because it has Prana or life giving energies. Also, the juice should ideally be at room temperature or slightly cool, never ice-cold.
Ayurveda says that fruit in the morning is like gold. This is the best time of day to get the maximum nourishment from fruit. Cooked apples, eaten first thing in the morning, help to create "Ojas," the final and most refined by-product of digestion. Ojas contributes to enhanced vitality, strength, immunity, and overall well-being. Sweet juicy fruits are excellent cleansers -- they help to eliminate impurities from the body. According to Ayurveda, it is recommended that fruits be eaten first thing in the morning, 30 minutes before other breakfast items such as hot cereal.
Other suggestions for breakfast include dried figs and raisins, soaked the night before or simmered with a little water for 30 minutes. Or try one of the following healthy combinations: dates with a small dab of ghee replacing the pit, Chapati flat bread with raw honey and warm milk, or oatmeal with raisins and chopped almonds. Almond powder mixed with warm milk is another excellent way to start the day.
Recipe for Stewed Apples and Pears
- 1 organic apple
- 1 organic pear
- 1 Tbsp. organic raisins
- 1 clove
- 1/4 cup water
Peel and chop fruit into small pieces. Place fruit in a small pot and add about 1/4 cup water. Add raisins and clove. Bring to boil and then back to low heat. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the fruit is of a tender consistency. Eat warm.
Articles by Vaidya Ramakant Mishra
- A Good Night's Sleep
- Balance and the Doshas
- Boost Your Energy With Power Foods
- Don't Skip Breakfast: An Ayurvedic Perspective
- Eating Right, The Ayurvedic Way: 5 Tips for Good Digestion
- Exercise the Ayurvedic Way!
- Healing Waters
- The Amazing Amla Berry
Articles by Shreelata Suresh
- 5 Ways To Introduce Ayurvedic Principles Into Your Daily Diet
- An Introduction to Neem Rasayana
- Candida: Restoring Balance with Ayurveda
- Eating for Balance
- Eating for Balance - 2
- Five Ayurvedic Suggestions for Attaining Your Ideal Weight Naturally