What to Do for Healthy Weight--Ayurveda Style 

Here is a simple plan to strengthen our agni (digestive fire) so that we can burn stored fat and detox from a winter of improper eating.   

When you eat

• Eat 3 meals a day with no snacking for weight loss or limited "healthy" snacking for weight maintenance.
• Eat your largest meal at noon when your digestive fire is naturally highest. Supper should be your smallest meal.
• Eat at regular times with your supper by 6pm.
• Eat only when hungry-skip breakfast or supper if you are not hungry--just don't snack to make up for it.   

Note--When we snack the body is always digesting. There is no call for the body to pull out the stored fat because it is never needed. In between meals is when we burn stored fat. (if you have hypoglycemia you will need to do what is best to take care of this).   

How you eat

• Slow down, relax, enjoy your meal.
• Be at peace when you eat.
• You will digest much better if you eat without watching TV, doing email or arguing.   

Note: If you relax when you eat you will not signal your body to store fat and thus you will digest and utilize the energy of what you are eating.  You will feel full when you have eaten enough food to nourish you.  

What to eat

• Eat more foods that are good for you rather than to restrict.
• Ayurveda recommends eating foods that are in season. In February this may be winter squashes, dried beans, nuts, grains, and seeds.   
• Eat warm cooked foods that are freshly prepared.  
• As soon as the spring greens break...go for them! Also when spring arrives go for early berries, asparagus, grapefruit.

Note: Check dosha balancing tips for more good foods for our current Vata season and the upcoming Kapha season in March. As you attend to when, how, and what you eat, pace yourself.  Do not strain to do them or your body will see the act of eating as a stressful emergency and store fat. 

 Weight Loss Tea  

Courtesy  The Joyful Belly:  http://www.joyfulbelly.com/

Ingredients:

1/16 tsp Cayenne pepper

1 C water

1/4 lemon

1 tsp honey

1/8 tsp apple cider vinegar 

Preparation:

Place ingredients in hot water and stir. Drink in the morning upon waking, a 1/2 hour before meals, or sip slowly after meals. You may use any type of vinegar although we prefer apple cider vinegar for taste.

ayurvedic notes

Lemon, honey, vinegar and cayenne form a classic, vivacious Ayurvedic blend to boost fat digestion and metabolism. A strong sour taste encourages the free flow of bile from your liver and gall bladder to your gut. After drinking Lemon & Spice tea, a warm sensation about the midriff will confirm these effects.