Obesity
Read this before you try next Diet Plan
In our last blog, we discussed about what is obesity. Now we will look into, how to manage obesity effectively. We see lots of advertisements around, titles ‘Home remedies’, diet plans, lose weight in a week and the list continues… Shall we try those? Which one do we have to follow? Will they work? Are they true? Here I am trying to throw some light into all these questions so that you could take care of your health in a better way.
It is quite a vast subject, and there are numerous beneficial materials available to read and follow. I recommend all of you read a book by Rujuta Diwekar – Don’t Lose Your Mind, Lose Your Weight. Whatever the author discusses in the book can be found in Ayurveda practice too. I feel the recommendations are genuine and authentic.
Obesity is a lifestyle dis-ease hence the solution to the problem lies in lifestyle correction only. Supplementary medication may be necessary and helpful at one point, but proper lifestyle correction can only yield a permanent solution.
While considering a lifestyle change, bear in mind that it is not bound to a schedule, or in other words, it is not a short-term plan. We are aware of so many things around us – politics, environmental changes, films, global warming. We know a lot about vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, and much more. What and How much do we know about ourselves? Which food is good for you, When to eat, How much to eat, How much water you need to drink, and When you have to drink? How the food you take works in your body? What good things it does and What bad things. How your body demands its needs from you? and how you could recognize those calls? Are you aware of all these basic things about yourself?
First and foremost you have to think about your body and understand its needs. The work we do, our living conditions, our surroundings, the place we live, our hereditary food habits, and things fundamental to our life. All these are unique to each individual, so we can’t come up with neither a common remedy nor a common diet plan. How could we deal with this? All you need is some simple and basic awareness, with which you explore yourself and tailor a diet plan exclusively for you. What I am trying here is to introduce you to that general awareness.
“Right food at right time in the right quantity & regular exercise are the essential factors for weight loss”
Seven days challenge, 10-day challenge, reduce 10kg, etc., Should we go behind all these advertisements? First of all, think about the diet you are about to follow, is that something you will be able to follow every day? What I meant is, how long will you be able to live healthy by just eating some fruits and vegetables? You may lose 7kg in a week by following a specific diet plan, but what happens after those seven days when you go back to your usual routine. Most of the time it will end up in gaining more weight than you lost. So it is better to understand and correct your lifestyle than following temporary unrealistic, unhealthy diets. You will be in better health with appropriate weight.
Now let’s discuss a few suggestions and facts which you could follow in daily life. These will not only help you reduce weight but gain health both physically and mentally.
- Take a glass of water preferably warm as first things in the morning
- Don’t drink tea/coffee, herbal teas, or green tea as first thing in the morning. It will subside digestive fire.
- Fruit as a meal is fine but avoid taking fruits soon after meals or as dinner. It is better to take it in the morning.
- Take the whole fruit, not as juice. When we juice fruit, oxidation will be faster and nutrients will get lost easily, so the whole fruit will be more nutritious.
- Stick to the food which is indigenous like Dosa, Idli in south India and Chapati, Dal, Rice etc in North India
- Don’t overeat. Follow the ⅓ – ⅓ – ⅓ rule, that is ⅓ food, ⅓ water, and ⅓ empty stomach, that is the quantity you should eat.
- Avoid taking artificial (Chemically made) sweeteners and food that has artificial ingredients. You have to put some effort to understand the ingredients in your food, which will be an eye-opener for sure.
- Try to avoid refrigerated food. Warm and freshly prepared food is always healthy.
- Include fat in the diet like ghee etc. For an energetic body and healthy heart functions, the right amount of fat is essential.
- Don’t use the phone or watch TV while eating
- Eat at least 2 or 3 hours before going to bed.
- Eat with all the senses. Enjoy the color, feel the smell, texture, and taste.
- Mindful eating is a must, then only we could avoid overeating
Learn about indigenous food grown and consumed and make it a habit to eat local food. Food that grows in a locality will be more connected to the season and climate of that place. Nature keeps that in perfect balance so that food which grows in a locality or available nearby – will be apt for maintaining healthy life of the living beings in that region, including human beings. The bottom line is food habits in one place won’t be suitable for a person living in another state or country.
Here is a simple diet plan outline which will serve as a guideline to craft yours, yourself.
- Morning
Try to be awake before sunrise
06.15 AM: A glass of plain water + 1 Banana/ Seasonal fruits available
07.00 AM: Exercise/ Walking 30 to 45 min (At least three times a week)
08.00 AM: Breakfast (Idli, Dosa, etc.) + Ghee + Tea (If you are used to it) - Midday
10.15 AM: Fruits/ Tender coconut - Noon
12.30 PM: Rice, Vegetables, Chapathi - Afternoon
02.30 PM: Yogurt, Buttermilk 1 cup - Evening
04.30 PM: Homemade laddu, Handful of Peanuts/ Dry fruits - Late Evening
06.30 PM: Dinner – Rice/Chapati – It is good to have an early dinner around 6.30 – 7 - Night
08.30 PM: One glass of warm milk (An hour before going to bed)
10.00 PM: Try to be asleep before 10
Importance of physical activity
Our body is made to do physical work, If we don’t use it properly it will end up as an unused rustic machine. The more we keep our body engaged the better our health will be. Today’s sedentary lifestyle demands proper exercise. Morning time is good for exercises. 30 – 45 minutes, at least 3 days a week will be sufficient. Proper exercise will help you keep a healthy young mind and body.
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