Causes of overweight include overeating, excessive eating of heavy or cold things, and oversleeping and lack of exercise. Other causes include hormone imbalance, emotional sentimentality, clinging, loss of love or low self-worth, insecurity, and poor digestion. Weight-reducing and appetite-suppressing drugs can weaken the digestion and increase air (thereby aggravating Vayu Dosha). When overweight causes poor digestion, nutrients are not absorbed. Even after eating, the body does not receive the nutrients. So it sends a message to the brain to eat again. Even still, the digestive fire is unable to extract nutrients from the food. Thus, a vicious cycle of eating and overeating develops (absorbing little or no nutrition).
Vayu: Sudden and fluctuating weight: (over, under, normal), variable hunger, eating lots of sugar to calm the nerves. Eating offers a feeling of security.
Vayu/Kapha: This constitution reflects a nervous mind and weak digestion.
Pitta: Overeating is their main cause because appetite is strong. There may be addiction to sugar and red meat. Weight develops muscle and flabbiness.
Kapha: This is the most common doßha that develops obesity, slow metabolism, easy weight gain,continuous appetite (addicted to eating), hypothyroid or other hormonal conditions that cause retention of weight, mainly water and fat retention, weak pancreas and kidneys, low pulse and energy, flabbiness, pallor, moist complexion and skin, excess phlegm or saliva, subcutaneous fat deposits and benign tumors may develop.
Herbal/Natural Therapies: General: A mild, long-term reducing plan is more natural than crash diets. Winter is not a good time to begin dieting because the cold can lower one’s resistance and body heat. Reducing or lightening therapy is needed, with a light diet, fasting, digestive (spicy) herbs, mild laxatives, and tonics like Triphala Guggulu (1 tab. 3 times daily) and Shilajit (1/2 gram twice daily). This reduces obesity in a few months. Brahmi calms the mind for conditions of excessive eating.
Vayu: Vayu-reducing herbs, diet, and lifestyle, complex carbohydrates (whole grains and starchy vegetables), avoidance of refined sugar, fewer hot spices and more sweet digestives like cardamom, coriander, brahmi, jatamansi, and ashwagandha calm the mind. Guggul helps cleanse and warm the body.
Pitta: Pitta-reducing foods, avoiding meat, fish, oily, greasy, or fried foods, sugars, and desserts. Raw salads, green herbs, and chlorophyll, digestive bitters and bitter laxatives are the best foods to reduce weight and counter sugar addiction. Herbs include aloe vera gel, turmeric, bhumi-amla.
Kapha: Kapha-reducing foods, avoiding refined sugars, salt, dairy, sweet fruit, bread, pastry, meat, fish, fruit juices, cold liquids, and oils. The best foods for digestion are sprouts: their enzymatic properties help digestion. Meals are eaten after 10:00 a.m. and before 6:00 p.m. Hot spices and fasting (if one is strong) help raise the metabolism. Spice teas, vegetable juices, steamed vegetables, beans, and whole grains are also advised. Suggestions include less sleep, no naps, and strong, aerobic exercise. Hot digestive herbs like black pepper, ginger, turmeric, and trikatu burn up fat and raise the digestive fire. Bitter herbs reduce fat and dry water. Bitters include myrrh, triphala, and guggul. Gokshura is a gentle diuretic. Shilajit helps the kidneys. brahmi is a useful nervine to calm the mind.
