Ayurveda and Weight Loss

Ayurveda and Weight Loss

The Weight-Control Information Network, an information service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, estimates that approximately two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight and that almost one-third of these people are obese. The prevalence towards being overweight or obese has steadily increased among Americans over the past forty years. This increase has been wide ranging, including both genders, all ages, races, ethnic groups, and educational levels. Between 1960 and 2004, the number of overweight adults increased from 44.8 percent to 66 percent. The number of obese adults increased from 13.3 percent to 32.1 percent, with the majority of this increase occurring after 1980 (The Weight-Control Network 2008).
George L. Blackburn, M.D., Ph.D., the S. Daniel Abraham Chair in Nutrition Medicine at Harvard Medical School, estimates in his introduction to the Federal Trade Commission’s 2002 report, “Weight-Loss Advertising: An Analysis of Current Trends,” that in the year 2000, Americans spent roughly thirty five billion dollars on weight loss products or services. At any given time, almost seventy million Americans are trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain (Blackburn 2002, v). The Federal Trade Commission report goes on to state that sales at the nation’s eight largest weight loss chains topped 788 million dollars in 2000, and that same year, sales of dietary weight loss supplements from retail outlets alone were in the range of 279 million dollars (Cleland et al 2002, 2).
Americans are becoming increasingly desperate to lose weight, and both marketers and manufacturers have found great profit potential in attempting to meet this need. Since 1992, the number of ads for weight loss products in mainstream publications has increased by 129 percent while the number of weight loss products had increased by 157 percent. According to a sample study done by the Federal Trade Commission, approximately forty percent of these ads contain promises that are almost certainly false, while fifty-five percent contain promises that are likely false (Cleland et al 2002, 21). Americans continue to search for a painless, effortless way to maintain a healthy body weight despite the fact that the Federal Trade Commission has concluded that “almost all weight loss experts agree that the key to long term weight management lies in permanent lifestyle changes that include, among other things, a nutritious diet at a moderate caloric level and regular physical exercise” (Cleland et al 2002, 1). In short, there is no magic bullet or single solution to maintain healthy weight. Healthy weight is a reflection of a healthy lifestyle that is a multi-faceted undertaking. It must involve an individual’s entire being. This does not, however, have to be a painful or unpleasant undertaking, and this is how the ancient philosophy of Ayurveda can help Americans to maintain healthy body weight.
Ayurveda is a philosophy and a system of healing that has its roots in ancient India. Ayurvedic philosophy is based on the Shad Darshan, which was developed by ancient sages from the scriptures of India. These scriptures are known as the Vedas and are among the oldest bodies of written knowledge in the world (Lad 2002, 1-3). The Vedas also contain the basis for Hindu religion, but one does not need to embrace the Hindu religion in order to use the principles of Ayurveda in order to maintain healthy body weight. According to Dr. Vasant Lad, founder of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico, “Ayurveda is a medical science and its purpose is to heal and to maintain the quality and longevity of life…There is no concept of specialization in Ayurveda, as there is in Western medicine. Ayurveda treats the whole person, not just the organ or system involved” (Lad 2002, 1, 2). Neither does one need to accept on faith the notion that what occurs in the mind affects the body and vise versa, because medical research continues to compile evidence to prove that this relationship between the body and the mind is real.
One recent study by Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer brought sharply into focus the effect the mind and an individual’s perception of reality can have on the individual’s body and on that individual’s ability to lose weight. Dr. Langer decided to study how much of an effect the perception of exercise has on how the body actually responds to the effort. In order to do this, Dr. Langer decided to study hotel maids. These women spend the majority of their day engaged in fairly strenuous physical activity. What Dr. Langer discovered, though, was that these women did not see themselves as physically active. Sixty-seven percent reported that they did not exercise. More than one-third reported that they did not get any exercise at all. What was even stranger was that these women’s bodies reflected their perceptions. Their bodies did not seem to be benefitting from the exercise these women were experiencing on a daily basis. In fact, when Langer measured the women’s health indicators, all the indicators matched the perceived amount of exercise as opposed to the actual amount of exercise these women were experiencing (Spiegel 2008).
Dr. Langer then divided the women into two groups. The first group was given insight into how the tasks they already engaged in each day benefited their bodies and approximately how many calories each of those tasks used. These women were also told that they were already getting enough exercise each day to meet the surgeon general’s definition of an active lifestyle. The second group was given no information at all. One month later, Langer returned to re-measure the health indicators in both groups and was surprised to learn that in the first group, there was a decrease in their weight, their waist to hip ratio, and a ten percent drop in blood pressure (Spiegel 2008).
These findings would be of no surprise to either the student or the teacher of Ayurveda. Dr. Robert E. Svoboda has stated, “Health is a harmony of body, mind, and spirit…Whatever affects the body, affects the mind and vice versa” (Svoboda 2003, 3, 5). One can not expect to maintain a healthy body weight if one is living a life that is laden with stress and full of unhealthy choices, and one is feeling miserable most of the time. Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev, in his speech at the tenth annual convocation of the Symbiosis Center for Management and Human Resource Development in Pune, India, stated:
Anywhere you go today; people are talking about “stress management,” especially a few years ago when I first went to the United States, wherever I went people were talking about “stress management.” I could not understand why anyone would want to manage his stress. I can understand you want to manage your business, your finances, your family, your property, whatever, but why would you want to manage your stress? It took me a while to realize that these people have come to the conclusion that there is no other way to live. Somehow people have come to the conclusion that, if you do things in the world, you’re bound to be stress[ed]” (Vasudev 2008, 57)

Ayurveda: A Literature Review

The literature concerning the study of Ayurveda is wide ranging in its degree of complexity and orthodoxy. Ayurveda has become a bit of a buzz word in the popular media and in marketing in the last few years. Recently, popular publications such as Body and Soul magazine have featured articles concerning how to incorporate Ayurveda into both exercise and weight loss regimes (Hanley 2008, 125; Ottaway 2007). The Today Show on NBC recently produced a series of segments entitled “Alternative Treatments,” and discussed the use of Ayurveda for chronic conditions with Dr. Deepak Chopra and neurologist Dr. David Simon (The Today Show 2008). Part of the popular appeal of Ayurveda is its recognition of each person as an individual with specific traits and tendencies which may or may not reflect the normal or average tendencies. Ayurveda recognizes three basic mind/body types – vata, pitta, or kapha – of which an individual will have a dominant and most likely a secondary type. Ayurveda teaches that one’s mind/body type influences everything from one’s basic personality traits to what types of food and exercise will be the most effective for maintaining health (Chopra 2000, 36-37). While this may seem a bit esoteric at first glance, it is very similar in concept to the Western notion of ectomorphic, endomorphic, and mesomorphic body types. Ayurveda simply takes this notion to a more holistic level.
At the other end of the spectrum in Ayurvedic literature are the writings and teachings of Ayurvedic doctors such as Dr. Vasant Lad and Dr. Robert E. Svoboda. Both of these doctors are practicing Hindus and see Ayurveda not only as a means to health but as a vital component in the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. Dr. Vasant Lad is the author of The Textbook of Ayurveda: Fundamental Principles (2002), The Textbook of Ayurveda: A Complete Guide to Clinical Assessment (2006), The Secrets of the Pulse: The Ancient Art of Ayurvedic Pulse Diagnosis (2006), The Complete Book of Ayurvedic Home Remedies (1998), and Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing (2006). Dr. Lad is also the founder of The Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico as well as an accomplished artist and poet. Dr. Robert E. Svoboda is a professor at the Ayurvedic Institute with Dr. Lad, and Dr. Svoboda is the first Westerner to ever graduate from a college of Ayurveda in India and be licensed to practice in India. He is the author of The Hidden Secrets of Ayurveda (2002), as well as Ayurveda: Life, Health, and Longevity (2004), Ayurveda for Women: A Guide to Vitality and Health (2000), and Lessons and Lectures on Ayurveda (2003). While both of these doctors are clearly experts in their field and devoted to Ayurveda, the depth of their material as well as the spiritual undertones of the material may prove to be overwhelming to the American who is previously unexposed to Ayurveda and is simply looking for answers that will help him or her maintain a healthy body weight through manageable daily practices.
Perhaps the most cited and accessible expert on the subject of Ayurveda and its application in the United States today is Dr. Deepak Chopra. Dr. Chopra has written and spoken extensively on the subject of Ayurveda and maintaining a healthy body weight. Most importantly, he has produced works with varying degrees of practical and theoretical material so that the American who is simply looking for a plan to enable him or her to eat more healthfully may have his or her needs met, as well as the American who feels in need of a complete lifestyle makeover.
The most basic of these works, The Chopra Center Cookbook: Nourishing Body and Soul (2002), is co-authored with neurologist Dr. David Simon and Leanne Backer. This book introduces the basic concepts of utilizing the six tastes classification system used by Ayurveda (foods being sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent) and the need to have all six of these tastes represented at a meal at least once a day in order to avoid unnatural and unhealthy food cravings (Chopra et al 2002, 10-12). This book also introduces the concept of mindful eating – that is being aware of the sensual experience of eating and enjoying it. According to Ayurveda, the problem is not that an individual eats a piece of chocolate cake after dinner; the problem is that the individual eats the cake and is unaware and not focused on the experience. Therefore, the individual is unsatisfied and more than likely reaches for a second piece of cake in order to feel satisfied (Chopra et al 2002, 12, 15-18).
Dr. Chopra’s book Grow Younger, Live Longer: Ten Steps to Reverse Aging (2001), also co-authored with Dr. Simon, takes the concepts of Ayurveda to the next level and introduces the ideas of mind/body types, the importance of perceptions, the use of meditation to increase mindful living, the importance of restful sleep, and the importance of eliminating toxins (both physical and emotional) from one’s life. This book also gives a basic explanation of the mind/body connection that is the basis of Ayurvedic philosophy in easily understandable Western medical terms:
Mind and body are intimately interconnected. Your body is composed of physiological systems, organs, and tissues, but at its basis is a collection of molecules. Your mind is composed of ideas and beliefs, memories and desires, but is essentially a collection of thoughts. Your body is a molecular field; your mind is a thought field. Giving rise to both your field of molecules and your field of thought is an underlying field of consciousness, which is the source of both your mind and body. Every time you have a thought you precipitate a molecule in your nervous system that influences the other molecules throughout your body (Chopra et al 2001, 109).
Americans will also find it reassuring that Dr. Chopra does not reject Western medicine, stating in his January 25, 2008 appearance on the Today Show that,“ Ayurveda works in conjunction with [Western medicine]. Western medicine is very good for treating acute conditions – if you have pneumonia, you better take an antibiotic. If you break your leg, see an orthopedic surgeon; but for many chronic conditions, it [Ayurveda] can be used by itself or in conjunction with pharmaceuticals” (The Today Show 2008). For most Americans, maintaining a healthy body weight is definitely a chronic condition as it is a life-long challenge.
A more advanced offering from Dr. Chopra on the subject of Ayurveda includes: Perfect Health: The Complete Mind Body Guide (2000). This book broaches the concepts with the use of more Ayurvedic terminology and discusses the idea of raising one’s consciousness in order to live a more fulfilled life. Perhaps the most interesting concept to most Americans introduced in this book will be the Ayurvedic concept of healthy exercise, which is in direct conflict with the basic Western notion of “no pain, no gain”:
Since life is generally meant to be comfortable and happy, Ayurveda views exercise as a means to that end. It holds that exercise should leave you ready for work. Exercise shouldn’t be work itself. If you get one benefit from Ayurveda’s approach to exercise, it should be that “no pain, no gain” is a myth…How much is enough then? As a general rule, Ayurveda wants us to exercise to 50 percent of maximum capacity. If you can bicycle for ten miles, go for five; if you can swim twenty laps, make it ten. These lower limits are not detrimental to fitness; in fact they make exercise more efficient, because you are not giving your body so much repair work to do afterwards, and your cardiovascular system will have an easier time returning to normal after your workout (Chopra 2000, 319).
More importantly, this gentle attitude is encouraging as opposed to discouraging to the individual who is attempting to build and maintain a life long habit.

Conclusion

Ayurveda is the Sanskrit word which means “Knowledge of Life” (Svoboda 2002, 10). Ayurveda dates back more than 5000 years as Indian sages began to compile this information many centuries before the construction of the Pyramids in Egypt (Chopra 2000, 11). Although Ayurveda is based in Indian Vedic scriptures, which are also the basis for the Hindu religion, one does not need to embrace Hinduism in order to implement the practical advice Ayurveda has to offer on the subject of maintaining a healthy body weight.
The first of these practical solutions would be to determine one’s mind/body type. Questionnaires are readily available online at both www.chopra.com and at www.ayurveda.com as well as other websites. Once an individual has made this preliminary distinction, he or she will find it easier to sort through the dietary and exercise options available and find the most rewarding scenario. Secondly, the individual should begin to practice eating awareness, such as not eating when upset, eating only when hungry, experiencing all six tastes at least one meal each day, eating freshly cooked, high quality food whenever possible, becoming aware of the speed at which one is eating, and what it feels like to be hungry or comfortably full. It is important not to use Ayurvedic knowledge of food to become obsessive about diet. As Dr. Chopra states, “…don’t get caught up in the details of whether food is too hot, too cold, too heavy or too light, too oily or too dry…This is not the way of self-knowledge” (Chopra 2000, 121).
Thirdly, the individual should find some type of exercise that is rewarding and relaxing. Once the individual has determined his or her mind/body type, he or she will have several suggested exercise options to explore. For example, a Vata body type tends to crave motion and might enjoy a fast-paced activity such as tennis. The Pitta body type tends to have high endurance and might enjoy long distance running. The Kapha body type tends to be more sedentary and will respond better to exercise of a more gentle nature, such a yoga or tai chi (Hanley 2008).
All body types benefit from walking outdoors and experiencing nature, which encourages the final component of an Ayurvedic plan for maintaining a healthy body weight, and that component is restful sleep. Studies have shown that if an individual does not achieve adequate and restful sleep, not only is the individual more prone to weakened mental and physical health, minor and major accidents, but the individual’s very immune cells do not function well for the next twenty-four hours (Chopra et al 2001, 51). While additional suggestions for restful sleep include warm milk, a warm bath, and meditation, many times sleep quality will increase with adjustment of dietary and exercise principles (Lad 1998, 211-212).
All in all, Ayurveda presents Americans with a reasonable and more importantly, a sustainable option in their continued struggle with maintaining a healthy body weight. Once the basic premises have been embraced, increased energy and a greater feeling of well-being make adopting this plan an attractive long term option for most individuals. Also, because Ayurveda takes a gentle, evolutionary approach to lifestyle change as opposed to the violent upheaval taken by fad diets and exercise extremists, the individual is less likely to experience low energy, moodiness, sickness or injury and therefore be encouraged to stick with the Ayurvedic plan. With the gentle, evolutionary approach to health, failure is not an option because with each new day, there is a new opportunity for success.

Reference List

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