In this blog, let us investigate the Ayurvedic diet for weight loss you should follow, based on your dosha. I will describe the tips you can follow to speed up your weight loss while also providing you with a list of foods to eat and avoid for optimum weight loss. Best of all, everything on the diet chart for weight loss will be 100% natural.
Ayurvedic Approach To Natural Weight Loss
Ayurved doesn’t have a one size fits all approach to weight loss. Instead, Ayurvedic doctors assess every person as a whole before prescribing a tailor-made diet plan for weight loss. The Ayurvedic practitioners perform a dosha test to find out your dominant dosha and provide you with the weight loss diet according to your dosha.
Click here to find out your dosha!
The simple way to look at your dosha is to consider it your dominating energy type. There are three dosha types which are based on the five elements, air, fire, water, earth, and space. Your body has all three dosha energies, but one is more prominent.
The Three Dosha Types:
- Vata dosha (Either and Air): Those with the Vata dosha are considered intense, creative, or expressive. Attributes associated with Vata include light, dry, rough, and cold.
- Pitta dosha (Fire and Water): Those with the Pitta dosha are considered joyful, driven, and intelligent. Attributes associated with Pitta include hot, sharp, mobile, and liquid.
- Kapha dosha (Earth and Water): Those with the Kapha dosha are considered loving, calm, or lethargic. Attributes associated with Kapha include heavy, soft, static, and moist.
With an Ayurvedic diet for weight loss, you can expect a basic guideline of mindful eating with a focus on the appropriate dosha-specific foods to eat. Do keep in mind that while you can experience weight loss with Ayurved, the right lifestyle practices, regular exercise, and mindful living can significantly boost your visible weight loss and improve overall health from the inside out.
Dosha-Based Weight Loss Diet
Vata Dosha Diet For Weight Loss
According to the science of Ayurved, those with Vata Dosha should have a diet plan with small, regular meals. These meals should be warm and include plenty of vegetables. This is because sweet and warm foods can help subdue Vata imbalance.
Drinking plenty of (preferably warm) water regularly can help those with Vata dosha. Coffee, tea, and soft drinks that contain stimulants should also be avoided as they can overstimulate the nervous system in Vatas.
Here is a list of foods to eat and foods to avoid if you have a Vata Dosha:
| Foods to eat for Vata dosha | Foods to avoid for Vata dosha |
| Coriander leaves | Split peas |
| Peanuts | Dried fruit |
| Dairy products | Turkey |
| Black pepper | Lamb |
| Eggs | Barley |
| Rice and other grains | Potatoes |
| Red lentils | Corn |
| Sesame oil/ghee | Chickpeas |
| Chia or flax seeds | Yoghurt |
| Sweet fruit like cherries | Raw, frozen, or dried vegetables |
| Vinegar | Red wine |
| Beef | Raw apples and watermelon |
| Cooked vegetables | Chocolate |
| Fish | |
| White wine or beer |
Pitta Dosha Diet For Weight Loss
Pittas are said to have a strong digestive system that can digest almost any food. That said, to maintain the right dosha balance, pungent, salty, or sour foods should be eaten in moderation.
Those with a predominant Pitta dosha should always take care of keeping their doshas balanced. This means regular food intake, especially for those with cooling properties.
Here is a list of foods to eat and foods to avoid if you have a Pitta Dosha:
| Foods to eat for Pitta dosha | Foods to avoid for Pitta dosha |
| Raisins | Bread (with yeast) |
| Unsalted butter | Brown rice |
| Bitter or sweet vegetables like cauliflower or broccoli | Chilli pepper |
| Coconut | Rye |
| Watermelon | soy sauce |
| Dry cereal | Salted butter |
| Dry white wine | Sour fruits |
| Almonds | Red or sweet wine |
| Pasta | Apricots |
| Beer | Avocado |
| Black beans | Pungent vegetables (like onions) |
| Egg whites | Sour cream |
| Chicken | Chicken (dark meat) |
| Chocolate | |
| Beef | |
| Spinach | |
| Seafood (excluding prawns) |
Kapha Dosha Diet For Weight Loss
Those with Kapha dosha have a slow-acting metabolism which means they should eat warm, cooked meals that are easy to digest. Foods that are bitter or pungent can help reduce Kapha while promoting digestion. Warm lemon and honey water is a great way to start the morning for Kaphas since it boosts digestion naturally.
Unlike other doshas, people with Kapha dosha should not eat more than three meals with the biggest one being lunch. According to Ayurved, snacking should be avoided, and you should eat less than you think you need to satisfy your satiety.
Here is a list of foods to eat and foods to avoid if you have a Kapha Dosha:
| Foods to eat for Kapha dosha | Foods to avoid for Kapha dosha |
| Paneer | Duck |
| Dry red or white wine | Sweet/juicy vegetables like cucumber |
| Astringent fruit like prunes | Sweet or sour fruits like grapefruit |
| Lima beans | Freshwater fish |
| Granola | Pasta |
| Prawns | Rice |
| Turkey | Kidney beans |
| Buttermilk | Wheat |
| Carrots | Tofu |
| Chilli | Cooked oats |
| Chocolate | |
| Hard alcohol | |
| Soft or hard cheese | |
| Ketchup | |
| Pancakes |
Mindful Eating For The Faster Weight Loss With Ayurved
Regardless of your dosha, there are some basic tips for Ayurvedic diet for weight loss when it comes to eating mindfully that you should follow.
Principles for mindful eating, according to Ayurved:
- Each meal should have all six tastes (Rasas) – sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent.
- Follow the right eating order – Start your meal with sweet-tasting food like fruits. Follow this with salty and sour foods. Finish your meal with pungent, bitter, and astringent foods.
- Focus on your food and eat mindfully – Enjoy and appreciate every bite while avoiding distractions like your phone, talking, or laughing.
- Eat at the right pace – Eat slowly enough that you can enjoy the food while eating fast enough to avoid eating cold food.
- Don’t overeat – Your body will give you signals to indicate your satiety. So, be alert to these signs and stop eating before you end up overeating.
- Eat at the right intervals – Ayurved suggests you avoid eating anything within three hours of your last meal while avoiding not eating anything for longer than six hours.
- Don’t eat breakfast like a king – Ayurvedic guidelines suggest eating a light breakfast followed by a filling lunch. When it comes to dinner, you can decide on how much you eat based on your satiety levels.
Pros And Cons Of Ayurvedic Weight Loss Diet
Here is a list of pros and cons of picking a diet plan for weight loss based on Ayurved:
| Pros of Ayurvedic diet for weight loss | Cons of Ayurvedic diet for weight loss |
| Promotes mindful eating | Identifying your dosha may be difficult |
| Helps promote holistic weight loss | Some rules can be difficult to follow |
| Focuses on whole foods | Takes time to show results |
| Supports general wellness | |
| Diets are sustainable for long-term goals |
How To Speed Up Weight Loss With Ayurved?
Ayurved isn’t just doshas, diet, and foods, it also incorporates the use of herbs to balance your doshas for a holistic approach to healthy living.
One of the most potent weight loss formulations in Ayurved is Medohar Guggul. This formulation blends 10 powerful weight loss herbs, including Guggul, Musta, and Triphala. It works by promoting your fat metabolism which helps burn off your excess body fat to provide natural weight loss.
Pippali and Methi are also used for their fat-burning properties. Pippali works to help rid the body of fatty toxins while supporting healthy metabolic rates. Methi promotes satiety, helping you feel full and avoid overeating.
These herbs along with other hand-picked Ayurvedic ingredients are used in Herboslim to provide an Ayurvedic boost for your weight loss. Dr. Vaidya’s Herboslim is the right balance of Ayurved and new age science with the sole focus of providing you with a way to maximize your gains from your diet for weight loss.
You can buy Herboslim for just Rs. 250 from Dr. Vaidya’s online Ayurvedic store.