Can you imagine for a moment, if someone told you that there are over 207 million overweight or obese adolescents and over 650 million people worldwide?
Well, that’s the real scenario according to the latest statistics. Obesity can demote your overall quality of life. The word ‘Obese’ means having so much body fat that one’s health is in danger. From eating raw foods to packaged protein drinks, there seems to be a new fad diet that pops up every day and can be confusing. In this article, Dr Kausthub Desikachar shares everything you need to know about obesity and the most effective weight loss diet and immunity booster that works in 2021.
Obesity is not just an aesthetical concern. Too much body fat can lead to diabetes, heart problems, increased blood pressure, arthritis, sleep apnea, and stroke. It also leads to women-centric concerns like infertility, PCOS/PCOD, and erectile dysfunction in men.
How do you calculate Obesity?
According to western medical science, excessive body fat accumulated can be split into two categories which are overweight, and obesity. Calculating Body Mass Index, BMI, helps you to identify whether someone’s weight is healthy or dangerous to health. BMI is a unification of height and weight.
Click here to calculate your BMI.
If your BMI is below 18.5, you are underweight.
If your BMI is between 18.5-24.9, you have an ideal weight.
If your BMI is between 25.0-29.9, you are overweight.
If your BMI is 30.0 and higher, you are obese.
Now, that you know where your health holds, it is crucial to understand the causes of overweight or obesity.
Causes of Obesity
A person tends to become obese when the body consumes more calories than it burns. To make it simpler for you, overeating fat, especially sugars and not burning your calories, stores the surplus energy as fat by the body, leading to obesity. Although this could be a significant contributing factor, doctors now confess that obesity can also be caused due to hereditary, environmental, behavioural, social, and metabolic factors. Other factors that help in weight gain could be lack of sleep, stress, quitting smoking, and pregnancy.
Dr Kausthub Desikachar encourages you to reverse obesity by following the below pointers.
AYURVEDIC DIET
According to Yoga and Ayurveda, ‘Balance’ is the key that turns the world. Here, Kausthub refers to one such dietary pattern, known as the ‘sattvic’ diet. Sattva means pure, harmonious, and healthy. The Sattvic diet is rooted from the scriptures of Bhagavad Gita, over 5000 years ago. It is a high-fibre, low fat, vegetarian, and a balanced diet.
Okay, so you might think what the sattvic diet consists of?
Eating healthy is not complicated. Sattvic diet is all about eating wholesome, water-rich, plant-based foods. Consume more nutrient-dense foods like nuts, seeds, fresh produce of fruits, vegetables, sprouts, and whole grains. Avoid, or if unavoidable, reduce significantly, man-made foods like processed or packaged foods. Sattvic diet lowers your Body Mass Index, BMI, keeps your weight in check, and is the most effective healthy weight loss method. Not just that, by following a sattvic diet, you can also improve your immunity and overall health.
YOGA
Yoga for weight loss is a controversial topic. However, Dr Kausthub Desikachar says, Yoga, combined with healthy eating habits aids in healthy weight loss. Imparting Yoga poses in your lifestyle helps lose those extra pounds but has numerous other health benefits.
Yoga Asanas that improve metabolism helping in weight loss
· Variations of Mahamudra, Trikonasana, Jatharaparivrtti practised with retention after exhale
· Brahmana-asana-s done with retention after Inhale
· Asana-s with Jalandhara-bandha & Uddiyana-bandha
· Asana-s done with Krama
· Asana-s done with Brhmana mantra-s
· Surya Namaskara
To learn in-depth about these asana-s, check out “The Heart of Asana – A Comprehensive Manual of Classical Yoga Postures” written by Dr Kausthub Desikachar.
CONCLUSION
Dr Kausthub Desikachar concludes by saying, weight loss journey is an effortless task if you follow the sattvic diet and practice a few yogāsanas. He also recommends that you consult your Yoga mentor immediately so that you can quickly get on the path to good health. Yoga always requires individualization, so what solution will work for one, need not work for another. Hence we must consult our teacher to get a practice that is suitable for each of us.
Kausthub wishes all his readers’ much health and happiness.
Dr Kausthub Desikachar
Dr. Kausthub Desikachar is the successor and current lineage holder of the classical Viniyoga tradition of T Krishnamacharya & TKV Desikachar. He is an acclaimed yoga teacher, yoga therapist, healer and spiritual adviser. He is also an avid photographer, inspirational writer and poet.
Subscribe Now
Subscribe for blog updates on Poems, Photography, Health & Wellness, Spirituality & Culture and travel.