Indian Diet to Lose Weight

Diets in India have traditionally been healthier than the standard American diet. Indian diets tend to be overwhelmingly vegetarian, with little processed food and an emphasis on home-cooked meals filled with dairy, rice, whole wheat breads and vegetables. If you need to lose weight (and, according the United States Center for Disease Control, most American adults do), there are ways to incorporate the practices of Indian ways of eating for a slimmer, healthier you--not to mention that Indian food is also quite delicious.

Spice, not Oil

• One method used in Indian food that will aid you in losing weight is the use of spices to add flavor to food as opposed to oil. Indian food is often steamed or cooked in water rather than fried. You can use spices in your food without necessarily making it hot. Spices taste good and help to make you feel more satisfied while you eat, leading to you eating less. Some spices are also known for their helpful digestive properties, like fennel seeds, cardamom and cloves.

High Fiber

• Another aspect of the Indian diet which helps weight loss is the inclusion of plenty of legumes, beans and grains. Eating a natural high-fiber diet makes you feel more full during meals and less inclined to overeat. These high-fiber, high-vitamin meals also let your body gain more nutrients, which in turn will result in it being able to burn fat more efficiently.

Ayurveda

• Ayurveda is a system of traditional Indian medicine going back for centuries. Understanding everything about Ayurveda can be quite complicated, but the root of Ayurveda, like macrobiotics and traditional Chinese medicine, is harmony. Extremes should be avoided in diet, as in everything else. There are also some Ayurvedic diet tips used specifically to lose weight and fight obesity.

  One common remedy for weight gain is drinking the juice of half a lemon and 1 tsp. of honey in a glass of warm water in the mornings. Honey helps fat to be flushed out and used as a source of energy. Lemon in tea and regularly consuming carrot juice are also thought to help lose weight.

  Bitter vegetables aid in weight loss. Cabbage, consumed either raw or cooked, slows down the conversion of carbohydrates into sugar and fat, and is also low-fat and full of nutrients itself, so regularly eating cabbage also helps you to lose weight. Mint has fat-burning properties, so teas of mint or mint chutneys can also be taken for weight loss.