A few weeks ago I wrote on the subject of losing weight. In particular, I talked about how to drop it by chewing your food well. Some expressed their skepticism when they read the article, but many of them wrote to me in the last couple of weeks reporting that they lost weight by chewing their food properly. Each one of them expressed their disbelief at this simple method that worked. They lost anywhere between four and ten pounds within the first four weeks.

Most notably, a reader who is also a physician and a regular visitor to the ashram began recommending it to his patients. He closely tracked his patients over a six-week period and was surprised to discover that sixty percent of them lost an average of six pounds just by chewing their food well. I told him that the forty percent who didn’t lose weight must be the ones who didn’t follow the instructions. Because: it’s impossible for an overweight person to not lose weight by chewing their food well. It may only be a few pounds but it can’t be without results.

The readers who did lose weight have been prodding me to write more on the subject matter. Therefore, let me share with you two important tips. Once again, not only will it help you lose weight but also in gaining better fitness. And once again, it’s so simple that it’s almost unbelievable but try it to see the results for yourself.

Eat four hours before going to sleep

The ideal time to eat your evening meal is four hours before you hit the sack. It is always best to go to bed on an empty stomach. If you can’t fall asleep when hungry then you can have a light healthy snack, like an apple or any other fresh fruit, an hour before you go to bed. Ayurvedic scriptures strongly recommend against eating any heavy meal after sunset. And, there’s a good reason for it. As night approaches, your body’s metabolic rate slows down. Further, when you eat just before going to sleep, your pancreas secretes large amounts of insulin. And, insulin has a peculiar property: no matter whether you eat carbs or proteins, insulin breaks down everything into fat. Eating late or just before sleeping adds to body fat even if you are not eating anything fattening per se.

As your metabolic rate slows down towards the evening, when you eat late at night, undigested food sits in your stomach producing toxins. This creates a highly acidic environment inside your body. And, an acidic body ages faster and falls ill more frequently. Such a body is the perfect breeding ground for ailments of all forms.

Drink water thirty minutes before your meal

Drinking water should be avoided immediately after food because it dilutes the digestive acid making it harder for the body to digest your food. Medically speaking, calorie consumption is at the peak rate 30 minutes after you drink water. Ayurveda also states that it’s best to drink water before your meal and only in a moderate quantity during your meal and no more than a cup after your meal.

Further, I can’t stress enough the importance of drinking good and clean water. No matter where you live, tap water, while it may be clean, is rarely fit for drinking. It’s heavily chlorinated and therefore oxidized. Soft water is the best thing you can offer your stomach. It aids digestion like no other agent. Pure water, or water purified properly, without any chemicals is best for drinking. If you choose to buy a water purifier for your home, go for the best that’s available out there. It’s an investment that’ll pay you back manifold.

There are a myriad of methods to lose weight, but with a majority of them you gain your weight back soon after losing it. The natural methods of losing weight are evergreen. Chewing your food well, sleeping on an empty stomach and drinking water before your meal are three such ways. More to come.

Be mindful of what, how and how much you eat and drink. Eat mindfully, live mindfully, speak mindfully.

Peace.
Swami