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Lose Weight in a Natural
Way and Keep It Off
by Jocelyne Comtois
The increasing number of obese people is a health care concern that affects adults
and children in all socio-economic groups. The Centers for Disease Prevention and
Control estimates that 65 percent of the American public is obese or overweight.
This serious health concern now rivals smoking as the leading cause of preventable
death in the United States. The fatter we get, the higher our risk of diabetes, stroke,
heart disease, breast cancer, arthritis, hypertension, gallstones and other diseases.
The Raj, America's premier Ayurveda health spa, in Vedic City, Iowa, is reporting
significant and long term success with its Ayurvedic approach to weight loss.
Americans spend about $30 billion each year on weight-loss products and services.
Many weight loss programs try to suppress the appetite, which often compromises digestion.
The food consumed is not digested or metabolized properly and the body does not receive
proper nourishment. This can result in the cravings that lead to binge eating and
further weight gain.
Additionally, poor digestion results in the creation of toxins in the form of a sticky,
noxious residue that gradually clogs up the cells. This waste material impairs cellular
functions and accelerates aging. It can also cause lethargy, fatigue, dullness, erratic
eating habits and compulsive eating. National Institutes of Health and other studies
show that 98 percent of people who lose weight gain it back within five years, and
90 percent of those gain back more weight than they lost.
The Raj Weight Loss Program is a supervised, in-residence program of individualized
treatments, Ayurveda herbs and drinks, diet and daily exercise to stimulate the digestive
power (agni), increase the natural metabolic rate of the body, and improve circulation,
thus speeding the passage of toxins through the body.
How does The Raj Weight Loss Program work? According to Maharishi Ayur-Veda (the
most recent, authentic revival of Ayurveda of a 6,000-year-old tradition of natural
medicine), a weight imbalance is not simply a problem of weight. It represents a
deeper physiological imbalance caused by an accumulation of toxins in the cellular
tissues. The Raj weight loss program focuses on this most subtle level to overcome
the imbalance. When in balance, the body adjusts to its ideal weight.
Factors causing obesity
The principle contributors to obesity are thought to be overeating and a lack of
physical activity. Genetic predisposition, carbohydrate craving and weight cycling
may also cause obesity. Because the obesity epidemic occurred rapidly, environmental
causes, rather than genetic factors, may be largely responsible.
In our daily lives, we are exposed to tens of thousands of chemicals in the forms
of pesticides, flavorings, dyes, pigments, medicines and plastics. Many of these
substances are known to damage the mechanisms involved in weight control. Many of
the chemicals better known for causing weight loss at high levels of exposure actually
have powerful weight-promoting actions at lower concentrations. This property has
already been widely exploited commercially by the agricultural community to produce
growth hormones that fatten livestock and pharmaceuticals that induce weight gain
in grossly underweight patients.
The National Institutes of Health says the key to successful weight loss is thinking
of it as a lifestyle change. However, 24 percent of Americans report being confused
about what constitutes a healthy diet.
How can I lose weight and keep it off? How can I stay on a diet and see it through?
Dr. Lonsdorf, health director at The Raj explains: "Often guests come to The
Raj for help with weight loss after months of unsuccessful dieting. Although they
are consuming fewer calories than before, they are not losing any weight. Slow metabolism
due to accumulation of toxins (ama) in the fat tissue is nearly always the cause.
How well the body handles consumed calories is key, and that is determined by how
much ama is present. Fortunately, this problem can usually be overcome by simple
adjustments in diet and the addition of spices and supportive herbal food supplements,
and most especially, the Ayurvedic purification treatments offered here at The Raj."
A simple solution
The Maharishi Ayur-Veda approach to weight loss gets to the root of the problem by
balancing fat and carbohydrate metabolism. This allows the body to break down stores
of fat to create more energy, slows down the digestion of carbohydrates to eliminate
craving, and it simultaneously promotes a healthy appetite so the body receives all
the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and balanced. The purpose of this weight loss
program is to clear the body's microcirculatory channels of wastes and residues and
to re-establish balanced digestion and cellular metabolism.
The individualized Raj approach combines physical purification treatments with a
prescribed diet, exercise plan, and herbal drinks and supplements to nourish the
body, while re-establishing proper digestion and metabolism. While this is not a
fast approach to shedding pounds, it is a holistic one from which you will see satisfying
and lasting results over a period of months.
Dr. Borger from Indiana, a physician with a large family practice, was always blessed
with nearly perfect health. After 20 years in medical practice, a growing weight
problem took its toll. At nearly 5'11," the doctor ballooned from 165 to 298
pounds. When he found out that he was diabetic with sky-high blood sugar, Dr. Borger
took action.
"I know from experience that diet, medicine, and exercise can only help so much,"
he said. "For me, it was not enough to significantly lower my blood sugar."
That was when he booked a three-day evaluation and treatment program at The Raj.
" I learned so much while I was at The Raj. I benefited from the therapy that
I received, but the knowledge that I gained will last a lifetime."
How did this affect Dr. Borger's diabetes?
Today Dr. Borger takes no medicine and has completely normal laboratory studies,
including long and short-term measures of blood sugar. Does this mean that Dr. Borger
is no longer diabetic?
"No, not at all," he said. "I will always watch my diet and weight
and I have to exercise. But I will say that the help that I received at The Raj made
it possible for me to regain my health. For this I will always be grateful."
The weight loss program at The Raj is a minimum of eight days, in-residence with
an ideal stay of 21 days.
The in-residence program includes the following:
´ Evaluation of your body-type and personal health needs by a health consultant trained
in Maharishi Ayur-Veda.
´ Purification and rejuvenation treatments related to weight reduction and specialized
herbal supplements prescribed according to individual body-type and health needs.
´ An exercise assessment conducted on an individual basis to establish personal exercise
goals.
´ Training in Yoga asanas and breathing exercises.
´ A personalized diet and daily routine based on your individual mind-body system.
´ Cooking classes, menu planning, and live health lectures in the Maharishi Ayur-Veda
approach to healthy digestion.
´ Seminars and question-and-answer sessions on weight loss conducted by experts trained
in Maharishi Ayur-Veda.
´ Optional stress reduction program with Transcendental Meditation.
Your appropriate weight
The first issue to address is the realization that there are different healthy weights
for different people. Understanding body types or psycho-physiological constitutions
is fundamental to Ayurveda. Through its description of ectomorph, endomorph and mesomorph
physiques, modern medicine also has touched on the reality that different people
by nature have different builds.
Heavily built individuals are healthy at weights that would be unhealthy for individuals
with much smaller bone structure.
According to Ayurveda, the body is governed by three fundamental biological principles,
or doshas, that control all of the body's functions. These doshas are: Vata, which
regulates movement; Pitta, which regulates metabolism; and Kapha, which regulates
structure. All three doshas work together. One's individual mind/body type is determined
by the natural predominance of one or more of these doshas in the body.
During the initial Ayurvedic consultation at The Raj, the Ayurveda health consultant
determines the body type, describes its characteristics when balanced, and explains
the weight that is healthy for one's height and build. The understanding of one's
body type is important. Often body-size images favorably portrayed in the media are
not natural or healthy for individuals who have a heavier physique by nature.
In The Raj Weight Loss Program, initial weight reduction is supported and enhanced
by herbal drinks and preparations that help transform the digestion and metabolism
toward a more normal, balanced functioning. The most effective means of achieving
permanent weight reduction is a combination of three steps: removing existing toxins
(ama), restoring balance of the doshas, and re-establishing proper digestion and
metabolism. Under the careful supervision of Ayurveda health experts, The Raj Weight
Loss Program offers these three approaches in a powerful, deeply transforming program
and demonstrates, once again, the profundity and effectiveness of Maharishi Ayur-Veda's
approach to health and well-being.
Jocelyne Comtois is the director of Marketing and Expansion at The Raj Ayurveda
Health Spa, Vedic City, Iowa. For the past 25 years, she has been enjoying the benefits
of Ayurveda in her life and has been successful in maintaining the ideal weight for
her body type. For more information about The Raj Weight Loss Program, call 1 (800)
248-9050 or visit www.theraj.com
Copyright © 2005 The Raj. All rights reserved. |
| June 2005 |
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