Maintaining an ideal body weight is crucial for overall health and well-being. It plays a key role in preventing chronic diseases and promoting optimal physical and mental function. An ideal body weight reflects a balance between muscle mass, fat levels, and bone density. Healthy body weight contributes to healthy metabolism, proper organ function, and energy balance. Psychologically, an ideal body weight fosters self-confidence, mental clarity, and emotional balance.
Both overweight and underweight can be a problem in their own way. While being overweight increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, joint problems, etc, being underweight can be linked to low immunity, bone/muscle loss, and fatigue. Being underweight is also linked to anemia, fertility issues, and mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders.
In both modern medicine and holistic approaches like Ayurveda, maintaining an ideal weight aligns with maintaining harmony within the body, leading to longevity, vitality, and improved quality of life. Ayurveda guides us to lead a balanced and healthy life there by maintaining a healthy weight. Healthy weight gain through Ayurveda focuses on nourishing the body with wholesome foods, balancing the doshas, and enhancing digestive strength. The goal is to gain weight in a sustainable and balanced manner by building muscle mass and increasing vitality, rather than merely adding fat. Let us discuss what are the secrets to healthy weight gain:
1. Enhance Digestion (Agni)
Enhancing Agni (digestive fire) is crucial for healthy weight gain in Ayurveda. A strong Agni ensures efficient digestion, absorption, and assimilation of nutrients, allowing the body to build tissue and gain weight in a balanced way. When Agni is weak, food is not properly digested, leading to malabsorption and an inability to gain weight. To boost Agni, Ayurveda recommends consuming warm, cooked foods, along with digestive spices like ginger, black pepper, cumin, coriander seeds, and fennel.
Eating regular meals, avoiding cold or raw foods, and drinking warm water throughout the day also help strengthen Agni. Additionally, incorporating herbs like Pippali and Triphala supports digestion and detoxification, promoting healthy weight gain by allowing the body to fully absorb nutrients and build strength. A well-functioning Agni is the foundation for nourishing the body, supporting metabolism, and achieving sustainable weight gain.
2. Herbal remedies
Ayurveda offers a variety of herbal remedies to promote healthy weight gain by enhancing digestion, building muscle mass, and improving overall vitality. Key herbs like Ashwagandha, a powerful adaptogen, help boost strength and stamina, supporting muscle growth and weight gain. Shatavari is another rejuvenating herb that nourishes tissues and balances hormones, making it effective for both men and women in promoting healthy weight. Vidari Kand is known for its anabolic properties, which aid in building body mass and improving energy levels.
Licorice supports digestion and helps the body retain nutrients, while Pippali stimulates appetite and enhances nutrient absorption. Regular consumption of Chyawanprash is also considered beneficial for the overall health of the body. These herbs are often combined with warm milk or ghee to increase their effectiveness, aligning with Ayurvedic principles of nourishing the body holistically.
3. Lifestyle and Dinacharya
In Ayurveda, a lifestyle conducive to healthy weight gain emphasizes balanced daily routines, mindful practices, and holistic well-being. Maintaining a regular daily routine (Dinacharya) is crucial, including rising early, performing self-massage (Abhyanga) with warm oils, and engaging in moderate exercise to build muscle and stamina. It is important to eat nutrient-dense foods at consistent times, with the largest meal at noon when digestion is strongest. Incorporating warm, cooked foods and herbal teas supports digestion and nutrient absorption.
Adequate hydration with warm water or herbal infusions, coupled with adequate rest (7-8 hours of quality sleep), promotes tissue repair and overall vitality. Stress management practices like meditation and yoga help balance the mind and support healthy digestion. Yoga helps in maintaining good health and helps manage both underweight and overweight issues. An active lifestyle is also extremely important for the digestive system. Incorporate vyayama and long walks into your daily routine. By integrating these Ayurvedic lifestyle practices, individuals can achieve sustainable weight gain while fostering overall health and harmony in the body and mind.
4. Balancing doshas
Vata dosha, which governs movement and metabolism, is often imbalanced in underweight individuals, leading to low appetite, anxiety, and weakness. To promote healthy weight gain, it is essential to pacify Vata by consuming warm, nourishing, and grounding foods. Avoid cold, dry, and raw foods; instead, favor warm, cooked meals that are easy to digest. To promote healthy weight gain, Ayurveda recommends foods that increase Kapha, which governs stability and strength. Kapha foods are typically sweet, heavy, and nourishing.
5. Diet and nutrition
In Ayurveda, a diet for healthy weight gain focuses on nourishing the body with wholesome, nutrient-dense foods that enhance digestion, build muscle mass, and promote overall vitality. The diet is designed to balance Vata and Kapha doshas while ensuring that the digestive fire (Agni) is strong. Key foods include whole grains, millet, healthy fats such as ghee, sesame oil, and coconut oil, and proteins from lentils, paneer, and nuts. Dairy products like milk, yogurt, and butter are also emphasized for their nourishing and grounding qualities.
To support digestion, warming spices like ginger, cumin, and fennel are added to meals. Add fruits like bananas and mangoes. Eating regular, well-timed meals, with the largest meal at noon, and incorporating nutrient-rich snacks like soaked almonds, dates, figs, raisins, and fresh fruits help the body build tissue and gain weight in a balanced manner. Ghee is considered very good for nourishment and healthy weight but should be consumed in moderation.
Drinking warm milk at night is also considered beneficial. Avoid processed, fried, and high-sugar diets as you may put on weight in an unhealthy manner. This Ayurvedic approach ensures that weight gain is healthy, and sustainable, and promotes overall well-being.
It is also important to identify the root cause of the person being underweight and treat it appropriately.
In Ayurveda, maintaining an ideal weight aligns with maintaining harmony within the body, leading to longevity, vitality, and improved quality of life. It ensures that the body is neither undernourished nor overburdened by excess weight, supporting sustained health across all systems.