Obesity Diet

A suitably planned course of dietetic treatment, in conjunction with suitable exercise and other measures for promoting elimination, is the only scientific way of deal¬ing with obesity .

The chief consideration in this treatment should be the balanced selection of foods which provide the maximum essential nutrients with the least number of calories.

Diet for Obesity:

To begin with, the patient should undertake a juice fast for seven to ten days. Juices of lemon, grapefruit; orange, pineapple, cabbage, celery may be taken during this period. Long juice fast up to forty days can also be undertaken, but only under expert guidance and supervi¬sion. In the alternative, short juice fasts should be repeated at regular intervals of two months or so till the desired reduction in weight is achieved. During the first few days of the treatment and afterwards if necessary, the bowels should be cleansed daily with a warm water enema.

After the juice fast, the patient should spend a further four to five days on an all-fruit diet. In this regimen he should have three meals a day of fresh juicy fruits such as oranges, grape-fruit, pineapples and papaya's. Thereafter, he may gradually embark upon a low-calorie well balanced diet of three basic food groups, namely seeds, nuts and grains, vegetables and fruits, with emphasis on raw fruits, vegetables and fresh juices.

The foods which should be drastically curtailed or altogether avoided are high-fat foods such as butter, cheese, chocolate, cream, ice cream, fat meats, fried foods, foods high in carbohydrates like breads, candy, cake, cookies, cereal products, legumes, potatoes, honey, sugar, syrup and rich puddings; beverages such as all cold drinks and alcoholic drinks.

To overcome the hunger pangs brought on by a lowered consumption of food, the patient should sip water gradually or take low-calorie and high-water foods like vegetables and certain fruits.

Skimmed milk, butter¬milk, barley water, fruit juices, green steamed vegetables and raw salads are good for reducing weight. Six to eight glasses of water should be taken every day but 'never with meals.

Precautions for Obesity:

Other precautions which should be taken in regard to foods are: meals should be taken at fixed hours and snacks should be avoided in between; al: foods should be taken in small quantities; salt should be restricted in the diet as excessive intake produces water retention.
Method of reducing weight:

Fletcherism:

One sure method of reducing weight is by practising what is known as "Fletcherism". It was discovered in 1898 by Horace Fletcher of the U.S.A. Fletcher, who at 40, considered himself an old man. He was 50 pounds overweight, contracted flu every six months and con¬stantly complained of indigestion and a tired feeling. After a deep study, he made some important discoveries and prescribed the rules for "Fletcherism" which are as follows:
1. Chew your food to a pulp or milky liquid until it practically swallows itself.
2. Never eat until hungry.
3. Enjoy every bite or morsel, savouring the flavour until it is swallowed.
4. Do not eat when tired, angry, worried, and at mealtimes refuse to think or talk about unpleasant sub¬jects.

Fletcher considered complete mastication the most important rule of all. He tried fixing an ideal number at first but found that chewing less than thirty times per mouthful was insufficient. Consequently, he decided that chewing food to a pulp or liquid should become the stan¬dard. Horace Fletcher followed these rules for five mon¬ths. As a result he lost more than 60 pounds and felt bet¬ter than he had for 20 years. A weight reducing pro¬gramme built on Fletcherism works wonders and is worth Q trial.

Diet Menu for Obesity:

It is important that the overweight person should so devise his diet as to lose weight gradually - a pound in a week or ten days. This will enable him to get used to the new eating habits. The following menu is suggested as a guideline:

Early morning: A glass of warm water mixed with the juice of half a lemon.

Breakfast: Wheat; green gram or Chickpea sprouts and one cup skimmed milk.

Mid-morning: A glass of orange, pineapple or carrot juice.

Lunch: Salad or raw vegetables such as carrot, beat, cucumber, cabbage, cauliflower, tomato and onion, whole wheat dry chappatis and a glass of butter-milk.

Mid-afternoon: Coconut water or any fruit juice (except apple juice) or lemon tea or vegetable soup.

Dinner: Whole wheat dry chappatis, steamed vegetables and any sea so nal fruit, except banana and apple.

Natural Methods of Reducing Weight:

Along with dietetic treatment, the patient should adopt all other natural methods of reducing weight. Exercise is an important part of weight reduction plan. It helps to use up calories stored in body fat and relieves tension, besides toning up the muscles of the body. Certain yogic asanas such as sarvangasana, bhujangasana, dhanurasana, chakra¬sana, vajrasa na and yogamudra are also highly bene¬ficial. They help slimming by breaking up or redistributing fatty deposits and strengthen the flabby areas. The patient should adopt measures which bring on excessive perspiration such as sauna baths, steam bath and heavy massage. They help to reduce weight. And above all, the obese persons should make every effort to avoid negative emotions such as anxiety, fear, hostillity and insecurity and develop a positive outlook on life.

TREATMENT CHART FOR OBESITY

A – DIET

I. Raw juice diet for five to seven days. Take a glass of fresh fruit or vegetable juice, diluted with water on 50:50 basis, eve.-y two hours during the day. Use warm water enema to cleanse the bowls.

II. An all-fruit diet for further five to seven days, taking three meal s a day of fresh juicy fruits at five hourly intervals.

III. Thereafter. Adopt a low-calorie diet on the following lines:-

1.Upon arising: Luke warm water with halt a freshly.
2. Breakfast: Fresh fruits and a glass of skimmed milk.
3. Lunch: Freshly-prepared steamed vegetables, whole wheat chappatis and a glass of butter milk.
4. Mid afternoon: Vegetable or fruit juice or coconut water.
5. Dinner: Fresh green vegetable salad and sprouts with lime juice dressing. Followed by hot course, like vegetable soup, if desired.

Home Remedies: Lime and lemon juices ,leaves of jujube or Indian plum, cabbage, tomato and finger millet(finger millet)

Avoid: Tea, coffee, sugar, white flour, all products made with white flour, and white flour, refined foods, high-fat foods. Fried foods and flesh foods. Condiments, pickles, alcohol , and smoking.


B - OTHER MEASURES

1) Walk for 45 minutes morning and evening, other exercises like swimming, jogging, cycling and yoga.
2) Bath and heavy massage once a week.