Combination Therapy: Weight Loss and Diseases

Obesity is an increasingly prevalent metabolic disorder affecting developing nations like India. Obesity increases the risk of developing certain diseases like hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes. There are many people who follow a weight loss program in order to improve their disease condition and do manage to lose some weight. But after some months of the weight loss program, they discover that though the weight has been lost yet the disease pattern has not changed. In order to sort out the disease and lose weight, one needs to look at a different approach to weight loss which is also called as "The Combination therapy".

Medically, Combination therapy most often refers to the use of two or more medications to treat a single disease but the expression is also used when other types of therapy are used at the same time. In similar fashion you need to treat your disease in more than one ways. The following guidelines will help you with it.

Cardiovascular diseases

The Problem:
They normally affect a stress prone aggressive and dynamic person who takes all success and failures very personally. Generally such people are of Pitta constitution (as per ayurvedic body constitution).

The Solutions:

• Pranayam to cleanse the body.
• Brisk walking to get the stress out of the muscles.
• Tai chi or yoga to bring a sense of balance and tranquility into the system.
• Diet should include sensible consumption of fat (2 teaspoon per person per day), lots of green vegetables and salads, low glycemic index foods like whole dals (pulses), whole cereals, high fiber foods and herbs like tulsi (holy basil), garlic, curry leaves and methi (fenugreek).

Diabetes

The Problem:
On many occasions it is associated with cardiovascular disorders which is a deadly combination and especially prevalent in lot of Indians. It generally affects a kapha constitution (as per ayurvedic body constitution) person who indulges in lot of comfort eating when he/she feels helpless towards difficult situations. 

The Solutions:

• Besides a low glycemic index diet, bitter herbs like karela (bitter gourd), methi (fenugreek), jamun (black plum) are recommended.
• Pranayam and mud packs to cleanse the system.
• Enemas may also be necessary to cleanse the colon.
• Lots of exercise to improve insulin and sugar balance. 
  

Arthritis

The Problem:
It is generally associated with a Vata and Kapha constitution (as per ayurvedic body constitution). It is more prevalent in old ages.

The Solutions:

• Need to incorporate fish oil and flaxseed oil.
• Regular massages, physiotherapy and red chromatherapy.
• Lot of lightly cooked vegetables with a restrain on cold foods and fizzy drinks.
• No white sugar products as it strips the bones of calcium.

Skin diseases

The Problem:
The pH balance of the body gets disturbed leading to breakdown of the natural body healing processes leading to the skin disorders.

The Solutions:

• The best way is to stop all unnecessary medications, processed foods containing preservatives and all deep fried foods.
• Increase the detoxification through water, herbal tea, sprouts and skin oils.
• Apply coconut or olive oil on the skin if dry. 

Asthma

The Problem:
Generally a kapha and vata disorder, mostly affect people of sensitive nature.

The Solutions:

• Add bitter herbs to the diet.
• Have lots and lots of warm soup with pitta herbs like kalimirch (black pepper), adrak (ginger) and lahsun (garlic).
• Always have a light dinner.
• Do light pranayam to increase the lung capacity.

Polycystic ovary

The Problem:
Any women's disorder which is connected to the hormones leads to a hormonal imbalance and the toxins get stored in the fat cells which get released over a period of time.

The Solutions:

• It is important to detoxify the body with enemas and mud packs.
• Increase the consumption of vegetables and low sugar fruits.
• A low glycemic index diet (brown rice plus dal (pulses) or tofu/soy nuggets) is recommended.
• Regular massage and Regular walks would certainly help.

The bottom line is that it needs to be understood that the basic goal of treatment is the long term wellness. Regardless of the therapy that you opt for, a broad outlook that encompasses all aspects of the disease and the body is better than achieving a short term goal of suppressing visible symptoms.