3 Easy Ayurvedic Fitness Rules to Follow Before Your Wedding Day

Dimple adds, "You can also have a herbal tea concoction by boiling 2 litres of water with 4 tsp of cumin seeds, 4 tsp of fennel seeds, 4 tsp of coriander seeds, 4 cardamom and a pinch carom seeds. Add to it a cinnamon stick, clove, grated ginger, pepper and star anise. This will help stimulate the metabolic fire, and aid in digestion while preventing a bloated stomach." 

Ectomorphs do well with an increased intake of dairy products in their diet such as organic A2 cow milk, yoghurt with a teaspoon of honey, spiced buttermilk, cottage cheese, fermented cheese and an extra serving of clarified butter or desi ghee. 

Dietary advice:

"I would advise an ectomorph body type to stay away from cruciferous and leafy vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, aubergine and avoid eating raw salads under all circumstances. It is advisable to eat only steamed salads, stewed fruits and well-cooked lentils, grains, pulses and rice. Have more sweet, sour and salty foods and limit your consumption of bitter, astringent and pungent foods including coffee, berries, and raw apples. Ensure to have half a plate of carbs, quarter plate of proteins, and quarter plate of vegetable." 

The Ectomorph (Vata)

"If your body is dominant in air and space, it makes you a Vata Prakriti or an ectomorph body type. They have thin bones, dry and rough skin, dry and frizzy hair and tend to lose weight very quickly. A Vata Prakriti person rarely puts on weight but struggles with body aches, and digestion issues that can cause bloating, gases, constipation, colon issues which causes abdomen distension or a disfigured midriff."

She suggests this body type to consume more cooling foods such as cucumber, zucchini, cruciferous vegetables, leafy vegetables, sweet fruits, nuts, seeds and cooling herbs and spices. Avoid pungent vegetables like onion, garlic, capsicum, radish, and chilled, and also avoid heat-inducing fruits such as papaya and persimmon.

Dietary advice 

"I would advise a mesomorph body type to have a balanced diet, which is rich in equal proportions of carbohydrates, protein and vegetables. Consume a higher portion of sweet, bitter and astringent foods to keep the metabolic fire in check. Avoid eating pungent, spicy, sour, and salty foods in excess, as this leads to inflammatory conditions and causes water retention and sudden weight gain." 

The Mesomorph (Pitta) 

Dimple says, "A person whose body is dominant in fire and water is called 'Pitta Prakruti' personality or a mesomorph body type. They tend to have good musculature, oily skin, good metabolism, but tend to put on as well as lose weight easily, and have an inclination towards digestive issues. They have sharp facial features, piercing eyes and have strong mental, emotional characteristics. They are usually very ambitious, aggressive, focused, courageous, and capable. They are prone to skin issues like pimples, acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, or urticaria when they do not have a balanced diet." 

Endomorphs should avoid consuming white coloured foods such as dairy products, wheat, white rice, pasta, fine flour, dairy products. She advises switching to millets such as Jwar, Bajra, Makkai, Ragi, Amaranth, and brown rice or red and black rice instead.

"Consume 1 tsp raw honey with 1/2 tsp grated ginger, pinch of pepper, turmeric and cinnamon every morning empty stomach to dissolve mucus and sticky fluids in the body that cause weight gain. You must consume two bowls of raw fruits twice a day - one hour before breakfast and again at 4 pm in the evening. Having a big bowl of raw salads one hour before lunch also helps stimulate the Agni (metabolic fire) which in turn helps burn body fat."

She adds, "It is also advisable to do intermittent fasting of 16 to 18 hours per day, starting at sunset and breaking the fast after 9 am the next morning when the metabolic fire is high. Replace white salt with pink salt and replace sugar with jaggery, to avoid water retention and weight gain."

She also advises Endomorphs to eat more leafy and cruciferous vegetables and astringent fruits such as apples and berries. This type also does well with a diet of pungent (spicy) foods such as chilly, capsicum, radish, onion, garlic, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, pepper, and star anise to stimulate their metabolic fire.

The Endomorph (Kapha)

"If earth and water are more dominant in your body, it is called Kapha Prakriti, which is similar to an Endomorph body type. A Kapha Prakriti personality tends to put on weight easily and struggles to lose weight and would have a heavy structure, thick bones, stocky frame but is blessed with soft, smooth, supple skin and beautiful, thick, dark hair," says Dimple.