The Secret to Weight Loss
Ok seriously... you fell for that!?
The “secret to weight loss” is the lamest title I could come up with to see how many people would click it. Ok, but for reals, I hope you are prepared to learn about my secret sauce to look and feel your best. People are always asking me what I eat and how I lost that pesky 15 lbs last year. Here’s the secret... are you ready!!?? The secret is that we are all different and the answer is Ayurveda…
What worked for me most likely will be VERY different than what works for you! I know what you are thinking... "DAMN isn’t there just an easy thing you can tell me to do?” The answer is yes, keep reading my friend. Your body is just as unique as your fingerprint (duh) and following "cookie-cutter" diets and workouts just don't always cut it! I'll show you how to find out what to eat in a minute. I’m super pumped to share that I’ll be filming and sharing videos on the reg that will include Yoga and my Yoga Sculpt 'remastered' which are science-based workouts to not only define your body but most importantly.. your character.
Abs are made in the kitchen. You've heard this before, it’s true that a LARGE percentage of your physical results are achieved with diet. "OKKKK Brit so what do I eat"!!?? What I learned from my training in India to become an Ayurveda Wellness Counselor is that we are all different. Oftentimes, experiencing (on some levels) imbalances. By using food as medicine to maximize your body’s balance you will find YOUR own secret sauce. For example...I thought that if I ate salads and smoothies I would lose weight... literally did that for years with no luck. WTF!? Turns out I had an imbalance that meant that raw and cold foods were actually counterproductive to my body’s ability to function and eliminate optimally. So even though I was restricting my calories I was still unable to lose weight because, well... I was full of shit… (literally).
I put all the cold stuff on hold and switched to cooked foods with lots of 'grounding and warming' herbs and added more fat. The weight started to shed like crazy. AH HA!! Ayurveda is pretty cool like that. To be totally transparent, losing weight to fit into my wedding dress was my main priority for sticking to this Ayurveda lifestyle which I am super embarrassed to admit but I like to “keep it real.” The benefits that came along with it were far more powerful & rewarding. I feel so much more grounded and clear-headed, I now sleep through the night and my skin and hair aren't dry like it was before. Now that I have found more balance I am able to enjoy a broader spectrum of food, (surprisingly what I missed the most were cold smoothies and raw veggies) it just took me some time to get everything working properly.
If you Google Ayurveda it can seem a little overwhelming and extreme. You'll read crazy stuff like eating kitchari (mung dal beans and rice) for days on end or taking shots of ghee (clarified butter) and oil. While I truly believe that this is a great fast track to cleansing (I did this in India), I have found that for myself & most of my clients, it's too challenging to follow. Does it work? Yep, but extreme cleanses just aren't my style unless completely necessary. My goal is to give you the information in a very digestible (pun intended) format so you can learn to find balance and peace from within.
SOOOOO I bet you are wondering how to find YOUR secret sauce? First I recommend taking an Ayurveda quiz online and find the common denominator for your unique constitution. I love Banyan Botanicals as an easy beginner quiz to figure out what your Prakriti (genetically inherited qualities) is. In a nutshell, there are 3 primary 'doshas' that each of us has a different balance of. Vata (Air), Pitta (Fire), and Kapha (Earth). Each of us has all 3 doshas in our constitution and most likely have a stronger or primary dosha (or 2) and sometimes an imbalance.
Once you learn what your unique constitution is, you can customize your eating habits to suit your needs. You'll learn about foods to avoid when you are specifically imbalanced in one dosha (i.e too much Vata, like me). Are you confused yet? A great place to start is with one of my favorite natural remedies that will balance ALL doshas. Triphala removes excess Vata, pitta, and Kapha from the body, bringing balance and proper functioning to the system and is the most popular herb in Ayurveda because it cleanses and detoxifies the system while simultaneously replenishing and nourishing.
Not all Ayurveda herbs are created equally so I highly recommend Banyan Botanicals because they are certified organic and contribute to a healthier planet. I will continue to post more about Ayurveda and share some easy and tasty dosha balancing recipes for the everyday westerner a.k.a the less extreme peeps that would prefer to incorporate Ayurveda rather than going balls to the wall and eating beans and rice for 7 days*. If you feel you would benefit from a more detailed assessment, reach out to me and we can set up a skype date or phone call. If you live local (in San Luis Obispo, CA) we can meet for lunch or tea in person!
*For the record, in certain cases of imbalance, it is extremely beneficial to do a full-on kitchari cleanse. Like I mentioned before, it’s a fast track to balance. Heck, if you are dedicated and have the time and solitude to do it I HIGHLY recommend it. Otherwise, just keep it simple silly!