The Indian system of medicine, which is called Ayurveda, is a wonder in itself. The explanations in this stream of science at first glance may seem far-fetched but when you really sit down and think about it, you will be astounded by the knowledge and understanding that the ancient Indian sages had. I have included a littlie bit on the Indian system of medicine that is particular to the subject of our interest, that is the diet and its control.

Now let's get onto our weight loss quiz - education and knowledge are the most important tools in your weight-loss toolbox. So let's find out...

How Much Do You Know?

I have included a simple test to see how much you have grasped about the proper way to control you diet. Go ahead and do the test, you might find it interesting.

1) Which of the following is suitable for a between meal snack?

a) Cheese

b) Carrots

c) Yogurt

d) Coffee

e) Candy

2) How many glasses of water should a person have in a day?

a) 5-6

b) 10-20

c) 10- 12

d) 4-5

e) 15-20

3) Which of the following is bad as far as weight control is concerned?

a) snacking

b) smoking

c) coffee

d) crash diets

e) all the above

4) How many hours sleep does an adult need?

a) 7-8

b) 6-7

c) 8-9

d) 5-6

e) 9-10

5) Which is better for a person on a diet?

a) fresh fruit

b) canned fruit

c) fruit juice

d) processed fruit

e) cooked fruit

6) Which of the following should you always include in your diet?

a) nuts

b) dried fruits

c) fruit juice

d) salads

e) tea

7) Which of these two is better for your health?

a) coffee

b) tea

8) The most important meal of the day is

a) supper

b) snacks

c) break fast

d) lunch

e) tea

9) Which of the following can you afford to cut out from your diet?

a) fats

b) carbohydrates

c) vegetables

d) proteins

e) vitamins

10) Which meat is better for health?

a) white meat

b) red meat

c) raw meat

Now here are the answers:

1. c

2. b

3. a

4. a

5. b

The Starting Point

The enormous amount of excess fat in the human body has made the keyword ?weightloss programs? an instant hit among the common man. No wonder, most of the search engine spiders get a lot of enquiries on this word and the related key words, day in and day out.

Let us dig out the prime reasons behind this problem. It is a matter beyond dispute that there is a direct relation between the food we eat and the weight that adds up. Hence almost all weight loss programs concentrate on making some control on the ?quality? and the ?quantity? on the food we consume.

Where should we start? Now that you have decided to lose some weight we must of course find an answer to the above question. Let me make it clear that there is no better place than our mind.

We should have a strong resolve towards our aim. Conceive this as a just war towards your good health. As in any war there will be at least one enemy. Here your main enemy would be the basic urge to stuff your self with all the wrong things

Knowing Our Stomach and Body

Will you be able to find another person exactly like you? If the answer is ?No,? what made you think that every person's stomach behaves in the same way, accepting all the inputs in the same fashion. This is a basic mistake we often make.

Believe me, your stomach may not be behaving in the same way as your friend's stomach does to a particular food item, be it a chicken piece or a burger. We must know that a particular food, which may be good for certain people, may not be suitable for others. Haven't you heard the proverb, what is wine for Paul may be venom for Peter.

The Indian system of Ayurveda and yoga is considered as the best way to explain the different types of body nature. The basic constituents are classified as five elements.

Five Elements:

Earth: All life forces become inert and inactive in this element and more energy is used to keep it active. People with more weight, flesh, fat etc. are good example of predominance of this earth matter in their body. They do not show any anxiety and are not eager to acquire anything, they try to keep away from conflict and their life is moving slowly. When there is a disorder of this element in the body people become selfish and get attached to selfish enjoyments. It is a neutral element.

Water: It keeps the flow of body and life. But it has a natural tendency to cool down. As there is more than 70% water in the body it plays a very important role in the maintenance of heat and circulation of blood etc. It is a negative element.

Fire: It is creating fire in the body ? heats the water. It regulates sight, provides strength to the body by digesting the food, induces hunger and thirst, and also maintains suppleness of muscles and beauty of complexion. It helps thinking and facilitates the discrimination power of the brain. It helps production of antibodies.

In short it is the starter of our body-car. Defects in the same causes anemia, jaundice and other digestive problems, and also causes fainting, epilepsy, derangement of brain besides diminishing eyesight and causing growth of cataract in the eyes, it produces acidity and also creates skin problems ad depigmentation.

That is why great importance is given in eastern therapies to control and preserve the element of fire. It is a positive element.

Air: Air is life itself. It is the strength and conducts every part of our body. It regulates the function of heart, circulation of blood and maintains balance of the body.

It helps respiration and downward movement of stools and urine. It produces sound. Nourishes mental faculties and also the faculty of memory. It moves bile and phlegm, which cannot move in the body by themselves. It is a positive element.

Space: In order that air circulates in the body and maintains a proper balance, there has to be space. If such circulation is blocked, it creates pain even leading to heart attack, paralysis, fainting etc. It is a negative element.