Reviewed by최연승대표원장
I keep eating whenever I'm stressed. Is it actually possible to control these food cravings?
Yes, it is possible. Overeating is often not a matter of willpower, but a result of internal imbalances. Psychological hunger and binge-eating tendencies are closely linked to your body's metabolic state. Please use the checklist below to assess your current condition.
I have personally experienced the struggle of craving sweets during stressful times—where the mind says 'no,' but the hand is already opening a bag of snacks. Through experience, I learned that this is not simple 'greed,' but a signal from the body.
In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), we analyze this state from several perspectives:
✓ Do you feel chest tightness or suffer from insomnia? $\rightarrow$ This suggests an accumulation of Heart-Fire (心火), where emotional instability leads one to seek relief through eating.
✓ Do you experience indigestion yet feel constantly hungry? $\rightarrow$ This indicates Spleen Deficiency (脾虛). When the Spleen's function is impaired and nutrients aren't absorbed properly, 'false hunger' occurs.
✓ Does your body feel heavy with edema and a strong craving for sugar? $\rightarrow$ When metabolic waste like Phlegm-Fluid (痰飮) or Blood Stasis (瘀血) accumulates and slows metabolism, the brain mistakenly perceives an energy deficit.
Ultimately, relying solely on the thought of 'I must not eat' has its limits. You must first resolve the body's imbalances and improve the circulation of Qi and Blood to calm the 'wave' of cravings.
Extreme fasting diets can actually trigger a reward mechanism, leading to further binge eating. The most efficient approach is to accurately diagnose your body's current state and address the root cause of cravings through a customized prescription. Please feel free to visit the clinic so we can find a solution together.