Reviewed by최연승대표원장
I've been eating diet meals from convenience stores; how should I approach weight loss from a Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) perspective?
While convenience store diets are practical, they often lead to nutritional imbalances and an excess of 'cold-natured' foods. Rather than blindly cutting calories, it is crucial to assess your current digestive capacity. Many rely solely on chicken breast, but I will help you balance your diet with warm-natured foods tailored to your specific constitution.
I have personally experienced relying on convenience store salads and chicken breasts during busy times, only to suffer from a sudden loss of energy and chronic indigestion. This taught me that diets focusing solely on calorie restriction can actually slow down the body's overall metabolism.
In our clinic, we approach this through the following TKM principles:
1. Assessing Spleen Deficiency (Bi-heo, 脾虛): If your Spleen function is weak, consuming cold salads or protein shakes can easily lead to indigestion. Recovering your digestive power is the first priority.
2. Eliminating Phlegm-Fluid Retention (Dam-eum, 痰飮): Additives in processed convenience foods often create metabolic waste known as 'Dam-eum.' Clearing these wastes is essential to restoring a healthy metabolism.
3. Managing Blood Stasis (Eo-hyeol, 瘀血): When circulation is blocked, fat tends to accumulate in specific areas or causes frequent swelling. We use warm-natured medicinal herbs to resolve these blockages and improve blood flow.
4. Tailored Dietary Guidance: Depending on your constitution, foods like chicken breast may not be suitable for everyone. We will work together to find the best 'convenience store combinations' that suit your specific body type.
Ultimately, the key is whether your body is prepared to process the food you are eating. Rather than simply starving yourself or restricting intake, the core objective is to boost your internal energy (Qi) to create an environment where weight is regulated naturally. Please visit the clinic at your convenience so we can examine your current physical condition together.