Q. How does a Korean medicine clinic determine my constitution and create a diet plan?

Patients often wonder whether constitution typing is scientific—I had the same doubts initially. However, Korean medicine has observed and classified human constitutions for over 2,000 years. Step 1: Through in-depth conversation, we assess your current health, past diet attempts, digestion, sleep, and daily patterns. If we suspect 'Spleen Deficiency (脾虛),' we note that a weak spleen function leads to easy weight gain. Step 2: Direct examination: pulse diagnosis checks the energy flow of organs, tongue diagnosis examines color, shape, and coating, and abdominal diagnosis evaluates tension and cold sensation—these three are key for constitution differentiation. Step 3: We primarily use the Sasang constitution (四象體質) system but account for individual variations. For example, Taeum types tend to sweat a lot and have slow digestion; Soyang types are impatient, digest quickly, but often suffer from heartburn. Yet within a constitution, treatment differs depending on whether the issue is Spleen Deficiency or Phlegm-Fluid (痰飮). Step 4: We prescribe herbal medicine tailored to your constitution and recommend specific foods and exercises—cool-natured foods for heat patterns, warm-natured foods for cold patterns. Herbal formulas focus on rebalancing organ functions rather than merely boosting metabolism. Step 5: Follow-up every 2–4 weeks monitors changes in pulse, tongue coating, and subjective symptoms, and the plan is adjusted accordingly. We aim for gradual, sustainable changes rather than rapid weight loss. Step 6: When needed, acupuncture or moxibustion may be added to help control appetite or reduce edema. Remember: Korean medicine-based dieting is fundamentally about improving your constitution.