Q. Why do I have to be so careful with restaurant menus when dieting? Can't I just eat smaller portions?

I have personally experienced the frustration of sticking strictly to salad boxes only to eventually give in to binge eating. Going through those trials helps me truly understand the struggles my patients face. To understand why this happens, let's look at how the body works. Restaurant food often utilizes refined sugars and high-fructose corn syrup to enhance flavor. These ingredients cause a rapid spike in blood glucose, stimulating the secretion of insulin, which promptly converts excess energy into fat. Even if you reduce the amount you eat, this biological mechanism remains the same. In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), this process is viewed in the context of 'Dameum' (痰飮, phlegm-fluid retention), which refers to metabolic waste produced when the body's fluid metabolism is obstructed. Stimulating restaurant foods can impair digestive function, leading to an accumulation of Dameum. In particular, those with 'Bi-heo' (脾虛, Spleen Deficiency/weak digestive fire) often experience a heavy feeling and significant bloating after consuming such foods. If this is combined with 'Eohyeol' (瘀血, blood stasis), which hinders blood circulation, metabolic efficiency drops further. This makes it easy for your constitution to shift into one that gains weight easily, even with the same caloric intake. Rather than obsessing over calorie counts, it is crucial to create an environment that flips your body's metabolic switch back on. If you would like to develop a diet tailored to your current digestive state and energy levels, please feel free to visit the clinic.