Subway sandwiches are known as a popular diet food. Why is it said that the choice of sauce is the ultimate factor in a successful diet?

Even as a practitioner, I often grab Subway when I'm hungry after clinic hours. However, many people make the mistake of choosing high-calorie sauces. Drenching fresh vegetables in Sweet Onion or Ranch is essentially pouring sugar water over healthy ingredients. From a Western medical perspective, the sugar in these sauces is the primary culprit behind blood sugar spikes. When the body secretes excessive insulin to process this sugar, the surplus is stored as body fat. Furthermore, high sodium levels cause the body to retain water due to osmotic pressure, leading to persistent swelling and an uphill battle for weight loss. Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) interprets this process through the concepts of 'Biheo' (Spleen Deficiency) and 'Dameum' (Phlegm-rheum). If the Spleen—the organ system responsible for digestion and transport—is weakened, it cannot properly convert food into vital energy. The resulting metabolic waste turns into 'Dameum,' a sticky pathological byproduct. When this stagnates and interacts with 'Eohyeol' (Blood Stasis), it can change one's constitution into one that swells easily even with minimal food intake. For office workers in their 30s to 50s whose basal metabolic rate has slowed, the body reacts sensitively to even a single line of sauce. I have personally experienced the temptation of eating a sandwich just for the sauce, but for effective and healthy weight loss, I recommend options like olive oil, salt, and pepper which highlight the natural flavor of the ingredients. Protecting Spleen function to prevent the accumulation of 'Dameum' is the true starting point of a TKM-based diet.