Q. Can I really trust the diet meals and low-calorie foods sold at convenience stores? I'm curious why some are better than others.

Many people rely on convenience store chicken breasts and salads due to a busy lifestyle, but this often leads to a feeling of heaviness and chronic swelling. The real issue lies in the processing hidden behind the 'low calorie' number. From a Western medical perspective, artificial sweeteners and preservatives in processed foods can disrupt the gut microbiome and trigger inflammatory responses, increasing insulin resistance and making the body more prone to weight gain. In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), this phenomenon is explained as the formation of 'Dameum' (痰飮), which refers to pathological fluid accumulation or 'metabolic waste' caused by impaired fluid metabolism. Consuming highly refined processed foods puts a strain on the Spleen (the organ responsible for digestion), leading to a state of 'Spleen Deficiency' (脾虛). When the Spleen is weakened, nutrients are not efficiently converted into energy; instead, they accumulate as Dameum, hindering metabolism. Ultimately, the quality and state of the food you eat are more important than simply reducing calories. Relying solely on convenience store foods when your metabolism is already sluggish can create a vicious cycle of further metabolic decline. Therefore, it is recommended to first assess your digestive capacity and current metabolic state.