Q. I've been eating mostly salads and sandwiches from places like Subway to lose weight. What is the Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) perspective on this kind of diet?

Even as a practitioner, I once tried a strict salad-only diet to get healthy, only to end up with an upset stomach and dizziness. I learned the hard way! (laughs) While modern diet plans emphasize 'low calorie, high protein, and raw vegetables,' TKM suggests several precautions. First, consider your digestive function. Those with Spleen Deficiency (Bi-heo, 脾虛) are prone to indigestion or diarrhea when consuming excessive amounts of raw vegetables, which have a 'cold' nature. Forcing a salad-heavy diet when the digestive system is weak can actually make your body feel heavier. Managing Phlegm-Fluid (Dam-eum, 痰飮) is also crucial. Dam-eum refers to the accumulation and stagnation of metabolic waste in the body. Simply reducing calories does not automatically eliminate this. In fact, insisting on a restrictive diet while your metabolic capacity is low can cause more Dam-eum to accumulate, leading to edema and swelling. Furthermore, we must consider Blood Stasis (Eo-hyeol, 瘀血) and circulation. If your blood flow is stagnant due to Blood Stasis, your body cannot utilize energy efficiently, regardless of how healthy the food is. It is often necessary to first improve circulation using warm-natured herbs or foods for the diet to be truly effective. While menu options like Subway are great choices, I recommend adjusting them to fit your digestive strength—for example, incorporating blanched vegetables or warm proteins. The key to a sustainable diet without the 'yo-yo' effect is designing a meal plan based on a precise understanding of your own bodily condition.