Q. I'm planning to diet by focusing on a ssam-bap (vegetable wraps) diet. How does your clinic approach this?

Many people attempt to lose weight by consuming large amounts of raw vegetables, only to suffer from bloating and indigestion. In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), a 'healthy' diet is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Our clinic approaches this through the following steps: 1. Assessment of Digestive Capacity: Those with Spleen Deficiency (Bi-heo, 脾虛) may experience a chilled abdomen and impaired digestion when consuming too many raw vegetables. We first determine if your digestive system can handle the load. 2. Induction of Waste Elimination: If there is an accumulation of Phlegm-Fluid (Dam-eum, 痰飮)—metabolic waste in the body—weight loss responses will be slow even with a diet change. We use herbal medicine to awaken the metabolism and clear the pathways for waste removal. 3. Improving Blood Circulation: We focus on resolving Blood Stasis (Eo-hyeol, 瘀血) to enhance systemic circulation. This ensures that nutrients are converted into energy rather than being stored as fat. 4. Personalized Adjustment: We finely calibrate the portion of rice and the types of protein in your ssam-bap based on your specific constitution (Sasang typology). In TKM, 'how your body accepts the food' is far more important than 'what you eat.' Instead of struggling through trial and error alone, we recommend checking your physical condition first to find a sustainable and healthy path to weight loss.