Q. I've heard that the perilla oil diet is trending these days. What is the perspective of a Korean medicine clinic on these kinds of methods?

To be honest, I've also had moments where I wondered, 'Should I try this?' when a new diet trend emerged, only to end up feeling lethargic and dizzy. The core of weight loss isn't just about 'what you eat,' but 'how your body processes it.' In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), we generally approach this process in the following sequence: 1. Removal of Internal Stagnation: First, we must eliminate Dam-eum (痰飮), which refers to unnecessary metabolic waste and stagnant fluids accumulated in the body. If the internal pathways are blocked, adding 'healthy oils' will not jumpstart your metabolism. 2. Improving Blood Circulation: We resolve Eo-hyeol (瘀血), or blood stasis, to ensure energy reaches the extremities. This naturally helps increase your basal metabolic rate. 3. Strengthening Digestive and Absorptive Functions: We assess whether you have Bi-heo (脾虛), a deficiency in the Spleen function that impairs digestion and absorption. For those with a weak digestive system, a sudden shift to a high-fat diet can overburden the stomach and cause edema (swelling). 4. Personalized Metabolic Regulation: Using herbal medicine tailored to your specific constitution, we suppress excessive appetite while boosting your overall metabolism. No matter how popular a trend is, if it conflicts with your constitution, it can eventually become harmful. I strongly recommend determining whether your body currently needs to 'empty' or 'fill' before starting any new regimen.