Q. I'm currently on a high-protein diet focusing on chicken breast; how should I manage my diet from a Traditional Korean Medicine perspective?

Many people struggle with digestive distress by blindly following trendy diets. In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), we believe that the capacity to digest varies significantly from person to person. Specifically, those with Spleen Deficiency (脾虛, Bi-heo)—meaning weakened digestive function—may encounter problems when forcing a high-protein diet like chicken breast. This happens because undigested food can linger in the body, leading to the accumulation of Phlegm-Fluid (痰飮, Dam-eum), which are metabolic waste products. If you notice a white coating on your tongue or a general feeling of puffiness (edema), these are key warning signs. Therefore, I recommend a step-by-step approach: First, we diagnose your current digestive strength to see if your gastrointestinal tract is prepared to break down high levels of protein. Next, we clear out Blood Stasis (瘀血, Eo-hyeol) and Phlegm-Fluid to open up the body's metabolic pathways. By combining this with personalized herbal medicine designed to support digestive function and increase your basal metabolic rate, your diet becomes far more efficient. Finally, rather than strict restriction, we flexibly adjust the ratio of carbohydrates and proteins based on your physical condition. Ultimately, the core is not about 'how little you eat,' but 'how efficiently you burn.' Instead of insisting on chicken breast alone, I encourage you to first check the condition of your body's 'metabolic engine.'