Q. Many people use diet shakes for weight management; as a practitioner of Korean Medicine, do you recommend them?

I have personally experienced the fatigue and lightheadedness that comes from replacing meals with shakes during busy clinic hours. While shakes are convenient for calorie control and portability, the lack of chewing reduces cognitive satiety, and nutritional gaps often lead to muscle loss. From a Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) perspective, this is closely related to Spleen Deficiency (Bi-heo). When the Spleen's digestive function is impaired, food is not efficiently converted into energy, leading to the accumulation of metabolic waste known as Phlegm-dampness (Dam-eum). Excessive calorie restriction causes the body to lower its basal metabolic rate as a survival mechanism, eventually creating a constitution that gains weight easily. Therefore, I advise understanding your unique constitution first. Those with low vitality require herbs that Supplement (Bo) their Qi, while those prone to edema may need treatments to clear Blood Stasis (Eo-hyeol) and metabolic waste. Sustainable weight loss is not found in a shake bottle; it comes from addressing the root cause of your body's imbalance and structuring a diet that supports your fundamental metabolic health.