As a Korean medicine doctor, what do you recommend for those trying chicken breast gomtang?
Chicken breast gomtang provides protein and satiety, but from a TKM perspective, it has a cold nature, which can be burdensome for those with a spleen deficiency (bihe) constitution. If you usually have weak digestion or cold hands and feet, it is better to add ginger, jujube, and astragalus (hwanggi), boil it thoroughly, and eat it warm. The same food can have different effects depending on constitution, so it is good to get a brief consultation and find the path that suits your body.
I also often boiled chicken breast gomtang when dieting. It provides good satiety and easily replenishes protein. However, from a Korean medicine perspective, I want to point out a few things. This food has a rather cold nature. In TKM, foods are classified as warm (onseong) or cold (hanseong), and chicken breast leans toward the cold side. If you even cool down the broth and drink it, it reduces the function of the spleen-stomach (biwi). Spleen deficiency (bihe) is a state where the spleen's digestive and absorptive abilities are weakened; if such a person continues to eat cold foods, it leads to indigestion, abdominal bloating, and diarrhea. The yang energy (yanggi) gets depleted, and the whole body feels heavier. Eating only protein also stresses the kidneys. The advantages are also clear. First, it is low-fat, high-protein, good for maintaining muscle mass, and the broth provides water and electrolytes. It is simple to prepare, so office workers can consistently have it. Having a bowl after exercise is also good for recovery. The method I recommend is to add warm seasonings to the gomtang. Try boiling a couple of slices of ginger, garlic, jujube, and a couple of roots of astragalus (hwanggi). This neutralizes the cold nature. Astragalus is a representative herb for reinforcing spleen deficiency (bihe), aiding digestion and replenishing energy (gi). I personally add a bit of cinnamon (gye-pi) to improve blood circulation and stimulate appetite. If you usually have cold hands and feet, frequent abdominal pain, or chronic fatigue, supplement it with these warming ingredients. Conversely, those with excess heat in the body and frequent constipation may benefit from the cold nature. The answer depends on constitution and daily condition. The wisest path is to visit a nearby Korean medicine clinic, get your constitution identified through pulse diagnosis and abdominal diagnosis (maekjin, bokjin), and follow a diet and herbal medicine tailored to you. I also learned this through some trial and error at the beginning: reading your own body is much faster than blindly following others' diets.
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