Q. I'm thinking about starting a meal replacement program with diet shakes. From a TKM doctor's perspective, is this a good approach?

I've actually been there myself—trying to power through on just chicken breast and shakes, only to end up feeling dizzy. Even as a TKM doctor, I've made those mistakes! There are clear advantages to shake programs: they reduce the stress of meal planning and make calorie control simple, which is incredibly efficient for busy professionals. However, the downsides are significant. Relying primarily on liquids removes the joy of chewing and can weaken gastrointestinal function. In Traditional Korean Medicine, this is referred to as Spleen Deficiency (脾虛, Bi-heo). When the Spleen's function declines, your body's ability to absorb nutrients drops, leaving you feeling completely drained of energy. Furthermore, for those with a 'cold' constitution, consuming cold shakes regularly can lead to the accumulation of Phlegm-Fluid (痰飮, Dam-eum). This is a state where metabolic waste stagnates in the body, making you feel heavy and bloated. Ultimately, it's difficult to label one method as the definitive answer. The most rational approach is to utilize the convenience of shakes while supplementing missing nutrients and supporting digestive health through customized herbal medicine. Before starting, it is important to determine if your body is ready to process these replacements or if you first need to clear out accumulated waste, such as Blood Stasis (瘀血, Eo-hyeol) or Phlegm-Fluid.