Q. Do I need to completely cut out seasonings and sauces when planning my diet meals? Do you have any recommended methods?

When planning a diet, 'taste' is often the biggest challenge. Even as a practitioner of Korean Medicine, I've experienced the struggle of losing motivation when eating bland chicken breast without any seasoning. In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), the bloating and stagnation that occur during dieting are viewed through the lens of Dam-eum (痰飮, the accumulation of unnecessary metabolic waste) and Eo-hyeol (瘀血, blood stasis). Excessively salty seasonings attract water, contributing to Dam-eum, while overly sweet seasonings can thicken the blood, potentially inducing Eo-hyeol. Therefore, I recommend managing your seasonings in the following ways: 1. Use Natural Spices: Actively use black pepper, garlic, ginger, and green onions. In particular, ginger warms the body and boosts basal metabolism. 2. Utilize Vinegar and Lemon Juice: Sour flavors stimulate the appetite while helping to slow down the rise of blood glucose levels. 3. Opt for Low-Sodium Soy Sauce or Allulose: Rather than cutting out salt entirely, reduce the quantity and use sugar substitutes to satisfy cravings for sweets, which often arise from Bi-heo (脾虛, a weakened state of the Spleen/digestive system). 4. Choose Steaming or Grilling: Cooking methods that preserve the original flavor of the ingredients are less taxing on the digestive system than frying or sautéing. Ultimately, dieting is not a battle of 'how much you can endure,' but rather 'how you can sustain it.' Instead of stressing yourself out, start by finding a balance of seasoning that suits your body's current condition.