Q. I have too many company dinners; how can I maintain my diet in these situations?

I completely understand your struggle; I went through a period of frequent overtime and company dinners myself before becoming a Korean Medicine Doctor. It is common to feel defeated after a dinner party and tempted to give up on your diet entirely due to guilt. I recommend handling these situations in two ways: First, if you can influence the menu, choose options like boiled pork (suyuk), sashimi, or shabu-shabu. The key is to eat plenty of vegetables first. This prevents a sharp spike in blood glucose, which slows down the accumulation of body fat. Second, if you are faced with greasy, high-calorie foods, focus on portion control. Eat slowly and limit yourself to half of your usual serving size. If you must drink alcohol, I strongly recommend drinking one full glass of water for every glass of alcohol consumed. From the perspective of Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), the bloating and heaviness felt after such meals are often caused by 'Dameum' (痰飮), which refers to metabolic waste and fluid accumulation resulting from poor fluid metabolism. Those with 'Bi-heo' (脾虛), or a deficiency in the Spleen/digestive function, may experience more severe indigestion and lethargy after these gatherings. Do not be too stressed. One heavy meal does not lead to immediate weight gain. However, if you maintain that pattern for several days, your body begins to accept that increased weight as its new baseline. Start your next day with a light walk and a cup of warm tea to awaken your body and metabolism.