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Diet Using Chinese Herbs

According to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a diet using Chinese herbs plays essential roles in a person's weight and wellness. Chinese herbs are incorporated into healthy eating to restore balance to the system and help a patient safely lose weight. Unlike fad pills that promise amazing and immediate weight loss, a diet using Chinese herbs is a holistic approach to systemic problems.

  1. Weight Loss

    • TCM treats weight loss holistically. A TCM diet using Chinese herbs penetrates to the causes of weight gain rather than attacking the symptom. According to the website Holistic Chinese Herbs healthy digestion is a warming function. When digestion is hampered, nutrients cannot be transported to the rest of the body. The digestive tract is sluggish and accumulates dampness and phlegm, also known as excess body fat.

    Principles

    • Since Chinese herbs for weight loss restore balance to the system, TCM diet principles aid in the restoration process. Holistic Chinese Herbs recommends not eating extremely cold food and drink. Since your digestive system's natural state is warm, cold shuts it down. Minimize sweets, cold milk and fried foods, which cause excessive phlegm and dampness in the digestive tract.

    Herbs

    • The Alternative Medicine Foundation, Inc.(AMFI) explains the general role of Chinese herbs in TCM. Chinese herbs have "nature, taste, affinity, and primary action." An herb can cool or heat, as well as moisten, relax or energize. Herb China 2000 recommends nine Chinese herbs for successful weight loss. The recommendations are not diagnostic and should not be followed unless you are diagnosed by a TCM practitioner.

      The nine herbs Herb China 2000 suggests include folium nelumbinis, fructus crataegi, and concretio silicea bambusae. Folium nelumbinis helps to reduce blood fat levels. Fructus crataegi is effective against dyspepsia caused by eating too much meat. The herb lowers blood pressure and levels of blood lipids. TCM prescribes concretio silicea bambusae to dissolve phlegm and as a tranquilizer. See the table on the Herb China 200 site for clinical results shown for TCM recommended herbs for weight loss and obesity.

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