Chinese Medicine Diet for Obesity

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views obesity differently than Western medicine. The TCM notion of diet itself differs from the Western idea. Specifically, a TCM diet for obesity treats the underlying causes of obesity.

Definition/Cause

• According to Shen-Nong Ltd., TCM practitioners, ancient Chinese medical practitioners were aware of obesity and its symptoms and causes. The ancients believed that obesity results from unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity and psychological factors. Then, as now, TCM practice addresses the dire effects of unhealthy lifestyles. According to TCM theory, phlegm and moisture cause fatty deposits. Once the spleen is damaged by overeating sweet foods, waste products accumulate and congeal into phlegm and fat tissue. A TCM diet must restore harmony to the unbalanced spleen and other body functions.

Principles

• Shen-Nong recommends restoring balance to the stomach to promote fat production. Certain herbs and foods promote healthy circulation, eliminate phlegm in the chest and break down fats in the liver and gall bladder. To eliminate dampness, TCM advises food with diuretic action.

Diet

• TCM diet focuses on effective herbs and foods that will bring balance back to a system drastically out of harmony in obese people. Shen-Nong TCM practitioners prescribe herbs such as hawthorn and radish to restore the stomach's ability to secrete digestive fluids and digest fat in the stomach. According to Shen-Nong practitioners, Chinese angelica, red sage root and notoginseng are among Chinese herbs used to increase sluggish circulation. Herbs to relieve chest stuffiness include Chinese chive bulbs and mandarin orange peel. Common herbs prescribed to treat stagnant liver and gall bladder include artemisia and turmeric. Indian bread and rhubarb have diuretic action and promote balance in the large intestine, respectively.

Considerations

• TCM diet for obesity does not negate the need for overall healthy eating and exercise. This ancient Chinese holistic science rounds out a robust approach to weight loss by working to create healthy blood, organs and bodily functions. A Chinese medicine diet is not a quick fix for obesity. The patient must participate in her weight loss and wellness. Unlike so many marketed weight loss plans, the Chinese medicine diet has thousands of years to support its approaches.