nstead of crash diets and extreme exercises to lose weight, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) helps you lose weight in a natural and holistic way.
One of the ways TCM can help you to lose weight is by speeding up your body’s natural metabolism. Rather than viewing weight gain as a problem on its own, TCM believes obesity is a symptom of underlying health issues. Health ailments can arise out of blockages in the flow of qi, which is the energy force flowing through our body. Qi energy is made up of yin (cooling) and yang (heat) elements, and our diet also contributes to the balance of these two energies.
Fat is recognized as phlegm or “dampness” in TCM principles. Consumption of sweet, oily food and snacks can lead to excess phlegm that affects the spleen. The spleen transforms the food we eat into energy and eliminates waste products from the body, and any disruption to the spleen may result in the accumulation of excess waste and body fluids that result in the body becoming damp. Over time, this dampness turns into phlegm and subsequently the build-up of fats in the body.
TCM aims to remove dampness for losing weight effectively. Hence, people who are looking to lose weight fast and burn fats should follow a TCM diet for dampness.
This diet recommends eating more bitter and sour foods with a sharp smell and taste and reducing the intake of sugary, salty, and high-fat foods. The former group of foods helps to control your appetite and improve digestion, while the latter makes you gain weight faster.
Bitter foods, in particular, have been found to increase bile production, reduce insulin resistance, and support liver detoxification. Sour foods such as lemons are also beneficial in reducing belly fat. There is also a multitude of TCM herbs that promote fat burning and increase the body’s metabolism, such as Fu Ling (Poria Mushrooms), Huang Qi (Astragalus Root), and He Ye (Lotus Leaf). All these herbs promote healthy and glowing skin as well!
Aside from diet, insufficient sleep and stress can lead to weight gain, including eating to cope with stress. Not getting enough sleep messes up the hormones that regulate your appetite, increasing your appetite and making you eat more than usual.
For this case, acupuncture treatment can help stimulate the release of endorphins that relax the body and improve sleep. To curb excessive eating, ear acupressure massage is recommended as it targets acupressure points around the ear that regulates appetite
To read more about acupuncture treatment, please click here.
Of course, exercise remains a crucial component in losing weight. However, intense exercise is not necessarily needed to lose weight. For seniors and people that may not be able to do intense exercises, Tai Chi is a good option as it helps to reduce stress and tones the muscle without the use of weights.
Tai Chi is a gentle but effective exercise that incorporates slow movements and deep breathing. In recent times, deep breathing has been linked to reduced body fat, weight loss, and decreased appetite. This is thought to be the result of lowered stress levels that are achieved by practicing deep breathing exercises.
TCM can aid in weight loss, however, the changes from following these TCM weight loss tips happen gradually and not instantly. Since the effects are cumulative, do stay consistent with your healthy diet and lifestyle.
For the best results, contact us at 9230 0355 where our physicians are delighted to help you on your weight loss journey! We will come up with a proper diagnosis a treatment plan catered to your individual body type.