Conventional weight loss of diet and exercise work for most people and get harder as they get older. Because excess weight has much more to do with the functioning of your organs than your caloric intake. Your organs are fuelled by good food and good thoughts. Overtime, it is not that you have to necessarily eat less, it has to be that you pay attention to your organ function, mental state, toxicity overload and activity.
The Suwen (The Book of Plain Questions), which covers the theoretical foundation of Chinese Medicine and its diagnostic methods states: "If obesity occurs in the nobleman and rich people, they must be over consuming heavy and greasy foods." This is in line with modern obesity and that improper diet, lack of movement, body constitution and mental state play the largest role in weight. Here are TICM body patterns that result in excess weight or trouble losing weight.
Heat in the Stomach: the overconsumption of heavy, greasy and spicy foods or alcohol facilitate production of heat and create indigestion. Lack of movement after these foods damage Spleen function. This digestion is now overheated and food will not digest properly, the individual will feel hungry because of the Spleen's under function of transformation and transportation functions. As a result, the spare metabolic products turn into turbid fluid and phlegm which intermix with Blood and Qi (vital energy) filling up the organs, bones and muscles.
Dampness: a diet full of raw and/or cold foods, cold beverages, sugary foods, too many damp-engendering foods like dairy products, alcohol, fried foods, doughnuts, processed meats, sweets, skipping meals like breakfast, eating at irregular times, eating late at night will eventually cause weight gain. This type of lifestyle prevents the transformation of food into energy and it becomes phlegm as discussed above, filling up the organs, bones and muscles.
Emotions: our Liver is the commander of the smooth flow of Qi, Blood, fluids and emotions for our entire body. Severe emotional stress as well as feelings of anger, injustice, frustration and bitterness can disrupt the functioning and cause energy to become stagnated. A weakened Liver also attacks the Spleen. In this circumstance, when the inability to circulate these fluids occur, they accumulate and condense into phlegm. Someone suffering from this imbalance usually craves sweets, which act as a solution but in reality just ends up hurting the Liver and Spleen more, causing more weight gain. For women, menstrual pain and imbalances are also present if this is the root disharmony.
Lifestyle: living consumes our Kidney essence, and living without proper rest uses up this essential energy faster than normal. Overwork, overexertion, the use of drugs and alcohol and being overly sexually active drains this internal energy also known as the internal ministerial fire which in turn makes the body produce an overabundance of heat which attacks the Stomach and Spleen. When this persists over a long period, the vaporisation processes in the Bladder and triple burner are impaired causing more evils to accumulate and worsen the obesity condition.
Those who follow the lifestyle of TICM are rarely engaging in gruelling workouts or counting their carbohydrates, yet still maintain slim physiques. This goes against everything we are marketed towards in our modern worlds. That is because for a balanced body, which is the aim of TICM, excess weight will not be an issue.
Weight formula’s are created to bring deficiencies and imbalances to homeostasis. These formula’s do so through strengthening the organ systems that are usually impaired when the body is holding excess weight.
How does herbs bring harmony to the body:
Drains out excess in the body.
Warms Kidneys to assist in fat loss.
Benefits Qi and dissolves stagnation.
Removes excess bodily fluids and dampness.
Reduces stagnated fat and cholesterol in Blood.
Strengthens the digestion by tonifying the Spleen.
Moistens the intestines to increase bowel movements.
Reduce Blood sugar and maintain proper Blood pressure.
Activate Blood to dissolve stagnation and regulate bowel movements.