On the road to weight loss, people often fall into some misconceptions. Among them, “starvation thinness” is a widely adopted but unscientific method. Traditional Chinese medicine reminds everyone here that replenishment is better than starvation for weight loss.
The harm of “starvation thinness”
“Starvation thinness” refers to achieving weight loss through excessive dieting.
This method may seem to rapidly reduce weight in the short term, but in fact, it brings many serious harms to the body.
Firstly, excessive dieting can lead to malnutrition.
The human body needs a variety of nutrients to maintain normal physiological functions, such as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, etc.
When the intake of food is severely inadequate, the body cannot obtain sufficient nourishment, thereby affecting the normal function of various organs.
For example, insufficient protein intake can lead to muscle loss, lower the body’s basal metabolic rate, making weight loss more difficult; while the lack of vitamins and minerals may trigger various diseases such as anemia, weakened immunity, etc.
Secondly, “starvation thinness” can easily trigger digestive system diseases.
Long-term excessive dieting can weaken the peristaltic function of the stomach, cause imbalance in stomach acid secretion, leading to the occurrence of diseases such as gastritis, gastric ulcers, etc.
At the same time, the normal intestinal flora will also be disrupted, affecting the digestive and absorption functions of the intestines, resulting in issues like constipation, diarrhea, etc.
Furthermore, “starvation thinness” can also have a negative impact on mental health.
Excessive dieting often requires strong willpower to sustain, and during this process, individuals are prone to feelings of anxiety, depression, etc.
Additionally, due to excessive cravings for food, once unable to control themselves and engage in binge eating, it can lead to deep self-blame and guilt, further increasing psychological burden.
Traditional Chinese medicine’s understanding of “replenishment for thinness”
Unlike “starvation thinness,” TCM advocates for “replenishment for thinness” as a more scientific and healthy weight loss method.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the fundamental cause of obesity lies in the imbalance of qi, blood, yin, and yang in the body.
Therefore, the core of “replenishment for thinness” lies in adjusting the body’s internal environment, ensuring smooth flow of qi and blood, balancing yin and yang, thus achieving the goal of weight loss.
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, obesity is mainly divided into several types: phlegm-damp type, qi deficiency type, yang deficiency type, and so on. Different methods of “replenishment for thinness” need to be adopted for different types.
For phlegm-damp type obesity, TCM usually adopts methods that invigorate the spleen, resolve dampness, and dispel phlegm.
By consuming foods with spleen-invigorating and dampness-resolving effects such as Chinese yam, coix seed, and Poria, the body can eliminate excess dampness.
Additionally, some Chinese herbal formulas like Er Chen Tang and Ping Wei San can be used to enhance the effects of invigorating the spleen and resolving dampness.
Qi deficiency type obesity requires tonifying qi and invigorating the spleen.
Foods with qi-tonifying properties such as astragalus, Codonopsis pilosula, and Atractylodes macrocephala can be consumed more.
In addition, appropriate exercise can help enhance the body’s yang qi, promote the circulation of qi and blood.
Yang deficiency type obesity needs to tonify yang and nourish the kidneys.
Foods with warm and hot properties like mutton, walnuts, leeks, etc., can be consumed.
At the same time, avoid consuming raw and cold foods, pay attention to keeping warm to prevent damage to yang qi.
How to achieve “replenishment for thinness”
To achieve “replenishment for thinness,” one needs to start from the following aspects:
1. Balanced diet
A balanced diet is key to “replenishment for thinness.”
Ensure dietary balance and diversity, intake of sufficient proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals.
Additionally, control the amount of food intake, avoid overeating.
Adopting a small meals, more frequent meals approach can increase satiety and reduce appetite.
2. Moderate exercise
Moderate exercise can promote the circulation of qi and blood, enhance the body’s metabolic functions.
Choose suitable exercise methods such as walking, running, yoga, Tai Chi, etc.
Consistently exercising for a certain period every day can help burn excess calories in the body, achieving weight loss goals.
3. Emotional regulation
Emotions have a significant impact on physical health.
Maintain a positive mindset, avoid excessive anxiety and tension.
Relax and relieve stress through activities like listening to music, reading, traveling, etc.
4. Traditional Chinese medicine conditioning
When necessary, seek the help of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners to achieve weight loss through TCM conditioning.
However, it is important to note that TCM conditioning should be conducted under the guidance of a doctor to avoid self-medication.
In conclusion, although “starvation thinness” may show a rapid decrease in weight in the short term, it brings many harms to the body.
On the other hand, the “replenishment for thinness” advocated by traditional Chinese medicine is a more scientific, healthy weight loss method.
By adjusting the body’s internal environment to ensure smooth flow of qi and blood, balance of yin and yang, not only can weight loss be achieved, but also improve immunity, promoting overall health.
Therefore, on the path to weight loss, we should abandon the misconception of “starvation thinness” and choose the correct method of “replenishment for thinness,” allowing ourselves to be beautiful in health and healthy in beauty.
