Whether it’s because summer is here and you want to be looking your best for a trip to the beach, or you’ve noticed you’ve gained some extra weight during the Coronavirus pandemic, or anything else, weight loss can be an intimidating and confusing challenge!
In addition to the overwhelming amount of information available today in regards to fitness, nutrition, and weight loss, Western medicine often fails to consider how people may feel or perform when losing weight with the typical weight-loss strategies they recommend. In Western medicine, the main principle of weight loss is either eating fewer calories, or burning more than one’s maintenance amount. This is because being in a caloric deficit is the simplest way to guarantee weight loss. However, this simplistic method fails to recognize the mental wellbeing and energy of the patient. This is why people can seem to do all of the right things, and have minimal results or feel consistent tiredness or fatigue.
In Eastern medicine, weight gain or a lack of weight loss is a common sign of spleen Qi deficiency. The spleen is one of the main components of digestion in Eastern medicine. From this perspective, the spleen is responsible for extracting and absorbing nutrients from food, and processing water. When one experiences weight loss complications, or unexpected weight gain, we first investigate and improve the function of the spleen.
In Eastern medicine, there are a variety of methods that can be used to strengthen the spleen to encourage weight loss including making diet changes and utilizing acupuncture. In Eastern specific foods are used to promote Qi production, and certain flavour profiles are associated with strengthening certain organs. Foods such as almonds, oats, eggs, potatoes, and rice are known as high Qi foods. Furthermore, sweet foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin are especially good for the spleen. Adding these foods to one’s diet is a simple way to maintain healthy spleen function. When used for weight loss, acupuncture works to stimulate the overall flow of Qi and strengthen other organs that are closely related to the function of the spleen. By improving the overall flow of Qi, the body is able to perform at its best. In regards to weight loss, this ensures that one can continue to lose weight without feelings of fatigue or excessive tiredness. In addition, by strengthening other organs in the digestive system that work with the spleen to absorb nutrients and flush out toxins, one can absorb more nutrition per meal, allowing them to eat less.
Weight loss is a tricky journey filled with ups and downs on the scale, and ups and downs with your mood and motivation. If you’ve tried everything you can and are unhappy with your weight loss results, using Eastern medicine’s approach may be right for you. Contact us today to book an appointment!
