Weight loss and traditional Chinese medicine
There are three basic concepts in Traditional Chinese Medicine with respect to diet and weight loss:
Water retention
Whether it is the person’s body type or side effects from prescription medication, excess water retained in one’s body is often reflected directly through weight gain.
One of the most common herbal formulas used for water retention is Wu
Ling San. The five-herbs in this formulation (poria, polyporus, rhizoma alismatis, rhizoma tractylodis macrocephalae, and ramulus cinnamomi) work together to “drain” the excess fluid the body has trouble getting rid of. There are many reasons why one’s body retains water more than usual.
But in many cases, it is not uncommon to see a person with water retention also has deficient qi (chi). When one has energy to move about, one might notice the water retained is not as severe as when one is in a sedentary state. Hence, taking qi (chi) tonics like Astragali
with Wu Ling San is an effective way to build up one’s energy as well as getting rid of excess water trapped in one’s body at the same time.
Diet
When dealing with weight loss, diet is always an important component. Whether it be the Atkins’ diet, the South Beach diet, the Okinawa diet, and so forth, the main thing is that whatever is placed into the mouth must come out at the other end of the digestive track. Herbal formulas liked Da Chai Hu Tang and Cleansing
Tea address constipation or difficult bowel movements. The main principle behind these two formulas is that they are not laxatives. Rather, the herbs act to promote a better movement of the bowels, so they do not damage the body as laxatives might.
Other than the different herbs that constitute each formula, the main difference between Da Chai Hu Tang and Cleansing Tea is that Da Chai Hu Tang is commonly used when constipation is caused by excess internal heat. Whereas with Cleansing Tea, its use is more generalized for the whole digestive system since there are herbs like Hawthorne
to aid digestion and Mormordicae to “lubricate” the intestines, thereby facilitating with bowel movement.
Anxiety
The last culprit for weight gain is anxiety. Often times, anxiety leads to irregular food intake, and bingeing, which causes problems like indigestion, frustration, and overeating. To stop this vicious cycle from happening, Jia Wei Hsiao Yao Wan is a great formula to help easing the “liver” tension from building. For food retention in the stomach, herbal teas like Bojenmi, or Baohe Wan aid with the digestive process.
The subject of weight loss is very popular around the globe. It seems that there are abundance of people searching for that magic pill to do it all. As one can see from this TCM overview of weight loss, there are different reasons why one gain weight. The herbal formulas discussed are just ways to help with the balancing of one’s body. The most important thing you need to remember about weight loss is that is does not happen overnight, and that a good diet and exercise is the key to a healthy life.
