Food Therapy for Weight Loss

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Daily food consumption is the first line of treatment.

It is common for the ancients to treat a minor ailment with a specially prepared meal or by including a particular ingredient in a dish.

Based on the classification of patterns suggested, there are two main ways of treating obesity by food therapy.

1. Transform phlegm and eliminate dampness by drying the body and

2. Fortify the spleen and invigorate the kidneys.

A.    Promote Urination

The first method is to promote urination, which may be compared with diuretics in Western medicine.

B.    Ridding the body of excess water

This method involves absorbing tissue fluids in the body. Absorbing water in the body can be compared to that of a sponge soaking up spilled water; promoting urination removes water from the body through excretion. The majority of foods and herbs that can absorb water inside the body are aromatic, The aromatic foods not only can absorb water inside the body, but also can stop diarrhea.

C.   Cool the body to facilitate water removal

-       A dry-hot physical constitution is not prone to obesity as is a damp-hot physical constitution.
     For example, if you set fire to damp firewood, it will not burn quickly but produce a lot of smoke, which is not good.
      Similarly when water and heat mix in the body, neither will go away.
      The result is difficulty when urinating or discharge of reddish urine in small quantities.
      The strategy, therefore, is to cool the body, allowing water to flow.
       Food and herbs with a cold energy and a bitter flavor are used for this purpose, because cold energy  can cool the body and the bitter flavor can dry it.
D.Warm the body
     This is suitable for people with a cold-damp physical constitution.
      The strategy is to warm the body so that the water can flow out of the body, either through urination or perspiration. 
      Foods producing best results should have a warm or hot energy and a pungent-sweet flavor.
      Hot or warm energy increases body heat, pungent flavor increases perspiration, and a sweet or light flavor promotes urination. 
      Fresh ginger - is used frequently to counteract cold, particularly in winter and when it is used along with dry orange peel to make tea, its effects are significantly reinforce.
      Cinnamon satisfies these three conditions