Chinese medicine has some surprising solutions to issues like obesity that are sometimes contrary to Western thinking ...
Obesity is becoming a true social phenomenon.
According to a 2016 study *, the percentage of obesity in Spain continues to increase so far this century, going from 13.62% in 2003 to 17.03% in 20 11. According to sex, men tend to be more obese than women, with special emphasis from 45 years of age.
Regarding the prevalence of obesity in the Autonomous Communities of the country, Andalusia , Extremadura and Castilla La Mancha lead the first positions, while Cantabria, Navarra and Castilla León are the last.
Finally, according to the level of study of the individuals, those with primary or lower education have a
high rate of obesity, 26.7% in 2011.
Sociodemographic factors that influence the prevalence of childhood and youth obesity in Spain . I study enKid.
Percentage of adult individuals with obesity according to sex.
Percentage of adult individuals with obesity according to age.
Percentage of adult individuals with obesity according to educational level.
The data show that the rate of obese women with primary or lower education was 4 times higher than that of women with university studies, while in men it was approximately 2 times higher.
Between 2003 and 2011, the frequency of obesity increased in all educational level groups. This increase was greater in individuals with secondary education, in whom the prevalence of obesity multiplied by two during the decade studied, being observed in both men and women , and was maintained even taking into account the distribution of age in the different educational level groups (graph 1).
Obesity in Spain already affects 17.0% of the population aged 18 and over.
Since the first National Health Survey in 1987, obesity has followed an ascending line in both sexes, more marked in men than in women and, today, half of the adult population suffers from obesity. It is a problem that is on the rise, on which it is necessary to design action strategies aimed at detecting individuals at risk, early diagnosis and comprehensive approach to the problem.
For this reason, apart from the traditional medical solutions, today here we want to give another vision of how this problem can be solved from Chinese medicine.
Science has recently shown that being overweight can lead to problems of:
- type 2 diabetes
- colon cancer
- kidney
- breast and uterus
- high cholesterol
- hypertension
- cardiovascular disease (including myocardial infarction and stroke)
- arthritis
- gallstones
- infertility
- depression
- snoring and sleep apnea
- and cataracts.
The causes of obesity according to Chinese medicine
Careful observation over many centuries allows Chinese medicine to say that there is not just one type of overweight or obesity, but many. Since the nature of each type is different, the treatments are also different.
The way Chinese medicine analyzes and understands human physiology is different from Western medicine (and therefore different from homeopathy, naturopathy , osteopathy, etc.).
It was created 3000 years ago in a philosophical and cultural context very different from ours. Therefore, we must agree to look at the world through a different lens than that used in Western science.
For example, organs such as the spleen, kidneys, lungs, liver, heart, gallbladder, small intestine, large intestine, stomach, and bladder have very little in common with the current vision of the body. human.
In Chinese medical theory , they have very different functions in the body than we think of them today and prevent us from losing weight . So we are operating on a different matrix of thought.
In Chinese medicine, fat is seen as the product of "phlegm" (tan), which is a liquid that collects and condenses into a more solid form.
Phlegm can be caused by a poor diet or by a malfunction of the spleen, kidneys and liver.
The four main types of obesity.
#1. Phlegm-wet due to improper lifestyle.
The phlegm that causes being overweight or obese comes mainly from a poor diet. From the Chinese point of view, the goal of the digestive process is to receive liquid and solid food and transform everything into a kind of " hot digestive soup ", which is assimilated and nourished by the body.
What prevents the formation of this "hot digestive soup" and, therefore, the assimilation of food?
Too many raw and / or cold foods, cold drinks, sugary foods and too many wet foods (eg, dairy products, alcohol, fried foods, donuts, processed meats, sweets…).
Also, if you eat at irregular hours, late at night, or not enough for breakfast and too much for dinner, you increase the chances of developing moisture in the digestive system , which sooner or later will turn into phlegm, causing the overweight.
In this situation, even if your organs are working properly and your digestion appears to be good, this type of diet will eventually cause you to gain weight. It may appear that you are healthy, but you will still be slowly gaining weight.
#2. Spleen Qi Vacuum
Qi corresponds to the functions of an organ. In Chinese medicine, the spleen is responsible for transforming food.
If it is weakened, the moisture in the digestive system cannot be transformed properly, and then accumulates and turns into phlegm. In this situation, even if you eat a good diet and avoid the types of foods mentioned above, you can even gain weight!
This explains why certain people eat very little but continue to gain weight. If you also have a poor diet, you double your chances of gaining weight.
What are the main causes of spleen Qi emptiness?
- Bad nutrition
- excessive consumption of sweets and sodas
- overthinking or worry
- lack of physical activity
- work overload
- severe or prolonged illness ...
This type of overweight is very common in women.
#3. Kidney Yang emptiness
Yang is also related to the functions of an organ and the ability to warm the body. In Chinese medicine, the kidneys are responsible for "ruling the water." This means that they ensure that physiological fluids are properly assimilated, transformed and transported to nourish and moisturize the body's tissues. If the kidneys are empty, these body fluids have a tendency to stagnate and eventually concentrate in phlegm, which is the source of excess weight.
What are the main causes of kidney Yang emptiness?
- The aging
- the use of certain cooling medications
- excessive sexual activity
- constitutional weakness
- severe or prolonged illness ...
Again, despite having a perfect diet, if there is kidney Yang failure, it is possible to gain abnormal amounts of weight.
Of course, a poor diet can only aggravate the situation. Kidney Yang emptiness is often related to the weight gain associated with menopause or andropause (the "belly" that begins in men around 40 years of age and increases by 50 years).
#4. Liver Qi binding depression
The "Chinese" liver has nothing to do with the "western" liver or that of naturopaths . It has many functions, but the one that interests us here is the function that promotes the smooth flow of Qi, blood, fluids, and emotions in the body.
When there is severe emotional stress, humiliation, bitterness, feelings of injustice, anger (internalized or externalized), the regulatory function of the liver is disrupted and energy stagnates.
This is called " liver Qi junction depression " (Gan Yu). In this situation, you lose the ability to circulate physiological bodily fluids that then accumulate, condense, and transform into phlegm.
Also, liver Qi depression almost always weakens the spleen, which also causes phlegm… In other words, it is a type of overweight with an emotional origin.
People with this syndrome often crave sweets . The sweet taste acts as an ' antidepressant ', which may be good, but it also causes weight gain.
It should be noted that sometimes people develop two or three types of obesity or overweight, which makes treatment more complex.
Of course, to accurately diagnose your type of weight gain and to prescribe appropriate treatment strategies, it is advisable to consult a Chinese doctor, who is able to devise a plan to treat you.
What would chinese medicine do
Whatever the cause, treatment always involves implementing an impeccable diet. This involves avoiding unhealthy foods and restoring proper spleen function.
- Stop all the snacking.
- Eat easily digestible foods and lots of vegetables.
- Significantly reduce the consumption of sugary foods, dairy, alcohol and fatty foods.
- Eat hot foods and eliminate cold foods.
- Eat cooked foods and eliminate raw foods.
- Do not drink at the beginning of the meal, only have hot drinks at the end of the meal.
- Halve your carbohydrate intake (bread, pasta, potatoes, cereals ...) for several weeks, but increase your intake of vegetables and fish (mackerel, herring, salmon, tuna, turbot, sardines, smelly, sea bass, rainbow trout , shrimp, mussels). , pieces of roe ...).
- Eat more rice, millet, barley, quinoa, and legumes, and avoid grains in the wheat family, which are very moist and produce phlegm.
If the number of pounds to lose is important, it may be helpful to implement food combining principles, which recommend consuming fats (lipids) separately from simple or complex sugars (carbohydrates).
In this situation, it is more advantageous to encourage the consumption of low glycemic carbohydrates.
However, do not forget that three out of four types of obesity are not directly related to diet , but to the alteration of certain organs.
According to Chinese medicine, dieting without regulating these organs does not make sense.
In addition to modifying the diet, the presentation case should also be treated:
- Supplement the spleen with Chinese medicines that are known to reduce weight, such as Rhizoma attractylodis macrocephalae ( Bai Zhu ), Radix astragali membranacei ( Huang Qi ), Fructus crataegi ( Shan Zha ) ...
- Strengthen the kidneys with Chinese drugs known to reduce weight, such as Radix polygoni multiflori ( He Shou Wu ), Cortex radicis acanthopanacis ( Wu Jia Pi ), Rhizoma drynariae ( Gu Sui Bu ).
- Travel the liver with Chinese medications that are known to reduce weight, such as Viricus citri reticulatae pericarpium ( Qing Pi ), Fructus immaturus citri aurantii ( Zhi Shi ), Fasciculus vascularis citri reticulatae ( Ju Luo ), Radix bupleuri ( Chai Hu ) ...
- Mitigate the causes of stress, anger and frustration. Treat the emotional root that leads to binge eating.
Improve lifestyle
- Get rid of the idea that drinking more water will cause weight loss . This is a completely false notion and in fact depletes the spleen and kidneys [according to the book "La diétique du Tao", section 7.9: "Boire des liters d'eau?" (The English version is not yet available).
- Participate in regular physical activity, preferably daily, as it activates the circulation of Qi, stimulates intestinal peristalsis and helps eliminate stored fat.
- Eat at regular times, with a hearty and tasty breakfast and a light dinner, which promotes spleen function.
- Work on physical and mental well-being at the same time.
