Acupuncture for Weight Loss

There are so many diets out there, and it seems like every doctor, nutritionist, and medical professional has a different approach to helping you lose weight. This can be overwhelming and confusing for the average person trying to find information on how to eat better, exercise, and lose excess weight. I am here to tell you about the Chinese medicine approach.

 

Nutrition and dietary therapy are very important aspects of Chinese medicine. The difference with Traditional Chinese Medicine is that it has 4,000 years of history to back it up, and it belongs to a culture that generally does not have weight problems. China, and indeed much of Asia, is a culture of slim people. So, they must be doing something right. The key is that, as a culture, they have a different approach to food and nutrition.

 

In North America, we live in a culture of excess, with food and, most importantly, unnatural foods full of additives and preservatives. Never in human history have we had such an array of chemicals, additives, and pesticides in the food we eat. Things like MSG and aspartame – which are both extremely toxic and major causes of disease- are ubiquitous. One of the most important things we can do, and a concept that is integral to Chinese medicine, is to eat REAL FOOD. This may seem ridiculously simple, but it is not that easy to do. It is becoming increasingly confusing for the consumer to know exactly what is in the food we buy and how much it has been modified. Laws about labelling vary from country to country, so it is difficult to know exactly what is in the food we eat. The Chinese have a holistic view of the body and a very different approach to diet and nutrition than we do in the West. It may seem strange at first, but it has been practiced for thousands of years. They believe that it is not only WHAT you eat, but HOW you eat. Here are some examples:

 

1. Being MINDFUL when you eat, that is not dispersing energies by watching TV, working, or studying
2. Sitting while you eat without crossing your legs, as this crosses energy that should flow freely and unhindered
3. Chewing your food very well
4. Eat organically and locally
5. Eat with the seasons
6. Wearing loose-fitting clothing so Qi can flow and not become obstructed

The Chinese believe that one should eat foods that are locally grown, that is to say, foods that are indigenous to where you live. This was certainly easier to do before air travel. We have been spoiled by a variety of foods from all over the world, available to us year-round. And although many people love to eat strawberries year-round, it is not considered healthy according to the TCM model, as our digestive systems were not designed to handle them. Weight has not been a problem in China until the last couple of generations, due to the introduction of North American food into the diet. It is not necessarily the variety of foods that has caused this change, but rather the fact that the foods many of us eat in the West are overly processed and contain unnatural preservatives that are difficult to metabolize. Foods high in refined sugar, wheat, oils, and salt are among the most unhealthy and a major cause of unnecessary weight gain.

One of the main strengths of Chinese medicine is that it is so individualistic. Because it is a holistic system, each part of the body affects and influences the others; there is a real emphasis on individual diagnosis. For example, let’s take a headache. In Western medicine, if you were to complain of headaches, your MD might suggest taking something like Advil or Tylenol, and would probably give pretty much the same advice to most people who came in with that complaint. In Chinese medicine, there are over 100 types of headache, and each is treated very differently. This is the case with all diagnostics in TCM. There are many different types of obesity, and people struggle with their weight for many different reasons. The reasons can range from physical to spiritual. This is why the Chinese medicine approach works so well. Each person is diagnosed as an individual based on their specific issues, and treatment is tailored to them. When people ask me what I “DO” to help them lose weight, I have to say it is a completely different approach for every person I treat. The reasons for gaining and keeping weight on are individual, so the treatment must be individualized.

In my experience, I would say that the most important thing you need if you would like to lose weight is the DESIRE. I cannot tell you how many patients have come into my office and asked me to work my magic and make the pounds disappear. And, flattering as this is, it is simply not possible. What I tell them is that they must WANT to lose the weight. And if they do, I will gladly work with them using acupuncture, herbs, and nutritional therapy, as well as any other TCM modalities that might help in their particular case, to help them lose weight. It is a joint effort, and the acupuncturist is there to help and support you through the process. With the patient’s desire and the practitioner’s skills, acupuncture really works to help you lose weight and get back to health.