Fruits are high in fiber, so you won’t gain weight even if you eat them as a main meal? Traditional Chinese Medicine: Debunking 4 myths about weight loss and conditioning according to your physical condition

Rome was not built in a day, and obesity "fat debt" is accumulated over time! In particular, patients with diabetes should control their diet and keep their blood sugar from soaring. This will not only prevent obesity, but also keep them away from retinopathy and even the risk of blindness due to high blood sugar. However, in order to lose weight, many people have some misconceptions, such as that fruit is a high-fiber food and can be eaten as a meal, making it a good helper for weight loss. Is this the truth?

Fruits are high in fiber. Can you eat them to replace regular meals without gaining weight?

If diabetic patients do not control their blood sugar, they may suffer from retinopathy, which may lead to blindness.

A 43-year-old Mr. Zhang suffers from type 2 diabetes and has to attend long-term social gatherings and dinners due to his work. Two years ago, when his weight reached 130 kg, he developed swollen eyes and blurred and distorted vision. He was diagnosed with long-term high blood sugar, which led to early retinal disease. If it worsens, he may become blind.

Later, Mr. Zhang went to the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Taipei Hospital, Ministry of Health and Welfare, hoping to control diabetes through traditional Chinese medicine and avoid the risk of blindness. After being diagnosed and prescribed by a Chinese medicine practitioner, combined with a healthy diet and exercise control, Mr. Zhang's weight has dropped significantly, he takes less and less medicine, and his glycosylated hemoglobin has dropped from 7.8 to a minimum of 5.1, and has been maintained at around 5.6 for a long time. He has lost weight, his physical strength has improved, and he is now able to accompany his children to climb mountains.

Dr. Guo Jianzhi, a Chinese medicine doctor at Taipei Hospital of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, said that the normal glycosylated hemoglobin level is 4.7 to 5.6. Mr. Zhang's highest test value reached 7.8, and he was obese. The occurrence of diabetic retinopathy is mainly related to poor blood sugar control and the duration of diabetes. Coupled with the existing risk factors of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and obesity, retinopathy is further aggravated.

If a diabetic patient has high blood sugar, it may cause retinopathy and even the risk of blindness.

To stabilize blood sugar and maintain long-term health, we need to work on both diet and exercise

Many drugs claim to suppress appetite, increase metabolism and promote bowel movements. In fact, these are only short-term effects. If you want to stabilize blood sugar and maintain long-term health, you still need to work on both diet and exercise. In addition to eating less high-calorie foods, you should also not eat too much low-calorie foods. The key to mastering "quantity is the key" is to know the total amount and calories of each meal when you eat. When assessing your daily calorie needs, you need to consider how much physical energy you expend at work to avoid conditions such as dizziness due to insufficient intake.

The Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and Chinese medicine practitioner Guo Jianzhi reminds that diabetic patients should try to choose rice dumplings with no egg yolk, no fat, low oil, less salt and less starch, and reduce the amount of rice dumplings by half. And you need to increase dietary fiber with fruits and vegetables to avoid blood sugar spikes and achieve nutritional balance.

TCM treatment of obesity is divided into two types according to physical constitution: internal accumulation of phlegm and dampness, and deficiency of qi.

As for TCM treatment of obesity, it is necessary to differentiate symptoms according to physical constitution. TCM divides obesity into two types: one is internal accumulation of phlegm and dampness, and the other is deficiency of Qi:

Phlegm-dampness accumulation:

The patient is fat and eats a lot, especially sweet and greasy food. He feels chest tightness and stuffiness, has a lot of phlegm, feels heavy and tired in limbs, has aversion to heat, has a fat tongue, thick and greasy tongue coating, and a strong, slippery and stringy pulse. It is mostly caused by eating disorders, or long-term hyperappetite, or a preference for rich, greasy food, which leads to poor spleen function, dampness and phlegm, which flow into the body and cause obesity. Mr. Zhang often drinks alcohol for social occasions, which is the type of person with internal phlegm and dampness.

Qi deficiency:

The patient is fat, short of breath and lazy to speak, sweats spontaneously when moving, is afraid of cold, has puffy and swollen face, has poor appetite, is tired and likes to lie down, has a pale tongue with white coating, and a thready and weak pulse. Most of them are caused by overwork and fatigue, or improper diet that damages the spleen, which is what "Xizhuo of the Origin and Development of Miscellaneous Diseases" says: "When grain qi overcomes vital energy, the person will be fat but not live long." The person only looks fat, but in fact the vital energy is weak. The main symptoms are shortness of breath, fatigue, aversion to wind and spontaneous sweating. Treatment should focus on replenishing Qi and strengthening the spleen, and physical exercise should be strengthened to enhance physical fitness.

To lose weight, you should eat less refined sugars or added sugars, such as soda, bubble tea, cake, bread, biscuits, instant noodles, pot stickers, sweets, and fried high-fat meat.

Chinese medicine doctor Guo Jianzhi reminds us to dispel the following four common myths when losing weight:

Myth 1: Eat the meat first, then drink the soup, and a plate of fruit after the meal is just right?

TCM divides the treatment of diabetes into three stages: upper, middle and lower stages, which refer to excessive thirst, increased appetite and frequent urination. If these 3 symptoms are handled well, the effect of nourishing yin and tonifying the kidney can be achieved and blood sugar will stabilize. It is recommended to change the order of eating, eat low-calorie fruits first, then drink soup, eat meat first and then vegetables, and feel 80% full after eating, which is just right.

Myth 2: No matter whether it is Chinese medicine or Western medicine, as long as it can control blood sugar and reduce weight, it is a good medicine?

To control blood sugar, it is best to adjust your lifestyle, diet and exercise. If you only rely on the help of any medication without a good mindset and lifestyle, losing weight temporarily will only result in longer-term fatness. After all, "fat debt" is not caused in one day. It is recommended to follow doctor's advice, eat a balanced diet, eat less and exercise more.

Myth 3: I won’t gain weight if I eat less at this meal and move the portion to the next meal?

Not having regular meals and overeating will make it impossible to control blood sugar. The consequences may also cause you to gain weight, lose concentration, get angry when hungry, and affect your interpersonal relationships! It is recommended to eat at regular times and in regular amounts, and eat a small amount of starch and a large amount of vegetables. Eat less refined sugars or added sugars, such as soda, bubble tea, cakes, bread, biscuits, instant noodles, pot stickers, sweets, as well as fried high-fat fatty meats, animal skins, and high-cholesterol foods such as Dongpo pork, chicken skin, fried chicken fillets, and stir-fried squid. If you can choose your meals, choose high-fiber foods with moderate fat. Some people can only burn more than 100 calories by brisk walking for an hour, but when they are hungry, they eat 400 calories of bread, which immediately breaks the energy! Pay attention to your calorie intake to keep your blood sugar stable.

Myth 4: Fruits are high in fiber and can be eaten as a substitute for regular meals without gaining weight?

Pineapples, mangoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, yams and other fruits and vegetables are sweet and high in sugar, so you can't eat a few at a time as a main meal. You should have a balanced diet with high-fiber, low-calorie vegetables, or eat low-calorie and filling fruits such as guava, dragon fruit, and tomatoes. Control the total amount and calories you consume at each meal.