Obesity is the physiologic state in which excessive fat is stored at
various body sites. The incidence and etiology is due to the increasing
availability of food and decreasing demand for physical activity. Ordinary
obeisity is common, especially in middle age. Extreme obesity with localized
accumulation of body fat is less common and suggests an unusual etiology.
Recently acquired obesity of middle age with predominately central distribution
(jelly roll) is associated with greater disturbance of serum lipid and
carbohydrate metabolism than is lifelong, more symmetrically distributed
obesity of moderate degree. The capacity of the body to store protein and
carbohydrate is limited; thus, excess food in any form is converted into
fat and stored. The immediate cause of obesity is an excess of caloric
intake over caloric output, though recent evidence suggests that there
may br variations in the pathways by which indivuduals metabolize excess
metabolic fuels. A vatiety of mechanisms may lead to such an imbalance
or to a new equilibrium in which lipid storage remains excessive. Ther
are four metabolic ones; hypothalmic and other CNS factors; metabolic factors;
endocrine factors; behavioral factors.
In Chinese medicine, fat is yin since it is an accumulation of substance. Specifically, TCM holds that fat or adipose tissue is mostly phlegm and dampness. It is the spleen (Chinese) which is charged with transportation and transformation of dampness. It is also said that the spleen is the root of all phlegm production. Therefore, Chinese herbal therapy's approach to the treatment of obesity revolves around improving the spleen's transportation and transformation of body fluids and it's clean distillation of foods.
According to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine and my experience,
the best way to treat "weight" is to ignore it and treat the presenting
energetic picture. Healthy body size will automatically follow when the
imbalances are corrected, unless the patient is so severely eating disordered
that they cannot remain with the regimen. Patients of this sort are best
recognized prior to beginning CM treatment and referred for other kinds
of psychological support or counseling as well.
Chinese medicine considers that obesity is caused by the following etiological factors;
1. Excessive food intake or drinks.
2. The retention of damp-phlegm due to the first reason or Spleen Qi
deficiency
3. Liver stagnation due to prolonged strong emotions or depression
which cause the disharmony between the Spleen and Liver, thereby creating
fluid retention
4. Spleen deficiency which can be the primary cause for damp fluid
retention, or be the secondary result due to over-weight or food damage
(stagnation)
5. Kidney deficiency which loses its function of storing essence and
promoting the water and fluid metabolism.
To order formulas, please contact me.
1. Obesity due to excessive food intake
Indications; Excessive food intake, or drinks, belching, gas, full sensation at the chest or gastric region, over weight, heavy feeling of the body or head, normal tongue, white thick or this tongue coating, slippery pulse.
Treatment formulas
Ping Wei San (Magnolia and Ginger combination)
dispels dampness and regulates circulation of stomach qi.
Jia wei Ping Wei San (Magnolia and Ginger Plus and Minus Formula)
similar with more digestives
Indications; Over weight, general heaviness, fatigue, laziness, fullness of the;chest or gastric regions, or edema at local areas (especially legs), dizziness, nausea sometimes, constipation, normal tongue, white or thin yellow coat, slippery or deep pulse.
Treatment & Formulas
Fang Feng Tong Sheng San (Siler and Platycodon)
Very popular for obesity with strong constitution, laxative and regulating
functions
Yin Chen Wu Lin San (Capillaris and Hoelin Five Formula)
Clears interior heat and dampness through lower burner/ urination.
Wu Ling San (Hoelin Five Herb Combination)
Dispels damp by diuretic and tonification of Spleen and Kidney.
Ling Gui Zhu Gan Tang (Hoelin and Attractalodes)
Dispels damp by promoting stomach and spleen function.
Indication; Mostly shows at middle age. Obesity appears after some strong and prolonged emotions, quick emotional changes, depression or easily angered, restlessness, insomnia, headache, full and extended sensation at the chest or under the ribs, or lower abdomen, irregular menstruation and pain during menstruation and pain during menstrual period, loose or hard alternating stools, poor or excessive appetite, bitter taste in the mouth, red or normal tongue, thin and yellow coating, wiry pulse.
Treatment formulas
Xiao Yao San ( Tang Gui and Bupleurum) Typical base formula for
regulating the Liver and Spleen This is gennerally modified to the individuals
needs.
Indications; Obesity, fatigues easily, spontaneous sweating, palpitation, shortness of breath, lower fever, loose stool, all symptoms worse after working or any activities, pale complexion, pale and swollen tongue, white coating, weak and thready pulse
Treatment Formulas
Fang Ji Huang Qi Tang (Stephania and Astragalus combination)
Popular for Spleen Qi deficiency causing fluid retention. Also for
edema, nephritis, swollen and painful legs due to water retention.
Liu Jun Zi Tang (Major 6 combination) Classical base formula for Spleen Qi deficiency with dampness.
Shen Ling Bai Zhu San (Ginseng and Atractalodes) Classic formula for Spleen Qi deficiency with dampness and loose stools/diarrhea
Chi Pi Wan (Ginseng and Hawthorn), Gui Pi Tang, and Li Zhong
Tang
Indication; Obesity, sore and weak sensation at the lumbar regions, lower energy, frequent drowsiness, frequent profuse urination, impotence, premature ejaculation in male, irregular menstruation in female. Pale and enlarged tongue, or with teeth marks on both sides of the tongue, thin coating, deep and weak pulse.
Treatment formulas
Jia Wei Chang Chun (ginseng and codonopsis) Typical Kidney tonic
Huan Sao Dan (Lycium Formula) "Rejuvenation Formula" This is
also a tonic for kidney, spleen, and heart
Chi Sheng Shen Chi Wan (Achyranthes and Plantago) Kidney tonic
with a diuretic function. Also for edema and chronic nephritis.
Ba Wei Di Huang Wan (Rehmania Eight Formula) Classic Kidney
Yang tonic. A Variation of Six rehmannia
An analysis of several formulas used for reducing weight include the
following herbal principles:
Draining Damp, Dispelling phlegm, Improving Digestion, Regulating Qi,
Blood moving, Surface relieving, Purgatives, and Tonification. Note that
most of these are reducing therapies, and that regulating and dispersing
stagnant fluid (damp) and phlegm predominate the formulas.
To order formulas, please contact me.
Here are the ingredients for one formula from mainland China.
"Keep Fit Reduce Fat Capsules"
including:
10% Pollen (cat Tail Pollen, Pu Huang) moves blood, dispel dampness
10% Pseudo-ginseng(not ginseng) Moves blood, dissolves fat
10% Astragalus (qi tonic)
10% Polygoni (yin tonic,disperses phlegm)
10% Alisma (drain damp)
10% Cappillaris (drain damp)
15% Cratageous (hawthorne berry) digestive, dissolves fat
10% Codonopsis (like ginseng) Tonify Qi, benefit adrenals
10 % Radish seed Digestive, dissolves fat
5% Rhubarb Strong moving blood and Qi, laxative/purgative
for: general weight loss, burning fat
Lotus leaf 20% (green tea, dispel damp, burns fat)
Crataegus 20% (promote digestion, moves blood, burns fat)
Alisma 20% (dispel damp, burn fat)
Ho-shou-wu 20% (Liver Yin Tonic, dispel fat/cholesterol)
Cassia seed 20% (clear heat, dispel fat)
for: general weight loss, burning fat, Obesity, hyperlipidemia, constipation,
tiredness after meals, fatty liver
Alisma 9% (drain damp)
Chaenomeles 8% (clear wind damp)
Hoelen 8% (drain damp)
Stephania 8% (clear wind damp)
Astragalus 8% (tonify Qi)
Polyporus 7% (drain Damp)
Atratylodes 7%(tonify Qi, drain damp)
Akebia 6% (drain damp)
Areca seed 6% (strong move qi)
Magnolia bark 6% (strong move qi)
Citrus 6% (regulate qi)
Ginger 5% (relieve surface, warming diaphoretic)
Pinellia 5% (dispel cold phlegm)
Cinnamon twig 5 (relieve surface, warming diaphoretic)
Licorice 3% (tonify Qi, harmonize formula)
Morus 3% (leaf- relieve surface, cooling diaphoretic)
for: edema, obesity, diarrhea, swollen joints, urinary tract infection
weight
Cassia (9.2%)
Alisma (9.2%)
White Atractylodes (9.2%)
Hoelen (9.2%)
Cinnamon Twig (7.3%)
Zhi Shi (7.3%)
Chen Pi (7.3%)
Crataegi (7.3%)
Rhubarb (7.3%)
Radish Seed (6.1%)
Licorice (5.4%)
Saussurea (4.9%)
Semen Pharbitidis (Qian Niu Zi) 2.4%,
Stephania (1.8%)
for: Obesity, constipation, water retention, phlegm, abdominal distention,
bloating, stagnation in the digestive system, feeling of toxicity. Weight
loss
Tang Gui
White Peony
Ligusticum
Forsythia
Mint
Siler
Ephedra
Rhubarb
Mirabilitum
Gardenia
Atractalodes
Ginger
Schizonepeta
Platycodon
Scute
Gypsum
Licorice
Talc
For: Obesity with strong constitution and constipation, flushed face,
cardiac disease, arteriosclerosis, hypertension, nephritis, autotoxicity,
diabetes, dermatosis, gout.
Alisma
Anemarrhena
Attractalodes
Coix
Cratageous
Dioscorea
Eriobotrya
Gynnemma
Hoeline
Lycium Fruit
Morus
Ophiopogon
Polygonatum
Rehmannia
Salvia
Tricosanthes Root
Crataegus formula
Crataegus (Shan Zha), Raphanus (Lai Fu Zi), Poria (Fu Ling), Citrus
(Chen Pi), Pinellia (Zhi Ban Xia),
Pogostemon (Huo Xiang), Melia (Chuan Lian Zi), Magnolia (Hou Po), Aurantium
(Zhi Ke), Paeonia (Bai Shao),
Cyperus (Xiang Fu), Amomum (Sha Ren), Glycerrhiza (Zhi Gan Cao),western-Gentiana
lucea (Gentian),Inositol
(appetite suppressant)(7.4mg), Lipase (7.4mg), Choline (4.0 mg)
for: Indigestion, food poisoning, nausea, morning sickness, acute and
chronic indigestion, also epigastric distension
and fullness following eating, and certain cases of esophageal spasm.
Also very useful when weak digestion inhibits
uptake of other herbal products. Weight loss due to food stagnation
or the Alisma Formula
Alisma(Ze Xie), Polyporous (Zhu Ling), Poria(Fu Ling), Magnolia(Hou Po), Areca(Bing Lang), Artemesia (Yin Chen Hao), Atractylodes (Cang Zhu), Saussurea (Mu Xiang), Chaenomeles(Mu Gua), Cinammomum (Gui Zhi), Paeonia (Bai Shao), Zingiberis (Sheng Jiang), Glycerrhiza (Zhi Gan Cao),western-Asparagus, Solidago(Golden Rod), Taraxacum(Dandelion), Magnesium(Aspartate) 8 mg. E, Potassium (gluconate) 6.25 mg E, Pyridoxal-5-phosphate (5 mg)
for: Edema, Joint Swelling, Ascites, Acts as natural diuretic to circulate
and excrete excess water accumulation. Weight loss due to water retention
From the above formulations and indications it is obvious that weight
loss is a complex issue that is primarily approached as a stagnation of
damp and phlegm with possible Kidney, i.e. water retention/metabolism problems
or Spleen (pancreas) problems including blood sugar metabolism, digestion,
and fat storage. Although general fat burners and "damp" draining therapies
can be used in a cook book (shotgun) fashion, proper differentiation
and follow up will achieve the best results. This requires an intake and
assessment, which I provide via email assessment
form.
To order formulas, please contact
me.
From the nutritional perspective, I have been using a product as an adjunct to the herbal formulas. This is called "Thins"
Thins is a product that has in it different fruits, vegetables and herbs that synergistically act together along with fiber to do 3 things: ( this is a wafer that you chew and take with 8oz glass of water, comes in two bottles for 1 month supply at 2 wafers two times per day, total 4 per day)
Reduce hunger and food cravings
Increase fat metabolism, so that your body "burns" fat more efficiently
Increase energy, to help you "burn" more calories
What it's not:
· No stimulants that give you a false sense of energy (often
with uncomfortable, and sometimes harmful, side effects).
· No chemicals or drugs that affect the brain or central nervous
system, sending a "false message" to the brain about what is happening
in the body (and, again, often with uncomfortable, and sometimes harmful,
side effects).
· Nothing artificial or synthetic. Thins are as nutritionally
complete and as close to nature as possible. So they can be taken
as long as you desire.
What's in it:
Chromium
Helps regulate blood sugar and helps decrease both fat production and
excessive fat deposition and helps reduce "sweet" food cravings.
It makes the body more efficient at burning the food into fuel rather than
fat. Chromium deficiency increases fat production because it slows
the burning of food for energy.
Malabar tamarind fruit (garcinia cambogia)-from the citrus family.
Slows the conversion of sugar into fat in the body and helps provide
a feeling of fullness. A fat burner.
Lecithin-helps emulsify cholesterol. Keeps the fats in suspension rather than adhering to artery walls.
Hawthorn berry powder (cratagous) strengthens the heart muscle, dilates the coronary blood vessels and lowers cholesterol levels.
Stevia leaf powder-sweetener, helps regulate high or low blood sugar, and is anti-bacterial.
Fiber blend-aids cleansing, absorption of toxins and regulating blood sugar levels. Apple pectin, apple fiber, plant cellulose, fructoogliosaccharides (fruit sugar that acts as a probiotic), carrageenan, locust bean gum.
Enzyme blend-aids digestion. Bromelain, papain, protease.
Fruit source-sweeteners. Grape juice solids, rice syrup solids, fructose, malabar tamarind fruit extract.
This is usually combined with a few other nutritional products including; Fruit and Vegetable pills, and a meal replacement non milk based drink.
For orderring information contact
me .
Chinese dietary therapy's approach to the treatment of obesity revolves around improving the spleen's transportation and transformation of body fluids and it's clean distillation of foods.
DAMP HEAT
A pattern of imbalance which I see most often in clinical practice is damp heat. Most often, the dampness is due to faulty stomach/spleen function. Due to faulty diet, worry, and over fatigue, if the spleen fails to transport and transform liquids as it should, these, being heavy, have a tendency to seep downwards and collect in the lower part of the body. This dampness impedes the flow of qi wherever it collects. The qi backs up behind the puddle and pooled dampness and, because qi is warm, the area becomes overheated. This heat then become tied up or bound with dampness and becomes what is called in Chinese medicine Shi re or damp heat; Technically, this heat may be either full, depressive, or empty heat, but, once it joins with dampness, it is damp heat nonetheless. Damp heat may manifest as problems with the liver and gallbladder or various inflammatory conditions of the intestines, bladder, and reproductive organs. It can also cause various determatological or skin diseases. Once damp heat gets established in the lower part of the body, it can be difficult to rid. This is due to dampness' heaviness and turbidity. Chinese medicine says dampness is recalcitrant to treatment. In addition, a certain amount of damp heat typically accumulates as one ages. Since dampness mostly has its source in the middle burner; then a common sense, middle burner, stomach/spleen-benefiting diet is important to correct the generation of dampness at its source. Even if the heat in damp heat is 'empty heat', such an approach will still benefit the situation. In addition, persons with damp heat in the lower burner or lower half of their body should eat somewhat more cooling, diuretic foods. These include Chinese barley (coix) or Jos's tears, water and other summer melons, watercress, celery, carrots, cranberries, and cucumbers. However, except for the melons and cranberries, these should all be eaten lightly cooked. Because rice is mildly diuretic, it should be the staple grain for those suffering from damp heat in the lower burner. Sweets, chocolate, nuts, ice cream, frozen yogurt, alcohol, greasy, oily, and fatty foods should be avoided. Chinese dietary theory holds that oils and alcohol are especially productive of damp heat. Other foods to avoid are spicy, pungent, "hot" foods, pork, beef, and citrus fruits & juices, especially orange juice. If Candidiasis is also present, then one should avoid or minimize the following; vinegar, fermented foods (excepting miso, tempeh, shoyu, and yogurt), any food that may be contaminated by yeast or molds due to improper or prolonged storage, yeasted breads and baked goods.
The basic middle burner, spleen/stomach-benefiting diet includes; warm food cooked fresh and eaten warm, lots of fresh vegetables, lots of grains, some beans, a little animal protein of all sorts and varieties, a moderate consumption of fruits, seeds, and nuts, not much concentrated sweets, oils, or fats, and plenty of fiber.