RENEW
e r u t c n u p u c A Try for Weight Loss in 2022 by Dr. Robert Benhuri, D. Ac, Synergy Wellness Center
S
ome people tend to feel hot and bothered much of the time. These people are likely to feel irritable and unable to relax. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TMC), this is considered a more yang body type. Others tend to have lower energy and feel cold much of the time. These people can often seem sluggish and have a hard time getting motivated. This is considered a more yin body type. When you look at these two constitutional types, it should come as no surprise that those with more yin body types are more likely to be overweight. In TCM terms, this is
because the digestive organs need sufficient yang energy to convert food into energy. If this yang is lacking, food is not digested properly, which can lead to weight gain. Furthermore, the liquids from food and drink can remain in the body where they are transformed into dampness. This dampness causes swelling and puffiness and makes the digestive process even harder. This triggers a vicious cycle. The more weight you gain, the more difficult it becomes to digest food properly. And the more difficult it is to digest food, the more likely you are to gain weight.
5 2 PRESCOTT HEALTHY LIVING | JANUARY 2022
Fortunately, acupuncture can help to break the cycle. It works to support digestion, remove excessive dampness from the body, boost yang energy and aid weight loss. Another way that acupuncture may be able to help with weight loss is by reducing the appetite. There are points on the ears used specifically for this purpose. Your acupuncturist can show you how to find these points, and you can massage them yourself whenever you have a food craving. Acupuncture could play a role in helping weight loss, but it is not a miracle cure. Here are a
few steps you can take to boost its effectiveness: Firstly, ask your acupuncturist to discuss your diet. Weight loss is not just linked to how much you eat, but also to what you eat. Exercise is also important as it increases yang energy in the body and helps your digestive organs function. Even walking for 20 to 30 minutes a day will help. Finally, be patient. Acupuncture for weight loss is a gentle treatment and will not work overnight. However, if you are willing to persist and put in some effort, you should begin to see results within a few months.
