From leftover Halloween treats to the big Thanksgiving spread and holiday sweets, this time of year is often indulgent. And while it’s perfectly fine to enjoy a rich meal or decadent dessert occasionally, the abundance of less-than-healthy foods around holidays can quickly turn these occasional treats into a daily occurrence.
Many of us enter this season with the best intentions but find ourselves battling holiday weight gain by the time the new year rolls around. You’re not alone if you’ve ever found yourself in that position.
Fortunately, Oriental Medicine offers a holistic, mindful approach to help you stay balanced and avoid the pitfalls of holiday overindulgence (while still enjoying the holidays). Instead of focusing on strict diets or rigorous workout routines, Oriental Medicine emphasizes harmony within the body, mindful eating, and natural remedies to support digestion and reduce stress.
With a few simple practices, you can enjoy the festivities while keeping your health—and your waistline—in check. Let’s find out how!
Holiday Weight Gain: An Oriental Medicine Perspective
In Oriental Medicine, maintaining a healthy weight is about achieving balance—not just in terms of diet and exercise, but in how your body’s internal systems work together.
The body’s energy, or Qi, flows through specific pathways. When Qi is balanced, your digestion, metabolism, and overall well-being function at their best. However, during the holiday season, factors like overeating, stress, and disrupted routines can create certain imbalances that make packing on the pounds more likely.
From this perspective, holiday weight gain is often linked to the health of the Spleen and Stomach organs. These are key players in digestion and metabolism. The Spleen is responsible for transforming the food you eat into energy and nutrients. When it’s weakened—often by overeating, stress, or indulging in rich and greasy foods—it can’t do its job efficiently. This leads to the accumulation of dampness and stagnation in the body, which can cause bloating, sluggishness, and weight gain.
So, how can Oriental medicine practices help support us in our weight loss efforts? According to Dr. Ko, “Acupuncture can help to urine and excretion properly and also treats constipation so the body can balance well and helps Qi circulate well. This is the most natural way to lose weight and you don’t need to depend on drugs. You also avoid the yo-yo effect because acupuncture helps to restore your intestinal function.”
When it comes to dieting, he notes that “the basis of diet is that everything we eat must come out except for the nutrients our body needs. Oriental medicine treatment uses acupuncture and medicine to help the substances that enter our body come out of the body.”
So, the key to maintaining a healthy weight during the holidays is less about deprivation and more about supporting your body’s natural functions. By keeping your digestion strong and your Qi flowing, you can enjoy the season (and your favorite foods) without growing your waistline.
Oriental Medicine Tips to Strengthen Digestion & Prevent Overeating
One of the key principles in Oriental Medicine is the importance of supporting digestion to maintain overall balance. During the holidays, when indulgence is everywhere, it’s especially important to take care of your digestive system and take some extra steps to avoid overeating and holiday weight gain.
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Eat Mindfully
In OM, mindful eating is seen as a way to fully support the digestive process. This means eating slowly, savoring each bite, and paying attention to your body’s hunger and fullness cues. When you take the time to be present with your meal, you’re less likely to overeat or reach for unhealthy snacks out of habit. Try sitting down at a table for meals, chewing thoroughly, and eliminating distractions like your phone or TV.
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Focus on Spleen-Strengthening Foods
The Spleen plays a major role in transforming food into energy in Oriental Medicine. Strengthening your Spleen during the holidays can help improve your digestion and metabolism, making it easier to avoid weight gain.
How can you do that? Focus on warm, cooked foods that are easy on the digestive system, like soups, stews, and roasted vegetables. Incorporating root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and squash, along with grains like millet or rice, will also nourish the Spleen and help maintain balance. Avoid cold and raw foods, especially in colder months, as they can weaken the digestive fire.
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Avoid Dampness-Causing Foods
In Oriental Medicine, dampness is a condition that slows digestion and leads to bloating, heaviness, and weight gain. Foods that create dampness include greasy, fried foods, excess sugar, and alcohol—all holiday temptations.
While it’s okay to enjoy these foods in moderation, try to balance them out with lighter, more wholesome options. Herbal teas like ginger or peppermint, as well as fresh fruits like pears and apples, can satisfy cravings while supporting digestion and reducing dampness.
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Herbal Remedies for Digestive Support
Oriental Medicine offers a variety of herbs that can help improve digestion, especially during periods of overeating. Ginger, one of the most commonly used herbs, is excellent for stimulating digestion and reducing bloating. Another helpful herb is Chinese hawthorn (Shan Zha), which can aid in breaking down rich, fatty foods and alleviate indigestion.
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Get Acupuncture for Stress Relief
Acupuncture is a powerful, science-backed tool for managing stress, especially during the holiday season. By targeting specific points related to relaxation and digestion, acupuncture helps balance the body’s Qi (energy) and calms the nervous system.
Regular sessions can reduce stress, improve mood, and even help regulate appetite, making it easier to avoid stress-induced eating. Many people find that acupuncture helps them feel more grounded and resilient so they can maintain a sense of balance during the busy holiday season.
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Walk After Meals
An age-old Oriental Medicine tip is to walk 100 steps after meals to support digestion. And it’s true – research shows that walking after a meal helps your body balance blood sugar better.
A leisurely walk after a meal also helps Qi flow through the digestive organs, preventing food from stagnating and helping to avoid post-meal drowsiness. This simple habit is an easy way to boost your metabolism and manage your weight during the holiday season – or any time of year.
Want to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain? Focus on Balance, Not Deprivation
The holiday season doesn’t have to mean giving up on your health goals. By following these Oriental Medicine-inspired tips, you can enjoy the festivities while staying balanced and supporting your body naturally.
Remember, maintaining harmony is key, and OM encourages small, consistent actions rather than rigid restrictions. Whether it’s mindful eating, gentle movement, or seasonal self-care, these practices empower you to take care of yourself in ways that fit seamlessly into the season. This holiday, focus on balance, not deprivation, and give yourself the gift of well-being that lasts into the new year.
Ready to use Oriental Medicine to reach your weight loss or weight management goals? Book your consultation with 120 Acupuncture Clinic in Studio City, Los Angeles or call us at 1-818-980-7979 to find out how Dr. Ko and his team can help.
