Lifestyle Management

Q I barely have time to exercise due to work and childcare. Can I still lose weight?

A. Even without exercise, you can achieve significant weight loss by combining a low-sodium diet, regular meals, and warm baths. A light 30-minute walk or warm bath 3+ times a week is the minimum exercise alternative.

Q I developed constipation while dieting. What foods can help?

A. Dietary fiber (vegetables), yogurt, grain syrup (jochung), and nuts are helpful. You can also directly manage constipation by adjusting your detox pill dosage.

Q My mouth and nose became dry while dieting. How much water should I drink?

A. We recommend drinking 2 liters or more of water per day. Since diuretic herbal water (gamnosu) removes excess body fluid, sufficient water intake is essential to prevent mucosal dryness.

Q I feel very tired and sluggish while dieting. Is this normal?

A. Some fatigue is expected in the first 1-2 weeks due to reduced food intake and metabolic changes, but the herbal medicine will then help replenish your energy. If severe fatigue persists for more than 2 weeks, adjustment during a consultation is needed.

Q I heard warm baths help with dieting. How do you do it? Is it different from a half-bath?

A. A warm bath is done by soaking up to the neck until sweat appears on the face, which is different from a half-bath or sauna. It helps with weight loss by expelling waste and body fluids through the skin's sweat glands and promoting blood circulation.

Q I work in Dong-gu, Incheon but my meal times are irregular. Are meal times really that important during a diet?

A. Eating at consistent times in consistent amounts causes the stomach to shrink to that rhythm, and after 3 months the stomach size is actually reduced to less than half. Irregular meals invite binge eating and overeating and lower metabolism.

Q I am worried that diet herbal medicine might put strain on my heart or liver.

A. Dongjedang's detox diet prescribes based on constitutional diagnosis and does not use excessive metabolic stimulants or appetite suppressants. Progress is made safely with regular status checks.

Q I am taking blood pressure medication. Is it okay to take diet herbal medicine or sweet dew water together?

A. If you have medications you are taking, you must inform us at the consultation. Sweet dew water, which has diuretic action, is adjusted to be taken at intervals from blood pressure medication, and is proceeded within a safe range.

Q Does the stomach actually shrink after 3 months of treatment? Does appetite itself decrease then?

A. Yes, if you maintain a regular small food intake for 3 months, the stomach actually shrinks by more than 1/2 and you feel full faster with the same amount. Because satiety signals come sooner than hunger, you naturally eat less.

Q I have experienced gaining weight back through yo-yo after a previous diet. How can I maintain without yo-yo this time?

A. The key is to maintain food intake that preserves the reduced stomach size, and to maintain a taste preference for less salty food. Continuing constitutional diet for 3 months to 1 year and gradually increasing aerobic exercise will stabilize the weight without yo-yo.

Q Could the reason I cannot lose weight even with hard dieting be the habit of eating salty food?

A. Fat cells have strong water-absorbing properties, so consuming a lot of salt increases body fluids and causes fat cells to swell. A low-sodium or no-sodium diet plays a key role in expelling excess body fluids.

Q I don't eat much but tend to gain weight. Why is that?

A. If digestion, metabolism, and fluid expulsion are not smooth, weight gain is easy even with small meals. In many cases, the problem is the body's processing capacity rather than simply overeating.

Q What is a constitutional diet? Does what I should eat differ for Taeeum and Soyang types?

A. A constitutional diet is a way of organizing a meal plan by distinguishing foods suitable and unsuitable for each of the Four Constitutions (Taeeum, Soeum, Soyang, Taeyang). It is divided into Stage 2 (weight-loss phase, 2-3 meals) → Stage 3 (maintenance phase) → intensive (concentrated phase).

Q I don't understand why a no-sodium diet is important for losing weight. Is it realistically possible to eat bland food?

A. Salt retains water, inflates fat cells and increases edema. Even if it is not a complete no-sodium diet, significantly reducing sodium makes diuresis and fat decomposition noticeably faster.

Q How many times do I need to go to the diet program? It is difficult to come often because of work.

A. Usually you visit 1-2 times a week and take the herbal medicine at home. The basic course is 3 months, but it is flexibly adjusted to fit your living conditions.

Q What happens when going for a diet consultation for the first time at Dongjedang Oriental Medicine Clinic in Dong-gu, Incheon?

A. At the first consultation, constitutional diagnosis and weight/body shape measurement are done, and eating habits and lifestyle patterns are understood, then a customized program (herbal medicine, diet, lifestyle management) is designed.

Q I am curious about how the Dongjedang detox diet program is structured step by step.

A. It is broadly divided into a weight-loss phase (constitutional herbal medicine + sweet dew water + Haedok-hwan + low-sodium constitutional diet) and a maintenance phase (Stage 3 constitutional diet + lifestyle habit establishment). 3 months is the basic course, extended according to the target.

Q I have heard a lot about herbal weight-loss medicine, but can you actually lose weight by just taking the medicine without dietary therapy?

A. Herbal medicine alone has an effect, but combining dietary management makes the effect 2-3 times faster and helps maintain it without yo-yo. Medicine is a tool to help the body's metabolism, and diet creates the environment where that effect is expressed.