A typical “diet plan” consists of green smoothies or yogurt for breakfast and salads topped with grilled chicken for lunch. But Chinese medicine has an entirely different take on how to best eat for weight loss. Eastern nutrition is not based on calories, minerals or vitamins. Instead, it focuses on foods that will energetically support organs crucial for metabolic health, including the Stomach, Spleen, Kidney and Liver.

A well-kept Chinese medicine weight loss secret: eat cooked vegetables. Why? The Stomach loves warmth! Warming foods and drinks nourish the body. When we define “warming,” we’re not just looking at the temperature of the food. Cooked foods are much easier to digest than raw or cold foods. The body uses less Qi to break down and digest cooked foods thereby allowing this saved Qi to be used for other purposes. However, warming also refers to the essence of the food. For example, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger, and brown sugar are warming herbs. Adding these herbs to cooked fruits or vegetables helps the body to warm up from the inside-out.

Cooked foods support the functions of the Stomach, Spleen, Kidney and Liver. Many of them also absorb oil during the cooking process. These foods will naturally latch onto excess mucus and lipids in your body, flushing them out during the elimination process.

Some top weight loss vegetables include:

Eggplant – This amazing vegetable is a great meat-substitute. It balances your internal Qi and Liver function, and lowers cholesterol. White ones are the best.

Bamboo shoots – This super-vegetable helps the Stomach and the overall digestive system work optimally.

Mushrooms – These edible fungi support your Stomach and can also prevent cancer. Be sure to eat them cooked, not raw.

Taro root – This vegetable is beneficial to your Stomach, and has a special ability to absorb oils.

Click here to learn more about Dragon’s Way® Qigong: Our powerful program focused on Qigong movements and eating for healing.

Try some recipes focused on weight loss and eating for healing.