Miple ClinicIntermittent fasting and low-carb high-fat: how does a Korean medicine clinic advise?
The appetite you hold down with medicine comes back when you stop the medicine. By then your eating habits need to have changed for you to keep your weight. Miple has worked with patients since 2017, when intermittent fasting and low-carb high-fat were just becoming known.
Intermittent fasting: set your eating window
- The typical approach is a 16-hour fast and an 8-hour eating window (16:8).
- Fit the schedule to your life. Take commuting, night shifts, children's meals, and company dinners into account.
- Start with a 12-hour fast and extend it slowly.
- Eat enough within your eating window.
Low-carb high-fat, in the Korean style, is carbohydrate restriction
Extreme keto, which suddenly cuts out almost all rice, is hard to keep up. Reduce carbohydrates in stages and get enough protein and good fats. When people whose liver levels were high took Sosohwan and followed a carbohydrate-restricted diet together, their weight came down and their liver levels returned to normal. This is a case published in the Journal of Korean Medicine for Obesity Research (2022). View the paper
What to eat and what to cut back
| Eat plenty of | Cut back on |
|---|---|
| Eggs, fish, tofu, chicken, beef, pork | A big bowl of white rice, ramyeon and noodles, bread |
| Leafy greens, seasoned vegetables, mushrooms, cucumber, broccoli | Rice cakes, snacks, cereal, sweet coffee |
| Olive oil, perilla oil, nuts, avocado | Sugary drinks, fruit juice, alcohol |
| Kimchi, doenjang soup, roasted seaweed | Thickly battered fried food, sweet sauces |
It is enough to start by reducing your rice to half a bowl and increasing side dishes and protein. There are also meal tips in diet while taking herbal medicine.
How herbal medicine helps
The first 1–2 weeks of changing your diet are the hardest. Many people give up here because of hunger, headaches, and sluggishness. Herbal medicine helps manage appetite and supports your energy so you get through this stretch more easily. At each visit, the doctor checks your body composition and condition and adjusts your fasting window, carbohydrate amount, and prescription stage.
Tell the doctor first
- People using diabetes medicine or insulin: if your food intake changes, the medicine dose may need to be adjusted.
- If you take thyroid hormone medicine
- If you are pregnant or breastfeeding
- People who have had eating problems such as binge eating or anorexia: fasting may not suit you, so we advise another approach.
After the goal: the maintenance stage
Returning to your old diet all at once brings the weight back fastest. Try adding carbohydrates once or twice a week in small amounts, and watch how your weight responds. We also decide in advance the point at which you go back to the earlier stage if your weight rises. Details are in plateaus and maintenance.
How Miple is different
Because we prepare it in-house, stage adjustments for diet changes take effect right away. The head doctor personally follows your progress.
Frequently Asked Questions
When in the day should I eat for intermittent fasting?
There is no fixed right answer; what matters is fitting your life rhythm. Choose 8 hours you can keep up consistently, such as noon to 8 p.m. or 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. At first, start with a 12-hour fast.
With low-carb high-fat, do I have to give up rice entirely?
No. For Koreans we recommend carbohydrate-restricted eating rather than extreme keto. We progress in stages by reducing the amount of rice and increasing protein, vegetables, and good fats.
Do I still need to change my diet while using Wegovy or Mounjaro?
Yes, it is needed. You need to change your eating pattern while you use medication so that your weight holds after you stop. If you have already stopped injections and your weight is rising, it is not too late to start now.
What should I do if the fasting is too hard?
Do not push through it. It is fine to shorten your fasting time or step your carbohydrate amount back one level. Tell us on KakaoTalk and the doctor will check and adjust.
Does the Korean medicine clinic also help with diet?
Yes. Miple Korean Medicine Clinic (Seomyeon, Busan) advises on the diet approach along with the herbal prescription, and checks your progress at each visit.
Miple Korean Medicine Clinic · Korean medicine doctor · 19 years of clinical experience · Author of 'The Secret to Ending Diets with Korean Medicine' · Inventor of the GONG BI JIN YAK patent (No. 10-2865645)
Curious about a prescription that fits your body?
After a body composition test, the head doctor consults with you in person.
This article is general health information and does not replace individual diagnosis or prescription. The effects and side effects of herbal medicine vary from person to person.
