Best Supermarket Weight Loss Food Choices and Traditional Chinese Medicine Perspectives on Kidney Deficiency: From Snacks to Kidney Tonifying and Aphrodisiac

**81. How should dieters choose the best foods at the supermarket?**

Hawthorn berries, dried plums, and raisins are among the best snacks for weight loss. Rich in various trace elements and vitamins, and low in calories, they are ideal for those who are overweight. Fresh cucumbers and white radishes are also reliable weight-loss foods; cucumbers can inhibit the conversion of carbohydrates into fat, while white radishes can promote the metabolism of fats, both contributing to weight loss. Buckwheat noodles, oatmeal, whole-wheat bread, and corn on the cob are extremely rich in vitamins. Furthermore, potatoes and sweet potatoes are rich in minerals and fiber, which aid in fat metabolism; tea, rich in caffeine, can promote fat metabolism, leading to calorie loss and thus achieving weight loss goals.

The best brain-boosting foods-edamame, peanuts, brown rice, eggs (from free-range chickens), fermented black beans (made from steamed and fermented soybeans), and miso soup-are considered "the most ideal brain-boosting nutritional foods." This list is recommended by Professor Hachiro Nakagawa, a renowned brain nutritionist at Osaka University in Japan. Professor Nakagawa believes the secret lies in the fact that these foods are rich in lecithin. Large amounts of lecithin, after entering the gastrointestinal tract, are broken down into choline, which then smoothly enters the brain tissue and is further metabolized into acetylcholine, exerting its brain-boosting effects and improving memory and thinking abilities.

The best foods for heart health-two types of foods are particularly noteworthy: one is fish, especially deep-sea fish such as shark, salmon, squid, and jellyfish heads; the other is extremely common wild vegetables: purslane, water celery, shepherd's purse, woad, and bamboo shoots. They all share a common characteristic: they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, or unsaturated fatty acids, which can inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol and triglycerides in the body and reduce blood viscosity, thus protecting the heart. Purslane is also rich in potassium, which has a unique effect on inhibiting myocardial excitation and slowing heart rate.

Animal protein is the best source of protein than plant protein. This is because animal protein contains the most complete range of amino acids, with a balanced structure and proportion, resulting in the highest absorption and utilization rate. Among animal proteins, rabbit, venison, and chicken are the preferred choices. These meats are not only rich in protein but also contain less fat than beef and lamb, and they also provide elements such as phosphorus, copper, and iodine. Furthermore, they are more easily digested and absorbed by the human body, hence German nutritionists consider them the best source of protein.

The best sources of fat – while fat is an essential nutrient for the human body, it can also harm the walls of the cardiovascular system. How can this contradiction be resolved? Experts offer the following "secret weapon": scientific selection. Relatively speaking, geese and ducks, especially wild ducks and pheasants, are superior. Because the chemical structure of goose fat differs from that of poultry fat, being closer to olive oil, it is not only harmless to the heart but also offers some protective benefits.

The best whole grain foods – scientists have selected a group of health-promoting whole grain foods for people to choose from: mung beans, black soybeans, brown rice, corn, sorghum, black sesame seeds, fox nuts, lotus seeds, red beans, and chestnuts. For example, mung beans have the effects of clearing heat and detoxifying, relieving summer heat and promoting urination, and aiding in weight loss. Lotus seeds: strengthen the spleen and intestines, calm the mind and promote sleep, and remove fat. Red beans: strengthen the heart and promote urination, regulate the three jiaos (upper, middle, and lower burners), clear heat and toxins, and aid in weight loss, fitness, and reducing swelling. Black sesame seeds: strengthen bones and hair, improve intelligence and enhance memory. Peas: promote bowel movements, detoxify and cleanse the skin. Peanuts: strengthen the liver and improve eyesight, protect the heart muscle and improve blood circulation. Corn: lowers blood lipids and cholesterol, prevents disease and strengthens the kidneys, and improves allergic constitution.

The best fiber-rich foods: Human blood contains both acidic and alkaline components, maintaining a slightly alkaline balance. These components are metabolic byproducts of the food we eat, leading to the classification of everyday foods into two categories: One category consists of anionic acid radicals, making the blood more acidic, such as meat, eggs, rice, and noodles. These are considered acidic foods, often seen as "luxury foods" and favored by many, increasing acidity in the body. 70% of diseases occur in people with an acidic constitution. To maintain health, it's necessary to consume appropriate amounts of alkaline foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and dairy products, to counteract excess acidity and restore a normal pH balance. Kelp is considered the best food for correcting acidity, often called the "king of alkaline foods." Eating kelp 3-4 times a week is sufficient.

**82. How do obese people view kidney deficiency?**

Traditional Chinese medicine classifies kidney-tonifying and aphrodisiac syndromes into at least the following types:

(1) Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome refers to the deficiency of kidney yang, resulting in impaired warming and qi transformation, accompanied by soreness and coldness in the lower back and knees, cold limbs, impotence, and premature ejaculation. The "Jinkui" Kidney Qi Pill is the representative treatment.

(2) Kidney deficiency with water retention syndrome refers to the condition caused by deficiency of kidney yang, resulting in impaired qi transformation and water retention. Symptoms include a pale and swollen tongue with a white and slippery coating. The treatment is represented by "Zhenwu Decoction".

(3) Kidney Yin Deficiency Syndrome refers to the condition caused by deficiency of kidney yin, resulting in insufficient nourishment, internal heat, dizziness, tinnitus, loose teeth, hair loss, and seminal emission. The representative treatment is "Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan".

(4) Kidney essence deficiency refers to the decline in reproductive function, premature aging in adults, tinnitus, deafness, forgetfulness, confusion, hair loss, loose teeth, dullness, pale tongue, and weak pulse due to the depletion of kidney essence. The main treatment is "Da Bu Yin Jian" (a traditional Chinese medicine formula for replenishing Yin).

(5) Kidney Qi Deficiency Syndrome refers to the condition caused by deficiency of kidney qi and failure of the function of sealing and consolidating; symptoms include soreness and weakness of the lower back and knees, fatigue, tinnitus and hearing loss, frequent and clear urination, spermatorrhea in men, and dribbling after urination. Treatment: "Right-Restoring Pill plus Ginseng and Walnut Decoction".

If obese middle-aged people experience any of the above symptoms, they should consult a specialist to determine the cause of kidney deficiency before developing a treatment plan to tonify the kidneys and enhance male potency. They should not self-medicate with kidney-tonifying and aphrodisiac products based on advertisements or doctor's advice. While some medications have direct aphrodisiac effects, such as deer antler, Morinda officinalis, Cistanche deserticola, Curculigo orchioides, Epimedium, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Eucommia ulmoides, Cynomorium songaricum, dog kidney, and Yangqi stone, others possess yin-tonifying properties. However, herbs like Asparagus cochinchinensis, Polygonatum sibiricum, Lycium barbarum, tortoise shell, turtle shell, mulberry, lily bulb, Dendrobium nobile, and Polygonatum odoratum also have kidney-tonifying effects and can improve sexual function in obese middle-aged individuals. Zhang Jingyue, a renowned Ming Dynasty physician, believed that "Those skilled in tonifying yang must seek yang within yin, for yang, aided by yin, generates endless vitality. Those skilled in tonifying yin must seek yin within yang, for yin, aided by yang, has an inexhaustible source." Using the holistic and dynamic view of the interdependence of yin and yang to dialectically improve sexual dysfunction in obese middle-aged individuals is one of the methodologies of Traditional Chinese Medicine.