Because I write so often about constitution, one question reaches me more than any other: “I’ve been diagnosed as Pulmotonia (or Colonotonia) — how should I live now?” In an age of material plenty like ours, inherited constitution matters more than it did when the environment was the main threat. But I am not a believer that constitution explains everything. So before answering, it may help to know what Korean Traditional Medicine (KTM) physicians — the practitioners of the traditional healing system of Korea also known as Hanbang (한방) — actually think of the constitutional diet in Eight Constitution Medicine (ECM).
In Summary
- Even among ECM practitioners, opinions differ on how strictly the constitutional diet should be kept. There are views, not verified answers.
- ECM practitioners are a minority — by my rough estimate, at most 3–5% of clinics present themselves as ECM specialists, though the number is growing quickly.
- Many KTM physicians are sceptical of, or indifferent to, both ECM and Sasang theory.
- ECM practitioners often don’t keep the diet strictly themselves. Knowing and doing are different things.
- Knowing yourself matters, but there is no need to be buried in it. People are not herbivores.
Nobody has surveyed the whole profession, so I cannot put numbers on it. But there are a few things I can say with confidence.
1. ECM Practitioners Disagree on How Strictly to Eat
I think ECM theory is highly complete: it treats well and explains real phenomena well. It still needs more standardisation and more data, and I believe time will take care of that. But even if ECM theory is right, how strictly the constitutional diet should be kept is a matter of opinion — nobody has verified it.
My own view: we know that a complete absence of stress is not good for living things. I suspect the constitutional diet is the same — total avoidance of everything unsuitable is not the healthiest goal.
2. ECM Practitioners Are a Small Minority
I have not counted, but I would estimate that clinics presenting themselves as ECM specialists make up 3–5% of KTM clinics at most. That is my rough impression, not a statistic. What is clear is that the number is rising fast.
3. Many KTM Physicians Are Sceptical
ECM has some radical features, and many KTM physicians are put off by them. Plenty who studied Sasang medicine view ECM with suspicion, and many ask whether food really needs to be restricted that far. Some go further and question whether even Sasang constitution matters much. Depending on the situation, I agree with them.
4. ECM Practitioners Don’t Keep the Diet Perfectly Either
Knowing and doing are different problems. I keep only the parts that matter most, and often forget about the rest. Meat tastes good.
And I don’t think everyone needs to keep all of it. There are plenty of people in the world who live long, healthy lives without knowing anything about constitutional eating.
So, How Should a Pulmotonia Live?
Know your constitution, and let it inform your choices — especially when you are unwell, when the diet matters more. But do not let it take over your life. In ECM, “strong” does not mean “safe”: a Pulmotonia’s dominant lung axis carries the most qi and tips most easily into excess, which is why meat and heavy, oily food are worth watching. Watching is not the same as living in fear of a menu.
Summary
Inside the profession, the constitutional diet is respected by a growing minority, doubted by many, debated even among its practitioners, and kept imperfectly by most who recommend it. Knowing yourself is important; being buried in it is not. People are not herbivores.
Related reading: Ten Years on a Constitutional Diet · How Strict Should You Be With Your Constitutional Diet?
