Your experience of reduced pore size on a low-fat diet but feeling excessively cold highlights a tension between two goals: skin health (via reduced sebum/dampness) and metabolic warmth (requiring adequate energy and nutrient density). Let’s integrate Ray Peat’s metabolic principles and TCM energetics to find balance:
Why a Low-Fat Diet Might Reduce Pore Size
Ray Peat: Lower fat intake, especially from polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs), may reduce inflammatory mediators that contribute to oily skin and clogged pores. Peat also linked excess PUFAs to hormonal imbalances (e.g., increased androgens) that stimulate sebum.
TCM: Reducing greasy, damp-forming foods (e.g., fried foods, fatty meats) lightens the Spleen’s workload, resolving damp-heat that manifests as oily skin and large pores.
Why You Feel Cold on a Low-Fat Diet
Ray Peat’s View:
Fat is calorically dense and supports hormone production (e.g., thyroid hormones, sex hormones). Extreme fat restriction can slow metabolism, impair thermogenesis, and lower body temperature.
Insufficient saturated fats (e.g., coconut oil, butter) may reduce cellular energy production (mitochondrial function), leaving you cold.
TCM Perspective:
A very low-fat diet risks creating Qi and Yang deficiency, especially if it lacks warming, nourishing foods. Coldness signals weakened Spleen Yang (digestive fire) or Kidney Yang (metabolic warmth).
Overly "cooling" foods (e.g., raw salads, cold drinks) exacerbate this.
Bridging the Gap: Balance Skin Benefits with Metabolic Warmth
Diet Adjustments
Add Small Amounts of Warming, Non-Dampening Fats:
Ray Peat: Use coconut oil (rich in saturated MCTs, supports thyroid function) or grass-fed butter (vitamin A, butyrate).
TCM: These fats are less "damp-forming" than greasy meats or fried foods. Coconut oil is mildly warming and disperses cold.
Prioritize Nutrient-Dense Carbohydrates:
Ray Peat: Sweet potatoes, ripe fruit, honey (easy-to-metabolize sugars fuel mitochondria without spiking insulin).
TCM: Cooked, warm carbohydrates (e.g., congee, roasted squash) strengthen Spleen Qi and generate gentle warmth.
Include Lean, Warming Proteins:
Ray Peat: Gelatinous cuts (bone broth, collagen) support skin and thyroid.
TCM: Add small amounts of lamb or chicken (warming meats) with spices like ginger or cinnamon to counteract cold.
Avoid Extremes
Don’t eliminate fats entirely—aim for 10-20% of calories from quality fats to sustain hormones and warmth.
Avoid cold, raw foods (TCM) and PUFA-rich fats (Peat), which disrupt both frameworks.
TCM Herbs and Practices to Counteract Cold
Warming Herbs:
Gui Zhi (Cinnamon twig): Warms Yang, circulates Qi.
Dang Shen (Codonopsis): Strengthens Spleen Qi without overheating.
Acupuncture: Target Ren 4 (Guanyuan) and KD 3 (Taixi) to nourish Kidney Yang.
Moxibustion: Apply to ST 36 (Zusanli) to boost Spleen/stomach fire.
Ray Peat Strategies to Support Metabolism
Thyroid Support: Ensure adequate selenium (Brazil nuts), zinc (oysters), and vitamin A (liver, dairy).
Avoid Starvation Signals: Eat consistently—long gaps between meals stress metabolism.
Supplements: Small doses of aspirin (improves circulation) or vitamin E (protects against PUFA damage).
Sample Daily Plan (Peat + TCM Synergy)
Breakfast: Congee with ginger, scallions, and a poached egg (warming, Spleen-friendly).
Lunch: Roasted chicken with steamed carrots, sweet potato, and a drizzle of coconut oil.
Snack: Ripe mango with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Dinner: Fish soup with lotus root, goji berries, and a side of jasmine rice.
Beverages: Warm ginger tea or hibiscus tea (cooling for skin but balanced with warming spices).
Key Takeaways
Your pores improved because the low-fat diet reduced damp-heat (TCM) and PUFA-driven inflammation (Peat).
You feel cold because the diet lacks fats and warming foods to sustain metabolic heat and Yang energy.
Solution: Introduce small amounts of saturated fats (coconut oil, butter) and warming TCM foods/herbs while keeping PUFA-rich fats and damp-forming foods low.
Monitor your skin and body temperature closely. If coldness persists, consult a TCM practitioner to assess Yang deficiency or a nutritionist to evaluate metabolic health. Balance is possible! 🌟🔥
