Known as the "Father of Western Medicine," the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates once swore: "to help, or at least to do no harm." Today's medicine still follows this principle. The following five ideas have stood the test of over two thousand years.
1. Walking is the best medicine. Hippocrates noticed that sedentary people would become flabby, overweight, and prone to many diseases. Those who walked more lived longer and were healthier, so his prescription for patients was often "walk more." Modern research shows that even walking for just 30 minutes a day can reduce the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and cancer.
2. "What diseases seek out which people," rather than "what diseases people get." When Hippocrates examined patients, he carefully inspected their urine, feces, pus, and sweat. In addition, he would observe their personality, living environment, interpersonal relationships, diet, and even facial expressions before making a diagnosis.
3. Let food be your medicine. Hippocrates noted that severely obese people tend to have shorter lifespans, and when people's diet is primarily fresh, vegetarian food, their chances of getting sick are lower. Therefore, he usually advised patients to improve their eating habits.
4. Nothing in excess. Hippocrates recognized that even effective medicines, when used in excess, can harm the patient. Today's research shows that exercise, water, nutrition, and sleep can all be harmful if taken to excess.
5. Some diseases should not be treated hastily. In ancient Greece, many charlatans would use dangerous and unnecessarily expensive treatments on patients. But Hippocrates believed that unless a doctor was certain a treatment was truly effective, it should not be used.