Is the stomach the ‘house’ of disease?

Food quality, food portion sizes, exercise levels, sleep quality, your age are all important considerations for ones wellbeing.

The dynamic of all the above can be forgotten or not understood in the first place.

I consider the unique starting point for each patient when designing treatment plans, whether it be diet, herbal medicine, exercise, reducing stress. It is all linked. Stress in itself can be barrier. Irritable Bowel Syndrome sufferers will tell you this.

So many illnesses in young and old are a direct by product of modern day life and eating habits encompassing processed foods, fast foods, excessive consumption of food, stress, eating late at night, missing meals, ‘eating on the go’.

That said, I have treated personal trainers (PT instructors) who have overcompensated in pursuance of ambitious targets toward being super fit.

For my less active readers, simply avoiding certain types of foods, can help to move toward good health. This however requires some level of understanding about diet/nutrition and an offering of personal discipline.

Cost of living rises and busy daily lives may narrow your options, unless you are truly committed to improving your lifestyle. The winter months with cold and damp provide a further challenge to make you lose focus of goals.

A revered physician of the Arabs believed abstaining from food and drink was the best medicine.

It was also emphasised that the stomach is the house of every disease (Al Akili (1993), p.84).

Instilling a balance of many different aspects of your life should be your goal. To be developed over time and for the rest of your life. Let’s say you are a mother of small children at present. Set targets for yourself, like being able to run and play in the park with your grandchildren in two decades time without being too arduous on you.