What the disease fears: 5 tips from Avicenna on how to live to 100 years

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In recent years, there has been more and more conflicting advice on the Internet, on television and in other publications about what to eat and drink to stay healthy and strong.

Don't eat sugar.

Don't drink coffee.

Give up salt.

Do not drink alcohol.

Don't eat meat.

And hundreds more pieces of advice that reach us from all information sources.

Today they give one piece of advice, tomorrow - another.

But hundreds of years ago Avicenna said:

"There are no hopeless patients. There are only hopeless doctors."

He was called the king of medicine because all his thoughts and ideas surpassed the time in which he was born and carried out his activities.

Avicenna, also known as Ibn Sina, was a polymath of the Islamic Golden Age who made enormous contributions to medicine, philosophy and science that left an indelible mark on human civilization.

Among his many discoveries, his thoughts on longevity are particularly interesting. Based on his magnum opus, The Canon of Medicine, here are five brilliant pieces of advice from Avicenna on how to live to 100.

1. About physical activity

“No medicine in the world can replace movement,” said Avicenna.

“ He who gives up physical exercise often wastes away, because the strength of his organs weakens due to the refusal to move.”

"A person who exercises moderately does not need any treatment."

Avicenna recognized that physical activity is critical to maintaining physical health and preventing disease. He recommended regular, moderate exercise appropriate to a person’s physical condition and age. He cautioned against both excessive inactivity and overexertion, noting that balance is the key to maintaining long-term health.

2. About alcohol consumption

"Constant drunkenness is harmful, it spoils the nature of the liver and brain, weakens the nerves, causes nervous disease, sudden death."

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3. Moderation in food

“Be moderate in food – that is one commandment,

“The second commandment is to drink less wine,” said Avicenna.

Avicenna emphasized moderation in eating, focusing on fresh, natural foods. Avicenna believed that overindulgence and restrictive diets could be harmful to the body. His advice was to eat according to one’s constitution and lifestyle, ensuring that meals were nutritious and met the body’s needs. Fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats were staples in his diet, along with judicious use of spices and herbs for their healing properties.

The great Avicenna advised reducing the variety of food at one meal and introducing days of abstinence after feasts.

He also criticized the habit of eating before bed. A thousand years later, this knowledge has become common knowledge, but at one time it represented a breakthrough in understanding health.

He recommended going to bed without a heavy stomach to avoid stagnation of undigested food.

4. Not only the body but also the soul is sick

Avicenna was sure that it is not so much the disease that kills a sick person, but the fear of the disease.

“He who is not afraid of illness is afraid of illness,” said Avicenna.

5. About laziness and idleness

"Idleness and idleness not only give birth to ignorance, they are also the cause of disease."

Idleness and sloth, like dark clouds, hang over a person's life, bringing with them not only spiritual eclipse but also physical ailments. When we give up activity, our mind and body fall into a state of stagnation, like stagnant water that loses its purity and becomes a source of disease.

Idleness breeds ignorance, because the mind, deprived of work and new knowledge, gradually grows dull. Just as rust corrodes unused iron, so idleness destroys the sharpness of the mind.

At the same time, idleness is the cause of illness, since the body, created for movement and work, begins to suffer in the absence of stress.

What do you think about these rules? Which statement did you like the most? Share in the comments!