My Medical Thoughts 7: The Wisdom of Staying Healthy and Minimising Illness

My Medical Thoughts: The Wisdom of Staying Healthy and Minimising Illness

The most effective, safest and also most economical health‑care solution is disease prevention. If we do not fall ill in the first place, no treatment will be needed, we run no risks from medical interventions, and no medical expenses will incur. Even when sickness strikes, remedial self‑initiated health actions can still make a difference. If patients actively take such self‑help measures, their conditions generally become easier to treat at a lower cost.

This brings us to another topic: disease prevention and self‑directed recovery.
As a medical philosophy that advocates holistic management for intractable illnesses, the multi‑target compound formula therapy prioritises patients’ self‑driven health‑maintenance behaviours. Physicians have a responsibility to deliver health education, communicate with patients, persuade them to make lifestyle adjustments, and help them remove predisposing risk factors such as smoking, excessive drinking and staying up late.

The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic·Treatise on Decoctions and Wines states, “The illness‑bearer is the root; the physician is the branch.”

This means that in medical practice, the patient constitutes the primary subject (the root), while the doctor plays an auxiliary role (the branch).

At its heart, this principle defines the priority relationship between patient and medical practitioner, affirming the fundamental status of the patient. Patients are expected to proactively adopt all measures conducive to disease prevention, rehabilitation and post‑recovery relapse prevention, including lifestyle modification, dietary and routine adjustments, psychological regulation, self‑healing practices, and the three‑tier preventive strategy: preventing disease before onset, arresting progression once illness occurs, and preventing recurrence after recovery. Only in this way can we maximise cure rates, lower relapse risks, cut treatment costs, and ease the economic burden on patients’ families and society at large.

The same chapter also puts forward: “When root and branch fail to align, pathogenic factors cannot be subdued.”

It implies that without mutual trust and cooperation between doctor and patient, the illness will hardly improve. Modern medicine also recognises the significance of patient trust and treatment adherence. A distrustful doctor‑patient relationship works against recovery.

Then what can we do to avoid getting sick, and what self‑rehabilitation steps should we take once ill?

Modern healthcare endorses the biopsychosocial model. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well‑being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Under this framework, human health is linked to biological, psychological and social determinants.

This new medical paradigm indicates that health goes far beyond physical comfort. It also encompasses mental wellness and sound social adaptability. Health is no longer purely an individual concern, but a systemic, public issue deeply intertwined with the natural environment, sociocultural norms, interpersonal bonds and humanity’s relationship with nature.

Clean air, safe drinking water and wholesome food form the prerequisites for human survival and wellness. Ecological degradation and worsening pollution directly impair bodily functions and trigger a wide spectrum of illnesses.

Furthermore, human encroachment upon wildlife habitats and broken ecological boundaries raise the risk of cross‑species transmission of viruses and bacteria. The outbreaks of SARS, COVID‑19 and other emerging infectious diseases vividly demonstrate how vital reverence for nature and ecological balance are to public health security.

Prevailing social ideologies and cultural climates shape public mentality, which in turn impacts physical and mental health. A society saturated with money‑worship and utilitarianism may fuel cut‑throat competition and perpetual mental stress, giving rise to anxiety, depression, restlessness and other negative emotions. Long‑term psychological imbalance can subsequently lead to psychosomatic disorders.

In the age of self‑media, certain online platforms profit from stoking anxiety and creating social divisions, accelerating the spread of negative sentiment and amplifying collective mental pressure, which has become a major threat to population‑wide mental health.

A supportive social environment underpins public health. Cultivating a society that cherishes nature, mutual kindness and tolerance requires policy guidance as well as voluntary individual action.

Interpersonal relationships and social adaptability also exert profound effects on well‑being. Medical research and abundant clinical data confirm that stable social ties and appropriate social interactions are powerful safeguards for physical and mental health.

For instance, stable marital bonds markedly improve health outcomes and life expectancy for both men and women. Childbearing reduces breast‑cancer risk in women, while active paternal involvement in childcare promotes brain neuroplasticity and lowers dementia risk in later life. Even divorced individuals generally enjoy better health and longer lifespans than those living in persistent long‑term isolation.

Harmful family and friendship ties plus moderate social engagement furnish reliable emotional support, lowering the incidence of depression, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease and certain cancers. Conversely, overcommitment to social events and unproductive social obligations can drain physical and mental energy and result in burnout‑related ailments.

Social interaction is especially critical for adolescent development. Children deprived of sufficient social practice receive inadequate external neural stimulation, which may compromise their social adaptability. In adulthood, they face higher risks of anxiety, depression and allergic physical conditions.

Rapid technological innovation and social transformation make societal change outpace human biological evolution. The widespread adoption of artificial intelligence and intensifying job competition have spawned new stressors such as employment anxiety. Chronic mental strain has become a defining health risk in contemporary society.

These are both newly emerging and age‑old challenges.

The Chinese nation attaches extraordinary importance to written records, upholding the ideals of establishing virtue, making meritorious contributions and leaving enduring writings. Since antiquity, numerous scholars have devoted themselves to documenting truthfully.

During the Spring‑and‑Autumn and Warring‑States periods, three senior historians of the State of Qi insisted on recording the fact: “Cui Shu murdered his sovereign.” Enraged, powerful minister Cui Shu executed the eldest brother, yet the second brother maintained the same record and was also put to death. Undaunted, the youngest brother stuck to the historical truth. Eventually Cui Shu yielded.

This anecdote embodies the truth‑seeking integrity of ancient Chinese intellectuals, a virtue passed down through generations. It accounts for China’s uniquely rich, reliable corpus of historical documents, a reservoir of wisdom for us to draw from, including in medicine. Most ancient Chinese medical texts are trustworthy sources of knowledge.

Historical records reveal that the health threats people faced in ancient times bear striking similarities to today’s challenges from biological, psychological and social spheres. Studying classical texts broadens our vision and cultivates inner peace.

History teaches us to accept human frailties and irrational phenomena without excessive resentment. Society cannot be custom‑built for every single person; we must learn to adapt. If we aim to live healthily and happily, happiness should not be deferred until circumstances become ideal — we need to nurture it in the present moment.

Many mental and social health dilemmas we face today already existed in the Warring‑States era.

The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic·Treatise on the Innate Simplicity of Ancients contains this passage:

Those in ancient times who understood the Dao followed the rhythms of yin‑yang and practised regulated arts. They ate in moderation, kept regular daily routines, and avoided overexertion. Hence body and spirit remained unified, they fulfilled their natural lifespans and passed away beyond one hundred years. People today act differently: they treat wine as ordinary beverage, indulge in recklessness as routine, engage in sexual activity under intoxication, exhaust their essence through desire and dissipate their vital energy. Unable to preserve inner fullness, they fail to govern their minds, chase fleeting pleasures against natural rhythms, and keep irregular schedules. Therefore their vitality declines by the age of fifty.

The phrase abide by yin‑yang harmonisation and apply proper regimens means conforming to natural laws. Eat moderately, maintain regular routines, and avoid undue fatigue advocates self‑restraint in diet, work and rest.

Another excerpt reads:

Sages in antiquity instructed the populace: Dodge pathogenic winds and seasonal perils in due time. Keep a tranquil, unburdened mind, vital energy flows unimpeded, and the spirit dwells inward — whence can illness arise? Maintain serene aspirations with fewer cravings, a peaceful heart free from fear, physical labour without exhaustion, and harmonious qi. Then desires are appropriately satisfied.

Cherish simple food, wear comfortable garments, delight in local customs, feel no envy toward others of higher or lower station. Thus the populace remained uncomplicated. External temptations could not distract their sight, nor lustful obsessions cloud their hearts. Whether wise or ignorant, talented or mediocre, they were unperturbed by worldly things and lived in accord with the Dao. They all surpassed one hundred years of age with undiminished mobility because their inner virtue remained intact.

The text describes four levels of spiritual cultivation: True Person, Ultimate Person, Sage and Worthy. In my opinion, the Sage’s lifestyle is the most practical:

Next are Sages, dwelling in cosmic harmony and adapting to seasonal winds. They moderate worldly desires, harbour no resentment, live within society yet remain unpretentious. They do not overtax their bodies with trivial chores nor torment their minds with endless worries. Tranquillity and contentment are their priorities. Their physique stays robust, their spirit undispersed, and they also live to a ripe old age.
I will not translate every sentence word‑for‑word. Readers who require detailed translation may use AI tools. I summarise the core insights together with my own interpretations.

These ancient teachings deliver wellness wisdom across three dimensions: physical, psychological and social adaptation.

Physically, The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic advises: Evade seasonal pathogenic factors timely; eat moderately, follow regular schedules and avoid burnout. We ought to stay alert to hazards and refrain from damaging our bodies through overeating or intemperance.

Mentally, it promotes serenity and inner stillness. It warns against obsessive pursuit of fame and fortune, advocates self‑restraint, inner calm and intrinsic happiness.
Socially, it teaches us to satisfy desires moderately, resist blind conformity to social trends, avoid mental exhaustion, preserve inner stability, maintain amicable interpersonal bonds, refrain from anger and unnecessary eccentricity.

Concerning interpersonal relationships, ancient wisdom favours harmonious coexistence rather than elitist disdain for others. If someone perpetually finds fault with those around them, harbours excessive grievances, or feels targeted by nearly everyone, this usually signals psychological or emotional difficulties. Professional assessment and intervention are recommended.

The saying “No good people in Hongtong County” is a literary exaggeration. Most people in the world are morally average, neither perfectly virtuous nor vicious. Arrogant detachment rarely stems from superior insight; it often reflects inadequate social cognition and poor adaptability. Psychologically healthy individuals are capable of tolerating most people around them. While this quality is often labelled high emotional intelligence, from a medical standpoint, it represents sound mental health: optimism, openness and sociability. Such personality traits are prevalent among long‑lived populations. Although innate temperament plays a part, people can cultivate this mindset through deliberate learning.

Most centenarians are optimistic, though exceptions exist. Some hot‑tempered seniors also reach their nineties. Winston Churchill, a former British Prime Minister who suffered from depression and was notoriously irritable and critical, lived to 91. His longevity cannot be attributed to genetics: his father died of syphilis at 45 and his mother at 67.

Every dimension of the modern biopsychosocial model was already recognised in antiquity, sometimes with remarkably sophisticated solutions. The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic is not primarily a clinical treatment manual, yet it is invaluable for disease prevention and health preservation.

Overall, this classic advocates a disciplined lifestyle: it warns against heavy, greasy, overly salty and spicy diets, which were believed to predispose people to swellings and abscesses. It encourages regular routines, appropriate activity, discourages overwork and sexual excess, and condemns relentless ambition that drains body and soul. Individuals should maintain harmonious social ties without being swept away by herd mentality.

Following these principles enables individuals to sustain baseline wellness physically, mentally and socially regardless of era.

Traditional Chinese medicine actually adopts a nature‑biopsychosocial framework, one step broader than its modern counterpart. Besides biological, psychological and social determinants, it highlights natural influences including geography, climate and seasonal cycles, encapsulated in the core concept human‑nature correspondence.

Chapters such as Regulating the Spirit in Accord with Four Seasons and Life‑Energy Communicates with Heaven elaborate these ideas. Scientific evidence corroborates many observations: high rates of depression and joint pain in Northern Europe are partly linked to limited sunlight and frigid climates.
Naturally, some sections of The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic are less practically applicable. We should absorb its valuable insights while discarding outdated viewpoints.

Cutting‑edge modern research echoes these ancient guidelines. A decade‑long Singaporean study revealed that smoking and overweight are strongly associated with accelerated biological ageing, whereas regular exercise and plant‑forward diets slow it down.

Researchers distinguish biological age — bodily function, metabolic state and cumulative impacts of genetics, lifestyle and environment — from chronological age. Disparities between the two are heavily shaped by long‑term habits. Smokers have an average biological age 3.6 years higher than non‑smokers; obese subjects show a 4.2‑year increment. People who exercise regularly are biologically 1.25 years younger than sedentary counterparts, while plant‑rich diets correlate with a one‑year younger biological age.

This modern research quantifies health rules already outlined by ancient thinkers, yet its scope remains narrower. Non‑smoking, limited alcohol intake, regular exercise, plant‑based nutrition and healthy weight alone can make people biologically roughly ten years younger. Combined with balanced schedules, emotional stability and healthy social networks, the biological‑age gap versus peers can widen to 10‑20 years.

To some extent, health lies within our own grasp. Translating knowledge into action and adopting healthy habits can prevent numerous illnesses and drastically cut medical spending.

Lifestyle factors underlie cardiovascular diseases, roughly one‑third of cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity and metabolic syndromes. These illnesses are largely preventable, provided that individuals possess sufficient self‑discipline.

Not all diseases, however, are lifestyle‑related. Infant cancers, for instance, usually arise from genetic or chromosomal defects rather than poor childcare habits. Hereditary and gene‑mutation disorders remind us not to overstate preventive self‑care.

Texts such as The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic have endured for two millennia precisely because they reveal fundamental truths. Producing such manuscripts required immense labour and resources in ancient times, and they would never have spread without proven practical merit.

The book was most likely compiled between the Warring‑States and Qin‑Han dynasties, deeply influenced by Daoist thought, often referred to as Huang‑Lao philosophy (Huang derives from this classic). Chronologically, however, Dao De Jing and Zhuangzi preceded it, and concepts such as True Person and Ultimate Person were adapted from Zhuangzi.

Its wellness philosophy aligns closely with Laozi and Zhuangzi’s teachings. In Chinese cultural spheres, middle‑aged and older adults are commonly influenced by Daoist wisdom. Lin Yutang described a characteristic of Chinese philosophy as seasoned adaptability, a mindset usually attained later in life.

As life experience accumulates, youthful sharpness softens, and many grow drawn to Daoist ideas and The Yellow Emperor’s Inner Classic. Chronic illnesses such as metabolic disorders, fatty liver and certain cancers often defy complete medical cure. Successful long‑term management of these conditions relies heavily on self‑care principles already embedded in ancient Huang‑Lao wisdom.