Rambam’s Guide to Preventive Health: Natural Healing, Body Cleansing, and the True Meaning of Wellness

Rambam (Maimonides) writes in Hilchot De’ot 4:22: “In any place where there is no physician — whether a person is healthy or ill — one should not deviate from the ways described in this chapter, for each of them leads to a good end.”

From Rambam’s words it becomes clear that the physician’s role is to correct the damage a person has already caused to their own body. For if one lives according to proper habits, Rambam assures that they will not fall ill throughout their lifetime.

Interestingly, modern natural medicine often arrives at similar conclusions.

The following excerpt comes from the introduction to a 1935 book on appendicitis by James S. Thomson, founder of the “Kingston Clinic” School of Natural Healing in Edinburgh, Scotland. His words reflect the philosophical foundation of the natural-healing approach.

Illness vs. Healing Reactions: A Different Perspective

“True health is not usually a calm and silent state. Rather, it is a dynamic process of activity — which at times expresses itself quite dramatically. Many people misinterpret these physical reactions. Because they feel unpleasant, they assume such reactions are ‘illnesses’ and try to suppress them. Unfortunately, these natural reactions of the body are studied as ‘diseases.’ Researchers rarely ask the most important question: On what underlying state of health did these reactions arise? Health is commonly viewed as the mere absence of symptoms. This is a distortion.

Consider a person who has eaten poisonous mushrooms or spoiled food. If he possesses strong health, his body will respond with vomiting and diarrhea — a rapid and complete emptying of the digestive system. The healthier he is, the more vigorously his body will act to restore order.

The key point is this: The faster and more complete the expulsion, the less harm is done. Any treatment that suppresses or weakens this process can be fatal — even if well-intentioned.”

Thomson explains that the same principle applies to more complex conditions. When toxic substances slowly accumulate in the body, the organs activate natural cleansing responses — sometimes appearing as colds, fevers, skin eruptions, inflammation, or flu-like illness.

Suppressing these processes with medication prevents the body from eliminating toxins — and the problem simply resurfaces elsewhere.

When Symptoms Are Suppressed: The Hidden Danger

He describes a case: “A woman was treated with gold injections for rheumatism. When a rash appeared, her doctor stopped the treatment and prescribed an ointment that completely removed the rash — and shortly afterward, she died.”

Medication may silence symptoms — but at the cost of deeper toxicity. Natural medicine views many non-degenerative illnesses as cleansing reactions, rather than diseases to be suppressed.

How the Body Cleanses Itself

The body has several detoxification systems:

• The urinary system filters waste from the blood

• Sweat glands eliminate toxins through the skin

• Breathing expels carbon dioxide and waste gases

• Digestion removes unnecessary or harmful substances

When toxins accumulate beyond what these systems can handle, the body employs additional mechanisms, such as:

• mucus discharge

• respiratory congestion

• inflammatory responses

• fever and fatigue

These reactions may appear as:

• colds and flu

• sore throat and angina

• bronchitis or pneumonia

• infections and abscesses

• digestive inflammation

• urinary infections

The form, intensity, and timing depend on:

• genetics

• body constitution

• lifestyle and medical history

Rheumatoid and joint inflammation, for example, often represent the body pushing toxins to less vital areas in order to protect essential organs.

When Cleansing Stops — Degenerative Disease Begins

If these cleansing responses are repeatedly suppressed, toxins accumulate until the organs themselves begin to fail. This may eventually develop into:

• cardiovascular disease

• kidney or liver malfunction

• metabolic disorders

• systemic deterioration

Cancer, Thomson writes, reflects the collapse of multiple systems — especially the immune system, and is often preceded by years of suppressed cleansing reactions.

The Strong vs. Sensitive Body Type

• A strong, resilient body may not show early symptoms — but is prone to sudden, severe collapse once its limits are reached

• A sensitive body reacts earlier through frequent mild illnesses — which may actually protect it if the person adopts a healthy lifestyle

However, frequent reliance on medications — especially antibiotics, disrupts this natural defense pattern and adds chemical burden to the body.

Can the Body Recover?

Many degenerative diseases develop silently for years before symptoms appear. Yet, when the body is guided into gentle detoxification and healthier living:

• organ function may partially restore

• weakened systems may improve

• quality of life often increases

Even when full recovery is impossible, the body can frequently regain meaningful function — depending on the person’s condition and commitment to health.

Modern Challenges: Antibiotic Resistance

Thomson already warned in 1935 that heavy antibiotic use would produce resistant bacterial strains. Today, this concern has proven true — diseases once curable have become harder to treat.

One physician summarized: “The great illnesses cannot be cured —
and the small ones do not need to be.”