The Rambam’s Secret to a Healthy Life: Heal the Body by Healing the Soul

There’s no doubt that the greatest physician of all time — Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (the Rambam), who lived in the Middle Ages, still “lives among us” today through his extraordinary advice. His teachings, both physical and emotional, continue to breathe life into anyone who applies them.

The Rambam didn’t only explain what to eat (reducing meat and animal proteins and focusing on the foods God created for us such as vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts). He also gave remarkable lifestyle guidance, which modern stressful and fast-paced life proves again and again how desperately we need.

All his recommendations work best when practiced together. If a person adopts only one while neglecting the others, the benefit may be lost — “his gain becomes his loss.”

Below are the Rambam’s key principles for a healthy and balanced life.

1. Strengthening Bonds with Friends and Family

Why is it so important to maintain strong, warm relationships with others? Simply put: weak social bonds harm our health.

Environmental tension, a lack of harmony, and emotional disconnection all affect our physical state. The Rambam understood deeply the connection between mental-emotional wellness and physical well-being: “A healthy body depends on a healthy mind.”

Strong, loving relationships uplift the soul and therefore strengthen the body. His view reflects a holistic truth: people thrive when they feel connected, supported, and part of a community.

This is why the Rambam believed a person must feel rooted in a community — because the wellbeing of the soul and the body is intertwined with one’s surroundings.

2. Caring for Emotional and Mental Health

The Rambam examined not only physical health but also emotional and mental states. His conclusion was that the soul impacts the body just as the body impacts the soul.

Therefore, a person must invest in emotional health just as seriously — if not more, than physical health.

One of the most powerful Jewish tools for emotional balance is prayer, which the Rambam saw as a pathway to mental clarity, emotional healing, and the removal of negative thoughts.

3. Sleep: A Foundation of Health

You might think going to sleep at 1:00 AM and waking up at 6:00 AM isn’t such a big deal, but the Rambam strongly disagrees.

He emphasized the importance of:

• Eight full hours of sleep

• High-quality sleep without external disturbances

For him, sleep wasn’t optional — it was a pillar of health. Modern science confirms his wisdom: chronic lack of sleep contributes to disease, anxiety, weight gain, hormonal imbalance, and reduced cognitive performance.