Last weekend, my son gave me a book titled How to Be Well: The 6 Keys to a Happy and Healthy Life by Frank Lipman, published in 2018.
The book presents itself as a handbook for healthy living, offering daily habits and practices that can guide you toward sustained well-being. It is designed to be a continual source of advice, like having a personal mentor by your side.
In the book, Frank Lipman, both a medical doctor and acupuncturist, introduces the concept of Good Medicine, as opposed to what he perceived as bad western medicine. This holistic approach to wellness blends Western medical practices with non-western medicine principles, focusing on natural healing, prevention, and lifestyle changes. Lipman organizes his approach into what he calls the Good Medicine Mandala, a framework to achieve balanced health through six key areas: Eat, Sleep, Move, Protect, Unwind, and Connect.
Here’s a quick overview of these six pillars:
1. Eat: Prioritizes nutrient-dense foods to naturally nourish the body.
2. Sleep: Stresses the crucial importance of quality, restorative sleep.
3. Move: Advocates for varied and regular physical activity for body and mind.
4. Protect: Encourages minimizing exposure to toxins and chemicals in food, air, and water while boosting the immune system.
5. Unwind: Focuses on relaxation and effective stress management.
6. Connect: Emphasizes building meaningful social relationships and emotional well-being.
Lipman’s Good Medicine is deeply influenced by Chinese medicine, integrating key principles such as balance, prevention, and the body’s natural healing ability into his framework.
First, Chinese medicine is rooted in the idea of maintaining balance and harmony within the body, with nature, and in the flow of QI (vital energy). Lipman’s focus on achieving equilibrium through diet, movement, sleep, and emotional health mirrors this belief in maintaining harmony, similar to the balance of yin and yang in Chinese philosophy.
Second, just as Chinese medicine tailors treatment to each patient’s unique constitution, Lipman emphasizes personalized healthcare. He advocates for understanding an individual’s body, genetics, lifestyle, and environment—moving away from the one-size-fits-all approach often seen in Western medicine.
Third, the preventative nature of Chinese medicine, which treats imbalances before they manifest as disease, is reflected in Lipman’s philosophy. He encourages lifestyle changes—such as diet, mindfulness, and movement—to maintain health and prevent illness over time.
Fourth, Chinese medicine views the mind and body as interconnected. Practices like QI Gong or Tai Chi emphasize regulating QI to calm the mind and strengthen the body. Similarly, Lipman promotes mental and emotional well-being as essential to physical health, advocating practices like meditation and stress reduction.
Finally, Lipman’s belief that “the primary care provider is you” resonates with the Chinese saying "求医不如求己" (qiú yī bù rú qiú jǐ), meaning “seeking help from doctors is not as good as seeking help from oneself.” This underscores the importance of self-care and taking responsibility for one’s health, rather than relying solely on external medical interventions. Ultimately, your health is in your own hands.
If you’re unfamiliar with the core beliefs and philosophy behind Chinese medicine, I highly recommend this book for its wonderful blend of Eastern and Western perspectives on wellness.