Iranian traditional medicine
Some scholars believe that efforts for revitalizing ITM in recent years have shaped two main attitudes: evidence-based medicine, and quackery.
[7][8] According to a definition given in one of the first Iranian medical textbooks called Hidayat al-Muta'allemin Fi al-Tibb (translated as 'A Guide to Medical Learners'), written by Al-Akhawyni Bokhari in the 10th century, medicine is a technique of scientifically maintaining the health of human beings, and restoring it when it deteriorates.
[10] Herbs, spices and plant extracts for traditional Persian medicine are often sold in a kind of specialized shop called an attari.
The lifestyle rules in ITM are focused on six core principles, known as Setah Zaroriah in Persian.
[12] Nutrition, environment, physical activity, sleeping patterns, emotions, and ridding the body from waste materials, are the six fundamental and guiding principles behind the ITM lifestyle.
[13] It is believed that health is found in recognizing one's temperament, or physical and mental characteristics, and using this information to guide your lifestyle.
[9] ITM is a holistic medicine based on individual differences, a concept known as "Mizaj", or temperament.
[16][17] Generally, Mizaj represents the excess or lack of warmness and humidity in one's body, and is classified into four qualities: warmness (Persian: گرمی , transliteration: garmī), coldness (Persian: سردی , transliteration: sardī), dryness, and wetness.
Such cool hues can bring about a more passive reaction in the brain and can make a person feel pleased and relaxed.
Every insipid food item such as lettuce, dairy products such as yogurt, and citrus fruits, which are not very sour or sweet are cold and wet.
In general, polar regions, mountainous areas with rocky landscapes, sandy grounds, and north winds, are cold and dry.
[32] In Iran, southern, some eastern and mostly central areas which get the most sunlight and low humidity are warm and dry.
Areas with loamy and clay soil which have great potential of retaining water are wet, while areas with chalky or sandy soil, composed of large particles which prevent it from retaining water, are warm and dry.
But adopting a lifestyle that suits one's Mizaj by consuming foods and drinks in accordance with their temperament is very important for good mental health.
So in order to remain healthy, both physically and mentally, one should firstly reconsider and reform his or her lifestyle and diet, and then seek professional help or study more deeply about the situation.
[33] Moderate exercise increases the heart and breathing rate, excretes sweat which then evaporates off of the skin, and reduces stress.
On the contrary, lack of movement slows the metabolism, and drives the temperament to coldness and wetness which is accompanied by weakness, lethargy, obesity, and puffiness.
In general, from the Iranian traditional medicine point of view, anaerobic exercises which consist of short exertion and high-intensity movements will mostly increase the heat in the body and will not decrease the wetness, so they best suit people with cold Mizaj and do not help in losing weight.
Disturbing one's inherent or main Mizaj and moving towards excessive warmness, coldness, wetness or dryness, would undermine the persons' health.
In the case where one fails to keep their Mizaj within its normal range for a long period of time, mal-temperament or 'So-e-Mizaj' will strike the body and diseases will progress.
[36] Reasons for this include: A fast heart rate, breaking out in pimples and mouth ulcers, and sleep deprivation are the side effects of excessive warmness.
In Iranian traditional medicine the excess or lack of warmness and humidity define four essential temperaments.
Words written in italic show original Persian terms in the ancient literature.
According to a saying by Razi, once you are aware of the detrimental effects of a food item you should abstain from it and it is wise "not to choose your desire over your body's comfort".
Akhlat can be also examined according to their warmness and humidity : "Blood" is the most abundant and most important humor in the body, which is formed by eating food.
