The Medieval Guide to Healthy Living

A fresh look at medieval wellness that echoes modern healthy living concerns.

We often think of medieval medicine as strange, unhygienic, and unscientific, but The Medieval Guide to Healthy Living reveals a far richer story. Long before modern wellness trends, people in the Middle Ages were actively thinking about how to live well. They followed detailed health regimens, balanced diet with exercise, considered the effects of emotions, and sought to avoid illness through environmental awareness and routine care. This book sheds light on the practical and surprisingly relatable ways medieval individuals cared for body and mind. Drawing from historical sources that echo today's wellness concerns, it offers a fresh, thoughtful view of a misunderstood era. In understanding their world, we might see our own in a new, more connected light.

Katherine Harvey is an honorary research fellow at Birkbeck, University of London, who also teaches at the Open University. Her previous books include The Fires of Lust: Sex in the Middle Ages, also published by Reaktion Books.