Hippocrates, your gut, and the forgotten art of healing
Aug 04, 2026
When most people think of Hippocrates, they think of one phrase:
"First, do no harm."
But there's another part of his philosophy that receives far less attention.
He believed the body has an innate capacity to heal—and that the physician's role is to support that process, not simply fight disease.
In this week's episode of Master Stress with Dr S, we travel back to the origins of Western medicine to explore why the ideas of Hippocrates and Galen still matter today.
Long before we understood the microbiome, the gut-brain axis, or stress physiology, Hippocrates observed that health wasn't just about treating symptoms. It was about understanding the whole person and removing what stood in the way of healing.
In this episode, we explore:
• why Hippocrates placed nature at the centre of medicine
• how his ideas connect with what we now know about homeostasis and the stress response
• why the gut remains one of the most important foundations of health
• and how Galen's observations about personality, emotions, and the body continue to echo in modern medicine
What I find most fascinating is this:
The greatest advances in medicine haven't always come from replacing old ideas.
Sometimes they've come from understanding them more deeply.
Listen here
As you listen, consider this question:
Instead of asking, "What's wrong with me?" what if you also asked, "What's getting in the way of my body's ability to heal?"
With care,
Dr. Safia
Coach | Breathwork Facilitator | Doctor | Speaker
Bsc MBBS DCH DRCOG MRCGP MPH DipOccMed
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