The Four Body Types
In Greek Medicine, it is believed that there are four body temperaments that determine our constitution, and thus how we metabolize food. Although all four humors (or temperaments)—blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm—exist in all of us, in different quantities, there is usually one that is the dominating humor and which affects what we crave and how we respond to food. Whichever humor is dominant within a person reflects their body type. The four body types are:
Sanguine | Choleric | Phlegmatic | Melancholic
The Sanguine Temperament (Blood/Damm)
Sanguine (Blood) is considered to be the most natural, balanced constitution, although it can become unbalanced due to our diet and lifestyle.
Humor: Blood
Constitution: Hot and Wet (warm and moist)
Traits:
- Oval faced
- Not too fat or too thin
- Medium frame and build
- Hearty appetite
- Moderate, balanced metabolism
- Good digestion when not eating in excess
- Good elimination (stool), well-formed, neither hard or soft when in balance
- Sweats moderately
Predisposition: If out of balance, the following health concerns arise
- Congested liver and pancreas
- Sluggish metabolism
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Gout
- Congested blood, excessive menstruation in women
- Respiratory congestion
- Urinary issues
- Skin conditions
Foods that aggravate: excessive consumption of proteins (meats), rich fatty foods and sweets may lead to Sanguine excesses of the blood, like uremia and gout, diabetes or high cholesterol.
www.greekmedicine.net/b_p/Four_Temperaments
What does Islam say about body constitution?
There is no direct mention of body types/constitutions in the Qur’an or Sunnah, however the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did eat foods together that had opposite energetics – which was accepted medicine of that time – as a method of balancing foods. Energetics does not refer directly to types of foods, but rather to their composition and their effect on the moisture, dryness, heat and coldness of the body. It is important to note that the doctor of the Prophet ﷺ was Al Harith Ibn Kalada. He was a companion and the oldest known Arab physician who was educated in and practiced Greek Medicine. (Body constitutions were part of their medical practice).
Reference: Sh. Omar Suleiman’s lecture on the Prophet’s Doctor