Medieval Health, Diet & Exercise

Routine to strengthen the body by Johannes de Mirfield (AD 1375)1.) Keep a stout rope hanging in your chamber. Grasp the rope with both hands, raise yourself up, and remain in that position for as long as possible without touching the ground. 2.) Hold a 30 pound stone in your hands and carry it frequently from one part of dwelling to another. 3.) Using the same stone, hold it in the air over your head for as long as possible, until your arms begin to tire. Also lift the stone to your shoulders and hold again until you tire. 4.) Hold a staff in your hand and let another fellow try to pull it away from you. 5.) Hold a penny in your hand, and let someone attempt to pry it out of your fingers. Diet Rules AD 1252February. In this month you should let blood by the thumb or other median. Also wear a warm hat. That is for your head much good. Warm wine drink often. It cleans your intestines. Eat one seed upon the other seed (?) that keeps away sick days for the elderly. Alant and nutmeg. And lacrissce. tempered with wine. Protects you from the cough.. March is [done thus/ over quickly]. You should then take great care for your body. Sleep little and bathe lots, don't let blood. Ende of tu danne spies. hebbet alte spele. [as for food do as you want?] Eat sweet things. And drink sour wine with alant, so you shall be healthy. Cumin and pepper eat daily. Rute lathe. and venecoel. and eppe. ginger. bertram. Lacrissce mit aller list. shall you eat, so you will guard your body in this time. April has dirty mores he likes to make you den rede [horny?]. Let blood by the veins, but not the elderly. Old beers(?) keep away fever. Sleep enough and bathe often. Reineuan. betonia benevella lubestekel. their roots will do you good. Take also rure during this time, that keeps the elderly well. Ever in May weak/soft (soft-boiled?) eggs are good, you shall drink alsen that is good for you. All good root vegetables are now in season, they heal your body. Roe-tongue with hyssop eat and drink sweet drinks with lacrisse and anis, this drives out the choler. Butter and coil prepared with eppe make you taste the mint, eat all this against rheumatism(?). In June nature speaks thus. Drink fasting from the cool spring, it makes your blood good and thin. Eat ladic, and boslook, cress is also good. Sleep little and bathe all the time, this keeps your heart. No beer, no mead, they make you den ride. and feverish, it also makes the lungs sick. you may regret it. Also eat no milk that has not been cooked.

July will have his way. Drink gamandream. Eat dill and eppe. and rute. Hyssop is also very good, it drives off fatigue. Bacon and garlic make the senses good. After St. Margrieten's day letting blood can much harm you. Sugar and nutmeg. cedeware. and rure. shall you eat. Eat now no mussels, that is better for you. August is very terrible. It makes ill both man and wife. If you want to stay healthy don't eat like a big swine. Leave coil and milk and beer as they make the lungs sick and painful. Let no blood now, waking early is good for you. Poleie and wegebrede you have at hand, and other good roots, so you keep your body healthy in this time. September is good, eat every day milk and bread, as much as you have. Eat cooked pears with it, and other good fruits. Don't avoid geese. Don't forget this; you should also eat sinep with both meat and fish. October. All things are in season. Eat winberries and drink most. Protect yourself against frost that you don't catch cold. Geese. Suckling pig and wild roast eat. Eat plenty of good herbs, always carry with you good herbs. November commands us to cover us with clothing, that the frost may not harm us. All kinds of meats are now in season, especially sheep and buck. Eggs are healthy. Don't forget senep. Don't bathe a lot. And let blood. Spien is not good. Ginger. And cidewaer. Cinnamon eat. That is good for you. Now and all year round. In December it is winter. Do not leave your head uncovered, the weather is good for headwear. eat all kinds of sweet foods. And bathe with the stone (pumice?) so your body remains healthy and clean.