When Disease Is No Longer About Germs, But How We Eat and Treat People
By Dr. Ali Aminuloh, M.Pd.I., ME
In this fast-paced era, humans are slow in their thinking. They are quick in choosing food, quick in concluding illnesses, and often quick in stigmatizing them. We are busy pursuing taste, price, and convenience, but forget that the body never lies. You are what you eat. The Quran has long reminded us: “So let man look at what he eats.”
Paradoxically, amidst advances in medical science, disease is becoming increasingly complex. Not solely due to germs, but also due to lifestyles that neglect nutrition, the environment, and humanity.
January 25th marks an important moment: National Nutrition Day and World Leprosy Day are commemorated simultaneously. Two seemingly different commemorations, however, converge on the same point: awareness of healthy and humane living.
Nutrition: More Than Just Taste, It’s About Benefit
The 66th National Nutrition Day in 2026 carries the theme “Fulfill Balanced Nutrition from Local Food.” This theme emphasizes that nutrition is not about expensive or imported items, but rather about humans’ close relationship with their food sources.
This is where nutrition as a functional food becomes crucial. Food not only pampers the palate, but also provides real benefits for the body, namely strengthening the immune system, maintaining metabolism, and preventing disease early on. Nutrition is the foundation of health, and health is a basic requirement for an educated society.
This awareness is not born from slogans, but from daily life practices.
Al-Zaytun: From Local Food to a Healthy Society
At Al-Zaytun, awareness of healthy living has long been pioneered by Sheikh AS Panji Gumilang. Based on Al-Zaytun’s motto as an educational center for developing a culture of tolerance and peace towards a healthy, intelligent, and humane society, health is positioned as the foundation of civilization.
“Eat what you know the process of procuring,” is the Sheikh’s message. A simple principle, yet radical in practice. At Al-Zaytun, almost all food is produced in-house: rice, vegetables, fish, and even chicken are grown and raised organically, with humane and sustainable treatment.
A healthy lifestyle here doesn’t stop at food, but is integrated with a healthy environment and conscious living. Nutrition, the environment, and behavior reinforce each other.
Three Awarenesses, One Goal
What Al-Zaytun does is essentially the implementation of a trilogy of awareness:
1. Philosophical awareness: understanding that the body is a trust, not just a tool.
2. Ecological awareness: realizing that what we eat is connected to the land, water, and the environment.
3. Social awareness: humanizing all people, including those who are sick.
This awareness gave birth to a preventative health approach. At Al-Zaytun, the community doesn’t wait until they are sick to see a doctor, but rather undergoes regular general check-ups so that illnesses can be detected early. Health is not a reaction, but a plan.
Leprosy: A Curable Disease, a Stigma That Must Be Ended
The theme of World Leprosy Day 2026 affirms:
“Leprosy is curable, the real challenge is stigma.”
Leprosy is curable, the real challenge is stigma.
Leprosy is not a curse, not a disgrace, and not a reason to isolate. This disease is preventable and treatable, especially with balanced nutrition, a healthy environment, and a clean lifestyle. However, social stigma is often more crippling than the disease itself.
This is where World Leprosy Day intersects with National Nutrition Day. Good nutrition strengthens the immune system, while social awareness prevents discrimination.
Being Healthy, Being Human
The commemoration of January 25th should not stop at ceremony. It is an invitation to stop living a life of instant gratification, whether in eating, thinking, or judging others.
An educated society is a healthy society. A healthy society is one that is aware of what it eats, how it lives, and how it treats others humanely.
Because ultimately, illness isn’t just about the body. It’s often a reflection of how people treat themselves, their environment, and others. At this point, Al Zaytun isn’t just calling out the truth, but also providing a concrete example.***
Indonesia, January 25, 2026
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