Because of the amazing advances in medical science,
more people are becoming passive about their health and
wellness. They rely on a pill or medical treatment to cure
them rather than taking active steps toward prevention.
The reliance on medications and medical procedures seems
to be replacing the lifestyle, exercise, activity and nutrition
as a way to fortify and maintain one’s health. While people
today do tend to live and survive longer with problems
that would otherwise not be possible before, the quality of
life and the sense of well-being seems to be decreasing.
Furthermore, many people either do not know how to or
choose not to utilize the healthcare system properly.
With my background as both a patient and a doctor, I
often find our healthcare system frustrating in certain
ways. When I myself was diagnosed with cancer, I experienced
an opportunity to see the healthcare system from the
other angle – as a patient. This was a profound experience
and allowed me to see firsthand the power of the mind,
body and spirit in overcoming and recovering from a lifethreatening
condition. The fact that I was able to not only
get through this, but also to thrive and even exceed my
prior health and well-being after the diagnosis was a
clear sign of what is wrong in our culture and healthcare
system. That something is not taking responsibility for
creating our own health and wellness “reserve,” which is
the amount of natural ability you have to inhibit and to
fight illness. Others simply have a mistaken notion of what
health and wellness truly is.
The purpose of this book is at the very least to challenge
the currently established traditional medical concepts
and views while creating a paradigm shift in defining
health and wellness. Furthermore, it should stimulate
new conversations with your healthcare provider, as well
as family and friends. While it does not claim in any way to
be a comprehensive resource on medical problems nor a
complete reference for routine and high-risk medical
screening and prevention, this book does provide some
free and readily available resources related to health,
wellness, prevention, and managing chronic medical
problems.
