The Anti-Inflammation Zone

Chapter One

What Is Wellness?

We assume we have it, and we take it for granted until we're sick. I'm referring to "wellness." Webster's dictionary defines wellness as "the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal." This means we have to make an effort if we want to be healthy -- something many of us don't do.

You probably think of wellness as simply the absence of chronic disease. If you aren't sick, then you must be well. That definition simply won't cut it because it can take years, if not decades, for diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's to finally emerge. The seeds of chronic disease are planted at an early age, sometimes even as early as our childhood. Our genes, body weight, dietary habits, and physical fitness all determine whether we are in a state of wellness, and whether we are already moving toward chronic disease in the years to come. They also determine whether we have a stealth killer: silent inflammation. Having increased levels of silent inflammation means you are not in a state of wellness. In fact, here's my personal definition of wellness:

read full excerpt from: The Anti-Inflammation Zone: Reversing the Silent Epidemic That's Destroying Our Health ebook