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The Disease Delusion: Conquering the Causes of Chronic Illness for a Healthier, Longer, and Happier Life
For decades, Dr. Jeffrey Bland has been on the cutting edge of Functional Medicine, which seeks to pinpoint and prevent the cause of illness, rather than treat its symptoms. Managing chronic diseases accounts for three quarters of our total healthcare costs, because we're masking these illnesses with pills and temporary treatments, rather than addressing their underlying causes, he argues. Worse, only treating symptoms leads us down the path of further illness.
In The Disease Delusion, Dr. Bland explains what Functional Medicine is and what it can do for you. While advances in modern science have nearly doubled our lifespans in only four generations, our quality of life has not reached its full potential. Outlining the reasons why we suffer chronic diseases from asthma and diabetes to obesity, arthritis and cancer to a host of other ailments, Dr. Bland offers achievable, science-based solutions that can alleviate these common conditions and offers a roadmap for a lifetime of wellness.
In The Disease Delusion, Dr. Bland explains what Functional Medicine is and what it can do for you. While advances in modern science have nearly doubled our lifespans in only four generations, our quality of life has not reached its full potential. Outlining the reasons why we suffer chronic diseases from asthma and diabetes to obesity, arthritis and cancer to a host of other ailments, Dr. Bland offers achievable, science-based solutions that can alleviate these common conditions and offers a roadmap for a lifetime of wellness.
432 pages, Hardcover
First published April 22, 2014
454 people are currently reading
2659 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
July 17, 2014
When I was touring healthcareland, I came across several doctors who couldn’t explain themselves in a way that I understood. Sometimes, I thought they didn’t fully understand themselves. Or that they didn't care enough or think I was smart enough to help me understand. Always, I thought that is definitely not going to be my doctor.
Dr. Jeffrey Bland, however, could be my doctor. Considered the godfather of functional medicine, he understands the complexity of the human condition and doesn't feel it's over his readers' heads. He articulates how the body works in conversational language. In the book, he describes the very specific and deep minutiae of how, for example, phytonutrients bind to cells and alter cellular function, and he paints the big picture of intricate and complex systems working together inside a human body.
And Bland explains both the detailed and the wide-angle views and their lessons—tinker with one system, tinker with all of them—in straightforward and easily accessible language.
In reading The Disease Delusion, I felt he wrote the book for patients.
Dr. Jeffrey Bland, however, could be my doctor. Considered the godfather of functional medicine, he understands the complexity of the human condition and doesn't feel it's over his readers' heads. He articulates how the body works in conversational language. In the book, he describes the very specific and deep minutiae of how, for example, phytonutrients bind to cells and alter cellular function, and he paints the big picture of intricate and complex systems working together inside a human body.
And Bland explains both the detailed and the wide-angle views and their lessons—tinker with one system, tinker with all of them—in straightforward and easily accessible language.
In reading The Disease Delusion, I felt he wrote the book for patients.
September 5, 2017
Essentially a book on functional medicine, which means seeing symptoms as a sign of a deeper problem that something else is wrong with the body. (This is the exact view that Traditional Chinese Medicine holds by the way.)
The difference between this title and other books on the same topic, is that this one offers a "test" you can do at the start of each chapter, to determine if that particular area is problematic for you. For instance, at the start of the chapter called "Defense", there is a questionnaire you can tick off to see how many symptoms you experience. If you tick off a lot of them, that probably means your body is experiencing difficulty in this area. The author then explains what some causes might be, and gives suggestions on how to boost your health accordingly.
I have read other books on functional medicine before so this title didn't really offer anything new, though I did like the fact that a lot of the explanations were based on actual scientific research and findings.
The difference between this title and other books on the same topic, is that this one offers a "test" you can do at the start of each chapter, to determine if that particular area is problematic for you. For instance, at the start of the chapter called "Defense", there is a questionnaire you can tick off to see how many symptoms you experience. If you tick off a lot of them, that probably means your body is experiencing difficulty in this area. The author then explains what some causes might be, and gives suggestions on how to boost your health accordingly.
I have read other books on functional medicine before so this title didn't really offer anything new, though I did like the fact that a lot of the explanations were based on actual scientific research and findings.
November 27, 2018
Pseudo-scientific quackery.
June 30, 2014
Posted First on Blog Critics as Book Review: 'The Disease Delusion' by Dr. Jeffrey S. Bland.
With incidents of diseases escalating and chronic illnesses careening out of control, it is time we took back the charge of our own health and lives. Yet with so much at stake and numerous information overloads where can we look for answers?
The Disease Delusion by Dr. Jeffrey S. Bland, is a treasure trove of information in looking for the root cause of so many plaguing issues. With precise information on the most common of illnesses he takes you on a journey of possible recovery. Unlocking the secrets and myths behind many of the illnesses that plague us today, we find many directions in which to improve both our health and life. Lessons and suggestions, as well as examples of incredible transformations give you hope and understanding of the dilemmas we face. Can we stave off many of the common issues as suggested?
This is a comprehensive look at many of the issues that continue to grow by leaps and bounds, and yet it is also a work of answers to questions you may not have even realized. From the root causes and onward, the solutions and suggestions help you to take charge of many things that were once in our own control. The work and insight is amazingly intricate and interesting, from case studies and fact-finding to zeroing in on the real culprits sabotaging your health. While there are medications for everything from A-Z, here we find that we can do so many things to correct the things that impede our health long before the illnesses begin. Our body is an amazing thing, telling us time after time that something is wrong, yet for some reason we often miss the message.
Dr. Bland gives us insight into those messages and how to decipher their meaning and drill down to the very essence in order to get to the real truth. With so much of our health depending on our environment, it is important to listen to the message our bodies are sending, they often know before we do of the toxicity of the surroundings, helping us to move and avoid those thing harmful to us. Dr. Bland also offers insight to using supplements and natural remedies to strengthen our defenses.
This was an extremely interesting book, and while you may look at the title and be daunted, you will not be sorry when you chose to read on. The data is amazing and you can relate to so much of the content. As an average citizen this is informative and gives you back some control of your health and as a health professional the cutting edge research and the furthering of integrative medicine is exciting and resourceful.
Not necessarily one of those works that would make a reading list, I would still recommend it. The information included would also be great for a discussion group, I know everyone is always interested in bettering their health, and this work is extraordinary. This is a powerful look at taking charge of our own lives.
This book was received free from the Authors publisher. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
With incidents of diseases escalating and chronic illnesses careening out of control, it is time we took back the charge of our own health and lives. Yet with so much at stake and numerous information overloads where can we look for answers?
The Disease Delusion by Dr. Jeffrey S. Bland, is a treasure trove of information in looking for the root cause of so many plaguing issues. With precise information on the most common of illnesses he takes you on a journey of possible recovery. Unlocking the secrets and myths behind many of the illnesses that plague us today, we find many directions in which to improve both our health and life. Lessons and suggestions, as well as examples of incredible transformations give you hope and understanding of the dilemmas we face. Can we stave off many of the common issues as suggested?
This is a comprehensive look at many of the issues that continue to grow by leaps and bounds, and yet it is also a work of answers to questions you may not have even realized. From the root causes and onward, the solutions and suggestions help you to take charge of many things that were once in our own control. The work and insight is amazingly intricate and interesting, from case studies and fact-finding to zeroing in on the real culprits sabotaging your health. While there are medications for everything from A-Z, here we find that we can do so many things to correct the things that impede our health long before the illnesses begin. Our body is an amazing thing, telling us time after time that something is wrong, yet for some reason we often miss the message.
Dr. Bland gives us insight into those messages and how to decipher their meaning and drill down to the very essence in order to get to the real truth. With so much of our health depending on our environment, it is important to listen to the message our bodies are sending, they often know before we do of the toxicity of the surroundings, helping us to move and avoid those thing harmful to us. Dr. Bland also offers insight to using supplements and natural remedies to strengthen our defenses.
This was an extremely interesting book, and while you may look at the title and be daunted, you will not be sorry when you chose to read on. The data is amazing and you can relate to so much of the content. As an average citizen this is informative and gives you back some control of your health and as a health professional the cutting edge research and the furthering of integrative medicine is exciting and resourceful.
Not necessarily one of those works that would make a reading list, I would still recommend it. The information included would also be great for a discussion group, I know everyone is always interested in bettering their health, and this work is extraordinary. This is a powerful look at taking charge of our own lives.
This book was received free from the Authors publisher. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.
July 10, 2014
Scary read, we are what we eat and will become what our choices dictate. There are some very interesting NEW ideas (new to me) and all the old things you know to be true, but just can't care about as you're eating your tootsie roll are presented in a new way, supported by well tested research. I would recommend reading this if you have any chronic issues. I would also recommend it to everyone that doesn't want to get a chronic issue!
December 5, 2020
Four stars! It was five as it started out but it went downhill partly by being too repetitive. I have read much of this information before in other books.
April 9, 2015
I opened up this book at random to a devastating passage that the authors says pretty much sums up his theory about functional (rather than standard Western allopathic) medicine - i.e., taking a more complex and interactive approach to a patient's health and what makes him or her unique.
The passage is about the Pima Indians and why they have such a high rate of diabetes. He writes: "The reason has long been ascribed to ethnicity, it being assumed that . . . Pima babies are dealt a bad genetic hand at birth and just have to expect to inherit diabetes. . . . It's dead wrong. The fact is, diabetes was not seen in Pima Indians until the 1940s. By then, they had been living on the reservation for about two generations and their traditional tribal diet had been entirely replaced with refined carbohydrates, sugars, and fats. . . .
"In fact, if Pima genes had evolved to be anything in particular, it was thrifty. They developed that way in response to their greatest survival risk: starvation. Over many thousands of years their genes were naturally selected for characteristics that would allow individuals to survive through periods of low caloric intake. That's what I mean by 'thrifty' - they are able to hold on tightly to every calorie. . . What was once a genetic advantage has become a genetic liability. The genes are not diseased; the environment feeding the genes is diseased."
This is the way I think about health, so - so far - I'm very happy with this book. In browsing through, I see a lot of sections that are highly technical. Then there are other sections that very simply and clearly describe suggested detox regimes, like eliminating wheat, caffeine, artificial colors and flavors - not corn, soy, peanuts, et al., which is what every other boring diet book contains - so this makes me like the author even more.
He is also really good at explaining genetic modification of food, giving examples of what exactly is done and how it's related to the unprecedented rise in allergies.
When he describes creating a baseline program for yourself, he falls a bit short in the exercise area: his basic Rx is walking 10,000 steps a day, but doesn't really say anything about other exercise other than giving a target heart rate.
The passage is about the Pima Indians and why they have such a high rate of diabetes. He writes: "The reason has long been ascribed to ethnicity, it being assumed that . . . Pima babies are dealt a bad genetic hand at birth and just have to expect to inherit diabetes. . . . It's dead wrong. The fact is, diabetes was not seen in Pima Indians until the 1940s. By then, they had been living on the reservation for about two generations and their traditional tribal diet had been entirely replaced with refined carbohydrates, sugars, and fats. . . .
"In fact, if Pima genes had evolved to be anything in particular, it was thrifty. They developed that way in response to their greatest survival risk: starvation. Over many thousands of years their genes were naturally selected for characteristics that would allow individuals to survive through periods of low caloric intake. That's what I mean by 'thrifty' - they are able to hold on tightly to every calorie. . . What was once a genetic advantage has become a genetic liability. The genes are not diseased; the environment feeding the genes is diseased."
This is the way I think about health, so - so far - I'm very happy with this book. In browsing through, I see a lot of sections that are highly technical. Then there are other sections that very simply and clearly describe suggested detox regimes, like eliminating wheat, caffeine, artificial colors and flavors - not corn, soy, peanuts, et al., which is what every other boring diet book contains - so this makes me like the author even more.
He is also really good at explaining genetic modification of food, giving examples of what exactly is done and how it's related to the unprecedented rise in allergies.
When he describes creating a baseline program for yourself, he falls a bit short in the exercise area: his basic Rx is walking 10,000 steps a day, but doesn't really say anything about other exercise other than giving a target heart rate.
June 20, 2021
This book was very rough for me to get excited about. I really disliked his use of all these anecdotal stories at random and how he was spouting off information without notations of scientific studies to back up the data. Also— I feel like his diet recommendations missed the target on more than one occasion. He’s telling you to avoid heavy metals such as mercury in one chapter and then encouraging you to eat tuna in the next. Also, his recommendation of a diet that is 30-40% animal products is a huge problem. He constantly cites the Mediterranean diet that “includes large amounts of fish” which is absolutely not true. The true health-promoting Mediterranean diet of the blue zone in Greece consume very little animal products at all. This book may be great for someone starting out with poor health and needing to jump into a decent/better diet than they are currently following— but for someone who is more knowledgeable on proper diet and nutrients this book will bore and annoy you. Do yourself a favor and pick up Dr. Michael Gregor’s “How Not to Die” instead. Much better, easy to read, super interesting and BACKED UP BY SCIENCE.
August 28, 2020
This was a surprise to me. I wasn't sure I would like it but I learned so much about how our lifestyle, diet, and environment have a HUGE impact on our genes. We can influence them...we aren't destined to what is mapped. It's our choice.
November 9, 2014
Genetics made. . . not easy. . . but hopeful. Current research helps with understanding how lifestyle choices trump the cards we were born with. Great book for 2 a.m. epiphanies. . .
February 23, 2015
This is very interesting and has lots of scientific explanations (much of which went over my head) that reinforce the theories. That encourages me to change my eating and exercise more often to try to overcome the dermatomyositis. It contains a health assessment which leads to dietary suggestions for improving symptoms which I found helpful and am hopeful that will make a difference.
August 31, 2016
Ok as a general introduction to some of the basic principles of functional medicine, though a bit one-size-fits-all in some respects, esp w/r/t nutrition. Overall a bit bland/unfocused, but if you've read nothing else in the area I suppose it's relatively harmless.
February 1, 2023
Functional medicine and lifestyle change (physical activity, diet, and stress reduction) is IN - > “fixing” chronic illness with pill after pill is OUT. The idea of functional medicine, aka considering the processes underlying chronic illness and recognizing imbalances in such systems, has been around for centuries, but as chronic illness rises to epidemic proportions, something’s gotta give.
As a health behavior change researcher in chronic illness (shout-out type 2 diabetes), this book was another 💯. It gives self-assessments and recommendations along the way to help identify where in your “systems” the imbalances are occurring, and where to start with correcting them! I know, I know, I’m not going totally rogue and saying to follow all medical advice from a book (but it’s written by an MD!) - still talk to your doc, but also prioritize diet, physical activity, and mental health! talk about how these changes can transform your physical health and actually reverse negative health outcomes.
Now maybe I will really start following this advice … 😬
P.S. did you know that plants create stress hormones (phytonutrients) to protect themselves against “foreign invaders” that are good for us to eat bc it helps our stress response? Plants are the shit
As a health behavior change researcher in chronic illness (shout-out type 2 diabetes), this book was another 💯. It gives self-assessments and recommendations along the way to help identify where in your “systems” the imbalances are occurring, and where to start with correcting them! I know, I know, I’m not going totally rogue and saying to follow all medical advice from a book (but it’s written by an MD!) - still talk to your doc, but also prioritize diet, physical activity, and mental health! talk about how these changes can transform your physical health and actually reverse negative health outcomes.
Now maybe I will really start following this advice … 😬
P.S. did you know that plants create stress hormones (phytonutrients) to protect themselves against “foreign invaders” that are good for us to eat bc it helps our stress response? Plants are the shit
June 13, 2024
Written by a PHD doctor (not a medical doctor) who does not understand medicine or research.
I am a medical doctor with an interest in functional medicine, which attracted me to this book. I struggled through the first 1/3rd of this book before giving up due to the factual inaccuracies driving me mad, couldn’t take it any more!
The premise of eating whole foods, exercising and keeping your mind active are all gaining increasing popularity (and probably for good reason), but I don’t trust any of the ‘scientific evidence’ he cites around functional medicine because so much of the ‘evidence’ he presents here in terms of standard medical practice is wrongly interpreted by the author.
He talks as if he is a medical doctor (I had to google him to find out he has a PHD not an MD) and I really worry that he would lead more naive readers to believe untruths, and may even cause harm by preventing patients from accessing appropriate healthcare.
Read Rangan Chattergee’s book instead!
I am a medical doctor with an interest in functional medicine, which attracted me to this book. I struggled through the first 1/3rd of this book before giving up due to the factual inaccuracies driving me mad, couldn’t take it any more!
The premise of eating whole foods, exercising and keeping your mind active are all gaining increasing popularity (and probably for good reason), but I don’t trust any of the ‘scientific evidence’ he cites around functional medicine because so much of the ‘evidence’ he presents here in terms of standard medical practice is wrongly interpreted by the author.
He talks as if he is a medical doctor (I had to google him to find out he has a PHD not an MD) and I really worry that he would lead more naive readers to believe untruths, and may even cause harm by preventing patients from accessing appropriate healthcare.
Read Rangan Chattergee’s book instead!
June 29, 2024
Audio book. Highlighting the benefits of functional medicine and nutrition.
March 22, 2015
I thought this book was informative and provided good resources about personalized medicine. Since the mapping of our genome, there have been many discoveries of how changes in diet and environment affect overall health. Knowing that we can reverse chronic conditions with simple lifestyle changes in exciting. I've been following functional medicine for nearly 9 years, and this book is a culmination of where we are today. I appreciated Dr. Bland's review seven core physiological processes that must be in good form to experience and enjoy good health. The self-assessments included to determine the state of my own physiology was helpful, not just to create my personal plan but to better understand where my health is lacking.
I found this book easy to read and follow and would recommend this to anyone who appreciates information in health.
I found this book easy to read and follow and would recommend this to anyone who appreciates information in health.
July 29, 2022
This book takes the reader through the evolution of medical diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The author describes the role that genetic medicine plays today in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic diseases. Mostly the book explains that disease and deaths has evolved from contagions to lifestyle, genetics, and toxicity. It explains that the cell communication between those in our body and those both inside and outside determine the structure and function of our body. My one complaint is that the author stresses that one size fits all is not a real goal, but I wish he had given an overall suggested group of foods to include daily. The food plan in the back doesn’t seem to fit the recommendations in the chapters. Still, the recommendations in this book are an invaluable jumping off point. I recommend this book.
July 13, 2014
I loved this book because I have always thought as the author did. It's more likely to have 1 problem causing several symptoms than to have 3 or more separate disease states going on. He goes back to the gene level and helps you determine what environmental or dietary factors you need to alter to "get back to normal". He believes this were "cure" most chronic diseases since we only treat the symptoms in modern medicine.
May 3, 2015
I read this book to help me form an action plan to improve my diabetes management. I found a lot of practical, immediately usable ideas in this book. The nice part about this book is that the ideas improve health across the board, not just with diabetes. My blood pressure is lower, and I've lost some weight too.
January 14, 2015
This book is paradigm-shifting (if you haven't already been exposed to the ideas of functional medicine). I appreciated that with everything he asserts, he also backs up with research. The ideas in this book have the potential to transform our health and well-being.
December 3, 2014
Of course we should be treating the whole individual. Of course it makes sense that our medical model is based mainly on acute care. Lifestyle, diet, and environment play such a huge role in the expression of our genes and manifestation of chronic disease. This book was enlightening.
December 2, 2014
Western medicine getting in line with Oriental Medicine and Aurvedic (sp) Medicine. Good reminder or great introduction to looking at whole body/life, not symptoms.
August 7, 2014
This book covered very important information about health. It was not an easy read due to scientific notes. The recipes look very good.
September 15, 2014
great book and eye opener. A must read by anyone interested in optimizing their health the new economy going forward and a great perspective on health.
May 27, 2024
This book is about an alternative medicine practice that he calls “functional medicine.” The book is full of buzzwords words such as “detox,” which generally means there is some ill defined toxin in the body that we will teach you how to get rid of.
The book is full of anecdotes about patients cured, and how a particular molecular pathway or treatment plan was discovered.
At the back is Part Three: Personalizing Your Treatment Plan, followed by day-by-day recipes to follow. Contrast that with the flip side of the title page which says: “… this book should by no means be considered a substitute for the advice of a qualified medical professional, who should always be consulted before beginning any new diet.”
There were some portions of the book that I found interesting enough to copy out some portions.
“Take a look at the published data for overall drug effectiveness in managing some key chronic illnesses:
Alzheimer's disease: 30 percent effective
Anti-inflammatories: 80 percent effective
Asthma: 80 percent effective
Cardiac disease: 60 percent effective
Depression: 62 percent effective
Diabetes: 57 percent effective
Migraine: 52 percent effective
Rheumatoid arthritis: 50 percent effective
Cancer: 30 percent effective”
(Chapter 1, page 39)
“ … president of genetics at GlaxoSmithKline, said back in 2003 that "most prescription medicines do not work on most people" who take them. Roses went on: "The vast majority of drugs—more than 90 percent—only work in 30 to 50 percent of the people." It is why doctors routinely use a trial-and-error approach to drug therapy— that is, if one drug doesn't work, try another.
The problem is compounded with polypharmacy—an individual using several drugs together in order to address the different symptoms arising from a range of causative factors. The issue here is the way the various drugs may interact with one another in the individual.” (Chapter 1, page 40)
“The [American Chemical Council] relented only when it decided the ban would actually boost consumer confidence in other chemicals. It’s a reminder that all perceptions die hard — especially when money is at stake.*“
“*In this regard, I highly recommend the 2000 book by Devra Davis, professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh, the secret history of the war on cancer, about the health impact of endocrine – disrupting chemicals and the active effort of many industrial forces to keep this information suppressed. We will hear more of Dr. Davis in chapter 10.“ (Chapter 5, Page 134)
I skim read the latter portions of this book to see if it would get better, but it continued in the same style.
The book is full of anecdotes about patients cured, and how a particular molecular pathway or treatment plan was discovered.
At the back is Part Three: Personalizing Your Treatment Plan, followed by day-by-day recipes to follow. Contrast that with the flip side of the title page which says: “… this book should by no means be considered a substitute for the advice of a qualified medical professional, who should always be consulted before beginning any new diet.”
There were some portions of the book that I found interesting enough to copy out some portions.
“Take a look at the published data for overall drug effectiveness in managing some key chronic illnesses:
Alzheimer's disease: 30 percent effective
Anti-inflammatories: 80 percent effective
Asthma: 80 percent effective
Cardiac disease: 60 percent effective
Depression: 62 percent effective
Diabetes: 57 percent effective
Migraine: 52 percent effective
Rheumatoid arthritis: 50 percent effective
Cancer: 30 percent effective”
(Chapter 1, page 39)
“ … president of genetics at GlaxoSmithKline, said back in 2003 that "most prescription medicines do not work on most people" who take them. Roses went on: "The vast majority of drugs—more than 90 percent—only work in 30 to 50 percent of the people." It is why doctors routinely use a trial-and-error approach to drug therapy— that is, if one drug doesn't work, try another.
The problem is compounded with polypharmacy—an individual using several drugs together in order to address the different symptoms arising from a range of causative factors. The issue here is the way the various drugs may interact with one another in the individual.” (Chapter 1, page 40)
“The [American Chemical Council] relented only when it decided the ban would actually boost consumer confidence in other chemicals. It’s a reminder that all perceptions die hard — especially when money is at stake.*“
“*In this regard, I highly recommend the 2000 book by Devra Davis, professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh, the secret history of the war on cancer, about the health impact of endocrine – disrupting chemicals and the active effort of many industrial forces to keep this information suppressed. We will hear more of Dr. Davis in chapter 10.“ (Chapter 5, Page 134)
I skim read the latter portions of this book to see if it would get better, but it continued in the same style.
May 9, 2021
Books promotes functional medicine, which means focus on causes not symptomes, treat (medically) each person as an individual, not as statistic Joe/Karen. One approach doesn't fit all. And yay for that! And then, wrapped in nice scientific wrap we get this: Mysterious illnes? It's probably an allergy or xyz poisoning. Detox and diet is the cure (common sense- there's an idea! Yes, I know, less and less people are familiar with the concept, so maybe it's good to be reminded of it sometimes) Lifestyle matters. Diet matters. Nutrition matters. Exercise matters. Enviroment matters. "Balance" approach of "not too much and not too little" is way to go (really?). All that can beat our faulty genes. And sprinkle on top with a little bit of mindfulness, meditation, and Chinese grandma's remedies. Oh, and Mediterranean diet with personalised supplements. I mean, you had to live under the rock for the past 10-15 years not know all that (or at least heard about it). It's on TV, radio, Karen's magazines, Joe's magazines, endless books for different type of readers.
The Disease Delusion basically is all about how the food and environment talking to/influencing your genes (and of course bit more), put together in one lengthy book, written in very aprochable smart and scientific language, with lots of gene and mitochondria talks. And for people searching mystery orgins of their weird disease- they might find some ideas toward the solution here (spoiler alert- it might be your diet or toxic paint, or even your perfume or dental filler- not being sarcastic, worth checking). I wish they would include low histamine tolerance problem- it's right up their alley, weird symptoms, lot of people are unaware of having it, food is the poison.
Since I've read similar books about nutrition and how food affect us, I didn't find anything here that I would think "Now that's a wow news!", nothing revolutionary. Half way through you kinda get the idea.
I didn't like "tests" in the book- they felt like reading a horoscope- everyone will find something there to say "YES! Thats me!"
This book is a good reminder though of all the things we should be doing and most of the time we dont.
The Disease Delusion basically is all about how the food and environment talking to/influencing your genes (and of course bit more), put together in one lengthy book, written in very aprochable smart and scientific language, with lots of gene and mitochondria talks. And for people searching mystery orgins of their weird disease- they might find some ideas toward the solution here (spoiler alert- it might be your diet or toxic paint, or even your perfume or dental filler- not being sarcastic, worth checking). I wish they would include low histamine tolerance problem- it's right up their alley, weird symptoms, lot of people are unaware of having it, food is the poison.
Since I've read similar books about nutrition and how food affect us, I didn't find anything here that I would think "Now that's a wow news!", nothing revolutionary. Half way through you kinda get the idea.
I didn't like "tests" in the book- they felt like reading a horoscope- everyone will find something there to say "YES! Thats me!"
This book is a good reminder though of all the things we should be doing and most of the time we dont.
November 7, 2022
I must say I enjoyed reading ‘The disease delusion’ by Jeffrey S. Bland. It was a fantastic and eye-opening read! The book is just brilliant! The information Dr Bland shares is so important and so needed in our modern world!
In his book, Jeffrey S. Bland talks about functional medicine explaining reasons for occurrence of modern chronic illnesses and ways of their prevention.
So many people are suffering from at least one chronic illness in their lifetime! A person does not need to be old to get a chronic illness. We’re more prone to developing chronic health conditions than ever before, with our crazy fast paced stressful lives and poor daily lifestyle choices.
Quite often, doctors only prescribe medications but don’t get to the root cause of chronic health conditions. Jeffrey S. Bland explains why this happens in detail in his book.
So, eventually people are left to suffer with their health issues which often get worse with time. It is heart breaking how many people suffer and die prematurely because of this!
It is important that we take charge of our own health and start working on prevention of chronic health conditions in the first place! ‘The disease delusion’ will help you to understand everything you need to know about how to stay healthy and vibrant throughout the lifetime!
This book will explain to you:
1. Why modern medicine cannot help people cure chronic health condition and does not promote good eating habits.
2. The complexity of our DNA unique makeup and how it affects our health and well-being.
3. The real cause of modern chronic health illnesses.
4. How to eat healthy to maitain excellent health throughout life.
5. How to understand whether you have a health conditions that needs your attention.
I recommend this book to everyone who cares about their health and well-being. Information in this book might just save your life and/or help you to significantly improve your life quality!
In his book, Jeffrey S. Bland talks about functional medicine explaining reasons for occurrence of modern chronic illnesses and ways of their prevention.
So many people are suffering from at least one chronic illness in their lifetime! A person does not need to be old to get a chronic illness. We’re more prone to developing chronic health conditions than ever before, with our crazy fast paced stressful lives and poor daily lifestyle choices.
Quite often, doctors only prescribe medications but don’t get to the root cause of chronic health conditions. Jeffrey S. Bland explains why this happens in detail in his book.
So, eventually people are left to suffer with their health issues which often get worse with time. It is heart breaking how many people suffer and die prematurely because of this!
It is important that we take charge of our own health and start working on prevention of chronic health conditions in the first place! ‘The disease delusion’ will help you to understand everything you need to know about how to stay healthy and vibrant throughout the lifetime!
This book will explain to you:
1. Why modern medicine cannot help people cure chronic health condition and does not promote good eating habits.
2. The complexity of our DNA unique makeup and how it affects our health and well-being.
3. The real cause of modern chronic health illnesses.
4. How to eat healthy to maitain excellent health throughout life.
5. How to understand whether you have a health conditions that needs your attention.
I recommend this book to everyone who cares about their health and well-being. Information in this book might just save your life and/or help you to significantly improve your life quality!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2020
I really wanted this book to be more than it was, since it was written by the creator of functional medicine himself. I answered all of the questions and took copious notes, only to get to the end and find out that the recommended protocol for my situation is to keep doing exactly what I'm already doing. Fortunately, I've been working with a functional medicine practitioner since 2017, so I'm already taking all of the recommended supplements. Prior to that time, I worked in the fitness industry, and like most of my colleagues I have been following a plant based Mediterranean diet for many years, and I know that diet and exercise are the best prescription for health. What this book didn't answer for me is, what can I do to tip the scales in my favor and kick this chronic fatigue in the butt forever? All I'm left with is a few tweaks here and there. That little bit isn't gonna do it. On the up side, if you're just starting out on your journey and you don't have the luxury of a functional medicine practitioner in your corner, Dr. Bland's protocol could make a very important impact on your life.
June 18, 2019
Lifestyle , environment, diet . Those three major factors needs to be address and self managed in order to stay well and stay off the chronic illnesses . You think you are doomed to have all the sicknesses your parents and grandparents had ? Now they proof it wrong , only 30 percent of your heritage can effect your current health not 70 ! As it used to be thought,highly scientific , very anal and detailed book. If you ever thought to be a doctor this book is for you . After reading this book you can be definitely qualify for friends and family doctor of your own family . Nowadays this is the only way to stay ( not sick ) manage your own health . Environment, lifestyle and what you eat is our everything , that shapes us , makes us sick or healthy .
October 3, 2019
I have started pursuing functional medicine as my last option for improvement of multiple chronic conditions related to mitochondrial myopathy. I feel like Bland had my medical records right in front of him. So much information ang great resources on how we can take control of certain health issues that traditional medicine may actually be making worse, as I've felt for many years. This book is eye opening, and even though I was aware of a lot of the info and ways to better manage mito, the thorough explanation of impact of diet, toxins, meds, and lifestyle on overall health, and especially the mito, was very informative and gives me hope that I can do something to slow down or stop some of the ravaging effects this has had on my body.
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