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.

My Health Self-Assessment

This is the first of eight self-assessments this book asks you to do, and it is the one that will give you a general idea of your overall health. Later, in Part 2, you’ll home in on how each of your core physiological processes is functioning, and in Part 3, you’ll put all the self-assessments to work in creating your personalized health-care program.

1. Do you feel that your health has gotten worse over the past two years?

2. Have you lost or gained more than 10 percent of your body weight over the past five years—even though you weren’t intentionally dieting?

3. Do you have trouble going to sleep or staying asleep?

4. Does pain in your joints or muscles limit your physical activity or mobility?

5. Do you commonly feel fatigued for no apparent reason?

6. Are you frequently depressed or anxious?

7. Do you have problems with memory?

8. Is there a consistent ringing in your ears?

9. Do you feel that you are losing your strength?

10. Do you take any prescription medications? Do you take more than two?

11. How about over-the-counter medications? Do you commonly take any of these? a Anti-inflammatories b Antacids c Analgesics d Sleeping remedies

12. Do you suffer from allergies?

13. Do you occasionally have episodes of poor concentration or confusion?

14. Do you commonly suffer from shortness of breath or feel winded?

15. Have you lost any of your sense of taste or smell over the past few years?

16. Do you feel that you have lost a significant amount of muscle mass over the past few years?

17. Have you heard from your doctor that you have any of the following? a Elevated blood pressure b Elevated blood cholesterol c Elevated blood glucose

18. Has your dentist told you that you have gum or periodontal disease?

19. Do you frequently alternate constipation and diarrhea or feel pain or discomfort in your digestive area?

20. Have you been told that you have chronic bad breath?

21. Are you shorter than you used to be? Had any evidence of calcium deposits?

22. Do you catch every cold and flu that’s going around?