I made the decision to become a doctor when I was very young. My main motivation was a deep desire to serve my fellow human beings through the promotion of health and wellness.
As my medical career evolved, I have tried to find more effective ways to serve more people. My weekly column "An Ounce of Prevention" published in the Daily Gleaner for over the past three years has been one such way.
My conventional medical education has focused primarily on illness and on the treatment of disease. However, personal research clearly showed me that much of the suffering of modern man is related to his lifestyle practices. The data was very conclusive. I then made a conscious decision to promote health and well-being by empowering people to take responsibility for their own health by changing how they live their lives – their lifestyle.
This, of course, is contrary to conventional medical practice, which pays lip service to the healing power of the healthy lifestyle, but continues to devote almost all of its resources to treat preventable illnesses and palliate avoidable symptoms. The health industry’s primary business is disease. I have chosen to focus on health and wellness.
Writing the ‘Ounce of Prevention’ articles each week, has challenged me to bring a message of hope and empowerment in a simple practical format that readers could begin to apply immediately in their pursuit of wellness. These articles have been compiled into this book, largely in response to the many requests from regular readers of the newspaper column.
