In this book (winner of the 2003 Books for Better Life award), doctors Mark Hyman and Mark Liponis of Canyon Ranch offer a powerful prescription for good health built on the science of staying healthy: ultraprevention. Presenting a crucial alternative to modern medicine's specialized, 'fix-the-broken-parts' approach to fighting illness, ultraprevention is an integrated and holistic medical approach focused on maintaining good health and preventing disease. First, the authors explode common medical myths ('eggs cause heart disease', 'disease is genetic') and uncover the real truths about diet, exercise, and illness prevention. Next, they identify the five forces that are the root causes of bad health and reveal how to control them: sludge (malnutrition), burnout (impaired metabolism), heat (inflammation), waste (impaired detoxification), and rust (oxidative stress). Best of all, their six-week ultraprevention plan helps readers put the program to work right away to begin achieving and retaining optimal health immediately.