Humanities and Humanism: A Personal Essay from a Disease Prevention and Reversal Team

“Health is not just the absence of disease,” said Dr. Ashwani Garg, a family physician in Hoffman Estates, IL. “It is total well-being—physical, mental, social, and spiritual.” Pastor Gabriel Bardan of the Elgin Adventist Church replied, “Then, health cannot be achieved in hospitals because the main focus of hospitals is disease.” This conversation in early 2013 marked the beginning of a decade-long friendship, ultimately leading to the Salient Lifestyle Center in Elgin, IL, dedicated to lifestyle education outside the clinical setting.