Dr. Seaman coined the term "DeFlame" as a simple educational tool to help better understand the benefits of eating healthy anti-inflammatory foods, especially in the context of replacing pro-inflammatory foods with anti-inflammatory vegetables, fruit, nuts, and roots/tubers. He first identified that diet promotes inflammation based on research published in the 1970s and 1980s. Most have only begun to see this relationship in recent years. In contrast, Dr. Seaman has written multiple articles and chapters on this topic over the past 25 years.

The DeFlame Diet is about eating anti-inflammatory foods to turn off the chronic disease-promoting "flame" created by pro-inflammatory foods. This is the first nutrition book for the general public that delves into inflammation in great detail, yet in a fashion that is understandable. Readers will never be confused again about what foods we should and should not be eating.