Dr. Andrew Weil Review

"Eating Well for Optimum Health"

 

M.D. and wellness guru Dr. Andrew Weil's philosophy is rooted in the medicinal benefits of fresh food, holistic cures and the mantra, "Eat less, Exercise more." He's authored several bestsellers, and operates drweil.com, a voluminous information website dedicated to all aspects of health and wellness. On the website you will also find Weil's contribution to the online diet program genre - his 8 week "Optimum Health" plan for a weekly fee.

Weil's nutritional approach has a Mediterranean flair - a hybrid of Spanish, French, Italian, Greek and Middle Eastern - with the emphasis on fresh foods for maxium nutritional benefit. From Weil's perspective, pre-packaged, manufactured and fried foods are a plague.

By Weil's calculation, eating well for optimum health means 50% of your nutrition should be unprocessed carbs (whole grains, fruits and vegetables), 30% fats and 20% proteins. The 30% fats should be one part polyunsaturated, two parts monunsaturated - so cheese and butter are okay on a limited basis, and you need to up your intake of fish, nuts and soy. The 20% proteins he prefers to see come from vegetables rather than animal products, and FYI he's ardently opposed to red meat. He recommends a daily fiber intake of 40 grams - from the whole grains and fresh produce that are your carbs allowance - and at least 6 servings of water a day.

Weil's nutritional guidance is only one piece of what he preaches - his mission is "wellness" in the larger sense of the word, and he reminds the reader that diet is only one variable in a much larger mix of factors that determine if we are, and feel, "well." He is a vehement promoter of regular exercise to better all aspects of our health - from fitness to stress levels. (His books and website delve a great deal into the toll stress takes on the body and mind, and how to manage same.) Still, he is correct when he insists that what we eat has a major impact on our health, and we should take it seriously. Therein lies his approach to weight loss - his diet will contribute to slow, sustained weight loss but that's really just a side benefit of a diet that is good for the body in terms of reducing risk of chronic disease. He insists that changing your diet should not be about cosmetics or dropping pounds as rapidly as possible (because that's never healthy) - but it should be about the larger goal of getting and remaining healthy for the long term. And he's right.