I found this old article I wrote when Dr. Andrew Weil came to speak in Western MA. I continue to read his website Dr. Weil.com to learn about the latest in healthy eating and lifestyle practices that I should adopt into my daily routine. Andrew Weil, M.D., is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine, a healing oriented approach to health care which encompasses body, mind, and spirit. You can read my 2005 review on his talk below.
Dr. Andrew Weil, author of four New York Times #1 best sellers and founder of University of Arizona’s Health Sciences Program in Integrative Medicine, will be gracing the Chapin Auditorium at Mt. Holyoke College in South Hadley on Friday.
Weil started the integrative medicine movement (defined as an approach to medicine that recognizes the body’s self-healing ability, power of holistic medicine and concept of wellness in mind, body and spirit) mainly to promote the acceptance of aging in a wholesome manner and to abolish the stigma usually associated with it. In other words, be prepared to hear not only about traditional methods of healthy living, but a vast variety of interesting non-traditional methods, as well. Weil’s popularity has been spreading all across the nation, and he has recently appeared on “Oprah,” “the Today Show,” “20/20,” “Primetime News,” “60 Minutes” and “Larry King Live.”
The New York Times Magazine stated that Weil has “arguably become America’s best-known doctor, promoting self-help and alternative medicine across the country.” Weil was also on the cover of TIME Magazine on Oct. 17. The magazine featured an exclusive excerpt of his new book, “Healthy Aging,” which he will be discussing when he visits on Oct. 28.
The book discusses ways to change aspects of your life in order to experience healthy aging. The purpose of “healthy aging” in Weil’s perspective isn’t to help you live longer or grow younger; rather, the goal is ultimately to help people enjoy the benefits of old age.
Weil provides recommendations for what we can do as an aging population to achieve this goal. First off, he stresses the dangers of smoking and the importance of watching your weight. Weil states that “tobacco is the single greatest cause of preventable illness,” a fact that the majority of us are aware of but seem to ignore. Morbid obesity is also an area of concern according to Weil, because it “increases the risk of a number of age-related diseases, Type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis.” However, while being morbidly obese increases the risk of health problems as we age, it is actually better to be somewhat overweight compared to those who are too lean and unfit.
The staple of Weil’s book and message is outlined in his “Wellness Diet.” The Dr. Andrew Weil wellness diet, or the “Anti-Inflammatory Diet,” as he would like to call it, is based on increasing the consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and cutting out processed and fast food. Weil hesitates to call it a “diet” because it isn’t intended to help you lose weight; rather, it is a nutritional component of a healthy lifestyle.
He encourages getting 40 to 50 percent of your daily calories from carbohydrates, 30 percent from fat and 20 to 30 percent from protein. The types of food eaten within each of these categories are the most crucial in promoting a healthy lifestyle. The carbohydrates should be made of more whole grain and less of wheat flour, which is found in most packaged foods. Fat should be consumed through avocados and nuts, especially walnuts, cashews and almonds. Weil strongly suggests avoiding margarine, vegetable oil and all products listing them as ingredients, as much as possible.
In order to consume your 20 to 30 percent protein intake you should eat more vegetable protein, especially from beans in general. Also, if you experience liver or kidney problems, have allergies or an autoimmune disease, you should eat less protein than suggested. Weil also lists fiber, vitamins, minerals and water among the key areas of nutrition we should all increase in our daily lives. In reference to the “Anti-Inflammatory Diet,” Weil believes that the food choices we make can determine whether or not we will have abnormal inflammation, which can lead to a wide range of diseases, such as Type 1 diabetes.
Dr. Weil’s appearance on Friday will be hosted by WFCR (88.5 FM,) a public radio station in western Massachusetts, and is made possible by Mount Holyoke College, The Valley Advocate and Baystate Health. In addition to the interview session, there will be a book signing at the event made possible by the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley. Weil will be taking questions from the audience as well as being interviewed by Tom Vannah, editor of The Valley Advocate, and Dr. James Kirchhoffer, director of the cardiology program at Baystate Health.
Mark Auerbach, the special projects coordinator for WFCR, spoke enthusiastically about this event, “Dr. Weil has been on so many shows and has been written about in so many magazines that we expect there to be a huge turnout. This event will be especially fascinating because he is not simply reading from his book, he is answering questions from the audience. His book couldn’t have come out at a better time because everyone wants to age well, it is becoming a national concern, so to have a book that can help ease the panic associated with aging is definitely worth the read.”
General admission tickets are $50 for premium seating and a pre-event reception, $25 for orchestra and $20-$10 for balcony seating. You can have a copy of his book, “Healthy Aging” on hold waiting at the event for an extra $25. Tickets are available at the UMass Fine Arts Center Box Office.
