In his book, Eating Well for Optimum Health, Andrew Weil, MD advocates eating what he considers “the optimum diet.” He emphasizes the importance of eating not only to promote health and well-being, but also for pleasure and comfort. While his plan is not specifically designed to promote weight loss, he offers suggestions on how to lose weight while eating for optimum health. Dr. Weil stresses that there is no one right way to eat. Instead, he provides you with the knowledge you need to make well-informed decisions when it comes to how and what to eat.
Dr. Andrew Weil’s eating well plan educates you on well-established healthful eating practices from around the world. He encourages you to apply this to designing your own optimum diet. The plan doesn’t advocate one specific way of eating as being the key to weight loss or better nutrition.
This diet is about becoming informed on nutrition so that you can incorporate the principles of healthful eating into a plan that works for you. According to Dr. Weil, the diet you create should:
He emphasizes that an optimum diet should be based on a variety of food, as much fresh food as possible, mostly unprocessed food, and an abundant amount of fruits and vegetables .
Here are some of Dr. Weil’s additional suggestions for eating an optimum diet:
In a society where more than half of us are overweight, it is not surprising that so many popular diets are focused on weight loss. Dr. Weil’s plan, on the other hand, is more about the big picture—promoting overall health, preventing disease, and getting pleasure from food and eating. If you take his advice, you may gradually achieve a weight that is healthy for you. However, it should also be noted that Dr. Weil believes our society is too focused on weight. He feels that, while it’s not healthy to be morbidly obese , not all of us are meant to be thin either.
Overall, this eating plan is based on nutritionally sound principles of healthful eating that are either well-established or supported by scientific studies. The recommendation that everyone take vitamin supplements, however, is not backed by research.
While Dr. Weil supplies you with all of the information you need to design your optimum diet, there is a lot of content to get through. Figuring out how to use the principles in your life might prove challenging without some additional support and guidance. Additionally, you should consult with your doctor before taking any of the supplements that Dr. Weil recommends.
Rather than a quick weight-loss diet, this plan is to help you develop a lifelong healthful way of eating. The idea of designing your own plan might work well if you are self-motivated and are interested in food and nutrition. But, you may also need extra support. If you are interested in following Dr. Weil’s advice, consider meeting with a registered dietitian for help with designing your eating plan and making it a part of your life.
RESOURCES:
American Dietetic Association
http://www.eatright.org
Choosing a Successful Weight-loss Program
Weight-Control Information Network
http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/choosing.htm
CANADIAN RESOURCES:
Canada's Food Guide
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/food-guide-aliment/index_e.html
Dietitians of Canada
http://www.dietitians.ca
References:
Weil—Your Trusted Health Advisor website. Available at: http://www.drweil.com/drw/ecs/index.html . Accessed April 30, 2008.
Weil A. Eating well for optimum health: the essential guide to food, diet, and nutrition . Alfred A. Knopf: New York, NY; 2000.
Last reviewed December 2009 by Brian Randall, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
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