Dr. Andrew Weil is Director of the Center for Integrative Medicine of the College of Medicine, University of Arizona. He has written a host of articles and 11 books dealing with health and integrative medicine. He is internationally acknowledged as an expert on alternative medicine, medicinal plants and medical education reform.
Weil offers simple straightforward advice to those who want to eat responsibly and protect their health. "Eat less, exercise more." He points out the impact that diet can have on many areas of health.
Your diet can, for good or ill, influence your vulnerability to allergies, arthritis, body odor, digestive issues, infections, sinus problems, and of course, unwanted weight gain.
Weil's diet recommendations are similar to the Mediterranean Diet, according to an article on WebMD.com.
He says that while carbohydrates should make up 50-60 percent of your calories, they should be carefully chosen. Carbohydrates should not be refined like white flour, nor should they major on simple carbohydrates.
Complex carbohydrates cause less in the way of glucose spikes, releasing the glucose at a healthier rate into the blood stream.
Weil suggests that 30 percent of your calories should come from healthy fats. He recommends olive oil and other monounsaturated oils, as well as foods with high levels of omega-3 essential fatty acids from sources like oily fish, flax seeds and some types of nuts.
Weil advises keeping protein to no more than 20 percent of your food intake. He leans towards more vegetable proteins like soybeans and other beans rather than animal proteins.
Weil says that 40 grams of fiber daily will help keep you healthy. Staying away from dairy products is recommended for those who suffer from lactose intolerance, or who have milk protein allergy.
Weil practices what he preaches. He started out like most of us, raised on a standard American diet. As an adult he began to change his eating habits in the interest of his health. Initially he became vegetarian, eventually including fish to his list of healthy foods.
As the years have passed, Weil has continued to make changes to his own diet and his recommendations for others.
In recent years he has reduced the amount of carbohydrates in his meals due to research concerning glycemic load, insulin sensitivity and weight gain. He has reduced the amount of pasta and bread as well as sugar in his diet and feels better for it.
Weil has said that there are plenty of diets out there that are proclaimed to be the healthiest and this can be confusing. But when you get down to it, there is common ground in every healthy regimen.
Some of these common basics include foods to avoid and foods to embrace. He said foods to avoid are high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated fats, white flour and white sugar. Foods to embrace are plenty of fruit and vegetables and protein like fish. There is common ground amongst health specialists concerning supplements as well.
Sources:
Andrew Weil, MD. Integrativemedicine.arizona.edu. May 26, 2013.
http://integrativemedicine.arizona.edu/about/directors/weil
Dr. Andrew Weil's Diet. WebMD.com. May 26, 2013.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/dr-andrew-weil-what-it-is
Dr. Andrew Weil's Diet. May 26, 2013.
http://www.webmd.com/diet/dr-andrew-weil-what-it-is?page=2
How Dr. Weil Eats. DrWeil.com. May 26, 2013.
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02945/How-Dr-Weil-Eats.html
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Reviewed May 27, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN