Dr. Weil: How we eat is how healthy we are

(Conclusion) Tips on Eating Out

Dr. Weil dishes out more tips on how to enjoy eating out without the guilt.

• Avoid buffets. The sight of large quantities of food, attractively presented, encourages overeating.

• Don’t automatically eat bread and butter while waiting for your main course. (Most restaurants serve the fluffy white high GI bread.) If you have to have fat on it, ask for extra virgin olive oil.

• Ask for salad dressing on the side so you can put the quantity you want. Choose olive oil vinaigrettes if available. Or simply ask for olive oil, vinegar, and lemon if you wish.

• Avoid cream-based soups.

• Ask for sauces on the side, they are normally high in saturated fat.

• Avoid fried foods.

• Ask for grilled or broiled fish to be prepared without butter.

• Ask for vegetables that are steamed or prepared with olive oil instead of butter.

• If you order rich desserts, try to satisfy yourself with a few bites rather than eating the whole thing.

10 Steps to Optimum Health

Eating right is a good basic of optimum health but there are other components necessary to support longevity and enhance the natural healing power of our bodies. Although I believe you should get hold of his books to fully appreciate his dictums, here are Dr. Weil’s positive steps to great health (issued during his interview with CNN):

1. Develop awareness of your healing system. Think about your own healing experiences. Focus your thoughts on how your body was able to heal itself, with or without outside treatment.

2. Switch to olive oil. Buy a bottle of extra virgin olive oil and use it as the main source of fat in your diet. Cut down as much as possible on your use of saturated fat, polyunsaturated vegetable oils (except for expeller-pressed canola, which is fine for you), and trans-fatty acids ("partially hydrogenated" fats).

3. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Because researchers continue to identify more and more protective compounds in fruits and vegetables, eat the real thing. Don’t be misled into believing you can get all the benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables by taking a supplement that just contains the isolated compounds.

4. Develop your breathing. Turning your attention to breathe moves you naturally toward relaxation and meditation.

5. Walk every day. You cannot enjoy optimum health if you are sedentary. My advice is to walk at least 45 minutes a day, five days a week.

6. Spend time in nature. Connecting with nature is a simple form of meditation that takes us out of our routine and keeps us from being too focused on our thoughts and emotions.

7. Supplement wisely. Take supplements that fit your lifestyle and health history. Recommended supplements include:

• Vitamin C, 100 mg. twice a day

• Vitamin E, 400 to 800 IU of a natural form (d-alpha-tocopherol together with other tocopherols)

• Selenium, 200 mcg of yeast-bound form

• Mixed caratenoids, 25,000 IU

• B-complex vitamin providing at least 400 mcg. of folic acid

• Calcium, 1,200 to 1,500 mg as calcium carbonate (if under 65) or calcium citrate (for 65 and over)

8. Cut down your intake of toxins. Drink only bottled water or install a water purification system in your home. Eat organic and local produce whenever possible.

9. Learn about tonics. Tonics are natural products that increase the efficiency of the healing system and help to neutralize harmful influences. Some of the most powerful tonics include garlic and ginger (eat more of them), green tea (drink instead of coffee), and ginseng (good for people who lack energy or vitality).

10. Seek out positive practitioners. Be sure that your health care practitioner has faith in your ability to heal. Do not regularly see a doctor who thinks you cannot get better; the beliefs of healthcare practitioners strongly influence your healing power.

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E-mail mylene@ben der-and-strands.com for questions and comments.