Dr. Weil's "8 Weeks"

Dr. Andrew Weil is one of my heroes. He's written many books abouts about health, and many revisions thereof. Perhaps his most widely read book is called "8 Weeks to Optimum Health." This book is a God-send for people in this crazy, modern world. In a nutshell, he espouses all the "standard" healthy behaviors that we should all aspire to, such as:

* quit smoking
* exercise (gently; walking is great - no need for torture machines at the gym)
* eat nutritious, whole foods; nothing processed, fried, transfat-ladden, etc., et al.
* drinks lots of water
* limit alcohol consumption
* get enough sleep
* reduce your stress levels
* ...blah blah blah, and all the other pretty much "common sense" behaviors that we've all heard before, from a million different "experts" in a million different ways. None of these recommended behaviors should come as a surprise.

But these "standard" recommendations are not why I love Dr. Weil. What I truly appreciate about Dr. Weil's approach is that he espouses two things that are not necessarily "common sense":

* include beauty as an integral part of your life
* go on a "news fast"

The first one, "include beauty...," I think is something that is just as critical as eating right and exercising (and all the other standards). Dr. Weil recommends that we should always consider our surroundings, and make efforts to "beautify" our world. How? In simply ways. For example:

* buy fresh flowers every week; better yet, plant your own
* take a walk in a local park, a Japanese garden, or visit the beach and/or the mountains as frequently as possible
* visit museums and art galleries often
* attend cultural events, such as the ballet or a concert
* decorate your home and office with beautiful things
* etc. Use your imagination!

In this "beauty" recommendation, Dr. Weil recognizes that our spirits are central to our well-being; beautiful things uplift our spirits, and can have a profound effect on our spiritual and emotional lives. It's cliched, but we can't live on bread alone. One of the things that differentiates us as "human" is our ability to create and appreciate beautiful things. We shouldn't underestimate how important beauty is to our health and overall sense of well-being.

The other aspect that Dr. Weil touts is something he calls "news fasting." What in the world is "news fasting"? "News fasting" is essentially just what you think it might be: go on a "fast" from consuming "the news." That is, stop watching the nightly news, CNN, Headline News, Fox News, MSNBC. Also, stop surfing the various and myriad sources of news on the Internet. Why? Because let's face it: the "news" can be overwhelmingly depressing. And whether we realize it or not, it can have a profound effect on our "state of mind" when we are constantly bombarded with tragedy. Now, Dr. Weil does not suggest that we bury our heads in the sand and live life as a Pollyana. He simply recommends that we consume "news" in smaller doses and avoid the indulgent "rubber necking" that is frequently associated with gratuitous consumption of the "news." Think about this: if you only read The New York Times every Sunday, from cover to cover, there's a good chance that you'd be "up-to-date" on current affairs. And you could instead spend the time that you'd normally spend "consuming news" on such activities as going for a walk, pursuing a hobby, or sitting in the stands of your local AAA baseball team.

Thank you, Dr. Weil, for providing such beneficial recommendations that truly will contribute to health.