Dr Andrew Weil

Yay!! I get to meet the author of "Eight Weeks To Optimum Health" twice in two days. This book is something of a bible to me. The principles of his programme are now ingrained in my lifestyle. What I love about the book is that the regimen is simple, holistic and anyone can do it. I truly believe that by adopting the habits in the book, lives can be improved and even saved.

Dr Andrew or "Andy" as he's known on the island gave a talk here on Fri eve. He came across wonderfully as a human being. Someone asked him how it feels to be "a brand" and he explained that he only did this as he needed an income stream for his university research into integrated health - as the state funding wasn't enough for everything he wanted to accomplish. All the profits from his vitamins, health bars etc go to the Intergrated Health centre at the Uni of Arizona. Last year, he brought in $4.5 million through his brand. For those unfamiliar with the term integrated health - it's about getting the best of complementary and western medicine to work side by side. Preventative medicine, mind-body connection, good bedside manner, making hospitals into nurturing/ wholesome environments, alternative therapies, healing by nutrition etc are all part of this. Dr Weil started his med career at Harvard (which I believe also has an integrated health dept). He is a total pioneer!

I asked him whether he got evangelical about his work - as I know that when I see people who are not looking after themselves physically or emotionally I want to bop them over the head with his book and wake them up. Yet, good manners prevents me from doing so! He said that his evangelism is directed in a different place. He wants society to make it easier for people to be healthy - by lowering prices of fruit and veg, raising prices of junk food, making exercise options more affordable and accessible with cycle paths/ walking trails/ cheap gyms and so forth and by pumping more money into preventative medicine programmes to educate more people about healthy diets and habits...

My second Andy encounter was today, when he was in front of me in the line for the ATM. We exchanged good morning pleasanteries. Swoon !!!!! Wish I'd bought my book to Canada for signing. Now, had I known ....