Episode 262: Dr. Weil on Integrative Medicine, Reducing ... · episode, I go deep with Dr. Andrew Weil about his multi-decade career in integrative medicine, what he's learned along

Copyright © 2019 Wellness Mama · All Rights Reserved

1

Episode262:Dr.WeilonIntegrativeMedicine,

ReducingInflammation&MostImportantFactorsforHealth


2

Child:WelcometomyMommy’spodcast.

ThispodcastisbroughttoyoubyPelvicPainRelieffromIsaHerrera.Didyouknowthatwhileitmaybethenormformanywomen,itisn’tnecessarytosufferfrompelvicpain,ortoleakurinewhenyoulaugh,cough,sneezeorjump?I’velearnedsomuchfromIsa,includingsomesupersimpleandquickstretchesthatcanhelpstopthisleakingunjust30seconds.ShealsoexplainswhyKegelscansometimesmakepelvicpainworse,howtoknowifthisisthecaseandwhattodoinstead.She’shelpedthousandsofwomenfindreliefandfreedomandifyou’veeverstruggledwithpelvicissues,I’mguessingshecanhelpyoutoo.Shehasanamazingfreemasterclassandhasopenedupsomefreespotsjustforlistenersofthispodcast.Claimyourspotnowatpelvicpainrelief.com/healing

ThispodcastisbroughttoyoubyMagicSpoonCereal.Iknow,Iknow…neverthoughtyou’dhearmerecommendcereal,didyou?That’sbecausealmosteverycerealoutthereisfullofrefinedsugarsandgrainsandoftenGMOingredientsandfooddyes.Yet,Americanscertainlyloveit!Infact,theaverageAmericanconsumesover100bowlsayear,andthatnumberaccountsforpeoplelikemewhodon’tconsumeanyatall!Now,cerealloverscanrejoicethatthereisahighprotein,lowcarb,grain-free,gluten-free,nothingartificial,childlikecerealthatisgreatforgrownups,too.With12gofproteinperbowlandonly3gofcarbsittasteslikethecerealyourememberbutwithoutthesugarhighortheguilt!Checkoutmagicspoon.com/wellnessmamaforallthedetails

Katie:Helloandwelcometothe"WellnessMamaPodcast."I'mKatiefromwellnessmama.com.Andinthisepisode,IgodeepwithDr.AndrewWeilabouthismulti-decadecareerinintegrativemedicine,whathe'slearnedalongtheway,thingshethinksarechanginginintegrativemedicineandhowtomaintainlifelonghealthinaconstantlychangingworld.Ifyouarenotfamiliarwithhim,Dr.AndrewWeil,M.Disaworld-renownedleaderandpioneerinthefieldofintegrativemedicinecombiningaHarvardeducationwithalifetimeofpracticingnaturalandpreventativemedicine.He'salsothefounderanddirectoroftheAndrewWeilCenterforIntegrativeMedicineattheUniversityofArizonainTucsonwhereheservesasClinicalProfessorofMedicineandProfessorofPublicHealthandalsoastheLovell-JonesProfessorofIntegrativeRheumatology.

Heisthebestsellingauthorof15booksonthetopicsofhealthyliving.He'stheeditorialdirectorofhisownwebsite,drweil.com,founderoftheWeilFoundationandfounderofarestaurantyoumayhaveheardof,TrueFoodsKitchenaswellasthecompany,matcha.comwhichwewillhaveadiscountcodeintheepisodefor.Soallthattosay,heisextremelyqualifiedandhasmoreexperiencethanalmostanyoneelseintheindustryandIthinkyou'llfindsomeinterestinggemsandadviceinthisepisode.Dr.Weil,welcometothepodcast.Thanksforbeinghere.

Dr.Weil:Thankyou.It'sapleasuretobehere.


3

Katie:I'msoexcitedtospeakwithyoutodaybecauseyouhavebeenapioneerinthefieldofintegrativemedicineforyears.Infact,youwereoneofmyearlyinfluencerswhenIstartedtryingtofindmyownpathbacktohealthafterbeingdiagnosedwithHashimoto's.AndIfeellikeyouwereavoiceofnaturalandintegrativemedicinebeforeitwasnearlyaspopularasitistoday.SoI'mcurious,whatsparkedyourearlyinterest?

Dr.Weil:Youknow,IthinkIhadthatinterestbeforeIwenttomedicalschool.Ihavealifelonginterestinplants.SomethingIgotfrommymotherthatshegotfromhermotherthatledmetobeabotanymajorasanundergraduateandstartedacareerinterestinmedicinalplants.AslongasIcanremember,Iwasinterestedinthemindandhowthemindinteractedwiththebody.IbeganreadingaboutalternativemedicinewhileIwasincollege.ThenIwenttomedicalschoolandwhenIfinishedmyclinicaltraining,Ifelttheyreallydidn'twannapracticethekindofmedicineI'dlearnedbecauseIsawitdotoomuchharmandalsoIlearnednothingabouthowtokeeppeoplewell.

SoIalwaysthoughtitwasthemainjobofphysicians.SoIdroppedoutofmedicineforanumberofyears,mademylivingasawriterandfoundwaystotravelaroundtheworldandlookathealingpracticesinothercultures.SettledinArizonain1973andputtogethermyownsystem,whichatfirstIcalledNaturalandPreventiveMedicineandthenIcametocallIntegrativeMedicine.

Katie:Yeah.LikeIsaid,youwereoneoftheearlypioneersthere.SoI'dlovetokindofjustgothroughsomeofthebasics.IthinkalotofpeoplelikeImentionedareprettyfamiliarthisidea,butforanyonewhoisn't,whataresomeofthecoreprinciplesoftheideaofintegrativemedicine?

Dr.Weil:Firstofall,itdoesnotrejectconventionalmedicine.Youknow,ifIwereinaseriouscaraccident,Iwouldn'twannafirstgotoachiropractororashamanoranherbalist.Iwouldgotoatraumacenterandgetputbacktogether.ButassoonasIcould,Iwoulduseothermethodstospeedupthehealingprocess.Soweuseconventionalmedicinewhenit'sappropriate.Butintegrativemedicine,firstofall,emphasizesthebody'sinnatepotentialforhealing.Ithinkthat'smissingfromconventionalmedicine.There'sverylittleabouthealthandthehealingsystemofthebody.AndIthinkmanypeoplehavelittleconfidenceinthat.Also,integrativemedicineemphasizesthewholeperson,notjustthephysicalbody.Also,youknow,themindandspirit.

Wereallythinkthatthephysician-patientrelationshipisveryimportanttohealing.That'soneoftheproblemswithmedicinetodayisthatthere'ssolittletimeallowedforthat.Andthenwearewillingtouseanytreatments,wherevertheycomefromaslongasthey'renotgonnacauseharmandshowreasonableevidenceofefficacy.

Katie:Thatmakessense.AndIthinklikeit'sexactlythesolutiontoalotofthethingsweareseeinginsociety.Iknow,formepersonallywithHashimoto's,ittookmeyearsandanumberofdoctorsbeforeIgotadiagnosisbecausetheywerejustlookingatlabresultsorlookingatveryspecificnumbers.Anditseemslikeintegrativemedicinereallyaddressesthisinadifferentway.


4

Dr.Weil:Yes.AndIthinkwehavefarmoretodrawonthanconventionaldoctorshave,manytreatmentoptions,manywaysofanalyzinghealthandillness.Ithinkoneofthereasonswe'reinsuchacrisiswithhealthcareisthatwe'retryingtomanagethesechronicdiseasesthatareoftenrootedinlifestylechoiceswithmethodsthatarejustnotappropriateforthem.Andthisiswhyourcostsaresohigh.

Katie:Yeah,absolutely.Andatthesametime,itseemslikethere'snodenyingthatwe'rejustobjectivelyfacingalotmorenegativeinputsthanevenourgrandparentsdidwithjustwhatwe'refacinginourwatersupply,ourfoodsupply,andourenvironment.Soitmakessensetomethatwedoneedtostarttakingaproactiveapproach.I'mcurious,yourtakeonthatingeneral,justevenhowmuchthat'schangedsinceyoustartedpracticing.

Dr.Weil:Well,Ithinktherearesomanythingsthataredifferent.Onethatyoudidn'tmentionishowdevicesaffectus.Youknow,peoplespendsomuchtimeondevicesandscreensandIthinkthatisreallyunderminingmentalandemotionalhealth.There'vealwaysbeenenvironmentalissues,butIthinkthereprobablyaremoreenvironmentalpressuresonustoday.Ithinkthebodyhastremendousresilience,butyoualsowannalearnhowtotakeasmanyprecautionsasyoucan.

Intermsofstress,peoplehavealwaysexperiencedstress,Ithinkit'salwaysimportanttolearnmethodsto...andpracticethemregularlytoneutralizetheharmfuleffectsofstress.Therearediseasesthatareepidemictodaythatsimplyweren'ttherewhenIwasinmedicalschoolthingslikeADHDandautismtotheextentthatitisdiagnosedtoday.Chronicfatiguesyndrome,fibromyalgia,youknow,noneofthesereallyexistedwhenIwasstudyingmedicine.

Katie:Yeah,forsure.Andallthestatisticsseemtoindicatethatthesethingsarestillverymuchdrasticallyontherise.AndIknowthatintegrativemedicineverymuchlooksatthewholepersonandtheveryspecificcase.Ingeneral,aretherethingsthattendtobebeneficialacrosstheboardlikeblanketadvicethatalmostanyonecouldbenefitfrom?

Dr.Weil:Well,withnutrition,Ithinkthemostimportantpieceofadviceistostopeatingrefined,processed,andmanufacturedfood.It'sthatsimple.That'swhat'sreallydoingusin.That'ssimplesteps.Second,youwannabephysicallyactivethroughoutlife.Itdoesn'tnecessarilymeanrunningmarathonsorworkingoutwithtrainers,butyouwannamoveyourbodyandyoumaychangetheformofphysicalactivityatdifferentstagesofyourlife.Ithinkit'sreallyimportanttogetgoodrestandsleep,tolearnandpracticemethodsofneutralizingharmfuleffectsofstress,tonotengageinharmfulhabits,smokingbeingthenumberone.

Ithinkhavingfunandhavingrelationshipsthatarerewardingandbeingsociallyconnected,usingselectively,thebestofpreventivemedicineintermsofscreeningfordiseasesandtestsandmakingsureyou'reokayinthatarea.That'ssomeverybasicinformation.Andalso,Iputagreatdealofemphasisonbreathing.Ithinkmanypeoplehaveneverbeentaughthowtobreatheorhowimportantbreathingistogeneralhealth.


5

Katie:Yeah,that'sagreatpoint.Ilovethatyoubroughtupcommunityandthatsocialengagementaspectbecausetocirclebacktodevices,Iworrythatthat'soneofthelargestthingsthatwe'relosingthroughouroveruseofdevicesandthisfalsefeelingofconnectivitythroughthemiswe'relosingactualsocialinteractionandconnection.Imean,youcouldprobablyspeaktoitmuchbetterthanIcould,buttheresearchI'veseenisthattrulythatisoneofthemostvitalthingsweneedinlife.It'smoreimportantthanexercise.Humaninteraction,ingeneral,ismoreimportantthansomanyotherfactorsandwe'relosingthat.

Dr.Weil:Youknow,someyearsagotheMacArthurFoundationdidastudyofwhattheycalledsuccessfulaging.Theyidentifiedapopulationofoldpeoplewhotheyfelthadagedsuccessfullytoseewhattheyhadincommon.Andthetwofactorsthatstoodoutoverwhelminglyweremaintenanceofphysicalactivitythroughlifeandmaintenanceofsocialandintellectualconnections.Andtheyovershadowed,asyousaid,thingslikewhetherpeople,thedietthattheyhadorwhethertheytooknutritionalsupplements.

Katie:Wow,that'sreallystaggering.ButImean,itmakessenseandIlovethatthat'swhatyouconsideracorepart.Alsoonthenoteofbreathing,thatseemssologicalbecauseingeneral,wetakeinmoreairthanwetakeinwaterorfood.Andyou'reright,mostpeoplenevergiveitasecondthoughtbecauseit'sanautomaticprocess.Butwhatdoesthatmean?Howdowebreathecorrectly?

Dr.Weil:Well,there'sawholescienceofbreathworkandIthinkthesimplestadviceIcangiveyouisyouwannamakebreathingdeeper,quieter,slower,andmoreregular.Sowheneveryouthinkaboutit,youwannamoveitinthosedirections.Andthentherearespecificwaysthatyoucanusethebreathtoregulateemotionalstates,forexample,tonipanxietyreactionsinthebudtohelpyousleep,todealwithphysicalstress.There'sonebreathingtechniquethatIteach,Icallthe4-7-8breathandifyoujustGoogle"4-7-8breath,"you'llfindit.There'sYouTubesofmedemonstratingit.It'sinallofmybooksandwebsite.Verysimple.Ittakesnotime,noequipmentandremarkableeffectsbothphysicallyandemotionally.

Katie:Yeah,Ifoundyourvideoofthatactuallyyearsagoandit'smygo-toifIhavetroubleevenfallingasleep.

Dr.Weil:Great,metoo.

Katie:Yeah,it'sawesome.IalsowannagodeeponthesubjectofdietbecauseIknowthatthat'sonlyonepartofalifestyleandIhavebecomemuchlessdogmatic.WhenIfirstwastryingtoheal,IhadtoberelativelystrictwithfooduntilIgotbetterandsoIwaslargelyjustvegetablesandprotein.ButIloveyourapproachtotheanti-inflammatorydietandIlovethatitkindoffliesinthefaceofalloftheseverytrendydogmaticdietsofyouknow,gettingridofentiremacrogroups.Sotalkusthroughtheanti-inflammatorydietandwhyyouthinkithassomuchvalue.

Dr.Weil:Sure.SomeyearsagoIreallybecameinterestedinthehypothesisthatchroniclow-levelinflammationistherootcauseofmostoftheseriouschronicdiseasesthatkillanddisablepeopleprematurely.That'strueofcardiovasculardisease,whichbeginsasinflammationinbloodvessels,ofneurodegenerativediseaseslikeParkinson'sandALS.AlsoandAlzheimer'sandalsocancerbecauseanything


6

thatupregulatesinflammationalsostimulatescellstodividemorefrequentlyandincreasestheriskofmalignanttransformation.Sothegoodnewsisthatifallthesediseasesthatweusedtothinkhadnothingtodowitheachotherhaveacommoncause,thenthere'sacommonstrategyfordealingwiththem,whichistocontaininappropriateinflammation.

There'smanyinfluencesoninflammation,butdietisabigoneandthat'sonethatwehavepotentiallytotalcontrolover.ThemainstreamNorthAmericandietisproinflammatory.Itgivesusthewrongkindsoffats,thewrongkindsofcarbsandnotenoughoftheprotectiveelementsthataremostlyfoundinfruits,vegetables,herbs,spices,beverages.SoIdesignedananti-inflammatorydiet.IbaseditontheMediterraneanDietbecausewehavesomuchevidenceofthatbeingaveryhealthywaytoeat.AndItweakeditbyaddingAsianinfluencessuchasgreentea,mushrooms,turmeric,ginger.AndIhaveananti-inflammatorydietpyramid.Thisisnotadifficultwayofeatingtofollow.Itallowsalotofpleasureinfood.Ibelievethateatingfundamentallyisasourceofpleasureandyoudon'twannatakethataway.

Katie:Yeah,that'ssuchanimportantpoint.Andaswe'respeaking,I'mactuallysittingheredrinkingateawithturmeric,ChagaandCordyceps.I'mabigfanofthesuperfoodmushroomsaswellandIknowthosehavegainedpopularityalotinrecentyears.I'mcurious,whatmedicinaltypesofmushroomsandsuperfoodmushroomsyouintegrateandwhatyouusethemfor?

Dr.Weil:Well,Ioftenrecommendthatpeopletakesomeofthemushroomsthathavecancerprotectiveeffectsandincreaseresistancetoinfection.AndthatincludesthingslikeReishi,Maitake,Shiitake,Oystermushrooms.Lion'smaneisonethatIrecommendfrequently.Ithasauniquenervegrowthfactorinit.AndIthinkanyonethathasnervedamage,nerveissuesandmayalsoincreasecognitivefunction.Reishihasananti-inflammatoryeffectthat'sveryuseful.SoIthinkmanyoftheseAsianmushroomsareworthexperimentingwithtaking,probablybestincombination.There'remanyproductsonthemarket.Youcanalsoaddsomeofthesetoyourdiet.

Katie:Yeah,andImean,onthenoteofdiet,Ithinkwealsohavetomentionthatyoubelievesostronglyintheseprinciplesthatyou'veactuallyfoundedrestaurantsthatarewildlysuccessfulbecausepeopleIthinkarestartingtounderstandtheimportanceoftruerealfoods.Butyouhaveanentirelineofrestaurantsnow.Isthatrightbasedonthisdiet?

Dr.Weil:Icameupwithaconceptforarestaurantbasedontheanti-inflammatorydiet.It'scalled"TrueFoodKitchen."IpartneredwitharestauranteurinArizonaandwenowhave29ofthesearoundthecountryandthey'reverysuccessful.Andthefoodisdeliciousandyouknow,itisfirstandforemostdeliciousvisuallyattractivefoodthathappenstobehealthyforyou.AndIthinkonereasonit'ssuccessfulisthere'ssomethingthereforeveryone.Sopeoplewhoaregluten-free,whodon'teatmeat,peoplewhoarevegans,meateaters,youcanallfindsomethingthere.Andthefoodisjustdeliciousanditfollowstheprinciplesoftheanti-inflammatorydiet.

Katie:Iwishtherewasoneclosetome.I'veeatenatTrueFoodKitchenbeforeandit'samazing.


7

Dr.Weil:Whereareyou?

Katie:I'minFloridaonthePanhandle,sonotinaverypopulatedarea,unfortunately.ButItravelalot.

Dr.Weil:Well,theclosestonetoyouisJacksonville.

Katie:Okay,that'snotterrible.Icandefinitelymakethattrip.I'mcurious,I'malwaysjustfascinatedbyespeciallypeoplewhohavehadasmucheducationandexperience.Whatdoesyouractualdietlooklikeonadailybasis?

Dr.Weil:It'sexactlywhatIteach.Ieatmostlyfishandvegetables.Idon'teatotheranimalproductsexceptfor...Ieatsomehigh-qualitycheeseandoccasionalyogurt.Ieatomega-3richfish.IlikeJapanesefoodalotandMediterraneanfood.Idonotavoidcarbohydrates,butItrytobemoderateaboutthem.Idon'teatmuchbread.Ieatalotofvegetables.Ieatfruitmoderatelywhenit'sinseason.Idon'tdrinkanysugarybeverages.Mypreferreddrinksarewaterandmatchagreenteaandsometimesredwineorsake.

Katie:Ilovethat.ThatseemsverybalancedandIguesskindofthecompleteoppositeendofthespectrumaseatingagooddiet.I'mcuriouswhatyourtakeisonfastingbecausevariousformsoffastinghavebecomeverypopularindifferentwayslately.AndI'mcuriousifyouseeitashavingaplaceinpreventativeorintegrativemedicine.

Dr.Weil:Ido.AndIthinkespeciallynow,thereissomuchinterestinandresearchonintermittentfasting.Ithinkthere'salotthere.Ithinkaproblemistofindawayofdoingitthatworksforyou,whetherthisisacoupleofdaysaweekoryoucompresseatingwithinacertainnumberofhours.Sothere'smanystylesofdoingfasting,butIthinkit'sreallyworthexperimentingwith.Andespeciallyforpeoplewhohavemetabolicsyndrome,whohaveweightissues,whomayhavehighrisksfordiabetes.Ithinkthatintermittentfastingcanbevery,veryhelpfulandmayalsoextendlifeandreducerisksofdisease.

Katie:Gotit.Andonthetopic,Iknowlikethattheyhavehadsomestudiesshowingpositive,forinstance,microbiomechangesbothfromacleandietandfromfasting.AndIknowyou'vewrittenaboutandspokenalotaboutthemicrobiome.SoI'mcuriouskindofbeingonthefrontlineofthisresearchandjustalwaysbeinginvolvedinthisforsomanyyears.Whatdoyouseeasthelatestresearchwhenitcomestothemicrobiomeandhowdowepracticallyimplementthat?

Dr.Weil:Well,thisis,Ithinkoneofthegreatestrevolutionsinmedicalthinking.WhenIwasinmedicalschool,Iwastaughtthatthecolonhasalotofbacteriainit,whichhelpindigestion,butreallynothingbeyondthat.Anyonewhoateyogurtforhealthreasonsortookacidophilussupplementswasconsideredahealthnut.Andnowwearerealizingthatthepopulationofmicrobiome,apopulationofmicroorganismsthatwehaveinourGItrackreallyseemtodetermineourinteractionswiththeenvironmentandnotonlyarecriticaltophysical


8

healthbutalsotomentalandemotionalwellbeing.AndIthinkit'sveryimportanttounderstandthatthehumangutmicrobiomeinourpopulationhaschangeddrasticallyinthepast50yearsbecauseoffourfactors.

Oneistheuseofantibioticswhichwreakhavoconmicrobiomeandshouldonlybeusedifthey'reabsolutelynecessary.Secondistheshifttoeatingindustrialfoodtherefined,processed,manufacturedfoodthatImentionedearlier,whichpromotesthegrowthofotherkindsoforganismsthantheonesyouprobablywant.Thirdistheincredibleriseincesareandelivery.Nowoneinthreebirthsinthiscountry,whichIfindhorrifyingandmostofthesearenotdoneformedicalreasons.Whenababyisbornvaginally,theorganismsthatcolonizethegutatbirthcomefromthebirthcanal.Whenababyisbornbyc-section,theorganismscomefromthemother'sskin.Atotallydifferentpopulation.Andthefourthfactoristhedecliningbreastfeeding.Breastmilkcontainsunusualcarbohydratesthatareindigestibleandyouwonderwhyaretheythere.They'retherebecausethey'reprebioticsthatpromotethegrowthofdesirablebacteriaattheexpenseofothers.

Soifyoulookatthosefourfactorstogether,Ithinkit'sobviousthatthemicrobiome,gutmicrobiomeinourpopulationhaschangeddrastically.AndIwouldbetmoneythatthatwillturnouttobethecauseoftheriseinallergy,riseinlackofimmunity,inADHD,inglutensensitivity,probablyagreatmanyotherconditions.Soresearchinteresthereislikejusthotatthemoment.Intermsofwhatyoucandotomaintainandpromoteoptimumhealthofthemicrobiome,Ithinkthefirstistoeatfoodsthatarerichintheprebioticsthatfeedthedesirablemicroorganismsandthat'sthingslikefiber-richfoodsparticularly.Andsecondlyistoeatfermentedfoodsonaregularbasis.Thingslikesauerkraut,kimchi,pickles,fermenteddairyproducts,fermentedsoyproducts.Andtheseareoftenveryeasytomakeathome.They'recheap,they'reeasy,they'retastyandIthinkthey'remuchbetterforyourgutmicrobiomethantakingprobioticsupplements.

Katie:Yeah,Iagree.Doyouthinkwithallofthese,likeyoumentionedthosefourfactorsandthenofcourseeverythingthatwe'refacingintheenvironmentandinfoodeveryday,doyouthinkitisactuallypossibletoundothatdamageifthere'sachildwhomaybecameintotheworldwithoutthebestgutbacteriaandwasonantibiotics?Doyouthinkit'sundoableatthispoint?

Dr.Weil:No,Idon't.Ithinkeverythingisdoable.Firstofall,forbabiesbornbyc-section,Ithinkthereareproductsnowavailablethatyoucangiveaninfantatbirthorshortlyafterbirthorallythatcanprovidethedesirablemicroorganisms.Andsecondly,Ithinkbyavoidingantibioticswheneverpossibleandshiftingdietinthedirectionthatfavorsthegrowthofthebeneficialmicroorganisms,Ithinkyoucanmakechanges.

Katie:Yeah.ImeanmostofthepeoplelisteningaremomsandIthinkantibioticsareatoughissue.Ihavesixkidsandnoneofthemhaveeveractuallyneededantibiotics.SoIknowit'spossibletolargelyavoidthem,butIalsoknowforparentsthat'sareallytoughthing.Ifyourchildissick,youwannajustgivethemasolution.ButatleastontheresearchI'mseeingthemajorityofthingskidshave,andyoucanspeaktothisasadoctor,willresolveontheirown.Andcertainlythingslikeearinfections,they'renotevenrecommendingantibioticsanymore.Isthatright?

Dr.Weil:No,Itotallyagreewithyouthere.AndIwouldsaymygutestimateisthatantibioticsarenotneededinabout90%oftheinstancesinwhichthey'renowprescribed.Ithinkthatinformationisbeginningtoget


9

aroundtophysicians.Ihopeit'sgettingaroundtothegeneralpublic.Therecertainlyhasbeenenoughpublicityaboutit.Youknow,andotherissuesassociatedwiththatistheantibioticsthatgetintousfromanimalfoods,fromanimalsthatareraisedonantibioticsandantibioticsarealsousedonthesoilingrowingagriculturalcropstopromotegrowth.Sotheygetintousinalotofwaysandyoureallywannabecarefulaboutthem.Theywreakhavoconthemicrobiome.

Katie:Yeah,absolutely.I'vewrittenaboutthat,notfromthedoctor'sperspective,butjustfromthemom'sperspective.AndIthinkasmomsbecomemoreawareofthis,hopefully,societywillchangebecausewe'retheonesonthefrontlinesmakingthatchoiceforourkids.SoIthinkmomshavealotofpowerhere.IwannacirclebacktosomethingthatyoumentionedbeforeabouttheinfluenceofAsianfoodsandespeciallygreenteabecauseJapaneseculturehasaspecialplaceinmyheart.Myhusband'sablackbeltinaformofJapanesemartialartsandit'sonmybucketlisttogetthere.Iknowyou'vebeenthereandyou'vestudieditandyouhaveauniqueperspectiveonthebenefits.SotalktousabouttheinfluenceofAsianfoodsandspecificallyaboutgreentea.

Dr.Weil:Well,I'vebeentoJapanmanytimes.I'mveryimpressedwiththedietthere.TheJapanesehavehadthehighestlongevityontheplanetandverylowincidentsofhormonallydrivencancers,whichIthinkisdietaryrelated.Youknow,thetraditionaldietisveryhighinvegetables,landvegetables,seavegetables,greatmanyfish,highinomega-3fattyacids,lowinsugar,lowinmeatatleasttraditionally.Allthat'schangedgreatly.Highintheuseofwholesoyfoods.Greenteaisthepreferredbeveragethere.AndJapanesegreentea,ordinarybrewedteacalledSenchaisdelicious.AndmostofthegreenteathatIseeservedinthiscountrycomesnowherenearthequalityofJapanesegreentea.There'soneformofgreentea,matcha,whichisthepowderedteathattraditionallywasusedinteaceremonies,butnowhasbecomeverypopularhere.

IfirstmetupwiththiswhenIwas17andwenttoJapan.Thiswasin1959andlivedwithJapanesefamilies.AndonthesecondnightIwasthere,thehostmotherofmyfamilytookmenextdoortoherneighborwhowasapractitionerofteaceremony.AndIwascaptivatedbyfirstofallthecolorofthispowderedtea.Itwassuchabrilliant,vibrantgreen.Andthenthebamboowhiskthat'susedtowhiskitintoafrothinabowl,Ithoughtwasjustamarvelofcraftsmanship,nottomentionthetasteandflavorofthestuff.SowhenIcamebacktothestates,nobodyhadeverheardofmatchaanditwasunavailablehere.AndwheneverIwenttoJapanIwouldbringitbackandturnpeopleontoit.Andyouknow,I'mquitesurprisedtosuddenlyseeitgainingpopularityhereinthepasteight,10years.

Butsomuchofthematchathat'savailablehereisaverylowqualityandmanypeoplehavenevertastedgoodmatchaandthinkit'sbitter,notveryappealing.SoIstartedacompany,gottheURLmatcha.com.ThecompanyisMatchaKariandIimportverygoodmatchafromatowncalledUji,whichisoutsideofKyotoandistheregionthat'sconsideredtoproducethebestmatchainJapan.Andwehaveanumberofdifferentqualitiesandaccessories,soIwouldurgepeopletogotomatcha.com.Andwecanofferyourlistenersadiscount.There'sadiscountcodethattheycanuseiftheygotothewebsite,whichisWellness15.

Katie:That'sawesome.Thankyouforthediscount.I'vebecomeahugefanofmatchaaswellandcertainlylikeyoumentionedthecolorisbrilliant,butalsoittastessogood.AndIknowinAmericawedrinktypicallymorecoffeethantea,butIfeellikeatleastit'sworthswitchingupevenifyou'reacoffeedrinkerbecauseyoucan


10

getthecaffeine.Matchadoescontainadecentamountofcaffeine,right?Butitalsohasalltheseantioxidants.Whataresomeoftheotherpropertiesthatyoufeelaresobeneficialinmatcha?

Dr.Weil:Thestimulationfrommatchaisverydifferentfromthatofcoffee.AndIthinksomeofthereasonisthatmatchahasanaminoacidinitcalledL-Theanine,whichhasrelaxingeffects.SoIthinkthecombinationofL-Theanineandthecaffeineinmatchaproducesastateformostpeopleofalertrelaxation,verydifferentfromthejanglingstimulationofcoffee.Ithinkthatisabigplusformatcha.Also,thehealthbenefitsofgreenteaingeneralandmatcha,inparticular,areverywelldocumented.Thereisresearchshowingthatcoffeehashealthbenefitsalso,butIthinkwehavemuchmoreinformationonimprovedcardiovascularhealth,reducedriskofcancer,manyotherbeneficialeffectsofgreentea.SoIreallyrecommendgettingtoknowgoodgreenteaandmatchainparticular.

Katie:Yeah.Andanotherthingyoumentionedinpassingisthatyoulovetheritualofthematchaandhowit'smadeinsuchabeautifulwayandit'sconsumedconsciously.Ihaven'tbeentherelikeIsaid,butIwonderifthat'ssomethingelsethat'sagoodlessontotakefromJapanisfromwhatI'vereadatleasttheyeatmuchmoreconsciously,slowly,notinacar,notonthego.Doyoufeellikethat'spartofthehealthbenefitaswell?

Dr.Weil:Ido.Andyouknow,that'salsosomethingthatyouseeincountrieslikeItalyandFrancewherepeoplelingerovermealsandtakegreatpleasureinthemandtheydon'tapproachthetableasifit'saminefieldwhereyoumakeonemistake,yougotonutritionalhell.Youmentionedearlierthekindsofrestricteddietsthatpeopleareontoday.Irememberacartoonin"TheNewYorker"severalyearsagobyRozChastthatwascalled"TheLastThanksgiving,"whichwaskindofaparody.We'veallseenimagesofthefirstThanksgivingofpilgrimsandIndianssittingaroundthetablethat'sheapedwithallthiswonderfulfoodfromthenewworld.Thiscartoonshowed12peoplewithveryglumexpressionssittingaroundacompletelyemptytableandovereachheadwasaballoononewasmarkeddoesn'teatsugar,glutensensitive,vegan,can'ttoleratedairyandtherewasnothingtoeat.

AboutamonthagoIwasinOkinawa.ThisisthefourthtimeI'vebeenthere.AndIwentthereoriginallytostudythelongevitytherebecauseOkinawahasthehighestnumberofcentenariansintheworld.Andthistime,IsataroundwithagroupofcentenariansandpeopleIwaswith,askedthemabouttheirsecretsoflonglifeandallofthem,thefirstwordsthatallofthemsaidwere,"Eateverything."Now,Idon'tthinktheymeanteatfastfood,whichisbecomingmoreandmorepopularinOkinawa.ButIthinktheideaofeatingeverythingandnotthrowingamacronutrientunderthebusisverysensible.AndIreallyworryaboutthekindofcrazydietaryrestrictionsIseepeoplefollowingtoday.

Katie:Yeah.Andinterestingly,oneofthefoodsyoumentionedthattheyeatcommonlythereisonethatgetsthrownoutprettyoftenhere,whichissoy.AndIknowthatintheU.S.it'softengrowninprettypoorwaysandalotofthingsaresprayedonit.ButI'mcuriousyourtakeonsoyingeneralbecauseit'scertainlyacontroversialthingwhenitcomestonutrition.

Dr.Weil:Ithinkthere'sagreatdealofmisinformationanddisinformationaboutsoy.Ithinkitisverydesirabletoeatmoderatelyandregularlywholesoyfoods.Wholesoyfoodsareedamame,soynut,soymilk,tofu,


11

tempeh.I'mnottalkingaboutfakehotdogswherethefirstingredientisisolatedsoyprotein.I'mnottalkingaboutsoysupplements.I'mnottalkingaboutfunctionalfoodsthathaveelementsofsoyinthem.Wehavenoinformationaboutthesafetyorbenefitsofthat.ButIthinktheepidemiologyofsoyconsumptioninChina,inJapan,Koreaisveryreassuring.Inthosecountries,peopleeatwholesoyfoodsreallyeverydayfrominfancytooldage.AndtheratesofhormonallydrivencancersaremuchlowerthantheyareinthiscountryandIthinkthat'stheprotectiveeffectofsoy.

Ithinktheearlierinlifethatwholesoyfoodsareintroduced,thegreatertheprotectionagainstbreastcancerinwomenandprostatecancerinmen.Andyourconcernaboutunhealthyaspectsofsoy,youknow,ifyougetrealluckyenoughtoliveinacountrywhereanorganiclabelhasmeaning.Ifsoyproductshaveanorganiclabelonthem,there'snoconcernaboutpesticidesorGMO.

Katie:Yeah,that'sagreatpoint.

ThispodcastisbroughttoyoubyPelvicPainRelieffromIsaHerrera.Didyouknowthatwhileitmaybethenormformanywomen,itisn’tnecessarytosufferfrompelvicpain,ortoleakurinewhenyoulaugh,cough,sneezeorjump?I’velearnedsomuchfromIsa,includingsomesupersimpleandquickstretchesthatcanhelpstopthisleakingunjust30seconds.ShealsoexplainswhyKegelscansometimesmakepelvicpainworse,howtoknowifthisisthecaseandwhattodoinstead.She’shelpedthousandsofwomenfindreliefandfreedomandifyou’veeverstruggledwithpelvicissues,I’mguessingshecanhelpyoutoo.Shehasanamazingfreemasterclassandhasopenedupsomefreespotsjustforlistenersofthispodcast.Claimyourspotnowatpelvicpainrelief.com/healing

ThispodcastisbroughttoyoubyMagicSpoonCereal.Iknow,Iknow…neverthoughtyou’dhearmerecommendcereal,didyou?That’sbecausealmosteverycerealoutthereisfullofrefinedsugarsandgrainsandoftenGMOingredientsandfooddyes.Yet,Americanscertainlyloveit!Infact,theaverageAmericanconsumesover100bowlsayear,andthatnumberaccountsforpeoplelikemewhodon’tconsumeanyatall!Now,cerealloverscanrejoicethatthereisahighprotein,lowcarb,grain-free,gluten-free,nothingartificial,childlikecerealthatisgreatforgrownups,too.With12gofproteinperbowlandonly3gofcarbsittasteslikethecerealyourememberbutwithoutthesugarhighortheguilt!Checkoutmagicspoon.com/wellnessmamaforallthedetails

Katie:Youalsomentionedseavegetables.Doyouthinkthosecomeintoplayandserveanimportantprotectivepartofthatdietaswell?

Dr.Weil:Well,they'rehighlyconsumedinJapanalso,almostateverymeal.IdidseeonestudythatsuggestedthattheJapanesehaveasaresultofthedifferentmicrobiomeareabletodigestandprocessseavegetablesinwaysthatmanyofuscan't.Sotheymaybegettingmorenutritionfromthemthanwecan.Nonetheless,Ithinkitisdesirabletogettoknowthemandexperimentwithusingthem.


12

Katie:Gotit.Okay.Sotocirclebacktosomethingyoumentionedearlier,wetalkedalittlebitaboutmentalhealthwhenitcametothegutanditsrolethere.ButatleastfromthegroupthatIhearfrom,whichislargelymoms,itseemslikementalhealthstrugglesareontheriseforsure,especiallythingslikeanxiety.Whatdoyouthinkaresomeoftheotherfactorsthatreallycontributetothatandwhatcanpeopledo?Becausecertainly,Ihavefriendswhohavebeenthere.Itseemslikeaverydifficultthingtobreakoutof.

Dr.Weil:Well,therearesomanyfactorsthatcaninfluenceanxietystates.Averybigonetodayislisteningtonewsorpayingattentiontonews,whichmakespeopleveryupset.Andthere'sasimplefixforthat,whichistojustnotletasmuchofitintoyourlife.Ithinkwetalkedearlierabouttheeffectofdevicesonus.Ithinkthesealsooftenpromoteanxiety.Overuseofcaffeineisafactor.Lackofsleep.Ifyouspenttimeinthecompanyofpeoplewhoareanxious,youarelikelytobemoreanxious.IthinkitisdesirabletopracticemethodsofcounteractinganxietyandIcan'tthinkofanythingmoreeffectivethanthe4-7-8breath.

YouaskedaboutmicrobiomeandIthinkthereis...Alotofthesemicroorganismsinourdigestivetractactuallymakeneurotransmittersthataffectbrainfunction.Andweknowthatthere'saconstanttwo-wayconversationbetweenthebrainandthegut.Theguthasbeencalledthesecondbrain,butitisverypossiblethatthemicrobiomeinfluencesemotionalstates.AndasIsaid,Ithinkthatsomeoftheseconditionsthathavebecomeverycommonlikeattentiondeficithyperactivitydisorder,autism,depression,thesemayhaveaconnectionwiththemicrobiomeandthatbyimprovingthehealthoftheorganismslivinginsideus,wemaydoverygoodthingsforourmental,emotionallife.

Katie:That'sagreatpoint.AnotheraspectIwonder,justfromtheresearchI'veseen,andtotouchonanothercontroversialtopicisIwonderifvitaminDandsunexposureareplayingarolebecausethat'sanotherthingthatwe'velargely...likesunexposure,somethingwe'velargelyreducedoverthelastseveraldecades.AndImean,there'ssomecontroversythereasfaras,youknow,skincancerisstillhappeningandthere's,likeIsaidwiththeskincancersuncontroversy.ButI'mcuriousifyouthinkthereisarolewithvitaminDandjustfromyourtake,howimportantissunexposure,notjustforthevitaminDbutforallofthebiochemicalreactionstogoalongwithit?

Dr.Weil:Ithinkit'simportantandIwouldsaysensiblesunexposure,whichmeanssimplypayingattentiontothepositionofthesunintheskyandwhenit'satahighangleintheskyattimesofyearorplacesontheEarthortimesofdayyouwannatakeprecautions.Butotherwise,IthinkitisgoodtogetexposuretosunandsunexposureisonlyoneaspectofIthinkexposuretonature.Asyouknowarelativelynewconceptthat'scometobeingisnaturedeficitdisorder.Notyetanofficial,youknow,psychiatricdiagnosis,butIthinkit'sveryreal.AndIthinkthatthedisconnectionthatmanypeople,manyyoungpeopleespeciallyhavefromnaturetodayisonefactorthatunderminesmentalwellbeing.

Katie:Iwouldagreecompletely.Ithinkitsoundssosimple,butoneofthebestthingsI'vedoneformyhealthwastostartimplementing...justgoingoutsiderelativelysoonafterwakingupandspendingtimeoutside,whetherI'mdrinkingteaorcoffeeorjusthavingconversationswithmykidsormyhusband,butjustbeingoutsideinthemorningseemstoliftmymoodsomuchandit'ssosimpleandit'sfree.


13

Dr.Weil:Ihavetwobigdogs,RhodesianRidgebackswhotakemeonwalksinthemorningandI'minthedesertandfiveminutesawayfrommyhousethere'sabigwild,wecallitawashierandusuallyquiteearlyinthemorningiswhenIdidthebell6:00a.m.Iwenttotakethemoffleashandgodownthere.There'smanythingsfloweringatthemomentandthetemperatureisdeliciousanddoesverygoodthingsforthestartofmyday.

Katie:Ilovethat.Wehaveadogaswell.AndI'mcurious,they'rewonderfuljustfortheirbeinggreatcompanionsandforthejoytheybring.ButI'vealsoseenstudiesthathavingpetsimprovesthebacterialbalanceinyourhomebecausethey'reinteractingwithotherthingsoutsideandbringingthemin.I'mcuriousifyouhaveseenthatdataorwhatyourtakeisonthebenefits.

Dr.Weil:Ihaveseenthatdata,Ibelieveinit,buthere'ssomethingyoumaynotknow.Ifyouexchangesalivawithadog,Iwon'tgointohowthathappens,butithappens,thatdoesverygoodthingsforyourmicrobiomeandinparticular,mightprotectagainstobesity.

Katie:That'sfascinating.EspeciallyfortheparentslisteningbecauseIknowthat'ssomethinglikeyourdoglicksyourkids'foodandyou'relike,“No,don’teatit”.Theremightactuallybe...likeletthekideatthefood.Don'tfreakoutaboutit.

Dr.Weil:I'msureyou'reawareofthehygienehypothesis,whichIverymuchbelievein.Thisistheideathatifkidsareraisedintoocleananenvironmenttheirimmunesystemsdonotgettoengageinthekindsofstruggleswithgermsthattheyneedinordertobecomerobustlydefensive.Sokidsraisedintoocleanenvironmentsthere'rehigherratesofasthma,allergies,whereaskidsthatgrowuponfarms,whogrowupwithpetsseemtodomuchbetter.SoI'veneverbelievedinthefive-secondruleorwhateveritis.I'lleatanythingthatdropsonthefloorandIhavenoproblemwithkissingmydogs.

Katie:Ilovethat.I'vetakenheatbeforeforwritingaboutthefactthatIletmykidsgetdirty,runaroundbarefoot,playinthedirt,playwithanimals.AndImeancertainly,obviouslyyouwannabesensibleaboutitjustlikewithsunexposure,butI'mtotallywithyouonthat.Andonthatnote,justonthenoteofkidsgettingsick,Iknowsomanyparentswhoviewitasmaybelikeafailurewhentheirkidsgetsick.Andmythoughthasalwaysbeenkids'immunesystemsarelearninghowtobeimmunesystems.So,ofcourse,they'regonnahavesometrialsofthatandthat'sgoodfortheirimmunesystem.AndmaybeI'moffonthat,butI'vealwaysfiguredmildchildholdillnessesareactuallyagoodthing,right?

Dr.Weil:IagreewithyouandIthinkthat'scertainlytruefortheordinarykindsofchildhoodillnesses,youknow,colds,earinfections,stufflikethat.Butyouknow,therearealsochildhooddiseasesthatarepotentiallyveryseriousandI'mnotsosureit'sagoodideatoyouknow,letyourkidgetthose.

Katie:Oh,forsure.Yeah,that'sanimportantcaveat.Andit'sinterestingbecauseIthinkalotofthepeoplelisteningareparentslikeImentionedandIwouldlovetohearanyotherguidelinesyouhaveforourkids.BecausepartofthereasonIevenstartedWellnessMamawasthatIreadin2006thatstatisticthatforthefirst


14

timeintwocenturies,thecurrentgenerationwasgonnahaveashorterlifespanthantheirparents.AndIwasholdingmynewbornwhenIreadthatandIjust...likethisisnotokay.AndIknowalotofparentslistening,especiallythoseofuswhohavehadhealthproblemsandhadtorecover,wewannaavoidthatforourkids.Sowhatwouldyousayarethemostimportantthingswecandotogiveourkidsthathealthyfoundation?

Dr.Weil:Well,IthinkstartwithgoodnutritionandIwouldbreastfeedaslongasispossibleorcomfortable.Ithinkthatbuildsimmunityandbuildsgoodgutmicrobiomehealth.Iwouldgiveappropriatesupplements,forexample,vitaminDoromega-3fattyacids.Ithinkyouwannaexposekidstonature,tofreshair,tosunlightasmuchaspossible.Ithinkgrowingupwithpetsisdesirable.AndIhavetosayawordaboutimmunizationheregiventhecurrentcontroversy.

Ithinktheideaofimmunizationisverysoundandtherisk,althoughthereareriskstoit,therisksofthediseasesaremuchgreater.Havingsaidthat,Ithinktherearequestionsthatarelegitimateabouthowmanyvaccineswe'regivingatonetime,theageatwhichwegivethem,theschedulesofthem.Ithinkthoseareallthingsthatcanbequestioned.ButIthinktheprincipleofvaccinationisverysoundandIthinkitisunwisenottoimmunizekidsagainstthesediseaseswhicharegoingtoreappearifmorepeoplestopimmunizing.

Katie:Yeah,likeyousaid,it'sdefinitelyasomewhatnucleartopictotalkabout.AndIdefinitelywillneverpublishanofficialpositioninanywayandIwillneverjudgeparentsfortheirdecision.ButIwillsay,Ithinkyou'reright.Ithinktheconversationfallsapartwhenwedon'ttakeintoaccounttwothingscansimultaneouslybetrue.Theycanbothbeeffectiveforwhattheydoandalsohavesideeffectsorbeproblematicwhenyougettotoomanyorthebodyisstressedtoomuchandit'slikeIlookedatthateconomicideaofdiminishingmarginalreturns.Likeisthefirstoneaseffectiveoristhe70thvaccineasimportantasthefirst?AndIhope,justasaparent,Ihopethat'swhatwestartstudyingandthosearethequestionswestartanswering.Becauselikeyousaid,Ithinkit'sanimportantquestionofourtimecertainlyandonethatparents,ofcourse,feelthepressureofverystrongly.

Dr.Weil:OneconsiderationthatIthinkmanyoftheanti-immunizationpeopledon'trealizeisthatitismuchmoredangerstogetthesediseasesatolderages.Idon'tknowifyou'veeverseenanadultwithmeaslesoranadultwithchickenpox.It'snotaprettypicture.Andtherisksofveryseriouscomplicationsaremuchgreater.Andalsowhatarethesekidsgonnadoiftheywannatraveltocountrieswherethesediseasesarestillprevalentwherethere'sstillachanceofgettingpolio,forexample,adevastatingdisease.So,youknow,asIsaid,Ithinkthereareriskstoimmunization.Ithinkthere'rewaysofminimizingthemintermsofhowwegivevaccines,howweschedulethemandsoforth.ButIthinktheprincipleofimmunizationisverysound.

Katie:Onthatnote,Iknowpeoplewillprobablyaskasafollow-upquestion,whatdoyouthinkingeneralaboutsomeofthesealternativeschedulesofspacingor...Iknowthatthere'salotoftheoriesonthebestwaytodothat.Doyouhaveanyguidelinesyou'rewillingtoventure?

Dr.Weil:Idon't.I'mnotanexpertinthatareaandIthinktheremaybemanydifferentwaysofdoingit,butIthinkitisimportanttodiscussthatwithpeoplewhoareknowledgeabletofigureoutwhatschedulemightberightforyourparticularsituation.


15

Katie:Gotit.I'mcuriousalsobecauseyouhave,likeIsaid,kindofpioneeredthiswholeintegrativemedicinemovementandarestillverymuchinvolvedandhavethepulseofthat.Whatdoyouseeasthefuture,likethenext10years,thingsthatwe'regonnaseeasbothtrendsandimportantthingstofocuson?

Dr.Weil:Well,Ithinkourhealthcaresystemisgonnacollapsetotally.It'sactuallyunsustainable.We'respendingmorepercapitaonhealthcarethananypeopleintheworldandwehaveworsehealthoutcomesthanthepeopleindevelopedcountries.TheWorldHealthOrganizationranksus38thonparwithSerbiaandthat'sanywayyoulookatit,infantmortality,longevity,ratesofchronicdisease.Sosomethingisreallywrongwiththatpicture.We'respendingmoreandmore,lessandlesstodoforit.Ifirmlybelieveinintegrativemedicineasthewayofthefuturebecauseconventionalmedicinesimplycan'tmanagetheseepidemicsoflifestyle-relateddiseasesandthemethodsthatitusesaredependentonexpensivetechnology.AndIincludepharmaceuticaldrugsinthatcategory.Ithinkovermedicationisoneofthegreatestproblemsinoursocietytoday.

SoIthinkasthefinancialconstraintsonmedicinebecomeunbearable,thewisdomofintegrativemedicinewillbecomemoreandmoreapparentintothegreatpromisesthatwecanimprovehealthoutcomesandlowercostsintwoways.Oneisbyreallyfocusingonpreventionandhealthpromotionthroughsoundadviceaboutlifestyle.Andsecondly,bybringingintothemainstreamtreatmentsthatarenotdependentonexpensivetechnologiessuchasthatbreathingtechniquethatImentioned.

Katie:SuchanimportantpointandIthinkyou'reright.Ihopethatthesethingswillcontinuetoseemlessfringeandless...Ihatetheword,butlessquack.I'msureyouhaveheardbacklashwhenyou'verecommendedthesethingsforyears.Hasitgottenlessso?Arepeoplegettingmoreonboardwiththeseideas?

Dr.Weil:Definitely.Imean,therearestilldinosaursoutthereandyoustillseesomeofthestuff,butyouknow,therearenowIthinkmorethantwo-thirdsofthenation'smedicalschoolshavejoinedaconsortiumforintegrativemedicine.Andthisisdeansandchancellorsrequestingmembershipinthisgroupandtheinstitutionhastodemonstratethatit'sgotmovementintwoofthethreeareasofclinicalcare,education,andresearch.There'retextbooksinintegrativemedicine.Theterm"integrativemedicine"isacceptedinacademicdiscourse.SoIthinkit'shappening.It'srapidlybecomingmainstream.

Kati:Yeah,andIthinkasmuchheatasthehealthcaresystemtakesinthedoctorstakeforourwholesituation,Ialsowouldsayfrompatientortheconsumersidemyselfnotbeingadoctororapractitioner,anotherimportantpartofthischangeisthatweallneedtostartbeingbetterabouttakingownershipofourownhealthandtakingresponsibilityandnotexpectingadoctortosolveourproblem.Doyouhavepeoplecomeinthatexpectyoutojustfixtheirproblemswithapill?

Dr.Weil:Well,oneoftheadvantagesofpracticingintegrativemedicineisthatyoudrawtoyourselfaselectedpopulationofpatientswhoarehighlymotivatedandtheyjustwantinformation.Theyknowwhattheywannado.Theywannatakeresponsibilityfortheirownwellbeing.Andit'sajoytoworkwithmotivatedpatients.Ifeelverystronglythathealthisyourpersonalresponsibility.Youwannabecomelessdependenton


16

practitionersofallsortandbemoreandmoreindependentinmattersofhealth.Andthatmeansbeinginformed,havingaccesstogoodinformation.Ithinkmyjobasadoctor...theworddoctorbythewayliterallymeansteacheristoteachpeoplehowtoliveinordernottogetsickinthefirstplaceandiftheydogetsick,howtoreallydrawonthebody'sinnatehealingcapacitieswithaslittleexternalinterventionaspossible.

Katie:Yeah,absolutely.I'mcuriousyourtakeonjustsomeofmyothercontroversialtopicandI'llgivemyselfasanexamplefirst.I'mjustcuriousifyourviewonanythinghaschangedorifyoulikeatsomepointrealizedmaybeyouweren'tfullyrightaboutsomethinginthebeginningoryou'veshiftedfocus.BecauseIknowforme,likeIsaid,whenIwasreallysickIcouldn'teatanygrainswithouthavingareactionandsothatwasmystance.AndnowIamabletointegratethemnoproblemaslongasI'mmaintainingahealthydietandlifestyle.SoI'mcurious,haveyoushiftedyourfocusonanythingovertheyears?

Dr.Weil:Absolutely.AndIpayverycloseattentiontoresearchandevidenceandyouknow,Ichangemyrecommendationsbasedonthat.Idon'tknow,20yearsagoormore,IrecommendedveryhighdosesofvitaminCbasedonwhatLinusPaulingwassaying.AndIbegantoseeevidencethatthebodysimplycan'tusemorethanabout215milligramsofvitaminCaday.SoIchangedmyrecommendationsonthat.I'vechangedmyownpersonaldietforanumberofyears.Iwasalactovegetarian.Ididnoteatfish.AndthenIfoundthatmadelifeverydifficult,especiallytravelingtoJapan.IbeganreadingresearchaboutthehealthbenefitsoffishandsoIchangedmyowndietandchangedmyrecommendationsaboutthat.AndIwillcontinuetochangemyviewsandrecommendationsasIlearnmore.

Katie:Yeah.Andhopefully,asallofuscanIthink,atleastfrommyownjourney,questioningyourselfisoneofthemostvaluablethingsyoucando,toalwaysbeaskingquestionsandchallengingyourself.YoumentionedvitaminC,soI'mcurious...andthat'sadebateIhearofteninthehealthworldofdoweneedsupplementsorcanwegeteverythingfromfood?Sowhat'syourtakeonthat?

Dr.Weil:Well,Ithinkdietarysupplementsarenotsubstitutesforthewholefoodsthatcontainthembecauseatbestthey'repartialrepresentationsofwhatnaturegivesusinfoods.AndIalsodon'tthinkthattakingsupplementsexcusesyoufromeatingagooddiet.Buthavingsaidthat,Ithinkthatsupplementscanbeusefulasinsuranceagainstgapsinthediet.Icookformyself.I'maverygoodcook.I'macarefulshopper.IgrowalotofmyownfoodandItakeadailymulti-nutrientsupplementbecausetherearesomedaysforonereasonoranotherwhereIdon'teatthevegetablesandfruitsandotherthingsthatgivememymicronutrientsandthebodyneedstheseintherightdoseseverydayforoptimalfunctioning.

AndalsoIthinksomedietarysupplements,vitaminDisanexampleinhigherdosesthanyoucangetfromfood,havespecifictherapeuticorpreventativeeffectsandit'sveryworthknowingaboutthat.Now,havingsaidthat,Ithinkwe'relivinginatimewhenthereisanincredibledrumbeatofnegativepublicityaboutdietarysupplementseventotheextentofsayingthatthey'regonnakillyou.Andthishashadenormousinfluenceonpositions.Iknowmanyofmyphysiciancolleaguessaythattheynolongertakevitamins.Theytelltheirpatientsnottotakethem.


17

TheWallStreetJournalacoupleofyearsagohadafrontpagearticlesayingadailymultivitaminwillkillyou.Thiswasbasedonastudy,aneditorialinTheNewEnglandJournalofMedicine.Itwasverypoorlydesignedresearch.Nevershouldhavebeengiventhatprominence.Youknow,wecanspeculateaboutwhatthemotivationforthisnegativestuffis.ButIthinkyouhavetoweedthroughallthattofindandlearnhowtousethesethingsintherightdosesandforwhatpurposes.

Katie:Iagree.ThequestionIlovetoselfishlyasktowardtheendofepisodes.Iknowthatyou'vewrittenmanybooksyourself,butI'mcuriousiftherearebooksoutsideofyourown,whichwill,ofcourse,belinkedintheshownotes,butthathavereallyinfluencedyourlifeandthatyouwouldrecommend.

Dr.Weil:Well,Ithoughtaboutthatquestion.I'lltellyouonethatIremember.WhenIwasprettyyoung,Iwasentrancedbyabookcalledthe"CompleteBookofMarvels"byawriternamedRichardHalliburton.Hewasawriter,photographer,adventurerwhodiedquiteyoung,triedtosailaChinesejunkacrossthePacificOcean.AndIthinkthisbookwaspublishedin1941.Iwasbornin1942.Andithadtwosections,oneontheOrient,oneontheOccidentandeachchapterwasaboutsomewonderfulplacethathevisitedwithphotographs.AndtherewasoneonSanFranciscoandthegreatbridgeisthere,theGrandCanyonandthePyramidsofEgypt.

Imean,IjustwouldtripoutonthisbookanditreallymotivatedmetotravelandseethesekindsofwondersandIhaveseenmostofthemsincethen.Travelhasbeenareallyimportantpartofmylife.WhenI'vetraveled,I'velearnedsomuchfromlivinginotherculturesabout...firstofall,it'sgivenmeaperspectiveonourownculture,butlearningthingslikehowpeopleeatindifferentcountrieslikeJapan,discoveringmatcha,learningaboutthehealingtechniques.Ithinktravelhasbeensuchanimportantpartofmylifeandthat'sthebookthatIthinkof,RichardHalliburton'sbook,"CompleteBookofMarvels,"stillavailable.

Katie:Ilovethat.Andthat'sanewrecommendationandI100%agreewithyouabouttravel.That'ssomethingwe'veprioritizedwithourkidsoverafancyhouseoroverhavingphysical...becauseIthinkit'sthebestteacher.ItalsohasinnatechallengesandIthinkkidslearnfromchallenges.You'renotgonnamakeyourkids'lifedifficultonpurpose,buttraveldoesitforyou,whichislovely.Also,I'mcuriousifyouhaveanypartingadvice.IknowjustfromthisconversationIcouldechosomuchof,youknow,breathecorrectlyanddon'tfreakoutaboutwhattoeatallthetimeandgooutsideandyouknow,drinksomegreentea.ButI'mcuriousifyouhaveanypartingadvicethatyouwannaleavewiththelisteners.

Dr.Weil:Ijustwouldsayhavegreaterconfidenceinyourbody'sabilitytotakecareofitself.Youknow,IthinkagreatproblemIseeismostpeoplehavejustnosenseofhowremarkablethebody'shealingsystemis.Andyouwannalearnhowtotakecareofthatandprotectitanddrawonit.Yourbodyisawonderfulthingandiscapableofrepairingmostofthethingsthatgowrong.

Katie:Wonderful.Lastly,whatisinthefutureforyou?Whatareyouexcitedabout?You'vehadsuchanamazingcareeralreadyanditdoesn'tseemlikeyou'reslowingdownanytimesoon.


18

Dr.Weil:I'mstillinterestedintraveling.I'mstillinterestedingoodfoodanddiscoveringnew,youknow,wonderfulthingsouttherethatcanbenefitourhealth.IreallywannahelpasmuchasIcanadvanceintegrativemedicinetillitbecomes,youknow,verysolidlyestablishedandIthinkthedayisnotfaroffwherewe'llbeabletodroptheword"integrative"andit'lljustbegoodmedicine.

Katie:Ihopeso.That'sanexcitingconceptandIknowjusthowbusyyouare.I'msogratefulthatyoutookthetimetosharewithustodayandI'llmakesurethatallthelinkstothethingsyoumentionedwillbeintheshownotesatwellnessmama.fm.Soyouguyscankeeplearningevenafterthisepisodeisover.Butthankyousomuchforyourtime.

Dr.Weil:IenjoyedtalkingtoyouandIhopeyougettoJapansoon.

Katie:Oh,thankyou.Andthankstoallofyouforlisteningandforspendingyourtimetoday.We'resogratefulthatyoudid,andIhopethatyouwilljoinmeagainonthenextepisodeofthe"WellnessMamaPodcast."

Ifyou'reenjoyingtheseinterviews,wouldyoupleasetaketwominutestoleavearatingorreviewoniTunesforme?Doingthishelpsmorepeopletofindthepodcast,whichmeansevenmoremomsandfamiliescouldbenefitfromtheinformation.Ireallyappreciateyourtime,andthanksasalwaysforlistening.

Documents

Episode 262: Dr. Weil on Integrative Medicine, Reducing ... · episode, I go deep with Dr. Andrew Weil about his multi-decade career in integrative medicine, what he's learned along