Our Sunday story about Dr. Andrew Weil's thoughts on the medical system has had a positive response from people interested in taking more control of their own health.
Rather than individually answering all of the questions about Weil's philosophy on self-healing, we are running a copy of his anti-inflammatory food pyramid here.
Weil says that chronic inflammation is the root cause of many serious illnesses including heart disease, many cancers, and Alzheimer's disease. During our recent interview he also said he believes depression is caused by an inflammation.
"We all know inflammation on the surface of the body as local redness, heat, swelling and pain.
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"It is the cornerstone of the body's healing response, bringing more nourishment and more immune activity to a site of injury or infection.
"But when inflammation persists or serves no purpose, it damages the body and causes illness," Weil says.
Stress, lack of exercise, genetic predisposition, and exposure to toxins like secondhand tobacco smoke can all contribute to such chronic inflammation, but he says dietary choices play a big role as well.
Weil recommends his Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid in combination with a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise.
Some basic tips from the pyramid:
- Aim for variety.
- Include as much fresh food as possible.
- Minimize your consumption of processed foods and fast food.
- Eat an abundance of fruits and vegetables
