Eating well
is important for both physical and emotional health. Not only does it directly enable the healthy functioning of body and
mind, but enjoying the preparation and eating of food can significantly enhance
the quality of one’s life. Andrew Weil
has been one of the main exponents of healthy eating, and his book Eating
Well for Optimum Health was a long-running bestseller.

This 3-hour audiobook is an
abridged version of his new book, The
Healthy Kitchen, written with Rosie Daley, “Oprah’s cook.” Weil and Daley (but mostly Weil) explain how
to choose healthy food and how best to prepare it. Those familiar with Weil’s earlier books, his PBS TV specials, or
indeed, anyone who has read the health sections of newspapers will be familiar
with most of the ideas. Some of it is
now common sense – avoid saturated fats, fried foods, carcinogenic toxins, too
much salt, red meat, and processed foods with many additives. Eat plenty of fresh vegetables, and make
sure you wash the pesticides off them as much as possible. Other information is more specialized – it’s
better to eat organic strawberries because regular strawberries are saturated
in toxins from pesticides; you should eat foods such as certain fish in order
to get omega 3 fatty acids, which are needed for physical and emotional health;
mushrooms are an excellent source of protein. 

Some of Weil’s suggestions may not
appeal widely – he recommends eating tofu (he recommends the baked variety for
those who think they do not like tofu) and nut milk. Neither Weil nor Daley is strictly vegetarian – Weil eats fish,
and Daley also eats chicken. Indeed,
their recommendations are never total prohibitions, and they believe that
enjoyable food preparation and good tasting meals are extremely important for
both physical health and the emotional enjoyment of eating. Weil explains that both cheese and chocolate
can be good for you if they are good quality and are eaten in moderation. He also pours scorn on fads such as the “no
carbohydrate” diet, and he sympathizes with the public who are confused by the
oft-changing opinions of dieticians. He
also is ready to agree that the processed health foods and supplements that
some people go for are neither appetizing nor even healthy much of the
time. (Who would want to eat carob
instead of chocolate?)

Weil is a very impressive speaker
on health and diet, and the book discusses many of the main kinds of food, what
to look for when buying it and how to prepare it. There are some recipes in here, and they sound interesting – I
never thought of putting miso into hummus before – but the audiobook is mainly
useful for giving one a general idea about eating healthily. Weil’s enthusiasm is infectious, and so even
those who are already familiar with the guidelines he provides may find this
useful as aide to get back into healthy habits.

Links:

• Random
  House Audio web page with recipes from book
• Random
  House Audio with excerpts from audiobook

© 2002 Christian Perring. First Serial Rights.

Christian
Perring, Ph.D., is Chair of the Philosophy Department at Dowling College,
Long Island. He is editor of Metapsychology Online Review. His main
research is on philosophical issues in psychiatry. He is especially interested
in exploring how philosophers can play a greater role in public life, and he is
keen to help foster communication between philosophers, mental health
professionals, and the general public.

Categories: General