Eating Well for Optimum Health

Speaking before a live (and uniformly fit looking) audience at the New York Botanical Garden, noted author Dr. Andrew Weil drags a few of our cherished culinary habits through the nutritional dirt. For instance, snack lovers (Chee-tos is my poison of choice) are warned that they are consuming partially hydrogenated oils, which--if I understand the medical literature correctly--is kind of like being hooked up intravenously to a can of liquefied Crisco. Worse, the McDonalds menu is essentially named the nadir of unhealthy cuisine (though I suspect that Wendy's and Burger King are equally guilty). Given the fact that this is America, home of--in the immortal words of Queen's lead singer, the late Freddie Mercury--"fat bottomed girls" (and guys), what are we to do? Are the days of our lives to be measured out in celery sticks and flax seed? Of course not. Dr. Weil, whose physique leans toward robust, reminds viewers that food is meant to be enjoyed, not endured, and offers sound suggestions for "therapeutic cooking" that will neither break the bank nor deaden the taste buds. Offering a good mix of common sense (learn to read labels, avoid high-this-or-that diets) and specific tips (on vitamin supplements, microwaving habits, and daily diet percentages, among other things), the basic message is still to eat smart, exercise, and be happy in life and work--that's the true magic pill. Recommended. Aud: J, H, C, P. (R. Pitman)