Rating: 
Summary: Excellent recommendations; Parallels my own ideas
Review: I read this book shortly after my book "Creationist Diet" was published. If I had read Weil's book while I was still working on my book I probably would have used several quotes from Weil's book in mine as our ideas on food, diet, and nutrition parallel greatly.Weil's begins his book by looking in detail at the three macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins). He concludes that low carb are faulty in recommending the reduction or elimination of all carbs. Weil correctly notes that the complaints low-carbers raise against carbs actually only apply to high-glycemic carbs (i.e. carbs that quickly raise the blood sugar). He then states that carb foods in their more natural and traditional states have much lower glycemic responses than more recent foods (like stone ground whole wheat bread vs. refined white flour bread). And one of the main points of my book is that foods should be eaten in as natural a state as possible. So whole wheat is to be preferred to processed white flour. Weil then notes that as with carbs not all fats are "bad." Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and their associated omega-3 fatty acids are actually very healthy. Foods sources of such fats are fish, nuts and seeds, olive oil, and avocadoes. And in my book I present studies that show that diets high in MUFAs reduce heart disease risk more than traditional low fat diets.
In regards to protein, Weil presents some very sound recommendations. Included among these is to substitute vegetable protein (from soy, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds) for some of the animal protein in ones diet, to eat animals foods only from organically raised or game animals, to avoid cured meats (like bacon and lunch meats), and to avoid shellfish (due to their high contamination rates). I make all of these suggestions in my book. Weil then concludes this section by recommending the following split of the macronutrients: 50-60% carbs, 10-20% protein, 30% fat (mostly from MUFAs). I give very similar recommendations in my book, through with somewhat larger ranges. So both Weil and I disagree with both very low carb and very low fat diets and recommend more moderate percentages. Weil states that he consumes a lacto-pesco-vegetarian diet. This means he eats dairy products and fish but no other animal foods. The fish part is in line with Weil's recommendation for the consumption of MUFAs. And Weil puts some qualifications on the dairy part. He states, "I eat modest amounts of dairy products, mostly cheeses" (p.133). Weil discussed some of the problems with heavy dairy consumption and correctly notes that one does not need to consume dairy to attain sufficient calcium. There are plenty of non-dairy sources of calcium available. Given the controversy there is surrounding dairy (with the dairy industry saying it is an necessary food and the anti-milk crowd saying it is a horrid food), I spend three chapters on the subject of dairy in my book. And my conclusion is similar to Weil's: if you consume dairy it should only be in limited amounts. Weil then surveys different proposed diets to find "the best diet in the world." He looks at the Paleolithic diet, raw foods diet, traditional Japanese diet, Asian diet, vegan diet, Mediterranean diet, and the USDA food pyramid. He discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each of these diets. I discuss several of these diets in my book as well. In fact, it was the Paleolithic diet (which is based on the theory of evolution) that got me thinking as to what a diet based on the theory of creation would look like, and hence was the impetus for my book. Weil then discusses the problems of rampant obesity in the United States and presents suggestions on weight loss. And all of his suggestions are very sound. First among them is that calories count. To lose weight one must reduce caloric intake and increase expenditure. This means eating less and exercising more. But he emphasizes that doing so one should not follow "fad" diets or drastically change the proportion of carbs, protein, and fats in ones diet. Rather than follow some fad diet, Weil recommends, "you need to change long-term patterns of eating and physical activity" (p.185). What is needed is to follow the same recommendations for healthy eating that he presents throughout his book but to adjust the amount of calories consumed and to add exercise to ones daily life. I make the same recommendations in my book. Weil then gives some recommendations on "buying food and eating out." He recommends the reading of labels to avoid the consumption of unnatural ingredients like hydrogenation oils, artificial colorings, artificial sweeteners, preservatives, and nitrates. Given the emphasis of my book on eating foods in their most natural states, I wholeheartedly agree with these recommendations and make the same recommendation in my book. Weil concludes his book with a section of recipes. This is one place where Weil's book and mine differs as I don't have such a section in my book. But I do recommend a couple of cookbooks that I have found helpful. Another way in which my book differs from Weil's is that along with citing numerous scientific studies supporting various dietary recommendations, my book is also filled with Biblical references. In fact, the full title of my book is "Creationist Diet: Nutrition and God-given Foods According to the Bible." But given the parallels between our books, this shows that whether one looks to the Bible or scientific studies similar conclusions will be drawn in how to go about "eating well for optimum health." And given how much Weil's book parallels mine, I can't help but give his book five stars. I would highly recommend it. And my book would provide further details and reinforcement on the appropriateness of Weil's recommendations.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting commentary, Poor Notes
Review: I liked Dr Weil's book. It made some original points and explanations that are helpful in providing a basic understanding of nutrition, as well as what the function of macronutrients and micronutrients are. His tone is friendly and supportive. I think Dr. Weil pays a lot more attention to the social and cultural aspects of eating than other authors do. Perhaps his approach to integrative medicine has helped him in this area. He also identifies specific foods that can be used to help treat specific conditions. Few other authors provide this specific advice to particular types of foods. In his appendices, he provides a short summary of his position on optimal diet as well as tailored diets for specific conditions. Useful. What I didn't like about "Eating Well for Optimal Health" is the authority for many statements. While there was a bibliography/reference list in the back of the text, there were few footnotes providing specific authority for many of the statements made. Reading diet texts such as "The Okinawa Program" by Willcox and Willcox or "Beyond the 120 Year Diet" by Walford, one appreciates well-referenced, well-supported argument. This way, you can critique the support any statement you have questions or concerns about. When an author merely pontificates without referencing his statements, it is difficult to seperate fact from opinion and assess the weight of the evidence. That said, I still think it's a good book. Just don't accept everything at face value.
Rating:
Summary: Eating Well for Optimum Health
Review: This book is a life-changer. It validated the way the I like to eat, a mediteranean diet, and provided credible medical evidence as to why eating well promotes health. It does result in good outcomes - weight loss, more importantly - weight maintanence, and feeling good. Dr. Weil demonstrates his expertise as a medical professional who has embrased eastern history of wellness and integrated the two.
Rating: 
Summary: A disappointment for me
Review: The first half of this book is filled with medical jargon, terms such as omega 3's, ATP (Adenosine triphosphate), SFAs, MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids), PUFAs, and the list goes on. There are brief stories called "Healing Stories" throughout the book which tell of how a person switches to an all-vegetarian diet or a person gives up fast food and then they feel noticeably better (duh). As a busy working mother, the only useful information that I got out of this book was to eat more fruits and vegetables, and there was also a helpful section on how to read labels. The last half of the book has recipes in it, including Spinach Puree, Stir Fried Red Cabbage, & Green Cabbage and Mushrooms.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent investment
Review: A little over a year ago I took the advice offered in a customer review and purchased this book as well as Sonia Uvezian's "Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen." I have been using both volumes ever since and am in complete agreement with the reviewer. Dr. Weil's advice is sound, realistic, humane, and practical. I especially appreciated his concerns about the unhealthiness of fast food and his recommendation of the Mediterranean diet. Uvezian's book is a treasure trove of recipes for dishes that are both truly healthful and utterly delicious, and it is fascinating to read. These two books are exceptionally informative and easy to follow. They really do stand out and are well worth buying even if you already have other titles on these subjects.
Rating:
Summary: No-nonsense Nutrition 101 (and 200)
Review: Of the various nutrition/diet books I have read, this one is the most sensible and in-depth. Weil tells you not only his guidelines on how to eat but the whys behind it. Weil's book goes into both basic and more advanced nutrition theory. For example, he tells you not only to avoid high fat, but also which fats to eat. The same for carbs. This will sometimes become too scientific for some. I, for instance, found it hard to concentrate when he went into the exact molecular structure of fats and starches. Most of the stuff that got too heavy was not essential to understanding the main point. Weil also explains, in a sometimes irreverant and humorous fashion, the evils behind most of the fad diets and why they are at best temporary, short-term solutions. He then goes on to say what he thinks the best diet is. He also makes short recommendations and modifications in response to certain health ailments. Weil believes that eating should be an enjoyable event, as part of eating is not only taking in nutrients but also a social pasttime. He does his best to put together a diet that people can eat and enjoy as long as they're alive. And he does a good job. Some people, however, won't be ready for this sensible diet. I wasn't ready for it a couple of years ago. Weil's diet is not for you if you're not ready to eat more fruits and vegetables, give up junk food, cut down on refined starches (white flour and potatoes), and eat less fat, especially saturated fat. You'd probably enjoy something like Atkins much more. You're probably also be coming back after a couple rounds of regaining weight or finding out the serious health consequences of such diets. On the other hand, if you're ready to start eating sensibly for the rest of your life, get this book. It's worth much more than the cover price.
Rating:
Summary: great book on nutrition
Review: ... This is an incredible book. Dr. Weil goes into great detail about how foods are composed and how the body deals with carbs, fats and protein. There are stories about everyday people and their challenges/victories. There are great receipes. This book has everything that anyone looking to expand their information on food and how the body deals with it. Recommended!!!
Rating:
Summary: Very hard
Review: I was hard to stay focused on this one. I truely thought it would be less instuctional.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, Good Sense about Eating Well!
Review: The way to use this book is to read it, straight through, at a moderate pace. Like a good meal, it cannot be rushed. And, like a good meal, its particulars should be savored. Enough simile! What I want to emphasize is that, while this is a book about diet, do not jump around to sections that interest you (omega-3's, low-carb diets, whatever) as if you already knew the book's basic message, and just needed a specific fact or two. I admit I was tempted to do just that; diet seems so obvious, somehow. We all know about the food pyramid, and saturated fats, and roughage, and yogurt, all that stuff. But still, lately, my confidence in the simplicity of it all had been shaken by the advocates of the high-protein, high-fat diets. I knew it was nonsense, somehow, but no voices of reason in the medical community were making themselves heard. What if steak and eggs, hold the bread, three times a day, was actually good for you? Suddenly that scene in "Sleeper" didn't seem so funny: Woody, the former health-food store owner, finds that in the future world he now inhabits medical science has determined that junk food and ice cream sundaes and so on are the real health foods ... The first thing to remark about Dr. Weil is that he likes food. This is important: he is NOT a cultist who would reject the pleasures of eating and replace them with the virtuous feelings that come from suffering through some odd diet. He is trying to take what we know about good nutrition from years of research, and apply it in the lives we lead: semi-sedentary, having to buy much that is highly-processed, and much mysterious restaurant food. He wants to teach us about nutrition and preparing nutritious food, at a level that is high enough to be easy to follow without a degree in physiology, but low enough to enable us to make intelligent choices from the supermarket's tainted cornucopia to put together meals that combine tastes and textures we enjoy with the nutriments we need. The big three - fats, carbohydrates, and protein - are treated systematically, fairly, and thoroughly, as are the essential micronutrients. By far the most startling section (to this reader, anyway) is on carbohydrate. Dr. Weil is taking advantage of some recent Australian research on the "glycemic index" of carbohydrate foods to recommend some fairly radical changes in the way we take in carbohydrates. It turns out that it makes a big difference how fast starches are digested. We always knew that sugar can give you a rush, but it turns out that starches can, too. Moreover, this sugar flooding into the system from easily-digestible starch (such as our finely-milled flours provide) turns readily to fat. (That ought to get people's attention!) And the recipes look pretty good, too. My only gripe with them is that there are no applications there of our new-found knowledge of the glycemic index. I would like to see some baked goods done with coarsely-milled flour (e.g. corn meal, graham flour). All seems rather standard in that line (though olive oil is used). However, with what I have learned, I have been able to do my own experimenting (with interesting results!). I won't go into any more detail here, but just observe that I would never have noticed much of importance that he said, nor really absorbed his humane, sensible message if I had not simply sat down and read the book systematically. If this book does nothing but get you to read the labels on those foods you eat that HAVE labels, it will have changed your life for the better.
Rating:
Summary: Eating well for optimum health
Review: I learned so much from this book! It is packed with helpful and life changing information. I have given up all products containing hydrogenated oils, I am drinking lots of green tea, taking vitamin E supplements, buying eggs that contain omega 3 fats, and I am using milk, chicken and beef that are hormone and antibiotic free. These are just a few of the changes I have made since reading this book. I highly recommend it to all interested in better health and nutrition.
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