concerns, such as seniors, pregnant women, people
with diabetes, and others.
My Optimum Health Plan, the online version of
Dr. Weil’s program, allows dieters to customize their
plans even further. Dieters can choose meal plans based
on preferences, allergies, and dietary needs. The Web
site also gives dieters access to recipes that go along with
the meal plan, and the site will produce a shopping list
for dieters to make grocery shopping easier.
The Website also provides dieters with an online
diary where they can record their feelings and suc-
cesses or frustrations as they follow the program.
There is a mood tracker that lets dieters record their
mood each time they log into the site so that they can
observe any change in their mood over the course of
the program.Emotional support and increased emotional and
spiritual well being is very important to all versions of
the program. In addition to recommendations about
meditation, deep breathing, and other ideas designed
to reduce stress and foster a sense of peace and well-
being, the online version of the program allows dieters
to interact with other people trying to improve their
lives through Dr. Weil’s program. It provides message
boards, tips, inspirational messages, and videos from
Dr. Weil himself.Function
Dr. Weil believes that his Optimum Health Plan
can help dieters in many ways. In addition to helping
people lose weight, it is intended to lead to overall
better health. He also says that his plan can help
people age gracefully and can reduce the risk of
many diseases. It can help dieters achieve a better
quality of sleep at night, leading to more energy during
the day. Overall he believes his plan can improve the
health of dieters, physically, emotionally, and
spiritually.
The Optimum Health Plan is intended to be a
lifestyle-changing plan. It is intended to produce
more than weight loss, although that is one of its
benefits. The dieter is expected to continue to follow
the recommendations of the plan well after the eight
weeks are over. The plan is intended to have a lasting
impact on all aspects of a dieter’s daily life.Benefits
There are many benefits to losing weight if it is
done at a moderate pace through healthy eating and
increased exercise. The Optimum Health Plan would
generally be considered appropriate for moderate
weight loss through healthy living.Obesityis a risk
factor for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
hypertension, and many other diseases and condi-
tions. People who are the most obese are generally at
the greatest risk for developing these diseases, and for
having the most severe symptoms if the diseases do
develop. Weight loss can reduce the risk of these and
other obesity-related conditions, and can help reduce
the severity of associated symptoms.
This plan may be of special benefit to dieters who
have specific problems or concerns, such as seniors,
people with diabetes, or pregnant women. The online
version of the plan allows for customization of the
meal plans to meet the needs of those who are trying
to follow alow sodium diet, a diabetic-friendly diet, or
have other health concerns. The book also provides
recommendations that are targeted to these and otherKEY TERMS
Alternative medicine—a system of healing that
rejects conventional, pharmaceutical-based med-
icine and replaces it with the use of dietary
supplements and therapies such as herbs, vita-
mins, minerals, massage, and cleansing diets.
Alternative medicine includes well-established
treatment systems such as homeopathy, Tradi-
tional Chinese Medicine, and Ayurvedic medi-
cine, as well as more-recent, fad-driven
treatments.
Conventional medicine—mainstream or Western
pharmaceutical-based medicine practiced by med-
ical doctors, doctors of osteopathy, and other
licensed health care professionals
Dietary supplement—a product, such as a vitamin,
mineral, herb, amino acid, or enzyme, that is
intended to be consumed in addition to an individ-
ual’s diet with the expectation that it will improve
health
Integrative Medicine—A medical outlook combin-
ing aspects of conventional and alternative
medicines.
Mineral—An inorganic substance found in the
earth that is necessary in small quantities for the
body to maintain a health. Examples: zinc, copper,
iron.
Vitamin—A nutrient that the body needs in small
amounts to remain healthy but that the body cannot
manufacture for itself and must acquire through
diet.Optimum health plan