Dr. Andrew Weil's 5 Holistic Health Secrets

The alternative health icon Dr. Andrew Weil shares his 5 holistic secrets for boosting energy, strengthening immunity, warding off cancer, fighting heart disease and beating depression. He also shares his #1 cancer-fighting super meal.

Dr. Andrew Weil is credited with igniting America’s alternative health movement. He has spent a lifetime uncovering unique remedies and solutions not necessarily found in your pharmacy, your medicine cabinet, or even your doctor’s office. People ask him all the time what they can do to stay healthy, especially as they get older. Dr.Weil shares his top 5 holistic secrets to improve your overall health.

1. Secret for Your Brain: Protect Its Memory Bank

The thought of losing one’s memory is frightening. Dr. Weil recommends Huperzine A, otherwise known as Chinese club moss, a natural remedy that may help keep memory sharp and ward off Alzheimer’s.

He also recommends Phosphatidyl serine (PS), a naturally occurring lipid that’s considered a brain cell nutrient. It may have positive effects on memory and concentration to help slow age-related cognitive decline. In addition, PS may reduce stress by limiting cortisol spikes.

• Huperzine A - 300mcg daily
• Phosphatidyl serine - 200mg daily

Both of these natural remedies are available at health stores and pharmacies.

2. Secret for Your Heart: Keep Arteries Healthy

To keep your arteries healthy, Dr. Weil recommends red yeast rice extract, a source of naturally occurring statins, the prescription drugs used to lower LDL levels and control cholesterol. Dr. Weil argues that red yeast rice extract delivers a mix of these statin-like compounds rather than a single type of molecule, so it’s less likely to cause side effects, such as liver dysfunction that can occur with pharmaceutical versions. However, not everyone in the medical community agrees with him on this. If you have blood sugar problems, this is not the right supplement for you.

3. Secret for Your Digestive Tract: Keep It Clean

Fiber plays an important role in maintaining a healthy digestive tract. In fact, countries such as New Zealand that have a low-fiber diet have higher incidences of colon cancer. Dr. Weil recommends eating 40 grams of fiber each day, almost twice the normal recommended amount.

Use this as a rule of thumb to obtain 40 grams of fiber:

• 4 fruits (such as bananas, strawberries, blueberries, apples, peaches)
• 3 veggies (such as kale, sweet potatoes, green beans, peas, asparagus, corn, broccoli)
• 3 whole grains or beans (such as oatmeal, all-bran cereal, shredded wheat, lima beans, black beans)

If you are unable to eat this much fiber, take a supplement such as psyllium husk fiber, available at pharmacies and natural food stores. Be sure to drink it with plenty of water to avoid constipation.

4. Secret for Your Immunity: Take an Antioxidant Cocktail

By strengthening your immunity, you’ll ward off common colds and reduce your risk of cancer. Dr. Weil gets his antioxidants from a multivitamin and you can too. Just be sure you are getting the right doses of each vitamin family. Go for a cocktail comprised of a multivitamin and COQ 10.

Mixed Carotenoids - 15mg: Avoid pre-formed vitamin A, often called retinol, which can be toxic. Instead, you want to take mixed carotenoids, which are the pigments found in orange and yellow vegetables. Look for a combination of beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lycopene, astaxanthin, lutein and zeaxanthin.

Vitamin C - 200mg: Too much vitamin C can be pro-oxidant rather than antioxidant, so stick to 100% of your daily value, or 60mg. This important vitamin builds strong connective tissue, maintains arteries, and is great for overall healing. Avoid sweet chewable tablets of vitamin C, which are bad for your teeth.

Vitamin E - 400 IU: This powerful antioxidant protects many parts of the body, including cell membranes and arteries, from free radical damage. However, it does have blood-thinning properties; beware of taking too much if you are taking any blood-thinning medications or supplements.

Selenium - 200mcg: This important trace mineral has strong cancer-fighting properties.

COQ10 - 120mg: Coenzyme Q10 (COQ10) maintains heart health and protects muscles.

Be sure and take your multi and your COQ10 pill with an ample meal, such as lunch or dinner, to aid absorption.