Healthy Aging

Andrew Weil approaches growing older as something to be handled with knowledge rather than dread. Healthy Aging draws on biogerontology, the science of how and why living things age, and pairs it with practical habits associated with long, healthy lives. Weil, a physician known for blending conventional medicine with less traditional approaches, writes in a candid, conversational voice and argues that there is a great deal people can do to keep body and mind in good working order at every stage of life.

A large part of the book is about daily practice. Weil lays out the anti-inflammatory diet as the nutritional foundation of his approach, and he teaches exercise, breathing and stress-management techniques meant to support both physical and mental well-being. He also takes on the market for life-extension products, sorting what is myth from what is fact when it comes to herbs, hormones and so-called anti-aging medicines.

The book looks at the aging process itself so that readers understand what is actually happening in the body, and it goes beyond physical health by encouraging readers to record the lessons they have learned over a lifetime and pass them on to people they love. A glossary, a summary appendix of the anti-inflammatory diet and a list of further resources are included for readers who want to keep going.