Aging with grace, naturally

What do you do if you’ve begun receiving those birthday cards poking fun of your advancing age? If you’re Dr. Andrew Weil, you calmly take stock of the facts, avoid anti-aging cures (you definitely don’t do Botox) and pay more attention to your diet, mental acuity and spiritual life.

And you write another book.

Weil, the chief guru of integrative medicine in the United States, is back in the spotlight promoting his new book, “Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Physical and Spiritual Well-Being.”

The Harvard-trained physician, an expert on healing traditions in other parts of the world, has long advocated a blend of Western and alternative medicine and now has 10 books, a website and a monthly newsletter to his name. His new book has reached No. 3 on the Los Angeles Times bestseller list for nonfiction.

His recommendations -- and no-nonsense, practical approach -- made a hit with UCLA audience members last week. They packed a ballroom, clutching his book and peppering him with personal questions about eczema, kidney cancer, supplements and fasting.

We asked Weil, director of the Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, about his outlook on aging.

You urge people to accept the inevitability of aging. Does that mean we can’t do much about it?

We can’t do anything about the aging process. We cannot turn back the clock. We cannot grow younger, despite what a lot of people tell us. I think we can do a lot about remaining healthy as we get older.

Describe someone who has a healthy attitude toward aging.

I wrote in the book about my visits to Okinawa [at the southernmost tip of the Japanese islands]. And the oldest old people I saw there bound up to you and the first thing they say is, ‘Hi. My name is ... I’m 97. How old are you?’ And they are proud of being old. They are healthy and, to me, are beautiful. They haven’t used Botox, and they haven’t had face-lifts.... They have the good fortune to live in a society where the old are valued and honored.

That’s not our society, is it?

I think we are at the opposite extreme. I think we have gotten more and more off the beam in the past 30 years or so.

Has anti-aging medicine (with its experimental treatments such as hormones, cellular injections and caloric restriction to delay the aging process) produced some valuable discoveries?

No, I don’t think so. [Anti-aging advocates] dispense some good information about preventive health and about proper nutrition. But I think, in general, the products and services that they recommend are at best worthless and a waste of money and at worst potentially dangerous. Moreover, I think the existence of anti-aging medicine is a vast distraction from what should be the important goal, which is learning how to age gracefully, how to live long and well and how not to get sick.

What are some aspects of our culture that lead us to believe in anti-aging medicine?

We are obsessed with youth. We are obsessed with appearance. The old are marginalized in our culture. Marketers target a 20-to-49 demographic. The entertainment industry markets to that, and the old are considered not worth it. I think this is the perfect moment to try to change this because the baby boomers are going to start turning 60 next year, and they are a very large and influential segment of the population. I don’t think they’re going to settle for the models of aging that previous generations have bought into.

How does appearance fit into our culture’s views about aging?

If people want to make themselves look better and it makes them feel better about themselves, that’s really not my business. But I’m concerned about the extent that it’s done as a way of pretending to yourself that aging is not occurring. I think that is not healthy.

You have introduced a line of skin-care products designed to improve skin texture. Doesn’t this contribute to the emphasis on appearance?

These are emphatically not anti-aging products. They are anti-inflammatory products and they are, I think, quite novel out there in the American market. They use ingredients, such as these Asian mushrooms, which have not been used in skin-care products.... My main motivation for doing products in the first place is to develop a revenue stream to support integrative medical education. My profits from this go to a foundation which is giving grants to institutions doing integrative medical education.

You emphasize breathing as a key component of good health. Do you really have to learn how to breathe?

I do think this is the master key to good health, both physical health and mental health. I teach all patients that I meet breathing techniques. And of all of the recommendations that I have given out over the years, in 30 years of practicing this way, I think I’ve gotten the most positive feedback about these breathing exercises. They’re remarkable, and they’re free.

Why is taking fish oil supplements so helpful?

Most people in this culture are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids. That has huge consequences on long-term health: cardiovascular health, mental health. And because of the concerns about fish today, I think people need to be very careful about which fish they eat. I think a more reasonable alternative for many people might be to take fish oil supplements, which are distilled and free of contaminants. I think it is especially important for kids.

Is being overweight or obese highly detrimental to aging well?

I think we’ve exaggerated the medical dangers of [being] overweight. I think that has been warped by fashion and society. Obesity is a significant health hazard in youth, especially in childhood. The epidemic of Type 2 diabetes we’re seeing is what I’d be most worried about. And, later on, the cardiovascular complications of that. I have a feeling that as you get older the health impact of [being] overweight diminishes.

Are so-called senior moments something that everyone begins to experience?

Probably. The key is how much anxiety you have about them. There are many things we can do to protect memory. I think that starts with good nutrition especially, again, with omega-3 fatty acids in the diet, and with containing inflammation, because Alzheimer’s begins as an inflammatory process. I’m very interested in turmeric [a spice with anti-inflammatory properties] as an Alzheimer’s preventive. And I’m very interested in mental activities that could be protective.

You emphasize spiritual well-being in your new book. Why?

I’ve always been interested in the nonphysical aspect of life. I think you can call that spiritual. There is some part of us that does not change as we move through time. I feel, in some ways, the same now as I did when I was 6. What part of me didn’t change? I think that is our essence, our nonphysical aspect. I think that tending to that is one of the keys to good health.

What is the single most effective step we can take to influence how we age?

I think it’s in the area of attitude. I’m really trying to change attitudes about aging and looking for the positive attributes of aging. To me that includes things like increased wisdom, increased life experience, maturity, depth of character, better equanimity, increased creativity -- all those things for which older people are honored in other cultures.

For the many people who now live past age 80, medicine is emphasizing the need to remain functional and have a good quality of life even at a very old age. Is that realistic?

It is, I think. The ideal is you want to live long and well and have a rapid drop-off at the end. I met a woman a couple of weeks ago who said her father had died at 90 while eating ice cream. That’s not bad.

How do you feel about the popularity of integrative medicine today?

I’m really happy to see it gaining momentum. I think we’re going to see a collapse of the healthcare system in this country. And as that happens I think the wisdom of integrative medicine will become more and more apparent. It offers the promise of bringing lower-cost treatments into the mainstream.

Now that you’re 63, what do you think is the best part of getting older?

I think I’m more creative. I’m a better writer than I was 20 years ago. I think I have more authority as a result of my accumulated experience.