The Body’s Incredible Potential to Heal Itself | Andrew Weil

Dr. Andrew Weil (0:00)

The whole health care industry is focused on disease management, not health promotion and prevention, because they don't pay.

And the diseases we're trying to manage are mostly lifestyle-related diseases that could have been avoided if people made better choices earlier in life about how to eat, how to be physically active, how to manage stress and so forth. But we don't do a very good job at that.

Dr. Michael Gervais (0:30)

Okay, welcome back, or welcome to the Finding Mastery podcast. I am Michael Gervais, and by trade and training, I am a sport and performance psychologist. Now, the whole idea behind these conversations is to learn from people who have committed their life efforts towards mastery. We wanna better understand what they're searching for, how they organize their inner life, the psychological framework that they're using, the mental skills that they use and build and refine their craft, so that you can use those same skills, those same practices and apply them in your own life towards the things that you're most interested in, whatever it is that you're working on mastering yourself.

I wanna take a minute here to announce a really exciting event that we have coming up. As you continue to navigate the challenges and opportunities of 2024, I wanna pose a question. What are you doing right now to be great with stress? How are you working with stress on your pursuit towards your most important ambitions and goals? And I just wanna get right to the heart of the key elements, one in particular, for what it takes to excel in today's high heat, high stakes world. Because stress is not the problem that we think it is. Stress is a synonym for change. And our ability to be agile with change, that is the real opportunity at hand. So if you're wanting to unlock extraordinary results and sustainable performance in your life, it's not about avoiding or reducing stress. And as simple as that sounds, it's very tricky to do, but it is about fundamentally changing your relationship with it.

And that's why I'm so thrilled to invite you to a special event. It's a free virtual event that we're offering, and it's called The Power of Embracing Stress. It's on Wednesday, March 6th at 2 p.m. Pacific. So to sign up, just head over to findingmastery.com/training. Whether it's advancing in your career or improving your health or cultivating stronger relationships, I think a new approach to stress can be one of the most powerful unlocks for you in your life. So join us for this free virtual training, The Power of Embracing Stress, on Wednesday, March 6th at 2 p.m. Pacific. Go to findingmastery.com/training to sign up once again, that's findingmastery.com/training. And I'm really excited to see you there.

Finding Mastery is brought to you by HIMS.

HIMS is changing men's healthcare by providing simple and convenient access to science-informed treatments for erectile dysfunction, ED, hair loss, weight loss, and more. Health struggles like ED are common, but they can be hard to talk about when it comes to finding a solution. That's why HIMS has been a game changer for so many men. The entire process is 100% online, and if prescribed, your medication ships directly to you for free and in discrete packaging. No waiting rooms, no pharmacy visits. Plus, you can manage your plan directly on the HIMS app, track progress, and learn more about your conditions and how to treat them from leading medical experts. So, if your loved one has been struggling with ED, I really want to encourage you to go check out HIMS, and I know ED often has a psychological component as well. So, be sure that you're stacking some psychological best practices into your daily routine as well. Start your free online visit today at hims.com/findingmastery. That's HIMS, hims.com/findingmastery for your personalized treatment options. hims.com/findingmastery. Prescriptions require an online consultation with a healthcare provider who will determine if appropriate. Restrictions apply. See hims.com/e-o-f for details and important safety information. Subscription required. Price varies based on product and subscription plan.

Now, this week's conversation is with a legend, Dr. Andrew Weil. He's an internationally recognized expert on medicinal plants, alternative medicine, and the reform of medical education.

Now, his mission is to advance a philosophy of health that addresses mind, body, and spirit, end quote.

And his position that he's taking is that integrative medicine is the future of medicine and healthcare.

So for some folks, integrative medicine might be a new idea, so we're going to get into the weeds of what that is. But maybe the top layer of thinking about it is that it's a different way of thinking about medicine, about care for oneself. It's obviously in the title, it's an integrative approach. So this isn't kind of stuff that's out there, while it might seem that way to some of you if you've been indoctrinated to traditional medical practices, and there's nothing wrong with that. Let's slow down all the folks that are going, what's wrong with our medical care system? Well, there's actually quite a bit wrong with it, to be honest. But there is something that is really solid about the educational system that is producing highly trained people, yet there's some stuff that's missing.