Who is That White-Bearded Guy?

Take a walk around almost any health food store and you’ll probably pass a photo of a smiling man sporting a white beard on some of the products you see: It’s Dr. Weil.

Who is Dr. Weil? Here’s how his website (http://www.drweil.com/) answers that question: Andrew Weil, M.D., has devoted the past thirty years to developing, practicing, and teaching others about the principles of integrative medicine. Dr. Weil combines a Harvard education and a lifetime of practicing natural and preventive medicine to provide a unique approach to health care which encompasses body, mind, and spirit.

Harvard sounds impressive but, for me, there’s something you can trust in the Doctor’s eyes.

Stay with me for a minute. I was recently in New York City for Go Green Expo (www.gogreenexpo.com) with Debby from Real Green Goods (www.realgreengoods.com) and I was telling Debby about my favorite raw snack bar: Lara Bars (www.larabar.com) and Debby, my green guru, asked me: Is it organic? I admit . . . I hadn’t looked. When I did, here’s what I found: They are six natural ingredients or less and there’s no added sugar or GMO and they’re gluten-free, dairy-free, soy free, kosher, and vegan without fillers, supplements, flavorings, or sweeteners but they are not organic.

Later that weekend, Debby and I were getting breakfast at Whole Foods Market (www.wholefoodsmarket.com) and I saw that Dr. Weil has raw snack bars of his own: Dr. Weil's Pure Fruit & Nut Bar. They are just like Lara Bars, but—this time—they are organic. His banana bar has just three ingredients and has a strong banana flavor (that is real banana, nothing imitation). I bought an entire box.

Question of the blog: If you’re a fan of Dr. Weil, what’s your favorite part of the Weil lifestyle?