BizMEDICINE continued from page 24 ians and people who just want a great meal that’s good for them. Our commitment is that no matter how many locations are established, True Food will never become what one thinks of as a ‘chain’.” So, with two eateries already in Arizona (Phoenix, Scottsdale) and five more on the drawing board for this year, the logical question is – where does Tucson fit into the future? “What we’re doing elsewhere is exciting, but it’s still embarrassing we don’t have one in Tucson, and I get asked about that every week,” Weil said. “Tucson isn’t considered a large enough market to be one of the first 20 sites – but once we get there, I’ll be making a big push to establish one in the Old Pueblo.” Weil name sells kitchen goods, skincare, vitamins, footwear
Other entities licensed by Weil Lifestyle range from skincare products, customized vitamins, pet food and footwear with after-tax profits donated to his many cause-based crusades. Internet researching of his myriad enterprises leads one down the informational rabbit hole It’s a biblical experience with one enterprise begetting another and all headed in the same health-focused direction.
Log on to www.drweilproducts.com and prepare to be overwhelmed at the variety of items designed to help promote a healthy lifestyle – from nutritional foods to kitchenware to personal care products. Weil and partner Origins Natural Resources (one of the Estee Lauder Companies) have worked together for over a decade now on a collection of proactive skincare treatments that combine therapeutic plants and herbs with wellness and lifestyle techniques. In developing natural cosmetics like Plantidote Mega-Mushroom Face Serum, Weil relied on his past travels. “In East Asian medicine, a lot of mushrooms are used for their anti-inflammatory effects and the root of a lot of skin problems is inflammation.” Bingo! Attesting to product success and good marketing, the Dr. Weil Origins line is now available in more than 15 key global markets, 100 of its own free-standing retail stores, and more than 400 department and specialty stores throughout the U.S. Weil beams at the many commercial successes – all means to an end. “The Weil Foundation funds advancement of integrative medicine and I believe the day is coming when all doctors will be routinely trained in the subject. The tens of thousands of health-wise
consumers who buy Weil-endorsed products become a partner with me in bringing that day closer.” Building the Weil World Empire came with a cost however. His former wife Sabine Kremp, mother of their daughter, Diana, had enough after eight years of being Number Two after his work. “The empire killed the marriage,” she’s said. While “slow down” is not in his vocabulary, Weil may consider ratcheting down his writing. “The whole publishing business is in flux – and I’ve said about all I have to say. I don’t know for sure, we’ll have to see, but there are no pressing issues at the moment that would make me consider book 15.” There’s also nothing planned along the lines of a sandy beach listening to waves crash while sipping an adult libation. “Not my idea of relaxation,” he said. “I prefer leisure activities like gardening and cooking. Besides, I can’t imagine not working in some capacity. It’s a central focus of my life and I get great satisfaction from that.” An amazing trajectory of social change and success for a man who decided 40 years ago that it was an omen when his car broke down here and he decided to stay and make Tucson his home.
Clockwise from left – True Food Kitchen restaurants, Andrew Weil with Sam Fox at True Foods Kitchen, Mega Defense UV Defender, Mega-Mushroom Face Serum 26 BizTucson
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Summer 2016
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