For years I avoided the scale and my doctor as I continued to live "the good life." However, the truth came out the day I finally faced both. I was on the edge of morbid obesity and diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and Forestier disease. I had a choice: I could dig a hole using self-pity as a shovel and stay there for the rest of my short existence, or jump back into life with hope and vitality. Guess which one I chose


My first goal was to go into diabetic remission. I had to lose a lot of weight and cut back drastically on carbohydrates. Being an expert in yo-yo dieting, why would this time be different? This time, I looked at the whole picture. I dealt with my emotions and my thought processes while eating better and moving more. I faced the truth, cultivated self love, surrounded myself with the right people and got informed. I built a personal program I could stick with for good. I did that to save my quality of life.


I wrote this book so others might benefit from my experience. This book is not a weight loss program; rather, it is the story of my journey toward optimal health in mind, body and spirit.


"It wasn't just what I ate, how much food I put on my plate and how little I moved. What it really came down to was why this destructive behaviour had become a pattern in my life."


With recipes from Eric Archambault, chef and teacher in culinary arts, member of the National Technical Committee for Skills Comp tences Canada and membre of Comp tences Qu bec.