So if you're rooting around for something to eat, grab an apple while you're looking, and usually by the time you're finished eating it, your hunger will have been sidelined; it's crowding out at its best!

What you want is to rev up your metabolism so that you are burning fat and calories, not preserving fat and calories.

An abundance of peer-reviewed science is showing that a whole foods, plant-based diet prevents most heart attacks, strokes, and even many kinds of cancer. It gets you to your ideal weight easily and sustainably, reverses Type 2 diabetes, and even fixes erectile dysfunction (because it greatly improves circulation!).

I think that food ties us to our community and our traditions, and it's the thing that makes us feel good and connected.

I was weaned on chicken-fried steak and hominy grits with goopy gravy all over. I loved meat and wore fur.

If you want to feel more comfortable and happy, work on making the people around you more comfortable and happy.

In the middle of it all, pause and look around you. Appreciate what’s beautiful. Take in the love. Nod to what’s good and true. And then move forward one step at a time.