Adversity is a call to action, and your freedom lies in taking the first step. Don't worry about the entire staircase, just take one step, and then tomorrow take another.

Make peace with guilt. Guilt is a poisonous illusion. Many languages don't even have a word for guilt.

We're taught to solely blame our luck-of-the-draw genes for our health issues, rather than our daily habits, dietary choices, and interplay with the environment that surrounds us.

I cherish my work and all of my readers.

Whether you're reaching for one of your favorite cookbooks or just winging it, do your best to keep a well-stocked arsenal of healthy ingredients at your disposal. At the very least, you'll always be ready to whip up a green juice or smoothie.

Although Grandma's passion had led me to the power of food, not all of her recipes were healthy. I kept her gusto and the love that she put into her cuisine but ditched the ingredients that bought her a one-way ticket to arthritis, diverticulitis and a host of other inflammatory conditions. I also ditched my own addictions and compulsions around food, especially sugar.

There's no need to wait for the bad things and bullshit to be over. Change now. Love now. Live now. Don't wait for people to give you permission to live, because they won't.