Do you get up some days and feel wonderful? Or, more often, do you get up feeling low - as if you have no energy. Do you feel you have nothing to look forward to, that life is passing you by? Can you relate it to overeating or over drinking the day before? Have you wanted to make a change? By reading the following sections from my book, Feel Fantastic, you have taken your first step towards a healthy and feel-good lifestyle.

These chapters will help motivate you to take control of your life: to change the way you eat; to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Having renewed confidence and looking the way you’ve always wanted to look will be your final result.

The book, Feel Fantastic, was based on my experience as a dietitian in private practice for more than thirty years and a fashion model for more than forty years. Now a mother of three and grandmother of seven, the book is being updated for the website.

Two Master of Science degrees will help form the basis of sound nutrition advice, and the successes of my clients will help you develop new strategies to feeling fantastic every day.

You may have experienced some of the following concerns:
• I need to lose weight to fit into my clothes.
• I must eat better due to a recent health scare.
• I want to quit smoking but I’m afraid of weight gain.
• I want to be more active and increase my energy.
• I want to look good and regain confidence.

Eating poorly need not control the rest of your life. You need to take control and make changes now. Your self-neglect must stop. It’s very simple. How can you treat others well if you’re feeling dreadful? Tell yourself you’ve had enough! Tell yourself you deserve to feel good about yourself all the time.

You may wonder what role a dietitian plays in these aspects of life. As registered dietitian Pam Bouchard explains: “Eating habits encompass much more than just the amount and types of food that people choose to put into their mouths. Cultural factors, social pressures, biology, personality and family dynamics all exert influence on a person’s present and future choices for healthy eating.” Like Mrs. Bouchard I take the total approach to good health; all aspects are interrelated.

I’ve always admired Europeans for their stylish sophistication and poise. They're not better looking than or wealthier than the US public. So what is it that makes them unique? It’s their attitude! This became apparent to me when my older son, Elon, went to Paris. He came back with a surprising observation: All the women are good-looking. He said “Actually if you look carefully, they aren't really so good looking, they just think they are. They walk proudly, dress with style and act as if they own the world.” Indeed, a strong sense of self-worth should be evident in your comportment, without being obnoxious. It will improve the way you deal with people as well as how you treat yourself. Make health and happiness a priority in your life: this will rub off on those around you.

Take a few moments to think about what you feel about yourself. Do you like how you feel? Are there changes you would like to make? What have you always wanted to change but never thought you were able to?

This book will help you identify problem areas in your eating habits, activity, confidence and appearance. Based on the examples provided here, you will find accessible ways to make changes - logical and common sense ways that you may not have identified within yourself. If stress, smoking or alcohol consumption have stopped you from feeling your best, future chapters will help you refocus on making positive changes in these areas.

The ideas presented here are based on the success of my business, now based in New York City, formerly San Francisco, Toronto and Johannesburg. I divide my time among individual clients - many of who are referred to me because of food-related health problems (diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and excess weight) - corporate clients, food companies, media work and presentations. Individual clients consist of men, women and children who want to improve their eating habits to achieve a specific goal - increased energy, weight loss, health benefits or weight gain. Thousands of people from very different backgrounds, many of whom have tried every “diet” and weight-loss system on the market, have benefited from the insights provided in this book. They have made permanent changes in the way they look at life and treat themselves. It’s wonderful to reach the stage where you can say the same as one of my clients: “The changes in eating habits and physical activity are changes that I can now live with forever without the fear that I will not be able to maintain my new lifestyle. I’m so content and happy now.”

There are no earth-shattering solutions here; merely strategies to help you change habits gradually and painlessly, to improve your quality of life.

You will “live through” the experiences and problems of my clients, and how we solved them. You will also gain knowledge of all aspects of nutrition, from fat to fiber to fast foods. Confusion caused by nutrition myths will be exploded. Expensive gimmicks in the diet industry will no longer exploit you.

You will set your goals and follow through on them. When your mind is ready for it, nothing can stop you. Enjoy learning about yourself and being in control of your future health and attitude.