There's a lot you probably don't know about the Buddha. For one, the real Buddha was thin. And before he became the "Enlightened One," he was a pampered prince named Siddhartha. He tried dieting once and didn't like it any more than you do. Instead, he sought a "middle way" between unhealthy overindulgence and unrealistic abstinence. The instructions he gave his monks about eating, more than 2,500 years ago, were surprisingly simple.

Fast forward to today, and modern science confirms what Buddha knew all along. It's not what you eat that's important, but when you eat. You don't need to follow the latest fads or give up your favorite foods. You just have to remember a few guidelines that Buddha provided-guidelines that, believe it or not, will help you lose weight, feel better, and stop obsessing about food. Sure, Buddha lived before the age of doughnuts and French fries, but his wisdom and teachings endure, providing us with a sane, mindful approach to achieving optimum health.

Buddha's Diet: The Ancient Art of Losing Weight Without Losing Your Mind, Tara Cottrell-Dan Zigmond, Running Press, Hardcover, 240 pp, $16.95

TARA COTTRELL is a writer, digital strategist, and mom. She consults and writes for lifestyle and wellness brands in Silicon Valley and is a well-being advocate for at-risk and foster youth. She is currently the web content manager at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business. When she's not working, writing, or parenting, she's shoe shopping. She lives in Menlo Park, CA.

DAN ZIGMOND is a writer, data scientist, and Zen priest. He advises startups and venture capital firms about data and health. He is a contributing editor at Tricycle, the largest Buddhist magazine in North America, and teaches at Jikoji Zen Center, a small Buddhist temple in the Santa Cruz mountains. In May 2015, he was named one of 20 Business Geniuses You Need to Know by Wired magazine, as he frequently reminds his kids. He lives in Menlo Park, too.

Introduction -- Buddha Was Thin	14
Part 1: Insights
Chapter 1 -- Of Mice and Monks	22
Chapter 2 -- Why Do We Get Fat?	30
Chapter 3 -- Eating Like a Mouse	36
Part 2: Practices
Chapter 4 -- Buddha's Diet	44
Chapter 5 -- What Did Buddha Weigh?	58
Chapter 6 -- What to Eat	64
Chapter 7 -- Meat or Potatoes	74
Chapter 8 -- Buddha's Whiskey	80
Chapter 9 -- Cheating on the Buddha	88
Chapter 10 -- Did Buddha Do Crossfit	94
Chapter 11 -- Buddha at Rest	100
Part 3: Hindrances
Chapter 12 -- Food as Comfort, Food as Reward	110
Chapter 13 -- Food for Thought, Thought for Food	118
Chapter 14 -- Romancing the Buddha	126
Chapter 15 -- Buddha at Work	134
Chapter 16 -- Waste or Waist	142
Chapter 17 -- Hunger or Habit	150
Chapter 18 -- Keeping Your Balance	158
Part 4: Perfections
Chapter 19 -- The Wisdom of Saying Grace	166
Chapter 20 -- Meditation for Your Body	172
Chapter 21 -- Defiling the Temple	182
Chapter 22 -- Living Like a Buddha	188
Chapter 23 -- Not Living Like a Buddha	194
Chapter 24 -- Beyond	198
Acknowledgments	202
Endnotes	203
Index	236