Introduction: Buddha was thin -- Part 1: Insights -- Of mice and monks -- Why do we get fat? -- Eating like a mouse -- Part 2: Practices -- Buddha's diet -- What did Buddha weigh? -- What to eat -- Meat or potatoes? -- Buddha's whiskey -- Cheating on the Buddha -- Did Buddha do crossfit? -- Buddha at rest -- Part 3: Hindrances -- Food as comfort, food as reward -- Food for thought, thought for food -- Romancing the Buddha -- Buddha at work -- Waste of waist? -- Hunger or habit -- Keeping your balance -- Part 4: Perfections -- The wisdom of saying grace -- Meditation for your body -- Defiling the temple -- Living like a Buddha -- Not living like a Buddha -- Beyond

The pampered prince Siddhartha tried dieting and didn't like it anymore than you do. When he became the Buddha, he found the "middle way" between overindulgence and abstinence. Modern science confirms what Buddha knew all along: it's not what you eat that's important, but when you eat. Sure, he lived before the age of doughnuts and French fried, but his teachings provide a sane, mindful approach to achieving optimum health