In my limited time I have here in this book I strive to introduce you to, or maybe remind you of, two key ideas: food heals and we all get a second chance to eat right about every six hours at the next meal.

The Japanese have a saying, "Fall down seven times, get up eight." I've always liked this saying and it really fits here when we are talking about our health and food choices. We all make poor food choices occasionally, but eating clean to nourish our bodies should be our primary goal. Eating anything just to get full, just to stop the hunger pangs, is what usually happens to us without forethought and planning. What we eat should be a part of our daily walk in life, a journey, our never-ending, lifelong quest to better ourselves one meal at a time. By doing so we better our chances at staying healthy and vibrant. We then start to take ownership for our own health and wellbeing, one meal at a time.

I use the beach and the table to help share some of my thoughts and passion about what I have called my "Three Keys of Health" for many years: *Meals*Movement*Massage. In regards to meals I believe the statement "Eating food is the most intimate thing we can do because it becomes us." All of us will eat three meals a day, every day, from cradle to grave, and many do not even give that important fact a second thought. The reason we should care is simple -- good health is our number one currency in life, so much more than money. In fact, money is such a distant second form of currency it hardly registers on the scale in comparison. We have all heard people say "I'd give up everything I own just to feel good or to be... pain free." If that is true for everyone -- and I believe it is -- then why do so many pay little attention to taking responsibility for at least part of their own health and wellness journey? Why do many make changes only when illness strikes, doing little to prevent future pain and problems in the first place? I believe in part it is like a dripping faucet: one drip at a time doesn't seem like much, but it eventually fills and overflows the sink. If we make poor meal choices and have poor exercise habits eventually we will have to deal with the consequences of those decisions.

I have included twenty-three recipes here in Beach to Table to help you start making good choices about something you are going to do anyway, every day: Eat. These are tasty, powerful meals that will build you up, whether you are a bodybuilder, a hardcore runner, or just a fitness buff on the beach. Plus, -- and it's a big plus -- if you find yourself in the middle of some major health crisis these meals will help strengthen and heal you; they will bring you back from the edge. Same, same. These are meals you will want to eat, they are easy to prepare, and they travel well in a Thermos or cooler. Many freeze well, too, so you can make a few extra dishes and pull them out at a later time, giving you a break from cooking and a full, nourishing meal quickly when life gets too busy. I call this "frozen scratch."

Beach to Table is just the beginning of a wonderful journey into a new way to eat and to think about eating. Meal planning is like a day at the beach -- as the sun goes down you are already planning your next meal and trip back to the lakeshore, picnic basket in hand to do it all over again.