Ballerina Misty Copeland promotes healthy body image in new book

In her new book, "Ballerina Body," professional ballerina Misty Copeland aims to set women on the right path toward better and healthier body image attitudes.

She believes it begins by seeing's one own body as perfect.

"I just felt like I truly had the talent to go beyond what I thought they were trying to tell me I needed to be," Copeland said. "I have a bust and I have muscles and that's not going to go away but I can become my healthiest self."

She tries to focus on balance, not deprivation in her diet.

"When you say like 'Oh I can't have carbs and I can't have sweets,' at some point you're going to want it and you're going to go overboard," Copeland said. "In 'Ballerina Body' we're really creating a meal plan and an exercise plan that's realistic."

Copeland is the first black female principal dancer at American Ballet Theatre and she has high hopes for continued diversity in the ballet world.

"I see it. I hear it. I go to the stage door and it's just like this flood of brown children, and it's like this is so beautiful," Copeland said. "This is why I have an opportunity to share myself on so many platforms. It's to reach these people and its working."