Okay, you've set the date for the most important day of your life, and now you are itemizing each wonderful detail and time frame. But right now, right this minute, would be a great time to start to invest in an attitude and commitment to be your healthiest, on your wedding day and for a lifetime together. And it couldn’t be a more exciting time - your current days don’t go by without headline breakthroughs in health - in magazines, news broadcasts, or new bookstand releases. And often they are about the simplest of lifestyle changes, especially in the realm of diet - because our bodies are miracles that just need to be fueled right and exercised.

A positive life change in diet can be about safely shaving off wedding dress sizes or a trendy treat in the reception line. But it also can be about a commitment to be your healthiest and most radiant for each other, about keeping the zest and energy in a commitment when the demands of jobs and bills start edging their way in, and about getting into habits, which will effect a family and the health status of the parents well into the future.

And it can be so much FUN! In a report from the University of California Medical School, the three most commonly eaten foods in our country are white bread, coffee, and hot dogs. C mon - we can do better than that! Today we have choices at our fingertips with more flavor, eye appeal, and nutritional punch than the widely advertised refined, processed junk we once found irresistible. And if we need a little bridge from our less than exemplary eating habits to more wholesome fare, there are some great whole food concentrates and supplements on the market. Living foods are the elixir of life * - so jump in and find out more about them.

*Paulette Suzanne, Certified Nutritionist, Director of North County Healing Arts Center, CA - here are some of her basic suggestions for getting started: I encourage you to add more living foods to your diet day by day...begin by eliminating cooked fats and oils...Then begin to eliminate processed foods and fast foods (boxed, canned, preserved, foods loaded with sugar and salt). ... Next look for ways in which you can add more live foods to your meals. Do you eat fresh organic fruits on a daily basis? ...Try making sure you eat at least one fresh vegetable salad (organic veggies) each day. Put lots of your favorite vegetables and dark greens in this salad and change the vegetables you choose regularly for variety.... I would add to these: half your ideal body weight - in ounces - of refreshing chlorine free water. (Simple counter top filters make this possible for pennies per gallon. Request one for a wedding present!)

More presents to request and sites to check out:

A subscription to: Nutrition Action Newsletter, www.cspinet.org

Five Minutes to Health, Marilyn Joyce, R.D., ISBN 0-9648343-1-6, Web: www.marilynjoyce.com

What Color is your Diet, David Heber, Regan Books

The Color Code: a Revolutionary Eating Plan for Optimum Health, Dr. David Heber, Hyperion

Begin checking out your local health food stores, especially the ones with a good book section, lots of fresh produce, and bulk food items you can measure out yourself. Experiment, and create a lifetime of health.

Sue Theaker is a former educator, owner of Simply Nutritious, and independent distributor of Juice Plus and NSA filters. You can contact her for a personal consultation or product information at www.juiceplus.com/+st43715 or by phone (928) 772-8091.