There is no magic wand to grant health and weight wishes, said Holly Sperry, a certified nutrition and wellness consultant and owner of The Nutri Therapy Center in Centennial Mall in Craig.

"A lot of people want a quick fix," she said. "If there was one quick fix, we'd all be fine. Getting healthy is a process."

But, Sperry can offer some guidance on how to get started.

"I think people want to get healthy. They just don't know where to find the right help," Sperry said. "My goal is to teach this community how to get healthy."

Her first lesson: the "golden rule" of what to eat and what to skip.

"If it was given to you by nature, you were meant to eat it," she said. "If man gave it to you in a bag or a box, you were not meant to eat it. It's not real food."

No-nos

At the top of Sperry's list of items to avoid is sugar.

"Don't eat or drink sugar at all," she said. "Sugar is more addictive than any addictive drug, but luckily it's easier to break."

A list compiled by Nancy Appleton, Ph.D., cites "146 Reasons Why Sugar is Ruining Your Health." Appleton contends that sugar can lead to various types of cancer, polio, food allergies and learning disorders.

"Sugar is enemy No. 1 of the bowel movement," she writes in the list.

Sperry said sugar affects hormones that cause depression, anxiety and mood swings and can affect the immune system.

"If you're eating sugar, you will get sick easier, and it'll be harder for you to get over, too," Sperry said.

She recommends eating plenty of fruits, but that processed sugars - including foods such as cereal - should be viewed as a "once-a-month treat."

Soda pop is another big culprit, Sperry said.

"The phosphates suck vitamins and minerals out of your body," she said.

Instead, she recommends only drinking water and unsweetened tea.

Go organic

Everyone's heard the organic word.

Sperry said consuming organic foods is most important with meat and dairy products because of the common use of hormones and antibiotics in the animals.

"They'll clog up your liver like they do in the animals," she said.

Many producers use chemicals on fruits and vegetables, which Sperry said can be avoided by buying organically grown food.

"You don't want to eat pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and other chemicals," she said.

Hit the streets

Of course, no diet is effective in a vacuum. Exercise and other factors contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

Sperry said the best exercise advice she can give is to walk, walk, walk.

"Find excuses to walk places. : Whatever you can do to walk more will help you be healthier," Sperry said.

This doesn't necessarily mean pounding a treadmill. Sperry said even simple steps like parking far from a store's entrance can help.

She also suggests low-impact exercises of Pilates and yoga that are accessible to most people.

"They do the best job building muscle and maintaining health," Sperry said.

Meditation and visualization techniques can also contribute to healthfulness.

"Anything they can do to calm down their bodies and minds on a daily basis will keep them healthier, keep them thinking more positively," Sperry said.

Another key is using nontoxic, plant-based cleaners to clean the house.

"You will be limiting the exposure your family has to those toxins to keep you all healthier," Sperry said.

All in all, Sperry said that those aiming to earn a healthier lifestyle need to be patient with themselves.

She recommends setting weekly goals and starting slowly. She also suggests the 80-20 Rule - do what's good for you 80 percent of the time and live a little the other 20 percent.

"When you start learning about these things, start educating yourself," Sperry said, "it becomes easier."