Recently the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on a large survey done on the eating habits of about 100,000 high school students. NPR ran a story on it with the headline: "9 in 10 High School Students short on Fruits, Veggies." I heard the story on the radio, and then surfed to the Centers for Disease Control's website to find the full report. It's official: fewer than 10% of U.S. teens are getting the total recommended amount of both fruits and vegetables! It gets worse: Only 13% are getting three servings of vegetables a day, and only 32% get two servings of fruit! And yet these foods contain the nutritional building blocks essential for helping your body become strong and healthy! So what's a malnurished student going to do????

Well for starts I can recommend a got a couple of terrific books to help you keep motivated to eat health. One of my favorites is The Smart Student's Guide to Health Living, by M.J. Smith. It's a wonderful book backed with easy ways to eat healthy meals and snacks, as well as other tips to keep you at your best. It even has easy recipies for you to try. Honestly the nachos, burrito bites, Bavarian Kraut Casserole, and crab spread (to name a few) sound delicious and a snap to make!

The Right Moves to Getting Fit and Feeling Great, by Tina Schwager, is another great guide to healthy living written just for young women. It covers all the things basics of healthy eating, and she keeps it fairly simple and to the point. But it doesn't stop there! It goes on to talk about body fitness, keeping a positive outlook on life, and exercise, excercise, exercise! She even throws in quick surveys to you can check yourself to see how healthy your lifestyle is . . . or isn't!

I'm not saying to scrap eating the occassional hamburger and fries (I love those too!). But would it really hurt us to snack more on a few more fruits and vegetables, and not go crazy over the chips and candy? Leading a healthy lifestyle isn't about being a fanatic. It's about taking the time to make better decisions about our own bodies! Robbie:-)