LaDon Buchholz thought she'd get a massage with the gift certificate her husband gave her to a local health spa.

Instead she turned it into the beginning of a lifestyle change. Two years later she's dropped 70 pounds and gained new habits.

She lost the weight by changing her eating habits and exercise, as well as regular visits to the Body Connection. She didn't use a fad diet, but a realistic approach to health.

Buchholz had fibromyalgia, a condition with severe muscle pain.

"With fibromyalgia, it was like the flu all the time," she said. "You ache and don't want to wake up."

After she shaped up, her symptoms disappeared, she said.

Healthier eating can be simple.

"It's things that are close to the Earth … not over processed," said Wanda Agnew, Bismarck Burleigh County Public Health nutritionist.

Bulking up on leafy greens and colorful fruits, and eating meats and cheeses in moderation is a simple recipe for a healthy diet. These items then need to be turned into three meals a day. It's not difficult, Agnew said.

"Sometimes people think nutrition is so complicated, but it is something we do every day," Agnew said.

Sometimes people will tinker with their diets for weight loss. These diets can be restrictive, such as limiting a type of food, or rigid, by giving a specific menu to follow.

"Human beings do not do well with restrictions," Agnew said. "We need choices because we are used to it."

Every time a person decides to eat something, they are making a nutritional choice. Some choices are healthier than others, and poor choices can lead to poor nutrition.

Good nutrition can keep a person healthy, and decrease a person's risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Nutrition and obesity are connected, Agnew said, but people can eat right and be overweight. If a person wants to lose weight, they also should increase physical activity, she said.

Meals should be made up of the major food groups and be comprised of recommended serving sizes to be healthy. Federal dietary guidelines give recommended daily servings for the major food groups.

Generally, people should eat two cups of fruit, two to three cups of vegetables, 6 ounces of grains, half of which are whole grains; three cups of milk, 5 to 6 ounces of meat, six cups of water, five to six teaspoons of oils and limited sugars and fats. Based on daily calorie intake, gender and fitness level, people can consume 195 to 360 calories of sugars and fats. Physically active people are able to eat more of these foods, while inactive people are better off eating less of these foods to maintain a healthy diet.

A trip to the grocery store can help people buy items for healthy meals. Agnew recommends people shop from a list, and shop for produce in a variety of colors. Fruits and vegetables of different colors have different nutrient properties, she said.

At home, people should have a basic assortment of cooking utensils and cooking knowledge. Healthy food can be prepared simply. Instead of frying food, which can add fat to meats and vegetables, it can be grilled or roasted. Agnew recommends a crock pot or table top grill to help make healthy meals without a lot of mess.

Someone else is doing the grocery shopping when people eat out, but good nutrition doesn't have to be forgotten.

"We, as consumers, have to know the basics," Agnew said. "We can't eat every meal at home."

Restaurants serve healthy choices, Agnew said. They also serve less healthy choices because they will cater to what the people want.

"I do not want to condemn restaurants, but individuals have a responsibility for what they order," she said.

People can order healthier entrees likes salads, or consider healthier side dishes, like steamed vegetables to french fries. Also portions can be controlled by taking part of the meal home.

Looking back, Buchholz can see how her habits affected her. She started making changes in 2004.

"My nutrition wasn't helping," she said, and she didn't exercise.

The people at the health spa helped her learn to eat right and exercise regularly to get down to a healthy weight.

Making changes in diet should be done slowly. Changes should be realistic, Agnew said. Some ideas she gives clients are to drink soda only for family members' birthdays and use special desserts for celebrations.

"Pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving is not why people are obese," she said.

People can get help with nutrition assistance from Agnew at public health, or online on the American Dietetic Association's Web site eatright.org or the government's Web site mypyramid.org.

(Reach reporter Sara Kincaid at 250-8251 or sara.kincaid@;bismarcktribune.com.)