My husband and I ate lunch on Friday at our favorite spot -- Heavenly Ham. Whenever we go, we both get salads and we love that we get to pick our lettuce -- spinach, romaine, and a spring mix are the options -- and all of our toppings too. A sliced hard-boiled egg, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes, and a mix of nuts are just some of what fills our bowls (no meat toppings for us). And while I order up a teeny, tiny bit of oil and vinegar on my veggie medley, my hubby always denies the dressing. The folks making his salads sometimes think he's crazy. How can he not douse his meal with something tangy, creamy, or sweet, some ask. His response is always be the same: There's no need for dressing with all the scrumptious treats he chooses. He actually wants to taste each ingredient. Adding dressing would make his salad taste like, well, dressing. He also wants a healthy salad. Dressing is one sure-fire way to transform a healthy meal into an unhealthy one -- so no dressing for him.

No dressing for one of the Heavenly Ham servers too. On Friday, she approached John and thanked him for the no-dressing idea. She told him she's nixed the dressing herself and likes her salads so much better without. She can really taste all the goodies, she told John, and the tomatoes, grapes, and cucumbers provide a perfect amount of juice for her mixture. There's nothing dry about her salad. And there's really nothing unhealthy about it either.

If you're looking to make just one small diet change, one change that guarantees a great pay-off, consider John's idea. It's helped him drop a significant amount of weight and improve his overall health. It can do the same for you.