Teenagers who think they have plenty of time to eat junk food before settling into a healthy diet could be missing out on a great opportunity to embrace the macrobiotic way of life.

Macrobiotics is a comprehensive approach to personal health care through daily eating and lifestyle, and making the transition at an early age is a good time to do it.

More importantly the diet, which consists of whole grains, soup, vegetables, beans and sea vegetables, is well established as an "integrated and responsible way of reversing degenerative illness''.

So says macrobiotic health educator Ms Carry Wolf, who will conduct a Natural Foods Workshop to encourage health awareness workshop at Wesley Methodist Church Hall Ms Carry Wolf.

Tonight from 6 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. Ms Wolf, who has taught seminars on the macrobiotic way of life throughout the US, Europe and the Far East, will help people to make the transition to healthier foods and she will educate them about food properties and the link between food and illness.

Tomorrow and on Sunday, she will be combining other healing methods such as exercise and meditation, breathing exercises, healing meditation and she will also hold a cooking demonstration. On Monday from 6 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. Ms Wolf will demonstrate macrobiotic cooking for children and teenagers.

"One out of three Americans are faced with cancer before they are 40-years-old, so it is time to turn around and change that by going back to the traditional food patterns and healing yourself by the your quality of health,'' Ms Wolf said.

She added: "Every person is his or her own healer. A macrobiotic diet can not only turn an illness around, it can also prevent the disease from occurring.'' Ms Wolf will also be offering private counselling in which people can receive tailor-made diets for certain conditions.

Anyone can attend the workshop at different rates. The complete course will cost $250.

If you just want to attend tonight, which includes dinner, the cost will be $40, Saturday which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner will be $95, Sunday which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner at $95 and food sampling on Monday for $40.

There will be a dinner party on Sunday at Wesley Methodist Church Hall from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and tickets are available to the public for $15. Tickets for any of the events can be obtained by contacting 295-3787.