Find your best self before the wedding ceremony and read marriage, relationship, and wellness tips from Denver wedding officiant, Michael Moody.

Michael Moody 4/18/19 Michael Moody 4/18/19

1 Life Lesson I Wish I Would’ve Listened to as a Child

Introduction

I try to live without regrets, but I often wonder how different my path would’ve been if I'd followed all the critical “life lessons” I was taught. Although I absorbed quite a bit as a child (and teenager), here is one lesson I would pay more attention to if given a round two.

Hug everyone.

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: As I mention this lesson, I now fear that my neighbors will think I’ll chase them down the block for a hug. Why not? Everyone deserves a hug! I’m not sure every stranger would welcome my open arms. A hug isn’t always welcomed, and I’m mindful of that. Nevertheless, I know that the root of being is interaction, and hugging is an emotional manifestation of this philosophy.

Although I’ve always realized the importance of physical interaction, I’ve been guilty of isolating myself at times. Call it insecurity or a simple way of protecting myself. It minimized my intimacy with people in all types of relationships-friendships, romantic relationships, family relationships, etc. Should I blame myself? My family didn’t hug much (although the love was apparent), and I didn’t see many examples of this affection growing up (known to me as “Eastern European Love”: a stoic emotional expression of love, but present in its own way).

Words of love are enough, right? Not sure anymore. Something is missing: Vulnerability. The alternative to hugging —lying on our backs like a dog —isn’t the socially acceptable expression of this intention for humans. Hugs are the next best thing. It is a statement of: “I trust you,” “I’m letting down my guard,” and “I accept you”… and who doesn’t want that love? My verbal language of love was functional but not complete for many years. My new hugs truly represent a new level of comfort with the people I love or don’t know very much, and my life is enriched as a result. I'm not a perfect hugger, and I still draw the line on hugs with strangers, people who don't show signs of being interested in hugs, or hugs that extend beyond a minute (and, yes, I did say that). It's a work in progress, and I look forward to reaching new (and longer) hugging heights in the next decade!

About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant

Michael Moody—author of the self-improvement book Redefine Yourself: The Simple Guide to Happiness and host of the “The Elements of Being” podcast—is an ordained minister serving Denver and other towns across Colorado. He is a 2023 WeddingWire Couples’ Choice Award winner in both Denver and Chicago (his eighth consecutive year), was named “Best Business of 2024 and 2025” by Three Best Rated, and earned “The Best Wedding Officiant in Commerce City, Colorado for 2024” from Quality Business Awards USA. Since 2012, he has officiated more than 300 weddings.

Specifically, Michael officiates wedding ceremonies in the Denver neighborhoods of LoDo, River North, Washington Park, Cherry Creek, City Park, Central Park, Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, Park Hill, Highland, Platt Park, Lower Highlands, Sloan Lake as well as the zip codes 80215, 80214, 80204, 80203, 80205, 80207, 80218, 80219, 80222, 80223, 80224, 80246, 80238, 80221, 80022, 80230, 80231, 80202, 80209, 80247, and 80210. Michael also serves as an ordained minister in Golden, Boulder, Breckenridge, Frisco, Aspen, Vail, Estes Park, and more.

If your Denver neighborhood or Colorado town isn’t listed here, no worries! Please contact Michael to propose a wedding ceremony location in a different area!

Michael Moody 4/10/19 Michael Moody 4/10/19

3 Healthy Substitutes for the Foods I Crave the Most

Introduction

In a healthy diet, you likely need to avoid your favorite foods, including pasta and ice cream. Is there a way to still indulge without feeling guilty? You bet! Here are my top three substitutes that will convince you that they’re the real thing!

Luna and Larry’s Organic Coconut Bliss Ice Cream

Ingredients: Coconut Milk (Water, Coconut, Guar Gum), Agave Syrup, Coconut Cream, Dried Coconut, Coconut Extract, Vanilla Extract.

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: Why I like it: It’s a non-dairy product with all of its fat coming from coconuts. While you still need to be mindful of your serving size, since it has 22g of fat and 16g of sugar, it will satisfy your craving for a milk-based product (which is more inflammatory)—an alternative to the alternative: any all-fruit sorbet with no added sugar.

Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce

Ingredients: Distilled Vinegar, Aged Cayenne Red Peppers, Salt, Water, Canola Oil, Paprika, Xanthan Gum, Natural Butter Type Flavor, and Garlic Powder.

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: I love buffalo sauce, but it’s typically 1 part butter, 1 part hot sauce — a no-no for an ideal diet. Frank’s Buffalo Wing Sauce is the best-tasting alternative on the market. You can add it to anything. Be mindful of your amount. It packs 460mg of sodium per serving. That’s a big chunk of the recommended 1500 mg of sodium per day in a healthy diet. Photo Credit: Live kindly.co

Banza Elbows Made From Chickpeas

Ingredients: Chickpeas, Tapioca, Pea Protein, Xanthan Gum.

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: No way around it: All pasta is highly processed and loses some of its nutritional value during heating. The Banza pasta noodles give you a higher dose of the valuable fiber and protein (14g) than the white AND wheat noodle options. It also contains only four ingredients and avoids toxic additives and preservatives in other boxed foods. Cooking tip: Boil the noodles until they’re al dente, then rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking (otherwise they’ll soften too much).

About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant

If your Denver neighborhood or Colorado town isn’t listed here, no worries! Please contact Michael to propose a wedding ceremony location in a different area!

Michael Moody 4/8/19 Michael Moody 4/8/19

A Simple 10 Phase Progression for Weight Loss

Introduction

Here is a simple progression to weight loss. You can start at Phase 1 and add the next phase (each in 1-2 week increments) until you reach your goal, or test each phase separately until you determine which affects your weight the most. Although I prefer a primary focus on nutrient-dense options, a caloric deficit seems to be the most desired first step for many clients. No matter how you approach this progression, try to find a sustainable combination of efforts that meets your needs (and it doesn’t need to be perfect).

Please note that I haven’t mentioned anything about fitness. Based on fourteen years of experience, I haven’t found a positive correlation between sustainable weight loss and killing yourself in the gym (unfortunately and fortunately). Many factors affect the caloric exchange between nutrition and fitness, making it very difficult to determine exact numbers (e.g., the machine claims you burned 600 calories when you only burned 325, due to factors related to YOUR body). Although the answer to weight loss is simple, it doesn't mean it's easy. I hope this structured approach will minimize any frustration. Good luck! Be diet strong!

Phase 1: Cut your total caloric amount by 25% without changing the substance (the type of foods that you’re eating).
Wedding Officiant Wisdom: Unfortunately, a caloric deficit isn’t enough to lose weight… but it can help initially if you’re overconsuming. Your body could only process so much food at once, and the rest is converted into fats, triglycerides, and more. Sidenote: You’re only creating a deficit based on your current habits. Most people tend to consume far more calories than necessary (1300-1700) for a sedentary lifestyle. By cutting 25% of your current calorie load, you are simply getting closer to this mark.
Phase 2: Cut down your caloric intake until you reach a range of 1300-1700 calories per day.
Phase 3: Cut down your caloric intake until you reach a range of 1300-1700 calories without exceeding 300-500 calories per meal.
Phase 4: Eat 3-4 meals per day with 3-5 hours in between each meal.
Wedding Officiant Wisdom: Timing is everything, and it usually takes 3-5 minutes for proper digestion and absorption. You want to avoid eating more food than your body can process at a given time (you know what happens then). At the same time, you want to limit any nutritional deficiency (who knows how your body will compensate). Do you ever feel stuffed or starved? Do you typically take more or less than 3-5 hours in between meals?
Phase 5: Eat 3-4 meals at the same time each day.
Wedding Officiant Wisdom: Your body wants to be an efficient machine that operates on autopilot. Most of the time it depends on its biological clock - a blend of natural and reinforced forces. With this being said, you can train your body to efficiently release a flood of hormones to help you utilize the fuel you feed it at the same time each day. You already did this in grade school when you ate lunch at 11:37 every day and still felt the hunger pangs at the same time over your summer break. The principle also applies to your efficient recovery while you sleep each night. Your body will naturally wake you gradually over the next 3 hours leading up to your wake time. Going to bed at the same time every night will reinforce this habit and wake you up without an alarm clock as well!
Phase 6: Substitute half of each meal and snack with vegetables (any plant-based foods).
Phase 7: Minimize one of the big five weight gain culprits by 25%, then 50%, and finally 75% over two weeks. If weight loss begins, continue. If not, try a second item from the list until you’ve attempted them all.
Wedding Officiant Wisdom: Our bodies are equipped to handle quite a bit. Like the rest of nature, the human body has boundaries, too. The following items have been scientifically proven to cause weight gain, inflammation, and more. Determine your sensitivity to each item and figure out what you can truly get away with.

· Grains, including whole grains or all-bran products (breads, crackers, rice, cereals, etc.)
· Processed foods (products with additives and preservatives; genetically modified foods; or anything else not in its whole, natural form)
· Dairy (butter, milk, and cheese processed from animals)
· Alcohol, refined sugar, and artificial sweeteners
· Animal protein with high levels of saturated fat (red meat, pork, wild game, etc.)
Phase 8: If minimizing each of the weight gain culprits separately up to 75% hasn’t led to weight loss, it may be time to make a similar effort with 2 or 3 of your most common choices on this list.
Phase 9: Try a perfect diet with all of the phases over two weeks.
Phase 10: Discuss your efforts with your doctor and test for deficiencies, diseases, or disorders.

About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant

If your Denver neighborhood or Colorado town isn’t listed here, no worries! Please contact Michael to propose a wedding ceremony location in a different area!

Michael Moody 3/21/19 Michael Moody 3/21/19

4 Quotes That Changed the Way I Approach my Day

Introduction

While reading Tim Ferriss’ book Tribe of Mentors, I often find many useful insights to integrate into my life. None have been more valuable than these four quotes.

”Live. Give. Forgive.” – Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks
Wedding Officiant Wisdom: Live, give, and forgive are three simple words that have guided me away from excessive ego, anger, and pain. Extending beyond my “ego” has not only enhanced my life with thought-provoking experiences, but the intent of “giving” has led to a new purpose and foundation of empathy. Although it’s always a work in progress, forgiveness is also equally important and has been an extension of this new empathy (as well as acceptance).
”One distraction I’ve learned to avoid is consuming media that’s just telling me things I already know and agree with.” – Julia Galef
Wedding Officiant Wisdom: A thorough dissection of the information I often seek out in the media reveals my tendency to gravitate towards pundits who support my personal perspective. How can I become more enlightened if I don’t identify my tendency to focus on the familiar and examine multiple paths of thought? With heightened awareness, I know I can identify these trends before I fall into my typical narrow perspective. I realize that I don’t need to agree with all positions; I should respectfully consider all factual evidence to reach a fair judgment (not an unsubstantiated opinion or typical pundit rhetoric).
”When something goes badly, I don’t automatically assume I did something wrong. Instead, I ask myself, “What policy was I following that produced this bad outcome, and do I still expect that policy to give the best results overall, occasional bad outcomes notwithstanding?” If yes, then carry on!” – Julia Galef
Wedding Officiant Wisdom: Life is a series of processes that often intertwine with many controlled and uncontrolled factors, as well as interesting coincidences. The results may become surprising outcomes. Regardless of the outcome, the process warrants examination for the sake of replication or avoidance. It may help me avoid many false positives.
”The moment I start one of these three behaviors—blaming, complaining, or gossiping – I become negative. It’s a sign of avoiding what I am responsible for: my life.” – Aniela Gregorek
Wedding Officiant Wisdom: When I blame, complain, and gossip, I now realize that I’m negatively spewing rhetoric beyond the basic awareness of a challenge or problem. I may still express disgust or distaste for an identified state of being or result. Anything beyond the initial reaction, though, I require myself to change or avoid it. My blaming, complaining, and gossiping are nothing but fruitless, disrespectful forms of banter that contribute to a hostile atmosphere (even when it’s directed at something negative itself). Instead, I try to start from a place of compassion and empathy.

About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant

If your Denver neighborhood or Colorado town isn’t listed here, no worries! Please contact Michael to propose a wedding ceremony location in a different area!

Michael Moody 3/6/19 Michael Moody 3/6/19

7 Kitchen Tools that Will Cut Your Cooking Time in Half

Introduction

Do you avoid cooking because of the prep time? Avoid no more. Here is the list of kitchen tools I use to speed up cooking. In many cases, the total time will decrease by 50 percent. Cook away, Chef!!!!

Instant Pot

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: The Instant Pot is basically a crockpot with pressure-cooker attributes. Like a Crock Pot, you can throw an array of ingredients into the pot and cook with little extra work. The big difference: The Instant Pot only takes a fraction of the cooking time. Your 8-hour Crock Pot simmer will turn into a 20-minute pressure-cooked phenomenon. Either method will save you time from constantly stirring stoveside. You may use the Instant Pot to sautee onions and garlic before cooking your stew, soup, or chili as well (which also saves cleanup time and fewer dishes).

PL8 Professional Mandoline (Food Slicer)

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: With 4 cutting options (thick slice, thin slice, julienne, and waffle) and 4 adjustable thickness settings for each, you will save time perfecting your slice and adding more shape to your life!

Apple Slicer

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: You can core and section fruits in one swift motion (8 wedges all at the same time). Less mess and time. “But it only saves you 30-60 seconds, Michael,” you say. Tell that to my screaming 2-year-old son, Preston….

Collapsible Salad Spinner

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: As described on Bed, Bath, & Beyond, “This salad spinner is so versatile as it expands for use as a large salad spinner and collapses in an instant for easy storage. Its high-velocity pull-cord mechanism dries your fruits or veggies quickly and efficiently.” Sold! Not enough? I also use the spinner to coat my veggies with a dressing or citrus evenly. Essentially, you’re spinning away the excess while coating each piece of nutritarian goodness. Perfection!

Stick Mixer

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: I typically avoided recipes that required pureeing because of the food processor cleanup. With the stick mixer, you can quickly and easily puree a soup in the same pot you cooked it in. It’s lightweight and quick to wash compared to the many parts of a food processor or blender.

Kale Slicer

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: This kale slicer is more of a kale destemmer than anything else. It makes pulling the leaves off the stem one easy swoop (a big convenience when using several stems in your recipe).

OXO Vegetable Chopper

Wedding Officiant Wisdom: Many of my personal training clients will avoid cooking because of the preparation (especially the chopping). Although you need to slice an apple, onion, or green pepper in thirds, this chopper will make the remainder of your chopping a breeze. Place the thick slices under the stainless steel blades and press down. Easy to dump into your dish and easy to clean.

Photo Credits:
Photo 1: williams-sonoma .com–Life may never be the same with the Instantpot.
Photo 2: mighty ape .co.nz– PL8 Professional Mandoline (food slicer)
Photo 3: kitchenettejen .com–Apple Slicer
Photo 4: blogtemplates. Info—Collapsible Salad Spinner
Photo 5: promotion. com–Stick Mixer
Photo 6: target. Com—Kale Slicer
Photo 7: crate and barrel .com– OXO Vegetable Chopper

About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant

If your Denver neighborhood or Colorado town isn’t listed here, no worries! Please contact Michael to propose a wedding ceremony location in a different area!

1 Life Lesson I Wish I Would’ve Listened to as a Child

Introduction

Hug everyone.

About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant

3 Healthy Substitutes for the Foods I Crave the Most

Introduction

Luna and Larry’s Organic Coconut Bliss Ice Cream

Frank’s RedHot Buffalo Wing Sauce

Banza Elbows Made From Chickpeas

About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant

A Simple 10 Phase Progression for Weight Loss

Introduction

Phase 1: Cut your total caloric amount by 25% without changing the substance (the type of foods that you’re eating).

Phase 2: Cut down your caloric intake until you reach a range of 1300-1700 calories per day.

Phase 3: Cut down your caloric intake until you reach a range of 1300-1700 calories without exceeding 300-500 calories per meal.

Phase 4: Eat 3-4 meals per day with 3-5 hours in between each meal.

Phase 5: Eat 3-4 meals at the same time each day.

Phase 6: Substitute half of each meal and snack with vegetables (any plant-based foods).

Phase 7: Minimize one of the big five weight gain culprits by 25%, then 50%, and finally 75% over two weeks. If weight loss begins, continue. If not, try a second item from the list until you’ve attempted them all.

Phase 8: If minimizing each of the weight gain culprits separately up to 75% hasn’t led to weight loss, it may be time to make a similar effort with 2 or 3 of your most common choices on this list.

Phase 9: Try a perfect diet with all of the phases over two weeks.

Phase 10: Discuss your efforts with your doctor and test for deficiencies, diseases, or disorders.

About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant

4 Quotes That Changed the Way I Approach my Day

Introduction

”Live. Give. Forgive.” – Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks

”One distraction I’ve learned to avoid is consuming media that’s just telling me things I already know and agree with.” – Julia Galef

”The moment I start one of these three behaviors—blaming, complaining, or gossiping – I become negative. It’s a sign of avoiding what I am responsible for: my life.” – Aniela Gregorek

About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant

7 Kitchen Tools that Will Cut Your Cooking Time in Half

Introduction

Instant Pot

PL8 Professional Mandoline (Food Slicer)

Apple Slicer

Collapsible Salad Spinner

Stick Mixer

Kale Slicer

OXO Vegetable Chopper

About the Author: Michael Moody, Wedding Officiant