Lifestyle choices such as eating habits, physical activity and stress management can help maintain and improve overall physical and mental wellness.

With this in mind, College of the Canyons will host the “Body-Mind-Wellness Healthy Lifestyle Resource Fair” in March as the kick-off event of a three-month long seminar series focused on healthy lifestyle topics.

“The goal of this series of events is to raise awareness about how our lifestyle choices, however small they seem, can have a great impact on our physical and mental health,” said Sheri Barke, sports and wellness dietitian at the COC Student Health Center and one of the event organizers. “We hope attendees come away from this event with more information and resources to help them better improve their health.”

The resource fair will be held from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13 in the COC Honor Grove, located on the college’s Valencia campus. The event is open to the public and will include live music, food and prizes.

Attendees will have the chance to meet with various local businesses and campus groups that promote healthy eating, physical activity, stress management, health care and connections within the community.

In the weeks following the resource fair, the college will invite a series of guest speakers onto campus for a weekly seminar series addressing topics including healthy relationships, eating, sex, physical activity, money management, sleep and coping. A full list of seminar dates/times is listed below:

·      Healthy Relationships

Lori Bauer (SCV Child & Family Center)

2:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 13

Hasley Hall, Room 203

·      Healthy Eating: “Plant-Powered Eating for Optimal Health”

Sharon Palmer (Author of “The Plant Powered Diet”)

12:30-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 20

Hasley Hall, Room 203

·      Healthy Sex

Audrey Burgdorfer (COC Student Health & Wellness Center) and Katie Coleman (COC Sociology)

12:30-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 26

Hasley Hall, Room 203

·      Healthy Thinking

Garrett Hooper (COC Counseling)

12:30-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 9

Hasley Hall, Room 203

·      Healthy Physical Activity: “SNAC’s Plant-Powered Fitness Walk”

11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 16

Honor Grove

·      Healthy Money Management

Gayane Jerome (CSUN Financial Literacy Program Developer)

12:30-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 24

Mentry Hall, Room 353

·      Healthy Sleep

Rhonda Hyatt (COC Recreation Management)

2:30-3:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 1

Hasley Hall, Room 203

·      Healthy Coping

Dr. Darlene Mininni (Author of “The Emotional Toolkit”)

11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 8

Mentry Hall, Room 353

All seminars are free and open to the public.

These events are made possible with grant funding provided by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) and the voter-approved Mental Health Act (Prop 63).

For more information about the Body-Mind-Wellness Healthy Lifestyle Resource Fair or the upcoming lecture series please visit www.canyons.edu/bmw or contact Sheri Barke at (661) 362-3244.