The purpose of the Community Wellness Fair is fairly simple: to expose Cochrane and area residents to the vast number of healthy and wellness initiatives just outside of their doorstep.
Four full hours of exhibits, speakers, demonstrations and entertainment, the wellness fair is slated to run along the track of the Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre (SLSFSC) Oct. 5. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“We’re trying to showcase what Cochrane has to offer,” said Candy Weisner, one of the event organizers and program planner with Cochrane Family and Community Support Services (FCSS). “We’ll look at wellness from all aspects — physical, mental, medical and spiritual — as well as how wellness increases connectivity in our community.”
The running track will be lined with more than 50 booths, each bringing something a little different to the health and wellness table. Included on the list of exhibitors are GoodLife Fitness, Healthy Hut, the Amaryllis Centre for Healing and Miss Mozart.
A number of local not-for-profit initiatives will be showcased as well. The Cochrane Activettes, who are celebrating their 35th anniversary this year, will be manning the entrances. Admission to the event is a food bank donation.
Kicking off the fair’s short speaker series will be the two-woman team from Breakthrough Junction: Gaynor Levisky, a life and weight loss coach, and Stefanie Copple, a registered dietitian.
Through their business, Levisky and Copple aim to change the way North Americans lose weight. Instead of encouraging a restrictive diet, the pair gives their clients the tools to listen to their bodies and make nutritious decisions that make their bodies feel good. They aim to connect the mind to the body.
“We want people to come to us, listen to us and go away with a positive message,” said Levisky. “When you have a community that is healthy — in body and in mind — you have happier individuals who are able to get involved, give back and connect with others. A healthier community is a better community.”
In their half-hour-long session, Levisky said she’ll be introducing fair attendees to what she called the four different types of eating: fuel, joy, fog and storm. In addition, she added that she will be teaching the audience how to tune into their bodies to determine hunger.
Her business partner, Copple, will be busting diet myths, sharing her nutrition tips and giving examples of how to apply these tips when buying groceries.
Tara Anderson from the Cochrane CookHouse will be speaking during the second presentation. She’ll be speaking on the subject of conscious eating and bringing mindfulness to the food we eat.
