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Jun. 22--WATERLOO -- Losing 20 pounds doesn't require taking the fun out of food and running your body into the ground. Quitting smoking doesn't have to mean submitting to a psychological and physical battering.
Instead, try exercising a few minutes every week at first, or cutting one cigarette from your day.
"Simple Pledges: Building Blocks for Healthy Living," the theme of this year's Speaking of Women's Health conference, encourages women to make big changes manageable and, therefore, longer lasting. Then maybe, just maybe, that decade-old New Year's resolution will be finally checked off the to-do list.
Tickets for the September event cost $30 and go on sale next month by mail order only. Look for registration forms in the Courier and on the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare Web site, www.covhealth.com, on July 11, the first day of ticket sales. Free health screenings, gifts and breakfast and lunch are included with the ticket price.
Keynote speaker Robin Smith, an author and psychologist who regularly appears on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," will address the wide-ranging impacts of stress and offer advice on how to manage it. The other keynote speaker, cookbook author Holly Clegg, appears regularly on national television shows like "NBC Weekend Today Show." She will offer tips on which small, healthy food choices can make a big difference in good nutrition.
"We're encouraging women to make at least one small change to improve their overall health and well-being," said Cassandra Foens, a Covenant Medical Center radiation oncologist. "The 'simple pledge' message is the ideal springboard to encourage women to be proactive in their lives, and that of their loved ones."
The event has traditionally sold out quickly, and organizers predict another early sell-out, so people are encouraged to register early. Proceeds from the event will go to Covenant Medical Center. The conference has raised $80,000 since 2004 for grants benefiting local charities like Habitat for Humanity, Kids Cafe, YWCA and El Centro Latinoamericano.
The Courier is a co-sponsor of the conference. Other sponsors include KWWL, Cool 105.7, Hy-Vee, ColorFX, Ad-Fax, John Deere, Bertch Cabinet Manufacturing, Cedar Valley Center for Facial Plastic Surgery, LSB Financial, 3-A-Day Midwest Dairy, Ob-Gyn Specialists, Ramada Inn, RWH Clinic for Women, Renaissance Plastic Surgery, Witham Auto Centers and Young Plumbing and Heating.
Contact Jens Manuel Krogstad at (319) 291-1580 or jens.krogstad@wcfcourier.com.
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Copyright (c) 2006, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa
Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.
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