Penn State Berks students majoring in Kinesiology and Communication Arts and Sciences will be working with Penn State Health and My Gut Instinct, Inc. at the second annual Guts & Glory Digestive & Wellness Expo. The event will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2015, (rain date: Sunday, September 20) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading, PA. The expo is free and open to the public.
The Kinesiology Department will have an exhibition booth where upper-level students will hold fitness assessments, measuring posture, flexibility, and balance. The students will then discuss the assessment results and provide recommended exercises when appropriate.
?This is the perfect opportunity for our students to relay information that they have been learning and to educate others,? states Helen Hartman, Senior Lecturer in Kinesiology at Penn State Berks.
In addition, students enrolled in the college?s Public Relations course are working with My Gut Instinct, Inc. to help promote the expo through a variety of print, broadcast, and social media. The course, taught by Catherine Catanach, APR, Lecturer in Communication Arts and Sciences, is providing students with real-world experience in promoting a public health and wellness event.
The Guts & Glory Digestive & Wellness Expo is the brainchild of Gastroenterologist, Dr. Aparna Mele, the founder of My Gut Instinct, Inc. Mele?s passion is educating the public about digestive health and overall wellness. The expo is billed as an ?exciting journey of wellness education, nutritional awareness, and health consciousness.?
"From the digestive standpoint, most diseases of the digestive system are related to what we eat and the weight we carry," said Dr. Aparna Mele, organizer of the event in an interview. "Maybe once a year we have a big festival to take stock of what we eat."
The expo emphasizes digestion and nutrition. The approach is to provide people with the knowledge of current diagnostics and treatments of gastrointestinal disease, encourage them to seek medical care, and empower them to take action to live healthier lives.
This event will feature expert lectures on nutrition, fitness, and healthy living; kid targeted zones on healthy eating and exercise; free screenings; holistic experts and stress relief tips; massage stations; group exercise presentations; healthy cooking demonstrations; an interactive exhibit of a human colon; informational booths; healthy food, and live music by Hector Rosado Band.
My Gut Instinct, Inc., a non-profit educational organization founded by Dr. Aparna Mele, produces the expo, promoting community awareness of health and wellness through preventative health and holistic wellness being. Penn State Health is the main event sponsor of the event.
For more information about the Guts & Glory Digestive & Wellness Expo, visit www.mygutinstinct.org.
