Archives: Events

Choosing Growth
Are you at a crossroads, contemplating the next chapter of your life, or simply seeking to enrich your life journey with purpose and joy? This workshop helps you engage in the art of personal transformation and tap sources of enduring well-being. Engage in reflection and reframing exercises, thought-provoking discussions, and practical growth hacks to spark curiosity, creativity, and connection in your life!

1. Introducing the Personal Growth Posture
Expand your understanding of adult maturity and longevity and learn how to use the personal growth posture to enable continuous learning adult transformation.

2. Practicing Everyday Presence
Success in any journey depends on a sound understanding of your starting position. Due to many psycho-social dynamics this is a surprisingly difficult to establish in personal growth efforts. Leverage what you already know about breath and mindfulness to improve your perception and notice your behavior.

3. Radical Self Awareness
Noticing and labeling your feelings and behaviors enables you to explore why they exist. Discover new lenses that help you evaluate patterns and enable you to choose behaviors that best serve you.

4. Overcoming Immunity to Change
Understanding your behavior isn’t the same as choosing your behavior. Reframe your definition of wellbeing and learn how to uncover unconscious competing commitments that hold you back and prevent you from living your ideal life.

5. Reframing Your Story
The stories we tell about who we are and where we are going have a powerful impact on the shape of our lives. Start from your foundation and reframe your self talk to support your ideal life and communicate the true you.

John Foster is a leadership coach who helps people and organizations perform at their best. He has served many of the world’s most innovative companies helping them through transformation and scaling challenges. He has deep expertise in psychology, organization behavior, leadership, and communication; and has spent thousands of hours facilitating workshops and coaching leaders.

John earned a Master’s degree in experiential learning from Colorado State University and a dual BA in Psychology and Communication from Miami University. He lives in California and enjoys family, travel, playing guitar, and woodworking.

The Great Microbiome: Our Greatest Ally for Optimal Health
It is becoming common knowledge that gut bacteria are connected to aspects of health, including inflammation, body weight, cancer, immunity, brain function, and so much more. Norma will discuss the benefits of gut bacteria and its impact on our health when out of balance, including how it prepares us for novel viruses that continue to evolve in our world today.

The Top 10 Ways to Heal Your Gut & Maximize Your Microbiota
Considering the amazing benefits of our gut bacteria and its implications on our health, how can we be sure we are eating to maximize our microbiota? Our gut bacteria are influenced by our diet, environment, age, activity, hygiene and stress level. Norma will discuss better foods, lifestyle choices, and updates on supplements that heal and support a healthier gut.

Epigenetics: Your DNA is NOT Your Destiny!
Our DNA was originally thought to be pre-programmed and could not be changed. We were stuck with what we got! That has all changed with the new understanding of Epigenetics, which is the ability of nutrition and other environmental factors to turn human genes on or off. In other words, our food intake and lifestyle behaviors have an effect on how our genes are expressed!  How about those “bad” genes that run in your family? There is new hope!  Learn how your family history, current symptoms, and/or genetic testing can point out deficiencies that can be supported with nutrition, supplements and changes in your environment.

BONE DEEP: Everything that Matters for Better Bone Health!
Did you know that the prevalence of osteoporosis increased for women from 2007-2008 to 2017-2018?  Is it true that calcium supplementation can be harmful?  Are there other nutrients that are more important for bone health?  What other factors matter for bone health?  Join Norma to learn a comprehensive approach to improve bone health.  It’s important for everyone, considering low bone density is prevalent in over 50% of women and over 30% of men aged 50 and over. We have a lot to talk about!

Norma Flood, MS, RDN, delves deeper to treat problems where they start.  Motivated by her own health challenges and those of her clients, she applies functional nutrition therapy to effectively treat or support digestive health, mental health, and eating disorders.  Life coaching is also central in her practice. With a background in Pharmacology & Toxicology, Norma’s journey started in research at Viagene-Center for Gene Therapy.  Personal health issues then moved her to get a master’s degree in nutrition and then complete her clinical training in a highly competitive dietetic internship at the UCSD Medical Center.   Norma was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student for her major, and the Outstanding Dietetic Intern for the state of California.  Her 20+ years of experience as a dietitian include UCSD Cancer Center, UCSD Medical Center, Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, SDSU Student Health Services and Athletics, and finally Private Practice as an Integrative and Functional Nutritionist. Norma also has a passion for reaching out to youth, which inspired her to start a school garden program at Painted Rock Elementary School, as well as establish Poway Unplugged, which included a tween/teen day camp to teach positive coping tools and balanced health to young girls. Norma is a mother to a 17-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son in Poway, California.  During her free time, she loves hiking, yoga, gardening and time with family and friends.

The Great Microbiome: Our Greatest Ally for Optimal Health
It is becoming common knowledge that gut bacteria are connected to aspects of health, including inflammation, body weight, cancer, immunity, brain function, and so much more. Norma will discuss the benefits of gut bacteria and its impact on our health when out of balance, including how it prepares us for novel viruses that continue to evolve in our world today.

The Top 10 Ways to Heal Your Gut & Maximize Your Microbiota
Considering the amazing benefits of our gut bacteria and its implications on our health, how can we be sure we are eating to maximize our microbiota? Our gut bacteria are influenced by our diet, environment, age, activity, hygiene and stress level. Norma will discuss better foods, lifestyle choices, and updates on supplements that heal and support a healthier gut.

Epigenetics: Your DNA is NOT Your Destiny!
Our DNA was originally thought to be pre-programmed and could not be changed. We were stuck with what we got! That has all changed with the new understanding of Epigenetics, which is the ability of nutrition and other environmental factors to turn human genes on or off. In other words, our food intake and lifestyle behaviors have an effect on how our genes are expressed!  How about those “bad” genes that run in your family? There is new hope!  Learn how your family history, current symptoms, and/or genetic testing can point out deficiencies that can be supported with nutrition, supplements and changes in your environment.

BONE DEEP: Everything that Matters for Better Bone Health!
Did you know that the prevalence of osteoporosis increased for women from 2007-2008 to 2017-2018?  Is it true that calcium supplementation can be harmful?  Are there other nutrients that are more important for bone health?  What other factors matter for bone health?  Join Norma to learn a comprehensive approach to improve bone health.  It’s important for everyone, considering low bone density is prevalent in over 50% of women and over 30% of men aged 50 and over. We have a lot to talk about!

Norma Flood, MS, RDN, delves deeper to treat problems where they start.  Motivated by her own health challenges and those of her clients, she applies functional nutrition therapy to effectively treat or support digestive health, mental health, and eating disorders.  Life coaching is also central in her practice. With a background in Pharmacology & Toxicology, Norma’s journey started in research at Viagene-Center for Gene Therapy.  Personal health issues then moved her to get a master’s degree in nutrition and then complete her clinical training in a highly competitive dietetic internship at the UCSD Medical Center.   Norma was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student for her major, and the Outstanding Dietetic Intern for the state of California.  Her 20+ years of experience as a dietitian include UCSD Cancer Center, UCSD Medical Center, Scripps Center for Integrative Medicine, SDSU Student Health Services and Athletics, and finally Private Practice as an Integrative and Functional Nutritionist. Norma also has a passion for reaching out to youth, which inspired her to start a school garden program at Painted Rock Elementary School, as well as establish Poway Unplugged, which included a tween/teen day camp to teach positive coping tools and balanced health to young girls. Norma is a mother to a 17-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son in Poway, California.  During her free time, she loves hiking, yoga, gardening and time with family and friends.

Mah Jongg  • The Beauty and Soul of Mah Jongg
Come hear Toby Salk’s lively lecture about the history of how Mah Jongg became so popular in the United States, how Mah Jongg has seeped into popular culture, and so much more. Toby’s mother and aunts played Mah Jongg before she was born. So, you might say she first heard the clicking and clacking of Mah Jongg tiles in the womb! Don’t miss this wonderful and wacky Toby Salk talk! You do not need to be a player to attend!

Beginners Mah Jongg–American Style (60 mins) – 4 sessions
This class will teach you the basics of playing American Mah Jongg according to the National Mah Jongg League Guidelines. The focus will be on tile recognition, rules, strategy and lots of fun! This is also a great class to take if you are rusty and want to go back to the basics. You must be present for the first class if you really want to learn.

After the end of a long-term corporate job, Toby Salk knew it was time for reinvention. She tried on all of the hats she’d worn throughout her life, seeing if one might fit again. One night, she was sitting at a dinner party with a successful bakery owner. She looked at her squarely in the eye and said, “You should be teaching Mah Jongg.” Before Toby could protest, she offered her bakery in the evenings for her first class. Experimenting on friends first, she then organized her first class at Sweet Adeline Bakery and had to turn people away. It was a huge success. Now she is teaching all over the Bay Area, including two exclusive women’s clubs on Union Square, Berkeley Adult School, Orinda Park and Rec, and private homes.

Our physical, mental and emotional health are interconnected as the very same things that are good for the body are also good for the mind. So too our spiritual health, our relational and financial health and societal health are all interconnected and intertwined. Through stories and science, we will explore the interconnectedness of these values and how aligning the many facets of our experience allows us to harness their power to lead more productive and successful lives.

Identify your Hunger- How to Tell Physical and Emotional Hunger Apart
Hunger is not only a physical cue for food but also signals our emotional and spiritual needs. This connection between food and emotion is not only cultural but is hardwired in our neurobiology. In this workshop, we will explore the science of hunger and understand why our emotions physiologically drive our desire for food. Participants will learn to distinguish emotional hunger from physical hunger and engage in an evidence-based practice to manage cravings mindfully without reactivity.

Redefine Nutrition- 5 Nutrients to Nourish You Mind and Body Day
Nutrition refers not only to the food that we eat but also the company that we keep, how we move our bodies and engage in sleep, rest and play, the content we consume and the words that we use to speak to ourselves. In this workshop we will broaden our definition of nutrition to include food, sleep, movement, nature, rest, play and the mind’s diet. Participants will learn actionable guidance on how to incorporate these nutrients into their daily lives in order to enhance their physical health and mental and emotional wellbeing.

Overcoming Saboteurs and Self-Limiting Beliefs to Achieve Health and Wellbeing
Our relationship with food is a mirror to our relationship to ourselves. In this workshop, we will identify the 10 most common saboteurs including perfectionism, self-limiting beliefs, lack of healthy boundaries that not only impact our relationship with food but also our work, our relationships with ourselves, co-workers, family and friends. Participants will engage in an experiential writing practice to uncover unique saboteurs that show up in our daily lives.

Self-Compassion: The (Surprising) Key to Transforming your Life
Self-compassion is not only kind, but is essential to our growth. In this workshop we will discuss why positive self-acceptance and self-compassion are necessary to forming positive habits and creating durable, lasting change. We will learn the three elements of an effective self-compassion practice: awareness, mindfulness and embracing our common humanity and together set the groundwork to implementing this essential practice on your own.

Adrienne Youdim, MD, is a physician, author, TEDx speaker specializing in medical weight loss and nutrition. Her mission is to empower people to adopt scientifically backed mind-body techniques to enhance greater mental, emotional and physical health and wellbeing. She holds multiple board certifications awarded by the American Board of Internal Medicine, the National Board of Physician Nutrition Specialists, the American Board of Obesity Medicine and is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians.   Her book Hungry for More: Stories and Science to Inspire Weight Loss from the Inside Out explores the emotional and spiritual hungers that present as a hunger for food. Dr. Youdim currently sees patients in her private practice in Beverly Hills. She also hosts the Health Bite podcast, ranked amongst the top 5% most listened to globally. Dr Youdim is a national speaker sought after by the media and has been featured on The Doctors, Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, ABC news, Inside Edition, National Public Radio among other news outlets. Dr. Youdim lives in Los Angeles with her high school sweetheart, three kids and labradoodle. In her spare time, she can be found running, reading and gathered around a home-cooked meal with family and friends.

Session 1: Intermittent Fasting for Optimal Health
Discover the transformative benefits of intermittent fasting and learn how adjusting your eating patterns can foster healing and overall well-being.

Session 2: Embracing an Eating Lifestyle for Longevity
Unlocking Your Vitality: Mastering Intermittent Fasting for Personalized Health and Lifestyle Success.

Session 3: The Fork’s Influence: Eating For Longevity and Vitality
Uncover the secrets of a nutritionally rich diet that fuels longevity. Identify foods that promote health, master strategies for sustained energy, and gain insights into making mindful choices, whether at the grocery store or dining out.

Session 4: Cultivating a Longevity-Focused Lifestyle
Learn practical, powerful habits designed to enrich sleep, diminish stress, boost energy and enhance self-awareness. Take home a personalized blueprint for long vibrant living.

Lucy Buckner is a certified expert in Health and Wellness Coaching, High-Performance Coaching, Life Coaching, and various yoga disciplines. With over 35 years of experience in the health and wellness industry, she has thrived as a corporate executive, educator, trainer, and sought-after speaker. Throughout her career, Lucy has inspired countless individuals and teams to achieve their highest potential, both professionally and personally, through sustainable lifestyle practices.

Passionate about empowering others to create lasting transformations, Lucy combines her deep expertise with a warm, motivating approach. Her background as a 15-year All World Athlete Ironman competitor brings a unique perspective on perseverance, mindset, and peak performance. Whether leading workshops or offering one-on-one coaching, Lucy is dedicated to helping people achieve optimal health and live vibrantly at any age.

Develop your visual fitness by exercising and building your creative muscles while enhancing your discernment skills. Enjoy unique interactive conversations and fun hands-on experiences that will engage you in SEEING MORE in art and life while at Rancho La Puerta.

Discover Deeper Meanings in Mexican Culture: Day of the Dead and Frida Kahlo’s Art
Use a Balanced Way of Seeing^® more as you experience an interactive, new way of understanding Mexican culture and artist Frida Kahlo (1907-1954). You will gain insight as you develop essential discernment skills noting the Form+Theme+Context (FTC)^® of symbols and traditions of Day of the Dead as well as Frida’s art to understand deeper meanings of Mexican life and art.

Conversing with Mexican Art: Up Close and Personal (60 min)
Engage in a hands-on, multi-sensory workshop to experience a guided, in-depth personal “conversation” with a postcard-sized reproduction to meanings in a Mexican work of art.  Using a packet of playful materials and creative strategies, each participant explores an artwork to reveals its layers of meaning.  This fun workshop concludes with an opportunity for lively group sharing of observations and discoveries.

Visual Fitness: Creativity Exercises with LINE + COLOR (120 min)
Develop your innate creative skills in this hands-on “workout” that uses Marking & Mapping^® to discover your “visual voice” and “inner artist” as you engage in visual meditation and warm-up exercises.  Have fun making playful marks using unique art tools that help you create a life map that reflects meaningful virtues, words, images, and events.  This eye-opening experience requires absolutely no previous art experience and results in a special souvenir to take home. Join us and surprise yourself!

Inspired by her profound experiences creating art and presenting at the Ranch for over 20 years, Renee Sandell’s Visual Fitness 4 All^® programs is the result of her over 45 years of art teaching experience in classrooms and museums. Believing in the power of art to facilitate human interaction, transformation, and healing, Renee’s art, teaching, and research focus on Visual Fitness 4 All.  A retired university professor, Sandell is the author of three books and multiple publications.  She was founder/director of SummerVision DC—a 4-day, museum-based, intensive bootcamp program she led for a decade until the Pandemic. Sandell has received awards for her Form+Theme+Context (FTC)® methodology as a Balanced Way of Seeing^®.  Sandell’s Visual Fitness courses and “workouts” are dedicated to engaging Creativity and Insight^®in everyone, everywhere.  She currently teaches for Smithsonian Associates Studio Arts, Yellow Barn Studio, and other arts organizations and venues. Renee is an actively exhibiting artist; learn more on her website and YouTube interview.

Mackenzie Feldman and Kathy Feldman will host a discussion about their book Groundbakers, including aspects of a sustainable food system such as soil health, land access, and food justice. Mackenzie, founder and director of Re:wild Your Campus, will also teach a two part workshop on becoming a rewilding advocate in your community and offer a demo of favorite recipes.

Groundbakers: 60+ plant-based comfort food recipes + 16 leaders changing our food system.
Join Mackenzie and Kathy as they discuss their new book, Groundbakers. The two will discuss the inspiration behind the book, the 16 leaders featured who are changing the food system, and all of the aspects of a sustainable food system including soil health, land access, and food justice.

How to Rewild Your Campus, 2 part workshop: Workshop #1: Our Deep-Rooted Dependence on Toxic Pesticides:
Mackenzie Feldman, founder of Re:wild Your Campus will lead us through a brief history of modern pesticides, including the development of glyphosate, as well as the various intersections of pesticides with environmental and social justice, including pesticides as a workers’ rights issue, a women’s health issue, and a system of chemical use that supports existing systems of injustice.

Workshop #2: How to Become a Rewilding Advocate
Mackenzie will discuss how to start an organic, rewilding effort in your community, including how to make institutional policy change, build strong, working relationships with groundskeepers, educate and activate their communities, and recruit a base of passionate people. She will also offer information on the growing network and how to connect with community members and students working on rewilding initiatives across the U.S.

Demo of Favorite Recipes.
Mackenzie and Kathy will also offer a demo of some of their favorite recipes found in Groundbakers.

Mackenzie Feldman is an environmental activist from Honolulu, Hawai’i. She is the founder and director of Re:wild Your Campus, an organization that works with students and groundskeepers across the country to eliminate herbicides from school grounds and transition campuses into organic, climate resilient spaces. Her campaign resulted in the entire University of California system going glyphosate-free, and Mackenzie worked with a coalition to get herbicides banned from every public school in the state of Hawai’i. Mackenzie is also the co-author with her mother Kathy of Groundbakers: 60+ Plant-Based Comfort Food Recipes and 16 Leaders Changing the Food System. Their book features well-known food system activists including José Andrés, Alice Waters, and Sean Sherman.

Kathy Feldman’s quest for plant-based eating began early on in life. As an animal lover, she stopped eating meat in the 11th grade, and started cooking all of her own food. One book, Diet for a New America, made her even more aware of the problem with our food industry, and how eating a plant-based diet makes a positive impact on our environment. When genetically modified papayas reached the market in Hawaii, Kathy set out to research GMOs, and was shocked to learn that corn and soy seeds are engineered to withstand the spraying of herbicides. In 2016, Kathy and Mackenzie set out to learn more about the food system, visiting 10 farms in Cuba and 20 organic farms in California and Oregon, keeping a blog about their experiences along the way. Since then, the two decided to write this book to share plant-based recipes and highlight some of the inspiring farms and food system leaders they met.

IG: @rewildyourcampus
FB: https://www.facebook.com/rewildyourcampus/
tiktok: @rewildyourcampus
website: https://www.rewildyourcampus.org/

Groundbakers:
IG: @groundbakersbook
website: https://www.groundbakers.com/

Retain / Reclaim a Clear Creative Mind: Cognitive Health Map
The body and mind are two sides of a coin. Identify the constellation of issues that diminish a mind that has the potential to sparkle.

 A Body and Mind Unburdened and The Activity of Sleep
Unburden the body and mind: The vital role of drainage and detoxification for a sparkling mind. Sleep is the “Good Medicine”. Re-establish a body/mind that nourishes your clarity and vitality.

Energy and Mental Clarity: They Have Their Roots in Food
Foods and nutrients are powerful tools to strengthen the body and clarify the mind.

The Gut-Brain Connection & Bio-Compatible Living
The “gut ecology” has profound impact on brain health, depression and mental coherence.

 Just Move!  Body and Brain Training

Leni Felton is a Board-Certified Clinical Nutritionist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She specializes in individualized programs to reclaim physical and cognitive health. She is trained in the Bredesen Protocol for reversing cognitive decline. Leni has a private clientele and collaborates with doctors in an integrative approach. For six years Leni worked with Richard Gracer, MD, at the Gracer Medical Group, San Ramon, an early Orthomolecular Doctor. She has designed and developed spa-friendly cleansing programs for her specialty of drainage and detoxification. A core principle of her work, for 20 years: the body and mind are inextricably linked.

Retain / Reclaim a Clear Creative Mind: Cognitive Health Map
The body and mind are two sides of a coin. Identify the constellation of issues that diminish a mind that has the potential to sparkle.

 A Body and Mind Unburdened and The Activity of Sleep
Unburden the body and mind: The vital role of drainage and detoxification for a sparkling mind. Sleep is the “Good Medicine”. Re-establish a body/mind that nourishes your clarity and vitality.

Energy and Mental Clarity: They Have Their Roots in Food
Foods and nutrients are powerful tools to strengthen the body and clarify the mind.

The Gut-Brain Connection & Bio-Compatible Living
The “gut ecology” has profound impact on brain health, depression and mental coherence.

 Just Move!  Body and Brain Training

Leni Felton is a Board-Certified Clinical Nutritionist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She specializes in individualized programs to reclaim physical and cognitive health. She is trained in the Bredesen Protocol for reversing cognitive decline. Leni has a private clientele and collaborates with doctors in an integrative approach. For six years Leni worked with Richard Gracer, MD, at the Gracer Medical Group, San Ramon, an early Orthomolecular Doctor. She has designed and developed spa-friendly cleansing programs for her specialty of drainage and detoxification. A core principle of her work, for 20 years: the body and mind are inextricably linked.

Retain / Reclaim a Clear Creative Mind: Cognitive Health Map
The body and mind are two sides of a coin. Identify the constellation of issues that diminish a mind that has the potential to sparkle.

 A Body and Mind Unburdened and The Activity of Sleep
Unburden the body and mind: The vital role of drainage and detoxification for a sparkling mind. Sleep is the “Good Medicine”. Re-establish a body/mind that nourishes your clarity and vitality.

Energy and Mental Clarity: They Have Their Roots in Food
Foods and nutrients are powerful tools to strengthen the body and clarify the mind.

The Gut-Brain Connection & Bio-Compatible Living
The “gut ecology” has profound impact on brain health, depression and mental coherence.

 Just Move!  Body and Brain Training

Leni Felton is a Board-Certified Clinical Nutritionist in the San Francisco Bay Area. She specializes in individualized programs to reclaim physical and cognitive health. She is trained in the Bredesen Protocol for reversing cognitive decline. Leni has a private clientele and collaborates with doctors in an integrative approach. For six years Leni worked with Richard Gracer, MD, at the Gracer Medical Group, San Ramon, an early Orthomolecular Doctor. She has designed and developed spa-friendly cleansing programs for her specialty of drainage and detoxification. A core principle of her work, for 20 years: the body and mind are inextricably linked.

Optimizing your Circadian Rhythm and Cardiovascular Health through Intermittent Fasting
Dr. Taub’s presentation will review the science behind intermittent fasting including some the research studies she has conducted. She will present practical tips on how to incorporate fasting into one’s daily routine.

Pam Taub, MD, is a board-certified cardiologist, professor of medicine and founding director of the Step Family Foundation Cardiac Rehabilitation and Wellness Center at UC San Diego. Dr. Taub was responsible for all aspects of creating the center.  She is an internationally renowned physician/researcher and is considered one of the leading experts on intermittent fasting.  Her research has demonstrated how time restricted eating (a type of intermittent fasting) can help decrease weight, blood pressure and bad cholesterol levels.  Dr. Taub is widely published (with over 100 publications) and has authored high impact publications in top peer-reviewed journals.  Her research highlighted by the prominent news organizations including NPR, and the Wall Street Journal.

Session 1: Discover 7 Surefire Ways to Power Up Your Bones
Let’s get personal…I’m sharing a nutritionist’s perspective on lessons learned over the last decade, and you will go home with recipes and tools for you to assess your bone-supportive nutrition and personalize your plan.

• Be strategic with a 2-pronged approach
• Make it an integrated plan
• Know your numbers
• Keep your eye on the prize, preventing a fracture
• When it comes to nutrition, bones don’t rely on one nutrient or food alone!
• Your unique gene blueprint can deeply impact your bone structure
• You need a healthy gut to absorb nutrients

Session 2: The Calcium Conundrum
Where do cows get their calcium, and other conundrums about calcium, minerals and our bone health!

• Overview of the biology calcium in the body
• How to optimize calcium intake and absorption
• Best sources of calcium
• Directing calcium into the bone and away from soft tissue/arteries
• Beyond calcium; other key minerals

Session 3: The Protein Paradox
Optimal protein status improves bone health but how much is optimal? Discover how to create a delicate metabolic balance!

• Eating patterns and bone health
• Populations studies and osteoporosis risk
• Sarcopenia and relationship with protein intake, bone health and fracture risk
• How to assess and optimize intake
• Protein requirement and dietary sources
• Alkalinity, protein, and bone health

Session 4: The Gut-Bone Connection
You are not what you eat, but what you absorb! The connection may seem surprising, but ultimately optimal bone health is dependent on a good healthy gut.

• How the gut microbiome affects bone health
• Assessing your gut health – What’s normal?
• What to add and what to remove:  Key nutrients
• Consider healing foods and favorite herbals to stimulate digestion and nourish the gut

Susan McCandless, RDN, CLT, IFNCP, a Functional Dietitian Nutritionist, is a sought-after speaker known for her expertise in delivering engaging educational workshops. She is an effective health coach with a distinct ability to translate the science right to the plate and inspire powerful diet and lifestyle habits. Board Certified in Integrative and Functional Nutrition, Susan understands how body systems work together. She focuses on improving client function by treating the root cause of disease and dis-ease. In her private practice with MINT Nutrition, Susan is delivers clients proven results through in-depth assessment, food-first solutions and a personalize nutrition toolbox.  Susan holds advanced certifications in integrative and functional nutrition, lifestyle medicine, nutrigenetics, food sensitivities and intuitive eating.mintnutrition.org

Nutritional Resilience & Performance
Our food choices also impact anxiety levels and stress, both of which can impair the inner shield of our resilience. Saliva is really the first defense to elevate our level of digestion, immune strength and overall resilience. Learn some of the silent and hidden foods that damage our resilience and alter our saliva production. Discover the importance that saliva is for recovering from illness and bringing about homeostasis.  Learn tips and tools for helping you detect if you have a saliva output that is beneficial to you and how to correct if it is not optimal.  Have an opportunity to be on the cutting edge of what emerging research is saying for its impact with immune system and digestion.

Unlocking the Keys to EAT this WAY and FEEL That!    Parts 1 and 2
We know nutrition and what we eat can affect us greatly. However, many of us haven’t made a good awareness link to Eat THIS, Feel THAT and Perform like THIS. Can you eat for better sleep? Can you choose foods to maximize your energy midafternoon and minimize the fatigue dip? How about eat to calm nerves, alleviate jet lag and even build immune system resilience. In two sessions, explore all the links of great high performance eating to create the state you want for your day. Forty percent of the way you FEEL right now is due to your last meal. What IF we could think ahead — what do you have to do in the next two hours — you could design your eating!!

Patti T. Milligan, PhD, RD, CNS, has been in the nutrition field for 40 years.  She just completed her doctorate in Neuroscience of Taste with her thesis on saliva and its impact on jet lag and kids’ taste buds. She has conducted nutritional research with US national athletes, as well as created and taught corporate wellness programs throughout the US and Europe. She has authored hundreds of articles and has appeared on numerous national TV news segments. She consults with high level executives and C level leadership on human resilience, performance brain nutrition and regenerative nutrition protocols. She has developed a travel resilience kit — Personal Jet Fuel to keep you well (renewal kit.com). She is also a TEDx speaker:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysipr1lDyuU

Nutritional Resilience & Performance
Our food choices also impact anxiety levels and stress, both of which can impair the inner shield of our resilience. Saliva is really the first defense to elevate our level of digestion, immune strength and overall resilience. Learn some of the silent and hidden foods that damage our resilience and alter our saliva production. Discover the importance that saliva is for recovering from illness and bringing about homeostasis.  Learn tips and tools for helping you detect if you have a saliva output that is beneficial to you and how to correct if it is not optimal.  Have an opportunity to be on the cutting edge of what emerging research is saying for its impact with immune system and digestion. Nutritional Resilience by Patti T Milligan
Nutritional Resilience&Performance

Unlocking the Keys to EAT this WAY and FEEL That! Parts 1 and 2
We know nutrition and what we eat can affect us greatly. However, many of us haven’t made a good awareness link to Eat THIS, Feel THAT and Perform like THIS. Can you eat for better sleep? Can you choose foods to maximize your energy midafternoon and minimize the fatigue dip? How about eat to calm nerves, alleviate jet lag and even build immune system resilience. In two sessions, explore all the links of great high performance eating to create the state you want for your day. Forty percent of the way you FEEL right now is due to your last meal. What IF we could think ahead — what do you have to do in the next two hours — you could design your eating!!

Patti T. Milligan, PhD, RD, CNS, has been in the nutrition field for 40 years.  She just completed her doctorate in Neuroscience of Taste with her thesis on saliva and its impact on jet lag and kids’ taste buds. She has conducted nutritional research with US national athletes, as well as created and taught corporate wellness programs throughout the US and Europe. She has authored hundreds of articles and has appeared on numerous national TV news segments. She consults with high level executives and C level leadership on human resilience, performance brain nutrition and regenerative nutrition protocols. She has developed a travel resilience kit — Personal Jet Fuel to keep you well (renewal kit.com). She is also a TEDx speaker:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ysipr1lDyuU

Where Love of Wisdom & Truth Meet
Philosophy – the love of wisdom, and science – the search for truth, are intertwined and complementary. Both seek the advancement of knowledge, and the recent accomplishments in so many disciplines have been breathtaking. Answers revealed as universal truths become apparent, yet ever more questions arise. From the origin of the universe to the magic and mystery of love, enjoy an enchanting tour of our amazing world. Where Love of Wisdom & Love of Truth Meet

Quest for Immortality & Vitality
An informative and entertaining program on the rapidly advancing field of age management with precision and preventive medicine. It offers a clear understanding of the advances and breakthroughs that are redefining our expectations of longevity and vitality. In addition to valuable and practical information, the program encourages and motivates the embrace of a healthy living and wellness philosophy.

Love Your Gut!
The amazing world within offers great opportunities for extended vibrant health & well-being, The interconnection between gut, microbes, genes, nervous system, and diet is astonishingly sophisticated. These and other recent discoveries about the redefined human organism, including the importance of love, laughter, and social connection have revolutionized our understanding of human health and disease. Love Your Gut!

Wholeheartedly Embracing a Sensational Life
We all too often under-appreciate our remarkable five physical senses of touch, vision, hearing, taste, and smell. We are also blessed with the incredible gifts of the senses of humor, compassion, purpose, gratitude, wonder, and love. We have inherited tremendous gifts from the wisdom keepers of the past that have illuminated our path to ever greater enlightenment. Hope springs eternal that the wisdom keepers of today & tomorrow will bring wise balance to the exponential growth of knowledge using the most important, yet rarest sense of them all, common sense. Whole-Heartedly Embracing a Sensational Life!

Joseph B. Weiss, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF, is Clinical Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology) at the University of California, San Diego. He graduated from the Wayne State University School of Medicine, completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of California at Irvine, and did his clinical and research fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of California, San Diego. He is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. Under the auspices of the World Health Organization and others, he has pursued interests in Tropical and International Medicine and Public Health with stays in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Dr. Weiss is also an accomplished humorist, professional speaker and the author of many acclaimed books on the topics of health, wellness, digestion and nutrition. He has presented at international conferences, universities, medical centers, Fortune 500 companies, YPO/WPO, Bohemian Grove, Esalen, Aspen Brain Forum and international spas and resorts. He has co-hosted a popular health radio talk show, “Health News and Views” and truly enjoys educating and entertaining his audiences!

Where Love of Wisdom & Truth Meet
Philosophy – the love of wisdom, and science – the search for truth, are intertwined and complementary. Both seek the advancement of knowledge, and the recent accomplishments in so many disciplines have been breathtaking. Answers revealed as universal truths become apparent, yet ever more questions arise. From the origin of the universe to the magic and mystery of love, enjoy an enchanting tour of our amazing world. Where Love of Wisdom & Love of Truth Meet

Quest for Immortality & Vitality
An informative and entertaining program on the rapidly advancing field of age management with precision and preventive medicine. It offers a clear understanding of the advances and breakthroughs that are redefining our expectations of longevity and vitality. In addition to valuable and practical information, the program encourages and motivates the embrace of a healthy living and wellness philosophy.

Love Your Gut!
The amazing world within offers great opportunities for extended vibrant health & well-being, The interconnection between gut, microbes, genes, nervous system, and diet is astonishingly sophisticated. These and other recent discoveries about the redefined human organism, including the importance of love, laughter, and social connection have revolutionized our understanding of human health and disease. Love Your Gut!

Wholeheartedly Embracing a Sensational Life
We all too often under-appreciate our remarkable five physical senses of touch, vision, hearing, taste, and smell. We are also blessed with the incredible gifts of the senses of humor, compassion, purpose, gratitude, wonder, and love. We have inherited tremendous gifts from the wisdom keepers of the past that have illuminated our path to ever greater enlightenment. Hope springs eternal that the wisdom keepers of today & tomorrow will bring wise balance to the exponential growth of knowledge using the most important, yet rarest sense of them all, common sense. Whole-Heartedly Embracing a Sensational Life!

Joseph B. Weiss, MD, FACP, FACG, AGAF, is Clinical Professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology) at the University of California, San Diego. He graduated from the Wayne State University School of Medicine, completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at the University of California at Irvine, and did his clinical and research fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of California, San Diego. He is Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. Under the auspices of the World Health Organization and others, he has pursued interests in Tropical and International Medicine and Public Health with stays in Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Dr. Weiss is also an accomplished humorist, professional speaker and the author of many acclaimed books on the topics of health, wellness, digestion and nutrition. He has presented at international conferences, universities, medical centers, Fortune 500 companies, YPO/WPO, Bohemian Grove, Esalen, Aspen Brain Forum and international spas and resorts. He has co-hosted a popular health radio talk show, “Health News and Views” and truly enjoys educating and entertaining his audiences!

Boost Brain Health: Holistic Solutions for Memory, Focus & Clarity
Improve brain function and prevent early aging with diet. Your brain needs essential nutrients for your nervous system, memory and learning. Learn to improve cognition, energy and fight free radicals using whole foods and expert-approved supplements. Keep your brain sharp with these wellness tips!

Don’t Sweat Stress & Anxiety: Nutrition & Mindfulness Remedies
Optimize your mental health with expert-approved foods herbs and supplements for a less-stressed YOU.  Certain diets have been shown to boost mood, calm the brain and improve focus. Learn which superfoods are key to living a stress-free life.

Detoxify Your Body: Lower inflammation and Reset Your Metabolism
Reducing your toxin load is key to a healthy mind and body. Learn to curb cravings, mitigate symptoms and increase energy with easy strategies.

Sexual Health for Men and Women
What we eat affects our energy, mood and hormones. Many foods and supplements contain natural aphrodisiacs! Improving blood flow is crucial to sexual wellness. Learn how a nutritious diet can improve fertility, stamina, libido and even heart health!

Kim Ross, MS, RD, CDN takes a holistic, integrative approach to health.  Nutritional treatments are aimed at enhancing the body’s ability to heal and detoxify itself. Kim’s individualized programs incorporate a variety of techniques and tools that enhance optimal health including nutraceuticals, homeopathy and herbs. After receiving a BA from University of Michigan, Kim received an MS from New York University in clinical nutrition. She has a certificate in holistic nutrition and completed a fellowship in herbal medicine through the Association for the Advancement of Restorative Medicine. Past affiliations include Equinox, Rockefeller University and NYU Fertility Center. Currently, Kim lectures nationwide on cutting-edge health topics, consults to businesses and maintains a private practice in Manhattan

Boost Brain Health: Holistic Solutions for Memory, Focus & Clarity
Improve brain function and prevent early aging with diet. Your brain needs essential nutrients for your nervous system, memory and learning. Learn to improve cognition, energy and fight free radicals using whole foods and expert-approved supplements. Keep your brain sharp with these wellness tips!

Don’t Sweat Stress & Anxiety: Nutrition & Mindfulness Remedies
Optimize your mental health with expert-approved foods herbs and supplements for a less-stressed YOU.  Certain diets have been shown to boost mood, calm the brain and improve focus. Learn which superfoods are key to living a stress-free life.

Detoxify Your Body: Lower inflammation and Reset Your Metabolism
Reducing your toxin load is key to a healthy mind and body. Learn to curb cravings, mitigate symptoms and increase energy with easy strategies.

Sexual Health for Men and Women
What we eat affects our energy, mood and hormones. Many foods and supplements contain natural aphrodisiacs! Improving blood flow is crucial to sexual wellness. Learn how a nutritious diet can improve fertility, stamina, libido and even heart health!

Kim Ross, MS, RD, CDN takes a holistic, integrative approach to health.  Nutritional treatments are aimed at enhancing the body’s ability to heal and detoxify itself. Kim’s individualized programs incorporate a variety of techniques and tools that enhance optimal health including nutraceuticals, homeopathy and herbs. After receiving a BA from University of Michigan, Kim received an MS from New York University in clinical nutrition. She has a certificate in holistic nutrition and completed a fellowship in herbal medicine through the Association for the Advancement of Restorative Medicine. Past affiliations include Equinox, Rockefeller University and NYU Fertility Center. Currently, Kim lectures nationwide on cutting-edge health topics, consults to businesses and maintains a private practice in Manhattan

Reversing Illness: Lessons from Integrative Medicine
Given the incredible advances of modern medicine, it is surprising that its focus is more often on managing chronic disease, than reversing it. Increasing numbers of adults find themselves with several diagnoses for which they may take multiple medications.  In this engaging presentation, Dr Victoria Maizes will present Integrative Medicine approaches that can help people reverse or recover from common chronic illnesses including metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease and more. She will discuss novel research on circadian medicine, the microbiome, psychedelic therapy, as well as the role of restorative sleep.

Nourishing Your Health by Living Green
Modern life exposes us to chemicals that may be subtly or profoundly impacting our health.  We absorb toxins in the food we eat, the beverages we drink, the products we put on our skin, and the cleansers we use in and around our homes. Mounting evidence links environmental toxins to developmental disorders, obesity, heart disease, and cancer. Dr. Victoria Maizes addresses the evidence for harm, practical steps we can all take to reduce exposures, and the multitude of resources that can help nourish our own health and that of future generations.

Vibrantly Healthy Women
Questions about women’s health and well-being frequently arise in an integrative health practice. Whether it is concern about changes coinciding with menopause, hormones, sexuality, healthy bones, or weight loss, Dr. Victoria Maizes, an internationally recognized women’s health expert will address the science that supports women in their efforts to live vibrantly healthy lives.

Dr. Victoria Maizes is the Founding Executive Director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine and is a Professor of Medicine, Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Arizona Internationally recognized as a leader in integrative medicine, Dr. Maizes is committed to helping individuals live healthier lives and pioneering change efforts that solve US health care system problems. Together with her team at the Center for Integrative Medicine, she created and implemented educational programs that have trained thousands of physicians, nurses, and other health professionals and impacted the care of millions of patients. A highly sought-after speaker, she is the editor of the Oxford University textbook Integrative Women’s Health and the author of Be Fruitful: The Essential Guide to Maximizing Fertility and Giving Birth to a Healthy Child. She co-hosts (with Dr Andrew Weil) the popular podcast Body of Wonder and was named one of the world’s 25 intelligent optimists by ODE magazine.

Women World Leaders – Lessons of Leadership Stories of Women Presidents and Prime Ministers
Laura Liswood presents her 30-minute PBS documentary which she wrote, created and produced.  Interviews include women leaders such as Margaret Thatcher, Benazir Bhutto, Mary Robinson, and Corazon Aquino.  A discussion of her journey to meet the 15 women presidents and prime ministers and what she learned from them will follow after the showing of the film.

Lessons and Myths of Leadership
What are the myths of leadership that some women (and men) believe, and how do these myths pose challenges for women in their leadership roles? What are the best practices of excellent leaders, and what additional lessons can we learn from women who have led their country? Offering a unique perspective on enhancing opportunities to successfully lead an organization and shape a career, Laura Liswood, former Senior Advisor to Goldman Sachs and Secretary General of the Council of Women World Leaders, shares insights based on her work which became a book and video documentary entitled Women World Leaders-15 Great Leaders Tell Their Story (Harper/Pandora).

Finding the Leader Within You
The session looks at great leaders and how to see yourself in them and their actions and traits. We all potentially have traits of leadership-courage, energy, emotional intelligence, communication styles, ability to listen, be curious, create trust and hope in others. This session allows the participants to look at their own life experiences and find the leadership behaviors in themselves. Women and men display their ambitions differently. Public recognition for performance is more likely to go to men, and women don’t get, or they give away, that recognition to their detriment. We will discuss how each of them deals with ambition and the challenges they face. Men and women are rated equally successfully when measured as effective leaders but women don’t make it to the top in equal numbers. What is happening? The pipeline is full but the number of men leaders still far exceeds the number of women. How can women claim their authority to lead and feel entitled to lead?

Cultivating a Growth Mindset in Your Life and Work
The growth mindset helps us live our lives fully with a belief that talents, abilities, and intelligence can be developed through hard work, willingness to learn and to expand ourselves through challenge, feedback and failure. It is the concept of “Not Yet” rather than “Not Ever”. We learn from our productive mistakes, and being open to continuous exploration and discovery. This is opposed to a fix mindset with the belief that intelligence is static and unchanging. In personal relationships the growth mindset overturns myths about how to have a successful personal life. This mindset believes that many problems can be solved through communication, curiosity and openness.  The growth mindset embraces diversity and differences and the value it brings to our lives.

Laura Liswood, JD/MBA is a passionate advocate for leadership, diversity and inclusion and is a sought-after speaker, author, and global thought leader on these topics.  She particularly enjoys highly interactive sessions with her audiences and uses humor and research to convey her message. She created a PBS documentary and book on her interviews with women presidents and prime ministers and was appointed Managing Director for Global Leadership and Diversity at Goldman Sachs.  After 9/11 Laura decided to become a first responder, and became a police officer in the Washington DC Metropolitan Police Department, retiring as a sergeant. She is the author of four books, including The Loudest Duck: Moving Beyond Diversity, and The Elephant and the Mouse: Moving Beyond the Illusion of Inclusion