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18 | January 23, 2020 | the mokena messenger news
mokenamessengerdaily.com
Tips on diet, exercise, mindfulness and more highlighted at annual Healthy Living Expo
Laurie Fanelli
Freelance Reporter
Whether attendees were
interested in diving into
a new exercise regimen,
trying the latest diet or
simply tweaking their
wellness plan to make it
more effective in 2020,
22nd Century Media’s
fourth annual Healthy
Living Expo had something
for everyone.
Held Saturday, Jan. 18,
at the Tinley Park Convention
Center, the free
event featured 70-plus
vendor booths, health
screenings, healthy cooking
demonstrations,
workout classes and
much more. The first 300
attendees were rewarded
with free tote bags and
stress balls.
Heather Warthen, chief
events officer for 22nd
Century Media, explained
that the event included
a complete approach to
wellness, highlighting
mental health, medical
services, mindfulness and
more, along with the staples
of diet and exercise.
“We brought back all
of our cooking demos and
we have a couple of great
speaker sessions with
Kimberly Kramer — who
is a registered dietician
with UChicago Medicine
— so those are really
exciting,” Warthen said.
“We also brought back
our workout classes again
this year.”
Heidi Richard, of UChicago
Medicine Ingalls
Memorial, and her team
spent the day sharing information
about the organization’s
primary care
locations, same-day mammogram
appointments,
innovative treatments and
UChicago Medicine’s
brand new podcast.
“We’ve just launched
a new podcast called
Mokena resident Mike Holstrom (left) stops by the Elite
Rehabilitation Institute to get a massage from Amber
Snapp.
‘Things You’re Too Embarrassed
to Ask a Doctor,’”
Richard said. “It
covers things that you
might not feel comfortable
asking like, ‘Why
do I have adult acne?’
or ‘Is stomach gurgling
normal?’ and a few topics
that may be embarrassing.
[The expo] gives
us insight into the voice
of what people are really
interested in to help us
inform what are activities
will be and to help us promote
people living well
and being healthy.”
Along with UChicago
Medicine, several Healthy
Living vendors shared information
about fighting
and treating the flu.
Physicians Immediate
Care’s Jimmy Quattrocki
explained that Alere, a
rapid flu testing device,
allows doctors to test for
A and B strands and diagnose
whether or not a
patient has the flu within
three minutes of the test.
“We have 43 urgent care
locations open in Illinois
and Northwest Indiana,”
Quattrocki said. “We’re
open seven days a week in
all of our clinics. We treat
anything from common
colds and flu to broken
limbs. We treat children
from two months of age
up to the oldest adults. We
take pretty much all the
major insurance plans —
we’re in network with all
Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Illinois plans — and patients
that want to see us
can make an online appointment.”
Newer wellness trends
also were showcased,
with several vendors offering
oils and products
made with cannabidiol
— a chemical found in
cannabis plants — to relieve
everything from
inflammation to anxiety.
Oils, edibles, smoking
products, inhalers and
more were available at the
booth of the Homer Glen
shop Hempology CBD
Store.
“CBD oil is going to
give you the medical benefits
without the high,”
Hempology owner Mark
Diorio explained. “It’s
non-psychoactive, so you
can take it and actually go
to work, function and do
your tasks, and get relief
for your anxiety or inflammation.
You can get a
better night’s sleep without
actually getting high
or stoned. If people come
to Hempology, they’re
going to find very good,
clean products that are
third-party lab tested, effective
and studied very
thoroughly by us.”
Brittany Means, of Cardio Party with Britt, leads a workout Saturday, Jan. 18, during
22nd Century Media’s Healthy Living Expo at the Tinley Park Convention Center.
Photos by Laurie Fanelli/22nd Century Media
Captain Quidel — also known as Codie Thompson — stands by the Quidel Flu Bug
car, ready to fight any symptoms.
Homewood resident
Claudia Montejano and
her sister Lorena Lira, of
East Chicago, Indiana,
were motivated to attend
the expo to connect with a
wide variety of vendors to
find what best suits their
lifestyles.
“I recently joined
Weight Watchers, so I
want to see how I can
incorporate some of the
cooking techniques ... to
revamp my whole eating
lifestyle,” Montejano
said.
Lira added, “I wanted
to see what workouts
work and try to get a little
bit healthier, because I sit
at a desk all day.”
Along with sampling
fitness classes and cooking
courses, attendees
were also able to taste
products from a variety
of brands, and She 100.3
was on-hand with its popular
prize wheel.
Following the Healthy
Living Expo, 22nd Century
Media is gearing up
for its Lady Expo on May
2 at the Tinley Park Convention
Center.