Learn How To Prevent Disease At Fifth Annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference

Preventive Care specialist, Dr. Ruth Tanyi, is the keynote speaker for the fifth annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, Aug. 1 at California Baptist University in Riverside.


(RIVERSIDE, Calif.) Preventing disease through positive attitude and healthy living is the focus of the fifth annual Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference August 1 from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at California Baptist University in Riverside.

“The Healthy Heritage Movement (www.healthyheritagemovement.com) mission is to eliminate health disparities in the Black community by providing cultural relevant resources, peer navigation, and advocacy training,” said conference founder and organizer Phyllis Clark. “Now that we have a federal administration that supports wellness, we as a community must be proactive and diligent about accessing the prevention resources and opportunities that will be available.

Keynote speaker is Dr. Ruth Tanyi, who produces a weekly television show “Lifestyle and Preventive Care,” and is a lifestyle consultant for people who wish to learn skills to prevent disease and stay healthy.

“I will address the role of preventive care, positive emotions, nutrition and overall lifestyle in preventing and maintaining diseases,” she said.

“Dr. Ruth is a lifestyle and preventive care expert,” Clark said. “She will focus on how to manage stress so it does not affect our organs negatively, so it causes disease. Disease means dis-ease, because stress puts your body into dis-ease.

According to Clark, Dr, Tanyi’s presentation illustrates the physiological effects of stress, explaining how stress leads to not sleeping or eating right, and how that leads to disease.”

Dr. Tanyi lives in Loma Linda, where she is a doctoral program graduate of the Loma Linda University School of Public Health, with a specialization in preventive health care. She has Master’s and bachelor’s degrees in nursing, as well as a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

She developed an interest in health care and medical journalism while working as a health care aide while studying journalism in college.

Tanyi is also a certified family nurse practitioner, a certified health and fitness specialist and a certified nutrition specialist. She has written scientific papers for internationally known academic and medical journals, such as Journal of Advanced Nursing and American Journal of Nephrology Nursing.

Her television show airs is broadcast through Loma Linda Broadcast Network (www.llbn.tv), which is available on the internet and through Dish Network.

The other speakers also will emphasize ways a healthy lifestyle can prevent the onset of disease, Clark said.

The featured speaker Dr. Romeo Brooks, PhD., will present “Transform Your Language, Transform Your Life,” which focuses on the impact of the emotional language we have internalized. He will illustrate how thoughts affect our health.

Dr. Brooks owns Roots Nutrition and is a holistic healing practitioner. He believes one of the best places to attain and sustain good health is in churches, and has helped many churches create health ministries.

The other speakers will lead workshops during the conference.

• Marcy Duncan of the Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center will present a child abuse prevention workshop

• Denise Young of Brighter DAY Enterprises will present a financial health workshop. Young is a certified public accountant and a licensed California real estate broker.

• Gwendolyn Moore, a registered dietician who owns Nutrition by Gwen, will present a nutrition workshop. She offers consultation on nutrition, fitness and healthy attitudes.

• The Rev. Bronica Martindale, who is also a community health leader with the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health, Breanna Houston of Stroller Strides and Mai Brooks of Roots Nutrition’s Jump Rope Boot Camp. form a fitness panel, to present information and demonstrations on the topic of fitness.

The Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference, founded in 2005 by Phyllis Clark, addresses health care issues, especially those affecting African-Americans. However, the conference will present relevant information for all ethnicities.

The 2009 conference Master of Ceremony is Pastor Gerald T. Hightower, and focuses on preventive health care, in keeping with President Barack Obama’s goal for the national health care system.

“President Obama’s plan emphasizes that wellness is a shared responsibility,” Clark said. “It will empower Americans by providing resources and making prevention services accessible to all, and we are trying to do that in the Inland Empire”

Besides the keynote speaker and workshops, participants will be able to obtain information from local health care providers, and receive basic health screenings and referrals for other free or low-cost preventive health care services.

The 2009 conference is limited to 200 people, so advance registration is necessary. For more information or make a reservation to attend the Healthy Heritage Wellness Conference call (951) 288-4375 or e-mail hhwcmovement@yahoo.com

Sponsorships for this year’s conference are still available. They include The American Cancer Society, Pharmaceutical and Research Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), The Purpose Center, City of Hope, the Riverside Community Health Foundation, Inland Agency, Abbott, and Dameron Communications.

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