‘Make your life healthier, longer, and better’

LEOMINSTER — The ninth annual Choose Wellness health fair is returning to Sholan Farms this month — the passion project of a retired nurse who is committed to spreading the news about living a healthy lifestyle.

The event — being held on Sunday, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the scenic spot in Leominster located at 1125 Pleasant St. — will feature a number of health screenings, kids activities, and local vendors including farms, to name just a few of the many offerings.

Choose Wellness organizer Kari Radford first launched it in 2017 as a community outreach effort on behalf of the College Church of Seventh-day Adventists in Lancaster, where she has been a member for over four decades.

“When we first started the fair it was our goal to share information about how healthy choices related to nutrition and lifestyle can markedly improve a person’s quality of life and longevity,” the longtime Sterling resident shared. “Recent research not only acknowledges that but also has found that many diseases can be prevented or reversed. That includes chronic diseases, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. In fact, I found from a reliable source that about 85% of heart disease cases, the number one killer for many years, can be prevented.”

The screening section will include information about the Eight Laws of Health, a set of principles rooted in biblical teachings that promote holistic well-being — nutrition, exercise, water, sunshine, air, rest, temperance, and trust in God. Those who go through the screening section will get a free Choose Wellness tote bag, receive a raffle ticket for the chance to win one of the many prizes up for grabs, and qualify for a complimentary onsite chair, table, or hand massage.

In addition, a summary area will provide attendees with the opportunity to consult with a doctor or nurse practitioner “to see how they can make healthy decisions moving forward about diet and lifestyle,” Radford said ahead of last year’s affair, adding that “those decisions could change their quality of life and could improve their life expectancy.”

“It is important to note that nutrition plays a big role in creating the right atmosphere in our bodies to function properly,” she recently relayed. “So, it is more important than ever to share facts to lead people to make healthier choices.”

Radford reported that people around the world who live in the five identified Blue Zones —the Nikoya Peninsula in Costa Rica; Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; and the Adventist population in Loma Linda, California — tend to live 10 years longer than the average person in the U.S. and often live to be 100 or more.

“The research has identified nutrition and lifestyle choices to be the reason for that,” she said.

Choose Wellness will once again have information on organ donation and the kids area will include an art table, lawn games, bouncy house, face painting, and a teddy bear clinic where they can pick out a stuffed animal to take home and get it checked out.

“There will be healthy vegetarian and vegan food options to choose from and a farmers market area with a lot of fresh vegetables to purchase,” Radford said. “There is something for everyone and we welcome all in the community to come and check out some steps you can take to make your life healthier, longer, and better.”