Doctor to open six-week wellness series in Geneva

LivingWell Cancer Resource Center, the first of its kind complementary cancer care facility in the Fox Valley region, is offering a special health series titled "Six Weeks of Wellness" beginning with the first presentation on Jan. 22 -- "10 Ways to Balance Your Hormones and Boost Your Immune System," from 7:30 to 9 p.m.

This program will be presented by Dr. Pauline Harding at LivingWell, 1803 W. State St., Geneva. This special event is free, however, registration is required. Call (630) 262-1111 to register.

"Six Weeks of Wellness" is a presentation series featuring six well-known and respected doctors in the Chicago area. Each week, doctors will discuss topics that are pertinent to the cancer experience.

Topics include: navigating your way from diagnosis through the end of treatment, new approaches in cancer treatment; facts about systemic therapy; truth about lung cancer; nutrition; and ways to balance hormones and boost the immune system. This informative series also will provide participants one-on-one time for open discussion.

Good health relies on a strong immune system. The immune system is a network of organs and tissues that protects the body from foreign substances. These substances include bacteria, viruses, and other infection-causing parasites, and pathogens. Usually, the immune system is extremely effective in performing its work of defending the body, but sometimes an error occurs in this highly complex system, and it can lead to terrible mistakes. The result can be an allergic reaction, which can be as simple as a case of the sniffles and as serious as a fatal condition. Or the error can manifest as an auto-immune disorder, such as lupus, in which the body rejects its own constituents as foreign invaders.

Harding will address 10 important lifestyle choices that can dramatically improve hormonal balance and immune system response. And she will discuss how optimal functioning of the immune and endocrine systems are key factors in treating many conditions ranging from insomnia, hair loss, fatigue, osteoporosis, weight gain, cancer and autoimmune disease.

Harding completed her residency in internal medicine, and her board certification in family practice. She is also a licensed dietitian and nutritionist. Harding is an instructor in the department of family practice at the University of Illinois/College of Medicine in Chicago, and has been on the speakers' forum for the Rush University Medical Center Conference for Body-Mind Healing. Harding has a private practice in Aurora.

If you would like to learn more about this presentation, or to register, call LivingWell Cancer Resource Center at (630) 262-1111. All services provided at LivingWell Cancer Resource Center are free. Visit www.livingwellcrc.org. LivingWell Cancer Resource Center is an affiliate of Delnor-Community Health System.