Free health-centered classes are coming up this month at the Verdant Community Wellness Center.

All classes are presented by the Verdant Health Commission and take place at the Verdant Community Wellness Center, 4710 196th Street SW in Lynnwood.

Registration is required for most classes — see below for details.

What your mother never told you: How to use nutrition for optimal health and weight control during menopause

Date/Time: Wednesday, Feb. 10  from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Register: Registration is required – click here for details.

Description:
Kim Larson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, will discuss how menopause and hormonal changes affect body composition, metabolism and fat storage and how you can use this information to maintain or lose weight and improve your health and quality of life. If you are wondering about how menopause affects overall health, this talk is for you. Kim will explain how nutrition plays a major role in managing weight, blood pressure, blood sugars, risk for breast cancer and heart disease during this season of life.

Cooking Demo: Heart Health in Your Kitchen

Date/Time: Tuesday, Feb. 16  from 10-11:30 a.m.

Register: Registration is required – click here for details.

Description:
Give your heart and taste buds some TLC during heart month. Come learn nutrition tips to lower cholesterol and blood pressure without sacrificing flavor. Class will be led by a Swedish Edmonds Registered Dietitian. Recipes and samples will be shared.

What To Expect:  In Verdant’s demonstration cooking classes, participants meet in our teaching kitchen to learn from a Registered Dietitian how to prepare and enjoy delicious, healthy foods. Class is 90 minutes long. You will be seated learning about heart healthy foods and watching a cooking demonstration. You will enjoy a tasty sample of featured recipes.

NAMI presents: Communicating with teens about difficult topics: Mental health and illness, substance abuse and suicide

Date/Time: Thursday, Feb. 18  from 7-8:30 p.m.

Register: Registration is not required.

Description:
Parents and teenagers tackle challenging issues while the parent-child relationship is rapidly changing and the teen is defining his or her separate self. This presentation will give information about techniques to build strong and skilled communication so families can approach difficult topics. Hear from experts Shira Hasson-Schiff and Rhoda Schlatter, MA, LMHC. This panel discussion is free and open to the public.

Shira Hasson-Schiff, MA, is the Director of Prevention at Cocoon House. At Cocoon House, they work to break the cycle of homelessness through outreach, housing and prevention, with a focus on supporting teens/young adults, their families and the community.

Rhoda Schlatter, MA, LMHC is a counselor in private practice. Her areas of focus are teenagers, families/parents, transitions into adulthood, TCK’s (Third Culture Kids) and adults and LGBTQ individuals.

Living well through the end of your life — advanced care planning

Date/Time: Friday, Feb. 19  from 1-3 p.m.

Register: Registration is required. Click here for more details.

Description:
This free, two-hour community class for adults of all ages guides discussions on what living well means when facing a serious illness or injury. Each participant receives an introduction to advance care planning options, including informational handouts with questions and conversation starters that can be shared with loved ones and healthcare professionals to start building a plan for the future. Designed to be completely community-based, ACP classes are led by trained volunteer facilitators who are certified in the internationally recognized, evidence-based Respecting Choices model of care developed by the Gunderson Health System. Facilitators are up-to-date on care options and can guide exploration of personal values as well as translate those feelings into actionable plans.

Lower blood pressure and cholesterol with the DASH diet

Date/Time: Thursday, Feb. 25  from 6-8 p.m.

Register: Registration is required and space is limited. Click here for more information.

Description:
Verdant Health has contracted with Swedish Edmonds to teach this class.

February is Heart Month — so let’s do the DASH! Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) is a flexible and balanced eating plan that helps create a heart-healthy eating style for life. It has been shown to be beneficial specifically for lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and helping people meet a healthy weight. Join a Swedish Edmonds Registered Dietitian for an evening of discussion and cooking centered on the heart-healthy DASH plan.