Walking through the aisles in a grocery store can be overwhelming at times, especially when reading the nutritional facts and information about an item that has over fifteen ingredients, none of which you can pronounce.

Many Americans have diets that do not meet the dietary guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that over 365,000 U.S. deaths annually can be attributed to poor diet and a lack of physical activity.

Luckily for local organizations like the Holistic Health Center at SF State, volunteers are getting together to educate Americans --students especially-- on how to eat properly and actually know what is in the food we eat.

"Eat Well, Be Well" is an all-day event on campus that will be held on Saturday, April 17 in Jack Adams Hall in the Cesar Chavez Student Center from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm.

"The day will be filled with prominent individuals working in the fields of nutrition, health and well-being," Michelle B. Stauffer said on behalf of the Holistic Health Center. "It will be a truly inspiring day with two panel discussions and seven smaller workshops."

The event is put on mostly by students.

"Food is one of the most happily dominant parts of our life. But we have arrived at a point we are often unaware of the contents of our food and the effect they have on our bodies and us as a whole," human nature major and holistic health intern, Usha Gubbala,19, said. "This conference is an exploration of the foods that nourish us, heal us and energize us."

The conference will have speakers who will offer different perspectives on how to use food to enhance health and wholeness. It will also have speakers who talk about the emotional aspect of our relationship with food, as well as the role of food in influencing emotions. This segment will include the discussion of eating disorders and emotional addiction to food. It will also explore spiritual connections to food as well as provide information about veganism and vegetarianism.

The lunch will consist of demonstrations on how to make different foods.

"This is really about getting to know your body and your food and understanding more about treating it right," Gubbala said. "Food is supposed to be enjoyable and fun, and this conference explores a way to incorporate that with health and vitality."

"Eat Well, Be Well" is an annual conference hosted by the Holistic Health Network, an SF State student organization, and staffed by the Holistic Heath Learning Center, which is part of the Department of Health Education. The Holistic Health Network is dedicated to creating a collaborative environment for students to explore the dynamics of health and well-being of the whole person--mind, body, spirit, and environment. This is the sixth annual conference.

Past events have focused on using alternative medicine, being holistic and exploring more about self and being well.

"This conference is a great way for people interested in learning more about health topics or for people looking to connect and expand their health related network with experts from all walks of health," holistic health intern and business management major, Blossom Albuquerque, 23, said.

The conference is open to all individuals including students, family and friends interested in attending.

This year's workshop topics include Inflammation and Food as Medicine; Vegetarian, Vegan, and Raw Diets; Herbs, Essential Oils, Botanical Intelligence in Health and Healing; Treating Illnesses with Nutritional Supplements; and Role of Food in Food Addiction, Nutrition and Eating Disorders.

"It will be lots of fun. And there will be some great information to walk away with," Gubbala said. "It will also point us all in a healthier direction and equip us with the knowledge we need in choosing the right foods."