Ignite Health Ontario will take place at Covent Garden Market Oct. 24

London Community News

By Sean Meyer/London Community News/Twitter: Newswriter22 Last November, Michelle Clermont attended the Ignite London event and quickly found herself inspired to do create an event that would create excitement around health. Following events such as Ignite Culture and Ignite Charity, Clermont said she was inspired to begin working with the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution as the volunteer ambassador for London. That Food Revolution event, held in May, focused on food and ensuring that people consider avoiding processed foods. That message, however, opened itself to a focus on more than just food, but taking a “whole body” look at healthy living. With that in mind, Clermont created the inaugural Ignite Health Ontario event, which takes place Oct. 24 at Covent Garden Market, from 7-9 p.m. “The goal of this event is about a balanced approach to taking control of your own health. Not blindly trusting doctors, not that they are evil, but not trusting that a pill to resolve a symptom is going to solve your problems,” Clermont said. “The problem is often multi-faceted, so you need to look at all angles. You have to look at the mental, the physical, the spiritual, your food intake; you have to listen to your body.” The Ignite Health Ontario event will focus on six topics: food, exercise, mental health, spiritual health, alternate practitioners, and inspirational patient stories. Like with Food Revolution — which will return to London on May 17, 2013 — Clermont said she wants participants to walk away from Ignite Health with at least one new idea to try. “I want them to try something to take control of their health,” Clermont said. “My expectations are really to ignite an interest in health, get people excited about new ideas.” The event will include 10 guest speakers who will be giving five-minute presentations on a variety of topics. That five-minute style, Clermont said, will force the speakers to “focus on the key reasons they are passionate about something.” Participants will then have the opportunity to learn about those reasons and determine if they want to know more. The Labatt Room will be setup as the speaker room. Speakers will have tables to display more information about what they offer in the community and a quiet place to speak with attendees who want to know more about their topic. One speaker Clermont was unable to get is Deb Matthews, London North Centre MPP and the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. Matthews did indicate her interest in attending, but will be in the Ontario Legislature that day. With that in mind, Clermont said she was thrilled the minister submitted a letter of support for what Ignite Health is trying to accomplish. Clermont said she has modest expectations about this first Ignite Health event, but has every intention of not only growing it in London, but spreading the message across the province as well. “Our goal is to get this moving across Ontario, not just be in London. We want to do similar events in Hamilton, Toronto, York Region,” Clermont said. “It is a message that is very basic. Not everybody is the same, not every solution is going to work for everybody.” People can register for Ignite Health Ontario by visiting www.ignitehealth.eventbrite.ca. For more information, people can visit the Ignite Health Ontario blog at www.ignitehealthblog.wordpress.com; the Twitter page, @ignitehealthont; or the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/ignitehlth. People can also email Michelle Clermont at ignitehealthontario@gmail.com. Find us on Facebook: London Community News