Good health and proper diet go hand in hand, according to Bernard Rosen, PhD. He will offer his views on health and diet in three classes he will conduct at the School of the Arts (SOA) at Rhinelander July 20 to 24.

Rosen, from Milwaukee, is the founder of Rosen Wellness LLC. He holds a PhD in holistic nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health, a master’s degree from the J.L. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a bachelor’s in economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also certified as an Ayurvedic lifestyle educator and a Para Yoga Level II certified yoga instructor. His SOA offerings are From Head to Toe: What Your Body is Telling You, Meet Your Hormones and What the Heck Should I Eat and Why.

Many signs of good or bad health are subtle, but Rosen said many people ignore the most obvious. “Do we have a lot of gas after we eat? Do we feel bloated? Do we have acid reflux or are we told we have ‘irritable bowel’? These are all signs of digestive issues, which usually start with an unbalanced diet. The key to starting a healthy diet is the recognition that something is not quite right in the body.

“Years of a poor diet and stressful lifestyle will catch up to us,” Rosen added. “But once we understand what is going on in our body, there are natural alternatives to bring it back into balance. Much of it starts with our intake of carbohydrates and sugar.”

Rosen expands on these concepts in detail in his classes. He also points out that yoga and other exercises can be used to improve body health.

“Yoga is a treasure of techniques that nourish the body,” he says. “The physical postures make the body stronger and more flexible, while at the same time helping the mind focus and balancing the nervous system. The breathing and visualization practices help calm the mind and also balance the nervous system.”

Each of Rosen’s classes is offered as a one-day workshop. What the Heck Should I Eat and Why is scheduled for Saturday, July 20, from 1:30 to 4:45 p.m.; From Head to Toe: What Your Body is Telling You is offered from 8:30 to 11:45 a.m. Sunday, July 22; and Meet Your Hormones follows on Sunday from 1:30 to 4:45 p.m.

All SOA classes will be conducted at James Williams Middle School or at the adjacent Rhinelander High School.

School of the Arts at Rhinelander 2013 offers some 60 classes taught by 31 instructors chosen for their expertise in the subject area and teaching ability. This year marks the 50th anniversary of SOA at Rhinelander, and a number of special events are planned to commemorate the anniversary year.

For registration and further information on these and all SOA classes, go to soawisconsin.org.