People diagnosed with cancer have a number of treatment options to choose from and increasingly, alternative and complementary therapies such as yoga, meditation, healing touch, music therapy, and nutritional supplementation are among them.

Few health care facilities in Canada offer such an ‘integrative care’ approach but it’s a movement that is now spreading across the country as more cancer patients actively search out ways to support their own health, says Dr. Hal Gunn, B.Sc., M.D.

Dr. Gunn will be the conference keynote at Expo East 2009, www.chfa.ca, where he’ll introduce the integrative cancer care model and how it is practised at InspireHealth, www.inspirehealth.ca, a not-for-profit organization he co-founded in 1997.

Located in Vancouver, InspireHealth aims to bridge the gap between conventional and complementary health care. Here, medical doctors and patients' own oncologists work along side the centre’s naturopath, acupuncturist, psychologist, nutritionist, massage therapist, and exercise therapist. Here, people are empowered and to play an active role in their treatment and healing.

“Health policy makers are beginning to recognize the limitations of our current illness-treatment system and, as a result, recognizing the importance of the cost-effective support of health,” he says.

Dr. Gunn delivers his keynote on Friday, October 2nd, at 8:30 a.m. at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building. A suggested $10 will be collected and donated to the InspireHealth.

Produced by the Canadian Health Food Association (CHFA), Expo East is a trade-only exposition with over 550 exhibiting companies from across Canada featuring the newest innovations in products for home, health, and planet.

About Canadian Health Food Association:

The Canadian Health Food Association is the largest organization dedicated to the natural and organic products industry in Canada. The Association represents growers, manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and importers of natural and organic products, including foods, vitamin and mineral supplements, herbal products, homeopathics, sports nutrition products, fibres and health and beauty aids.