Jan Buntz, of Ascension Fitness, in Ham Lake, is sponsoring 10 Foundational Factors for a Healthy Life, a series of free and interactive online community forums to help you learn how to proactively create a healthier lifestyle. The forum, A Healthy Gut Environment Protects from Autoimmune Disease and More, starts at noon, on July 9, and will be livestreamed from the Ascension Fitness Facebook page. “I will be talking about my approach to health at the seminar, but we really want to encourage people to ask questions they may have about the immune system,” says Buntz.

Buntz survived an autoimmune thyroid disorder condition where her immune system antibodies attacked her thyroid. She partnered with a holistic physician to find the root cause of the disorder. Working together, they saved her thyroid. Inspired, she returned to graduate school and focused her master’s project on finding answers as to why this happened to her and how she could effect change in dealing with such health issues.

Subsequent forums will be held at noon every other Thursday, including July 23 - You are What You Eat: Foods that Nourish; August 6 - Movement is a Must; August 20 - Stress: A Silent Killer; September 3 - Recognize Toxicity in Your Environment.

“We want to give people a way to ask questions and learn about living healthier lives,” says Michelle Wunderlich, a personal trainer at Ascension Fitness. She and fellow trainer and gym co-owner Bill Israelson will also participate in the forums.

Cost: Free. To participate, go to Facebook.com/FitnessTrainingHamLake.