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February 15 – March 1, 2010 Vol. 1 Issue #2 FREE! Take me with you.

If you’ve set fitness goals in the past only to find yourself struggling to make it to the gym or out the door only a few weeks later, maybe what’s missing isn’t fortitude but the right motivation. Would it help if you had access to professional training advice and a support network of others with a common goal? What about setting your sights on crossing the finish line of your first challenge in an exotic locale like Athens or even the Great Wall of China? You can.

Losing weight and improving your overall health are good reasons to embark a fitness regime but by joining a program like the Arthritis Society’s Joints in Motion (JIM) you can also make a difference to thousands in Manitoba and over 4 million Canadians struggling to put one foot in front of the other without debilitating pain. Along the way you may just find your life enriched well beyond your initial expectations.

Amazingly, over 90% of participants who join the JIM team have never done a marathon or major event before. From a fitness standpoint, they are starting from scratch which makes the support and supervision of an experienced trainer all the more vital. Aside from an appropriate training program which includes educational seminars in all aspects of endurance training, participants receive round-trip airfare to the event, hotel accommodations, entry to the event and team apparel. They also receive fundraising support and materials for this equally important aspect of the experience.

“We don’t want people to lose sight that this is a fundraising activity,” says Chris Glowach, Manitoba coordinator for Joints in Motion. “We celebrated the 10th year anniversary of the event in Toronto this September 2009. It has raised nearly $30 million in Canada and about $3 million in Manitoba alone. Last year we had 25 participants from Manitoba but this year we

already have 35 individuals signed up for either Athens, the Everest Trek or the Cayman Islands. Athens is huge this year because it is the 2500th anniversary of the original marathon run, “says Glowach.

There is no firm registration deadline, but the sooner you start the better. Training officially starts mid June and to go to Athens you must raise $6,500. It’s $5,600 to go to the Cayman Islands or Honalulu. “There are fundraising deadlines by which certain amounts of money must be turned in,”

Going the DistanceFrom Winnipeg to the land of Ancient Gods

“…over 90% of participants who join the JIM team have never done a marathon or major event before.”

See “Distance” page 2

Arthritis Joints in Motion Team in China 2008

Train… Travel… Triumph is the JIM motto!

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says Glowach. “We are making reservations for travel, accommodations, entry fees and so on, so we must ensure that participants are serious about meeting their responsibilities.” Go to www.jointsinmotion.ca for further details.

The Arthritis society is not the only very worthy organization that offers this experience. Team Diabetes participants can run, walk or cycle in a variety of events, working their way towards a life experience that will take them from running in Dublin or Walt Disney World to hiking the Grand Canyon.

Like many participants, Nadia Selby embarked on her first marathon to raise funds and awareness in honor of her ‘hero’; in her case her son who has lived with Type 1 diabetes since the age of four.

“By fluke the day he was diagnosed was November 14th which is World Diabetes Day. It was everywhere … in the newspaper and on television.” But what she remembers most was meeting with doctors and nurses about how their lives would change from that point. “Anywhere from seven to twelve pokes to monitor, up to four needles of insulin per day and the constant balancing act in his diet.”

“I ran my first marathon (42 km) in Athens just before my 31st birthday in November 2009,”says Selby. “I started training about a year ahead of time. I wasn’t in bad shape to start with, but I was never a runner.”

The minimum amount raised to go to Athens was $6,100. “Some people say that between the physical training and fund raising the most difficult is getting the money together, but I felt just the opposite.

It was definitely a challenge but I did a couple of events like a social and a B-B-Q that covered most of it.” She also put together a very personal letter written from her son’s perspective that included pictures of them together which brought home the reason she was doing this.

“Athens was amazing and it was extremely emotional crossing the finish line. I had my son’s picture pinned to the back of my Team Diabetes jersey too so that among the hundreds of other runners who were there for the event, everyone knew what and for who I was running. I don’t know how many times I felt like quitting

but I went on because of so many people cheering me on.”

Selby will be running a half-marathon in Ottawa in May and a full marathon in Dublin Ireland in October 2010. If you would like to follow Nadia’s fundraising efforts go to www.winnipegwellnews.ca and follow the links in this story.

A beautiful international destination can be a great motivator but it just may not be a feasible goal for everyone. Luckily, there are many

Distance (continued from page 1)

Nadia in Athens, 2008

other challenging and very worthwhile events right here in Manitoba that take place every year. Here are just a few:

MS Rona Bike Tour: Biking to the Viking August 28-29, 2010 and the Riding Mountain Challenge September 11 & 12th, 2010. http://www.mssociety.ca/manitoba/events.htm

The Manitoba Marathon: Sunday, June 20, 2010 http://www.manitobamarathon.mb.ca/

Run for Diabetes Winnipeg : September 6, 2010 ■

Heart SmartsIn recognition of Heart and Stroke Month, WWNews offers these heart-smart factoids.

❤ Most Malls in Winnipeg have Automated External Defi brillators (AEDs), a device that improves the chance of surviving a heart attack by 50- 80%.

❤ The number one cause of heart attack and stroke is high blood pressure but nearly half of Canadians with high blood pressure don’t know they are at risk because there are no symptoms. Normal blood pressure is below 120 / 80 mm Hg.Blood pressure that is consistently more than 140 / 90 mm Hg is considered high, but if you have diabetes, 130 / 80 mm Hg is high.

❤ Once considered “a man’s disease,” the number of deaths from heart disease and stroke are now virtually the same for men and women in Canada.

❤ Know your fats: Some fats have been shown to improve blood cholesterol levels. Monounsaturated - Found in olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, non-hydrogenated margarine, avocados and some nuts such as almonds, pistachios, cashews, pecans and hazelnuts.

❤ Polyunsaturated fats such as omega-3 can help prevent clotting of blood, reducing the risk of stroke and also helps lower triglycerides, a type of blood fat. These are found in are cold-water fi sh such as mackerel, sardines, herring, rainbow trout and salmon, as well as canola and soybean oils, omega-3 eggs, fl axseed, walnuts, pecans and pine nuts.

❤ Stay away from Saturated fat found in fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, butter, hard margarines, lard, coconut oil, ghee (clarifi ed butter), vegetable ghee, and palm oil. Like saturated fat, trans fat raises the bad LDL cholesterol. Trans fat is found in partially hydrogenated margarines, deep-fried foods from fast-food outlets and many packaged crackers, cookies and commercially baked products. ■

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Forget ice cream; give your little munchkins a tasty treat that’s actually good for them! Yumpeez are made with only certifi ed organic, nut-free and gluten free ingredients.

The split-pea snacks are trans-fat-free and packed with natural protein, dietary fi ber and complex carbohydrates. Plus, they come in yummy dill pickle and barbecue fl avours!

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The information in this publication is not meant to be a substitute for professional medical advice. We encourage our readers to always conduct their own research into any treatments or programs and to consult with a medical professional prior to the start of same.

Winnipeg WellNews is published bi-weekly with a current print circulation of 2,000 copies distributed through waiting rooms at most walk-in medical centers, dentists, chiropractors, alternative health practitioners, natural food and nutritional supplement stores as well as the St.Boniface YMCA and other fitness and exercise facilities. If you would like to carry Winnipeg WellNews at your business, call 887-2999 or contact us at winnipegwellnews@yahoo.ca

All rights reserved. Contents may not be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Winnipeg WellNews cannot accept any responsibility for the goods and services advertised in this publication.

News & EventsFood Matters Manitoba holds MB's premiere food security conference.Friday and Saturday, February 19 & 20th 2010 at the University of WinnipegMore info : http://food.cimnet.ca/cim/43C1_3T7T4T904.dhtm

Enjoy an evening of fine art and entertainment at the CNIB 11th Annual Eye on the Arts Benefit Auction on February 25. Join in the excitement of the auction and Help support programs and services for blind and partially sighted Manitobans. This year at a new location! Fort Garry Place, 5th Floor - 83 Garry Street. Art preview: 5 p.m.; Served dinner: 6 p.m.; Live auction: 7 p.m. Tickets are $50, dinner included. For tickets, to preview art, or for more information about the auction, visit http://www.cnib.ca/eyeonthearts.

The East St. Paul Curling Club 2nd Annual Circle of Hearts Charity Funspiel, takes place Saturday, February 27, 2010 at the East St. Paul Curling Club. This is a fun charityspiel including roast beef dinner, silent auction, 50/50 draw, and "just for fun" curling game. Proceeds from this event go directly to the Circle of Hearts Family Support Network. The 41st Annual Royal Canadian Legion Sports Foundation Tea raises fund for one of the longest running youth sports camps in ManitobaJoin us at the Norwood / St. Boniface Legion, 134 Marion St.Sunday February 28th 2010from 1:30PM to 3:30PM

The Manitoba Hypnotherapists’ Association is offering a 72 hour Certification and membership course in Hypnosis Therapy.Start date: April 8th 2010For further information on time and location contact:The Manitoba Hypnotherapists’ AssociationPresident, Morgan Willacy Comrie 781-1233 or Terry Harapiak, 757-7852www.manitobahypnosis.com

The 3rd Annual Special Olympics Go for the Gold On-line Auction will be held the week of March 1st to the 7th, 2010 at www.specialolympics.mb.ca and in the Winnipeg Free Press through out the week. It will close during a special 3 hour television broadcast on Shaw TV, Channel 9 on Sunday March 7th.To donate an item to the auction, contact Terry Hopkinson at 771-8891. On-line registration to participate in the Go for the Gold Auction starts on February 15th at www.specialolympics.mb.ca. ■

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