In this issue
	Sponsor Shape Up America! Walk to School Day Mix, Match, and Motivate The Atkins-Type Diets and Low Carb Mania The City of Moline, IL is taking a Big Step

Walk to School Day

If you have a child in elementary or middle school, start now to encourage your child's school to participate in Walk to School Day this October. To learn more about this event in previous years and to register for this year, visit http://www.WalktoSchool.org/ A community that supports safe walking to school is a healthier community for children. An added benefit of a "walkable"community is that it will be healthier for people of all ages to walk more. If you are interested in evaluating the "walkability" of your town or community, there is a handy checklist you can use. To learn more, visit www.walkableamerica.org and look for the link to a PDF file for the convenient community Walkability Checklist you can download and print out. »

Mix, Match, and Motivate

Mix, Match, and Motivate helps you show elementary students that physical activity can be fun and meaningful. It shifts the emphasis away from competitive games in favor of activities that allow all students to succeed, ensuring maximum student involvement and a positive experience for all. These 107 activities take a developmentally appropriate approach to skill development and fitness. You'll be able to meet a range of individual needs while motivating kids to participate in lifelong physical activity and meeting the NASPE standards for skill and fitness development. Purchase Book Here! »

The Atkins-Type Diets and Low Carb Mania

We are often asked about Low carb/No carb diets and weight loss. We know that many people find them attractive, believing that greater weight loss will be the reward for following such an unbalanced diet. The fact is that foods fall into one of three categories: protein, fat or carbohydrate. If you eliminate the carbohydrate, you are left with a diet of protein and fat. The first problem is that such a diet is, by definition, unbalanced and robs you of the cancer protective fruits, vegetables that you need to eat each day. The Low carb/No carb diets often contain as much as 60% fat - with loads of saturated fats which are not good for your heart over the long term. Another problem is that a very high protein intake promotes calcium loss - which is not good for your bones. We know that the popularity of these diets rests on their promise of greater weight loss, but here is something to think about. The greater weight loss is not fat loss. In other words, these diets are "dehydrating" diets because they deplete your body of all glycogen stores (which is why you feel lethargic). The glycogen is stored with water, so as your glycogen is depleted, you lose water weight. The bottom line is that the weight loss contains a much higher proportion of water than a diet of identical calories that includes normal amounts of carbohydrate. You won't lose any more fat on the Low carb/No carb diets as you will on a mixed diet of the same number of calories. Apart from causing halitosis (bad breath) due to the ketones you produce, Low carb/No carb diets are also associated with fatigue and headaches as your body goes through severe metabolic changes as it struggles to cope with the carbohydrate deprivation you have imposed. If you are tired of looking for weight loss in all the wrong places, get healthy and get smart. Visit the "members only" section of our website and start using the Shape Up America! Shape Up & Drop 10 program for a total lifestyle overhaul. A balanced and comprehensive approach will start you on the path to healthy eating and lasting weight management at the same time!

The City of Moline, IL is taking a Big Step

The Heartland Home Improvement Service is participating in the "Adopt a Park" program in Moline, IL with the goal of promoting more walking. The Parks and Recreation Department is currently working on designing and building a walking course that will encourage people to walk along a 2 and a half mile stretch of park along the river. The good news is that by the time you walk that distance and back again, you will have taken 10,000 steps - which is a big step toward weight management and improved health! Congratulations to the City of Moline Parks and Recreation Department and to James Beals of the Heartland Home Improvement Service. We are looking forward to seeing pictures when the walking course is complete.