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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News Record, 2015-07-01, Page 11Wednesday, July 1, 2015 • News Record 11 Gateway seeks to tackle poor diets and sedentary lifestyles Marco Vigliotti Postmedia Network A Seaforth-based research institute is developing two ambitious initiatives to tackle some of rural Canada's steepest health challenges - inactivity and degenerating physical faculties. The Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health is tapping its summer research students Alanna Roy and Julia Huber to help in efforts to create a range of protein - rich food products and to seek ways to encourage physical activity among older residents. Roy, who hails from Clin- ton, is assisting with Grand - Spark, a weeklong event held at the Edge of Walton tasked with introducing a range of physical activities, such as yoga, canoeing and weight training, to rural residents both young and old. As it location suggests, participants will also work through the challenge courses available at Watlon- based facility, as well as take in a nutrition workshop. The project, which specifi- cally targets grandparents and their grandchildren, looks to determine whether a shared exercise scheme between young and older residents encourages more frequent physical activity in the future. It's trying to get them working in a shared interac- tive pastime...seeing if that physical activity program would be beneficial," Roy said in an interview with the Expositor at Gateway's office on Seaforth's Main Street. Once the program wraps up, the older participants will be given fitness track- ers to see if the weeklong event encouraged them to work out more frequently, she added. Those interested in being one of the 35 groups of two participating are encouraged to register at grandsparks. com. The cost to participate is $80 per pair, with the event running from 9 a.m. to noon. between July 13 and 17. This push to bolster physi- cal activity comes as rural areas grapple with rapidly growing elderly populations, with Huron County ranking as the third -oldest region in the county, according to Roy. As a result, these rural regions typically have higher rates of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure, among other ailments, than their urban counterparts, research shows. According to Statistic Can- ada's 2005 Community Health Survey, people with diabetes composed 6.3 per cent of the population in Huron County, compared to the Canadian average of 4.8 per cent. The same rings true for obesity, with just under 23 per cent of adults 18 and over in Huron County classifying as obese in the survey, while the Canadian average was recorded at 15.1 per cent. And Huron County is hardly alone in this struggle. According to Gateway, Huron, Perth, Grey and Bruce counties all experi- ence significantly higher rates of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabe- tes, obesity, some forms of cancer, chronic lung disease, depression, mild cognitive impairment (Alzheimer's) than urban rates. In addition to bolstering fitness regimes, Gateway is also seeking to improve the diet of older residents. Huber, who grew up in Goderich, is providing assis- tance to a scheme with Ever - Spring Farms to develop three food products to tackle a range of health ailments. She is working on creating a cereal/oatmeal to target cardiovascular issues, a soup mix to address sarcopenia (loss of muscle tissue as part of the aging process) and a topper for food that seeks to curb diabetes. "We've started on the dia- betes and the cardiovascular one - they're almost com- pleted," said Huber, who recently finished her under- graduate program in nutri- tion at the University of Western Ontario. The soup mix, however, will be made in the future, she added. For the diabetes topper, Huber said the ingredients include flaxseed and chia seed, as well as fruit, vege- table and vitamin powders. As for the cereal to address cardiovascular woes, it will include oats, vitamin D supplements, buckwheat, as well as fruit and vegeta- ble powders. Meanwhile, the soup will feature creatine and protein powders. Determining what ingre- dients should be included to address the various mala- dies involved plenty of research and work in the lab, Huber said. "I've spent lots of time (in the lab) mixing different ingredients together," she explained. Gateway is also hosting several health -oriented events this summer that will seek to raise funds to sup- port the research conducted at the institute. The group will be putting on its hometown hockey game - dubbed 'Raise a Little Health' - on July 23 at the Goderich YMCA. The event will feature local products that have reached the upper echelons of the hockey world as well as local medi- cal professionals. Following that will be the Gateway Health in Wealth Run on August 29 along the Maitland Trail. The event will offer two, five and 10 kilome- tre courses for participants. Marco Vigliotti/Postmedia Network Alanna Roy and Julia Huber, two of the summer research students at Seaforth-based Gateway, are assisting their respective research chairs with the projects to improve health outcomes for older rural residents. J%l,�I0lj Tgate *04 0' 101,4 ca /4e e4de4: 1 Clinton United Church 105 Ontario Street 519-482-9553 www.clintonunited.ca Ministry Team Word and Sacrament: Rev. Randy Covey MDiv Children and Youth: Kathy Douglas DM Director of Music: Louise Dockstader July 5 10:30 am Worship Guest Speaker: Dave Williams Open Minds - Open Hearts Come and be a part of the family Christian Reformed Church 243 Princess St. E. Clinton Pastor Ron Luchies 519-482-5264 Sunday July 5, 2015 10:00 AM - Morning Service 7:00 PM - Evening Service "The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands "Psalm 19 vs 1 All Visitors Welcome! First Baptist Church 85 Huron St., Clinton 482-3598 SUNDAY JULY 5, 2015 MORNING SERVICE 10:30 AM Lay Pastor - Wally DeWolfe Bible Study Wednesday 7:30 PM TO ADVERTISE IN THIS SECTION, PLEASE CALL Clinton News Record 519-482-3443 PRESS '0' BIBLE MISSIONARY CHURCH 35 Toronto Blvd., Vanastra (519) 482-8183 JULY 5, 2015 Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 AM Sunday Evening Worship 7:00 PM Pastor Josh McCarthy Everyone Welcome! HEARTLAND COMMUNITY CHURCH 52 Victoria St., Clinton - 519-606-1015 www. heartlandcli nton.ca Pastor Charles Gingerich Sunday School 9:30 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 a.m. Prayer & Share 7:00 p.m. Expect a welcome and a blessing! St. Paul's Anglican Church A Congregation of the Parish of The Holy Spirit 49 Ontario St., Cinton The Reverend Karine A. Snowdon BA, M.Div Organist & Choir Master: Dana Prouse SUNDAY JULY 5 Worship at 11:15 am EVERYONE WELCOME