Biking for Your Health – Join the Fight to Stop Diabetes

(ARA) – Maybe you started biking to work when gas prices were hovering near $4 a gallon. Or perhaps you and your family cycle as a great way to spend time together on a Saturday afternoon.

But did you know that using pedal power could help to find a cure for one of the nation’s deadliest diseases? With your family, on your own or as part of a team you can ride your bike and raise funds for the Tour de Cure.

Take the Ride of Your Life
Tour de Cure, the American Diabetes Association’s nationwide cycling event, welcomes riders at all levels — from novice to experienced cyclists — to support the Association’s mission: to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Last year more than 38,000 cyclists — people with diabetes, friends, families and supporters — raised more than $15 million to support diabetes research, advocacy and education.

Diabetes is a deadly disease affecting nearly 24 million children and adults in the United States. Another 57 million have pre-diabetes, a condition that places them at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes.

Whether you bike for fun or because you dream of being the next world champion, bicycling is great exercise that can have significant health benefits. Tour de Cure events feature routes that vary in length and difficulty, from 15-mile family distances to 100-mile “century” rides. It is a ride, not a race, so participants are encouraged to go at their own pace.

Are You a Red Rider?
If you have diabetes and plan to ride in Tour de Cure, don’t forget to join the Red Riders, a special section of Tour de Cure that the American Diabetes Association created to recognize participants who have diabetes.

“The Red Rider Recognition Program is a way for those of us with diabetes to gather the strength, courage and motivation to live well all the other days of the year when we aren’t riding in Tour de Cure,” says Mari Ruddy, founder of the Red Rider program. “It gives us an opportunity to celebrate the hard work, dedication and teamwork it takes to manage this challenging and complex disease. Best of all, when we can give a participant a red jersey that proclaims with joy, ‘I ride with diabetes!’ it brings a face to the disease with the heart, soul and passion of the participants who are riding with diabetes.”

Join Tour de Cure to benefit your health and to support the fight to stop diabetes. To register as an individual rider, a Red Rider, start a team, or learn more, visit Tour.Diabetes.org or call (888) DIABETES (888-342-2383).

Here’s a Bright Idea: Intergenerational Activities Link Young and Old

(ARA) – How many seniors does it take to change a light bulb? It only takes one, but it can be a lot more rewarding if it takes two — a senior and a youth, a grandparent and a grandchild, an “acorn” and an “oak.”

Intergenerational activities increase cooperation, interaction and exchange between people of different generations, according to Generations United — an organization that began in 1986 and is the country’s only membership organization promoting intergenerational public policies, strategies and programs.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, these activities can prevent unnatural age segregation and apply the strengths of one generation to meet the needs of another. For youth and children, these activities can enhance social skills, improve academic performance, decrease drug use and increase stability. For older adults, these activities can enhance socialization, stimulate learning, increase emotional support and improve health.

There are many ways that children or youth and older adults can work together. They might enjoy reading to one another, baking together, going fishing, playing card games or sharing music. It can be as simple as a game of Crazy Eights, building a bird house or getting a car ready for a Cub Scout pinewood derby.

When the two generations team up to help the environment, it’s a win for everyone. Young and old can gain a greater sense not only about how the environment is relevant and of vital importance to their well-being, but also how it contributes to the well-being of their family, community and world.

The many environmental projects that young and old could enjoy together include
* recycling newspapers, cans and glass,
* planting flowers, shrubs or trees,
* purchasing or making a reusable cloth bag to hold purchases when shopping, or
* changing out incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

The experts at GE lighting suggest that changing to CFLs is not only an intergenerational activity that is fun and easy, but also one that will save energy and money.

* First take inventory in the home and choose the five most often used light bulbs.
* As with all activities involving electrical outlets, the adult should supervise the child and ensure that the bulbs are installed safely.
* Make sure lamps/fixtures have been turned off and are cool.
* Remove the bulbs. If you have been happy with the light output take note of the specific wattage of the incandescent bulb.
* Note the type of fixture in which the bulb is used — e.g. track light, ceiling fan, chandelier, vanity strip, enclosed fixture, pendant or table lamp.
* Take a trip to the hardware or discount store light bulb aisle. Read the package and match the bulb type — such as standard, decorative, globe or reflector.
* Check the CFL package for information that will tell you the equivalent light output or wattage.
* Purchase what you need; take them home and screw them in.

ENERGY STAR qualified GE Energy Smart bulbs consumers save money on energy costs. They last up to 10 times longer than a standard incandescent and now come in soft white and daylight color temperature options. They are sized to fit most common household sockets and fixtures. There are even CFL bulbs available that are dimmable or three-way products. GE recently introduced a new covered CFL that features a GE Spiral CFL inside the glass bulb. With this new CFL, the electronics fit in the neck of the bulb. The result is a profile that’s almost identical to a standard incandescent light bulb so you can easily use it with clip-on lampshades or smaller table lamps. For more information on saving energy, visit www.ge.com.