America On the Move - Steps to a Healthier Life

America On the Move - Steps to a Healthier Life is an informative website, with a great daily e-mail health tip for those who sign-up on their website. They also sell pedometers at an affordable price.

Here's today's "Tip of the Day":

There are five categories of vegetables, and you need them all. Vegetables are nutrient-packed, high in fiber, and are a good choice for those trying to reduce calories. This week, focus on two of the categories and incorporate them into your diet every day:
Dark greens - these include broccoli, spinach and other leafy greens.
Orange - carrots, squash, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes.Have fun including them into your normal dishes, or try a new recipe! Discover more about vegetables, including recommended serving sizes, at www.mypyramid.gov.


Here's some info.:
America On the Move Foundation (AOM) is a national non-profit organization. Our mission is to improve health and quality of life by promoting healthful eating and active living among individuals, families, communities and society.
We do this by:
-Bringing scientists and non-scientists together from multiple disciplines in order to synthesize and stimulate new knowledge.
-Translating cutting-edge science into accessible information for easy use by individuals, groups and communities that can positively affect health behavior.
-Empowering individuals to take control of their health by making and sustaining small measurable changes to their daily eating and activity routines
-Encouraging public and private partnerships at the national, state and local level to build programs that reach individual and communities and support sustainable behavioral change.

April 19 - City of Decatur Earth Day Celebration

The City of Decatur Celebrates Earth Day!

On Saturday, April 19 from 10am until 2pm, the City of Decatur invites you to an Earth Day Celebration in Oakhurst Village and Harmony Park.

The event will promote conservation in the Decatur community through demonstrations and activities that educate the entire family in a friendly and fun way. Activities include hands on activities for the children, music, storytelling, nature and craft demonstrations and more.

The event is hosted by Oakhurst Presbyterian Church, the Oakhurst Community Garden and the City of Decatur's Active Living Division.

For more information, please contact Greg White, Assistant Director, City of Decatur Active Living, 678-553-6543 or via e-mail.

Meadwestvaco Men's Basketball

Decatur Active Living would like to congratulate Meadwestvaco on a terrific basketball season. Mead won the GRPA Industrial League State Championship for the second year in a row. Victor Hill coached the team to victory, winning the championship game 54-44. Mead has been playing in the Decatur Rec basketball league off and on for eight years now. This season Mead also placed second overall in the league and also won the Decatur Rec tournament championship.

Thanks for a great season and we look forward to many more with Meadwestvaco.
-Lindsey Struck

Weekly BikeDecatur! Ride

Hello Biking Friends,

Starting Tuesday, March 25th leaving from the Depaux, 303 E. Howard Ave., Decatur at 6:45pm (or if you prefer, my house, 135 Mt. Vernon Dr @ 6:30), I will be starting a weekly BikeDecatur! ride.

It will be around ten miles and always stay within the City Limits and will emphasize safety and up to date information about bicycle improvements in Decatur. If you have been meaning to ride your bike in Decatur but were not sure of the best routes or you just want to see your city on a bike, this ride is for you.

There will be both experience and novice riders on the ride and no one will be dropped. Once we get to know each other, I will invite a weekly "guest" bicyclist like Fred Boykin of the City Commission, Rebecca Serna of ABC, David Crites of Georgia Bikes, Dan Magee of Decatur Active Living, etc. I hope to see you and please forward to your friends!

-Neil Norton, City of Decatur Resident
nilo at mindspring.com

March 11 - Georgia Rides to the Capital

For a photo gallery from the annual "Georgia Rides to the Capitol" event, hosted by the City of Decatur, the Metro Atlanta Mayors Association (MAMA), and GEORGIA BIKES!, please click here.

Open Air Magazine

USA Today has a well done, nicely produced free magazine available quarterly, Open Air, with the theme: "Be active. Live well." Click here for a link to the digital version.

It's free and included with these forthcoming issues of USA Today:

• Friday, May 2, 2008

• Friday, September 5, 2008

• Friday, November 7, 2008

Here's a quote from the editor: "Our goal is to help you find adventure and rewards in your everyday life. You already appreciate the benefits of being active: better health, mental growth and emotional satisfaction...it plays out daily with your choices in all areas of life: at work, at play, at the supermarket, at home and at the gym".

Couldn't have said it better myself. It's nice to see a major publication such as USA Today help bring "active living" to the forefront.

-Dan M.

"Is 2008 the Year of the Bicycle?"

Interesting articles below about bicycling and all of the positive effects bicycling can have on transportation, health & fitness, building property values, building community, cutting air pollution and benefitting the environment, etc.

Is 2008 the Year of the Bicycle?

London Mayor Announces Major Bicycling Scheme

Lance Armstrong unveils his new commuting bike shop
-Brief Armstrong interview

Let's hear from you, our city residents, about bicycling in Decatur!

Ideas, comments, etc.