New health and wellness initiative encourages Canadians to

get moving, eat well, and reduce stress

Chatelaine Walks: 3 Steps to Feeling Good launches nation-wide today

Toronto, ON, October 30, 2008 – A new health and wellness initiative called Chatelaine Walks: 3 Steps to Feeling Good launched across the nation today. Anchored by chatelaine.com/3steps, the goal is to help Canadians follow three simple steps to improve their health: get moving, eat well, and reduce stress. Chatelaine, along with presenting sponsor So Good soy beverages and the Canadian Diabetes Association, are driving the initiative. 

Chatelaine Walks: 3 Steps to Feeling Good builds on the popular Chatelaine Walking Club community, which was established in 2001 and has more than 65,000 active participants. The initiative is designed to educate people about the three basic tenets of a healthy lifestyle, help them evaluate their own situation, convince them they can make changes, and provide them with tools and community support to facilitate the changes. 

“We are building on the credibility of our magazine’s health content along with the success of Chatelaine’s Walking Club by adding the expertise and resources of the Canadian Diabetes Association, and the wellness values and commitment of So Good,” said Kerry Mitchell, publisher, Chatelaine. “It’s a concerted effort to help Canadians live healthier lifestyles.”

Easy and fun online tools help guide and track lifestyle choices

The site includes free evaluative and educational tools, including articles by health and wellness experts, an online walking log, calorie calculator, So Good lifestyle tracker, healthy meal plans, fun quizzes and community forums. Members also will receive regular progress reports and chances to win feel-good prizes, such as flower deliveries or housekeeping services every week for a month.

“We want everyone in Canada to feel empowered to make small – but significant – changes to their lives,” said Brendan Kelly, marketing director, So Good soy beverages. “The path to feeling good is as easy as one-two-three when you follow the holistic 3 Steps approach. We are proud to be the presenting sponsor."

Program to receive national media support

The 3 Steps to Feeling Good campaign is widely supported by its founding partners. It will be promoted through Chatelaine and Châtelaine, online at Chatelaine.com and Chatelaine.qc.ca, in the monthly Chatelaine Walks newsletter, and in the publication’s Calorie Counter booklet. So Good is promoting the initiative on the newly launched website FeelingSoGood.ca, with on-pack and print advertising, and by distributing a So Good recipe and coupon booklet. The Canadian Diabetes Association will highlight it in its monthly e-newsletter, on its website, and in its quarterly magazine, Diabetes Dialogue.

Statistics Canada reports that nearly 60 per cent of adult Canadians are overweight or obese. We are seeing increasing incidences of type 2 diabetes, and experiencing significant burdens on our healthcare system.

“What many Canadians don’t know is they can reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than 50 per cent by getting active, losing weight and eating right,” said Ellen Malcolmson, President & CEO, Canadian Diabetes Association. “The good news is that small lifestyle changes can make a big difference. We support this effort to motivate Canadians who are trying to make healthy lifestyle choices – every step of the way.”

About So Good

So Good, Canada’s leading soy beverage brand, empowers consumers to make smart choices for a healthy lifestyle. Made by Burnaby-based Soyaworld Inc., Canada’s largest soy beverage manufacturer and a leading health food company, So Good’s expanding line of good-tasting product choices includes soymilk and non-dairy frozen desserts. For more information about So Good soy beverages, visit so-good.ca or call 1-888-401-0019.

About Chatelaine

Chatelaine is Canada’s leading women’s media brand and connects Canadian women with relevant information and inspiring stories. For more than 80 years, Chatelaine has been building communities while providing leading-edge insights into women’s foremost concerns in the areas of food, health, money and work, fashion, beauty, home décor and the issues that women are talking about with each other. Chatelaine.com is Canada’s most engaged online community for women 18+. Chatelaine is owned and operated by Rogers Media Inc., a division of Rogers Communications, which is a diversified Canadian communications company engaged in advanced wireless voice and data communications, cable television, high-speed internet, video retailing, radio, TV and publishing. 

About the Canadian Diabetes Association

The Canadian Diabetes Association works in communities across the country to promote the health of Canadians and eliminate diabetes through our strong nationwide network of volunteers, employees, healthcare professionals, researchers, partners and supporters. In the struggle against this global epidemic, their expertise is recognized around the world. The Canadian Diabetes Association: setting the world standard. To learn more, visit diabetes.ca or call 1-800-BANTING (226-8464).

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http://smr.newswire.ca/en/chatelaine/new-health-and-wellness-initiative-encourages-canadians

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