Abbotsford's Peter Lindenlaub took a chance to get healthy by representing the community in the Kin's Farm Market Green Fighter challenge.
The eight-week competition brought together 12 contestants from different B.C. communities and challenged each to improve their overall health and raise money for the Canadian Cancer Society. The winner of the challenge, based on overall health improvement, was Delta's Crystal Toigo-Avila, who won more than $1,400 in prizes.
Lindenlaub said that although he has always eaten healthy, the challenge gave him an opportunity and incentive to learn more about different types of fresh food.
"At 54, I thought it would be a neat opportunity to make a change," he said.
Lindenlaub, who works in the wine business, said that he knows the importance of moderation and incorporated that into his plan.
Lindenlaub was somewhat disappointed in that his fitness plans were curtailed after he had a hernia operation. Due to the setbacks, he has set a new fitness goal for September and will continue to work towards it, even after the challenge is over.
Though Lindenlaub had to cut back on exercise, he was still able to focus on healthy eating. Now that the challenge is ending, he said that he wants to move away from keeping food in the freezer and stick to eating fresh.
"I just want to keep on buying it fresh, whether it's meat or produce – that's something I've taken away from this."
Lindenlaub tried new fruits and vegetables, including spaghetti squash, golden kiwis and papaya. He added that as a big fan of artichokes, he frequently incorporated them into his diet.
He also focused on eating as many locally grown foods as possible, even making gazpacho – cold tomato soup – with local heirloom tomatoes and fresh produce.
As a cancer-survivor, Lindenlaub also wanted to focus on raising funds during the challenge. He said he was very pleased with the generosity of the Abbotsford community and raised more than $1,000.