50Plus : Health : Cycling for health & family

For the love of a daughter.

When Michael Lottamoza, 59 of Toronto learned two years ago that his vibrant 24-year-old daughter Michelle (Mickey) had multiple sclerosis, he changed his lifestyle. ?When Mickey was diagnosed, I went through stages of depression, denial and feelings of helplessness,? he says. ?But finally I realized I need to be strong for my child, so after doing my homework on the disease, I began to channel my energies into being healthy so I could be supportive. To do that, I needed to get (and stay) in shape.?

Up until the diagnosis, Michael?s fitness regime had been inconsistent, going to the gym but quitting after a couple of months. After he learned of her disease, he embraced a healthy lifestyle. He quit smoking and started working out at the gym three or four times a week. ?I signed up for bike tours and got friends to sponsor me to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. Now I cycle to work from my west-end home to downtown every day, even in winter and I dragged my older daughter Teryn, 27, into it too. We?re kind of obsessed with it,? he explains, laughing. They participate in MS bike tours five or six times a year.

At the gym, he concentrates on strength training in the legs as well as upper body for more efficient cycling. ?Now it?s part of my lifestyle,? he says. ?If I miss two or three days at the gym, I get edgy.? He and Mickey recently discovered both have a gluten intolerance so switched to gluten-free and organic foods.

A dream comes true
Michael?s dream to take his two daughters in September on a week-long cycling tour through Poland, where his parents were born is about to come true. With the winning prize of $1,500 from BOOST? Meal Replacement, ?I will have a chance to introduce my daughters to their many cousins, aunts and uncles and they?ll get to know their roots, while having a healthy vacation,? he says.

For Michael and his daughters, the journey in dealing with MS is far from over, but Michael?s attitude is that the journey can be as active and healthy as possible. ?I now take my health seriously. Taking care of your health is like maintaining a house. If you don?t maintain it well, where will you live tomorrow? You need good health to help someone else, especially your child.?

Copyright ? 2012 All Rights Reserved ? Nestle Health Science.

pranks pregnancy test april fools day 2012 ja rule amityville horror acm passover recipes