OTTAWA, ONTARIO (June 20, 2013) – One of the many positive benefits of the new Canada’s Swim Team initiative is a focus on healthy lifestyles, including healthy eating.

Swimming Canada launched Canada’s Swim Team today, a new movement in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross, Lifesaving Society Canada and the Canadian Medical Association that encourages Canadians to learn to swim. Any Canadian who can swim or is willing to learn can join Canada’s Swim Team at getswimming.ca.

As a proud partner of Swimming Canada, Chicken Farmers of Canada is also joining this movement with full sponsorship of a Team Kitchen page on the site. The Team Kitchen will encourage good nutrition and active living as part of a healthy lifestyle.

“Us swimmers all know about the incessant hunger and bottomless stomach. It’s nice to find the right ingredients to feel full without compromising all the hard training,” said Valerie Grand’Maison, holder of nine Paralympic medals, 13 world championships medals and six world records. “I have always found that I feel better in and out of the pool when I am eating well, giving my body the best fuel possible. Eating right is the key for both mental and physical performance.”

“In the last year, I have been very conscious of the food that I am eating to fuel my body,” added 2012 Olympian Tera Van Beilen. “The more aware I have become about healthy eating and making sure I am recovering properly after every workout, the better I am able to train and perform. Eating healthy has become an important component of my training regime to keep my energy levels high.”

The Team Kitchen launched today and features recipes – from making your own barbecue sauce to the delicious recipe of the week – as well as information on healthy living.

“Exercise and a balanced diet that includes a good source of lean protein are the building blocks for a healthy lifestyle,” said Dave Janzen, Chair of CFC. “Here at CFC we pride ourselves on producing safe, nutritious and healthy chicken that Canadians trust to feed to their families, and we are proud to be a part of the new Team Kitchen.”

Chicken Farmers of Canada is the national organization responsible for chicken raised and sold commercially in Canada, and the official protein of swimming in Canada. Chicken Farmers of Canada and Swimming Canada announced a new partnership last month, and the Team Kitchen is one of many ways the organizations will work together.

“We have hundreds of great recipes on our website at chicken.ca that are high in fibre, low in sodium, quick and easy or something to wow your dinner guests with” said Janzen. “Chicken is so versatile and can be served in so many healthy ways. We’re happy to share these resources with visitors to the Team Kitchen.”

The Team Kitchen is located at getswimming.ca/teamkitchen and will be updated regularly with health recipes, how-to-videos, and nutrition information to encourage Canadians to live healthy, balanced lifestyles.

About Swimming Canada

Swimming Canada serves as the national governing body of competitive swimming. We inspire Canadians through world leading performances to embrace a lifestyle of swimming, sport, fitness and health. The federation comprises 75,000 members and 400 swim clubs across the country. Canadians are global leaders in high performance swimming and development for both able-bodied swimmers and swimmers with a disability.

About Chicken Farmers of Canada

Chicken Farmers of Canada is responsible for chicken raised and sold commercially in Canada. We represent our 2,700 farmers, and ensure that the chicken that reaches your table is safe, delicious, and raised to the highest standards.

For more information:

Lisa Bishop-Spencer
Manager of Communications
Chicken Farmers of Canada
Off: (613) 566-5911
Cell: (613) 447-4619
lbishop@chicken.ca

Nathan White
Manager, Communications
Swimming Canada
Off: (613) 260-1348 ext. 2002
Cell: (613) 866-7946
nwhite@swimming.ca