City of Ames’ Podcasts

Skip breakfast? Eat only during certain hours? Could watching when you eat be just as important as watching what you eat?

Intermittent fasting has become a popular topic in health and wellness, with people turning to this eating approach for weight management, potential health benefits, and a more structured eating schedule. But does it actually work? And more importantly, is it right for everyone?

In this episode of Live Well. Be Well., host Kacie Schumann welcomes Mikaylah Grundtner, the City of Ames' new Health Promotion Intern and podcast co-host! Mikaylah is a kinesiology student at Iowa State University with an interest in physical therapy. After getting to know Mikaylah, the two explore the science behind intermittent fasting, different fasting methods, potential benefits, and important considerations before giving it a try.

They also dig into research comparing intermittent fasting with traditional calorie restriction and discuss why sustainable habits may be more effective than extreme dieting.

Episode Highlights
Meet Our New Co-Host
Get to know Mikaylah Grundtner! Mikaylah shares her journey to Iowa State University, her interest in physical therapy, and what wellness means to her.

What Is Intermittent Fasting?
Intermittent fasting focuses on when you eat rather than simply what you eat. Kacie and Mikaylah explain how fasting works and introduce common approaches, including the 12/12 and 16/8 methods.

What Happens to Your Body When You Fast?
From changes in insulin levels to the body's use of stored energy, discover some of the biological processes associated with fasting, including cellular repair and metabolism.

Potential Health Benefits
Could intermittent fasting support weight management, improve blood sugar regulation, or benefit heart health? Kacie and Mikaylah explore potential benefits and what research suggests about their effectiveness.

Is Intermittent Fasting Safe for Everyone?
Fasting isn't a good fit for everyone. Learn about possible side effects, including headaches, fatigue, irritability, and overeating, as well as groups of people who should avoid intermittent fasting or seek medical guidance.

What Can You Have While Fasting?
Does your morning coffee break your fast? What about vitamins or supplements? Kacie and Mikaylah discuss beverages, supplements, and other considerations during fasting periods.

Can You Exercise While Fasting?
Whether you enjoy running, lifting weights, or high-intensity workouts, learn how exercising while fasting may affect your energy and performance.

What Does the Research Say?
Kacie and Mikaylah independently selected the same research review, but found different takeaways! They discuss findings suggesting intermittent fasting can produce weight-loss results comparable to traditional calorie restriction, and why individual results may vary.

Finding What Works for You
Healthy habits don't have to involve extreme changes. Kacie and Mikaylah discuss the importance of sustainable approaches to nutrition and wellness and why consulting a healthcare professional before starting a fasting routine is important.

Resources
Johns Hopkins Medicine: Intermittent Fasting
An overview of intermittent fasting, how it works, different eating schedules, and potential health benefits.
Learn about intermittent fasting

Healthline: Intermittent Fasting for Beginners
An introduction to common fasting methods, potential benefits, and safety considerations.
Read the beginner's guide

Healthline: What Breaks a Fast?
Information about foods, beverages, and supplements that may affect fasting.
Learn what breaks a fast

University of Michigan: A Beginner's Guide to Intermittent Fasting
Information about the basics of intermittent fasting and considerations for choosing an eating schedule.
Read the University of Michigan guide

Harvard Health: 4 Intermittent Fasting Side Effects to Watch Out For
A look at potential side effects and considerations before beginning intermittent fasting.
Read about potential side effects

Prospect Medical: Working Out While Intermittent Fasting
Information about exercise, energy levels, and physical performance while following an intermittent fasting schedule.
Learn about exercising while fasting

National Library of Medicine: Beneficial Effects of Intermittent Fasting: A Narrative Review
A review of research examining intermittent fasting, weight management, metabolic health, and potential health benefits. This is the research review Kacie and Mikaylah discuss during the episode.
Read the research review

Have a Question or Topic Idea?
Have a question, topic idea, or someone you would like to hear on the podcast?

Send suggestions to Kacie.Schumann@CityofAmes.org.

What if Ames had more opportunities to play, exercise, and stay active all year long? From basketball and pickleball to indoor playgrounds and fitness areas, the possibilities are exciting. But what would a new indoor recreation facility actually look like, and what would it take to make it happen?

In this episode of Ames in Focus, host Bill Gebhart welcomes back City of Ames Parks and Recreation Director Keith Abraham to discuss the City's exploration of a potential new indoor recreation facility and why community input is an important first step.

Keith discusses the recreational needs of the Ames community, how a new facility could complement existing opportunities, and some of the amenities being considered. These could include courts for basketball, volleyball, and pickleball, along with artificial turf, exercise equipment, indoor playgrounds, batting cages, and multipurpose spaces.

But before any decisions are made, the City wants to hear from residents. Bill and Keith discuss the online survey, public input sessions, and how community feedback will help determine what happens next.

They also explore the planning process, including the role of the Ames Parks and Recreation Commission and Ames City Council, potential costs, and the questions that must be answered before a project could move forward.

In this episode:

Why Ames is exploring a new indoor recreation facility

Recreational needs and opportunities in the community

Potential amenities and activities being considered

How a new facility could complement existing recreation options

Why public input is important at this stage

How residents can participate in the online survey

What the City is learning from public input sessions

The next steps for the Parks and Recreation Commission and City Council

Planning considerations, potential costs, and future decisions

The long-term vision for recreation in Ames

A new indoor recreation facility is still just a possibility, and no final decisions have been made. That's why now is the time for residents to share their ideas, priorities, and concerns.

Make your voice heard!

Complete the online survey at www.CityOfAmes.org/IndoorRecreationCenter.

Residents are also invited to attend the final public input session at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3, in the Ames City Hall Council Chambers, 515 Clark Ave.

Whether you're interested in sports, fitness, family activities, or simply having more places to stay active throughout the year, your feedback can help shape the future of recreation in Ames.

In this episode of From Agenda to Action, Communications and Outreach Director Susan Gwiasda sits down with Ames Mayor John Haila to recap key discussions and decisions from the Tuesday, Oct. 27 Ames City Council meeting.

They begin with the Resident Satisfaction Survey staff report. Susan and Mayor Haila discuss the results of the survey, what residents are saying about City services, and how community feedback helps guide City priorities and future decisions.

The conversation then turns to the Ames Animal Services Center renovation. With City Council awarding a construction contract for the project, Mayor Haila discusses this important milestone and what the planned improvements will mean for animals, staff, and the Ames community.

Next, they tackle three traffic and transportation topics affecting different areas of Ames. First is a new study exploring a potential downtown transit hub and what the City hopes to learn through the process. They also discuss the Duff Avenue Corridor traffic study, including the Council's acceptance of the study report and how its findings could help inform future transportation improvements.

Finally, Susan and Mayor Haila discuss the Grand Avenue and 13th Street intersection, sharing information about this busy intersection and the City's ongoing consideration of traffic conditions in the area.

From listening to residents and improving animal care facilities to studying traffic and transportation needs, this episode highlights how City Council discussions and decisions help shape the future of Ames.

From Agenda to Action is designed to give residents a clearer understanding of how City Council discussions translate into real-world impacts across Ames.

Regular Ames City Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, and all meetings are open to the public.

Get involved:

Watch meetings live or on demand on the City's YouTube page.

View agendas and meeting materials at www.CityofAmes.org/CCMeetings.

Have a topic you would like us to cover in a future episode? Email Eric.Gebhart@CityofAmes.org.

From Agenda to Action is part of the City of Ames Podcasts network, offering residents a clear and approachable way to stay informed about local government and community decisions.

69,000 volts of electricity. Miles of transmission lines. Massive poles, specialized equipment, and a construction project that takes years to complete. Sounds like a lot of work just to keep the lights on, doesn't it?

Well, that's exactly the point!

Most of us don't give much thought to the electrical infrastructure that powers our homes, businesses, and community. We flip a switch, plug something in, or charge our phones and expect electricity to be there. But behind that everyday convenience is a complex system requiring careful planning, maintenance, and investment.

In this episode of Ames in Focus, host Bill Gebhart welcomes back City of Ames Director of Electric Services Donald Kom to explore the City's 69-kilovolt (69 kV) transmission lines and a multi-year project to reconstruct portions of this important infrastructure.

Understanding the Power Behind the Power

What exactly is a 69 kV transmission line, and why does it carry 69,000 volts? Don explains how these high-voltage lines fit into Ames' electric system, how they differ from the lines running through neighborhoods, and why they're essential to delivering reliable electricity.

Rebuilding for the Future

Some of Ames' transmission infrastructure has been serving the community for decades. The City's Capital Improvements Plan includes a multi-year effort to reconstruct approximately 11 miles of 69 kV transmission lines, replacing aging equipment and preparing the system for future needs.

But how do you rebuild transmission lines that are already carrying electricity? Don takes us behind the scenes of the engineering, planning, and construction involved, including work on the line between the Ames Plant and Top-O-Hollow.

What Does This Mean for Residents?

These improvements are designed to strengthen reliability, support future growth, and help prevent problems before they happen. Don also discusses what residents might see during construction, potential impacts on traffic and electric service, and how the City plans and budgets for major infrastructure investments.

In this episode:

What 69 kV transmission lines are and why they're important

How electricity moves through Ames' electric system

Why aging transmission infrastructure needs replacement

The multi-year project to reconstruct approximately 11 miles of transmission lines

How crews rebuild infrastructure while keeping electricity flowing

Improvements to reliability, capacity, and future electric needs

What residents can expect during construction

How Electric Services plans and budgets for major projects

Electric infrastructure may not be something most of us think about every day, but maintaining it is essential to keeping Ames powered. By investing in these improvements now, Ames Electric Services is working to ensure a reliable electric system for generations to come.

And when it comes to electricity, the best kind of shocking development is one that helps keep the lights on!

Want to learn more about Ames Electric Services?

Visit www.CityofAmes.org/Electric for information about the City's electric utility, infrastructure projects, and services.

Subscribe to Ames in Focus wherever you get your podcasts for more conversations with the people and programs that make Ames a great place to live, work, and play.

In this episode of From Agenda to Action, host Bill Gebhart sits down with Ames Mayor John Haila to preview several key items scheduled for discussion at the upcoming Ames City Council meeting.

The meeting will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 6 p.m. in the Ames City Hall Council Chambers, located at 515 Clark Ave. Residents can attend in person or watch the meeting live on the City's YouTube and Facebook pages.

Bill and Mayor Haila begin with a look at the latest Resident Satisfaction Survey report, which provides valuable feedback on how Ames residents view City services, programs, and the community as a whole. They discuss the importance of gathering resident input and how the survey results can help guide City priorities and future decisions.

The conversation then turns to the new Ames Animal Services Center, as City Council considers approval of a construction contract for the facility. Bill and Mayor Haila discuss this next step in the project and what it means for the future of animal services in Ames.

Finally, the episode is bookended by two traffic studies at different stages of the process. One is just getting started, with Council considering a request for proposals to establish the scope of services for a new study. The other is reaching a milestone, with Council being asked to accept a completed traffic study report. Mayor Haila explains how traffic studies help the City evaluate transportation needs, understand existing conditions, and plan for future improvements.

From resident feedback and community facilities to transportation planning, these agenda items highlight how City Council decisions shape both current services and the future of Ames.

This episode highlights several agenda items that may be of interest to residents and the community. While it does not cover every topic, it offers a closer look at a few of the discussions Council will be considering and what they could mean for Ames. Think of it as your meeting preview, without having to read through hundreds of pages of agenda materials.

In this episode, we discuss:

Results from the latest Resident Satisfaction Survey

Approval of a construction contract for the new Ames Animal Services Center

A request for proposals for the scope of services for a new traffic study

Acceptance of a completed traffic study report

From Agenda to Action is designed to give listeners a clearer understanding of what is on the agenda, what decisions Council will be asked to make, and how those decisions may impact daily life in Ames.

Regular Ames City Council meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, and all meetings are open to the public.

Are there agenda items or City Council topics you would like us to discuss in a future episode? Send us an email at eric.gebhart@CityofAmes.org.

Watch City Council meetings live or on demand on the City's YouTube page.

View agendas and meeting materials at www.CityofAmes.org/CCMeetings.

City Council agendas may change up to 24 hours before the meeting time. This podcast reflects the agenda as it exists at the time of recording.

From Agenda to Action is part of the City of Ames Podcasts network, offering residents a clear and approachable way to stay informed about local government and community decisions.