Courtesy CAPT
By Susan E. Campbell
If area fitness and nutrition professionals could offer one word of advice for optimal health, it’s “balance.”
“Have a balanced diet,” said Katie Leahy, MS, RDN, LD, the outpatient dietitian at Glens Falls Hospital Regional Diabetes and Nutrition Center. “And keep it simple.”
“Some think less is more,” said Leahy. “I recommend three smaller, nutrition-rich meals a day.”
She said in an effort to lose weight, people often deprive themselves of carbohydrates, fruit or dairy as they follow some of today’s popular diet programs. When going it alone, they typically lack the right proportions of food for the intake they need.
“Fat intake need not mean weight gain. We need healthy fats from fish, nuts, seeds and eggs, and all the nutritional benefits of each group,” said Leahy. “People today lack a healthy diet. Proper nutrition promotes healthy benefits overall, not just weight loss.”
The center serves outpatients of all ages who may have diabetes or a variety of disease-related and other conditions, such as kidney disease, celiac disease, bariatric surgery and pregnancy.
Leahy said the term “pre-diabetes” has been phased out among dieticians “because you either have diabetes or you don’t.”
“If diabetes could potentially be an issue for a patient, let’s treat it as a full blown disease and make sure he receives the proper supplements and nutrients,” she said.
Leahy sees individuals “as a doctor would see patients” and also conducts support groups, such as for newly diagnosed diabetics. Her goal for each individual is to manage weight in a way that optimizes health and stresses moderation.
“Portion control is so important, but most people have lost sight of what a proper portion is,” Leahy said.
Portion size varies from individual to individual, as there is no one–size–fits–all protocol, according to Leahy. At the center, consultations are customized to each person’s medical condition and targets, as well as activity level.
“We look at all factors for overall wellness and talk about movement during every session,” said Leahy, who has a background as a personal trainer. “Anything that gets people up and moving, even walking around the Glens Falls Civic Center, helps them feel stronger and more physically fit.”
At Capital Area Physical Therapy and Wellness, nutrition is a big part of their services, just as fitness impacts what the Diabetes and Nutrition Center advises its patients.
“The best advice I can give patients is to be active and dedicated participants in their wellness,” said Kate Pratt, PT, DPT and director and of Capital Area PT, which has a clinic in the Mount Royal Plaza, 959 Route 9, Queensbury. “Changes won’t happen overnight.”
Pratt said CAPT has a wide-ranging client base of individuals looking for relief from pain resulting from an injury, surgery or some random source.
“People have a more sedentary lifestyle than in the past, which can lead to pain associated with poor posture,” said Pratt.
“Body mechanics is huge,” she said. “If the body is not moving properly it is setting up for injury.”
The therapists at CAPT train virtually all patients in ergonomics, especially patients with office and sitting jobs.
Employers increasingly take the initiative to make sit and stand work stations, Bluetooth phones and eye level monitors available, Pratt observed. But a note from the doctor is required for some to get better designed, ergonomic equipment into the patient’s workplace.
Also trending, according to Pratt, are individuals seeking out physical therapy in advance of surgery.
“The goals of ‘pre-hab’ are maximum strength and range of motion ahead of time,” she said. “It gives the patient a head start for when they get back from the surgery and start physical therapy.”
Pratt said she is proud of the personal attention and individualized care plans for every person who walks through the door of CAPT.
“We take the time and really listen to find out what’s going on with the patient,” she said. “We may not know specifically why the patient has back pain, for example. So while we try to figure out the source, what is more important is which therapies are going to make the condition better.”
CAPT employs exercise, education, consultation and hands-on therapy adapted to each patient’s unique needs so that he or she may establish, regain or maintain maximum health status and quality of life.
“I can take two people with knee replacements on the same day by the same surgeon and see two completely different outcomes,” said Pratt.
There may be a muscle imbalance or movement dysfunction that the therapists look for.
“Everybody is different,” Pratt said. “That makes my job very interesting.”