Category Archives: Fitness / Nutrition

By Christine Graf

As part of its mission to provide comprehensive primary care throughout the North Country, Hudson Headwaters Health Network has a team of three registered dietitians who provide nutrition counseling to patients. Hudson Headwaters has 25 centers located throughout the North Country. 

Registered Dietitian Alexandra Barbieri is responsible for covering the southern tier which includes centers in Moreau and Glens Falls. A native of Hudson Falls, she has a master’s degree in applied nutrition and has been working as a registered dietitian for 10 years. 

At Hudson Headwaters, registered dietitians are considered an integral part of the treatment team. In addition to seeing patients in person, they also offer telehealth and telephone consultations. They accept patients only through the Hudson Headwater network, providing their services at no cost to the patient. The practice also has a certified diabetes educator who works closely with patients with diabetes.  

“There’s a real demand for our services, and we are scheduling about three months out,” said Barbieri. “I might meet with a patient as little as once or twice, or I could work with them for years. A big part of being a dietitian is providing accountability and continued education.”

On average, Barbieri estimates that she meets with most patients three to six times over the course of one year or more.

“From a health and habit standpoint, in the beginning, you work on education. In order to make changes, habits need to be created. We call that the action stage, and that can take about six months to one year. After that, there is the maintenance stage.”

By Jill Nagy

The Glens Falls YMCA is gradually growing out of its COVID-induced funk. Attendance and participation in programs are both close to pre-pandemic levels, according to Health and Wellness Director Heather Hamell.

Pedalling for Parkinsons and a six-week “walk with ease” program for arthritis sufferers are popular and there are plans for a 16-week blood pressure program to begin in October. 

In the wellness center, the machines and free weights are busy and the 1/16-mile indoor track attracts participants from people with walkers to runners, she said. 

Healthy Start orients new users to the exercise machines. In the pool, people are swimming laps and taking part in Acquafit and other group programs.

The gym hosts Pickelball and adult basketball—at different hours.

By Christine Graf

When it comes to working out, consistency is key. A person reaps more benefit from exercising regularly over a long period of time than from performing periodic extreme exercise routines. 

“Many people have this all or nothing mindset,” said Mike Sirani, co-owner of Capital District Sports and Fitness in Round Lake “They think that if they start working out that it has to be five days a week for an hour every time and that they have to go really hard every workout. But, when you have a busy schedule, that can be difficult to stay consistent with.”

It is for that reason that Sirani said it is important to be realistic when setting fitness goals. 

“It’s about finding a routine that fits into your schedule and one that you can consistently do every week. You need to do an honest assessment of where your life is at. The most important thing in order to see progress is being consistent.”

Taking that scary first step is something Ryan Carpenter, owner of Simple Strength and Conditioning in South Glens Falls, experienced firsthand. The former Marine started going to the gym in 2015 at a time when he weighed 335 pounds. 

For plant-based cooking and nutrition instructor Deb Czech, the ongoing COVID pandemic and its health impacts have expanded the reasons why people are starting to put more plants on their plate. 

Czech is the owner of Planted Platter of Saratoga Springs, a business providing plant-based cooking classes, coaching services, and customized workplace wellness programs. Planted Platter also collaborates with Capital Region nonprofits on plant-based cooking events for their members and clients.

To address rising consumer interest in plant-based diets, Planted Platter is offering a dozen online classes this fall that people can mix and match to their own health needs. 

“The fundamental principles of a whole-food, plant-based diet remain the same across all classes,” said Czech. “What changes is the presentation of medical information and research specific to a given condition, whether that’s Type 2 diabetes or heart disease or anxiety or menopause or something else.” 

More information about classes is available at plantedplatter.com.

By Lisa Balschunat

Kayla Craft has been practicing yoga for 20 years and has owned and operated the Yoga Kayla studio for the past seven on the second floor of 206 Glen St in Glens Falls. 

Since 2014, yoga enthusiasts have climbed an old 20-step wooden staircase to enter into the yoga studio. 

In early July, Craft moved her New York State Women Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) down the block to 282 Glen St. She expanded the studio’s offering and renamed the business Grounded on Glen St. 

“When I first opened Yoga Kayla, it was just me teaching. But now I have 18 instructors and offer mediation, pilates, teaching certification and retreats,” she said. “Rebranding the business was a must.”

Grounded on Glen St is located on the corner of Glen and South streets. It is now a street-level studio that features group classes, one-on-one private sessions, yoga weekends, urban retreats, wellness programs, meditation and mindfulness classes taught by the 18 certified instructors.

By Amanda Gustafson, MS, RD, CDN

Your health is an individual journey that should be personalized to your unique needs and circumstances. As a registered dietitian working at Glens Falls Hospital, I strive every day to support our patients where they are in their health journey. 

Whether you’ve established healthy routines that work for you or are looking to make a change in your current routine, consider these tips for living a well-balanced, healthier lifestyle:  

1. Rely on trusted sources of information for facts about nutrition. 

With the influx of social media influencers and advertisements surrounding fad diets and trends, we are constantly bombarded with misleading or false information about what “healthy” means. 

Without consulting a trusted source, it can be difficult to identify what type of lifestyle and diet is best for your particular needs. Our society’s diet culture also tends to promote restrictive eating habits, and a one-size-fits-all solution, which doesn’t guarantee weight loss or better health. 

Glens Falls Hospital and aptihealth, an intelligent integrated behavioral healthcare company, have partnered to deliver rapid access to virtual care.
In providing aptihealth’s innovative teletherapy program to patients, Glens Falls Hospital is addressing a critical community need that has been significantly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, officials said.
All of the patients at Glens Falls Hospital’s seven primary care practices can now access integrated physical and behavioral care through the aptihealth platform within days. The supportive care team model and patient-driven 90-day care program has been shown to decrease symptom severity by over 50 percent, resulting in improved health outcomes and reduced care costs, according to the company.

By Lori VanderVeer
Chances are, if you are reading this newspaper, then you are someone who is driven and business oriented.
Probably somebody who is an entrepreneur or someone who is committed to achieving the highest levels in their profession. I understand that mindset completely. I am that person too.
That is why I am so passionate about helping people achieve their best selves. It all starts with your health.
Oftentimes, it is the most driven people who tend to be the most unhealthy. Working as a physical therapist for over 30 years has exposed me to disease and illnesses that result from poor nutrition, stress and unhealthy habits. Over the last 15-20 years, the population of people I treat has increasingly shifted from simple orthopedic injuries to more complicated cases of patients who are simply “sick” with obesity-related medical illnesses and physical dysfunctions.

By Christine Graf
Nutrition is now an emphasis at Acupuncture Nirvana, at 451 Glen St., Glens Falls, with the addition of a mew registered dietician.
Danielle Kiser has joined the staff of Acupuncture Nirvana. She received her M.S. in dietetics from SUNY Oneonta.
Kiser does not promote dieting or extreme calorie restrictions. Instead, she works with clients to create realistic and sustainable lifestyle changes.
According to owner Katherine “Kat” MacKenzie, having a nutritionist on staff will benefit many of the practice’s acupuncture clients. Patients who combine dietary changes with acupuncture are often better able to manage their symptoms.
“I see a lot of people who have issues that are related to diet,” said MacKenzie.
For example, she said she worked with a patient who suffered from migraines. The woman was unaware her crippling headaches were triggered by an undiagnosed gluten allergy.