Welcome 
Our mission is to be a valuable fitness resource for Baby Boomer and senior women. Together we can attain optimal fitness... one body, one mind, one at a time!
At Healthy Body, Fit Mind we take a thoughtful approach to fitness with true customization designed around your lifestyle, goals and current fitness level.
We use the latest technology combined with good old-fashioned human interaction to ensure your success. We can help you with:
- Weight Loss Programs designed to LOSE FAT and keep it off
- Toning and sculpting your body
- Getting ready for a special event
- Lifestyle and weight management programs
- staying healthy fit and functional
- Specializing in baby boomer and senior women
- Phone and email coaching
Why Weight? – Summer Support Group for Women
Tuesdays 5:30 – 6:30 starting 7/8 – ongoing
Whether you have 5 or 50 lbs to lose…or have lost weight and want to keep it off…this is the place for you! We will have weekly ongoing casual, informal support meetings. There will be healthy conversation, useful handouts and the occasional healthy snack and activities.
If you are a past or current client of Healthy Body, Fit Mind it’s FREE to attend. Guests are only $5 per visit.
You can attend regularly or occasionally. Join a like-minded group of women with the same struggles. Have fun and increase the likelihood of long term success by participating in this exciting program.
Located at SOMA Massage and Wellness, 6 Cottage Rd., South Portland, ME (across from the Post Office)
Call MaryAnn @207-767-4499 or email maryann@healthybodyfitmind.com if you have questions or want to let me know you’ll be attending.
Your Cholesterol Numbers: Understanding the Good, the Bad and the Ugly
By now most of us understand that high cholesterol is unhealthy. All cholesterol is not bad. Cholesterol is needed to make certain hormones and other substances that assist in digestion. HDL carries cholesterol to your liver and removes it from your body. Triglycerides carry the fat through the bloodstream. Too much of the wrong kind of cholesterol (LDL and triglycerides) can lead to a buildup of plaque in the arteries, which can increase the risk of heart disease.
Often the first reaction to a diagnosis of high cholesterol is to get medication. It is important to know your total cholesterol number along with the breakdown of the good (HDL- high density lipoprotein), the bad, (LDL-low density lipoprotein) and the ugly (triglycerides).
When you get those blood test results, read and review them with your physician. It’s important to understand these numbers and work on a solution together, starting with lifestyle changes.
There are factors beyond our control that can affect cholesterol levels, such as family history of heart disease, age and sex (for men, the age is 45 and older; women, 55 years and up).
However, generally speaking, high cholesterol is a lifestyle symptom that can be controlled and managed. Diet, activity level and how stress is managed are all within our control. These three factors are the key to lowering cholesterol through healthy lifestyle changes.
Keep it simple. As a general premise for overall health and wellness, you need to eat better, move more and focus on the things you CAN control. Simple changes can make a big difference. Here are some pointers:
DIET
One of the biggest things you can do is lower your intake of saturated fats, such as butter and any fat found on meats. Eating better is not always eating less but about being selective on how you “fuel” your body.
Avoid hydrogenated oils found in cookies, pastries and baked goods. Make it a point to read labels. Often, the healthiest foods do not have labels. Yes, fruits and vegetables! Increase your fiber intake through foods like oatmeal, whole grains and legumes.
Include soy and Omega-3 oils like flaxseed and fish oil. Consider plant sterols found in health food stores. Avoid processed foods that often contain hidden saturated fats and excessive sodium.
Some minerals like magnesium, selenium and L-carnitine have been shown to lower cholesterol. Talk to your physician about testing for mineral deficiencies to determine what you may be lacking.
EXERCISE
Keep your weight in a healthy range for your age and sex. Exercise for 30 minutes a day. Recent activity guidelines set by the American College of Sports Medicine in conjunction with the American Heart Association advocate that working out at moderate levels in ten minute intervals, three times a day, can have the same cumulative effect as a 30 minute session. Just keep moving.
STRESS
Stress often cannot be avoided, whether it’s related to demands at the office or caring for loved ones at home.
But how you manage stress can affect your overall health, including your cholesterol.
Go for a walk, get a massage or try alternative medicines. Some studies have even indicated that therapies like acupuncture can reduce stress and in turn affect your cholesterol.
The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute offers a free online program called TLC –Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes, with a step by step guide to follow. It is a useful tool that can help incorporate simple changes in your life.
Lastly, there still may be a need to use medication along with lifestyle changes. Work with your physician to be sure you are on the right track and keep your physician informed of your changes, progress and concerns so adjustments can be made as needed.
What Do You Mean When You Say You Want To Lose Weight?
When people say they want to lose weight they usually mean (even if they don’t always know it at the time) one of the following:
- I need more energy (for myself, my family)
- I want to be healthier (lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol,etc,)
- I want to feel better about myself
- I want to live healthier and age gracefully
- I want to be independent
- I want to wear my favorite pair of jeans, again!
- I want to play with my grandkids (and not get winded)
What usually happens is you “diet” so you can lose a few quick pounds. You lose weight alright, but if you’re only dieting (especially if not a healthy diet) you actually lose lean muscle mass versus fat. Who cares, you say? You just want to lose a few pounds, what difference does it make. The big difference is, you want to keep it off! What you really want is to lose fat, not muscle and you want to manage your weight thereafter.
It’s really a matter of choices; lifestyle choices. You can hire a personal trainer and a personal chef like many of the celebrities do BUT even they relapse,so to speak without making the everyday little decisions that can make a big difference.
Here are small simple and sensible choices you can start to make towards a healthier lifestyle:
- Drink water – whenever you’re thirsty go for the water first. When you sit down at a restaurant ask for water first. If you feel hungry, drink water first.
- Get up 15 minutes earlier – use those fifteen minutes to stretch. Get your body used to moving.
- Take the stairs – seriously, not just when the elevator is broken, not when the escalator is too full, just take the stairs. If you have to go many levels, take the stairs a couple of flights, then hitch a ride on the elevator the rest of the way.
- Do not use ANY store bought salad dressing. Make your own. All you need is olive oil, lemon, any kind of vinegar and your favorite spices. If you want to substitute oil for lemon flavor fish oil (Omega 3 bonus) you can skip the olive oil and lemon.
- Dance….whenever, wherever and however long you can! No one has to see you and you don’t even need music. Just dance!Take your dog for a walk. If you don’t have a dog, take your neighbor’s dog or go with your neighbor.
- Try anything new---challenge your brain to learn something you always wanted to do. Dig into those memory banks, what did you always wanted to do when you were little and never got to try. Many local community centers offer affordable classes on an array of subjects both physical and mental.
- Get plenty of sleep – since you’re getting up fifteen minutes earlier, and moving throughout the day, you can go to bed 15 minutes earlier and get at least 7 – 8 hours of sleep.
The better you feel, the more you can do to enjoy your family and any free time you have in this generally hectic world!
Contact us today at 207-767-4499