Fit To Be Tried

What a fantastic way to kick off National Nutrition Month by writing a column that shares all the many exciting Health and Wellness Initiatives that are forming and currently taking place in and around Saratoga Springs! I feel so grateful to live in the Spa city that represents Health, History, and Horses! First, let me give you a bit of background about me, as your reliable health source and connection to one of the largest growing industries in the country, health and wellness. With a huge passion to help my community strive for a healthier way of life, I became a Registered Dietitian over 15 years ago. Knowing that people can indeed make changes in their lifestyle, leading to their improved health, shifted my research into why some clients were successful in maintaining their goals, while others struggled. So, when I moved back to the area from Key West, FL, I dove into the world of holistic living and became a certified fitness instructor, a self-care coach and a motivational speaker for corporations, hospitals and wellness events in the Northeast. In my practice, I tied together the need to not only change the way my clients were physically living, but to also create a shift in perceptions about core beliefs that tend to be obstacles to successfully achieving one’s goals. In general, we tend to view the body, what we should look like, and how others view us, based on ultra-thin models, and body image campaigns. For instance, I saw many high school friends acquire eating disorders as a result of this. I chose a proactive approach to self-care, and work with the younger generation who continue to be influenced by super sized meals and empty calories, in addition to the deficit in energy burned with the bombardment of video games, TV and the computer. Not only has this way of life become more of the norm, society has a whole continues to redefine what was once considered an inactive lifestyle as more acceptable. One of my most important jobs as a mom is to be a positive role model in living a healthy life, loving my body (flaws and all) and backing it all up with words of encouragement for my daughters to exude the same respect for themselves. What we tell ourselves daily, good or bad, becomes the image we see when we look in the mirror. Giving ourselves the gift of gentle loving kindness is the catalyst to the shift we see as we begin to reach our goals! So now that you have a better understanding of my passion in my approach to the success of my clients and in my own personal life, I am thrilled to be working with Saratoga TODAY as a Health Advocate and share the many wellness opportunities we are fortunate enough to have at our fingertips here in Saratoga Springs. I will be sharing the latest and greatest that businesses offer locally, and their added value of contributing to the growing interest with optimal health care for the prevention and treatment of disease and imbalance. I will also be giving you the inside “scoop” on food establishments in the area that have stepped up in making changes in providing healthier food options, allergy alerts and even gluten free options on their menu. In addition, there is growing concern with health and wellness in the workplace, and I will highlight area businesses that excel above and beyond the norm to ensure their employees are getting the added benefits of a wellness program within the workplace setting. This includes Healthy Lunch and Learns, Move It or Lose It walking challenges, stress management classes and even Corporate Wellness Challenges. As a result of these wellness programs, employers have seen a reduction in employee injuries and sick days, increased customer satisfaction, improved morale and energy levels and a significant reduction in health insurance premiums paid to the insurance company. In 2014 there is no slowing down for the general population, with the never-ending stresses of work, deadlines, child-care and bills. However, the Spa City has one of the largest and most diverse options for health and wellness services to help you get fit, feel your best and limit the degree of stress you carry. I will help to steer you in the direction of living and breathing a healthier, more vibrant lifestyle. If you are a business, corporation, or non-profit organization and have some news you would like to share, I welcome the information. We are, after all, working together to create one of the healthiest areas in the world! Don’t forget March 12th is National Registered Dietitian’s Day! Before using a nutritionist, I encourage you to first find out that he or she is a Registered Dietitian (RD) and a Certified Dietitian Nutritionist (CDN) to accept insurance claims in New York State. Monique Boulet RD, CDN, CPT www.organiquebymonique.com (518) 312 6309 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.