503-705-4762

Blog

Balance Workshop for Fall Prevention

Purchase the recording here

Do you struggle with your balance?

Have you (or has someone you love) fallen recently?

Watch this recording and learn exercises you can do at home using minimal equipment to improve your balance.

In this workshop I’ll guide you through simple exercises to:

  • Improve foot and ankle strength
  • Boost your confidence walking on uneven ground
  • improve big toe mobility (important for a healthy gait)
  • Increase hip strength and mobility

According to the CDC, 30% of adults aged 65 and older fall each year. Falls can result in serious injuries, limited mobility, and loss of independence.

A fall can impact not only the injured person but their entire community.

One of my friends recently shared that a relative had a fall that resulted in a hip fracture. While not life threatening, her injury has impacted the entire family. She is the primary care giver for her husband who suffers from dementia. This injury temporarily impacted her ability to care for both herself and her husband. Friends and relatives have stepped in to provide care for both adults. She is already up and moving and will soon be living independently again. She’s a very active senior with good muscle tone and mobility and I’m sure that has played a part in her rapid recovery.

You can take steps, starting today, to help build muscular strength and coordination so that you do not become sidelined by a fall.

Fall prevention tips for inside your house:

  • Remove all area rugs. These can be a tripping hazard.
  • Plug in night lights (especially if you get up in the night to go to the bathroom).
  • Wear grippy soled socks, or slippers that cover your whole foot (not slides).
  • Slow down. Often when we fall, we are rushing, or not paying attention.

As we age our foot and ankle mobility can diminish. Calf raises, toe taps, calf stretches, and step ups/ step downs are all good exercises to build ankle strength and mobility.

A really simple awareness exercise is to notice your gait. Do you shuffle? Can you practice picking up your feet, and rolling forward from your heel to the front of your foot as you walk?

click here to purchase the recording

If you need help with your balance, please join us Saturday January 13th at noon!

Hope to see you on Zoom!

~Anne

New Year’s Day Meditation

Join us Monday January 1st at 2 pm P.T. for a 30 minute guided meditation.

Our theme is “Get In The River”.

Life comes at you fast. Slowing down and taking time to reflect can help you lower your stress level, calm your nervous system, and prioritize the people and activities that matter most to you.

Start the year off right by sitting with us and reflecting on the past year, who and what you will attract in 2024, and how to get in the river!

Here’s the Zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85676197858?pwd=dmNXRkZER0NCbXBsT0RyMVhGTTJKdz09

Meeting ID: 856 7619 7858
Passcode: 030488

(please note that this is a different link than the one we use for our weekly fitness classes)

Mattie’s Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Here’s my favorite Thanksgiving recipe, my grannie’s cornbread dressing.

I grew up in north Florida, and in the south, “dressing” is very different than “stuffing”. This is a side dish, cooked separate from the bird, that is the consistency of lumpy mashed potatoes, rather than crumbly bread cubes.

Depending on where you are in the south, you may see sausage or seafood in your cornbread dressing. The recipe below is what I ate growing up. If you’re looking for a vegetarian side dish you could easily make this using vegetable stock in lieu of turkey drippings or chicken stock, and leave out the milk. Please don’t try to leave out the butter. This is Thanksgiving, the high holiday of fat, baby!

My Mom’s mom Mattie was born in South Georgia and raised in Florida. She used curry powder (not sage) and moistened the dish with drippings from the turkey. My Dad’s Mom Mary Del grew up in Louisiana and she would put oysters in her dressing.

Below is Mattie’s recipe with an option to add oysters for Louisiana style.

Cornbread Dressing Recipe

Cornbread Ingredients:

  • 1 8.5 oz box jiffy cornbread mix
  • 1 egg
  • 1/3 cup of milk

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 8 tablespoons butter (reserve one tbsp. to grease the pan)
  • 4-5 ribs of celery, chopped
  • 1 small green pepper, chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 5 slices white bread, dried in warm oven, and crumbled
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2-3 cups chicken stock (or pan drippings from the turkey)
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • Optional: 1 pint fresh oysters, drained

Directions:

  1. Make cornbread according to package directions. Cool and crumble (best to do this a day or two ahead.).
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish.
  3. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and sauté the celery, green pepper, and onion until soft (5-10 minutes).
  4. In a large bowl, place the celery, pepper, and onion. Add the cornbread, white bread, eggs, chicken stock, milk, salt, pepper, and curry powder and mix well (add the oysters now if you are using them).
  5. Pour into prepared dish and bake at 350 for 30 – 45 minutes, or until lightly browned on top. (to test for doneness, carefully and gently jiggle the pan, and if the center of the dressing moves cook it a little longer, til it’s set).

How to eat more veggies, and prepare quick, healthy meals at home with Melissa Olson

We recently chatted with Nutritionist Melissa Olson. She shared her tips for getting a healthy meal on the table in minutes. Also, how much protein we need (surprise – you may not be eating enough!), and how to get even your pickiest eaters to try new vegetables.

Click here to watch the full interview (46 minutes).

Click here to watch “Healthy Eating During Menopause” (3:02 minutes).

Click here to watch “Healthy Meals in Minutes” video (4:49 minutes).

Click here to learn what to do with Kohlrabi and other “weird” veggies (5:41 minutes).

Melissa shared this recipe

Chia Coconut Milk Pudding:

Ingredients – basic recipe

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

2-3 Tbsp Chia seeds (2 Tbsps yields a slightly runny pudding, 3 Tbsp more firm/ held together pudding).

Add in Ingredient Options/ Ideas (Choose 1 or more):

4-5 fresh or frozen strawberries, chopped. 2 Tbsp halved or crushed Blueberries. 1/4 cup fresh or frozen mango, chopped.

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine coconut milk and chia seeds. Gently whisk or stir with a fork continuously for 3-5 minutes until mixture starts firming up and chia seeds suspend in mixture.

Mix in add ins of choice.

Refrigerate a minimum of 30 minutes before serving. I prefer 1-4 hours or overnight.

Store in refrigerator. Enjoy within 5 days.

Thanks Melissa!

If you need help with your digestion, or getting your diet back on track reach out to Melissa at InTuneNutrition.com

Hot and Bothered – Tips for Surviving and Thriving during Menopause.

How sleep, diet, exercise, stress management, and hormones all play a role in your health, and what you can do about it!

Registration for this live 4 week series is closed. A recorded version of this will be available soon.

If you’d like Anne to speak to your group (in person or on zoom) about menopause reach out today!

Anne@FluidPortland.com

(503) 705-4762

Hot flashes. Hot blooms. Power surges. No matter what you call them unexpected fluctuations of your internal thermostat can wreak havoc on your clothing, and your social life.

Menopause symptoms can impact your relationships,
your self-image, even your career.

Educating yourself as to what is coming, what you can do about it, and knowing when it’s time to seek professional help can drastically improve your experience during the menopause transition.

Join us as we learn about menopause, how it impacts our lives, and what small steps you can take every day to help you transition to the next level with ease.

Hot and Bothered! How to Survive and Thrive during Your Menopause Transition.

  • Who: You! And your friends, spouses, coworkers…
  • What: A 4-week series including a thirty minute weekly Zoom call, a short homework assignment, and support from me!
  • When: 6-6:30pm PT, on Tuesday September 12th, September 19th, September 26th, and October 3rd.
  • Where: Online via Zoom meetings and email support.
  • Why: Educate yourself about menopause and learn what you can do to take charge of your mental and physical health.
  • How much: FREE for Fluid Fit Club subscribers. $100 for guests.

Who am I to tell you about menopause? I’m a personal trainer and licensed massage therapist. I teach weekly fitness classes and meet with clients for one-on-one strength training and nutrition coaching. I’m 49 years old and am nearing my menopause transition and have been researching how best to approach this. I’m excited to share what I’ve learned with you!

Please email me your menopause questions: Anne@FluidPortland.com.

Want to take this course for free? Become a Fit Club Member! Sign up for one of our weekly small group classes or contact me about one on one strength training or Thai massage.