Why the Flu Vaccine is a Must-Have This Season

Struggling to make lasting changes in your health journey? You’re not alone. Many people set ambitious health goals but get stuck along the way. That’s where SMART goals and the personalized care offered by Direct Primary Care (DPC) can make all the difference. By combining a structured approach to goal-setting with the support of a dedicated healthcare provider, you can achieve real, lasting improvements in your health and well-being. What Are SMART Goals? SMART goals are a proven framework for setting and achieving objectives. This method ensures that your goals are: Specific – Clear and well-defined. Measurable – Trackable so you can see progress. Achievable – Realistic and within your reach. Relevant – Aligned with your values and priorities. Time-bound – Set within a specific timeframe. For example, instead of saying, “I want to lose weight,” a SMART goal might be, “I want to lose 5 pounds in 8 weeks by building daily habits like, eating 3 balanced meals per day, reducing sugary snacks to twice per week, and walking 30 minutes most days.” Another example might be fitness focused: “I will complete a 5K run in 12 weeks by following a structured running program, running three times per week, and increasing my distance by 10% each week. I will also eat enough to support this goal by eating 3-4 balanced meals per day.” How DPC Providers Help You Succeed DPC providers, like myself, are uniquely positioned to help you create and achieve SMART goals. Here’s how: Quality Time to Understand Your Needs: Unlike traditional healthcare models, DPC allows for longer appointments where I can truly listen to your story and health goals. Together, we dive deep into your lifestyle, challenges, and aspirations to create goals that resonate with you. Personalized Care Plans: Your health journey is as unique as you are. We work together to create a plan tailored to your goals, whether you’re aiming to improve fitness, nutrition, sleep, or stress management. And when life throws a curveball, we adjust the plan to keep you on track. Focus on Sustainable Habits: I encourage my patients to focus on building small, sustainable habits rather than chasing quick fixes. These habits become the building blocks of long-term success. Ongoing Support and Accountability: With DPC, you’re never alone in your journey. I provide ongoing support, including weekly check-ins via text, to celebrate your wins, troubleshoot challenges, and keep you motivated. Patient Success Story: A SMART Approach to Health Goals Let me share a real-life example of how SMART goals and DPC support transformed one of my patient’s health. When she first came to me, her goals were clear: Feel good in her body. Improve her energy. Reverse prediabetes. Lose weight in a sustainable way. Over the course of 9 months, we worked together through small, intentional habit changes. There were roadblocks along the way, but by December, she had achieved incredible results: Increased energy – She said, “I feel like a real human who can do human things!” Improved body image – She felt more at home in her body and less focused on size or the scale. Improved metabolic health – Reversed prediabetes, normalized cholesterol levels, and lost 45 pounds. How did she do it? She embraced a growth mindset and stayed patient with the process. She focused on small, sustainable habits rather than obsessing over the scale. She persisted through challenges, even as a busy mom of three young kids. She gave herself grace when things got tough. How did I help her? I took the time to listen to her whole story and goals as well her daily routine and commitments. Then we created a personalized care plan tailored to her goals and lifestyle (using SMART goals). I encouraged her to focus on habits and how she felt in her body, not just numbers on the scale. I provided weekly check-ins for encouragement and guidance when obstacles arose. Ready to Achieve Your Health Goals? Your health journey doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By setting SMART goals and partnering with a dedicated DPC provider, you can make lasting changes that improve your health and quality of life. Whether you’re looking to boost your energy, improve your nutrition, or manage a chronic condition, I’m here to help. I am hosting a free health seminar for the community in January with 2 times and locations, reserve your spot 👉🏼 SMART Goal Setting for Health and Wellness: Free health seminar for the community. Ideal for anyone wanting to improve their health in a sustainable, focused way—no matter where you’re starting from. January 16th, 2025 ⏰ Time: 3:00 PM📍@ South Port land Comm unity Center January 21st, 2025⏰ Time: 5:30 PM📍@ Sna p Fitn ess SoPo If you're ready to work together to create your personalized care plan and start achieving your goals today. Contact me to learn more about how DPC can support your health journey!

Change is hard—there’s no doubt about it. Whether it’s eating healthier, moving more, or practicing mindfulness, starting something new often feels overwhelming. It’s easy to put off these changes until conditions are “perfect,” but the truth is, life will always be busy, and perfect moments rarely exist. Instead of waiting for the right time, the key to success is starting now—small and steady. Embrace a Growth Mindset A big reason change feels difficult is our mindset. When we view challenges as fixed obstacles, we might think, “I’ll never be able to stick to this.” But with a growth mindset, we shift that narrative to, “I’m learning and improving as I go.” This mindset frees us to embrace progress over perfection and makes it easier to start small. Start with One or Two Small Habits Rather than overhauling your entire life, focus on one or two small habits that feel manageable. For example:  Go for a 15 minute walk each day Stay hydrated ~ drink half your bodyweight in ounces/day (for most) Plan your meals out for the week Eat protein at every meal Add beans or lentils to a meal Add a serving of vegetables to your meals Have a piece of fruit as a snack Have a serving of nuts each day Reduce your screen time by 30 minutes/day Stick to a consistent bedtime Stretch/mobility work for 15 minutes per day Small wins build momentum, making it easier to add more habits over time. Add New Habits to Existing Routines One of the easiest ways to create new habits is to tie them to something you already do. If you want to start stretching daily, pair it with watching TV. If you want to incorporate a 15 minute walk do it with a friend or call your bestie. By anchoring the new habit to an established routine or something you enjoy, it becomes part of your day without feeling like an extra burden. Small Actions Lead to Big Results You don’t need hours in the gym or a complete diet overhaul to see progress. Instead, focus on what you can do right now. A 10-minute workout, prepping one healthy meal, or journaling for five minutes might not seem like much, but these small actions add up over time. Consistency, not perfection, is what drives long-term change. Why Not Start Today? Waiting for the perfect time keeps you stuck. The best way to build healthy habits is to take one small step today. Remember, change is a journey, not a race—and every small step brings you closer to your goal. Don’t wait for an arbitrary date, like New Years to decide to make a change, start now and imagine where you could be in 6 months! What’s one small thing you can do today to start building a healthier you? Don’t wait—your future self will thank you! Here are some of my favorites, comment yours below and join us in IG stories for the month of December #DecemberHealthyHabits Go for a 15 minute walk each day Stay hydrated ~ drink half your bodyweight in ounces/day (for most) Plan your meals out for the week Eat protein at every meal Add beans or lentils to a meal Add a serving of vegetables to your meals Have a piece of fruit as a snack Have a serving of nuts each day Reduce your screen time by 30 minutes/day Stick to a consistent bedtime Stretch/mobility work for 15 minutes per day

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Must-read guide for anyone looking to enhance their fitness and overall health through proper nutrition. Discover the science behind calorie and macro calculations and learn how to fuel your workouts to support your performance goals. Whether you're an athlete or just starting your fitness journey, this blog provides actionable tips for maximizing energy and recovery. Get expert advice and learn more by attending our nutrition workshops or scheduling a consultation with NP Amy at MainelyNP Primary Care.

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Day in the life of DPC Personalized care with a nurse practitioner who cares

Let's talk about ways we can simplify our nutrition to improve our overall health. I'm sure you've felt confused about how to make the right changes when there is so much information and misinformation available to us. Like you, I've tried lots of different "diets" out there in an effort to improve my health or change how my body looked. Over the years, with ongoing education and application to myself and patients, I have been able to learn some general practices for healthy nutrition habits to improve overall health. I've not only learned the science behind the benefits of a balanced diet, energy needs including macronutrient and micronutrient needs of the body, but also how to adopt change in the mind and form healthy habits that stick. How many times have you tried a specific diet that promised to be the best way to eat to achieve a specific goal? Well some of these diets can work short-term, but are typically too restrictive to be sustainable and helpful. When we fall into these diet myths of only having ONE right way to eat and have so many rules around food it causes too much restriction that cannot be sustained. This often leads us to return to old habits that might be less healthful or further restriction that can be detrimental to health. These can both cause weight changes, feelings of failure and shame, and the yo-yo dieting continues. One of the biggest nutrition pitfalls is believing that there is only ONE right way to eat for your health and body goals. Getting away from the all or nothing type diets and instead focusing on positive daily and weekly habits can improve your overall health and happiness around your relationship with food, body, and health. Here are some of my favorite positive habits that you can implement on a regular basis: Go for a 15 minute walk each day Stay hydrated ~ 60-80 ounces/day Add beans or lentils to a meal Add a serving of vegetables to your meals Have a piece of fruit as a snack Have a serving of nuts each day Plan your meals out for the week Reduce your screen time by 15-30 minutes/day Stick to a consistent bedtime When we are trying to start a new habit there are a few ways to implement them that can help you be most successful. Make the habit low entry: This means walking for 5 minutes each day as opposed to 15 to start. Stack the habit: This means adding a habit on to something that you already do so that you are more likely to complete the task. Complete the habit while doing something you enjoy: This could be talking on the phone with your best friend while you take your 15 minute walk. Track the habit: Keep a chart on the fridge or track using an app on your phone and you can monitor progress. These types of positive healthful habits stack up over time and will help you reach the biggest goal of improving your overall health. They can help you with increasing energy levels, improving performance goals, and improving mental health. They can also help with preventing, reversing, or managing metabolic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and obesity. Want to learn more? Join us for Nutrition Talks every 3rd Thursday of the month through the summer! Email info@mainelynp.com to RSVP Ready to start working together? Become a member of MainelyNP Primary Care Today! Pick 1-3 habits to start working on this week and let me know how it goes! 💙 Amy

I was on a podcast!! Listen and get to know more about me!! Thank you Dr. Phil Finemore of WorkFitME Physical Therapy and the Strength For Your Purpose Podcast for having me on the podcast to share my passion for nursing and taking care of people! @strengthforyourpurposepod We talked about what inspired me to enter the nursing field, complete my NP, and open MainelyNP Primary Care. We dove deep on my passion for helping people achieve optimal health with personalized care, education, and compassion! Hear my story and more about my direct primary care practice by downloading and listening to this episode wherever you find podcasts! Here is the Spotify link! I love meeting more local healthcare providers! When we come together and share experiences we can provide even better care for our patients. Phil Finemore, PT, DPT is the owner of WorkFitME Mobile Physical Therapy. He has a goal of helping busy Maine professionals find the mental, emotional, and physical strength to fulfill their true purpose in life. The mission is to approach the topic of wellness holistically and show you how outer and inner strength can spill over to all areas of life, creating waves of positive change in its path. Check out his website and social media to build a healthier, stronger, and pain free body! @drphilptdpt @workfitme

In today's ever-evolving healthcare landscape, Direct Primary Care (DPC) emerges as an innovative model, reshaping the way patients access and receive medical services. People are fed up with the current healthcare systems high cost and lack of access, flexibility, and consistency. They are tired of long wait times, automated messages with no call back, and never seeing the same provider. I bet you are wondering how DPC can fix these problems; here’s how it works. Enhanced Patient-Provider Relationship: One of the most significant benefits of DPC is the establishment of a more personalized and robust relationship between patients and healthcare providers. By eliminating third-party involvement (insurance and large organizations) and focusing on a membership-based system, DPC fosters stronger connections. Patients enjoy longer appointments, increased access to their physician, and a deeper understanding of their healthcare needs. Accessibility and Affordability: DPC simplifies the healthcare process by offering a transparent, subscription-based payment model. Patients pay a monthly or annual fee, granting them unlimited access to a wide array of primary care services. This fee structure eliminates surprise bills, copays, and deductibles, making healthcare more affordable and predictable. Comprehensive and Preventive Care: Under the DPC model, healthcare providers prioritize preventive care and wellness. With more time dedicated to each patient visit, providers can focus on proactive measures, health education, and comprehensive assessments. This approach not only enhances patient outcomes but also reduces the likelihood of more severe health issues in the future. Reduced Administrative Burden: For healthcare providers, DPC streamlines administrative tasks by eliminating the complexities associated with insurance billing. Without the need to navigate insurance requirements and paperwork, providers can concentrate on delivering quality care without the bureaucratic constraints often present in traditional healthcare models. Flexibility and Convenience: DPC offers flexibility in scheduling appointments, often providing same-day or next-day visits. This accessibility is particularly advantageous in urgent situations and for individuals with busy lifestyles. Additionally, many DPC practices incorporate telemedicine options, allowing patients to connect with their providers remotely. At MainelyNP we offer same-day or next-day, telehealth, and sometimes home visits. Focus on Quality Care, Not Quantity: By removing the fee-for-service model, DPC emphasizes quality over quantity. Providers have the time and autonomy to prioritize patient needs without the pressure of meeting specific quotas or time constraints. This results in more thorough and attentive care tailored to individual patients. Direct Primary Care is poised to revolutionize healthcare delivery, making it more accessible, affordable, and patient-focused. This is what we will strive for at MainelyNP. We want to really know about your life, your health, your goals and take an adventure together! Ready to prioritize your health in a way that feels personal? Sign up today and we’ll schedule your first visit in April.