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Upstate NY Food, Wellness & Design

New York Food & Design

July 22, 2019 by Aimee Hockett Leave a Comment

10 Office Tools to Help Relieve Back Pain

It can be hard to focus and feel productive when struggling with any level of back pain. So many of us have busy lives and struggle to accommodate our schedules or routines to include proper pain management. If you spend a long day at a computer, here are 10 Office Tools to Help Relieve Back Pain, starting with my favorite: a standing desk converter by Anthrodesk.

It wasn’t until I was in my mid 20’s that I learned I had a double scoliosis. No Dr. had ever mentioned this to me in my life because it was mild. After college, I was eager to be introduced into the health & wellness field and felt determined to work for some sort of healthcare professional. I ended up working for a chiropractor and going to school to become a certified chiropractic assistant. This meant that I would help the Dr. provide some of the physical therapy treatment options he offered in his office.

This was the first time I learned that I had scoliosis and suddenly so much about my health history and past back, knee and hip pain made sense. During this time of my life, I was on my feet a lot and learned a new meaning of what it meant to live with back pain. This period of my life has taught me tips, tricks and various products that make a major difference in the quality of my overall day to day wellness, pain levels and the success of the care I was getting for my back pain.

Having now developed my own healthcare business, it is important I share what I have learned over the years as a nutritionist and certified chiropractic assistant. The one thing that I am always surprised at is how many people I meet that struggle with this problem but have few tools or tricks to reduce the frequency and severity of their pain.

News flash: those pains are a warning sign! Don’t ever settle for just living with it! It’s time to take action with these 10 office tools to relieve back pain.

10 office tools to help relieve back pain

Standing Desk Converter

This post is sponsored by Anthrodesk.

One of my favorite ways to stay focused and reduce the frequency of pain I experience is to make sure I am not sitting in one place for too long. Now that I work for myself, I find myself stick in one place staring at my computer for long periods of time. During busier times, I tend to experience a lot more back pain which can hinder my focus and quality of work.

In my time working for the chiropractor, I worked with a standing desk most of the time. This helped me stay focused and allowed me to keep moving and reduce some of my back pain. Since then, I have missed the opportunity to work while standing.

This standing desk by Anthrodesk is the perfect solution for my home office. You can find it here: AnthroDesk: ErgoSpring Standing Desk Converter – Extra Wide Since having this on my desk, I can sit when I need to and easily raise my desk to my height when I want to stand. Having a convertible desk that is easy on my wrists was also very important. Like many office workers, I struggle some with carpal tunnel. This model is so easy to move up and down without straining my wrist. Check it out:

Magnesium Muscle Spray

If I am struggling with muscle spasms or tight muscles, there is no possibility that I can focus or get anything done. This magnesium topical spray is my all time favorite that I have tried. While it is important to get enough magnesium in your diet, it can be absorbed directly into the muscle during a time of acute need. This brand uses optimal ingredients and leaves little residue compared to others.

Olba’s Salve

Another topical product I use religiously when I have back pain or chest congestion is this Olbas Arnica Salve. While it is marketed as a vick’s vapor rub replacement, it works amazingly well for aches and pains. This product also includes optimal ingredients and leaves little residue on your skin.

[asp_product id=”5873″]

Ergonomic Mouse

If you are like me and struggle with carpal tunnel or neck pain, it is likely that your mouse or how you hold your body while at the computer could contribute to aches and pains. It is important to have the right computer equipment to avoid further causing problems. Make sure your mouse is not only comfortable to rest your hand on but is also the right size. Here are some options.

For Small Hands

For Large Hands

Shoe Inserts

People ask me all the time if there are orthotic shoes or inserts that I recommend. I used to fit patients for this particular brand of custom made orthotics. It takes into account not only your foot shape but also your spinal shape. While expensive, they last a long time and may be covered by your insurance depending on what plan/carrier you have. You do need to find a practitioner near you that does fittings and sells them. Scroll to the bottom of the link to request information on vendors close to you:

Learn More & Find a Vendor near Me

Posture Brace

Ergonomic Chair or Chair Cushion

Everyone has slightly different needs to sit comfortably, bring a cushion around with you in the car to use with different chairs:

Neck Massager

This product definitely needs to be used carefully but is a fantastic tool to target trigger points or knots in your neck, shoulders and even your legs. I love using this when I have had a long day working or woke up on the wrong side of the bed.

Acupressure Mat

I love this tool to unwind after a long day or for during long meetings. It works great to passively unwind trigger points, knots and tight muscles while I can still be productive. Who says your back pain management requires your time and attention?

Inversion Table

While this item is not necessarily an office tool but has been an awesome option in my journey with back pain. Note: if you have glaucoma, high eye pressure/pain you will want to avoid using this tool. I especially like this model because it comes with a back massager which I will sometimes use with my regular office chair if I have especially bad back pain.

If you are struggling with back pain and want to improve your symptoms long term, you might want to check out some anti-inflammatory food options!

anti-inflammatory nutrition plan
10 tools to help relieve back pain overnight

Filed Under: Lifestyle, Nutrition Research

May 9, 2019 by Aimee Hockett Leave a Comment

5 Tips to Simplify and Enjoy Your Veggies This Summer

Many of my clients have “eat healthier” at the top of their goals list when it comes to talking about their health. Even those who are very invested in their health want to know more about how they can balance their meals properly and include more vegetables. Heck, I have even met people who cook organ meats twice a week and own two refrigerators, asking for help on incorporating more fruits and vegetables in their diet. The most common question I get is how to eat more vegetables, easily. May is the perfect time to really focus on this goal because the farmers markets are opening back up. Read about my top 5 Tips to Simplify and Enjoy Your Veggies This Summer.

Eating balanced meals and incorporating more vegetables can be hard work at first- but it doesn’t have to be. It is upkeep, just like brushing our teeth or making sure we have clean laundry. It is a part of life that we need to do in order to look and feel our best, but we can absolutely eat more vegetables, easily.

Here’s the kicker. I can spend all my time writing up a list of recipes for you to try, but I want to help you get to the root of starting more vegetable based habits. I don’t know the inner workings of your life or what you already like to eat, but I do know that you are looking to eat more veg!

5 Tips to Simplify and Enjoy Your Veggies This Summer

5 Tips to Simplify and Enjoy Your Veggies This Summer

First ask yourself:

How much veg are you currently eating?
What types of veg are you currently eating?
What are your limitations on cooking?
What kinds of foods or flavors do you like to eat?

Notice I said ‘like to eat’? Flavor is a major factor. Eating more vegetables doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice feeling full or that delish factor.

Second, Think About Storage Organization

Ask yourself: how does your fridge look and can you easily see your produce? When you go to the store, do you wrap your produce in the plastic bags provided and just toss them into the fridge, only to rot away in a desolate abyss of produce wasteland? ‘Cuz, no lie- that is 100% me.

I rearranged my refrigerator with reusable cotton veggie bags and dedicated specific areas of my fridge to produce. I have some ready to grab, rinse and eat whenever I feel bored or hungry. It also encourages me to grab a bit of ‘this or that’ when I go to whip up anything at all. Not to mention, it helps when I am cooking and need something to tide me over.

3. Shopping

One of the hardest parts about incorporating more vegetables is first off attaining them. You must ask yourself: what grocery store do you go to, what does their produce aisle look like and how well do you know what they stock? In other words, how much of an adventure have you gone on in your grocery store?
5 tips to stocking your pantry like a nutrition professional
My biggest tip in shopping is to go on an adventure. Eat with your eyes here, what colors jump at you? Don’t just grab the broccoli, just ‘cuz. Grab the beets or the bell pepper because they caught your eye. Don’t be shy to look for and try new things. We live in a time where we have cell phones and can google virtually anything. If you find a vegetable that you were attracted to, but you aren’t sure what it tastes like or what to do with it. Google: beets recipes.
If nothing sounds all that tasty to you, then move on to the next thing! You may need to try this a few times before finding your way, but the uncomfortable uncertainty of this stage is SO IMPORTANT. I can’t stress this enough. Uncertainty is a sign that you are GROWING and you are successful just by putting your mind to it!

Let’s get shopping, my friends, and always keep in mind the things you ENJOY eating. We are all always the same people even if we make dramatic changes in our life and we still have the same taste preferences. Just because we decide to eat more vegetables and get healthier does not mean that we are dramatically going to love them as much as we might enjoy chocolate cake. I mean, I am chocolate gal #1, and brussels sprouts can never compare, I don’t make them mutually exclusive because vegetables and whole foods are the best medicine.

How to eat more vegetables easily

4. Portion

Okay, I really don’t want to get into portion control, guys. If it grows from the earth and has a wealth of nutrients. Eat as much as you freaking want. There should be absolutely no calorie restriction on something like carrots or beets. While they may be questionable to the calorie counter, there are PACKED with nutrients that your vital organs rely on to allow you to do things like manage weight, stay beautiful and maintain energy. So, don’t be afraid for seconds on them green beans.

What I really want to stress here, is how much to cook and how much to shop for. So, say you went on your grocery store adventure and you found a new vegetable you wanted to try, and you got home and you were like holy crap, there is so much, what do I do?? It is so likely you will waste a lot of it because it is new to you and your diet doesn’t currently include one cup of kale with each meal. That’s a lot, guys.

If you pick up something new, buy the smaller bunch or package you see. When trying new things, you also don’t want to feel defeated like you wasted a lot and it’s a lost cause. No, in fact you are already doing an amazing job just by picking up something new. Considering it is the first stage, getting it home is awesome improvement. We still need to get to the cooking/preparing and then eating stage.

 

There is a lot to get used to in incorporating more vegetables. I mean, it isn’t getting married, but it’s also not as easy as buying another tube of toothpaste.

When I want to try something new, I always get just a little bit at first, see how I like it and if I find recipes that are low effort and delicious. If I love it, maybe I’ll make a special trip again to pick more up. If I hate it, I didn’t waste a lot and I am not discouraged from vegetables as a whole.

5. Research.

This tip is so important. Maybe the most important one. When I say research, I don’t mean look up what are the best vegetables you HAVE to eat. I mean- ask yourself what do you already like, and what recipes do you want or can you make? Everyone’s cooking skills vary, so I’m not going to require you to suddenly pick up complicated knife or sautéing skills if you hardly pull out the pan. We all have different habits and many of you are not chefs and have no desire to start cooking.

Wait whattt!? That’s right! You don’t have to enjoy cooking to be able to eat healthy. In fact, I know many famous food bloggers have little interest or skills in the kitchen, and they are still inspiring people to eat healthy every damn day. To each their own. So, where are you at? Maybe a cool veg salad with an awesome dressing is the way to go. Or maybe you can cut some shit up, get some oil + salt on there and roast those babies. What do you LIKE and what involvement do you want to have in the kitchen??
Once you have figured that out, research (vegetable name) recipe and see what catches your fancy and mood. Eating veg can be so easy so low stress!

5 tips to enjoy your veggies this summer

Thank you for reading my 5 Tips to Simplify and Enjoy Your Veggies This Summer! I hope they were helpful and you learned some great tips to getting you started this May! I know I can always use extra encouragement to eat more veggies, so I know you could too. Don’t forget to just keep trying and explore new colors, flavors and smells. You won’t regret the adventure- now let’s have a delicious summer.

True Balance Basics Free Nutrition Challenge

For more tips like this, read my top 5 tips for stocking your pantry like a pro and be sure to download my FREE pantry toolkit guide:

 

Filed Under: Change, Lifestyle, Nutrition Research, Pantry Tips

February 28, 2019 by Aimee Hockett Leave a Comment

Causes for Foul Smelling IBS

What does it mean to have digestive health problems?

Understanding our bathroom habits isn’t typically something we learn growing up. However, we can see the biggest changes in common digestive problems by understanding our signs and symptoms. How much do you know about your digestive health? Do you experience foul smelling gas or stools? Read about these 3 Causes for Foul Smelling IBS.

Gastrointestinal bugs and chronic illnesses are on the rise. 60 to 70 million americans are affected by digestive diseases, and 135,000+ people suffer from colorectal cancer.

Causes for Foul Smelling IBS

In learning what our bowel movements mean, we can make informed decisions about when it is time to seek out help. There are times when we should be allowed to take action in our own hands, but the important thing is making sure that decision is an informed one and we also know when it is time to get help.

Every day, we eat a large variety of foods which contain nutrients, anti nutrients, enzymes, and sometimes chemicals. We also consume protein, fat, carbs, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals. Food is not just what it appears to be from our 5 senses. In fact, it is almost like we have a 6th sense for what we need, and our choices can have very biological reasons. Some cravings tell a better story about what your body needs than it does of your strength and will power.

Many of the following common digestive problems and their causes can also present as nutrient deficiencies or toxicities. Because there are many possibilities of nutrient deficiencies related to each symptom, it is hard to describe how each plays their role.

Some of the more common nutrient depletions or toxicities that result in GI symptoms are: antioxidant, fiber, magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, b vitamins (B3, B5, B12, folate, choline), chloride, copper, iodine, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin K. In addition to these nutrients being potential causes from either a depletion and/or toxicity level, many of them depend on other nutrients for their proper absorption. Sometimes our nutrient status might not be low or high of any of these, but rather of another nutrient that is required for the use and function of these nutrients.

Keep scrolling to read more about Common Colors in Digestive Health Symptoms. If you are looking for more information on how to heal your gut, you can now purchase my Digestive Healing Protocol: here!

Common Problems in Digestive Health Symptoms

Here are 3 Causes for Foul Smelling IBS with top signs & symptoms, and what you might want to consider:

Smelly IBS, Gas, & Bloating?

Healthy bowel movements will generally have very little smell. If you notice the following common digestive problems alongside smell, it is worth additional investigation:

  • bloating
  • gas
  • cramping
  • diarrhea or loose stools
  • odors that a fan or match cannot cover up

Gas or bowel movements accompanied with unpleasant odor, especially alongside cramping, bloating or diarrhea, can point to these three causes: difficulty in digesting any one or more foods, food allergies/sensitivities, and/or bacterial infection.

Here are a few causes explained:

Enzymes, Stomach acid and Bile:

Starting at our mouth, our digestive tract produces stomach acid and a variety of enzymes. You may struggle to breakdown food without proper salivation, chewing, and/or enzyme production.

With low stomach acid, one might not complete the breakdown of protein. Without specific enzymes, one might not complete the breakdown of certain fibers, vegetables, sugars, or phytonutrients. Low bile production or an inflamed gall bladder and liver can cause poor digestion of fats and result in foul smelling stools or gas.

In addition to foul smelling gas or bowel movements, we can experience: body odor (like from garlic), bad breath (like from garlic or onions), or our urine may even have a smell (like from asparagus).

Meanwhile, keep in mind that our digestive tract also has trillions of living bacteria. There is always a balance of good and bad. When we do not fully breakdown the particulates of some foods, the bacteria can feed off of your left overs and ferment them. This can bring on bad smells, and all the previously listed symptoms.

Just think of this example outside of your body: we know that bacteria surrounds us everywhere. When you have spoiled food that has a foul smell, bacteria is feeding off of the food and fermenting it. Similar things can happen in your digestive tract if beginning stages of digestion are not completed and you expose food to a hoard of different bacteria.

Causes for Foul Smelling IBS

Food sensitivity, intolerance, or allergy:

Food sensitivities have grown to become a very common digestive problem. We don’t simply just develop an allergy, the mechanism is actually very biologically complicated. Food sensitivities involve antibodies, which are soldier cells that target pathogens or anything that presents harm to the body.

You may have heard of leaky gut before, and you may have also met someone that has an epi-pen and goes into anaphylactic shock from certain foods. These both involve food allergies/sensitivities but operate on different biological pathways.

While they both involve antibodies, they are essentially different types of ‘soldiers’. In leaky gut, we may have antibody activity towards certain food if we struggle to break them down. The activity of undigested food particles, sometimes with the involvement of bacteria, can create damage on the cell wall of the digestive tract where we absorb our nutrients. Our digestive tract becomes a war zone.

This can mean that undigested food particles will pass through, into our system. Our body has no idea what to do with this, so some of our little army will want to take care of it. When we eat those foods again, we risk more damage and higher release of these antibodies. If this becomes persistent, we may produce too many antibodies. Once the foreign invader is cleared out, we may have an excess that don’t have a job to do. We can’t just leave them unemployed, so, our body has us crave that food again to allow the extra antibodies to fulfill their responsibilities. This commonly happens with legumes, gluten, dairy, sugar, etc. This can potentially be something we heal.

With anaphylaxis, we are essentially sending out the swat team whose responsibility is much more pertinent. This team of assassins want to get the foreign invader fully out of the body, STAT. This is usually very well known to the individual and they have received an official diagnoses as an allergy that typically does not resolve over time.

The lining in our digestive tract heals every three days, so if a person is presenting symptoms within 3-4 days, it is likely that the cells do not have enough time to heal and whatever is causing damage is consumed on a regular basis.

Infection or stomach bug:

As previously mentioned, there are trillions of different types of bacteria that already live inside out digestive tract. In addition, our body and digestive tract interacts with other pathogens, viruses and bacteria regularly. If any one of those has a chance to survive and grow in our GI environment, it will likely contribute to an imbalance in the tightly regulated bacteria that already lives there.

Some of these pathogens live on fresh food, in the bathroom, on the counter, in the air, etc. and some are naturally occurring in our digestive tract but can go haywire with the right diet for them to feed. Determining the type of bacterial or viral imbalance is difficult because symptoms can be similar to other causes like a food intolerance. Symptoms are also insufficient evidence to determining the specific bug and further lab testing is crucial to finding the right course of treatment.

Since there are a variety of causes and bugs, with some being more dangerous to your health than others, assistance is highly recommended.

Many times, lab testing can be the most helpful in understanding the cause and proper course of action, but is not always necessary. Depending on the real root cause and severity of symptoms, a variety of supplements can be beneficial, but because of the high risk of colorectal cancer, food allergies and stomach bugs, it is important to receive additional guidance.

Any of these 3 Causes for Foul Smelling IBS should not be taken lightly. Sometimes it can be difficult to pinpoint the root cause because many symptoms overlap between conditions. Seeking out professional help to better understand your needs is the best thing you can do if you notice any of these symptoms.

**the content of this article about 3 Causes for Foul Smelling IBS is not intended to be used as a diagnostic tool. It is meant to be used as a mindfulness tool to help you understand your health needs and make a decision on when help should be integrated into your journey.**

Filed Under: Digestive Health, Lifestyle, Nutrition Research

February 4, 2019 by Aimee Hockett Leave a Comment

Common Colors in Digestive Health Symptoms

Are you looking for answers on what is really going on with your digestive health? Doctors and specialists sometimes are not the most reliable in providing information about what your symptoms mean and what root causes could be contributing to your problems. Read this nutritionist’s account on Common Colors in Digestive Health Symptoms.

What does it mean to have symptoms?

Understanding our bathroom habits isn’t typically something we learn growing up. However, we can see the biggest changes in common digestive problems by understanding our signs and symptoms.

Gastrointestinal bugs and chronic illnesses are on the rise. 60 to 70 million americans are affected by digestive diseases, and 135,000+ people suffer from colorectal cancer.

In learning what our bowel movements mean, we can make informed decisions about when it is time to seek out help. There are times when we should be allowed to take action in our own hands, but the important thing is making sure that decision is an informed one and we also know when it is time to get help.

Every day, we eat a large variety of foods which contain nutrients, anti nutrients, enzymes, and sometimes chemicals. We also consume protein, fat, carbs, phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals. Food is not just what it appears to be from our 5 senses. In fact, it is almost like we have a 6th sense for what we need, and our choices can have very biological reasons. Some cravings tell a better story about what your body needs than it does of your strength and will power.

Many of the following common digestive problems and their causes can also present as nutrient deficiencies or toxicities. Because there are many possibilities of nutrient deficiencies related to each symptom, it is hard to describe how each plays their role.

Some of the more common nutrient depletions or toxicities that result in GI symptoms are: antioxidants, fiber, magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, b vitamins (B3, B5, B12, folate, choline), chloride, copper, iodine, vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin K. In addition to these nutrients being potential causes from either a depletion and/or toxicity level, many of them depend on other nutrients for their proper absorption. Sometimes our nutrient status might not be low or high of any of these, but rather of another nutrient that is required for the use and function of these nutrients.

Keep scrolling to read more about Common Colors in Digestive Health Symptoms. If you are looking for more information on how to heal your gut, you can now purchase my Digestive Healing Protocol: here!

Common Colors in Digestive Health Symptoms

Before tackling the healing process and understanding the root cause of your symptoms, read these Common Colors in Digestive Health Symptoms. Here are some of the basics, top signs & symptoms, and what to consider:

Ideal color to see in your stool is a medium brown. Very often we are not observant or checking in with our digestive health by taking a quick glance before flushing the toilet.  While it isn’t exactly polite or a glamorous conversation to bring up, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t important to check. There are a variety of other colors that we can notice in our stool, and some of them might be really important to pay attention to. Some of the variations we see are:

Common Colors in Digestive Health Symptoms

green/yellow:

Usually an indication of liver and/or gallbladder inflammation. It could mean that bile excreted by the gallbladder is either not effective or is being dumped into the digestive tract. Ideally, we want a deliberate stream of bile according to our diet and when we eat.

pale brown:

Usually an indication that bile is not entering into the digestive tract. This can be potentially dangerous for your liver and gallbladder. This is a potential sign for gallstones or liver dysfunction.

black/dark brown:

If you notice a darker color than usual, this is typically indicative of an upper GI bleed. Blood entering into the GI tract will begin to clot as it moves through, making it a darker color. There are a multitude of reasons behind this from polyps, cancer, medication, NSAIDS, diet, or food intolerance/allergies.

red:

If you notice a reddish color, this can be caused by eating the very pigmented beets or, more commonly, lower GI bleeds. There are a multitude of reasons behind this from polyps, cancer, medication, NSAIDS, diet, or food intolerance/allergies.

If your stool appears different in color, especially if it becomes a consistent occurrence, you will want to seek out help from a well rated gastroenterologist.

What Can I Do to Heal my Gut?

Be advised that by testimonial, many Doctors and Health Professionals are rated as having done little to help people understand their actual digestive health processes and symptoms. If you are worried about your symptoms, try to find a trusted professional in your area. Doctors have the ability to order and request insurance verification for specific diagnosis testing for many conditions involved in Common Colors in Digestive Health Symptoms.

This information is not meant to treat or diagnose any symptoms or conditions. To understand what is going on with your digestive health and Common Colors in Digestive Health Symptoms, you can book an appointment with Nutritionist and Author of this blog at: www.theakkitchen.com/appointments

Filed Under: Change, Digestive Health, Lifestyle, Nutrition Research

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Aimee K. Hockett, MS
www.theakkitchen.com
[email protected]
A.K. Kitchen & Nutrition LLC | New York 2021

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