IS YOUR NECK CONNECTED TO YOUR PANCREAS?

Happy Monday, friends! I hope your weekend was everything you wanted it to be. I had some much needed relaxation time and got to pick up a shift at Pharmaca. I absolutely love my on-call position there! It’s so nice being able to work with other women that are passionate about nutrition, health, and wellness. AND the fact that it’s on-call means that if I have a client heavy day, I just pass on it. WIN!

As I was hanging out on the deck this weekend, I realized I never put a link up to the guest blog post I did for my favorite chiropractor of all time, Dr. Sharonrose Samelak at Seed of Life Chiropractic and Wellness. Dr. Sam and I met when I joined a networking group in Seattle and we clicked immediately! We nerded out over the nervous system, muscle testing, and the connection between muscles and organs.

As a massage therapist since 2001, the connection between the muscles and organs is something that I didn’t really know about until 4ish years ago. And let me tell you, after that my whole world changed! How I see each individual massage client has become way more holistic and foundational than ever. In my nutrition practice it is all about root cause. Why is a particular symptom presenting itself? I now take this same “detective work” into my massage practice with my functional massage. Why does someone have chronic headaches, tight shoulders, or low back pain? Is it postural, structural, trauma, or related to an organ being out of balance? Quite possibly it’s 2 or more. Maybe we can address some of these pieces so the body has space to balance the remaining imbalances. So, if you’re interested in learning more about how your neck and shoulders may be connected to your pancreas, please check out the guest post I did over at Seed of Life.

Also, if you’re interested in booking a functional massage, you can find the info here. If you have any questions about functional massage, please leave me a comment below!

Stay awesome,

Amber

MY LOVE AFFAIR WITH A MAGICAL FOOD

Can I tell you my best kept nutrition secret for satiety, flavor, and a well-rounded nutrient profile? EGGS! Fellow humans, I have a legit obsession with eggs (avocado is a close second). Scroll through my instagram feed and stories and you will probably see eggs every day. Eggs in frittatas, eggs on top of anything and everything, hard boiled eggs for snacks, in stir fry, and the list goes on. Seriously, they’re the best. I once eliminated eggs to make sure I didn’t have a sensitivity and it was HORRIBLE.

In all seriousness though, eggs are a legit nutrient powerhouse.

• They contain all essential amino acids needed by the body.

• Perfect package of fat and protein for optimal satiety.

• Wonderful source of cholesterol which our body needs to produce certain hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and cortisol. Cholesterol is also a vital component of bile, which our body needs to breakdown fats.

• Both yolk and egg white contain selenium, which aids our nutritional antioxidant system.

• Lecithin (phosphatidylcholine) is found in large amounts in the yolk and supports the health of our cell membranes, nervous system, and the liver and gallbladder.

See, magical nutrient powerhouse! But our food is going to be more of a powerhouse if it’s grown or created in optimal circumstances. When looking for eggs, try to prioritize the following:

• pastured

• organic

• NOT vegetarian fed. Chickens are omnivores, not vegetarians. Their innate diet contains bugs, rodents, and other creepy crawlies.

The best and easiest option is finding a neighbor that has backyard chickens or someone at the farmers market that you can have a conversation with regarding these items. Vital Farms is a pretty good grocery store brand and I buy the ones with the brown label a lot…you can’t always get to the farmers market, ya know?!

I hope this love affair story inspires you to add more eggs to your day!

xoxo,

Amber

WHAT IS THE #1 NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCY?

Were you guessing some obscure vitamin or mineral?! Most of my clients are shocked to hear that one of the most common nutrient deficiencies is WATER! If you’re anything like me, getting enough water in during a typical busy day can be a struggle. The great news is it’s an easy fix that doesn’t take a huge budget, lifestyle, or time commitment. Keep reading for some symptoms to look out for and some actionable items for optimal hydration.

Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash

Not sure if you need more water during your day? Here are some signs that you may be dehydrated.

• Fatigue

• Headaches

• Anxiety

• Cramps

• Irritability

• Cravings

• Joint Pain

• Migraines

• Constipation

Real Talk: These symptoms don’t always mean that you’re dehydrated, BUT a good first step is a glass of water. From here you can reassess and determine if more steps are needed. Now…if we’re going to put the time into drinking more water, let’s dial it in!

• Filtered or spring water is best. Find a fresh water spring near you here. I love our Berkey water filtration device. Ours is equipped with the black and fluoride filters. I also have colleagues that like the GOpure.

• Aim for half your body weight in ounces per day. This is very bioindividual, so play around with it. Find what your body needs depending on details like time of year, activity level, caffeine consumption, etc.

• Sip, don’t chug your water. Give your body time to absorb, not expel. if you find you’re peeing all. the. time., please slow down!

• Set a water timer. It’s so easy to get distracted with life and forget to drink your water. Totally guilty of this! I’ve found that this is the trigger I need to actually drink enough water for my body.

Remember marvelous humans, we’re basically sacks of water walking around this space rock, so make sure you’re loving up on your body and give it the nutrients it needs. Starting with water!

I’d love to know if you add one of these action items into your day, so please leave a comment and keep me updated.

Stay awesome,

Amber

FUNCTIONAL NUTRITIONAL THERAPY

Wondering what it is I do in my 1:1 nutrition practice? Awesome, because I’m about to tell you! 

First of all, my ultimate focus when working with each unique client, is to find your bodies balance so you can heal and your body can self regulate. We do this by:

MAXIMIZING:

Nutrient Dense, properly prepared, real foods - Learn about the best way to make all food as nutrient giving as possible though soaking, sprouting, organic, etc.

Increase Parasympathetic State – The parasympathetic state of the Autonomic Nervous System is foundational to digestion, regeneration, detoxification, and immune function. We will go over how to tap into this state and how important it is for overall wellness.

Optimize Digestion – Your absorption and nutrient profile is only as good as your digestion. We work north to south through all organs of digestion to optimize

Balance Blood Sugar – Your body will prioritize blood sugar regulation over a lot of functions of the body. Learn how to take your own blood glucose readings and how what and how you eat affects your blood sugar.

Hydration – About 65% of the body is water! If that doesn’t give you some insight to how important water quality and amount is to health, then I don’t know what will! I write more about water and hydration in this post.

Essential Fatty Acid Balance – Are we eating foods that contain essential fatty acids or taking supplements to acquire adequate levels? More about healthy fats here.

Mineral and Vitamin – Mineral and vitamin balance can be an effect of poor digestive function and/or a diet low in real, nutrient dense foods. Balance of these items is absolutely essential for optimal body function.

Antioxidants – There are thousands of different kinds, some we make and some we consume. They are vital for disarming free radicals, which can be found in fried foods, alcohol, tobacco smoke, pesticides, and air pollutants.

MINIMIZE:

Stress – Stress is neither good or bad, it’s the fact that in our culture stress is so high and out of balance that it sets the foundation for illness.

Allergens – This includes foods, environmental allergies, and even fabrics and household products.

Toxins – Toxins are all around us. How can we minimize what we come into contact with on a regular basis to decrease our overall toxic load?

Infections - Fungal, Viral, Parasitic, Bacterial, oh my! This can be anything from a chronic underlying issue to an acute infection.

PRIORITIZE:

Sleep - Sleep is my jam and one of my focuses in my 1:1 practice. It is one of the most foundational parts of health and when it’s bad, life just feels harder in all areas. Getting as much quality sleep - between 7-9 hours is best - is essential for maintaining good health. Not sleeping well? Set up a discovery call with me!

Rest - Rest is most definitely different than sleep. Are you going 100mph from the time you wake up until you hit the pillow? Try by carving out small amounts of time during the day to do restful activities. Which leads into the next!

Stress Reduction - This will look different for everyone! Maybe a short walk or time in nature, reading, a hobby like knitting, coloring, or needlework, or maybe time with your favorite movie.

Laughter - Funny movies, time with friends, watching standup, you get where I’m going here!

Exercise - This does not need to be high intensity interval training 7 days a week. Something as simple as a 45 minute walk per day is an amazing base. Strength training is a wonderful addition for maintaining muscle tissue as we age.

Stretching - Moving the body through gentle stretching movements helps keep tissue fluid, aids in lymphatic movement, lengthens tight muscles. Pair with some deep breathing exercises and this is a perfect way to spend 10-15 minutes before bed.

Breathing - We do it all day without even thinking about it (most of the time). Taking the time to focus on our breathing can help to tap into our parasympathetic state. This is the rest and recoup part of our nervous system and is incredibly important for digestion, immune function, detoxification, and repair.

Relationships - Are they exhausting or do they give you joy and energy? Always something to look at!

I use the following tools to figure out our priorities in regards to food, supplements, and lifestyle changes.

1)    In-depth interview process

2) High end software to determine symptoms and what systems of the body to prioritize.

3)    Muscle Testing - Autonomic Response Technique and Applied Kinesiology (only in-person sessions and if they client is interested)

4)    Hands-on palpations to determine areas of inflammation/stress

5)    Ongoing support and goal setting through a private client portal

WHAT THIS IS NOT.

Cookie cutter protocols

15-30 minute in and out appointments

Masking/Band-Aids for symptoms only

Does this sound like something you’re interested in? If you’d like to set up a discovery call, please hit the button below. I look forward to talking with you!