Work Besties Who Podcast

Daily Gut Fix: Small Steps to Big Health Changes with Dr. Kate Ricciardi

• Work Besties Who Podcast • Season 2 • Episode 49

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In this episode, Jess and Claude sit down with Dr. Kate Ricciardi, a functional dietitian who shares her powerful personal journey from years of digestive struggles to lasting wellness. Together, they explore how gut health directly impacts workplace energy, mood, and hormones, and why even trained professionals can get stuck in the conventional cycle.

Kate dives into the gut-brain connection, breaking down how food sensitivities, inflammation, and stress affect everything from emotional eating to daily productivity. She offers clear, approachable steps for listeners looking to heal from the inside out—emphasizing mindset, habit change, and the importance of support systems.

Whether you're curious about functional nutrition, dealing with burnout, or ready to take control of your health, this conversation is filled with practical strategies you can start today.

Find more about Gut Health and Dr. Kate Ricciardi here:

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LinkedIn--> https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkatericciardi/

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Work Besties! Theme Song Written by Ralph Lentini @therallyband

Jess K:

Hello work besties. What if the foods you love are secretly draining your energy and making you work harder, feeling sluggish, unmotivated or maybe even irritable at work? I'm sure that's not because of your bestie, though that's probably because you might be having too much caffeine no, I am, but it also could be related to your gut health, and today we have Kate Ricciardi here to break down the gut-brain connection and how it impacts your focus and workplace relationships and, most importantly, the sneaky food mistakes that's wrecking your energy. So stay with us until the very end, because Kate is revealing the biggest hidden culprit behind workplace fatigue and how you can fix it.

Claude:

Hi, I'm Claude and I'm Jess.

Claude:

We are corporate employees by day, entrepreneurs by night and work besties for life.

Claude:

Join us as we explore how work besties lift each other up, laugh through the chaos and thrive together in every industry. Work besties.

Jess K:

So welcome Kate. We're so excited to have you on. Welcome, Kate, Thank you. Thank you for having me. Would you mind giving a little bit of a background on yourself and how you became into this field of work?

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

Yeah, so I am a registered dietitian, doctor of physical therapy and I have been doing that for well, a total of about 20 years now between both of them, first dietitian and then the physical therapy piece came. So I've been trained in the conventional mindset, if you will right, Like you know, especially being a dietitian, that there is a diet for diagnosis and then that's all that's what you do. And with my own struggles with IBS and migraines, especially eye migraines, where I initially thought I was like having a stroke because my left field of vision was just completely gone with this, like shiny aura here, and I was told well, you know, it's an eye migraine, so you're just going to have to deal with it, and I was not going to accept that. So that's not okay. And reflux and acne oh my gosh, Like acne forever. I did all the things, all the antibiotics, Accutane, like the whole nine yards.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

And now that explains a lot of the IBS, right. So having that conventional mindset where I was dealing with my own stuff, especially IBS, that was really just taking over my life, making it really hard to be a physical therapist where I was working in assisted living facilities, independent living facilities and having a quick run to the bathroom, that's very, very stressful. The stress there in the workplace just was a lot. Quality of life, quality of everything really took over. So thinking back to, you know, doing all the things right where CT, mri, all the labs, everything looks normal but you have to just deal with these things and try to function throughout your day Like there's no way that I can function, can function.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

So I really threw away basically that conventional knowledge that I had, especially from the nutrition side of things, and really got down to the why. Because that was the question that no one could answer for me, and even with my own, you know, food is my life here. This is what I do, food nutrition, being a dietitian, and I still couldn't get over this. So pivoting to that why root cause, functional, integrative, personalized piece of things was really what finally pivoted everything and gave me my life back. So long road to get there. But I finally did and that's where I am now with the practice that I have and really looking to help other mostly women really figure things out for themselves so that they can get through their workday. Like brain fog, fatigue, low energy, all that kind of stuff. It impacts us on a daily basis decision-making, like all of these things and it's really then hard to get through the day and then you get home and you have nothing left in the tank. So really, looking at whole body.

Jess K:

Kate, your journey is probably one that a lot of people have experienced too, but how did you know, like? What was the thing that really pushed you to say there, there's something wrong here and I need to fix it? And how did you, how'd you figure that out? Yeah, yeah.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

So the thing being, you know, this is absolutely not okay. I cannot continue to live like this was, honestly, with IBS, just being in this constant fear of food, not knowing what I could eat, and then having the experience to, just from the you know, outside the aesthetics, was being mistaken for being pregnant when I wasn't. It's like, oh my gosh, this is just. There's a lot of things here really filling that emotional bucket. So that was really the thing that needed to change when I started looking at that. Why, like I said, you know, the functional integrative, like what's really going on here and discovering inflammation, especially with the irritable bowel, migraine, acne, like all these things, the gut being the root of so much, and doing personalized testing and actually getting to. Okay, these are the things.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

Because I was doing the elimination diets. I was trying to figure out is it oats, is it chocolate, was it coffee, was it apples? I don't know Too much fiber, not enough, and I was just wasting so much time and then showing up to work like I'm tired. I know I'm not giving it my best and that's not the kind of mentality that I have. Right, like if there's something worth doing, do it well, and so really pivoting to that. Okay, now I know exactly like I should not be eating avocados because they're inflammatory for me, and doing that sort of protocol calmed everything down and I was able to completely eradicate what I had going on Like it was amazing a complete game changer.

Claude:

So once you were testing what you could eat, you must have done that for a long time, because there is so much different food right. How long did it take to have this process from? I can have that, but this does not work.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

Yeah, so the test that I did I ended up getting certified in this to really be able to implement this protocol, and so it's for me personally. Going through it, it was about five or six weeks where I knew exactly what foods and there was a very strategic way to bring things back in, like you know what's going on and this is how you're going to do it, moving forward to really calm down what's going on in the gut, the immune system, and let everything kind of reset. And then, when I started looking into that, looking at the other piece of things like the nervous system and how the gut, the brain, are connected, we have all these pieces. It's not just food that helps, but also, you know, our perspective and all these other things. So really taking this head-to-toe approach inside out was really what made the difference, but the food piece was huge.

Claude:

And I'm sure that because you went through that, you can really relate to your clients and that makes such a big difference. I'm sure, Absolutely.

Jess K:

So, kate, you kind of went on that it wasn't so. Food is obviously one of the biggest game changers, but it's not just food, it's also the mood. Can you talk a little bit more about that and what you mean?

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

So when we're thinking of that gut brain connection, right, what we have going on, really thinking of inflammation being one of these root cause, like drivers, of all of these different things, if the gut's not able to function properly, it's inflamed. We get these little tight junctions that start to open up and it allows other things through. We get these inflammatory mediators that go throughout the body. Then that can affect how those neurotransmitters are working, right. So here's that brain piece that's coming in, it shares that vagus nerve and it can affect dopamine, serotonin, all of these different things that can really hit to that mood. And then it can also affect hormones too.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

So what's going on in the gut there? If there's an estrogen progesterone imbalance, which we start to see a lot, you know, women, midlife forties, we talk about this perimenopause time where if progesterone is out of balance, if there's too much estrogen, not enough progesterone, it can start to affect what's going on there. So when we add that and then the neurotransmitters, we can really start to see those changes in mood and it can be, you know, really disruptive to people's lives, make it hard to get through the day or they don't feel, you know, as productive as they should be. That energy, that sense of calm or whatever it is?

Jess K:

So the mood element of it or even the hormone element of it could be masked and it really is the food Like how does somebody figure that part out?

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

So I like to take it step by step so that we don't feel like we have these muddy waters.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

So, looking at the food because that's one of those big constant things, right, Like we're eating, unless you're, you know, doing some sort of fasting or whatever but, for most of us, we're eating multiple times every day, so that's a big piece where we can start to have that control and then see how that affects, affects another instead of. You know, like I've had clients where they're trying to do all this stuff with diet and then they're taking like handfuls of supplements and they're not really sure what's working, trying to be just a little bit more systematic about it so we can say, okay, yep, like I did change how much caffeine I'm drinking and then that was something that made a difference. Or I took out bread or whatever it is. But having these little incremental changes that you don't feel like, oh my gosh, now I need to go and spend like $350 on supplements. Maybe that's not really what we need to do. Or do all this like hormone testing, so trying to do one thing at a time.

Claude:

How long does it take to see a difference? Because, for example, making it up and removing coffee, you won't see a difference the day after, obviously. But so usually what is the length that you can actually see? Okay, that made a difference.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

Yeah, so when we're thinking of it first from the inflammatory perspective, it can take about up to 72 hours to see a change or a reaction there.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

So when we're thinking about it and so, going through like that protocol that I mentioned, I like to tell people the first 14 days because we didn't get here overnight to where we are, so it is going to take a little bit of time before thinking about food to let everything clear out. It's like windshield wipers right, like the first swipe on a really dirty car, like, let's say, there's mud there. One swipe isn't going to do it. It's going to take a couple passes before everything gets clear so that first two weeks, I feel, is a good period of time to see.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

Okay, this is the magic that we can do when we're changing up the food, and then, if we're still not seeing a whole lot of change, then we're going to look deeper. Are there other things like histamine, that's going on lectin? So we start to just get into more. I call it the digestive detective work, where we're then looking for patterns, or is it?

Claude:

you know, I'm tired, I'm having a hard time focusing because my blood sugar is all over the place, and so then taking those extra layers looking like that, so, as you at one point, something that really made me think about the perimenopause portion, right, like, obviously, so does it mean that more or less we should reassess, depending on where we are in life, reassess our gut health and also the way we eat health and also the way we eat?

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

Yeah, I think so. I mean especially because we know, like I said, what we, you know, we didn't get to where we are overnight, right. So the choices that we make and say like our twenties and our thirties are going to show up. And I feel like my perspective on this has been influenced a lot by working in the assisted living, the independent living, because I had so many conversations with women who were either you know, I had one, one resident, she was 89 and she was out walking three miles a day, she was playing tennis, she was taking flights to go visit family all over the place and she's like, oh, I'll just call an Uber, and she was doing her own thing versus having someone who was in a wheelchair and really frail, having a lot of falls.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

And I remember distinctly having conversations like, oh honey, grabbing my arm, Don't do what I did, Take care of yourself, Right, Like don't put everybody else first, and so those are the kinds of things like being in those experiences, seeing what it's like to lift a frail lady out of bed, you know and do on. All those kinds of things like that quality of life is so important and it just I think it means so much, so constantly reassessing, being aware of things. You know some people are really into the health aspect, others aren't. And I mean, wherever you are, whatever you're interested in, right lights you up, go do that. But we know that health is such a big piece of everything.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

You know, if we don't have our health, then it's hard to have other things.

Jess K:

It's almost like the practice of getting your health I don't want to say right, but like the practice of understanding your reaction to the things that you're eating and really checking in with your gut at an early age will only benefit you even longer term. So it seems there's never too late to do it, but the earlier probably, the more benefits.

Claude:

Yeah, that's interesting.

Jess K:

So in your whether your journey personally or in your journey of working with other clients what is that biggest game changer that does help in the healing of women, or is it kind of different, just depending?

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

I think. Well, it can be both right. I think perspective and our mindset has so much to do with it. More just thinking about where we are, what we're doing, the pressure that we put on ourselves, I should be doing this, I should be doing that that's not really serving you right, because it just leaves the sense of guilt, this just mindset of you know I'm not doing enough, when you're doing the best that you can, with the knowledge that you have right.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

And there's always the ability to learn more. We don't know what we don't know. So I think, yeah, that answer could definitely go both ways, gotcha.

Jess K:

Okay, and do you feel like because what you're in essence saying is it's a mind shift, change, right, yeah, do you feel there's ways to help your clients really stick to this new habit? Are there things that they should be thinking to do more so?

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

One of the things most people that go through, like my one-to-one program and myself, it's that mindset map is what I call it where we're really thinking of. Let's be honest with ourselves. If I'm looking at my situation in the third person, right, like I'm the outside observer coming in, which can be really hard to do because it's just that subtle shift to that subconscious identity, like I've been having coffee first thing in the morning forever and now maybe that's not really working if there's like stress and cortisol and all these things that are coming into play. But if you're like, let me step back in the third person, really see where I might have these roadblocks during the day and how that can come in and then what I can do to change it. So I like to talk about what are these?

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

Either limiting beliefs or these barriers that we have, current habits that just sink in and this is what I do, and this is what I do and I'm stressed or busy or whatever, tired, whatever it is, and really work from that place. So there's more awareness. And then the other thing that comes up too is, well, I can't do this, right, and there's that objection to it. But I like to say, but if your friend was talking like this, or your daughter or your son or whoever someone important to you was talking like that, what would your need? Oh no, I would never let them talk like that Like I would want to give them like the cheerleader motivation. So why are we doing that for ourselves? Instead of being so hard on ourselves, say, you know, this is where I am, that's okay, and then I'm going to make a plan to move forward.

Jess K:

Okay, I'm going to ask this question, knowing that this is going to something. I have to look in the mirror and challenge myself. I'm one of those people that drink coffee every morning. It's just, I think it's routine and I know it's not great for me and I probably should at least limit, if not cut it out fully.

Jess K:

But I think I do suffer through that one of I can't do it Because I've been doing it for so long, is there? I guess, besides saying to the person like third person, look at yourself. If you were to say this to to Claude, you would. You would encourage her. Is there anything else that you've seen that's worked?

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

So when we're thinking of getting into the subconscious and the like, that identity that we want to change, something really simple that's worked for a good number of people, myself included, is leaving a post-it note Like drink water before coffee, like small changes. So you know that old saying of like the low-hanging fruit, right, what's one little tweak that you can do before making this big change Like we're not going to go out and run a marathon before walking and then running, so Like I'm just going to go and run a marathon tomorrow. So the post-it notes because your brain likes to see things. And then when you say it out loud like okay, I drink water before I drink my coffee, that can be a really powerful thing too, just for the brain, because the brain likes to function really in like pictures. So whatever we tell it, that's the reality that it believes. So something as simple as the post-it to change whatever the habit the little habit is that you can get that quick win to help build up that confidence and keep that momentum going can be really, really beneficial.

Claude:

And I was going to go there too. Yeah, you have the coffee portion, I have as people can see the way I am.

Claude:

I stress it. People can see the way I am. I stress it like I still remember I was in a meeting about two weeks ago that I was really it was very stressful and I was eating those chikabum, you know popcorn, like non-stop. Or suddenly I wake, I get up I say I need chocolate. So how do you actually change this way of thinking that I'm stressed, I need to eat and usually it's not like an apple, right, it's junk food. So how do you change that mindset?

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

I think, first stepping back, because you don't think about it. You don't say, okay, I'm going to go to the cabinet now and I'm going to open the bag of popcorn and I'm going to have this or the chocolate, right, you just do it.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

So I'm going it's just, it's this autopilot, automatic. That's the brain, that's subconscious. Okay, in this situation, when I feel this way, this is what I do. So, as that quick behavior, just stopping before you like actually open the bag, let's say do I really need this, do I want it or do I need it, or what benefit is this giving to me? So, just having like that little internal dialogue, having that self-talk, talking to yourself whether it's first person or third person, however you know resonates with you, that can be something just to like have that pause. Okay, I know what I'm doing here. I have this. Do I really want it or do I need it? Or can I take like just a couple breaths before actually diving in? Or maybe it's even yeah, you know what, I do want the chocolate. But instead of grabbing, say, a handful of chocolate chips or like a couple bars on like the chocolate bar, let me just take one, walk away, remove yourself from the situation and see how you feel.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

So you still get that little hit of chocolate, but maybe it's not in the quantity that you had. If you're looking to change that behavior because you're concerned about, you know, sugar or the caffeine or whatever it is, those can be some just little small steps to take, I think water, yeah.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

And me like take one or don't buy, yeah, but like sometimes those things like, hey, you know what like this helps me get over, you know, it bridges that gap from where I am, it makes me feel better. And then I'm going to move on. Right, like I'm not going to stay in that place, especially like emotional eating. That's such a big thing, right, like stress, stress, eating, that emotional eating. Okay, I'm going to have this, maybe not in the same quantity, because I know I want to do something different. And then you move on and I think then, just like removing yourself from that situation, so, like I said, you know, your brain, seeing in symbols and just having those associations with this room this is what I do and then having that little bit of a pause and then see how it feels when you're then, distracted with something else.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

if you want to make those changes, and I love the way you're thinking.

Claude:

It's not as drastic, because a lot of time if you quit suddenly you're going to binge or you'll have three liters of coffee, right, you know. So I like the way you're going say, okay, we know you need it, but just like slowly, slowly.

Jess K:

So, kate, I I realize that technically, I think the right answer would be people should, if they want to change, make these changes. They should come to somebody like you first. So I do want to make sure we make that call out there and we'll include your information in our speaker notes. I'm going to ask this question because we are about work besties. Is there things that once they do come to you or somebody like you to kind of help understand ways to better their own health, are there ways that the work bestie relationship can also assist in this?

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

Yeah, absolutely. I think, when we keep so many things to ourselves, like we feel and there's this narrative, and I hear this a lot like oh, I'm alone, there can't be possibly anybody else who's going through what I'm going through and that's so not true. Like I really wish that we would be more open about, hey, this is really what's going on, instead of you know everything looking so wonderful from the outside, like hey, I, I'm going to be vulnerable here. Like this is something that I'm struggling with and maybe that work besties. Like, oh, my God, I am too.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

I didn't realize, and you know, we just want to keep these things to ourselves because we think everyone else is just doing so. Great, but that can be a moment to say, hey, you know what? Like now I'm connecting with you on a deeper level. Right, like this relationship matters to me because connection and community is so important for our mental health, our emotional health. But then, even from the perspective of keep me accountable, right, if you see me going down this path and you know that I really want to make this change like having that little bit of accountability can be really helpful and I struggle with that word too, because it's like I don't know this accountability, this watching, like I feel like there can be a negative association with it, but I think it's just that, that awareness right, like I have somebody who's in my corner knowing that they're going to support me with the goals and things that I want to do.

Jess K:

So it's like a supportability versus accountability.

Claude:

I don't know if you remember I think you don't remember but last year we were we. You know, we used to work side by side, literally this close.

Jess K:

Yeah, that's how this all started side by side, literally this close.

Claude:

Yeah, that's how this all started, and at work we used to have like jars of candies and that I said earlier. This is my downfall. Right, I'm stressed, I'm going to take the whole thing and I remember, and it didn't work for a while until you left, actually to go to it.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

It's your fault to the you know two know two floors up, one floor up.

Claude:

I said if you see me eating a candy, I'll give you one dollar.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

Yes, and I'm so cheap.

Claude:

Yeah, it was a motivator and I didn't eat anything.

Jess K:

And even if you were saying it to me all the time, you're like I'm not paying you today because I didn't have candy. I'm like, okay, you would say it to me all the time.

Claude:

You're like I'm not paying you today, I didn't have candy. I'm like, okay, yeah, so that's another way also that you don't have the negative right where you you have.

Jess K:

You came up with that.

Claude:

It wasn't like I said to you pay me a dollar so you do need you know what I would have told you?

Jess K:

yeah, you would I think then it goes into the negative but that is, you know, work with your work best.

Claude:

Yes, what work with the person?

Jess K:

and your, your ability to kind of uh yeah, respect and bounce off of each other, right, um, so I think it's the sharing with your work, bessie, is definitely something. It's a resounding theme. To be fair, having that other person just to bounce ideas off of in a non-judgment, judgment-free way, I think is so helpful and, to your point, this is kind of a topic that most people would not necessarily be afraid of but just not think to share and it's so critical, right, it can just affect your whole day and I think you've given us kind of some ideas already about this. But when we think about the work life and the stress that some of that brings on, what are some kind of easy, gut friendly habits that should be thought of at work? Maybe one of them is don't have a big tub of chocolate near you.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

Yeah, I think one of the the easier things to start with would be you know, if the culture of the workplace is we go out to lunch every day, you know, is that something that has to happen? Like, are there a lot of things that happen? I mean, depending on the situation, right, like if there's a lot of lunch, meetings and things like that, but if it's just, hey, you know, is that something that has to happen?

Claude:

Like are there a lot of things that happen.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

I mean, depending on the situation, right, like, if there's a lot of lunch meetings and things like that, but if it's just, hey, you know we got to lunch, well, I'm going to start to bring my own, and then that might be something like being that example, that leader. Maybe it inspires somebody else to do the same thing because it's expensive, right. And then also, you know what is the quality of the food and the ingredients that are in there. There's so many things. So, having more control, awareness, looking into the quality of the ingredients that you're getting, like processed food versus whole, real food, thinking of it from you know what are.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

What am I getting out of this food? Right, like, what are the nutrients that I'm getting? Am I getting nutrition from it or is it pretty empty? Where am I getting my protein? Where am I getting my fat? Where am I getting my fiber? Especially, you know, women, midlife fiber, helping with hormones and all these things. And just, you know bowel movements and the whole GI system and things like that, where that can be a practical strategy to start with. And then all those other little things, right, like, okay, maybe I'm going to make it. We like to have a sweet treat in the afternoon.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

Now, if it's, I'm crashing every day at three o'clock and I need that caffeine pick me up, then, yes, there's definitely like gut health, lots of other factors that go into that. So that's a conversation to be had. But maybe it's just making a little bit harder to get that thing, like it's not within arm's reach but it's in another room or whatever it is, so it's less frequent. So that can be a way to start right, like you're tapering things off, instead of just that cold turkey because I don't know, just usually doesn't work, unless someone really has that mindset of like this is it, I'm done, never going back.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

But for most people that's not how you know that subconscious works. But from that gut perspective, to looking at quality, the nutrients you know these are the things that you're getting in I think it can then get really dependent. You know, maybe someone can experiment with it if they want to, but I don't like to usually just start with that as a blanket. I'm really big into that. You know, personalized, what is good for you might not be good for the other. So how do you have that balance there?

Claude:

And I think, like quality, looking at that, Okay, that's the importance to really speak to someone that understand right that it can be more harmful if we don't know exactly the whole guts.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

Yeah, and then I think it also cuts down on the time that can be wasted when you're playing those guessing games and you know, should I try this and that? Because it when you were down the street she started doing creatine and that was great for her when it can be causing bloating in somebody else, right, all those different things. So in the long run it can really make the difference where it's just. Let's be more efficient with your time, your money, your mental energy. All of those things really come into play there.

Jess K:

I was going to suggest, and then you've now completely changed my mind on it. I was going to suggest like maybe one of the ways you could leverage your work best is to talk about some of the foods that you're eating and what makes you feel healthier. But to your point what makes me healthier is not going to make Claude healthier, so it's good to share, but it's not like that's going to be a thing that'll help her as well. So knowing that is really critical too.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

When you think about it too, like in what I, what I do with the inflammatory stuff. I've seen people be really reactive to chicken and it's like, hey, this is a lean meat, this is really great, but it can be really great for somebody and for somebody else that can be reactive and it can be contributing to migraine, ibs, you know whatever it is. So that's where that distinction comes in, and that we're not cookie cutters and what works for one doesn't work for another. So, but we need some place to start. So quality food, nutrient dense foods, I think is a good place to start.

Jess K:

One of the last things we wanted to ask you is kind of something we started off with in the beginning. If somebody is struggling with their energy, whether at work or just in life in general, and they think it might be related to gut issues, or maybe they think it's just burnout at work, what's the one thing they should start doing today to make themselves feel better?

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

When you start to think of you know what does my routine look like? Where do I carve out time for myself? You know, are you just getting up, getting ready for work, getting out the door and going? So you're already. You're just starting in that busy, busy, busy mode and then you're going all day long with no break, no time for yourself. And during the workday I mean, yeah, that's going to be hard, unless you take your lunch break and it's totally free of work, which in my experience working in a PT clinic, that was never, ever the case.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

You know, you're always doing something, working through it, and then you know you're coming home making dinner. If you have kids, there's a sport activity or homework or you know all these other things, or you're taking care of, like, an aging parent or dog, whatever it is, there's something. And then scroll social media at night, watch TV and then go to bed. Right, so like there's this stimulation that's happening all day long. And then what's one little habit that can be changed? So is it? I take a little bit of time for myself in the morning, like maybe I get up 10 minutes earlier and just do some journaling. Gratitude. Those kinds of practices are really beneficial emotional health, mental health, all that kind of stuff, just that perspective of what we're then carrying throughout the day, or is it.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

You know what I'm going to put my phone on like a sleep timer or whatever it is, like that blue light at night. I think that's something that is really, really beneficial. Just where can I carve out time for myself so that I can actually get into this more, rest and digest part of my nervous system, instead of feeling like I'm on the go and then it's just this never ending hamster wheel?

Claude:

I love it because that's where you really see a connection, that your body, everything connects right. Like the way you actually described, there was no food in that day, but, you know, really taking some step back, that then is going to help you, your gut and your mind, everywhere, and I think that is so powerful that, at the end of the day, sometimes yes, of course I'm not going to deny the food and everything, but it's also that little step will make wonder.

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

Yeah, so that's where, like with health, you're a whole person. You're not just whether it's a diagnosis or your gut right Like you have all these factors going on physical, mental, emotional, like all of it. You're in, you know, in just this one body, and so we have to figure all of these pieces into it, because that's what you know.

Jess K:

All these different things affect you, right, kate? Where can people connect with you and learn more about you?

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

On social media Instagram and Facebook. I'm at Digestion by Design and my website also the same thing Digestion by Design. Try to keep it nice and streamlined and easy as far as that goes. On my website, too, I have a couple of freebies to download. There's an inflammation impact a 60-second health check that can be really informational as far as all the different things from head to toe that can be affected can be showing up from an inflammatory response.

Jess K:

A lot of people really like that one and is there any upcoming resources or programs, or maybe anything else that we should be on the lookout for?

Dr. Kate Ricciardi:

you for. So I'm actually retooling everything. Every spring. I like to revamp what I've done from the year before. So I'm looking to launch into some more workshop courses, more community-based things instead of the one-to-one, so that people don't feel like they are alone and there is a sense of community. So that's going to be some things that are up and coming for the new year. Oh, fantastic, we'll be on the lookout for that, kate.

Jess K:

I think we'll join for sure. We'll also make sure that, even if it doesn't hit the timing of this episode, that we'll still make sure our work-festive community is aware of it too, when you do edit.

Claude:

Thank you so much for hanging out with us we really loved all you had to say and for sharing your expertise and insight and besties if you liked it, and I'm sure you all did and are going to do. Those little steps, you're going to see a big difference.

Claude:

Don't forget to share and click, stay energized, stay connected remember whether you're swapping snacks in the break room, rescuing each other from endless meetings or just sending that perfectly timed meme. Having a work bestie is like having your own personal hype squad, so keep lifting each other, laughing through through the chaos and, of course, thriving.

Claude:

Until next time, stay positive, stay productive and don't forget to keep supporting each other. Work besties.

People on this episode

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Claude F

Co-host
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Jess K

Co-host
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Kate Ricciardi

Guest