Foot Health

By Melanie Cha ey

The Aspen Grille, a student-run restaurant located in the Lory Student Center, reopened for both dine-in and takeout in September. Open for lunch Tuesday-Friday, the restaurant has an entirely made-from-scratch menu focused on local and sustainable ingredients, which makes the food some of the best on campus.

Brooke Hagelin, from Louisville, CO. is an undergraduate student majoring in hospitality management who currently works in the kitchen of the Aspen Grille.

“I really like working in the back of the house,” Hagelin said. “I feel like I now know what goes on in every aspect of a restaurant.”

The Aspen Grille serves as a learning lab for students studying hospitality management. The students take the semester-long class, which is focused on all aspects of running a restaurant, to hone their cooking, food prepping, serving, and management skills.

The menu of this restaurant has changed significantly since last semester, while still retaining some Ram favorites from the past two years and o ers new items including Kimchi-queso French fries and a Spinach Miso salad.

Often, the Aspen Grille creates special menus during months that are dedicated to celebrating a diverse group’s heritage. For Hispanic Heritage Month, the Aspen Grille cooked up a Latinx-inspired menu in place of the regular menu.

A ‘toe-tal’ workout to help you achieve better foot health

By Kimberly Burke

We tend not to think about all the work that our feet do until we experience foot pain. Keeping our feet healthy and part of our exercise routine is a great way to prevent injuries and remain active over time. Think of all the activity you put your feet through on a daily basis. They bear most of the weight (figuratively and literally) of our daily movement and provide the connection point for several muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones. Take some time to show the unsung hero of your daily movement love by trying a few exercises. Here are a few ways to focus on your feet and keep you on your toes.

Toe raise, point, and curl

Sit in a straight-back chair with your feet flat on the floor. Raise your toes toward your shin and slowly lift o the ground till just your heel is left on the ground. Hold for five seconds. Point your toes straight and slowly lower your foot to be flat on the ground from toes to heels. Hold for five seconds. Curl your toes under and slowly draw up the arch of your foot, leaving your toes and heels on the ground. Hold for five seconds. Finally, lift your heel slowly o the ground until resting on your curled toes, and hold for five seconds. Repeat five to 10 times.

Toe splays

Sit in a straight-back chair with your feet flat on the floor. Spread your toes as far apart as comfortable and hold for five seconds before relaxing. Repeat five to 10 times. Additionally, much like playing the individual keys on a piano, spread your toes as far apart as possible and lower one toe to the floor at a time starting with the pinky toe, working inward toward the big toe. Feel free to reverse and start with the big toe. Repeat five to 10 times.

Toe curls with a towel

Sit in a straight-back chair with your feet flat on a hand towel, resting on the floor. Use the short end of the hand towel, and start with your toes just over the hand towel. Start to curl your toes under and scrunch the towel up under you, continuing to move along the towel until it is almost pulled completely toward you. Do this with each foot one to three times.

Stretching

The moves above will work to strengthen some of the muscles of the foot and ankle, but it is also good to make sure to stretch the area as well.

Sit in a straight-back chair with both feet flat on the floor. Start with one foot, and pick it up to rest the ankle on the opposite thigh. Gently use your fingers to hold your big toe and stretch by pulling the toe to the underside of your foot, and then up toward the top of your ankle. Hold for five seconds and repeat three to five times.

Next, grab all of your toes and make a similar motion of folding your toes forward toward the bottom of your foot, and then pulling back as your toes point to the top of your foot. Hold for five seconds at the end, and repeat three to five times. Repeat on each foot.

Tennis ball

Sit in a straight-back chair with your feet flat on the floor. Under one foot, place a tennis ball at your heel. Roll the ball around under your foot while massaging it. Roll forward to your toe, back to your heel, side to side and whatever feels best. Be sure to roll slowly and press lightly into the ball. Change pressure as needed, and avoid high pressure in tender or painful areas. Roll for 30 seconds and repeat on each foot.

Before starting any new exercise routine, it is always good to check in with a doctor and start slowly. Be sure to add a short warm-up period before any workout, and, if necessary, be sure to stop the exercises and check with a medical professional if symptoms worsen or you experience pain. Aim for adding in a few foot-specific moves three to four days a week, or every day if it is working for you.

6

Perfect plants for the Office

No sunlight? No problem! Whether you work from home or commute, plants are an easy way to decorate and bring a little life to your workspace. These six houseplants can thrive in a variety of conditions, making them perfect for office spaces. As an added bonus, these plants are so low-maintenance, they won’t be adding any extra stress to your workload!

By Anna Jelden

SNAKE PLANT

Dracaena trifasciata Also called Sansevieria, the Snake Plant is one of the easiest houseplants to care for! This plant is native to Northern and Central Africa. Snake plants are a tropical plant and also a succulent.

Prefers medium to bright indirect light, can tolerate low light

Water every 2-3 weeks, soil should dry between waterings

Prefers dry environments, doesn’t need extra humidity

POTHOS

Epipremnum Aureum The Pothos is characterized by its trailing vines and is also known as the “cubicle plant”. This is because pothos can thrive in almost any environment. They are native to Southeast Asia and are also very easy to propagate.

Prefers medium or bright indirect light, can tolerate low light

Water every 1-2 weeks, top half of soil should be dry

Water every 1-2 weeks, top half of soil should be dry

CHINESE EVERGREEN

Aglaonema The Chinese Evergreen is native to Southeast Asia and is one of few plants that thrive in low light conditions. Their wide range of colorful varieties and easygoing nature make them popular for first-time plant owners.

Prefers medium to low indirect light, does not like direct sunlight

Water every 1-2 weeks, soil should dry out between waterings Avoid placing near cold drafts or air conditioners, can be misted once a week

ZZ PLANT

Zamioculcas The name “ZZ” stands for Zamioculcas Zamiifolia. This plant is native to Eastern Africa and evolved in dry conditions. Just like the Snake Plant, the ZZ is an easygoing houseplant and can withstand a wide range of conditions.

Prefers medium to bright indirect light, can tolerate low light Water every 2-3 weeks, soil should dry between waterings

No extra humidity needed

BIRD’S NEST FERN

Asplenium Nidus The Bird’s Nest Fern can be identified by its distinctive rippled fronds (i.e the leaf on a fern). The waves on its leaves become more pronounced with bright indirect light. It’s one of the easiest ferns to care for indoors!

Prefers medium to low light, can tolerate bright indirect light Water every 1-2 weeks, when the top quarter of soil is dry Enjoys warmer environments and higher humidity, should be misted often

PEPEROMIA

Peperomia Peperomia are tropical plants native to Mexico, South America, and the Caribbean and there are over 1,000 known species! This plant is also referred to as the “baby rubber plant”.

Prefers medium to bright indirect light, can tolerate low light Water every 2-3 weeks, soil should dry between waterings

Prefers dry environments, doesn’t need extra humidity