The magical fruit…

Beans are often considered a boring and plain food that people eat only because they are trying to be health.

However, you might be surprised to learn that beans can actually make you happy!

This is because of their impact on our microbiome and the production of short chain fatty acids and serotonin.

Firstly, let’s talk about our microbiome.

Our gut is home to trillions of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms, collectively known as the microbiome. The health of our microbiome is crucial for our overall health and wellbeing.

Studies have shown that consuming a variety of plant-based foods, including beans, can help to promote a diverse and healthy microbiome.

When we eat beans, they pass through our digestive system relatively intact. This means that they make it to the colon, where they become food for our gut bacteria.

The bacteria in our gut ferment the fiber in beans, producing a variety of beneficial compounds, including short chain fatty acids (SCFAs).

SCFAs are important for our health because they help to reduce inflammation, support the immune system, and regulate metabolism. But that’s not all – studies have also shown that SCFAs can have a positive impact on mental health. For example, one study found that when SCFAs were administered to mice, they exhibited reduced anxiety and depression-like behaviors.

But how do SCFAs impact our mood? It turns out that they play a role in the production of serotonin – a neurotransmitter that is often referred to as the “happy hormone.”

Serotonin is involved in regulating mood, appetite, and sleep, among other things. Low levels of serotonin have been linked to depression and anxiety. When we have healthy levels of SCFAs in our gut, it can lead to increased production of serotonin, which in turn can improve our mood and overall wellbeing.

So, the next time you are feeling down, consider adding some beans to your diet. Not only are they nutritious and filling, but they can also have a positive impact on your microbiome, SCFA production, and serotonin levels – all of which can contribute to a happier and healthier you!

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Fostering children can be an incredible opportunity to make a huge, positive difference in a child’s life. It may be challenging at times, just like raising any child, but it is overall a very rewarding experience that can have a lasting impact on both you and them. Keep reading to explore the impact of fostering children and the various ways in which it can change lives. 

Providing a Safe and Loving Home

One of the most significant benefits of working with agencies such as fcascotland.co.uk to foster a child is that it gives you the opportunity to provide a safe, loving home for a child – sometimes for the first time. Children in foster care may have been through a lot in their short lives, and many have experienced trauma, abuse, neglect, and other difficult situations. As a foster carer, you can offer a stable, caring environment where the child can feel supported and safe. This is especially important for children who have been through traumatic experiences, as they need that sense of safety and stability to help them heal and move forward with their lives. 

Improve Mental Health

Fostering can help improve the mental health and wellbeing of the child by offering a sense of connection and belonging that may have been missing from their life beforehand. Children who are in the foster care system often experience feelings of isolation and disconnection, and many struggle with forming healthy attachments. By becoming a foster carer, you can provide a caring, supportive environment that acts as a foundation for healing for the child. The sense of belonging, family and connection they get from living with a loving and stable foster family can have a profound impact on them and their mental wellbeing now and for the rest of their lives. 

Build Self-Esteem and Resilience

Fostering can help children build better self-esteem and resilience, especially if they come from difficult backgrounds or have experienced traumatic circumstances. Foster children may have gone through a lot of traumatic experiences including rejection, loss, and abuse, which can have a seriously negative effect on their confidence and self-esteem. Fostering gives you the chance to offer these kids the opportunity to build their self-confidence and self-esteem in a supportive environment. With the right foster home, kids can develop a more positive self-image and become more confident in themselves and their abilities. 

Support Growth and Development

Being in a supportive and loving foster home can also have a positive impact on the child’s growth and development. Children in foster care will often experience gaps in their education, and many struggle with emotions due to past trauma. By providing the nurturing environment that they need, you can help a foster child catch up on their education and overcome past trauma while developing new skills. You can provide them with a strong foundation to help them develop into a well-adjusted, well-rounded individual. 

If you are considering doing something meaningful with your life, becoming a foster carer might be for you. In this role, you’ll play a hugely important part in a child’s life, providing them with the environment they need to thrive, grow, and overcome. 

Curling irons will last a very long time if cared for properly.  Removing product buildup, storing properly so they don’t fall and get scratched or break, and minding cords for safe electrical flow are all important.  Sam Villa, Co-founder/Chief Creative Officer of Sam Villa and Global Artistic Ambassador for Redken, shares a DIY recipe for how to clean and sanitize curling irons properly.  See it here.

“When you see your iron start to turn yellow or get spots, it’s time to clean it.  Gels, sprays and heat protectant residue can build up quickly.  Stylists have to clean tools after ever use in the salon, but when at home, you can do a weekly cleaning if using the iron on a daily basis.”

Daily (Stylists):

• Mix warm water and dish soap in a tub.
• Dip cloth into mixture and wipe down the entire iron from handle to tip.  Make sure iron is cool and detach the tong if it is removable.
• Dry with a cloth.

Weekly (Stylists and Consumers):

• Mix warm water and dish soap in a tub.
• Dip cloth into mixture and wipe down the entire iron from handle to tip.  Make sure iron is cool and detach the tong if it is removable.
• Add baking soda and toothpaste to the soap and water to thicken and add scrubbing power.
• Apply the mixture to the barrel and tong with a brush and leave on for at least 15 minutes (can also sit overnight).
• Wipe clean with a cloth.

Spot Cleaning:

• Use a cotton pad with rubbing alcohol to wipe clean and sanitize.
• Apply baking soda and more alcohol to the pad and scrub stubborn spots.  The scouring power is strong enough to remove most burned-on stains, yet gentle enough not to damage the surface.  A gentle sponge can also be used for more abrasive scrubbing.

“And use the iron kickstand, otherwise your iron can tip over and melt things causing even more buildup,” adds Villa who designed his namesake Artist Series 2-in-1 Marcel Curling Iron and  Wand with a convenient removable tong for easy cleaning.

Find out more about Sam Villaâ tools and education at www.samvilla.com. Visit during the month of November to find the BEST deals of the year!

Sam Villa is Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of the Sam Villa Company (Allvus, LLC), a leading education and styling tool company for the professional hair industry. He is also Global Artistic Ambassador for Redken 5^th Avenue, a L’Oreal brand. Villa is the 2021 NAHA Educator of the Year, Hair Awards USA Hall of Fame Inductee, 2021 AHP Icon Stylist Influencer of the Year, 2020 International Hairdressing Awards ‘International Hair Influencer of the Year,’ the 2017 NAHA Lifetime Achievement Award Winner, Intercoiffure America/Canada Member, Behind the Chair Stylist Choice Award Winner for Favorite Platform Artist and Educator (2012, 2011 and 2007) and Favorite Overall Educator of the Year (2015). His inspiring education and innovative ergonomic styling tools can be experienced on samvilla.com. The Sam Villa brand brings free digital education to everyone including hot tips and techniques, as well as access to livestreamed educational events. The company also offers professional tools for consumers so they can achieve salon-quality results at home with minimum effort.

Facebook: @SamVillaPros; Instagram: @SamVillaHair;  YouTube: @SamVillaHair; Twitter: @SamVillaPro;; Pinterest: @SamVillaHair.

https://www.lakeshoreplasticsurgery.com/about/dr-michael-horn/

With Memorial Day fast approaching, many are even more focused than usual on their bodies and getting them into tip-top shape at the gym. While exercise has multiple benefits, very often workouts and great looking skin don’t go together.  We turned to Dr. Michael Horn, a Board-Certified Chicago plastic surgeon and anti-aging expert, to give tips on how you can get the six-pack and still have glowing, acne free skin.

Sweat Itself Does Not Cause Acne 

First, “It is important to know that sweat itself does not cause acne,” says Dr. Horn. He explains, “Professional sportsmen are predisposed to accumulating dirt and bacteria in their pores during and after workout periods. If left without proper cleansing this can cause worsening in skin conditions like acne and dermatitis.”

Avoid Makeup

These days a gym visit almost doesn’t seem to “count” unless one posts it on Instagram.  This often leads women to wear makeup to the gym. Just don’t. Dr. Horn says, “Most makeup will clog pores by not allowing the skin to breathe naturally during workouts. A better option is a tinted moisturizer if you are self-conscious about your skin tone.”

SPF

If you’re going to be outdoors, apply a light moisturizer with SPF to keep your skin protected from UV rays.  Make sure to choose a lightweight product as not to clog up your pores. Look for words like “non-comedogenic” or “oil-free” to know that your sunblock won’t cause acne.

Don’t Touch Your Face at the Gym!

Cardio machines, weight machines, free weights, these all breed bacteria. Touching them and them wiping beads of sweat off your face is a sure way to spread bacteria that can create new breakouts. Make sure to bring a towel for this instead of using your hands.

A Flowing Mane of Hair is Not Your Friend During a Workout

When you are working out it is a good idea to keep hair out of your face by styling it into a bun or rocking a dry and clean sweatband. Sweat and dirt can get transferred from your hair onto your face. If you haven’t washed your hair and you use hairspray or other hair products, these can also splash onto your pores along with perspiration. This can cause irritations and breakouts.

How to Choose the Right Gym Towel

An old rag won’t be effective at absorbing sweat. However, you don’t want a gym towel that is as absorbent as a bath towel you would use to dry off your body after a shower at home. Dr. Horn says that “The gym towel should be a happy medium — absorbent enough to keep your face dry during a workout, but not so thick it clings to bacteria even after a wash.”

Wear Loose and Comfortable Gym Clothes

“Spandex is tight clothing that can lead to skin infections from bacteria and fungi,” warns Dr. Horn. “Wear loose attire that will also help wick away the sweat preventing it from being absorbed by your skin.” Just google “sweat-wicking workout clothes.”

Reduce the Redness

Calm down a flushed face with your redness control remedy made up of a little bit of iced green tea and a spray bottle. “You’ll cool down your skin and add in a few extra anti-oxidants in the process,” says Dr. Horn.

After your workout

Dr. Horn stresses, “Wash your face immediately after your workout. You don’t want a mixture of dirt, oil, and bacteria clinging to your skin, affecting its pH, and clogging your pores. If you are exercising in a park where there is no sink, bring cleansing facial wipes with you.”

Moisturize Post Workout

No matter your type of skin, after cleansing you must moisturize. Dr. Horn says that “Skipping this essential step can unknowingly dehydrate your skin causing your oil-producing glands to overcompensate by producing an oversupply of oil. Use a moisturizer that’s been produced for your specific skin type and condition immediately after cleansing for the best results.”

Skip the Hot Shower

Sure, your muscles are sore, and you’re in the mood for a hot shower after a workout. Dr. Horn points out that, “Hot water strips skin of vital oils, leaving you with dry, itchy, dull skin.” Exfoliate more often to avoid “Bacne.” Breakouts on your back or chest are particularly common for “gym rats.” To avoid this, use a gentle body scrub three times a week. Dr. Horn says, “This will keep pores clear and skin functioning well.”

Save Your “Superhero” Products for Night

Save serious treatment products for bedtime. Dr. Horn points out that, “Even seemingly normal skin can experience much more sensitivity right after a workout.  You may want to wait until redness decreases by bedtime to use your super-active acne or anti-aging treatment products.”

www.bitarinstitute.com

According to recent statistics, the viral app Tik Tok has reached over 1 billion monthly users. (Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/09/27/tiktok-reaches-1-billion-monthly-users.html) With several beauty trends going viral on a daily basis, it can be tempting to experiment with these DIY and less expensive solutions than in-office cosmetic surgery visits. However, some of these hacks are at best ineffective or downright dangerous.

Board-Certified Washington, DC Plastic Surgeon Dr. George Bitar breaks down the most popular Tik Tok beauty hacks you should avoid.

What is it? Liquid Chlorophyll

It’s a liquid tonic that users make at home that purports to be an acne cure-all and improves skin’s texture and redness.

Why you should steer clear: Drinking chlorophyll-infused water to get rid of acne or improve your skin can worsen your skin condition.

What is it? At-Home Hyaluron Pens

The Hyaluron Pen (also known as hyaluronic acid pen) is a small handheld medical device used to administer hyaluronic acid fillers into the face. This “pen” was originally created for diabetic patients to offer a needle-free, pain-free way to deliver insulin into the subcutaneous tissue. The pens took TikTok users by storm for their supposed potential to inject the lips, jawline or nose with hyaluronic acid at home.

Why you should steer clear:

You should never be giving yourself lip procedures or any aesthetic rejuvenation at home. At the advisory of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “no one should be purchasing a hyaluron pen due to the fact that they can cause bleeding or bruising; infection with bacteria, fungus, or virus from the filler or needle-free device, among several other side effects, including death.” Don’t ever try this at home. Injectables may cause occlusion of blood vessels leading to skin death and possibly blindness in the most experienced hands, so when someone who is not familiar with facial anatomy injects themselves, they could cause a catastrophe!

What is it? At home nasal tanning spray 

These products, showcased on TikTok, aren’t strictly self-tanners. Instead, they’re inhaled as nasal sprays to boost the effects of sun exposure or a tanning bed.

Why you should steer clear: You shouldn’t be inhaling substances that haven’t been studied sufficiently, as using medications nasally can affect your sense of smell. They can also potentially have toxic effects on the cilia of the nose, keeping the nose from moving mucus through it normally. This can lead to mucus buildup throughout the nasal cavity, which thickens and forces you to blow out or postnasal drip. Melanotan is an unregulated synthetic chemical that functions as a hormone and supports melanogenesis, which is the process by which melanin, a black-brown pigment, is produced in the skin. Nasal tanning sprays have a range of different ingredients, but most commonly, they will all contain tyrosine or melanotan as their main active ingredient.

What is it: Sea Salt Acne Spray

A DIY spray consisting of sea salt and water to eradicate acne.

Why you should steer clear:

Sea salt water at best may help with mild skin inflammation and redness. This is not a viable treatment for acne. It could delay proper care and cause hyperpigmentation and potential scarring due to its use.

What is it? At-Home Plasma Pen Treatments

The devices look not so different from a mechanical toothbrush — but instead of a brush head, plasma pens have a needle-like tip. However, the tip never touches the skin — it’s merely the means through which an arc of plasma passes. The process is said to make skin firmer and tighter by inducing trauma that triggers skin cells called fibroblasts to produce more collagen.

Why you should steer clear:

You should not be purchasing a plasma pen to achieve “firmer and tighter” skin. The risks associated with using this pen are quite severe. Inflicting pain on the skin with this device removes its proteins, causing the skin to lose its suppleness. It also poses a risk of causing pitting and scars. What’s more, the pens are not monitored by the FDA. A more professional version of this pen is used in plastic surgeons’ and dermatologists’ offices. It requires a lot of training to be able to treat a patient without burning them. If a lay person uses this pen, they are at risk of causing themselves second and third degree burns if used improperly.

What is it? Scraping off Moles At Home 

Some people have been using chemicals or even attempting to scrape off moles physically at home. One peculiar method recommends applying eyelash glue to skin. 

Why you should steer clear: 

All moles be checked by a professional before removal. There is no ‘safe’ way to remove a mole at home. This needs to be done by a trained qualified doctor or dermatologist. Using chemicals or attempting to ‘scrape’ off a mole could lead to infections, bleeding, scarring, and deformity.

A more compelling reason to not scrape moles at home is that moles originate in the dermis and therefore scraping the skin will only make them regrow after the endured trauma heals. Another reason to not scrape moles is that some moles can be cancerous, even on teenagers, and by scraping them without a physician examining them, cancer cells will still remain to regrow later.

What it is: Erection cream lip pout

One man caused shockwaves across social media for using erectile dysfunction cream to create plumper lips. These creams designed to boost erections typically rely on alprostadil, a type of vasodilator that widens blood vessels.

Why you should steer clear:

This can cause allergic reactions, blisters and swelling, but it can also cause blood pressure problems if the cream gets into your mouth. The lips are made of thin and delicate skin with fewer oil glands. Let’s just end this by saying that technology is fascinating and adaptable, but just because there is a remote connection between a cosmetic problem and the technology to address it doesn’t mean that a non- medically trained layperson should take that leap of faith and self- medicate. The emergency rooms around the world are filled with these people!

www.bitarinstitute.com

George Bitar, MD, FACS is an award-winning, fellowship-trained, board-certified plastic surgeon who has performed over 20, 000 cosmetic facial and body procedures. He is the founder and Medical Director of the Bitar Cosmetic Surgery Institute with offices in Fairfax, VA that serves a sophisticated national and international patient base. offering state-of-the-art skin care, injectables and cosmetic surgery.

Dr. Bitar obtained his medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine in Washington, DC, where he now serves as an Assistant Clinical Professor. He then finished a general surgery residency at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. His plastic surgery residency was completed at the University of Virginia Plastic Surgery Program, which provided him with a strong foundation in reconstructive surgery, for people injured in accidents or who have facial deformities or severe burns, and in hand surgery and microsurgery.

Dr. Bitar later completed an advanced aesthetic surgery fellowship with 10 board certified plastic surgeons where he sharpened his aesthetic surgery skills before founding the Bitar Cosmetic Surgery Institute in 2002 in the metropolitan Washington DC area where he practices currently.

As an assistant clinical professor at the George Washington School University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dr. Bitar is involved in educating upcoming doctors and has lectured about his procedures at national and international medical conventions. He is also a frequent lecturer at Georgetown University and the University of Virginia’s Plastic Surgery Departments. A firm believer in medical research, he has authored several articles in peer-reviewed medical journals and book chapters and co-authored a book for other plastic surgeons about the neck lift technique that he has helped develop, as well as a major study about the safety of cosmetic surgery on 4,470 patients. Dr. Bitar is also a member of the American Society of Bariatric Plastic Surgeons.

As a continued commitment to enhancing the quality of life through plastic surgery, Dr. Bitar has operated on 6 continents and volunteered on medical missions to various countries and operated on children with severe burn, facial and hand deformities. He volunteers on the medical school admissions committee at George Washington University. Dr. Bitar is also fluent in French and Arabic.

Internationally, he trained with prominent cosmetic surgeons, and learned the techniques of Dr. Ivo Pitanguy, the father of Brazilian cosmetic surgery, in Rio de Janeiro, Dr. Marchac in Paris, Dr. Mendelson in Melbourne, and Dr. Widgerow in Johannesburg,