Flourish 07.22.2022

July 22, 2022

THE PRESS

Your Guide to Health, Beauty & Fitness

THE PRESS

Your Guide to Health, Beauty & Fitness

Clean and Clear Water

The Skin Experts

Fitness Mistakes to Avoid

Several options exist to reduce hard minerals in your tap water and drinking water

New facial spa in Brentwood showcases hemp oil-based product line

Recognizing which practices should be averted can lower your risk of injury

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One woman’s journey through surrogacy MELISSA VAN RUITEN

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ne Brentwood couple’s surrogacy journey inspired them to help others who

are considering the same path.

Jessica Busman’s surrogacy journey took 8 years. But after being able to help two separate mothers expand their respective families through being a surrogate, she knew she had found her true calling.

“For my second [surrogate] journey, I helped an IVF doctor and her husband,” Busman said. “She inspired me to start an agency, so she could recommend her patients in need with someone she trusted. She knew the need was there.”

“I also helped facilitate her last journey, by matching her with a lovely surrogate of ours and having her go through our program herself,” Busman said. “She got to experience what we do, on an agency level, as well as my individual desire to be a surrogate myself.”

In 2017, following her second surrogate pregnancy, Jessica and her husband, Chris Busman, started their own agency, Surrogacy Partnership in Brentwood. Since its inception, they’ve worked to match surrogate mothers with intended parents. In that time, 21 babies have been born to intended parents worldwide as part of their program. Due to Busman

previously having been a surrogate, she knows what a successful surrogacy process looks like, and she gained the skills to help others navigate their own journeys.

Busman said that for many, surrogacy is often a last resort, resulting from issues with infertility, sterility, elevated medical risk, or same-sex couples that are not equipped to give birth on their own. Surrogacy can serve as an alternative to adoption, providing intended parents with a genetic bond to their child.

“When surrogacy is executed effectively through a reputable agency, such as Surrogacy Partnership, the process can be a rewarding and joyful experience for surrogate and intended parents alike.” Busman said.

For women who’ve decided they’d like to be on the giving end of the surrogacy journey, they have already had healthy, fullterm pregnancies, know what it’s like to be a parent, and want to be able to give that gift to others, according to Busman.

“These are women who are generally givers by nature,” Busman said. “They often are employed in careers that exemplify that trait, too.”

The process for matching surrogates with intended parents is involved. First, Surrogacy Partnership vets all potential candidates to make sure they meet the guidelines that the American Society for Reproductive Medicine puts forth. Past pregnancy and delivery records are gathered, background checks are performed, and a psychological evalua-

Photo by Melissa van Ruiten

Jessica Busman and her husband, Chris, launched their own surrogacy agency, Surrogacy Partnership, in 2017. tion is administered. The agency contracts with a Ph.D-certified clinical and industrial organizational psychologist who specializes in surrogacy. Partners and spouses of potential surrogates are also evaluated.

For intended parents, a psychological evaluation is also required before the process starts. They also need to provide proof that they’re able to financially support their surrogacy journey. In California, that cost is between $70,000 and $120,000, and intended parents are also responsible for the surrogate’s medical costs, insurance, and other incidentals throughout the nine months of pregnancy, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Once the clinical report has been approved and cleared, Busman is able to present potential surrogate profiles to intended parents. Once the intended parents make their choice, the surrogate is presented with the parents’ information. If the surrogate accepts, a “Match Zoom Call’ is facilitated.

Busman stated that she has never had a call that didn’t end in a match.

“I really listen to the wants, needs of both sides, and hear them,” said Busman. “It’s really a process.”

Surrogacy Partnership touts itself as being a small, intimate agency, which is often a draw for couples who are worried about getting overwhelmed by larger organizations. According to their website, they offer all-inclusive support, beginning to end, for families dreaming of having a child. The Busmans have remained in contact with many of their clients and adore being able to see their children grow.

“We love what we do,” Busman said.

“It’s a passion to be able to help others, and it’s so rewarding to see the families we help bring together.”

Between 1999 and 2013, there were 18,400 infants born to surrogate mothers in the United States, according to the National Library of Medicine.

For more information about the services offered by Surrogacy partnership, visit their website at https://surrogacypartnership.com/.

To view a video, visit www.thepress.net/ multimedia

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Come get healthy with us!

Recognizing which practices should be avoided can lower risk of injury and produce the desired results.

Photo courtesy of Metro Creative

7 common fitness mistakes to avoid

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ollowing appropriate guidance when pursuing fitness goals is important. However, with so

much information available online, it can be challenging to sift through the advice and determine what is safe and effective and what is not.

Fitness enthusiasts may make certain mistakes along the way to achieving their

goals. But knowing what to do and what not to do can lower risk of injury and produce the desired results.

1. Skipping warm-up

Warm-ups are vital before a workout.

They help muscles in the body become acclimated to exercise by gradually building up heart rate and muscle flexibility and endurance. A warm-up can include walking, biking or light repetitions of exercises. see Mistakes page 5B

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Though it can be hard to remember family members’ conditions, doctors have good reason to ask about their patient’s family’s medical histories.

The importance of knowing your family medical history

W

hen visiting a physician for the first time, patients may notice an

extensive section on family history on one of the requisite forms they fill out before meeting the doctor. It can be hard to remember or know family members’ conditions, but doctors have good reason to ask about their

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patients’ family’s medical histories.

Family medical histories can be vital to one’s own health care. The National Center for Biotechnology Information states that family history might be one of the strongest influences on a person’s risk for developing cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and more. While you cannot modify your genetic makeup, knowing your family’s medical history can help you take the steps necessary to protect yourself. Family history reports can serve as warning signs for illnesses.

These clues can help doctors prescribe certain screening tests at earlier ages to catch potential diseases when they are most treatable. For example, the U.S. National Library of Medicine says that healthcare profession-

als may recommend more frequent screenings (such as mammography or colonoscopy) and screening at an earlier age for people at an increased risk of certain cancers. Doctors may recommend biannual checkups to stay apprised of any changes in health that may signal a risk.

A thorough health care professional will record your family medical history and ask you to update it routinely in an effort to ensure you get the best, most effective care possible. You can help the process by having the information needed at the ready. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests the following. ♦ Talk to your family. Make a list of close family members and discuss any conditions or issues they might have had and at what ages. ♦ Learn about chronic diseases. Speak to your relatives about chronic diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure, being sure to ask how severe such issues were and if any required hospitalization. ♦ Plot your ancestry. Learn about your ancestry and if any medical issues are more common among people who share that ancestry. ♦ Record everything you learn. Keep the information where it can be easily accessed and updated. For example, My Family Health Portrait is a free web-based tool to organize family health information and give it to doctors.

– Courtesy of Metro Creative

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Mistakes from page 3B

2. Getting caught up in ‘low-fat’ foods It is important to eat a balanced diet that includes real, wholesome foods, according to Lucky 13 Fitness. Many people fill their carts with sugar-free desserts or fat-free items thinking this is healthy eating.

When fat or sugar is removed, chemicals often replace these ingredients. Rather than embracing an extreme diet, focus on balance and moderation.

3. ‘Cheat days’

Some people operate under the assumption that the weekend or another less-regimented day is an opportunity to let loose and stray from a diet and exercise regimen. This can be a mistake. A better approach is to find a routine that has enough balance so a person doesn’t feel like he or she needs to go off the rails to indulge.

4. Using the ‘I’m busy’ excuse

There is no such thing as being too busy to exercise. Making exercise a necessary part of a daily routine requires finding time for fitness. Individuals may need to squeeze in exercise in the early morning before work or school. If exercise seems to be getting in the way of family time, engage in a group workout with the kids or your spouse.

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5. Pushing too hard

Many people exercise under the assumption that ‘more is more.’ Injuries can occur when one pushes too far in a workout, particularly if he or she is lifting more weight than his or her body can handle. Giving the body some time off to recuperate is essential because rest helps to prevent injuries.

6. Making vague goals

Establishing fitness goals helps people reach markers that make it easy for them to gauge their success. Statements like ‘I want to lose weight’ or ‘I want to get stronger’ make it hard to measure progress, as they lack specificity. Instead, make firm goals, such as a specific number of pounds to lose or being able to lift a certain amount of weight by a predetermined date.

7. Hopping from program to program

It’s tempting to try everything the gym or the fitness world has to offer. It is better to learn the basics and stick with a program for some time before moving on to another one. Otherwise, you may never have enough time to master any routine.

These are just a few of the fitness mistakes to avoid as you begin a journey to improved health and wellness.

– Courtesy of Metro Creative

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A good smile can open doors. A Sheffield Smile can change lives.

We believe in giving you reasons to smile Skin Experts facial spa is located on Balfour Road in Brentwood.

Photo courtesy of Skin Experts

Skin Experts help make Brentwood glow

Call today to schedule your FREE exam and consultation   

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BrentCourt Professional Building: 1140 2nd St., Ste. A, Brentwood

w w w. b re n t c o u r t d e n t a l g ro u p . c o m

The company opened the spot as the first of what it hopes will be many to showcase its hemp oil-based product line, Qul Beauty.

“We founded this company to be innovative and cutting edge, with all the greatest ingredients from around the world,” said Tom Schmidt, president and CEO. “We use hemp oil as some of our main ingredients.”

Schmidt said Brentwood was chosen for the first site not for convenience – the company is based in San Diego – but because of its proximity to Shelley Hancock, chief beauty officer and world-renown aesthetician. Hancock has owned multiple spas, and mentors aestheticians all over the country. She has hired and trained all of the aestheticians at Skin Experts and said she loves Schmidt’s Qul Beauty line and believes in its efficacy.

“I’ve been in the industry so long and seen so much and tried so many product lines,” Hancock said. “There’s just so much, that when they called and told me about their product line, I wasn’t that excited, but I said ‘Go ahead and send them to me.’ When they came, the presentation was beautiful.”

Hancock said the product was as good

as the wrapping and began to try it on her clients, who also loved it.

“You don’t get the ‘wow’ factor often,” she said.

Skin Experts offers a variety of facials – they offer the entire line of take-home Qul Beauty products – and all new customers get one free facial.

“Until the Brentwood spot, we just sold our skin care line,” Schmidt said. “We really saw the benefit of hemp oil … during COVID, looking at our strategy, we thought we had this incredible skin care line and would like to have our own spas to handle it.”

Schmidt said his company is vertically integrated (streamlining its operations by taking direct ownership of production stages rather than relying on external contractors or suppliers), manufacturing and packaging its skin care products in California, and looking to open more spas now that the Brentwood location is up and running.

Another perk from the spa is beauty technology.

“In the industry, I’m known as the ‘machine queen’ or the ‘gadget guru,’” Hancock said. “I’m into equipment and we use high-tech equipment most spas don’t offer. To bring that to the game without charging an arm and a leg is really incredible.”

Skin Experts is at 2261 Balfour Road, Suite A, in Brentwood. For more information, call 925-390-5505 or visit www.skinexperts.com.

JULY 22, 2022

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Tap Into Healthier Water for Your Entire Family

East County residents often face the challenge of having ‘hard water,’ or water filled with minerals.

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destroying their pipes,

fixtures and appliances each day, but there are several options to reduce hard minerals in your tap water and

One is a water softener system that removes hard minerals like calcium from water and replace them with sodium, experts say. Homeowners who install these systems will notice things like water spots occur less frequently, if at all.

The other option – and one the City of Brentwood uses – is a water conditioning system. Chris Hayek, president of Delta Pure Water, said both systems will protect pipes and appliances.

“The difference between the two is it’s just a different technology,” Hayek said of water softeners versus water conditioners. “Whereas the softener removes the calcium from the equation, the conditioner changes the structure of it for about 20 minutes. So you have to be readily available to squeegee your shower (or hard water spots will occur), things like that.”

Hayek noted different areas of East

• Well Water Treatment • Non-salt Water Conditioners • Bottled Water • Pure ICE • Salt

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Brentwood wants residents to use the conditioner systems to keep sodium levels in its wastewater low.

In lieu of using salt, water conditioners use a certified technology to change calcium so it is less harmful to filtration systems, pipes and appliances.

Conditioners tend to cost about $500 more than softeners. Both reduce hard mineral content by 80%-85%.

Delta Pure also has a solution for drinking water – an under-the-sink reverse osmosis system.

“What’s nice about reverse osmosis, molecularly, is it’s a man-made product,” Hayek said. “You take water, put it through the reverse osmosis unit and come out with your drinking water, so it is the most molecularly close in mineral content to spring water as a man-made product can be.”

Hayek said reverse osmosis systems are technically desalinators and could turn ocean water into drinking water. They take city drinking water and turn it into a “nice drinking product.” Smell and taste are improved, and the result is close to spring water.

Delta Pure Water is at 41 Sand Creek Road in Brentwood. For more information, call 925-634-6658 or visit www.deltapurewater.com.

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Your trusted partner in your baby’s care.

Choosing the right pediatrician is important, as your pediatrician will be your trusted partner in your baby’s well-being for years to come.

That’s why we offer Expectant Parent Meet and Greet appointments, either virtual or in-person, for you to get to know our pediatricians.

Learn more and schedule at johnmuirhealth.com/brentwoodpediatrics

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Be heard.

6/17/22 10:42 AM