Kevin Patrick Law - January 2019

3 Wives’ Tales Proven True MOM REALLY DOES KNOW BEST “Make a face like that, and it’ll stay that way forever.” You may have heard something like this from Mom’s book of wisdom. Maybe you never disputed the idea that mother knows best. But as you grew up, it slowly became clear that hair doesn’t grow back faster and thicker if you shave it, cracking your knuckles doesn't cause arthritis, and gum doesn’t stay in your stomach for months after you swallow it. After a whirlwind of wives’ tales over the years, many common claims have been put under scrutiny. Wives tales have been known as pseudoscience and blind intuition, but even as many were disproved, some surprisingly proved to hold weight. Here are three wives’ tales that have proven to be true. Garlic Cures Colds For decades, moms have professed the healing properties of garlic, suggesting it can cure colds and help the body fight sickness. It turns out they were absolutely right. Garlic has antiviral properties that strengthen the immune system and nutrients that help combat illnesses. The effects of garlic can actually be more effective than over-the-counter flu medications. Some studies show that regular consumption of raw garlic lessens the likelihood of getting a cold, so if you feel a tickle in your throat, try a clove before you open the medicine cabinet. Heartburn Means a Hairy Baby It’s hard to list wives’ tales without bringing up one about pregnancy. Many are solely based on intuition, but a few that sound odd have proven to be true. In 2007, a study done by Johns Hopkins attempted to debunk the myth that heartburn during pregnancy would mean a hairy baby at birth. Instead of proving it wrong, they found that 82 percent of women with severe heartburn during pregnancy gave birth to hairy babies. Turns out the hormones that cause heartburn in pregnant women also affect fetal hair growth. Joint Pain Predicts the Weather Did you ever look at your mom with skepticism when she would predict rain because her knees hurt? If so, you might owe your mom an apology, because there is a scientific connection. The drop in barometric pressure that’s common during storm weather causes pain in arthritic joints.

How You Can Help Protect Your Home

Meet Cliff, Owner of Flood Medics

To continue this month’s theme of illuminating the lives and work of some of the greatest men I know, I want to highlight a company owned and operated by another great person. This man enjoys the process of helping others so much that he created a business where he could provide assistance to those in need as often as possible. In 2015, Cliff Ingram built Flood Medics, a restoration company with the mission of helping families restore their homes after they’ve suffered severe damage due to water, mold, wind, fire, or smoke. While this was the first company he started on his own, Cliff had spent over 14 years working in restoration. So when a friend encouraged him to go into business for himself, he already had a keen knowledge of the process. What’s more, Cliff was a firefighter before he started working in restoration. In addition to the heroic sacrifices he made and selfless experience he gained every time he entered a burning building, the architectural and structural education Cliff acquired during these years helps him still today. damage to the surrounding structures was insurmountable. It was the first major hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. since Katrina and Wilma in 2005. In a four-day period, many areas received more than 40 inches of rain, causing unprecedented floods that inundated hundreds of thousands of homes — which displaced more than 30,000 people. Once the water receded, Flood Medics began their work of making the affected families’ homes livable again. Regarding the experience, Cliff explains, “Even though I’ve been doing this work for years, the projects we took on after Hurricane Harvey changed my perspective. Talking to all these people who felt helpless and that they had nowhere to go because their homes were damaged made me more passionate about my job than ever before.” As rain and snow storms become more commonplace this winter season, keep an eye on your home to protect it against damage. If you or someone you know needs any restoration work done, don’t hesitate to give Cliff at Flood Medics a call at 404-713-5762. He and his team can make your house feel like a home again. In recent years, Cliff’s passion for this line of work has only continued to grow. When Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017, the

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