Did you know that more than 100 billion bacteria are living in your stomach right now? Sounds gross right, but as it turns out, those bacteria play a vital role in keeping your gut – and the rest of your body – healthy.

It turns out that these bacteria that live in our guts aren’t just stowaways taking advantage of the environment of our stomachs to boost their numbers and multiply. According to Ari Grinspan, an assistant professor of medicine at the Mount Sinai Hospital academy, they’re a fundamental part of who we are at the level of DNA. She argues that because of the amount of genetic information that these bacteria contains – hundreds of times the amount contained in your average human cell – we’re actually more bacteria than we are human.

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As a result, it won’t surprise you to know that looking after these tiny critters is important. But why is it so important and why are scientists all over the world suddenly so obsessed with gut flora and the microbiome?

Your Gut Flora Determine The Quality Of Your Immune System

It used to be thought that the immune system was separate from the stomach and the bowel. But the more scientists investigated the matter, the more evidence they found that the ability of the immune system to operate was determined by the quality of the bacteria in our guts. According to Grinspan, bacteria in the gut actually “talk” to our immune systems, causing them to up-regulate their activity when appropriate. This is one of the reasons why people who eat whole food diets so rarely get sick and run down. They have a vibrant ecosystem of bacteria living in their guts which send signals to their immune system to up-regulate its activity when it senses that the body is under attack.

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Your Gut Bacteria Have A Major Role In Digestive Issues, Mood, And Obesity

When nutrition scientists first investigated which diets were best for the human body back in the 1970s and 1980s, they believed that it was the food itself which conferred the benefits. Eating vegetables, they argued, helped to improve mood, reduce weight and eliminate digestive cramping. But it was soon discovered that the microbiome played a significant role in IBS relief and relief from anxiety. How? According to Kirsten Tillisch from the UCLA Medical Center, the type of bacteria that we have in our gut influence other factors in our body, including our production of insulin, as well as the production of other hormones. Scientists have done twin studies in mice where they have compared the effects of having different microbiomes. The mice who received the microbiomes of other lean mice stayed lean whereas the mice who got bacteria from obese mice got fat.

Your Microbiome Changes All The Time

Each person has a unique bacterial signature. Having said that, the microbiome itself is changing all the time as we are exposed to new bacteria, viruses, and parasites. According to Grinspan, these interact with our immune cells, and our body is constantly working out whether to invite them in or fight them off.

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In an ideal world, we would all be able to fix our flaws without having cosmetic or plastic surgery. After all, going under the knife isn’t completely safe, so there are always risks. But, this world is far from perfect, which means that surgery is an option. It is especially an option if you are feeling insecure about your looks. Unfortunately, when we feel vulnerable, there isn’t much we can do other than try and fix the problem. As you can see, all roads seem to lead to surgery, and that is fine as long as it is the right decision.

To make sure it is here are a few considerations that will put everything into perspective. If any of these make you feel uncomfortable, you should probably rethink your plan.

How You Feel On The Inside

One of the reasons you want surgery in the first place is to try and change the way you feel about your body. In turn, this should boost your confidence, self-esteem, and the way you feel about life. However, this doesn’t always happen because the changes can be extreme. Lots of times, it only exacerbates your feelings as you attempt to adapt to your new features. Hopefully, everything will go to plan, and you’ll look and feel great immediately after. Still, you should know that surgery might not be the Hail Mary pass you imagine it to be. In fact, it might be the complete opposite.

Bargain Treatments Aren’t Worth It

As you well know, surgery isn’t cheap. Indeed, the cost of a single operation can amount to the same as buying a brand new car. Obviously, it depends on what procedure you choose, but they are all on the steep side as a rule. As a result, it’s tempting to opt for bargain treatments to try and cut down on costs, but this is a bad move. The price is high, yet that is a good sign. It means you can trust the surgeon and the clinic to do an excellent job. When you cut corners, you’re leaving a lot to luck. And, when it comes to your appearance it is a very brave move. Remember that the price is indicative of the end product.

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Mountains Of Research

The last paragraph should have posed a question. The question is: ‘how are you supposed to know which clinic to pick and which one to avoid?’ This is a dilemma that you must answer before you continue and sign on the dotted line. Choosing poorly can affect everything from the way you look to your health, so it’s something you need to treat with respect. The answer is simple: do your research. For starters, check out the track record and reputation of the clinic. Also, dig deeper into the credentials of the surgeon. You want an expert like Dr. Halpern who has an about Dr. David Halpern page that details his qualifications as well as certifications. After that, you should analyse the type of surgery. Some treatments seem great, but they are only in the early stages so the results could be mixed. These are just a couple of considerations, but there are plenty more.

You Need A Second Opinion

In fact, you need about three or four opinions before you decide to go under the knife. People might say this is just a way to put you off making a decision, but that isn’t true. With the side-effects that can occur, it’s only right that you do your due diligence. Speaking to one clinic and listening to their spiel is the first step, but it is only a start. Plus, they are trying to sell you treatments, so they might bend the rules to suit their needs. To ensure that everything they say is truthful, you need to visit a handful of clinics and connect the dots. Also, an unbiased source wouldn’t go amiss as they have nothing to gain. Clearly, a cosmetic surgery expert might be hard to come across, but previous clients are not thanks to forums.

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Cut Through The Jargon

Talking with medical professionals isn’t easy as they like to use jargon. Whether they do it to exclude or because they live in a bubble is unknown. But they do it all the same, which leaves you feeling exposed. Whatever you do, don’t agree to anything unless you understand all of the fine details. There are plenty of patients that don’t want to seem stupid, so they don’t ask questions. When the procedure is over, they have plenty of issues yet then it is too late. Your best option is to understand the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ beforehand so there are zero surprises. To do that, you will need to leave your ego at the door and inquire about the things you don’t understand.

Know The Risks

There is no doubt that surgery is a lot safer than it was in the past. Let’s face it – there is a lot fewer horror incidents nowadays. Still, that doesn’t mean that every surgeon has it down to a fine art. Sadly, things can still go wrong no matter how good the clinic and the doctor are because they can’t guarantee results. As the patient, you need to know that it is a gamble and that you might not like what you see. Sure, the side-effects might not be life-threatening, but that doesn’t mean there is nothing to worry about. At the end of the day, you want to look more attractive than when you went in, yet that isn’t for definite.

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Don’t Be Ashamed

Surgery has a stigma which puts lots of potential patients off reconstruction. However, you shouldn’t let that affect you once you make your final decision. If you know it’s the right option, there should be nothing that anyone can say to knock you off your path. Just because people will talk about you doesn’t mean that they know what they are talking about. These people are gossips, gossips that will be jealous when they see you next.

As long as you make an informed decision, there is no reason to feel ashamed.