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Riding and Having Fun with the Rodents HAMSTERS USA® by Dr. Juris Bunkis

By Dr. Juris BunkisAugust 2, 2022No Comments

Riding and Having Fun with the Rodents

This past weekend saw the Hamsters USA® kick-off party in Danville, California, on the eve of the group’s departure for Sturgis, South Dakota. The route varies year to year but the general principle is that we stay off freeways and stagger across the country from one National Park to the next. I have been honored to be a Hamster for more than a quarter of a century! The Hamsters are an international motorcycle group consisting of members with custom motorcycles and big hearts – there are 400 members around the globe and all descend upon South Dakota each summer.

The group started at Daytona Bike Week in 1978. Jokingly, as an antithesis to the Hell’s Angels, the group chose a hamster as their mascot and the color yellow for their shirts – this stuck and now, every summer, hundreds of Hamsters descend on Sturgis, South Dakota for Bike Week. Aside from a love for custom motorcycles, the group has a love for toys and most members own not only multiple motorcycles but most also own fancy cars, boats or aircraft – they have a love for speed. In 2018, our group was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in Sturgis and that was certainly an impressive ceremony.

To become a Hamster, one has to have a custom American motorcycle and ride it to Sturgis, but membership is limited and by invitation only. Members are fun loving and all have big hearts. The Hamsters have raised millions of dollars for a variety of charities. Each year on the first Monday of Bike Week (tonight this year), the Hamsters get together for a dinner of all members and their guest – during this annual induction dinner, a silent auction is held with all proceeds going to the children of South Dakota to provide them with speech, occupational and physical therapy. All items sold at the auction are donated by members, and many of the items are made by the members. Last year’s silent auction netted a whopping $550,957 (in two hours) for the South Dakota Children’s Hospital. Last year, during the same dinner, one of our members gave an impassioned plea to assist the local Meals On Wheels program and the Motorcycle Museum – and an additional $70,000 was raised in 20 minutes! Have fun and ride safe, brothers!

Spotlight on Plastic Surgery – Fight Belly Bloat With Food by Dr. Staci Compoginis

Now that summer is in full swing there is nothing more uncomfortable than feeling bloated, especially in the abdomen area. Diet plays a vital role in combating bloating, that is why I have created a list of a few of my favorite anti-bloating foods that are easy to incorporate into your diet this summer and all season long!

Cucumber: Cucumbers are high in silica, caffeic acid, and Vitamin C, which are all nutrients that help reduce swelling along with water retention. Adding cucumber to your diet can be as simple as adding cucumber slices to your water or swapping out your chips with cucumber slices to go along with your favorite dips as a healthy snack!

Asparagus: Not only is it a superfood, known for several health benefits, but it’s also one of nature’s natural diuretics and will help reduce excess water retention from your body. Asparagus also contains prebiotic fiber, which “feeds the good bacteria in your gut” to keep your digestive track health along with curbing your appetite. Next time you’re at your favorite steakhouse opt for the asparagus side instead of mashed potatoes.

Dandelion: Dandelion has many similar properties that aid in bloating reduction. It is an excellent digestive aid and a diuretic. Using dandelion removes excess sodium from the body, reduces water retention, and helps lower blood pressure. An easy way to incorporate dandelion into your daily routine is by drinking dandelion tea or buying the dandelion greens and boiling them down and enjoying them with a drizzle of lemon and olive oil!

Lemon: Lemon is a natural detoxifier and diuretic, along with it being an amazing source of vitamin C. Adding lemon to your meal or water can help with bloating and indigestion. Simply add lemon to your favorite salad dressing, cooked veggies, and meats to ease digestion.

If you want to see if you can have any part of your body improved, contact us for a consultation:

For CA, please call 949-888-9700 or visit www.orangecountyplasticsurgery.com
Or for MA location, call 508-755-4825 or visit www.salisburyps.com
You can write to
Dr. Compoginis at compoginis@ocps.com
Dr. Bunkis at bunkis@ocps.com
or Dr. Ekstrom at mds@salisburyps.com