When Elliot Costello and a group of other people visited Cambodia, he had an encounter with a young girl named Thea.
Little did Elliot know that this encounter would have an impact so profound on him that it would help start a movement whose goal is to end sexual abuse against children.
Namely, Thea always had nail polish on her tiny nails. One day, as she and Elliot chatted, she asked to paint one of his nails. He agreed and was happy to speak to the chatty girl, but he then learned that she was once a victim of sexual abuse.
“As she painted one of my nails, I assured her I would always keep it that way to remember her, and by extension, her suffering,” Elliot said.
This motivated Elliot to try and make positive change among men so that less and less children fall victims of sexual abuse.
That is when he came up with the movement called #PolishedMan where men put nail polish on one of their nails. That one nail represents the one in five children who will be victims of sexual violence.
Polished Man works towards ending sexual violence against children. According to the organization, “being a Polished Man means challenging violent behavior and language, both locally and globally.”
Elliot believes that since men are responsible for 96% of this type of violence against children globally, they should be catalyst for change if we are ever to see an end to the abuse of innocent children.
The goal with the painted nail isn’t just to remind people of the number of children who are abused every single day, but to serve as a conversation starter about this reality, leading to new ideas about prevention. He also hopes that people will start donating to “support educational programs and resources for child survivors of abuse,” as per APlus.
We hope that more men, including celebrities would be willing to join this movement.
What Might Happen to Your Body If You Drink Too Much Coffee
Whether you’re sipping a hot cappuccino on your way to work or indulging in a sweet latte after a big presentation, it’s hard to imagine a day without coffee. And because it helps you regain energy in no time, many of us can’t resist the temptation to drink several cups to refuel and keep ourselves going throughout the day.
We at Bright Side also can’t stand the thought of facing the day without a hot cup of Java. And we decided to find out how drinking too much coffee may affect you.
1. It might be visible on your nails.
In addition to making you feel jittery, drinking too much coffee might interfere with your iron absorption and cause anemia. This pretty common condition affects the amount of healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen to your body’s tissues and makes you feel weak and tired. Apart from low energy, anemia might affect the appearance of your nails, causing your fingernail moons to become less visible or even disappear.
2. It may upset your stomach.
If you ever felt that drinking too many cups of coffee makes you go to the bathroom more often, there’s actually a scientific explanation to that. Because coffee is acidic, it irritates your stomach lining and causes cramping, which in turn may lead to diarrhea. You might experience these unpleasant consequences even if you drink decaf, so it’s better to watch your caffeine intake and opt for less acidic varieties, such as French roast or espresso.
3. It might give you headaches.
Although many people hope that a hot cup of Java will make an annoying headache go away, it might actually make it worse. Caffeine causes you to urinate more often, which slightly dehydrates your body and may cause headaches. Although about four cups of brewed coffee a day is considered a safe amount of caffeine for healthy people, in reality most of us can tolerate far less, and having too much caffeine can give you painful migraines.
4. It may cause your skin to age faster.
While coffee is rich in antioxidants that protect your skin from harmful free radicals, drinking too much of it can reduce collagen in your cells. Because collagen is vital for achieving a plump and youthful complexion, consuming too much caffeine can cause your skin to become less elastic and more vulnerable to fine lines and wrinkles.
Can you start your day without coffee? How do you feel when you drink too much of it?
Preview photo credit Kommissar / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0
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