August 2026
What's New This Month
A lot has been happening at Storm Wellness Northwest. We're welcoming a new provider, expanding insurance access, adding services, and getting ready for fall. Here's what you might have missed.
Let’s talk about beans
A pantry staple that quietly delivers protein, fiber, and a whole lot of versatility.
By Renee Storm, APRN
Beans might be one of the most underrated foods in the grocery store. They're inexpensive, shelf-stable, plant-based, and packed with both protein and fiber—a combination that helps make meals more satisfying. Depending on the variety and serving size, beans can also provide meaningful amounts of iron, potassium, folate, and magnesium. And unlike a lot of foods that get labeled a “superfood,” beans do not require a specialty grocery store or a superfood budget.
They're also wonderfully low-maintenance. You can absolutely buy dried beans, soak them, simmer them, and feel very accomplished about the whole thing. Or you can open a can. Nutritionally, both are great options. If you're using canned beans, give them a good rinse to wash away some of the sodium and they're ready to go. Keep a few cans in the pantry and you always have the beginnings of an actual meal—even when the refrigerator is looking a little bleak.
And please don't think eating more beans means replacing everything you love with beans. It can just mean adding them. Taco Tuesday? Keep the beef and add black or pinto beans. Making burgers? Beans can work their way into the mix or onto the plate. Toss chickpeas or white beans into a chopped salad. Add lentils to soup. My personal favorite is a nice pile of black beans topped with an over-easy egg and salsa—or, even better, cilantro-lime Bitchin' Sauce. If you know, you know.
There's good reason to make them a regular part of your diet. The fiber and resistant starch in beans support the gut microbiome, and their combination of fiber, complex carbohydrates, and protein tends to produce a gentler blood-sugar response than many refined carbohydrates. Regular legume consumption is also associated with better cardiovascular and metabolic health. If beans tend to make your digestive system… notice their arrival, start with a smaller portion and increase gradually. Rinsing canned beans well or soaking and thoroughly cooking dried beans can help, too.
And then there's the price. With grocery costs being what they are, beans remain one of the least expensive ways to add protein, fiber, and actual nutritional substance to a meal. They store well, they're incredibly versatile, and producing legumes generally requires far fewer resources than producing animal protein. You don't have to become vegetarian—or even particularly virtuous about your diet—to benefit from eating more of them. Sometimes “food is medicine” is considerably less glamorous than people make it sound. Sometimes it's just a can of black beans in the pantry.
Laser season is coming
Why fall and winter are the natural time to plan laser treatments.
There’s a reason we tend to talk more about lasers as summer winds down.
Many laser treatments and sun exposure aren't particularly good friends. Depending on the treatment, recent tanning or significant sun exposure can affect how we approach treatment, and protecting treated skin from the sun is an important part of aftercare.
That’s why fall and winter have traditionally earned the nickname “laser season.” Shorter days, more clothing, and generally less time spent deliberately soaking up the sun can make it easier to plan a series of treatments and protect your skin along the way.
This year, we’re heading into laser season with ADVATx, which gives us options for concerns including redness and rosacea, visible vessels, acne and acne scars, pigmentation, and overall skin rejuvenation. And because different concerns require different approaches, we start with your skin—not simply with the fact that we own a laser.