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4 easy, comforting bean dishes for fallCHARLESTON, S.C., Dec. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the holiday season approaches, it’s the perfect time to focus on winter wellness and thoughtful gifting ideas for health-conscious entertaining. Renowned Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Mia Syn shares her top recommendations to help people feel their best while enjoying all the season has to offer. COMBAT HOLIDAY CONGESTION “So many of us look forward to holiday parties and quality time with loved ones,” says Syn, “But we often find ourselves battling sinus congestion from dry air, cold weather, or seasonal allergies.” Her go-to solution? The NEW Mucinex® Sinus Saline Nasal Spray, the first-ever saline product featuring a 2-in-1 nozzle with customizable spray settings. Consumers can choose the ‘Power Jet’ to tackle tough nasal congestion or the ‘Gentle Mist’ to clear everyday congestion and soothe your nose. With its dual-nozzle technology, Mucinex® Sinus Saline Nasal Spray helps relieve congestion caused by allergens, irritants, and colds. Available at major retailers, pharmacies, and on Amazon, you can find your nearest store at Mucinex.com. Direct link: https://www.mucinex.com/ Social Media Handle: Facebook: @mucinex IG: @mucinex_us HOLIDAY TREATS WITH A HEALTHY TWIST Syn also encourages swapping ingredients in traditional holiday recipes with better-for-you alternatives. “One of my favorite holiday ingredients is Almond Breeze Almondmilk,” she shares. Almond Breeze Unsweetened Original Almondmilk: Versitile, plant-based milk with zero grams of sugar. Almond Breeze Extra Creamy Almondmilk: Perfect for its deliciously creamy texture with less sugar and fewer calories than dairy milk. 1 Almond Breeze Almondmilk Nog: A rich holiday classic free of eggs, dairy, and lactose, boasting just 70 calories per serving. “Santa might even prefer Almond Breeze with his cookies this year!” jokes Syn. Direct link: www.AlmondBreeze.com Social Media Handle: Facebook: Almond Breeze Instagram: @AlmondBreeze Twitter: @AlmondBreeze SKINCARE MUST-HAVES FOR WINTER Cold, harsh air can wreak havoc on your skin, causing dryness and accentuating fine lines. "Nobody enjoys that itchy, uncomfortable feeling that winter brings," says Syn, a skincare enthusiast. "That’s why I turn to Mediheal—a trusted name in Korean skincare that’s been raising the bar for years." Mediheal’s toner pads have become a hit on social media, especially on TikTok, where users are swearing by their magic. Leading the charge are two fan-favorite products: Madecassoside Blemish Pads : A viral sensation in the U.S., these pads are proven to reduce blemishes, dark spots, and uneven skin tone. Clinical results show a 16% improvement in skin texture and tone within just four weeks. Collagen Ampoule Pads : Mediheal’s #1 bestseller in Korea, these pads instantly boost skin elasticity by an astonishing 106% in just one swipe. They also reduce fine lines by up to 33%, making them an anti-aging powerhouse. "Mediheal’s toner pads are absolute game-changers," Syn adds. "They’re versatile, targeting multiple skin concerns, so there’s something for everyone." With a diverse lineup of toner pads and skincare products designed to tackle winter skin woes, Mediheal cements its place as the ultimate go-to for glowing, healthy skin—even in the harshest seasons. For a limited time, the Madecassoside Blemish Pad, Collagen Ampoule Pad and Vitamide Brightening Pad will be available in festive holiday packaging—perfect for gifting to loved ones or treating yourself this season! Direct link: Mediheal Amazon Website Social Media Handle: Facebook: @Mediheal US Instagram: @mediheal_us TikTok: @mediheal_us Twitter (X): @medihealus About YourUpdateTV : YourUpdateTV is a property of D S Simon Media. The video included and release was part of a media tour that was produced by D S Simon Media on behalf of Almond Breeze, Mediheal, and Mucinex. Media Contact: Michael O’Donnell D S Simon Media 212-736-2727 modonnell@dssimon.com A video accompanying this release is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/74283b19-564e-43c4-a467-440c7d109074THE Dragons already have no margin for error in the Challenge Cup after paying the price for a shocking start and missed opportunities against Montpellier in the Newport wind and rain. The Rodney Parade club slipped to a 18-14 defeat in their tournament opener, meaning they will need at least one win on the road if they are to make the knockout stages. It was another missed opportunity to add to the frustrating home disappointments in the first block of the United Rugby Championship, and means Filo Tiatia’s men are right up against it after just one round. The Dragons trailed 18-14 at the break after fighting back from a nightmare start to get back in it through tries by centurion flanker Taine Basham and full-back Angus O’Brien. It was a poor game littered with errors, not all of them down to the weather, and it became all about the result as the gap remained four points into the final quarter. The Dragons had their chances – and were held up over the line – but were unable to get their noses in front in a dramatic finale inside the Top 14 side’s 22. With away games at Newcastle and the Lions either side of the home encounter with Pau, this was almost a must-win opening fixture in the bid for the knockout stages. The Dragons accomplished that last season when striking late against Oyonnax for a five-point haul before letting a promising position slip through their fingers. This time they are playing catch-up already and need to conjure something special either at Kingston Park or Ellis Park. Montpellier headed to Newport with a team largely made up of fringe players and academy talent but they were still hefty and presented a stiff challenge for what was far from the strongest, on paper at least, Dragons XV. There were opportunities in the tight five for loosehead Josh Reynolds, hooker James Benjamin, and lock Joe Davies, who all made first starts of the season (another opportunity for tighthead Dmitri Arhip was shelved due to illness). Livewire Morgan Lloyd was handed the 9 jersey for the first time at professional level while Will Reed – given his first start after almost always having 10 on his back last season – joined him to form a young half-back partnership in horrendous weather. The Dragons put themselves under pressure with a knock on from the kick-off but defended strongly until giving away a penalty that Aurelien Barreau put between the posts in the fourth minute. The fly-half repeated the trick in the ninth minute to make it 6-0; it was a kick that would normally be simple but not in these conditions. Montpellier’s dream start continued when, after an impressive claim of a high ball by full-back Julien Tisseron, a cross-kick to the right found centre Thomas Darmon who offloaded to Tambwe. The speedster beat last man Reed and slide over down the right for an 11-0 lead after 12 minutes. The Dragons needed a response and kicked a penalty to the corner to hunt one only for lock Davies to fail to gather the slippery ball in the throw. That failure was followed by a second French try that was way, way too easy. Firstly they won a five-metre scrum thanks to sloppy blindside defence that led to captain Angus O’Brien having to hack the ball behind. Then, after an early engagement, Marco Tauleigne took a quick tap and slid over with ease, Barreau making it 18-0 after a shambolic first quarter for the hosts. Thankfully the next score was for the men in bright yellow with Montpellier errors leading to a quick tap from five metres out and then a try on his 100th appearance for Basham. O’Brien converted. The game then had a scrappy spell until the Dragons struck just before the break to make it a four-point game. An overthrown lineout was gathered by Reed and the attack continued for lock Davies, of all people, to break through and slip the ball to his captain. O’Brien slide over down the left and then expertly added the extras to make cut the gap to 18-14 but then missed a penalty six minutes after the restart. The Dragons then got out of jail with half an hour to go when a Montpellier driving lineout went close and then, bizarrely, the backs called for the ball and a grubber through was covered by replacement scrum-half Dane Blacker. The errors were racking up with the slippery ball, making it a tense encounter with the next score (if it was to come) crucial. The game entered the final quarter without any second half scorers, the Dragons unable to get prime attacking territory and Montpellier’s game management letting them down. The hosts’ big chance came after 66 minutes when they forced Montpellier to hack the ball out five metres from their line. The shove came on, the ball was held up with replacement prop Aki Seiuli just loosing grip of the ball to allow a defender to get under him. The Dragons again pushed as the clock ticked into the 70s and a botched Montpellier lineout allowed them to hammer at the line with five to go... only for a knock-on to gift an escape. A penalty in the 78th minute was hammered to the 22 by O’Brien for one last chance, then another penalty was kicked even closer with the clock in the red, then another penalty was awarded. The Dragons opted for a quick tap but then knocked on, with TMO footage showing that there was no offence to allow one last charge. Dragons: O’Brien (captain), Dyer, Wilson, Owen, E Rosser (J Rosser 49), Reed (C Evans 56), Lloyd (Blacker 39); Reynolds (Seiuli 54), Benjamin (Scarfe 42), Coleman, J Davies (Nott 54), Screech (Langton-Cryer 69), Woodman, Basham, Wainwright. Scorers: tries – Basham, O’Brien; conversions – O’Brien (2). Montpellier scorers: tries – Tambwe, Tauleigne; conversion – Barreau; penalties – Barreau (2). Referee: Morne Ferreira (South Africa). Attendance: 4,012 (tickets issued).

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Bucky Irving isn’t choosy. The rookie running back relishes any opportunity he gets to contribute to the success of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have rebounded from a tough stretch to climb back into a tie for first place in the NFC South. Irving leads NFL rookies in rushing with 732 yards, averaging 5.5 yards per carry while sharing the workload with starter Rachaad White and third-stringer Sean Tucker, who have combined to ease some of the burden on quarterback Baker Mayfield. A fourth-round draft pick out of Oregon, Irving is coming off rushing for a season-best 152 yards and a touchdown in last week’s 26-23 overtime win over the Carolina Panthers. He had another 33 yards receiving, giving him a rookie-leading 1,017 total yards from scrimmage through 12 games. The Bucs (6-6) on Sunday host the Las Vegas Raiders (2-10), who have an outstanding newcomer of their own with Brock Bowers on the verge of breaking the league's record for catches by a rookie tight end. Bowers leads all players, regardless of position, with 84 receptions. He's fourth with 884 yards receiving and second behind Irving among rookies with 895 total yards from scrimmage. “I don’t really like taking all the credit. It’s those guys up front,” Irving said, deferring to Tampa Bay’s improved offensive line. “I think I have to do something special for those guys for Christmas because they’re getting the job done.” The Bucs are eighth in the NFL in rushing at 137.2 yards per game. They’ve gained 100-plus yards on the ground in nine of 12 games after only doing it nine times in 34 games over the past two seasons. Irving, whose ability to make defenders miss and accelerate in the open field, has provided a spark to an offense that sputtered without injured wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin during a four-game losing streak. It doesn’t seem to bother the rookie that he still sits behind White on the depth chart. The starter had a 38-yard run in overtime to set up the winning field goal last week. Coach Todd Bowles continues to stress that the Bucs, tied with Atlanta for the NFC South lead, need both Irving and White to be successful. “In our room, all our success is one,” said Irving, who in the past two weeks became the first rookie since Miles Sanders in 2019 to string together consecutive games with 150-plus yards from scrimmage. “If I’m having success,’’ Irving added, “everybody in the room is having success.” Tampa Bay’s porous secondary figures to be tested by Bowers, the first tight end to lead the league in catches after Week 13 since Todd Christenson in 1986. The first-round draft pick out of Georgia needs three receptions to break Sam LaPorta’s season record (86 in 2023) for catches by a tight end. He’s 116 yards away from joining Mike Ditka (1,076 in 1961) and Kyle Pitts (1,026 in 2021) as the only rookie tight ends to finish with 1,000-plus yards receiving. “I thought he was one of the best tight ends coming out in a long time – not just this draft, but in a long time,” Bowles said. “He’s living up to expectations. He can play wideout, he can play tight end, he can do some fullback, he can run jet sweeps,” the Bucs coach added. “They do a lot of things with him and he’s a very talented guy.” The last time the Raiders went against Mayfield was two seasons ago when he came off a plane to play for the Los Angeles Rams. Despite having minimal time with the playbook and just one brief practice, Mayfield rallied the Rams to a 17-16 victory on a 23-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left. Raiders coach Antonio Pierce was the team’s linebackers coach at the time. “He plays the game kind of like Brett Favre, who I played against in (the) league,” Pierce said. “He’s very fiery. He’ll do whatever it takes to make a play. The play’s never dead with him. You’ve got to keep your eyes on him and then stay in coverage, so that’ll be a challenge.” Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell didn’t look as though he had missed nearly six weeks because of a broken thumb when he almost led Las Vegas to a victory at Kansas City last week. He completed 23 of 35 passes for 340 yards and two touchdowns in the Raiders’ 19-17 loss to the Chiefs. But O’Connell had a hard time looking at the positives given how close the Raiders came to beating the two-time defending Super Bowl champions. “Definitely some good plays, but it just stinks more than anything,” O’Connell said. “It was just a really hard loss. Even sometimes when you have a game right after, it’s easier to move on. But we had a longer week this week and so kind of really got to sit in it and it’s no fun.” AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson in Las Vegas contributed to this report. NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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