Many people make changes to their diet in an effort to lose weight. While maintaining a healthy weight is certainly a desirable goal, there are many other benefits of good nutrition, such as a reduced risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and cancer. Making one small change every week or two can help you stay on track. For example, switch to low-fat or nonfat milk, or try a low-calorie milk substitute such as unsweetened almond milk. If you drink soda, try switching to a glass of water flavored with a lemon wedge.
For better nutrition, it’s important to eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. Snack on an apple instead of heading for the vending machine. Or, try a snack of carrot sticks dipped in hummus. When making soups and casseroles, add plenty of vegetables such as chopped spinach, grated carrots, or sliced zucchini. You can even add vegetables to your smoothies. Grate some zucchini or carrots and add them to a blender along with fresh fruit and nonfat or low-fat yogurt.
If you have questions about your daily diet, you can call the Consult-A-Nurse referral line for Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center at (805) 497-2727. Our community hospital in Thousand Oaks offers a comprehensive suite of services, including cardiology and emergency room care.
Increasingly, more adults and children alike are developing diseases that were once thought to be largely eradicated in the U.S. You can learn about this alarming trend by listening to this interview with a pediatrician at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center. He explains that because some parents are hesitant to vaccinate their children according to the schedule recommended by medical experts, the entire population is at risk. Individuals who haven’t been vaccinated can easily spread these diseases to others.
Additionally, as you’ll learn by watching this video, adults may be more prone to contracting diseases such as measles, mumps, and whooping cough because the immunizations they received in childhood can become less effective over time.
The physicians at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center can review your family’s medical records to determine if you and your children require immunizations . Families in Thousand Oaks can contact our community hospital at (805) 497-2727 or explore our healthcare services by visiting our hospital’s website.
Countless children are rushed to the emergency room each year because they accidentally ingest toxic substances. Unfortunately, the typical American home contains dozens of products that could be potentially lethal to children, from medications to personal products. Hospitals across the country urge parents to walk through their home to look for common household poisons and to take steps to keep them out of the reach of children.
Medications are commonly overlooked as being potential sources of childhood poisoning . Yet, children who access medications and swallow them risk a life-threatening overdose unless they receive immediate care at an emergency room. Parents should avoid keeping medications in a medicine cabinet because teenagers can easily access them and young children can climb on the toilet or vanity to reach them. Instead, keep medications in a locked area.
Cleaning products, such as furniture polish, bleach-based spray, and toilet bowl cleaners are commonly stored in a cabinet underneath the bathroom or kitchen sink. Since these cabinets are close to the floor, it’s far too easy for young children to access them. Instead, parents should store cleaning products on a high shelf that children cannot access by climbing furniture or objects.
Likewise, personal products should be kept out of reach of children. There are many personal products that can pose a safety hazard to kids, including mouthwash, artificial nail removers, perfume, and topical analgesics.
Did you know that accidental ingestion of toxic household plants is a common reason for emergency room visits among young children? Some parts of certain plants contain toxic substances, such as oxalate crystals. If you have young children, it’s best to keep certain plants out of your home, including those in the poinsettia, philodendron, cactus, and tomato family.
If you or a family member may have accidentally ingested a toxic substance, the emergency room physicians of Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center are standing by to help. The Emergency Department at our community hospital includes the area’s only Level II Trauma Center. If you live in the Thousand Oaks area and you wish to learn more about our emergency room or other services, call our Consult-A-Nurse referral line at (805) 497-2727.
It’s perfectly normal for parents to rush their kids to the local hospital because of bumps and bruises, and sniffles and sneezes. However, some children have more serious health concerns that require long-term treatment and may even lead to emergency room visits. Three of the most common health concerns for children are obesity, allergies, and asthma.
Physicians at community hospitals across the country have been noting an increase in the number of children who are overweight or obese. This is of particular concern because children with obesity are more likely to suffer from serious health problems later in life, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnea. Obesity can also contribute to asthma and social discrimination. A pediatrician at your local hospital can assess your child’s weight using a body mass index (BMI) chart that factors in age. It’s best for parents to be supportive of overweight and obese children, and to gently encourage them to choose healthy foods and a physically active lifestyle.
If your child frequently sneezes and wheezes, or suffers a runny nose, itchy eyes, and hives, he or she may have allergies. A pediatrician can perform a simple skin prick test to check for allergic reactions. Allergic reactions occur when the immune system treats harmless substances as germs. Some common triggers of childhood allergies include dust mites, mold, pollen, and foods such as nuts, seafood, milk, and soy.
A child with asthma has chronically inflamed airways. Sometimes, children with asthma suffer from asthma attacks or flare-ups, which occur when the airways become very narrow and swollen. This makes it difficult to breathe. Pediatricians can help parents and children learn how to manage asthma symptoms and respond to an asthma attack.
The pediatric medical staff at Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center of Thousand Oaks provides child-friendly care , including specialty services such as pediatric cardiology, nephrology, orthopedics, and rheumatology. You can learn more about the pediatric services available at our hospital by browsing our website. Or, call (805) 497-2727 and ask a registered nurse at our hospital about requesting a free Emergency Kid Care Card.