With the opening of the new North Wing at NorthBay Medical Center comes The Shaw Family Kitchen, which opened for use Oct. 1. ABOVE: Staff and visitors can enjoy respite in a bright and spacious dining area. Photo credit: Photographs © 2019 Sasha Moravec The new nutrition services area includes a 6,000-square foot kitchen and…
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Most parents know it’s important to get children to eat healthy foods, but what about getting them to enjoy healthy drinks? It’s a question that has been the focus of attention for leading pediatricians and dietitians lately. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued advisories for parents to avoid 100 percent fruit juice for babies…
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Whether you are a beginner or a full-blown endurance athlete, don’t start your exercise routine without proper nutrition and hydration, says Kathleen Shafer, director of Nutrition Services for NorthBay Healthcare. “Eating right and drinking fluids can help you get the most out of your workout,” she says. Nutrition tips to consider: Stay hydrated. Water is…
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Karin Grumstrup, N.P. and Eric Hassid, M.D. Throughout history, food has either been hailed for its health benefits or ignored altogether. “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” was taught by Hippocrates, a Greek physician born in 460 BC. Today, that thought is simplified to “you are what you eat.” “Food is…
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Functional medicine examines six areas of a patient’s health that contribute to optimal living. These include medical nutrition and gastrointestinal health, environmental exposures and detoxification, hormonal optimization, sleep, exercise and the mind-body connection. With functional medicine, traditional medical treatments are administered only when a patient requires a bridge to better functioning while they are working…
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Don’t Let Your Feelings Guide Your Food Choices Food is not only necessary for your physical survival, food “feeds” you at an emotional level, too. Think about it. When you were an infant, one of the primary ways your caregiver soothed you when you were upset was to nourish and nurture you with food! If…
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Solano Grows Almost Everything A few of the products grown here: Boysenberries, Blackberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Apricots, Peaches, Plums, Pears, Apples, Grapes, Pumpkins, Melons, Tomatoes, Walnuts, Pistachios, Lavender, Olives, Honey If you’re on a quest to eat fresh, you live in the right place. From apricots to zucchini, dairy to nuts, just about everything is grown…
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Some Medications and Food May Not Mix Well You knew drinking too much coffee could be problematic, but did you realize that mixed with certain medication it becomes downright dangerous? Chocolate, cheese and yes, coffee, don’t mix well with some antibiotics, says Hy Ton, pharmacy supervisor at NorthBay Vaca-Valley Hospital. But wait, there’s more. Not…
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Have you ever been confused by the dates you find on food labels? Here’s a rundown on what they mean: Packed On This is the date the food was packaged. Frozen foods are best used within two months of a pack date. Canned foods should be used within a year of the packing date. Best…
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NorthBay Medical Center A Baby-Friendly Hospital NorthBay Medical Center’s status as a Baby-Friendly hospital means that a mother’s right to breastfeed is not only supported, it’s encouraged. That means all staff in Women’s and Children’s Services are available to answer questions and provide materials, and that lactation consultants are ready to provide techniques and tips….
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Nutrition Team Shares Tips to Keep Kitchens Sparkling and Food Safe In the battle against bacteria, Nutrition Services Director Kathleen Shafer and her army of dietitians, cooks and food service workers at NorthBay Healthcare stand ever vigilant, washing hands, keeping surfaces clean and checking food temperatures. “Our standards for a hospital are of course very…
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“It must have been something I ate.” Lauren Weber, D.O. Oh, that dreadful feeling that comes after we’ve eaten something that doesn’t agree with us. While it’s one thing to have an occasional bout of food poisoning, it’s quite another to have a reaction to food because of a food allergy or food hypersen-sitivity, says…
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Devin Robinette, clinical dietitian If cancer is a battle, one of the most important weapons against it is good nutrition. Unfortunately, one of the first things patients may notice is a lack of appetite as their senses of taste and smell change due to their treatment. “When you have cancer you need good nutrition to…
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As seniors enter their “Golden Years,” not only do their bodies change, but so does their metabolism, according to Nancy McAfee, M.D. Although older adults still need plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and fiber, they need to add or subtract a few things from the diet they followed earlier in life. Many older…
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The Truth about Sugar is Bittersweet It’s hard to believe there’s this much sugar in a cup of organic Greek yogurt, says Archana Goyal, M.D. Everybody knows cutting sugar from their diet starts with putting the kibosh on cookies, cakes and candies. But pasta sauce, wheat bread and saltine crackers? There’s sugar in these savory…
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Journey participants Maria Escalera and Shelley Long What do you get when you put together a team of doctors, therapists, a psychologist and dietitians? The Journey to Health, a seven-week NorthBay Healthcare course that brings mind, body and spirit together in a one-size-fits-all training for teens, adults and couples. Offered several times a year, Journey…
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Bill Abeling has a total hip replacement following his major weight loss. Two years ago, Vacaville resident Bill Abeling, 53, made a herculean effort to lose weight and dropped 125 pounds in less than a year. His incredible makeover was featured in the Winter 2012 issue of Wellspring. No, he wasn’t on The Biggest Loser—he…
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Most people spend part of their days dehydrated. By the time you feel thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Water is so important to life that we can live only days without it. Water can help: 1. Maintain the Balance of Body Fluids. An adult body is composed of about 70 percent water. This fluid aids…
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Most of us don’t get enough vitamins and minerals in our daily diet. In fact, less than 5 percent of Americans follow all of the recommendations in the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines. But dietitians say it’s better to get all of your vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, and other nutrients from food. That’s because foods such as…
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Unlike the bacteria that cause diarrhea, fever and many other symptoms, probiotics are live microorganisms that may improve your health and boost your resistance to some illnesses. They may also improve intestinal health for some people. Foods rich in probiotics may enhance your immune system, reducing your risk for some diseases, according to ongoing research….
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Donald Doyle, M.D., often sends patients to a local sleep lab for tests and analyzes the results on his computer. Desperate for those 40 winks? Tossing and turning through the night? Maybe that insomnia has something to do with what you had to eat or drink before going to bed. Foods with carbohydrates and tryptophan…
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High levels of sodium can be found in processed food and condiments, says Sharon Martin, R.D. A sprinkle here, a dash there—a little salt can go a long way toward enhancing the flavor of our food. Salt, or sodium, is also an important mineral that is essential for life, according to Sharon Martin, clinical dietitian…
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Eat Your Way to Better Heart Health Cindy Liu, clinical dietitian Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but there is some good news: A change in diet can raise the odds in your favor. That’s easier said than done, admits Cindy Liu, clinical dietitian at NorthBay Healthcare. Foods you’ve…
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Maria Escalera is measured by Patti Jo Manhart, clinical assistant manager for the Green Valley Center for Primary Care. For one man, it was all about losing weight and getting in shape. A woman explained that her brother’s stroke and a family history of diabetes served as a wake-up call. Yet another said it was…
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Anyone living with a chronic disease is invited to participate in “Healthier Living with Chronic Conditions,” a self-management program offered by NorthBay Healthcare, Solano Public Health and the Area Agency on Aging. Healthier Living is an award-winning program developed by Stanford University to help people better manage chronic health conditions, to live a happier, healthier…
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Martin Santos is no stranger to the medical malady. At 19, a strep-throat infection led to a disease that caused his kidneys to begin shutting down. At 36, he needed a new kidney, a gift of life that came from his wife, Esther. At 55, despite unrelenting adherence to a strict diet and plenty of…
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The 26th Annual 2013 Solano Wine & Food Jubilee, the area’s premiere food- and wine-tasting event, returns to the Nut Tree Complex in Vacaville on April 19, 2013. The Jubilee, organized by NorthBay Healthcare Foundation to support the programs of NorthBay Hospice & Bereavement, has raised more than $2.8 million, enabling NorthBay to provide physical,…
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A few years ago, NorthBay dutifully followed state requirements by having a heavy tome called the American Dietetic Association Nutrition Care Manual in every patient care unit in both hospitals. As you can image, updating didn’t happen all that often, and when it did, the exercise involved distributing 11 three-ring binders of information throughout the…
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Right on schedule, NorthBay Medical Center’s Cardiac Catheterization Lab continues to blossom with new capabilities, technologies and services. NorthBay has had a “Cath Lab” available to perform diagnostic procedures since 1992, but it is only in the last two years that expansion has been a recurring, almost daily, theme. A $3.6 million remodeling in 2007…
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