Local Beat
A Smarter Way to Shop
Mar 2010Farm Fresh launches ‘nutrition iQ’ labeling system to help
curb customer confusion
It’s well known that the perimeter of the grocery store is the place to find the healthiest foods including fresh produce, meat and dairy items. But when shoppers venture into the “center of the store” for staples such as cereal, canned items, pasta and frozen products, they can stumble into processed foods that often carry misleading or overstated health claims.
As many a mom can tell you, that “healthy” trail bar packed in a child’s lunchbox isn’t so healthy when the nutrition panel on the package reveals that it contains as much sugar as a can Read More...
Partners in Practice
Feb 2010In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, The Health Journal brings you stories of local couples who share more than just a marriage—they both work in the medical field, often in the same office. Read what the following four couples have to say about the joys and challenges of being partners in practice…and in life.
Dr. William & Kathy Magee: Operation Smile
As founders of Norfolk-based Operation Smile, the world-renowned non-profit organization dedicated to treating children with cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities, Bill and Kathy Magee work together tireless Read More...
Ready to Get Fit?
Jan 2010Find a gym that’s right for you
Fitness experts from across Hampton Roads agree that when it comes to selecting a gym, it’s important that you feel as comfortable there as you do in your sweats and sneakers.
In addition to a comfortable atmosphere, other considerations include a convenient location, affordability and cleanliness as well as accessible, friendly staff who are on the floor to offer assistance or demonstrate equipment.
“Convenience is the main thing to consider,” says Phil Curtain, co-owner of Inlet Fitness and Inlet South in Virginia Beach. “It already takes effort just to go to the gym so if it’s out of the way it’s that Read More...
Creating Smiles
Dec 2009Michael Boyd is the type of person who loves to smile, despite all the medical problems he’s struggled with—a near-death experience related to diabetes, partial amputation of his right foot, blood clots in his leg and a hip replacement with another to come. But over the years, the health of Boyd’s teeth declined so much that his broad grin turned into a tight smile with closed lips. At 54, his dental disease was so severe that he also was at high risk for heart attack, stroke and possible infection of his prosthetic hip. Unfortunately, the Hampton resident—a disabled machine welder—knew he could never afford the work he needed.
Then in stepped Dr. Lisa Read More...
Bringing Joy to Seniors
Dec 2009Most of the gifts that go to people in the annual “Be a Santa to a Senior” program are very modest—blankets, slippers, sweat suits, flashlights, lotions or other toiletries. But to a lonely or financially strapped senior, the feeling of being remembered at Christmas is priceless.
“They’re so appreciative, no matter what they get,” says Hollie Krance, owner of Home Instead Senior Care (a franchise that serves the Peninsula and Williamsburg), who leads the effort. “They open up a box of tissues or a bath and body set, and you would have thought you’d bought them a new car. They’re smiling and crying and so happy.”
Read More...
The Giving Spirit
Dec 2009The holidays are a time for giving—but not just within families. Meet three local women who are giving of their time and resources to help others less fortunate.
Photographer Jessica Oatman founded Images of HOPE after her oldest child—four-year-old Montana—was diagnosed with leukemia. Montana's cancer has gone into remission, but Oatman remains dedicated to giving other local families a chance to capture the moment.
Whipping out a camera to record a child’s every milestone is standard practice for most parents. But when a child is battling a serious illness, taking pictures isn’t a priority—even though that child likely is a po Read More...
Then and Now: A Look Back at Health Practices of Eighteenth-Century Virginia
Nov 2009Over the last year, historians from Colonial Williamsburg have shared their knowledge about many of the health problems that affected residents of Colonial Virginia. The Health Journal’s “Health in History” series covered topics such as dental health, mental health, women’s and children’s health, and finally, cancer.
Comparisons between the health care practices of the 18th and 21st centuries illustrated how dramatically health care has improved. Among the greatest differences revealed was the use of technology in patient care.
“The knowledge of the causes of diseases is significantly more advanced, and that has resulted in more focused trea Read More...
Infant Massage Class Highlights Healing Power of Touch
Nov 2009CHKD’s Williamsburg Practice Offers Free Monthly Class for New Parents.
When I signed up for a free infant massage class that Pediatric Associates of Williamsburg (a practice of Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters, or CHKD) was offering last month, slight pangs of guilt set in. At that time my daughter Cami was almost six months old. And while she had received plenty of touching, cuddling and overall closeness—her first words will likely be, “Mom, give me some space!”—she’d never had a real, bona-fide massage from Mom or Dad.
Adding to that guilt was remembering how many massages I had received while pregnant. Somewh Read More...