Get Stuck or Get Sick: Time To Get a Flu Shot

After last year's active flu season, the Texas Department of State Health Services urges everyone over the age of 6 months - yes, that means you - to get this year's seasonal flu shot.

Dr. David Lakey, DSHS commissioner, says that people shouldn't wait to get vaccinated. "The supply is here," he said. "We usually see an increase in flu cases in late October or early November. It takes the vaccine about two weeks to become effective, so get vaccinated now to protect yourself and your family."

The good news is that this year's shot includes protection against the H1N1 strain of the flu virus, so there's no need to get two shots like there was during last year's flu season. And if you don't like needles, the Flu Mist nasal spray vaccine is available for healthy people ages 2 to 49 who aren't pregnant.

Flu symptoms include fever, coughing, sore throat, aches, chills and fatigue. While a case of the flu isn't typically dangerous for healthy people and most recover without problems, the so-called "high risk" groups can experience serious complications, including death. High risk groups include people over 65, pregnant women, young children and people with chronic health condition. In addition, if you care for a child under 6 months, it's important to get the vaccine as these children are too young to receive it themselves.

Getting a flu shot is the best way to prevent flu from spreading. Also, cover all coughs and sneezes, wash hands frequently with soap and water or hand sanitizer and stay home if you're sick. You can contact your health care provider, local health department or call 2-1-1 to find out where to get a flu shot. Flu information and tips for protecting against the flu are online at texasflu.org.

Don't Go It Alone: Jaclyn Smith

Native Texan Jaclyn Smith rose to fame as one of Charlie's Angels, and has gone on to star in a lengthy list of film and television projects. Her next role, however, is more personal.

Smith battled against breast cancer in 2003 and is now one of the millions of women who has survived breast cancer. She says her husband, Brad Allen, was key in helping her deal with hearing the diagnosis. She told CNN in 2008, "I was in a state of panic," she says. "It was kind of surreal, and you don't really hear what they're saying."

Smith also said she relied on her friends to help her through her battle. "One of the most important things you can do is remember the power of girlfriends. Your family is there for you, but they get emotional. Girlfriends saved my day."

Tonight, Smith and other cancer survivors appear in the docu-drama "1 a Minute," which is showing across the country at live events that will feature panelists speaking about breast cancer survival and hopeful advancements against the disease. "1 a Minute" was launched by Indo-American actress Namrata Singh Gujral while she was undergoing her third round of chemotherapy to treat breast cancer. There are several live events happening in and around the Austin area, and tickets are on sale now. View the trailer below or visit the official website at 1aminute.com.

A Clear Mission to Serve Underinsured and Underserved in Austin

Local optometrists are giving underinsured, underserved people in Austin the chance to get a free eye exam and eyewear, as well as a diabetes screening. It's part of the Eye on Diabetes Campaign, kicking off downtown on Friday.

The outreach event will go on from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, August 27 on Colorado Street between 12th and 13th Streets. There will be a 45-foot mobile eye exam clinic, fully stocked and with local optometrists on hand to screen people for diabetes and other eye problems.

VSP Vision Care is the company behind the event. More information about the Eye on Diabetes Campaign is available on their website.

Austin City Council Approves Pregnancy Center Sign Ordinance

The Austin City Council unanimously approved a controversial ordinance that requires limited service pregnancy centers, also known as crisis pregnancy centers, to post signs declaring what services they do not provide. The ordinance will take effect April 19.

The ordinance requires two signs, in English and Spanish, that read: "This center does not provide abortions or refer to abortion providers. This center does not provide or refer to providers of U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved birth control drugs and medical devices." The signs must be printed in black and white, in a minimum 48-point font, and must be at least 8 1/2 by 11 inches.

The ordinance does not require that limited service pregnancy centers offer any additional services or change the services they do provide.

While police officers will not enforce the ordinance and no arrests will be made for violations, pregnancy centers that don't comply can face a fine of $250 for the first offense, $350 for the second, and $450 or more for a third offense.

Abortion rights opponents expressed concern that the signs may discourage women from coming in for counseling. The Diocese of Austin wrote in a letter to Austin City Council, "There is no mistaking that the Gabriel Project Life Center does not provide or refer for abortion or FDA-approved birth control durgs and medical services. We seek to be entirely forthcoming with the services that we provide. It is even stated on our intake form, which every single client is given to read and sign, that we are not a medical facility and do not provide or refer for abortions. The concept of government-forced speech runs contrary to our notions of fundamental liberties."

Austin becomes only the second city to pass such an ordinance. Baltimore, MD was the first city. The Archdiocese of Baltimore filed a lawsuit last week challenging the ordinance there, saying it discriminates against groups opposed to abortion.

Why A Salad and Some French Fries Are Eating Me Up

Restaurants just don't get it.  I'd expect fast food places to act this way, but I hold sit-down places to a higher standard.  I guess I should have known what I was getting myself into, or at least I should have guessed by the type of food served at this particular popular lunch spot.

A co-worker and I headed to Iron Works BBQ on Red River for a bite to eat today.  My eyes always spot the BBQ plates right away, but I typically settle on a brisket sandwich and a side.  It's hard to miss the great looking salad bar as you stand in line at Iron Works, so I thought it might be nice to grab a salad and some awesome tomatoes, cucumbers and other delectable vegetables.

Salad bar at Iron Works. A single trip costs $3.50, $2 more than french fries

But since I'm nearsighted, I couldn't read the menu board that listed the sides, and became appalled when I saw it in plain view: single trip to the salad bar, $3.50!  What?  $3.50 for a single trip to the salad bar?  But wait, it gets worse!  I also saw that Iron Works charges only $1.50 for french fries!  French fries are so much cheaper than the obvious healthier option, and I'm sure most people, like me, always choose the cheaper choice.

It's sad that this country is divided over a health care reform bill when people have their plates full of unhealthy food because the healthy option is often times unattainable.  I'm not saying I couldn't have ordered a salad right up today, because I could have.  But when I'm paying for a lunch that's already more expensive than I care to pay for my midday meal, I just can't justify dishing out more money.  I guess it's the principal of the matter.

That's what I want the health care reform bill to focus on first.

Austin's Got Tacos, Music, and One of the Top 100 Hospitals in Nation

St. David's Medical Center Advanced Neurological Systems. Photo from St. David's Flickr photostream

If you live in Austin, you already know about its infamous breakfast tacos, according to a New York Times article, and the great music scene that dubbed this central Texas city the live music capitol of the world.  But did you know Austin is also home to one of the nation's 100 Top Hospitals?

That's an important distinction because anyone knows if you get sick, you want a good hospital around.  The honor recognized St. David's Medical Center for excellence in clinical outcomes, patient safety, patient satisfaction, financial performance and operational efficiency.

“We are honored to have been chosen as one of the top hospitals in the nation,” C. David Huffstutler, chief executive officer of St. David’s Medical Center, said.  “St. David’s Medical Center has grown into a regional center of excellence for the treatment of complex conditions related to a wide range of specialties, attracting patients from all over the state of Texas and even around the globe.  This honor is a testament to the work of our team of physicians and employees who provide state-of-the-art care for patients in our community and beyond.”

The study looked at 3,000 health care facilities, evaluating nine categories that included mortality, medical complications, safety of patients, average length of stay, and following standards of care.  The winning hospitals will be announced in the March 30 edition of Modern Healthcare magazine.

“The 100 Top Hospitals winners raised the bar again this year, delivering a higher level of reliable care and greater value for their communities,” said Jean Chenoweth, senior vice president for performance improvement and 100 Top Hospitals programs at Thomson Reuters, who named the Top 100 hospitals.

According to Thomson Reuters, if all Medicare inpatients received the same level of care as Medicare patients treated in the winning hospitals:

    •    More than 107,500 additional patients would survive each year.
    •    Nearly 132,000 patient complications would be avoided annually.
    •    Expenses would decline by $5.9 billion a year.
    •    The average patient stay would decrease by nearly half a day.

AISD: "Our Revolution Started Long Before Oliver's"

Jamie Oliver

 One of the newest shows on TV right now is one that's making a lot of people question their eating habits, and go on the defensive about their children's eating habits.

It's called Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution on the ABC network.  He went to the "unhealthiest city in America," Huntington, W.V., and took Central City Elementary by surprise.  On the show, he found out that kids eat pizza for breakfast, chicken nuggets for lunch, and nearly every item on their tray is a processed food.  Even the milk, he discovered, is loaded with sugar and artificial flavoring.

At one point, Oliver noticed the "thud, thud, thud" of the cafeteria trays pounding against the garbage can, where whole fruits were thrown out, and everything bad was consumed.  This is going to make me cry, said Oliver.

Austinites certainly had plenty to say about the plight of unhealthy food in their own child's school.  Ethan Jones, father of five year old Eliot, wondered if she'll ever be offered healthy lunch items at school.

"The food supply in this country is seriously messed up, and I hate that the institution deemed by our government to be responsible for teaching our kids about this stuff is pushing obesity on them all!" exclaimed Jones.

One person commenting on a web site about the show said the Central City Elementary cooks had bad attitudes, and Oliver had to cut through a tremendous amount of red tape from the government in order to stay within the nutrition guidelines already in place.

Students eat lunch at AISD. Photo from AustinISD.org

That's why The Austin Citysphere wanted to know exactly what school leaders in central Texas think about the revolution, and their policies on nutrition.  Chris Carrillo-Spano, Director of Nutrition & Food Services in the Austin Independent School District, answered several questions about that and how he feels AISD stacks up to the school Oliver visited for his revolution.

"The Texas Nutrition Policy places limits on fats, carbohydrates, and calories," said Carrillo-Spano.  "AISD also has a local Wellness Policy that prohibits food-fundraising of any type during the school day, bans all carbonated beverages on campuses and disallows foods of minimal nutritional value in vending machines."  

Carrillo-Spano said the district follows the Texas Nutrition Policy and is more stringent than federal regulation.  "AISD is not the typical school district that is being portrayed in the Jamie Oliver series," Carrillo-Spano said.  "We offer a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables daily in all of our schools and non-meat alternatives frequently.  AISD participates in the Eat Smart program of the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH).  AISD school menus meet the standards of CATCH, providing students the opportunity to select mostly “GO” foods, some “SLOW” foods and only rarely a “WHOA” food," he added.  "Entrees are specially purchased and prepared as lower fat versions of student favorites.  Vegetables are seasoned without butter or margarine.  The french fries have never been fried and only contain 1.5 gram of fat.  Fresh fruit is available daily for breakfast and lunch.  Sandwich bread, hamburger buns, rolls and bread sticks are made with whole wheat.  Milk is offered in the lowest fat varieties of skim and one percent."

Carrillo-Spano told The Austin Citysphere by e-mail that he believes healthy eating habits start at home.  "Schools can help educate students on proper nutrition, and can provide the healthiest meals possible, but reinforcement at all levels - home, the media, community events, local government - is needed," he said.

Carrillo-Spano said he thought Oliver's show seemed staged and over-dramatized.  But parents appear to be listening to what Oliver has to say, and are eager to hear more about how he plans to revolutionize school cafeteria menus, starting with Central City Elementary.  As one viewer put it, "It shows clearly that America does not take healthy eating seriously for themselves or their children... demonstrated without conscience by the school cooks and the local government entities that have the power to promote change.  The gals in the kitchen should be damned ashamed of themselves after watching themselves give the attitudes to Jamie for simply wanting to help the children get healthy food."

Districts like AISD feel their policies on nutrition are helping its students eat right, grow up right, and places a strong emphasis on nutrition education at home.  I asked, "Would you like a food revolution to happen within your district?"  Carrillo-Spano said, "Our revolution started long before Oliver's."

Below you can find an explanation of the Eat Smart Menus mentioned in this blog, provided by Carrillo-Spano.  Also, the Texas Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Division has a  resource on the state's square meals program and can be found here.  Additional nutritional information for AISD menus can be found here.

“EAT SMART MENUS”

AISD participates in the Eat Smart program of the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) program.  AISD school menus meet the standards of CATCH.  The goal is to help students choose mostly GO foods, some SLOW foods, and rarely a WHOA food.
 
Here is the criteria for CATCH: GO, SLOW and WHOA menu items.

Main Dishes

WHOA
Over 23 grams of fat

SLOW
16+ - 23 grams of fat

GO
0 – 16 grams of fat

Vegetables

WHOA
Fried

SLOW
Added fat or cheese

GO
No added fat

Fruits

WHOA
Larger amount of added sugar. And/or added fat (butter).

SLOW
Small amount of added sugar

GO
No added sugar

Breads

WHOA
Regular crackers

SLOW
Not whole grain. (white breads, low fat crackers)

GO
Whole Grain such as whole wheat or white whole wheat.

Milk

WHOA
Unflavored or flavored 2% or whole

SLOW
Flavored Skim or 1%

GO
Unflavored Skim or 1%

ACS on BlogTalkRadio: Listen to the Show!

ACS on BlogTalkRadio is back!  After several weeks, we're back on the blogosphere's radio!  Hear about Liz Carpenter's passing, the remembrance, and how her ashes were scattered.

Plus, are you ready for a food revolution?  British chef Jamie Oliver is!  He's trying to overhaul the unhealthiest city in America.  How does it relate to Austin?  Plus, we've got the latest news of the week.

Parents Hungry for Change in Kids' Meal Habits, Especially at School

from JonesLife.net

Ethan Jones has a lot to worry about.  Last year, he and his wife, Casey, welcomed quintuplets into the world.  Fortunately, the Jones' have total control over what the babies eat.  But that's not the case when it comes to five year old Eliot, an energized little girl who is a big help to mom and dad, providing an extra set of arms to take care of her four little sisters and brother.

But when it's time to grab her backpack and head to school, she takes on a schedule different from her siblings.  That includes what she has to eat.

Recently, proud father Ethan posted on Facebook that one of Eliot's dining options at school in the last few days included pizza, peaches, corn on the cob, chocolate milk, and an ice cream cone.

"I do not like what they feed my child at school," said Jones, frustrated about the lack of nutrition he feels Eliot receives at school.  "And I think it is ridiculous that they send home little healthy eating guides in their backpacks when they make very little effort to offer healthy food to her while she is there."

Jones isn't alone.  Many more parents, as well as teachers, feel children aren't getting the nutrition value they should when they head off to school.
 
"In my opinion, the schools have a captive audience - the kids are forced to eat what they are served unless they bring their lunch.  Therefore, they should be serving healthy food, not junk.  But of course, the food supply in this entire country is upside down so I don't see any changes coming anytime soon," Jones said in an e-mail response.

Teacher Angela Pryor commented on Jones' Facebook thread, saying she sees her children eat pizza three times a week.  And although Jones and Pryor thought pizza as a kid was a great thing, now as parents, they've changed their minds completely.

"I would like to see white bagels replaced by whole wheat bagels," said Jones.  "I would like to see chocolate milk and 100 percent sugar fruit juices removed entirely.  I would like ice cream to become what it is for most everyone - a special treat, not something that is offered daily.  I could go on and on.  These are the kind of things we try to do at home and it is frustrating to have our schools run in the opposite direction."

Michelle Child, the mother of a second grader at Giddings Elementary, believes her daughter's school does a good job of keeping nutrition at the front of the line, instead of ignoring it.  One example Child gives is that her daughter's teacher makes sure the kids know each of the food groups.

"Brooke tries to make sure she eats plenty of veggies and fruits," said Child.  "They have a food diary that she used to keep up with on her daily intake.  And at 9 [o'clock] each morning they have healthy snack time where the kids can bring a healthy snack to eat or the teacher provides one.  I'm not too upset with the food and if I don't like what they are serving, I send her a lunch."

Chef Jamie Oliver

But if you don't like what your child is eating at school, one chef is attempting to make sure the districts are aware of the problems.  Last week, British chef Jamie Oliver premiered a television show called Food Revolution on ABC.  He went to Huntington, W.V., the so-called unhealthiest city in the nation, and stormed Central City Elementary School, where students ate pizza for breakfast and chicken nuggets for lunch.

"This is going to kill your children," Oliver said.  "The freezer was just basically an Aladdin's cave of processed crap."

Oliver couldn't believe what he found when he got to the school, with not a single vegetable in sight in the cafeteria.  Kids drink pink milk with more sugar than soda.  Not one child in a class of six year olds could identify a single vegetable, either.  But, on her own, their teacher began teaching them the most common ones.

"My dream, really, is that Huntington, if they let me in, can be an example to the rest of America and the rest of the world," said Oliver.

Stevonn Krueger liked the show and believes Oliver cares about the children who, as Jones said, are captive to a school's dining options, but realizes there are mounds of obstacles to overcome.  "Financing is a huge one," said Krueger.  "I think the kids will eat and enjoy healthy food if it is delicious!  I agree with [Jones] - there's nothing wrong with pizza on a Friday.  Pizza can also be made very healthy and delicious.  Funding and time to prepare are huge problems since there are so many kids to feed."

"If he [Oliver] is working to educate people on the hidden junk in all of the everyday foods we eat, then I hope he succeeds wildly!" Jones said.

As Oliver works to revamp how children eat at school by starting with a school in the unhealthiest city in the country, the fork in the road may be if other districts will follow their lead.  Speaking on a national news program last week, the school cooks said the new meals were harder to prepare, but it's worth it if it's healthier for the students.  One student herself admitted she didn't like everything, but she likes that the food is better for her body than the meals she ate before.

As for Jones, he's not convinced his kindergartner's meal options will improve anytime soon, given fast food restaurant menus and portion sizes Americans are used to.  "I discovered long ago...how impossible it can be to eat a healthy diet in this country," he said.

But maybe, just maybe, by the time the quintuplets are ready for school, the food revolution will have spread to every school in the country.

If you'd like to watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, click here to find out more about Central City Elementary School's new breakfast and lunch offerings, and how the revolution is affecting students, teachers, and parents in Huntington.

Editor's Note

The Austin Citysphere contacted the Austin Independent School District, as well as the Leander Independent School District, to ask about the nutrition policy in each district, how the food services coordinators view their district's menus, if they would like to change anything, and if they think the children receive enough exercise at school.  ACS will publish the district's responses when they respond.