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Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle in South LA


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Local Healthy Options |There are plenty of different options to receive health treatment in South Los Angeles whether you are looking to eat right, stay fit or get a regular check-up.

Diseases and Treatment


Dialysis |With a new eating habits comes increased rates of obesity and diabetes, and doctors are stressing a healthy lifestyle more than ever.

Dialysis Treatment The DaVita Dialysis Center provides transportation and treatment to patients with failing kidneys.

Food Health


Eating Right | Homegrown fruits and vegetables provide a number of nutrients that contribute to a healthy meal. Making the right food options can prevent people from the increasing rate of obesity and other diseases.

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Homegrown |The L.A. Garden Council manages the development of over 15 community gardens to bring the healthy options into the community.

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A Little Taste of Home
La Dona Mariscos is a “hole in the wall” Mexican restaurant located in Los Angeles that has been run by mother-daughter team Josephine Lugo and Grace Cervantez for the past 23 years. The restaurant business has proved both rewarding and troubling for the hardworking ladies, but ultimately has shaped their restaurant into what locals call a “neighborhood gem.”
Could This Be the Next Hub For Art?
This area is showing definite promise with regards to street art and muralism, but also shown by the many screen printing and design stores popping up, other forms of art are also being explored. More than anything, this area is demonstrating a real dedication to arts education, not only in schools, but also through other venues like the Papillion Institute of Art and the St. Francis Center.
Recession Steals From SoCal Security Products Giant
Fewer fences are going up. Fewer cameras are being installed. And forget window guards. That’s bad news for Jeffrey Marks and a nearly 45-year-old family-owned business. HIMCO Security Products has been forced to downsize during the recession and lease a majority of its huge facility to companies in the reborn sewing industry.

By ARLENE WASHINGTON

The New Age of Healthcare By Arlene Washington 10/7/11 Heightened healthcare risks are growing along with the new generation. With a new eating habits comes increased rates of obesity and diabetes, and doctors are stressing a healthy lifestyle more than ever before. In South Los Angeles, the number of patients is increasing in family clinics due to cases of obesity and diabetes that can be compared to the overall increase of obese Americans. According to a study by the United Health Foundation in 2010, 26.9 percent of Americans are currently obese and 48 percent of Americans could be obese by 2018. Kaiser Permanente reported on the common linkage between obesity where 57 percent of those with diabetes are obese. Hundreds of patients weave in and out of the three to four family clinics on South San Pedro Street mostly for vaccinations, but increasingly due to cases caused by a moreover unhealthy lifestyle. Doctors viewing the situations firsthand address the situation per appointment but can often trace certain health problems of patients to either their obesity or diabetes. “Obesity and diabetes are the top reasons why most of my patients come in here, said Dr. Steven Ghalili of Dr. Ghalili Family Practice. “I always preach to them to eat right and exercise.” More children are being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, the most common form. Ghalili believes that the increase in technology has a dramatic effect on children who choose to stay indoors on the computer while refraining from burning calories outside in their local neighborhood “I try and exercise and eat healthy but it’s just hard, says Ana Ramos, a high school student. “It’s not easily accessible for me and a lot of my friends to always be getting healthy food.” “It all starts with the parents, said Ghalili. “We have to help the parents to understand so they can set the right kind of eating habits for their children. They need to tell their kids to go outside and play.” Health officials are not only directing their efforts towards children and teens but to adults as well. Gene Santiago, a dialysis registered nurse at Davita Washington Plaza Dialysis Center, has seen an increase in adult patients, and he states that dialysis is not necessarily a permanent cure but a large form of support towards certain diseases including diabetes. “Most patients think once they receive a kidney from a donor, everything is going to be fine,” said Besa. It’s true that you are now covered but the kidney can only last so long before you may have to come back for treatment again.” Minor changes such as biking the distance or walking instead of driving can add up to significant improvements. With new initiatives such as the 2011 Bike Summit re-upping their presence around Los Angeles, local residents are being encouraged that now is the time to begin the road to healthier choices, despite the norm. “I look around and the closest most convenient places to get food are fast food places, so that’s where I go, said Ramos.” “Right now I can see a McDonald’s, a Wendy’s, probably places I shouldn’t be eating at.” Although the reasons are not always solely due to lack of healthy lifestyle but may have been a participating factor, Ghalili is at times faced with one of his and many other doctors greatest fear when it’s too late to even send a child around the corner to urgent care. “It’s just really sad when I have to witness a child actually dying here,” said Ghalili. “Many of these preventable health problems can eventually lead to death, so I’m doing everything I can to let these children and most importantly their families know.”


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