The Pittsburg High School Health Resources Page

Includes:

Public Health In California

Health Insurance

Diet, Nutrition, and Exercise Information

Diabetes Information

Common Pediatric Health Problems

Important Phone Numbers

Sites with Health Information for California Residents

Including the California Department of Public Health, the Department of Health Care Services, and the California Department of Health Services.

For the California Department of Public Health, click HERE.

You will find information on Health Care Services, diseases and conditions, birth, death, and marriage certificates, etc. for California. This site is the official government public health site in California and will provide you with many valuable resources.

For the Department of Health Care Services, click HERE.

You will find information on birth/death certificates, career opportunities, Medi-Cal, emergency preparedness, fraud and abuse, public records, etc. This is an official government site and will provide you with many valuable resources.

For the Department of Health Services, click HERE.

You will find information on emergency preparedness, birth, death, and marriage certificates, career opportunities, Medi-Cal, projects and initiatives, public notices, public records guidelines, regulations, services, special events, and strategic plan highlights.

Health Insurance Information

If your family income is too high to qualify you for Medical there are other low cost health insurance alternatives available to you. Below are a few links to sites that can give you information on affordable health insurance for the family or just insurance for the kids:

Contra Costa County has health plans for the whole family: For information about health coverage programs, call the Health Access Line at toll-free 1-877-503-9350 in Contra Costa County. Or, Click HERE.

For a simple breakdown of health care plans, click HERE.

Kaiser Permanente has a plan for Northern California children called Healthy Kids. This plan insures the children in a family for a low amount every month with low co-pay when you see a Kaiser provider. For more information and to have an application mailed to you click HERE.

If you or someone you know is looking for drug rehabilitation information the following local website link will be helpful. There is information on treatment centers and new legislation on drugs and alcohol in the state of California. Click here

Follow this link to another website that goes into an honest discussion about rehab and a place to blog your feelings: Click

Diet/Exercise/Nutrition

Including food pyramids, exercise programs, and food stamp hotlines.

Put your body in Motion!! Be as active as you can throughout the day: feel less stressed, boost your mood, tone your muscles, build your self-confidence, have more energy all day, have a healthy weight.

Why is Exercise important?

• Exercise is important for your blood vessels. When you exercise, your body uses energy. Energy is created by burning the fuel that you eat in the form of food or have stored in the form of fat. When your body uses the sugars that are floating around in your blood, your blood sugar goes down and you are less likely to develop insulin resistance (diabetes type II).
• Exercise also uses up fuel that would otherwise be stored as fat in your body. When you do not burn fuel very well and eat a diet with fats and sugars, your arteries can build up plaque. Plaque is like the slime that builds up and clogs drains in sinks and showers. Plaque prevents blood from running through your arteries quickly, because it makes a smaller space for the blood to flow through. Sometimes plaque breaks off and can re-lodge in smaller segments of the arteries or veins. This can cause a complete block and prevents blood from getting where it needs to go. If part of your body doesn’t get enough blood, that part of your body can die. This is very painful and can lead to death if it happens in your heart, lungs, or brain. Remember, you have arteries and veins carrying blood to and from every single part of your body.

• Exercise also helps all of your organs. When you exercise and get out of breath, you are working your heart and lungs. Your heart is a muscle and when a muscle is worked, it gets stronger. So, exercise makes all of your muscles stronger, including your heart. When you exercise regularly, your heart becomes able to beat stronger and can pump out more blood to your body for a longer period of time. This means that you will be less tired at the end of the day and will not feel fatigued when doing something active (like riding your bike, surfing, walking, skiing, or even shopping).

• Exercise Makes You Happy!!! You actually have endorphins (a chemical made by your body) which are released while you exercise and make you feel better mentally and physically!

What exactly do we mean by exercise?

• Exercise is walking, running, riding your bike, doing sit ups, yoga, martial arts, shooting hoops, cardio funk dance class, or jumping rope. It is any activity that gets your heart beating and makes it hard to talk in complete sentences. If you can talk in complete sentences without stopping to take a breath, then you aren’t exercising hard enough for good heart health. Exercise can be as much or as little as you have time for and you can start anywhere. Remember, exercising gets easier over time, so take baby steps if you need to. You may only be able to exercise for 10 minutes at a time, but 10 minutes is better than nothing.
• Maybe the next time you exercise, you will be able to go for 15 minutes, or even 10 minutes then rest for 20 minutes then do 10 more minutes. It doesn’t matter if you rest in between, if you exercise for 10 minutes twice with a break in the middle, that counts as 20 minutes for the day. Research has shown that taking breaks does not take away from the benefits of exercise. If you want to run for 10 minutes, then walk for 5 minutes, then run for 10 minutes, then walk for 5 more minutes, then run for 10 minutes, you have exercised for 40 minutes (as long as it was a hard walk where you couldn’t speak in complete sentences).
• So the bottom line is, break it down however you want, but try to work your way up to at least 30 minutes per day of exercise. Once you get used to exercising for 30 minutes, most of you will want to do more exercise, because you will start feeling happier and more energetic!

Why is diet important?

• Diet is important, because what you eat is your energy. Even when you are lying on your bed perfectly still, you are using the food that you eat to power your heart, lungs, kidneys, and every other organ in your body. Some foods are better sources of energy than others, because of the way that they are burned in your body.
• Healthy eating will reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and weight gain. It will make you feel better and allow you to have more energy.
• Foods that are high in saturated fat (like chips, chocolate, butter, French fries, etc) take longer to digest. Once fats are released into your bloodstream, they can coat the lining of your arteries and cause problems for your health.
• Foods high in sugar (candy, white bread, cake, etc.) are not good to eat either. The sugar is released into your bloodstream almost immediately causing a short burst of energy. Your body (specifically your pancreas) releases insulin in response to the high levels of sugar. Insulin is what takes the sugar and allows your cells to store it until you need it (like when you exercise). Since there is a lot of sugar in your blood after eating a lot of sugar, your pancreas releases a lot of insulin (way more than you would need after a balanced meal). Once the sugar is all stored, there is still a lot of insulin in your blood, because your body has done too much to store the sugar. Since your body has done too much, your insulin ends up taking away too much of your blood sugar, and you become very tired. That is why you get tired after eating too much sugar. These spikes in insulin from eating a lot of sugar and needing a lot of insulin, then not needing any insulin after the sugar is all stored can lead to the development of Type II diabetes. Your body eventually does not respond to the insulin and cannot store the sugar that you eat. If your body can’t store the sugar, then your body can’t use the sugar. Sugar is needed in order to use fat and protein as fuel, so you become very tired and can’t function properly.

What should I eat?

Eat foods that are high in fiber: whole wheat bread, whole wheat cereal, celery, bran

Eat foods that are high in protein but low in fat: lean (no skin, no fat, no fried) chicken breast, lean red meats, cheese, beans, legumes, tofu

Eat foods that are high in vitamins: dark vegetables like spinach, asparagus, broccoli, carrots, celery, green beans, peas, kale, collard greens, egg plant,

Eat foods with good fat, not bad fat: Avocados, nuts, eggs

Don’t drink your calories: Sugar sodas, Gatoraide, Propel, etc. contain up to 12 spoonfuls per bottle. Sweet teas, juice, and sports drinks are all loaded with sugar and extra calories too. The sports drink companies make you think that sports drinks are good for you, but they really are not (they are just sugar water).

What is a healthy snack?

• Sliced fruit, yogurt, gogurt, fruit smoothie, carrots, celery with peanut butter, cheese, whole grain bagels, string cheese, sliced lean chicken, sliced turkey breast with cream cheese, nutra grain waffles, cliff bars, nutra grain bars, sugar free popsicles, almonds, peanuts, pretzels, pop corn, whole grain cereal,

Won’t this be hard to do?

• These are changes that you need to make over time. Don’t expect to be able to completely change your diet in one day. Start adding these foods to your daily routine and eventually, these will become normal food choices for you.
• Make one change at a time: add one serving of vegetables to any of your meals or exchange an unhealthy snack for a healthy snack.
• Try switching from whole milk to 2 or 1 percent milk. Limit your use of sugars by limiting the amount of soda you drink or switch to sugar-free soda.
• Drink more water.

Where can I get this food?

• Pittsburg Farmers market: Saturday’s 9-1 May through December, on Railroad and 6^th.

When should I eat?

• Take your time to eat, give yourself time to feel full. When you eat quickly, your body doesn’t have time to sense when it is full, so you end up feeling slightly sick afterwards. If you eat slowly, you won’t eat as much, because you will feel full when you have eaten the right amount of food to feel full.
• Do not skip meals or go too long without eating. Eat smaller portions more often. It is better to have five smaller meals rather than three large meals. When you keep your metabolism going, you never get into a fasting state, so you have more energy. If you get too hungry, you are more likely to overeat or chose unhealthy foods.
• Eat when you are hungry: If you find yourself eating when you feel tired, bored, sad, stressed-out, or lonely, you may be using food to deal with feelings. Talk to your doctor, nurse, or a trusted adult for help.
• Pay attention to serving sizes: A cup is about the size of your fist. A serving of meat is the size of a deck of cards. You may be eating extra large helpings and not even know it.
• Prepare for snack attacks: keep healthy snacks around for after school or between classes. Ask your family to help you keep healthy snacks in the house and junk food out.
• Eat breakfast. Breakfast is an important fuel source for you body. It helps you think in the morning. Your brain uses this fuel to think. They type of fuel that your brain uses is carbohydrates, and this is what you get from eating.
• You can get breakfast from your school through the school breakfast program. You can purchase breakfast from the school cafeteria, if you can not afford this, there are programs available through the school breakfast program. See the office for more information on the school breakfast program.

For additional information on Diet and Nutrition:

VERB: www.verbnow.com

USDA Food Guidance System: www.mypyramid.gov

KidsHealth Teen Page: www.kidshealth.org/teen

Planned Parenthood’s Teen Page: www.teenwire.com

Kaiser Permanente: http://members.kp.org

For Nutrition Information for Adolescents, click HERE

Information about nutrition for adolescents. What to include, food pyramids, examples, etc.

For the Food Guide Pyramid, click HERE: This will provide you with the specific food guide pyramid for your body depending on ethnicity and culture as well as the standard food guide pyramid.

For the American Heart Association’s recommendations on exercise, click HERE: This will provide you with information on recommendations for exercise to help your body remain healthy and heart attack free as you get older. You can calculate your BMI and get exercise tips here. There are also links to kids health and adult health exercise programs.

For Physical activity and Exercise recommendations for kids, click HERE: What you can do to be more physically active.

For tips on how to get your child to be more physically active, click HERE: This should help parents become more involved in making their kids more physically active.

Diabetes Information

Here’s How Type II Diabetes Works:

• Type II diabetes, also known as adult-onset or noninsulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition that affects the way your body takes in and stores sugar, your body's main source of fuel.
• Insulin is a hormone that regulates your body’s absorption of glucose. It is released from your pancreas in response to your consumption of sugar.
• When you eat a lot of sugar, your pancreas releases more insulin.
• In the morning, you have very little insulin floating around in your bloodstream, whereas after you eat a candy bar, you have a lot of insulin floating in your bloodstream.

Left uncontrolled, the consequences of type II diabetes can be life-threatening. Some of the consequences of uncontrolled type II diabetes are:

• Loss of limbs (amputations)

• Loss of sight (blindness)

• Wounds that will not heal
• Loss of sensation or painful tingling sensations in various parts of the body, but typically the hands or feet, or the inability to feel

You are at risk for Type II Diabetes and should get screened For Type II Diabetes::

• If there is a family history of hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, or obesity
• If you are African American and are overweight
• If you have frequent urination, thirst, or feel weak often
• If you are overweight
• If you do not exercise
• If you have a diet high in sugar and fat

Early Recognition and Diagnosis is Key to Prevention of Complications

So

Make Changes in Your Lifestyle to Prevent Complications if You Have Type II Diabetes, or to Reduce Your Risk of Getting Type II Diabetes:

There's NO CURE for Type II diabetes, but there's plenty you can do to manage or prevent Type II Diabetes.

• Exercise and Weight Loss is key: Most people who get type II diabetes are overweight and do not exercise enough. You should exercise for at least one hour per day or include physical activity that causes your heart rate to increase. An increased heart rate allows for blood flow and it also speeds up your metabolism. This reduces your blood sugar levels and your use of insulin, because your muscles are using the free sugar for energy instead of storing it.
• Healthy Diet changes to include more fresh vegetables and lean meat. If you have a diet that is high in fat and sugar, you should change to a diet that mirrors the food pyramid. For guidance on a healthy diet, click HERE.
• Regular Health Care Visits: It is ok to visit your doctor when you are not sick. It is good to see your doctor or nurse practitioner at least once per year for a health check to make sure that you are doing the right things with your body!

Prevention potential for diabetes complications

Potential Complications	Percent Preventable
Kidney failure	50% (with better control of blood pressure and blood glucose levels)
Blindness	up to 90% (with proper screening and care)
Amputation	up to 85% (with implementation of foot care programs that include regular examinations and patient education)
Death due to heart disease or stroke	up to 30% (with improved control of blood pressure, blood glucose and lipid levels)
Heart disease and stroke	up to 50% (with improved control of blood pressure and cholesterol and lipid  levels)
Nerve disease	40% (with a 1% reduction in hemoglobin A1c test)

For Diabetes Facts and Statistics click HERE

For the American Diabetes Association Home Page Click HERE: This will provide you with a variety of information about Diabetes, including diabetic recipes, etc.

To Understand the different tests related to Diabetes, Click HERE

To Learn more about Diabetes click HERE: This will provide you with information on the basics of diabetes.

For Myths and Facts about Insulin, Click HERE: This will provide you with information on insulin and administration.

To take a diabetes risk assessment test, Click HERE: Provided by the American Diabetes Association

For Women and the Sweet Success Program, Click HERE: this is a program for pregnant women and what you should do if you are diabetic and pregnant.

For Diabetes Control for Life, Click HERE: This will provide you with tips on diabetes and weight management.

For Financial Assistance and help with Prescription Drugs, Click HERE: RxHelpForCalifornians is a program that connects qualified, low-income people with discount prescription drugs, direct from the pharmaceutical manufacturer. Patients will be directed to the public or private programs most likely to meet their needs. RxHelpForCalifornians helps low-income, uninsured patients:

• Enroll in more than 150 company patient assistance programs
• Access more than 1,200 medicines for free or at a low cost
• Learn how to contact government programs for which they may qualify, such as Medicaid, Medicare, or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program

Pediatric Health Problems

Includes a variety of health and psychological problems common in our youth population.

For Common Adolescent Health Problems, click HERE

For a list of common problems with links to further information regarding each problem. Examples of common health problems are: ADHD, Anemia, Asthma, Eating Disorders,

Important Phone Numbers:

Alcohol and Drug Treatment Referrals………………1-800-846-1652

Appointments for Health Centers…………………….1-800-495-8885

Asbestos Control Information…………………………..925-313-6587

Birth Certificates (current and previous year)………….925-646-2517

(all other years)…………………………………925-646-2360

Contra Costa Health Plan Authorizations/Advice nurses

and Member Services…………………………1-877-661-6230

Child Protective Services

(West County)…………………………………..510-374-3324

(Central County)………………………………...925-646-1680

(East County)……………………………………925-427-8811

Communicable Diseases………………………………...925-313-6740

Death Certificates (current and previous year)………….925-646-2516

(all other years)………………………………….925-646-2360

Domestic Violence-Shelter and Crisis Counseling……1-888-215-5555

Environmental Health (Restaurants, Mold, Garbage,

pools, septic, medical waste)……………………925-646-5225

Flu Shots…………………………………………………925-313-6469

Hazardous Materials Ombudsman……………………....925-313-6587

Health Emergency Information Hotline……………….1-888-959-9911

Health Emergency/Bioterrorism for Health Providers…..925-313-6740

Non-business hours (ask for Health officer on call)……..925-646-2441

Health Insurance……………………………………….1-877-503-9350

Health Services General Information…………………….925-957-5400

Homeless Emergency Shelter………………………….1-800-808-6444

Household Hazardous Waste…………………………..1-800-750-4096

Lead Poisoning Abatement/Prevention………………...1-866-349-5323

Mental Health Crisis……………………………………...925-646-2800

Rape Crisis……………………………………………..1-800-670-7273

Rats/Vector Control………………………………………925-685-9310

Senior Services…………………………………………1-800-510-2020

Social Services/Employment and Human Services………925-313-7987

Travel Immunizations…………………………………….925-313-6488

Children Mental Health…………………………………1-888-646-5468

Adult Mental Health……………………………………1-888-678-7277