HealthChat Blog

Charlie’s Story

15 Dec 2020

There is a soft, heartwarming face that frequents the halls of HealthFirst Family Care Center. Well, let’s back up for a minute. There are MANY heartwarming faces but one that we are specifically focusing on here in this story. This person and team member, he has a big presence but is humble. He’s a talker…

SUMMER IS THE BERRY TIME OF YEAR!

24 Aug 2018

June is World Ocean Month

18 Jun 2018

Summer is here and that means picnics and grilling with family and friends. Traditionally, meats are the favored food to grill. Hot dogs and hamburgers might be quick and easy, but are loaded with fat, sodium, preservatives and sometimes questionable content. Steaks and ribs are less processed but can contribute a heavy dose of saturated…

Tips for Staying Hydrated

11 May 2018

We all know the importance of staying hydrated, especially in the hot summer months, during exercise or when we are sick. Conflicting information from friends, family and on the internet regarding how much water we need to drink each day can be overwhelming and confusing. Why is hydration so important? Water is critical for our…

ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH FIBER ?

15 Nov 2017

Fiber helps our body function better in many ways by: helping food move through the intestine easier preventing constipation and reducing the risk of diverticulosis promoting weight loss by making us feel full feeding our beneficial (good) bacteria in our gut preventing blood sugar spikes by slowing the movement of glucose into the blood lowering…

International Mediterranean Diet

20 Jul 2017

by Laurie Terwilliger, RDN It’s everywhere! On the internet, cooking shows, talk shows, the radio, in magazines, and maybe your friends, family, or doctor have mentioned it. But, what exactly is the Mediterranean Diet and why does everyone keep talking about it? It’s not another fad diet that promises easy weight loss. Instead, the Mediterranean…

HealthFirst Triage Nurse Jiselle Bogardus, Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)

Adult Vaccines: What Is Hepatitis B?

18 Jul 2017

Hi, my name is Jiselle. I’m one of the nurses on staff here at HealthFirst in Franklin. I have been a Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) for twenty-two years. Did you know that adults as well as children need vaccines? HealthFirst offers a variety of vaccines for adults such as Tetanus, Diptheria, Acellular Pertussis (Tdap), Pneumococcal…

Understanding Your Blood Pressure Numbers

13 Jun 2017

What are your numbers? If your blood pressure is > 140/90 you may have hypertension. Visit us here at HealthFirst to get your blood pressure checked. Systolic is the top number of your blood pressure. It refers to the amount of pressure in your blood vessels when your heart beats. Diastolic is the bottom number…

Keeping Kidneys Healthy with Smart Nutrition Choices

8 Mar 2017

One of the most important jobs performed by our kidneys is to keep our blood clean by filtering out waste products and returning useful substances back into the blood. About 120-150 quarts of blood are filtered by our kidneys every day. The average adult body has about five quarts of blood, which means our blood…

February Is Heart Health and National Chocolate Month!

23 Feb 2017

And what better way to celebrate than by preparing and eating foods that will keep your heart healthy and strong? The heart is made of muscle tissue, and its job is to pump blood throughout the body. Blood carries valuable nutrients to all the cells in our body. In order to push the blood through…