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This week’s edition of Our Health takes a look at a local business bringing a different take on sports and highlights the importance of keeping blood pressure low for good health.
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Saturday, February 14, 2015 • Page 1B
Sport and fun abound at ‘CrowBar’
Preferred Health DIreCtory
By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com While featuring an establishment that serves a hamburger with a fried egg, among other deliciousness, in the health section might not seem like the obvious choice, it actually is. When CrowBar’s Randy Meador bought property at 954 Wakefield Drive almost four years ago to build a house on, he says he had his priorities straight. “The first thing I did was put in two volleyball courts,� he said. A professional volleyball player, Meador had a court in the Heights where he lived before getting a divorce and moving to the Garden Oaks area. A small builder who does three to five homes a year, Meador built two houses in the area before buying the one acre on Wakefield that used to be a plumbing supply company. “It was huge,� he said. The volleyball courts helped fill up some space as did Meador’s house in the back which he constructed next. The courts needed more players so Meador talked to the Houston Sports & Social Club about perhaps renting the courts. They did more than that – a little over two years ago, they started having their leagues on Wakefield. Now, between 300 and 400 people play volleyball there in a given week. These players needed to have a place to hang out.
Dental Care
Lawton
Mark E. Lawton, D.D.S., P.A. General Dentistry 7938 Antoine Drive Houston, Texas 77088 Tel: 281-447-2186 Mark.LawtonDDS@sbcglobal.net
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Photos by Betsy Denson People of all ages enjoy the sand volleyball courts at CrowBar on Wakefield Drive. The establishment’s owner is a professional volleyball player himself. A running club now convenes at the establishment as well.
Enter the CrowBar which opened a year and a half ago. The name came from Meador’s role as a builder. “It sounded like a neighborhood place. Plus ‘Hammered’ probably wasn’t going to sit well with the TABC.� Kim Taurins, a former client, did CrowBar’s distinctive logo. In another instance of serendipity, Meador met his future kitchen manager Victor Garcia as Garcia was walking by the place one day. “We got to talking and I ended up giving him a menu of things I wanted to see,� said Meador. That menu now includes a weekend breakfast, a Tuesday steak night, and various burg-
ers, sandwiches and salads. To say the place has taken off is an understatement. On nice days, the deck that Meador added is full of people. He also installed a third volleyball court. There’s a running club that convenes at CrowBar too. “The things we added were the things we’d gotten a request for,� said Meador. “We want to be known as a great place to get something good to eat, and cold to drink, in an active atmosphere.� Patron Vanessa Groves, who plays in the Houston Sports & Social leagues, said she and her family enjoy the outdoor patio as well as the friendly staff.
“I love the sense of community that The CrowBar has,� said Groves. “It’s local and we see many of the same faces from the neighborhood. I had not played volleyball before. We created a team with friends and we have a ball.� Meador said that he’d welcome other new restaurants on Wakefield because the CrowBar has a special niche. “The volleyball courts make us unique,� he said. While Meador has enjoyed his time living at CrowBar, it’s time for a change. He’s getting remarried and has bought land two miles to the north to build a new house. And although he said it’s probably “impossible� to du-
Have high blood pressure? You’re not alone. It affects more than 50 percent of all people with kidney disease. This is because the kidneys help control blood pressure in the body. When your kidneys don’t work properly, they can’t do their job. But there are ways you can help control your blood pressure. And controlling blood pressure will also help prevent heart disease and keep your kidney disease from getting worse. Rodrigo Najera, M.D., a family medicine provider affiliated with Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital and a member of Memorial Hermann Medical Group, suggests making lifestyle changes like watching your salt intake, exercising regularly and losing excess weight to prevent and treat hypertension. “The idea is to keep your blood pressure at goal,� said Dr. Najera.
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Randy Meador
plicate the exact formula that has made the CrowBar successful, he’s not opposed to doing something similar in another location. “I might open another one up north,� he said.
Dish Up a Healthy Diet Your doctor may suggest making changes to your diet. The changes you need to make depend on the stage of your kidney disease and any other health conditions you may have. They may include: • Limiting salt to less than 1,500 milligrams a day • Cutting back on saturated fats and cholesterol • Limiting protein to small portions
Rodrigo Najera, M.D.
• Eating fewer foods that are high in phosphorus or potassium, such as dairy foods, beans, nuts and bran cereals If you need help making these changes, ask your doctor if you should see a dietitian. Other Lifestyle Changes Other changes that can help lower your blood pressure include: • Losing weight if you are overweight • Limiting alcohol to no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men • Exercising for at least 30 minutes on most days • Quitting smoking “Early detection of high blood pressure can have a great impact on long-term health goals. It is important to plan with your provider a strategy to achieve your health goals and lower the impact of high blood pressure,â€? said Dr. Najera.
TAKE THE FIRST STEP
IN ELIMINATING
JOINT
PAIN
Serving the Heights Tel: 281-916-1447 Office/Text/Fax)
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Memorial Hermann Northwest 1635 North Loop West Houston, Texas 77008 Tel: 713-867-2000 memorialhermann.org Physician Referral 713.222.CARE
Medical Suppliers
Complete Medical Supply
By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com The measles outbreak that started in Disneyland late last year has underscored the importance of immunizing children against the disease. But since 12 percent of the Disneyland cases involved those who had previously been vaccinated, The Leader asked local family medicine doctor Dr. Kevin Giglio if adults should be taking special precautions to protect themselves. Dr. Giglio said there is currently no recommendation for adults to revaccinate. However, if a person is considering international travel to areas that have been hot spots for outbreaks in the past, like certain areas of Mexico, or France which has a very low vaccination rate, a booster dose wouldn’t hurt. He said that even with the vaccine, of which the first dose offers 93 percent immunity and the second 97 percent immunity, there is still a very slim chance of contracting measles. A person who had been vaccinated would most likely get a milder form of measles. A measles vaccine has been around since 1963 and the current one, which contains the live virus, has been given to children since 1971. Those born before 1957 have been exposed to the actual virus and therefore don’t need to get a vaccination. Dr. Giglio said that there
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Lifestyle, diet changes Recent measles outbreak keys to lower blood sheds light on understanding pressure, good health adult vaccinations Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital For The Leader
Sharon Smith, M.D. & Amber Dobyne, M.D.
1714 W. 18th Street (At Ella Blvd) Houston, TX 77008 Tel: (713) 880-4000 www.CompleteMedicalSupply.net
Texas Medical Supply, Inc. 1906 W 18th St. Between Ella Blvd. & 610 N. Loop West Tel: 713-864-7636 www.txmedicalsuply.com
Pharmacy
Contributed Photo While it’s always important to ensure children are vaccinated to prevent against the measles and other types of disease, doctors say there is currently no recommendation for adults to revaccinate. However, when traveling internationally, a booster dose could be helpful.
are three ways for an adult to determine if they don’t need to get the vaccine. One is if they have written documentation of the vaccination they received as children, two is if there is lab evidence of antibodies in the blood showing that a person has immunity, and three is if there is lab eviSee Vaccines, P. 2A
Claude’s Pharmacy 5740 W. Little York Houston, Texas 77091 Tel: 281-447-7648 claudespharmacy@hotmail.com
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Doctors Express 1074 Yale Street, Suite 200 713-861-6060 www.DoctorsExpressHeights.com
Dr. Kevin Giglio
Contact a Memorial Hermann Joint Center. And start living pain free. Staying active is key to staying healthy. That’s why Joint Center specialists use the most advanced treatments to get you moving again. From new prescription options, to minimally invasive surgical interventions, our affiliated body of experts is ready to help you find the best path to the life you want to live.
Call 713.272.1888 or visit jointpain.memorialhermann.org for more information or to make an appointment. L O C A T E D A T 61 0 A N D E L L A B LV D