Traveling this holiday season? Check out these tips from Live Oak Pharmacy’s Pharmacist & Co-Owner, Nathan Pope, Pharm.D.!
Be sure to keep your medications in your carry-on in the event of lost or delayed luggage, for information on what is and is not allowed by the TSA, please click here.
Don’t forget your medication list. In an emergency it can make all the difference – don’t have one? Download one here http://retwt.me/1KCiy
Keep your medications, including over-the-counter medications, in their original packaging. You don’t want to take the wrong medication.
Remember that your pharmacist is an important part of your health care team!
Live Oak Pharmacy is an Austin Compounding Pharmacy. We focus on an integrative approach to healthcare. To learn more about Live Oak Pharmacy, an Austin Pharmacy, visit our Austin downtown pharmacy location at 1611 W 5th Street or visit us online at http://LiveOakRx.com
It’s still too hot to fire up that oven. Ceviche (say-VEE-chay) is a great hot weather meal. It requires no heat and very little prep time. What’s more, it’s cool and refreshing! This week, I’d like to share a few pointers that I learned from my fellow fishmonger, Ryan Verheyn of Quality Seafood Market, on how to safely prepare ceviche. Most recipes call for marinating the seafood (fish, shrimp, scallops, octopus, and squid are all popular choices) for 1-5 hours in citric acid (i.e., lime juice) before consumption. The fresher the seafood and the longer it marinates, the more bacteria is killed by the acid and the safer the ceviche is to eat. However, Ryan recommends an even more sanitary method than just selecting a fresh catch and marinating it. Ryan marinates just the seafood, leaving the other ingredients aside, in the citric acid for 5 hours or overnight, if possible. This ensures that the maximum amount of bacteria bites the dust. When he’s ready to serve the ceviche, Ryan drains the seafood, discards the marinade and replenishes it with fresh lime juice. Then he adds his other fresh ingredients, such as diced jalapeño and onion, chopped tomato, and minced garlic and cilantro. The new lime juice has a brighter, fresher flavor, not to mention it’s free of that fishy marinade.
As always, when making ceviche, be sure to buy seafood from a reputable, busy market that is known for its high turnover of product (you don’t want fish that’s been sitting around all week). Also, ask your monger what fish she recommends that day. What’s the freshest? What has the right texture and flavor for ceviche? My personal favorite is black drum. It’s lean, white, and firm. It has a mild flavor and takes to the flavors of other fresh ingredients well. Finally, it’s a local, wild-caught Texas favorite. Now what could be more refreshing than supporting your local fisherman? See you in the market!
Come into Live Oak Pharmacy to get a smile, they’re free and available every time you walk in the door!
The opinions expressed by our guest bloggers do not necessary reflect the opinions of Live Oak Pharmacy. The opinions expressed by guest blogers are their own, unless otherwise stated. No financial agreement exists between guest bloggers and Live Oak Pharmacy.
What better way to celebrate than to adopt a new member of the family! Studies show that people who own pets are healthier! Pet owners have greater self-esteem, are more physically fit, less lonely, more conscientious, more extroverted and tend to be less fearful!
There are plenty of places in Austin that offer adoption services.
This is also the perfect time to think about microchipping your pet if you haven’t done so. Talk to our friends over at Austin Urban Vet Center to learn more about microchipping! And don’t forget to get your four legged friend a snazzy Red Dingo pet identification charm!
Live Oak Pharmacy is Austin’s Pharmacy. We’re also Austin’s pet friendly pharmacy located in downtown Austin. Come in with your four legged friend today and see how we’re different! We’re located at 1611 W 5th Street just two blocks east of MoPac.
Here’s a list from the Institute of Healthcare Informatics of the 10 most-prescribed medications in the U.S. in 2010. If you have questions about your medications – there’s no better person than your pharmacist to answer your questions. Come in to Live Oak Pharmacy today to learn more how our pharmacist works with you and your prescriber to make sure you’re getting the right medication for your health & wellness.
Hydrocodone (combined with acetaminophen): 131.2 million prescriptions
Simvastatin (brand name Zocor), a cholesterol-lowering medication: 94.1 million prescriptions
Lisinopril (brand names Prinivil, Zestril), a blood pressure drug: 87.4 million prescriptions
Levothyroxine (brand name Synthroid), used to treat hypothyroidism: 70.5 million prescriptions
Amlodipine besylate (brand name Norvasc), treating angina and high blood pressure: 57.2 million prescriptions
Omeprazole (brand name Prilosec), an antacid: 53.4 million prescriptions (excludes OTC sales)
Azithromycin (brand names Z-Pak and Zithromax), an antibiotic: 52.6 million prescriptions
Amoxicillin, an antibiotic: 52.3 million prescriptions
Metformin (brand name Glucophage), treating diabetes: 48.3 million prescriptions
Hydrochlorothiazide, for treating high blood pressure: 47.8 million prescriptions
Live Oak Pharmacy is Austin’s Downtown Pharmacy. Here you’re more than a prescription or an ailment. Your a person and we work with you to achieve your best health & wellness possible! Come in today and see the difference it makes when you have a pharmacist on your health care team! We’re located at 1611 W 5th Street just 2 blocks east of MoPac.
We love our pets. And we own a lot of them. According to a survey by the American Pet Products Association, 72.9 million U.S. households include at least one pet, an all-time high. Dogs and cats represent about three-quarters of all household pets, but there’s still plenty of variety. What you might not know is that Live Oak Pharmacy can customize medications for your pet whether they’re four legged, furry, scaly or feathery! In fact we’ve made medications for a ducks, bats, snakes, rats and of course cats and dogs! Ask our pharmacist how we can help turn medicine time into treat time or tell your Veterinarian that you’d like your pets medication compounded by Live Oak Pharmacy!
Here’s how a break down of pets in America!
Dogs 78 million
Cats 86.4 million
Fish (freshwater) 151.1 million
Fish (saltwater) 8.6 million
Birds 16.2 million
Small animals 16 million
Reptiles 13 million
Horses 7.9 million
When you transfer your pet’s medication (or yours) you’ll get a $15 Gift Coupon to spend at Live Oak Pharmacy! Download your coupon here!
Want to keep up to date on all the barktastic and meowriffic events and ongoings at Live Oak Pharmacy? Check out Bark and Branches on Facebook today and like our page!
Your parents told you to sit up straight, but if you slump in your chair, you could be putting unnecessary and painful strain on your back. Here are some basic tips to improve your sitting posture:
Pick a chair that fits your body. The seat should fit the distance from your buttocks to your knees. And your chair should be the right height from your knees to the floor for your legs to be straight and comfortable.
Support your lower back. Use pillows with office chairs (or the seat of your car).
Don’t sit with your head forward. You’ll put added strain on your spine. Sit up straight (Yes, Mom), and try not to lean your body to one side or the other.
Have more questions about back pain? Did you know that Live Oak Pharmacy can work with your physician to compound a topical pain reliever? Ask us for details next time you’re in the pharmacy! And when you transfer a prescription into Live Oak Pharmacy you can get a $15 gift coupon to spend in the store. Download your coupon here!
Happy Independence Day from all of us at Live Oak Pharmacy! The Declaration was officially adopted by the Continental Congress in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, although Congress formally declared independence from Great Britain on July 2, and the Declaration wasn’t signed by all 56 members until August.
Some other facts about the founding document of the United States that you may not know:
There’s a message on the back. No, it’s not an invisible treasure map (as in the Nicholas Cage movie National Treasure). The words “Original Declaration of Independence, dated 4th July 1776” appear on the reverse side of the document on display in the National Rotunda, at the bottom and upside down.
About 200 copies of the Declaration were immediately produced by printer John Dunlap for distribution through the 13 colonies. Of these original “Dunlap broadsides,” 26 still exist.
The original document wasn’t printed on paper, but “engrossed” on parchment. Engrossing is a process for preparing an official document in large, clear handwriting.
At the bottom left corner of the Declaration is an unidentified handprint. Historians speculate that it’s the result of the document’s being rolled up for transport and handled by various people for extensive exhibition in the early years of its existence.
The two youngest signers of the Declaration were Thomas Lynch Jr. and Edward Rutledge, both of South Carolina, both 26 years old at the time. The oldest signer was Benjamin Franklin, 70. Nine of the original signers died before the American Revolution ended in 1783.
Sarah Harper, Fishmongress at Quality Seafood Market, writes a monthly article for Live Oak Pharmacy on seafood as an essential part of whole body wellness.
There is a lot of helpful information available on how to purchase fresh seafood, but I rarely read any articles that address what to do with the seafood once you leave the market (i.e., how to safely transport and store it). This blog post aims to fill that void.
Transit – If your commute from the seafood market to your home takes more than 20 minutes, then be kind to your fish and ask your monger for an ice pack to keep it cool on the ride home. Even better, come prepared with a cooler and your own ice packs. Just remember not to leave your cooler in the hot trunk while you’re doing all your pre-seafood market shopping. When heated in the sun, a cooler will hold its temperature and act more like a portable oven than a fridge for your fish!
Packaging – Before refrigerating your fish, remove the fillets from their original packaging, wrap them with plastic wrap, and place them on a plate or tray in the coolest part of your fridge (back of bottom shelf) underneath an ice pack. Before freezing fillets, remove them from their original packaging and seal them in vacuum-pack bags using a home food saver. If you don’t have one of these, wrap the fish in plastic, then tightly in freezer paper or a freezer bag, pressing all the air out as you go. Try to store fish fillets in the coolest part of your freezer (near the back cooling unit) so that they freeze as quickly as possible, minimizing the number of ice crystals that form inside the flesh.
Live Shellfish – Be sure that your shellfish have adequate access to circulating air in transit. Ask your monger to use a mesh bag or to puncture some holes in a plastic bag so that the shellfish can “breathe.” Lobsters and crabs should be wrapped in wet newspaper (soaked with saltwater) before being placed in a box or cooler; this helps keep their gills moist. When you get your shellfish home, place it on ice in the coolest part of the fridge. Do not allow water to gather around the shellfish, as the chlorinated tap water will kill them. You may also want to cover your shellfish with a damp towel to keep them moist. Oysters should be laid flat, with the “cup” side down, so that if they open and close they don’t spill out all their delicious oyster liquor!
Shelf life – The shelf life of fish depends on a variety of factors, among them are the oil content, the time it has spent out of water, the time since it was filleted, and whether or not it was properly handled. A fish stays fresher the longer it stays whole (with an exception of the viscera, which should be removed as soon as possible). Your fishmonger should be able to give you the best advice on how many days your product will last if properly stored over ice in a home fridge. If your market does its own processing (like Quality Seafood Market!), then you’re in luck. If you don’t like the looks of a certain fillet, they may fillet you a fresh one. If you don’t live near a reputable fresh seafood market, then this table should give you a general idea of how long to keep seafood in your home fridge. Before cooking your fish, rinse it, pat it dry, and give it a good sniff test. If your fillets have gone sour or have a faint chemical aroma, it’s too late and you should be headed back to the market for newer, fresher seafood!
Raw Cooked
Whole fish (gutted and gilled) 3-4 days 3-4 days
Fish fillets or steaks 1-2 days 3-4 days
Live shellfish (crustaceans) 1 day 2-3 days
Live shellfish (mollusks) 1-2 days 2-3 days
Shellfish (processed) 1-2 days 2-3 days
Learn more about fish at Quality Seafood Market. The opinions expressed by our guest bloggers do not necessary reflect the opinions of Live Oak Pharmacy. The opinions expressed by guest bloggers are their own, unless otherwise stated. No financial agreement exists between guest bloggers and Live Oak Pharmacy.
Unfortunately we had to cancel our upcoming event, the Rx for Sex. But we’ll be rescheduling it soon! If you have questions about low testosterone, please call us at 512-476-8979 ext. 2.
Live Oak Pharmacy is Austin’s healthy & well-thy pharmacy! We’re focused on you the individual and we know that sometimes one size doesn’t fit all. Come learn with us about testosterone and sexual health with two local experts! And find out why readers of the Austin Chronicle voted us Best New Local Business!
This Saturday, Nathan is headed to Ft. Worth to present at the TPA annual conference. All of us at Live Oak Pharmacy are proud to announce that Nathan has been selected to receive the Texas Pharmacy Association‘s Smart, Healthy Living Award!
“This award recognizes an individual, organization or company judged to have made outstanding contributions to advancing pharmacists’ ability to improve patient outcomes. This honor recognizes exceptional achievement in public awareness, counseling and pharmacy services aimed at empowering patients to improve their health.”
And while this award is for Nathan it’s really for each and everyone of you! Our patients, our customers, our community and the physicians and their staff. Here’s to Smart Healthy Living in Austin, Texas!
Live Oak Pharmacy is Austin’s Downtown Pharmacy and is proud to have Dr. Nathan Pope, Pharm.D. winner of the Smart, Healthy Living Award as our co-owner and Director of Pharmacy. It’s not business as usual at Live Oak Pharmacy. It’s Smart Healthy Living at Live Oak Pharmacy! Come in today and see why the Texas Pharmacy Association awarded Nathan this honor and why readers of the Austin Chronicle have voted Live Oak Pharmacy Austin’s Best New Local Business!
