Dr. Harshit Shah is an endocrinologist with Dignity Health Medical Group in Bakersfield and is passionate about advising patients on the best diets to manage conditions like diabetes. 

Based on the evidence, I recommend a whole food, plant-based diet, which is low in fat, and high in minimally processed and whole foods, for a healthy living. These days, nutrition labels and food labels can be very confusing, so I'd like to share some tips!

1. Focus on Foods Without Labels
It is a great goal to try to only eat foods that do not require labels. You want your refrigerator and pantry to be full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, healthy nuts, and legumes. Most of these items can be purchased without packaging (unless the package just functions to hold single ingredient like beans), which is another plus!

Last night, elected officials and community leaders joined Dignity Health and Dignity Health Medical Group for the grand opening of their newest medical group location in Tehachapi. The 4,000-square-foot clinic is conveniently located and will serve the growing needs of the Tehachapi community.

Dr. Ali Amirzadeh, an expert allergy and immunology doctor with Mercy Medical Group in Sacramento, answers questions about hay fever and allergies below. 

What is Hay Fever? What does it mean if you have Hay Fever?

Hay fever is also known as allergic rhinitis. If you have hay fever it means that your body over reacts to allergens that don’t usually cause problems. These triggering allergens could be from outdoor sources (pollen or spores) or indoor sources (dust, pet dander or fur, etc.).

Q&A with Dignity Health Medical Group Director of Clinic Operations, Francie Barnett

Q: Dignity Health Medical Group chose Tehachapi for their newest clinic location. What drew you to this community?

A: We are so honored to provide primary care to the Tehachapi community with our new clinic location at 707 West Valley Blvd. We have served Kern County for a long time, and we knew that Tehachapi was a fantastic, engaged community. When Dr. Pesche, who formerly practiced in the space, was looking to retire he approached us and we jumped at the chance to continue his legacy with patient-centered, high-quality care!

Sarah Abraham is a Family Medicine Nurse Practitioner with Dignity Health Medical Group – Ventura Region, and an expert on preventive health care. 

If you've recently been diagnosed as diabetic or pre-diabetic, you may be wondering what sort of diet is best for you. First, it’s important to realize the differences between type 1 and 2 diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas (an organ in the abdomen) stops making insulin. This condition is usually diagnosed in childhood or adolescence. Type 2 diabetes is the most common type of diabetes that we see in adults, this is when the body stops responding to normal or even high levels of insulin, and over time, the pancreas does not make enough insulin.