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Health Hero: Tonja Johnson Brings Support to Vitiligo Community

by TIM CRAIG When Tonja Johnson first saw a spot on her skin in 2011, she didn’t think much about it. It was just an age spot, according to her mother, and Johnson accepted it and moved on. Eighteen months later, in 2013, the spots had grown in number and size and she knew…
When Should Men be Getting their Checkups and Screenings?

by ERIKA ALDRICH It’s always important to see a doctor regularly and practice preventative care. For men, getting regular checkups and screenings is vital to maintaining good health, but there are certain times in a man’s life when such screenings and doctor’s visits are necessary to catch potential health issues. The earlier a health concern…
Manual or Electric Toothbrushes?

Looking at the Pros and Cons of Your Main Oral Hygiene Tool by MARY TOOTHMAN They started out as twigs with frayed ends — ancient civilizations rubbed chew sticks against their teeth to clean them as far back as 3000 BC. But by 1938, the toothbrush as we know it was invented. And the handy…

Editor’s Dose: Tips for minimizing back-to-school stress

IF YOU ARE LIKE ME, then come early July you were already thinking about preparations for the new school year. Parents and children in the community this year are getting ready extra early because Polk County public schools moved up their calendar by one week — day one of school is August 15.
Making the choice to breastfeed

THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH in Polk County (DOH-Polk) and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) recognize August as Breastfeeding Awareness Month. This is a wonderful time of year to promote breastfeeding as a vital health activity and discuss the health benefits breastfeeding provides. Although every woman has their own…
Editor’s Dose: Keeping kids’ bodies and minds active this summer

WHEN I FIRST had the twins, my mom would say, “Have a schedule for them, or they’ll have a schedule for you.” Basically, she was cautioning that I’d better keep those little minds and bodies active, or chaos would inevitably ensue. Being a mother of eight children, I think she was speaking from personal experience.…