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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…

Health Hero: Kia Troutman

Heading Polk County’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Campaign a Personal Crusade for Kia Troutman Kia Troutman knows cancer. She knows how it killed her grandparents and a co-worker. She knows what her 61-year-old cousin in Mississippi, recently diagnosed with breast cancer, is going through. She knows how it touches the lives of African-Americans and…
5 Ways to Help with Smarter Nutrition

Polk County nutritionist at Central Florida Health Care shares how he helps patients make smarter food choices. Okay, it’s time to be honest. When you put food on your plate, does half of your meal consist of fruits and vegetables? If you answered “no” to this question, you’re not alone. In fact, more than 90…
Oral Hygiene and Your Mental Health

The connection between mental health and overall health is under-researched in the medical community, and this is true of the connection between mental health and oral health as well. Healthcare researchers agree there is a connection between oral health and mental health, but the exact connection isn’t a simple one. How Poor Oral Hygiene Affects…