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Popular Places in Polk to Pump-Up Your Pedometers

by MATT COBBLE Although it’s been more than 50 years since Dr. Yoshiro Hatano first proposed the idea of taking 10,000 steps in a day for health, the notion has truly caught on in the past half-decade thanks to wearable fitness devices, such as FitBits and Apple Watches. While some may see this gamifying of…
Kick off 2019 With These Healthy Physical and Nutritional Guidelines

The new year is a time for resolutions and renewal, and the leading resolutions that Americans make is, without question, to lose weight, get into shape, and to live a healthier lifestyle. However, many Americans might not know exactly what that looks like! How well do you think you know your stats and suggested amounts…
Healthy Foods for the Holiday Season

by TRENT ROWE, food editor Here’s to Uncle Harry. He’s your mom’s roly-poly brother who always plays Santa because he doesn’t need a pillow for padding. When it comes to dinner his favorite phrase isn’t, “ho ho ho”, but “Please pass the gravy.” It’s too bad too, because Uncle Harry is a really nice guy.…

Editor’s Dose: A thank-you letter to nurses

FROM MID-FEBRUARY to about mid-April, my family was at the doctor’s office a lot. The late-spreading flu season (although none of us in our household ever actually caught the flu — thank goodness) must have carried with it many other viruses, because we’ve certainly experienced our fair share. In fact, a few nurses on staff…
Healthy Skin: May is Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month

“C’MON, DOC. What’s a little sunburn?” is a question I frequently hear from the public. The answer is, if you’re lucky, that’s all it is. But a little sunburn is one of the easiest skin cancer risk factors to avoid. If left untreated, skin cancer, or melanoma, can progress to the point that it’s disfiguring…
Cautions for two of your favorite summer activities

SPRING IS THE TIME OF YEAR in Florida when temperatures begin to warm and the weather is perfect outside. With the sun shining and a gentle breeze blowing, this beautiful weather also marks the beginning of swimming season for Polk’s residents. Swimming and boating are two of the most popular summer activities for people living…