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Tackling Allergies: Natural Remedies to Fight the Summer Sniffles

When the pollen is falling and the mold is flourishing, there are ways to beat back symptoms naturally. Here’s how. Central Florida’s mild climate is a real draw, but its long growing season can spell trouble for allergy sufferers. From winter’s yellow oak pollen, through summer’s grass, weeds, and molds, the allergic are likely going…
Beating the Heat: How to Stay Cool When Temperatures Rise

Central Florida’s summer heat can be stifling, but here are some strategies to help you make the most of the season. When it’s hot and humid, it’s harder to keep cool. That’s because our bodies depend on sweating – and evaporating that sweat – to reduce our temperatures. Humidity slows the process, so muggy Central…
Local Physicians Discuss Skin Cancer Prevention

Summer is here and it’s time for some fun in the sun! It’s the time of year when people love to show some skin in their favorite bathing suits and hit the beach or the pool. As you’re out there enjoying the long summer days, don’t forget to protect yourself from the dangerous UVA and…

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.…