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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.…
Polk County Initiative Seeking to Instill Healthy Habits in Schools

by CHERYL ROGERS The Building a Healthier Polk School Health Team is teaching kindergarten through 12th grade students how to live healthier by making wise food choices and staying active. In an age of video games and fast foods, it’s easy to slip into bad health habits at an early age. But during…

Ask a Nurse: Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was signed into law to reform the healthcare industry by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010 and upheld by the Supreme Court on June 28, 2012.1 This is a sensitive subject… one that I was not going to touch. However, I’d like to use this opportunity to share some…
Is an urgent illness or injury always an emergency?

Whether you’re suddenly stricken with a migraine or fever, a visit to your primary- care doctor is not always an option. Due to a reduction in available primary-care appointments and limited office hours, you may need to decide between enduring the emergency room or walking into an urgent-care center. Do your research now so you…
Word of Mouth: Facts and myths about wisdom teeth— What you need to know

When it comes to wisdom teeth and myths, the tall tales rank right up there with toads causing warts! You’ll hear a lot of information about wisdom teeth, but not all of it is true. Wisdom teeth myths The first myth—it’s a doozy—is that wisdom teeth contain wisdom or make you smarter. If only! In…