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Common dieting pitfalls along the path to healthy weight loss

ASK A PHYSICIAN WHO KNOWS! WEIGHT LOSS IS NEVER an easy prospect, but oftentimes it’s made even harder by our own foibles. There are many “dieting” missteps when it comes to healthy weight loss, and each and every one can throw a wrench in even the best intentions.
Pop quiz on thyroid health and weight

Test your knowledge and understanding of the relationship between your thyroid and weight IT’S NO SECRET that our country has a problem with weight and obesity. According to the statistics, approximately two-thirds of all adult Americans are overweight or obese. While those in the medical profession will tell you that the majority of those in…
A pop puiz on arthroplasty (knee surgery)

Test your knowledge on the before, during, and after of knee surgery FOR MANY INDIVIDUALS, debilitating knee pain due to arthritis or an injury is a daily reality. For those with such knee problems, walking is painful, and stairs of any kind present a major obstacle. Knee surgery is one option for relief, but many…

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.…