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Medical Advice: Reminders during National Nutrition Month

IN MARCH, we mark the end of winter and the start of spring. It is also the time when we celebrate National Nutrition Month and turn our focus to healthy eating.
Debunking the myths of stroke

A STROKE or transient ischemic attack (TIA), also referred to as a “mini-stroke,” occurs when a blood vessel feeding the brain gets clogged or bursts. Neither that part of the brain nor the part of the body it controls can then function properly. The Bcenter (also known as Global Stroke Resource Center), a Central Florida…
Turning the tide of tooth decay with proper pediatric dental care

| Teaching healthy habits to children now prevents oral health problems later | MANY OF US EXPECT cavities if we neglect brushing our teeth. But we may not recognize how oral health affects our overall health. “The mouth can be a very dirty place. In a healthy individual, our immune system is able to kind…

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.…