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Supporting a cause that helps save lives

| We Care Think Pink and the Susan G. Komen Race (or Sleep-in) for the Cure | BREAST CANCER AFFECTS NEARLY one in eight women at some point during their lifetime. However, with proper preventive care, such as annual mammograms, early detection is much more likely; as with all cancers, early detection results in a…
Your allies on the road to weight loss

| How lifestyle changes through medically supervised programs can benefit your waistline and your overall health | AFTER THE INDULGENCES of holiday parties and family gatherings, weight loss may top your list of New Year’s resolutions. As we embrace a new year and new goals, few people engage their doctor during their weight loss journey.…
Medical Advice: How to stop a fall before it happens

It was reported earlier this year by the Centers for Disease and Prevention that the life expectancy for people in the United States is at an all-time high of 78 years and 9 ½ months. Women born in 2012 are now expected to live more than 81 years and men nearly 76 ½ years. It…

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.…