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Healthy Cook: The disease-fighting properties of red foods

Roses are red Berries are blue Red foods tastes good And are heart-healthy, too. There are only a few days of the year when a writer can get that corny, and who am I to pass up the chance? But it’s true. Lots of red foods are good for the heart because of what they…
Pop Quiz: Is your teen at risk for dating violence?

A light push… A condescending statement… They may be just innocent moves by a person, but these could be telltale signs of teen dating violence. Is your teen at risk for being in such a relationship? Take our quiz to learn more about noticeable signs of teen dating violence, and what you can do as…
Making African-American history in Polk

Alice Manley: A lifetime of service (above) Alice Manley stands with four generations of directors for the health department. From left to right: Dr. Ulyee Choe (November 2012-Present); Dr. Daniel Haight (July 1996-November 2012); Dr. William F. Hill (January 1967-June 1985); and Dr. Kevin Sherin (July 1988-October 1993). Photo courtesy of the Florida Department of…

Ask a Nurse: The evolution of modern medicine

Did you know that an anesthesiologist (the doctor that puts you to sleep and keeps you alive during surgery) wasn’t even considered a field or specialty in medicine until 1941!1 Could you imagine undergoing surgery without anesthesia? Barbaric! Thoracic surgery (chest surgery) wasn’t approved until 1970, and bariatric (obesity) medicine has yet to become an official…
Medical Advice: Avoiding mosquitoes and chikungunya virus

I was first introduced to a disease known as chikungunya during my medical training. Initially, I dismissed this foreign illness as something I would probably not see in my career. Chikungunya was originally found in Asia, Africa, and the islands of the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific. This changed on December 2013, when there was…
Editor’s Dose: Adventures with school physicals!

It’s school physical time already! Am I the only one who feels like summer went by way too fast? Maybe it’s because “time flies when you’re having fun.” Or, maybe it’s because time flies when you have four kids . . . maybe it’s a combination of both. Either way, our house is in full…