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Replacing candy with better-for-you snacks

Healthy Options Headed for Local School Vending Machines Fat-free and soy yogurts, granola bars, fruit and grain bars, and soy crisps may become standard fare at some Polk County public schools this upcoming school year. The snacks will be offered under a new contract with Central Florida Healthy Vending in Orlando. Some 200+ healthy snacks…
Pop Quiz: Finding your child’s fitness level

Do you know activity level your child should be at and what are the best kid-approved activities? We all know that we need to get in shape and stay in shape for the summer, but what about our energetic bundles of activity known as our children? Kids to teens need to have regular physical activity…
5 reasons your child should see a pediatric dentist before school starts

At the start of a new school year, it’s common practice for parents to schedule routine physicals, which include vision and hearing testing. What should also be added to back-to-school preparations is a routine dental checkup. According to the American Dental Association (ADA), dental checkups are as important as booster and immunization shots. Unfortunately, some…

Medical Advice: Your flu prevention to-do list

AS YOU GATHER your “to-do” lists and prepare for the holiday season ahead, the Florida Department of Health in Polk County recommends you add one more important step — get a flu shot! The flu shot is the best way to protect our families and communities against the spread of influenza. When you make it…
Family Health: Flu shots for seniors

HE FLU is nothing to sneeze at. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 200,000 people will be hospitalized this year with the influenza virus, and it has been estimated that 50 to 70 percent of those hospitalized are people age 65 and older.
Word of Mouth: Your dentist is key to early cancer detection

IT SEEMS LIKE you hear about many different kinds of cancers these days, but one that isn’t being talked about enough is oral cancer. Cancer in the mouth and throat are diagnosed in nearly 50,000 Americans a year, and statistics show that only 57 percent of those diagnosed still will be living in five years.