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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: National Nutrition Month challenge — ‘Put Your Best Fork Forward’

MARCH IS NATIONAL NUTRITION MONTH, and The Florida Department of Health in Polk County is bringing awareness to the importance of a nutritious, healthy lifestyle. National Nutrition Month is a nutrition education campaign that was created by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics to be observed annually in March. The campaign focuses its attention on…
Word of Mouth: How to know your mouth — and your mouthwash needs

NOT ALL MOUTHS are created equal, and not all oral concerns are the same. It’s the reason why there are so many different types of mouthwash available on the market.
Family Health: How to beat peak allergy season in Central Florida

SPRINGTIME IN CENTRAL FLORIDA is beautiful. Temperatures are pleasant and the warm breezes carry the sweet scent of the orange blossoms. Unfortunately for some, it also means pollen allergies from blooming flowers, like orange blossoms, and from trees and grasses, like live oaks and rye. That fine dusting of yellow pollen that is released every…