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New year, New you!

How Polk County is Tackling Obesity and Residents are Making Healthier Lifestyle Choices Fifty-one year-old Ann Good topped 200 pounds last May. She lacked energy and was short of breath. Concerned about a family history of heart disease and diabetes, she decided to act. Today Good is 50 pounds lighter and breathing easier, in more…
Pop Quiz: Could it be premature menopause?

Is it just the after-effects of the holiday rush getting to you, or are you encountering possible symptoms of premature menopause? It’s definitely not easy to be a woman, especially as you age. Yet, could the unusual hot flashes, mood swings and feminine “discomfort” you are feeling be the precursor for premature menopause? Find out…
Protecting your private information

The catch behind a ‘free’ pharmacy discount card If you have a mailbox, chances are you’ve received a Pharmacy Discount Card in the mail. The offer sounds great: up to 75 percent off your medications, no paperwork, it’s accepted all over, and it never expires. Don’t forget the kicker—it costs absolutely nothing. Hopefully by now…

To save or not to save?

Cord-Blood Banking can have Life-Saving Benefits, but Local Doctors Advise Parents to do Their Homework When expecting a new baby, parents have many decisions to make: what name to choose, how to decorate the nursery, what hospital to use, etc. However, in the midst of all the excitement, parents might overlook researching and making…
Healthy cook: Save your summer diet with canned salmon

If you had to pick up a precooked, trimmed and ready-to-serve protein at the supermarket, you’d expect to pay a premium for the convenience. After all, someone else is doing the prep work, so you should be paying more. However, it’s nice to know that the opposite can also be true. With canned salmon…
Medical advice: Essential but simple ways to help loved ones with Aphasia

We tend to take for granted our ability to communicate, how effortlessly our words flow out of our mouths. However, when our speech becomes impaired, we profoundly feel the impact. June is National Aphasia Awareness Month. Yet, most people have never heard about this type of communication disorder. Aphasia is a language impairment that…