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Fun and fit vacation ideas for the whole family

Try these recreation suggestions for staying active while getting respite The many health benefits of regular physical activity include the reduced risk of coronary heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and other diseases. This helps to prevent high healthcare costs and improves the quality of life for all ages. Combining physical fitness and vacationing is actually very…
Pancreatic cancer: The next frontier

Developing treatments and therapies to fight this disease Pancreatic cancer research has proven the advantage of combination therapies, including chemotherapy and radiation therapy when given after surgical resection. Unfortunately, there have been limited advances for more than 20 years. Even though pancreatic cancer is an uncommon cancer, it has one of the highest mortality rates.…
Different waters mean different dangers

Know the potential hazards and how to use caution Summer has arrived once again. It’s time for barbecues, vacations, and fun in the sun. One of the more popular ways to enjoy the season is by relaxing in and around pools, lakes, or the ocean. However, many hazards lurk within these waters, especially for children.…

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.…