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Mommy makeover

Regaining your shape after baby After the excitement of birthing a baby, women face an inevitable reality: the post partum belly. It takes time for the body to readjust, but there are ways to hasten weight loss and regain your figure more quickly. The good news is some of it comes naturally. Instead of lifting…
Exercise on the brain

How to keep your mind in shape You’ve heard the expression “use it or lose it.” The advice is especially pertinent for adults in their 40s and beyond. That’s because our brains begin to shrink at that age, points out Dr. Herminio Cuervo, a Lakeland neurologist and Polk County Medical Association member. “It’s just like…
Prevention and treatment for stretch marks

Are you spinning your wheels over striae? Ahhh, stretch marks. Those dreaded angry red, purple or pink squiggles that typically show up over hip bones, on thighs and underarms, or across bellies, breasts and bottoms. When you’re pregnant, you’re more susceptible because of inevitable weight gain. So what’s a gal to do? Unfortunately, there’s no…

Signs & symptoms: When your skin needs medical attention

As a surgeon who often treats and cares for patients whose ailments of the skin have gone too long without medical attention, I’d like to talk about the importance of seeing a doctor right away if you find abnormalities on the skin. I hope people can be aware that it is not only important…
Body, mind & spirit: Integrating primary and behavioral care

When you go to the doctor complaining of stomach pain, you probably don’t expect your problem to be depression. But it just may be. When you complain of headache, clumsiness, dizziness, shakiness, blurred vision, tingling around the mouth and seizures, you might expect an anxiety or bipolar (manic-depressive) disorder. You may be surprised if…
Mediterranean diet for cardiovascular health

Dr. Sean P. O’Rourke is a board-certified cardiologist at Watson Clinic. With a subspecialty in cardiovascular disease, Dr. O’Rourke often sees patients suffering from heart disease. He took the time to answer some questions about heart disease, which has a higher death rate in Polk County than in the rest of Florida. Health…