Health News

Features

Talking to your teen can make a difference

New Data Reveals Teen Pregnancy Rates Have Fallen in Polk County For the past decade, the teen pregnancy rate in Polk County has been among the top in Florida, but the latest figures show the rate has dropped. “Community partnerships and civil dialogue has worked to lower teen pregnancy,” says Dr. Daniel Haight, director of…
Kicking the smoking habit for good

A resolution easier said than done, but not impossible With the holidays behind us, we stand at the threshold of another New Year. In an effort to improve our lives over the next 12 months, we’ll make resolutions that if achieved would make a difference for the better. If yours is to get healthy, fantastic!…
When less is more in exercise

How to boost the health benefits of your workouts It’s easy to fall into the routine of walking or jogging at the same pace every time. But to get the most of our exercise regimen, we need to challenge ourselves. “The number one thing to do is to increase the intensity that you work out…

Ask a Nurse: A closer look at Vitamin D deficiencies

As many of us swallow down one, two, three, or even four vitamins and supplements every morning, do you ever stop and think, “Do I really need to take all these vitamins?” Well, more research is being conducted for this very reason. In this column, I’d like to focus on vitamin D. Do you know…
Editor’s Dose: An important update on the Affordable Care Act

Like an afternoon soap opera we love to hate, we just can’t seem to stop watching the drama unfold in relation to the Affordable Care Act. Whether you’re in favor or opposed to the ACA (commonly known as ObamaCare), I think we can all agree that it’s important to stay informed and remember that whether…
Publisher’s Note: The method behind the magazine

Last edition, we featured an extensive article on how our region is working towards tackling the issue of obesity in our neighborhoods. On the surface, it might have seemed like we were celebrating the long upheld New Year’s Resolution to shed a few pounds, but there’s really much more to it than that. You see,…