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Put your dirty hands in the air

Give Bad Bacteria the Stick Up with these Simple Steps Germs. The uninvited guest. The invisible menace. They are everywhere, even in places that look spotless. So how can you tell if something is truly clean? According to Joe Rubino, head microbiologist for Lysol, there are two types of clean. There is the visual…
Young blood (pressure, that is)

Hypertension is an increasing threat amongst young adults Nearly one in five young adults have high blood pressure, a surprising jump that has prompted researchers to call it a “sleeping epidemic” according to a new study by the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. UNC researchers analyzed data on more than 14,000 men and women…
The good, the bad and the ugly cholesterol

Q&A with Cynthia L. Ritter, CCRN, MSN, ARNP-C Central Florida Health News: Is there a “Good” and “Bad” cholesterol? Cynthia L. Ritter: Yes. Cholesterol is made of two types of lipoproteins, triglycerides and something called Lp(a). The two lipoproteins, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) have been given the terms good and bad cholesterol.…

Healthy Cook: The truth about ‘negative calorie’ foods

Some things just sound too good to be true. You lose more calories eating a food than the food has in it. That’s called “negative calories” and it sounds like digestive snake oil to me. It would be died-and-gone-to-heaven for dieters. But there is a modicum of truth in it. Some cold foods that are…
Ask a Nurse: Popping pain pills?

Americans make up ~4.6 percent of the world’s population, yet have been consuming 80 percent of the global opioid supply and 99 percent of the global hydrocodone supply1! According to the CDC in 2008, 14,800 died of an opioid overdose… more than heroin and cocaine COMBINED2. Opioids like morphine, codeine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, oxycodone, oxymorphone, and fentanyl…
PCMA Letter: Don’t let an active lifestyle be a chore this summer

It’s fairly common amongst the general population to want to live a long, healthy, and happy life. Remaining physically fit is imperative to this way of life. Staying in shape helps you live longer and prevents illnesses. This is why the doctors of the Polk County Medical Association (PCMA) bring you the fitness edition this…