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Something to Smile About

Annual No-Cost Dental Clinic Coming to Lakeland in May by JULIE BUTTERFIELD Although all three of her stepdaughters have beautiful smiles, Skylar Fuller noticed they were smiling with their mouths closed in family photos. That’s not how someone with a great smile like theirs should pose for photos, she remembers thinking. They were using Mom…
Unlock Your Golden Years

The Secret to Healthy Aging Is Hidden in the Basics Everybody wants the scoop on how to live a long and healthy life. In light-hearted tales, we often hear seniors swear that it was their love of chocolate or daily glass of wine that was the key. We wanted advice that was a bit more…
Delivering Hope

For Many Seniors, Meals on Wheels Is More Than a Meal — It’s a Lifeline by REBEKAH PIERCE Meals on Wheels of Polk County offers locals more than just a meal. It offers a lifeline, and not just to the people receiving the meals. Established as a support network for our Polk County communities, the…

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…