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Fight the Temptation

Dietician Shares Tips to Help Diabetics Safely Enjoy Holiday Fare by TERESA SCHIFFER The holidays are approaching and with them the annual battle of the carbs at the dinner table. So much fantastic food – hearty casseroles, decadent desserts, and festive beverages … so many hidden calories and carbohydrates lurking on the table that can…
T1D Determination

Boy Takes Control of Diagnosis to Dream Big story by KRISTEN GUEVARA photos by TYLER DIGIOVINE A typical 11-year-old likely doesn’t prefer the company of a snitch, but for one Lake Wales boy in particular — it’s exactly what he wants. In 2018, Weston Watson was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes — commonly referred to…
Pop Quiz!

Are You Really Boosting Your Immune System? The news has been filled with information concerning the immune system, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic and the start of cold and flu season. The body’s immune system is a complex network of organs, white blood cells, proteins called antibodies, and chemicals that work together to protect you…

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…