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Mia’s Mission

7-Year-Old Uses Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis to Teach Others by TIM CRAIG photos by FOSTER’S PHOTOGRAPHY Monique Mathews played a hunch and saved her daughter’s life. It was November 2019, and her daughter, Mia, was spending the night at her best friend’s house. However, Mia was crying after dinner because of a stomach ache —…
Pop Quiz! Do You Know the Roles Vitamins, Minerals Play in Good Nutrition?

Did you know that micronutrient deficiencies affect billions of people worldwide? Micronutrients, also called vitamins and minerals, are an important part of adequate nutrition. There are six essential micronutrients, and they are essential for healthy development, disease prevention, and overall well-being, and they must be gained through diet or by taking vitamins. Take our quiz…
Sweet Dreams Are Made of This

Health-Conscious Bakery Delivers Low-Carb, Sugar-Free, and Gluten-Free Treats by MARY TOOTHMAN You’ve got to love the name of this little bakery: the No Guilt Baking Company. Owned and operated by Darla and Andrew Markley, the bake shop evolved through the Catapult Lakeland initiative. Three small businesses operate under the umbrella name/theme of “Counter Culture.” …

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…