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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.” …

What Is Age-Related Macular Degeneration, or AMD?

by NADER MOINFAR, M.D., M.P.H. Geographic atrophy (GA) is an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). In general, AMD is a disease that progresses in stages. Patients with advanced AMD experience vision loss from either excess ﬂuid and blood (wet AMD) or the death of cells (GA). It is estimated that 1.5 million…
Understanding Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

An aneurysm is a “weakening” or “dilatation” in a part of an artery. An estimated 15,000 people die of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) every year in the US. About 200,000 new cases of AAA are diagnosed every year. Most of these are diagnosed by tests that are done for unrelated reasons. The aorta is…
The Future Is Clear: The Shift to Daily Disposable Contact Lenses

by DANIEL SMITH, O.D. Contact lenses offer a wonderful alternative to traditional eyeglasses, providing wearers with a range of unique benefits that suit various lifestyles. They offer a natural, unobstructed field of vision, and the absence of frames on the face may be highly beneficial, especially during physical activities where glasses may pose a risk…