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The Quintessential Essential Worker

Demand for Respiratory Therapists On Rise Amid COVID-19 by TERESA SCHIFFER Inhale…exhale…. Many of us take the ease of breathing for granted. We breathe in and out all day and night, rarely giving the life-sustaining act a second thought. All that changes when we come down with sinus congestion or a respiratory infection that leaves…
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…

Health Hero: Kia Troutman

Heading Polk County’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Campaign a Personal Crusade for Kia Troutman Kia Troutman knows cancer. She knows how it killed her grandparents and a co-worker. She knows what her 61-year-old cousin in Mississippi, recently diagnosed with breast cancer, is going through. She knows how it touches the lives of African-Americans and…
5 Ways to Help with Smarter Nutrition

Polk County nutritionist at Central Florida Health Care shares how he helps patients make smarter food choices. Okay, it’s time to be honest. When you put food on your plate, does half of your meal consist of fruits and vegetables? If you answered “no” to this question, you’re not alone. In fact, more than 90…
Oral Hygiene and Your Mental Health

The connection between mental health and overall health is under-researched in the medical community, and this is true of the connection between mental health and oral health as well. Healthcare researchers agree there is a connection between oral health and mental health, but the exact connection isn’t a simple one. How Poor Oral Hygiene Affects…