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The First Step

Right Mindset, Guidance Can Keep a New Exercise Program From Being Intimidating By PAUL CATALA photos by CALVIN KNIGHT When Nancy Hogan first walked through the doors of the local fitness center, she was just beginning to build the momentum to finally get on a regular exercise routine. The retired school teacher, who lives in…
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 —…

Holiday tips to help keep the whole family healthy

AS WE ENTER THE HOLIDAY SEASON, the excitement of fall festivals, family gatherings, and holiday parties are worth celebrating. For many, this means gathering to-do lists, party planning, and shopping for family and loved ones. One thing to remember in the holiday preparations is to remain healthy this holiday season! In all of the excitement,…
Health Facts: The ABCs of bone health

For better bones, activity, bone density, and calcium intake are key BONES … The framework of your body is a living tissue that is constantly broken down, replaced, and needs daily nourishment. While it’s important to build strong and healthy bones during your youth, you should protect your bone in adulthood, too.
Q&A on the continued care needed to combat childhood obesity

Jessica Maxwell, ARNP, offers insight from the front lines of the weight-loss battle LESS THAN FIVE years ago, childhood obesity was recognized as a significant public health threat in Polk County. According to the most recent data offered by Florida Charts (2013), childhood obesity among WIC children ages two years and younger was at 31…