Cinergy Health has recently covered the news from the Food and Drug Administration about quinine.  The FDA has recently sent out a warning that quinine could have life-threatening side effects when taken for nighttime leg cramps.  The Food and Drug Administration explains that they have received dozens of reports of people who developed adverse effects while taking this drug, including kidney damage and even two deaths.

Qualaquin is only approved for treating malaria, which means that other uses are not approved and potentially dangerous.  The FDA has said that the manufacturer of Qualaquin is developing a risk management plan to help to communicate these potential risks to doctors and to consumers.

When you first begin a new weight training routine, it’s important to have a plan.  You need to know what you will be doing, how long you plan for each session to last, and how to approach your exercise plan.

Begin your training session with a warn-up.  This can include any light aerobic activity such as walking, biking or stair walking.  Then, stretch to prepare for your weight training.  In general, weight training is grouped into repetitions and sets.  Find a weight you can lift and repeat the movement at least eight times.  If you can’t manage to lift it 8 times, then it’s too heavy for you.  If you can do it 12 times really easily, then you need to increase the weight.

A typical program includes one or two sets of 8-12 repetitions.  Rest for one minute between each set.

Finish every session with a cool-down period of stretching.  This will help you to maintain your flexibility and to prevent injuries.  Certainly, you should consult with a physician before starting any exercise program, and you should get advice from a qualified instructor when you first begin doing a weight training program.

Cinergy Health knows how awful the flu can be. Not only do you feel bad, sneezing coughing, fever, body aches and other unpleasant symptoms. Not to mention lost productivity at work. It is worthwhile to try to not only avoid catching the flu from someone else, but if you think you might be “coming down with something” when you are still at the office, there are steps you can take to avoid infecting your co-workers.

An easy and significant place to begin is in the washroom. A simple thing like washing after using the restroom, after coughing and after sneezing can reduce the chances of spreading your germs. To avoid getting infected, be sure to wash your hands before eating.

According to Margaret Lewin, Medical Director of Cinergy Health,

“Influenza virus particles are carried up to six feet in the mucous drops produced by sneezing and coughing. If the ill person coughs into his hand, that hand will transfer infectious viral particles to any object touched such as doorknobs, banisters and elevator buttons. Another person touching that surface and then touching his face will transfer viral particles to his respiratory tract. If the ill person coughs into his sleeve or a tissue, which is immediately thrown away, few of these particles reach other people.”

Follow these guidelines recommended by Margaret Lewin to avoid spreading or catching the flu at work.

1.    If you know you are sick, stay home from work.
2.    Rest and eat a balanced diet to keep you immune system healthy to help fight illness the natural way.
3.    Cover your mouth with tissue when you sneeze or cough. Throw the tissue away after use.
4.    If there is no tissue available, cough into elbow, not hands.
5.    Sanitize hands with alcohol or chlorine based wipes.
6.    Minimize face-to-face contact with co-workers. Use interoffice email or telephone conferences.
7.    Avoid touching eyes, mouth or nose to prevent exposure to viruses.
8.    Get vaccinated against the flu.
9.    Keep the distances between co-workers to at least 3 feet, but more than 6 feet are preferable.
10.    Get clarity on the office policy towards sick leave to make sure you do not get penalized for staying home until you have recovered from the flu. Preventing co-workers from getting ill helps prevent loss of productivity at the office, which is in everyone’s best interest.

Researchers have found a clear link between pancreatic cancer and obesity. As Dr. Margaret Lewin of Cinergy Health explains, “Pancreatic cancer is the fifth-leading cause of cancer death, with a survival rate of less than 5 percent. Prevention is, therefore, key.”

Cinergy Health Suggestions

There are lifestyle changes that you can make to reduce your risks of this deadly disease. First, it’s vitally important to shed extra weight and to gauge your weight based on your BMI. Focus on portion size and portion control and to also look at what you are eating.

Cinergy Health Says Get Moving

Get moving as well! Doctors recommend at least half an hour of exercise each day, and strength training at least twice a week. These lifestyle changes can make a big difference in your life – and they just might save it!

Everyone knows that work can be a dangerous place if you’re on a diet.  Margaret Lewin, M.D., the medical director of Cinergy Health, explains that work is the perfect environment for gaining weight.  There is always another brownie to take, a bagel to eat, or other refined carbohydrates to enjoy.

Cinergy Health Diet Tips

Dr. Lewin recommends snacking on small bits of food throughout the day to curb your appetite and to avoid all of these carbohydrates.  Interestingly, in a study she says that people who ate the same amount of calories in a day had different results depending on how they ate them. If they ate all of their calories in one meal, they gained weight; while, if they ate 16 tiny meals throughout the day, they actually lost weight.

Snacking OK Says Cinergy Health

This Cinergy Health expert recommends bringing cut up vegetables and salsa to work.  She says that snacking is fine as long as you’re snacking on healthy foods.

Cinergy Health: Be Inefficient!

She also recommends being less efficient with our work and our time.  Take the stairs rather than the elevator; go over to your boss to discuss an issue rather than emailing or calling.  As Dr. Lewin says, “We have to learn to drift off the weight the same way we let it drift on,” she said.