Blogs

There is a never a convenient time to get sick. From work to kids and busy schedules, who has time to be sick? When it comes to interfering with your regular workout routine, do you let illness stop you from hitting the gym? For many, it is hard enough getting in the time for exercise even when we’re feeling great. You’ve carved out the time, but now you’re not feeling up to par. When is it OK and when is it not OK to exercise when you’re sick? Here are some general guidelines to help you make that decision; however, it is always important to listen to your own body.

It seems everyone is abuzz today with hopes of hitting it big. With a record $550 million (or more) Powerball payout, lottery fever is reaching a peak in 42 states across the country. While we all know our chances of winning are slim, lottery officials expect hourly ticket sales today to top $6 million an hour. In fact, jackpots of this size tend to bring in new players, who do not regularly buy lottery tickets. Today is a day most people, it appears, are willing to gamble. We may think we don’t gamble on a regular basis, but when it comes to your health, can you say the same?

Pharmacists have known of the potential dangerous interaction grapefruit and grapefruit juice have with certain prescription drugs for at least 20 years. However, a new Canadian study published this week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal finds the number of commonly used prescription drugs with this possible dangerous interaction with grapefruit is on the rise. The potential side effects are escalating as well, according to researchers, and can include death. 

Cyber Monday is quickly becoming the new Black Friday. With an estimated 50% of Americans expected to shop online today for deals spending a projected $1.5 billion, Cyber Monday is a great opportunity for many to take advantage of the variety of products and the convenience of shopping online, all while scoring big deals. Cyber Monday is also an opportunity to take advantage of healthy deals for you and your family.

While Thanksgiving is all about food, family, fun and some football, lurking among the managed chaos in the kitchen is something called “The Danger Zone”. To help keep your family safe and healthy this holiday, the temperature of food should always stay either above or below “The Danger Zone”, 40 to 140 degrees. When thawing a turkey, it is especially important to do so correctly, or any bacteria that were on the frozen turkey prior to freezing could begin to grow again if the temperature reaches above 40 degrees.

Once considered a Southern tradition, the deep-fried turkey has grown in popularity all over the country in recent years with celebrity chef endorsements, availability of gas and electric fryers and as a time-efficient cooking method on Thanksgiving Day. Some families’ long-standing traditions of oven roasted turkeys are finding themselves slowly replaced by the crispy skin and moist meat of the deep-fried turkey. However, the reward is not without risk.

For many, Thanksgiving is the best holiday of the year. The focus is on food, family, friends and officially welcoming the holiday season. Prior to bustling through the anxious shoppers and long lines of Black Friday, Thanksgiving offers a nearly worry- and stress-free holiday for all to enjoy the company of one another among the savory and sweet concoctions of a big holiday meal. However, before sitting down to the feast, there are safety considerations we need to heed to ensure a happy and healthy holiday.

Fire Safety

Lovelace Westside Hospital has received the 2012 Zia Award from New Mexico Quality Awards for demonstrating the highest level of performance excellence and being considered the “Best in Class” and a role model in New Mexico. The New Mexico Quality Awards, modeled after the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, provides participating organizations with feedback on their strengths and their opportunities for improvement. The winners will be recognized at an award ceremony in April 2013.

What started in 2003 as clever campaign to bring the mustache back, quickly became a global phenomenon when the creators from Australia teamed up with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia the following year to dovetail the focus on fashion to a focus on men’s health.  Today, the campaign raises awareness and money for men’s charities targeting prostate and testicular cancer. In 2011, the viral campaign raised more than 120 million dollars during the month of November.

34 is young. 32 even younger. Two women in the middle of raising young families felt the sudden abandonment of their health during what should have been one of their strongest and most energetic decades of their lives. Neither Susan Pompeo nor Andrea Contreras knew their seemingly parallel yet independent lives would take the course 1 in 8 women in the United States find themselves on every year. Entry is abrupt and the journey unknown when standing before the words, “It’s breast cancer.”