Hot MedFax

Hiring good people.  Giving them incentives to work hard.  Rewarding them. All important but did you know the most important key to retention is the energy in your workplace ? According to newswise.com, research shows that people who energize their work colleagues are less likely to voluntarily leave an organization - unless they are high performers. A research study has found that people's energy towards colleagues has a major influence on how likely they are to leave their josb voluntarily. IT workers over a four-year period were studied by academics at the Grenoble Ecole de Management (France) and the Surrey Business School at University of Surrey. Retaining staff is a key focus for companies since staff turnover causes huge costs in terms of recruitment fees, training and loss of organizational performance. It is estimated that replacing a high level executive can cost up to 4.5 times' the employee's salary. The study reveals that people who have ...

It's the greatest news I've heard in a while. Jogging keeps you young. But then I read the article through and sure enough, it was a bit of a come-on.  Turns out that  those who run at least 30 minutes, three times a week were less likely to experience age-related physical decline in " walking efficiency" than those who simply walked. Big deal. Though, I suppose, when I'm 80, that will mean a lot.   “What we found is that older adults who regularly participate in high aerobic activities—running in particular—have what we call a lower metabolic cost of walking than older, sedentary adults. In fact, their metabolic cost of walking is similar to young adults in their 20s,” said Justus Ortega, a Kinesiology Professor at Humboldt State and director of HSU’s Biomechanics Lab.  Now that, I'll buy. But here's the kicker. Decline in walking ability is a key predictor of morbidity in older adults. I've been jogging for over 30 years, most...

Did you know being happier could lead to a healthier environment? Well, it's not quite that simple.  But a new study has found that the pursuit of true happiness can lead people to lifestyles that will not only be satisfying but will be better for the environment,according to newswise.com. "For decades, consumerism has been on a collision course with the environment, with consumer appetites draining the planet of natural resources and accelerating global warming. One view is that we need to change consumption in order to save the planet,”Miriam Tatzel, PhD, of Empire State College, tells newswise.com. “But what if we approached it from the other way around? What if what’s good for the consumer meets what’s good for the environment?”  Positive psychology, or the study of happiness, well-being and quality of life, provides the answers to what really brings happiness to consumers, Tatzel said. Several studies have determined that people’s basic psychological need...

Seems counter-intuitive to me but a new study  has established that people living in well-heated homes have lower BMIs and tend not to be obese. Usually it's heavier people who don't need to keep the heat so high, but this new study of 100,000 people in Scotland in central-heated homes proved it out.  Though other studies -- done in the US, Canada, the UK and Europe -- suggest this is not true, according to medicalnewstoday.com. "We set out to investigate the scientific claims that cooler indoor temperatures help us maintain a healthy weight by pushing our bodies to expend more energy through shivering and generating heat through tissues. In fact, the research suggests people may eat less and burn more energy when residing in a warmer indoor environment," the Web site reports on the study. " "This research suggests the obesity epidemic could worsen where heating is turned down below comfortable levels, or off, for lengthy periods to cut costs," m...

There's been a lot of talk lately about foods that fight fatigue.  One web site lists whole grain crackers, walnuts, dark chocolate, and watermelon.  Also, pumpkin seeds.  Yogurt.  Wheat bran cereal.  Tea.  Red bell pepper (which a friend, whose toddler fought leukemia, was told is the perfect food). “We find that fatigue generally is coupled to foods that are nutrient-poor,”   nutritionist Nicolette Pace  told CBS TV New York. Speaking last night on CBS, Pace reported that "Our bodies need essential nutrients, like protein, fats and complex carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and minerals, to function properly. " She suggested quinoa (I can't even pronounce it) and buckwheat products.  Another big one?  Foods containing zinc.  And eating one cup of sweet potatoes a day "helps 78 percent of women shake off fatigue in as little as three days.," she told CBS. Without nutrition-rich foods, you feel tired — even irritable — and t...