One positive byproduct of a down economy is that some men are finding more happiness for themselves.  Today, many men are finding, when they lose their jobs, that they can find more creative and interesting ways to fill their time.  As Erika Schwartz, M.D., the former medical director of the health plan program started by Daniel Touizer, Cinergy Health, reports, more male patients are saying that they are out of work and enjoying the added relaxation.

This former Cinergy Health medical director says,  ”Lately, I’ve been hearing, ‘I love taking care of the kids, I love being home. I really don’t want to go back to Wall Street.’ “  Some men, however, have difficulty switching gears and being seen as weak.  Richard Leider, a life coach in Minnesota specializes in “second half of life” issues.  He says that the transition is not easy for many men  – but that their ever day stresses make it important to think about what people call the “postponed life.”

The key to saving millions of dollars in Health Care costs is prevention, according to many experts including Daniel Touizer, CEO of Cinergy Health. Surprisingly, the most serious concern today for improving the health of the nation as a whole, is preventing obesity. Overtaking smoking as the leading bad habit among Americans, obesity has come to the forefront of issues which are unnecessarily taxing U.S. health care resources.

As Daniel Touizer explained,

“Obesity causes multiple illnesses and skyrockets healthcare costs for both individuals and employers.”

The health director of Cinergy Health has put together a list of five tips to fight obesity and stay healthy.

1.    Move! Staying active is a great way to combat weight gain. Get in at least 20 minutes of walking every day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away and walk whenever possible.
2.    Reduce Consumption of Alcoholic Beverages. Wine, beer and other liquor is highly caloric. Cut back to at least half of what you drink each week.
3.    Drink Water! Very often we mistake the thirst signal our bodies send us with the hunger signal. Try having a cup of water next time you feel hungry. Try to drink 8-10 cups each day to help cleanse and detoxify your system from impurities that are found there.
4.    Watch what you eat. For most people 2,000 calories each day is enough to maintain good health without gaining weight. Make those calories count by eating lots of fruits, veggies, dairy, meat, bread and legumes.
5.    Night-night! Getting enough sleep is a crucial ingredient in staying healthy and feeling great. You’ll also have more energy for all the extra walking, drinking water, resisting alcohol and saying no to empty calories you will be doing. Watch the pounds fly away!

Everyone knows that obesity is on the rise.  By do we know just how much on the rise it is?  Cinergy Health explains that the number of obese adults has risen by 85% in the last 15 years, as opposed to smoking which has decreased by 18.5% in the same amount of time.

As Daniel Touizer, Cinergy Health CEO explains, “Obesity causes multiple illnesses and skyrockets healthcare costs for both individuals and employers. Cinergy Health created this guide to encourage Americans to take charge of their healthcare, which will in turn lower premiums.”

Five key tips offered by Cinergy Health for 2010 include: staying active, limiting your alcohol intake, drinking plenty of water, eating healthy and getting enough sleep.  Do your body right with these recommendations!

Everyone is concerned about swine flu.  As Daniel Touizer, the CEO of Cinergy Health explains, “Swine Flu is the number one consumer health concern this year and many people don’t know where to turn for help.”  For this reason, “Cinergy Health created this guide so Americans know how to protect themselves against this pandemic.”

Dr. Margaret Lewin, the Medical Director at Cinergy Health offers the following guidelines for preventing and treating H1N1.

Dr. Lewin recommends that you have both the H1N1 vaccine and the seasonal flu vaccine.  They can be given on the same day and are an important preventative measure.  Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or with hand sanitizer that has at least 60% ethyl alcohol in it.  Make sure, according to the Cinergy Health expert, to wash your hands at least 20 seconds before eating.

She further recommends staying at home as soon as you start to feel sick.  Don’t return to work until you’ve been fever-free for 24 hours, as you are the most contagious when feverish.  When you cough, make sure to do so into a tissue or into the crook of your arm.

Certainly, every dark cloud has a silver lining. If you are a business owner, the recession just might be something that could benefit you and your business. Daniel Touizer, CEO of Cinergy Health, offers five key suggestions to cash in on the recession and to see 2010 in a positive light.

There are many discounts that business owners can find at the moment. You might be able to renegotiate your rent or purchase new office space inexpensively. Commercial vacancy rates are as high as 10% right now – and you can benefit from that high rate. In addition, the cost of raw materials is much lower now than it’s been, allowing you to save money while purchasing the supplies you need. In addition, according to Daniel Touizer, now is a great time to hire staff. You may be able to find highly qualified workers who will work for less money. Unemployed and underemployed people are eager to work, and will do so right now for less wages than ever before.

Keep your insurance costs in check by encouraging good health in your employees, and perhaps even by offering discounted gym memberships and other perks. Finally, as the Cinergy Health CEO recommends, offer your employees multiple healthcare plans. This will allow each employee to select the plan that suits his needs and his health situation.

This past November the United States House of Representatives passed a health care bill which will affect Americans and the way they take care of their health. This new bill is of great concern to Daniel Touizer, CEO of Cinergy Health who expressed his opinion about this new legislation in the following way:

“While the house healthcare bill is far from perfect, it is at least a step towards expanding access to affordable health coverage for all Americans. Unfortunately, the House healthcare bill is radically off the mark from what meaningful health reform needs to address. While it contains elements of an effective healthcare reform bill such as emphasis on prevention and healthcare affordability, it fails to tackle the roots of rising healthcare costs.”

Continuing his assessment of this new development in healthcare legislation, Daniel Touizer expressed hope that this is just the beginning of a process to improve the general health of the U.S. population through healthier living and more intelligent health choices.

Daniel Touizer hopes to also see a larger emphasis, not only on healthier lifestyles at home and at work, but also more freedom which allows people to purchase health insurance beyond their state lines, lowering prices of prescription drugs and reducing the costs of hospital-based care.

As an entrepreneur and small business leader, Daniel Touizer, CEO of Cinergy Health, is in touch with the needs and concerns of other small business owners throughout the United States, and knows what to do to take advantage of the coming challenges brought on by the present economic downturn many businesses are reeling from.

One of the biggest expenses of a business can be salaries. A re-evaluation of personnel needed to run the business could help you realize substantial savings. If you need to hire someone new, perhaps you can hire a talented, qualified person for less money due to the fact that he may be unemployed or underemployed and quite anxious to work, even for smaller wages. Especially if you run a company with a reputation for being a great place to work, you might be able to pay less if you treat your employees better. Also, as economic times improve you may be able to increase salaries as business improves.

Small businesses as well as larger ones should realize they have a stake in the health and well-being of their employees. By serving healthier lunches and supplying access to health clubs or gyms, the company as well as the individuals benefit. The good health of workers means more productivity, and lower insurance costs. This is a truly win-win situation.

Tailor the healthcare options you offer to each employee’s individual needs. Making one type of health care plan option available, you may be spending more than needed by supplying coverage that some of your employees don’t really need. Making a healthcare plan perfectly suited to each individual can be a great source of money savings.

With the year 2010 approaching, Daniel Touizer, CEO of Cinergy Health is advising owners of small businesses on how to save money in the coming year by taking advantage of the current recession. He also has tips on overcoming the challenges caused by the changes in health care, and generally succeeding financially.

During times of recession there is often an increase in vacancy rates for office space, driving the cost of rentals down. Daniel Touzier suggests taking advantage of the 10 percent or more vacancy rate which cities tend to experience during hard times, and relocate the site of the office for a cheaper location, saving lots of overhead costs. If moving is too difficult, renegotiate the rental agreement with the landlord.

Another effect of the recession is the lowering price of raw materials. Businesses should also take advantage of this phenomenon and be sure to bring in supplies at a significantly smaller cost. During harder economic conditions prices come down on all kinds of supplies, from office furniture to other supplies.

In a recent discussion on the risks of getting cancer from either using cell phones or wearing bras with metal underwires, Dr. Margaret Lewin, medical director of Cinergy Health, and Daniel Touizer CEO stated: “Definitively, they (bras) do not contribute to breast cancer.”

According to the American Cancer Society, “There are no scientifically valid studies that show wearing bras of any type causes breast cancer.”

The rumor began as a result of a recent book, “Dressed to Kill,” claimed that there may be some risk of the development of breast cancer caused by the wearing of underwire bras. The scientific study which was cited in the book claiming such is not regarded in a serious manner by the scientific community.

As far as cell phones are concerned, the research does not prove one way or the other that cell phones are responsible for any type of cancer. In that case it may be wise to take precautions when using cell phones. Included in the advice for lowering the risk of cancer from cell phones, if there is any risk, are:

•    Use hands-free technologies to keep the phone and its antenna away from the head.
•    Limit the amount of time speaking on the cell phone.

Cinergy Health is an alternative health care coverage provider. Its CEO, Daniel Touizer believes it is crucial that people know the options they have for coverage when they suddenly find themselves unemployed.

It is important to be aware of the time constraints involved in maintaining health coverage upon termination of employment, whether voluntarily or otherwise.

There is only a 60 day time frame to implement COBRA coverage, the plan which you are entitled to if you worked for a company of more than 20 employees which allows you to remain part of the group coverage plan but whose premiums you will be up to 102% responsible for.

Don’t wait to begin looking for individual insurance coverage. The choices and various types of coverage available can be complicated, and you should avoid having to make any last minute, rash, or uninformed decisions.

If you are being dropped from your health insurance plan, there are only 63 days to get into a new plan without a waiting period due to any pre-existing conditions.

Carefully consider all the health plan options. Think about what your health care needs are, and try and match your coverage to these needs. One option is to pay less for the premiums but have a very high deductible, such as $5,000. In this way you will have coverage for the most expensive, catastrophic care, but will have to pay out-of-pocket for the routine care such as doctor’s visits or other predictable services. Another option is to get coverage for a limited time, such as 6 or 12 months. These term plans are much more affordable than major medical plans.