In a recent study done by the University of Arizona, it was discovered that office workers are exposed to more germs from their phones and computer keyboards than from the bathroom toilet seat! Furthermore, it was found that work stations contain nearly 400 times as many microbes as bathrooms!

So what can you do? Office equipment should be cleaned and disinfected regularly to prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria responsible for disease. The 3 office items that harbor the most microbes are phones, keyboards, and computer mice and thus they should be cleaned frequently. Also, promptly clean up any food or beverage spills as they can support mini ecosystems of bacteria.

Finally, make sure to exercise good hygiene by washing hands properly or using a hand sanitizer to reduce your spread of germs. For more information on proper hygiene and preventative measures to take to reduce the spread of germs, check out these videos:

How to Wash Your Hands Correctly

Preventing the Spread of Germs

On Tuesday, November 4, Americans go to the polls to select a new President. It’s been the longest, most costly campaign in history, one that many observers say has changed the way elections will always be run in the United States. If you’re registered to vote in the U.S. — and if you haven’t already voted! — be sure to get out there and cast your ballot. Click here to see where you go to vote.

The two major-party candidates, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, offer differing views on many issues, and healthcare is no exception. Our own Rebecca Fox examined their proposals and, in this video, points out the similarities and contrasts. For more election info, go to the icyou’s Election ‘08 Channel.

We made it home. We unpacked our bags. We gathered our thoughts. We downloaded and edited all of our videos. And we’ve posted many interviews from the Health 2.0 Conference in San Francisco. Check out our Health 2.0 Channel, and keep checking it all next week as we add even more interviews and panel clips!

Ah, business conferences…the panels, the conferences, the free pens! The icyou staff is currently at the wonderful Health 2.0 conference in San Francisco, learning about all the new health happenings on the web and off. Check back all next week for exclusive interviews with Health 2.0 attendees as well as excerpts from panels that cover health and technologies that impact us all.

In the meantime, check out interviews from past Health 2.0 conferences on their icyou Health 2.0 Channel.

We’re proud to announce that the fully customizable icyou is now live. Come over and create your own customized homepage, build a channel, upload videos, and connect with others interested in their health.

Oh, and enter to win an iPod Nano or other great prizes in our “icyou & Improved Scavenger Hunt!” Scavenger Hunt details are available in our last post.

Now, it’s time to get on with checking out the “you & Improved” icyou!

Have you heard that icyou is launching its new customizable homepage and many other excellent new features…tomorrow?

Well, we are, and we’re celebrating with a fun little “You & Improved” Scavenger Hunt. That’s right: You can explore all that icyou offers and perhaps win an iPod Nano and other great prizes while you’re doing it.

Check out the Scavenger Hunt Channel and Video for details.

We’re very excited to announce that icyou is launching out of beta on Wednesday, October 15, 2008. This launch is the culmination of much work over the past year to make icyou the source for health videos online, as well as to make it a vibrant community and trusted source for health information.

Here are some highlights of the new icyou:

• A customizable homepage, which allows users to personalize icyou with videos that are most relevant to them
• Streamlined search-and-browse, which gets users closer, faster to the information they seek
• Redesigned Profile Pages, so you can easily browse the icyou community
• New navigation topics, helping you hone in on the videos in icyou’s libarary that are best for you.

To celebrate the release, we’re holding a You & Improved Scavenger Hunt and giving away three (3) 8Gb iPod Nanos or a $25 gift certificate to iTunes or Amazon!

More details to come later this week, so stay tuned…and spread the word about the You & Improved icyou, coming Wednesday, October 15th!

Here’s an interesting article from the New York Times about how the Internet, and especially Google, have changed the way we think about health information. As the title implies, knowledge is power. But as the article warns, too much knowledge—or the wrong kind of knowledge—can make you feel powerless.

You’re Sick. Now What? Knowledge Is Power (New York Times, 8/30/08)

(icyou urges you to always seek the advice of a medical professional if you have a health issue.)

Getting enough exercise with the aches and pains of aging can be difficult. The key is to make it fun, which is why many seniors are turning to video games that recreate favorite activities to keep active.

Watch this video from icyou contributor info4yourlife to find out how:

Keeping Fit with Technology

Attention Pet Owners and Wannabe Pet Owners! We know you love your critters but did you know that your pets can be good for your health? Owning a pet has been proven to lower blood pressure, reduce stress, decrease depression, and increase overall health in their owners.

Two of the most popular pets are cats and dogs and each has positive health benefits.

Dog Benefits

1. Boosting your mood-new owners report feeling happier
2. Making friends- owners who walk their dogs meet a lot of new people
3. Losing weight- dog walkers lose an average of 14 pounds in a year

Cat Benefits

1. Helping you chill- most owners say their cats help them relax
2. Ditching asthma- kids with cats may get an immunity boost
3. Protecting your heart- a recent study shows that cat owners are 40 percent less likely to die of a heart attack

Check out the following videos to learn more about how pets can imporve your health:

Benefits of Owning a Pet

Pets Lower Blood Pressure

Pets Help to Reduce Stress