Category: Health

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Habits for Staying Healthy During Flu Season

a cup of tea, glasses, and tissues on a table

While it is good to be vaccinated for the flu every year, there are some strains that the vaccine does not cover. Luckily, there are some healthy habits that you can incorporate into your daily life to keep the flu and other colds away during this flu season.

Avoid Close Contact

Avoid close contact with people who are sick and even others who are not, just in case they are not showing symptoms yet. Also, when you are sick, be sure to keep your distance to protect the people around you. If possible, when you are sick, stay home from school, work, and other public areas this also prevents others from getting sick.

Cover Your Nose and Mouth

When you sneeze or cough, make sure you cover your mouth and nose. The flu and other respiratory illnesses are usually spread by someone coughing or sneezing. These illnesses can also spread from unclean hands, so make sure you are washing your hands often!

Wash Your Hands

As stated earlier, washing your hands is one of the best ways to keep yourself protected from unwanted germs. For times that a sink isn’t available, hand sanitizer can also clean up your hands quickly. Even if you are washing your hands regularly, it is also important to avoid touching your nose, eyes, or mouth as this is how germs can enter the body.

Other good health habits to keep you free of sickness include:

  • Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces frequently
  • Being physically active
  • Getting plenty of sleep
  • Drinking plenty of fluids
  • Eating foods that are nutritious
  • Managing your stress

If you follow these habits as much as you can, you are less likely to get sick this season.

Dr. Barbara Edwards, Princeton internist practices at Penn Medicine Princeton Health in the Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center and also serves as Medical Director of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Center.

Dr. Barbara Edwards, Princeton internist, Discusses Habits for Staying Healthy During Flu Season

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How Weight Affects the Health of Your Heart

purple vegetables made into the shape of a heart

It may sound obvious, but a person’s weight may have a dramatic effect on their overall health, especially the health of their heart. Excess weight may be dangerous for your heart because it increases the risk for conditions that lead to heart disease, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes, but that’s not the only reason.

According to Harvard Health, the fat located in your abdomen, otherwise known as visceral fat, lies deep enough to surround your organs and disrupt their function. The fat around the belly is especially metabolically active, this means it creates several factors, such as hormones, that increase the risk for heart disease. Although this may sound scary, if you are proactive with your diet and health, you can lower your risk of metabolic syndrome and heart disease.

How to Fight Back from Metabolic Syndrome

  • Reduce the amount of candy, cookies, and white bread you eat. Eating a great amount of simple carbs may increase central obesity.
  • Practice portion control on a regular basis. As silly as it sounds, you can trick your brain into thinking you’re eating more and feel fuller by eating your meals on a salad plate. Also, most restaurants have a tendency to give meal portions that are too large. If you eat a half or third of your meal, you can cut your calorie intake greatly, and have leftovers for another meal!
  • Make sure you are keeping yourself moving on a regular basis. Briskly walking for 30 minutes a day can help you burn about 150 calories a day!

If you are concerned with the health of your heart, make sure you contact your doctor to get the necessary tests and treatments to keep your heart healthy for years to come.

Dr. Barbara Edwards, Princeton internist practices at Penn Medicine Princeton Health in the Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center and also serves as Medical Director of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Center.

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How Exercise Can Benefit Your Heart

Dr. Barbara R Edwards Princeton woman running during sunset

It is no secret that exercise is one of the greatest gifts you can grant your body. Exercise can promote fat loss and muscle growth, increase energy and brain health, decrease chronic disease risk, and help your body function at its full potential. However, the immense benefits exercise has on your heart are often overlooked.

The Benefits of Exercise on Your Heart

Being overweight puts you at a greater risk for heart-related medical issues, therefore losing weight and keeping it off plays a big role in keeping your heart healthy in the long-term. According to Hopkin’s Medicine, high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease. Regular exercise can help to lower your blood pressure and slow the heart rate.

Smoking can also cause many heart-related medical issues. Getting in shape can go hand in hand with your battle to quit smoking because increasing your fitness level can decrease your desire to smoke. Not only can exercise help you quit smoking, but it can play an integral role in managing your stress level. High stress may take a toll on your heart and exercise can help keep you calm, cool and collected through everything life may throw your way.

For optimal heart health, it is recommended that you incorporate a mix of aerobic exercise and strength training into your exercise routine. Do your heart a favor and contact your doctor to find an exercise routine that is right for you!

Dr. Barbara R Edwards, Princeton internist practices at Penn Medicine Princeton Health in the Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center and also serves as Medical Director of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Center.

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Benefits of Exercising in Cold Weather

woman stretching outside in the cold

The winter months are right around the corner, and although the cold may make us want to stay inside and cuddle up on the couch, it’s important to still fit exercise into our daily routines. Exercising in any weather is important, but did you know that exercising in the cold is especially beneficial to your overall health? Here are some of the benefits that cold-weather exercise can give you.

  1. Vitamin D

Winter means shorter days and less sunlight which can cause a lack of vitamin D. Vitamin D is important for healthy bones and can reduce the risk of diabetes and cancer. Exercising outside in the daylight can give you the small dose of sunlight that your body desperately needs in the wintertime.

  1. Boosts Immune System

Winter is when the flu and cold season is at its peak. Exercising a little bit every day can help boost your immune system and fight off colds and the flu.

  1. Shivering Burns Calories

People expend five times more energy when shivering than when resting. Shivering helps to burn more calories and if you are exercising while shivering, you will burn more calories than if you were exercising in warm weather.

Dr. Barbara Edwards, Princeton internist practices at Penn Medicine Princeton Health in the Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center and also serves as Medical Director of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Center.

Source: AccuWeather

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5 Healthy Snacks

raw nuts

Snack options are always tough when you’re trying to be healthy. For those on the go, it may seem impossible to avoid reaching for snacks with high sugar and salt which is why it is strongly suggested to prepare snacks at home before venturing out for the day. Here are some healthy, mess-free snack options ideal for your car, desk, or anywhere else:

1. Mixed Raw Nuts

Mixed raw nuts are a great source of fat, fiber, protein, and vitamin E. Cashews, almonds, pistachios, and walnuts are just a few options that require almost no preparation for easy consumption.

2. Boiled Eggs

Eggs aren’t just for the morning, boil them for about 7 minutes and bring them on-the-go. This low-calorie snack has about 5 grams of protein with ‘healthy fats’ known to lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol.

3. Protein Shakes

There are plenty of ingredients you can put into protein shakes and a large assortment of pre-made drinks to choose from if you’re in a hurry. If you choose to make your own, consider adding whey protein powder, liquids like soymilk or almond milk, and an assortment of fruits such as bananas, strawberries, and apples. This snack is popular among those looking to build muscle with lots of vitamins and minerals.

4. Dried Fruit

Instead of worrying about the temperature of regular fruit and where to store it, pre-packed dried fruit with no added sugar is a great alternative. You can go for blueberries, blackberries or cherries (great for antioxidants), just to name a few.

5. Seeds

Seeds are known for having high levels of fiber with the ability to lower blood pressure and blood sugar. Some great seeds to turn to are flax, hemp, chia, and sesame seeds.

Dr. Barbara Edwards, Princeton internist practices at Penn Medicine Princeton Health in the Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center and also serves as Medical Director of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Community Health Center.