Tag: Dr. Barbara Edwards Princeton

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Healthy Low-Fat & High in Protein Foods

Protein is something that we all need when it comes to maintaining a healthy diet, especially when paired with regular exercise. However, some high protein foods are accompanied by a high-fat content as well. Foods that have high protein and low-fat are ideal for those on a low-calorie diet. Here are some foods to take into account on your next shopping trip:

White- Fleshed Fish

Fish are an excellent source of protein and nutrients. Specifically, white-fleshed fish is a great source of protein while having the added benefit of being lean, or low fat. This particular food contains around 23 grams of protein per serving, but only around 85-130 calories! Additionally, white fish are generally very low in fat, usually coming in under 3 grams. White fish to consider buying include cod, halibut, flounder, tilapia, and pollock.

Egg Whites

Eggs are generally a staple food for those on a diet to maintain heart health; however egg whites are the better option. Having egg white omelets or egg white muffins are just a few options to choose from when exploring healthy egg-based recipes. An egg white has only 16 calories while also containing only half a gram of fat. It also contains 3 grams of protein, making up about half of the protein found in an egg.

Lean Beef

Lean beef tends to have indicators for being low-fat such as “loin” and “round.” These kinds of meats tend to have less than 10 total grams of fat. Along with having high protein, lean beef includes multiple B vitamins, selenium, and zinc. Lean beef generally includes sirloin, tenderloin, round roast, round steak, flank steak, brisket flat-half, and ground beef (95% lean). If you do choose to integrate red meat into a low-fat diet, always select a lean cut.

Dr. Barbara Edwards, a Princeton MD is the Academic Director for the Ambulatory Residency Program at Penn Medicine Princeton Health, providing quality care to uninsured and under-insured New Jersey residents in Mercer and Middlesex counties.

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Simple Daily Exercises to Stay Active

Looking to stay active in between your busy schedule? Read along to learn the benefits of doing simple daily exercises along with some ideas on what to implement into your day-to-day life!

Benefits of being active

  • Increased circulation: Physical activity gets your heart pumping, which, over time, improves your heart’s ability to circulate blood throughout the body. Increased circulation delivers more oxygen to the rest of the body.
  • Improved stamina: Maintaining a routine that integrates physical activity can improve your stamina over time, which raises your tolerance for the length of time in which you can work out or do strenuous activity.
  • Reducing stress: Physical activity can be a healthy outlet for nervous energy you may carry around with you. Additionally, exercise releases endorphins, neurotransmitters produced in the brain that increase feelings of pleasure and well-being.
  • Increased lung capacity: increased lung capacity can help with resilience down the road if you’re exposed to smoke or viral infections. Mainly, increased lung capacity can help with your stamina.
  • Maintaining a healthy weight: while your healthy weight may be different from someone else’s, increased weight gain can be associated with diabetes, heart failure, and many conditions that can be handled through weight loss. 
  • Increased muscle strength: as we age, our muscles don’t have the capacity they once did. Light resistance training can help elderly people maintain healthy levels of muscle mass, which can help them thrive independently for longer.

Simple exercises to try

The easiest exercises you can do daily are those which don’t require going to a gym to use their equipment. Exercises you can do anywhere that don’t require a lot of space are jumping jacks, squats, pushups and sit-ups. Exercises that you can do in most places that require little equipment are using a jump rope, doing wall sits and jogging or running outside. For those who want a calming, less strenuous exercise, yoga can be a great option that you can do from home if you have a towel, mat or carpeted flooring. You can watch free guided tutorials on YouTube for yoga stretches and can cater your routine to the level of exercise that works for you depending on your physical abilities and level of experience exercising. Remember to make sure to consult with your doctor first before trying out changes in your exercise routine to avoid potential overexertion or injury.

Dr. Barbara Edwards, a Princeton MD is the Academic Director for the Ambulatory Residency Program at Penn Medicine Princeton Health, providing quality care to uninsured and under-insured New Jersey residents in Mercer and Middlesex counties

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Benefits of Bone Broth

There are many food crazes that tout certain foods as super foods. Bone broth is commonly seen as a superfood, but what does that really mean? “Superfood” is a trendy word used to describe a food that has a host of nutritional and health benefits. Bone broth fits into this category due to its dense nutrient profile and anti-inflammatory properties. Bone broth has been seen to help not only joint and gut health, but it also has been used for beauty purposes due to its high level of collagen,  a protein that gives skin its elasticity. Overall, the benefits of bone broth can contribute to helping multiple systems within the body due to the level of vitamins it has. 

Bone broth nutrients

Iron: the high levels of iron in bone broth make it good for contributing to balanced hormones and adequate oxygenation since iron helps red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. 

Vitamin A: The vitamin A in bone broth is good for eye and immune health. 

Vitamin K: Vitamin K in bone broth helps with wound healing as well as bone health. 

Zinc: Zinc is another nutrient found in bone broth with many health benefits including boosting your immune system and increasing your metabolism function. 

Manganese: Manganese found in bone broth helps many functions in the body such as regulating blood sugar, brain as well as nerve function, calcium absorption, carbohydrate and fat metabolism. 

Selenium: Selenium is an antioxidant found in bone broth that can help reduce oxidative stress in the body. This can potentially reduce the risk of developing cancer since it helps protect cells from damage that this stress can cause.

Asking a physician before making changes to one’s diet is important to make sure that the new addition will be beneficial. 

Dr. Barbara Edwards, a Princeton MD is the Academic Director for the Ambulatory Residency Program at Penn Medicine Princeton Health, providing quality care to uninsured and under-insured New Jersey residents in Mercer and Middlesex counties.

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Healthy Keto Diet Foods

Despite the stringent guidelines the keto diet entails, it remains one of the most popular specialty diets in the United States. It puts a huge emphasis on high-fat and protein-rich foods paired with low carbs to help your body burn useful fats rather than carbs. When considering foods or recipes to buy, there are certain “building block” foods to keep in mind as you shop for groceries. Here are a few high-fat, low-carb foods to consider when following a keto diet:

Seafood

Seafood is known for having a combination of healthy fats and lower carbs. Being rich in omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients such as protein and selenium, it is a prime example of a keto building block food. What’s also fantastic is the assortment of keto seafood to choose from, such as shrimp, crab, tuna, cod, mussels, salmon and others that you can incorporate into your recipes or diet plan. Play around with recipes from different cuisines, including Mediterranean, Caribbean and East Asian.

Meat and poultry

Foods such as beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and lamb are also great sources of healthy fat and protein for keto diets. Meat makes up a good portion of keto, and like most keto foods, it’s versatile so there are many ways to serve it. It is important, however, to purchase organic and grass-fed meat and poultry. Since you are consuming these foods frequently, you want to sustain your body with the highest quality available.

Dairy

Adding dairy keto foods such as cheese, Greek yogurt, and assortments of cream and butter are also beneficial. Cheeses are amazing as they tend to have high protein and low carbs. In general, dairy foods are a great source of protein, calcium, and even healthy fats!

Dr. Barbara Edwards, a Princeton MD is the Academic Director for the Ambulatory Residency Program at Penn Medicine Princeton Health, providing quality care to uninsured and under-insured New Jersey residents in Mercer and Middlesex counties.

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No Equipment Necessary Exercises

Many people have the idea that in order to stay fit, they need to have a gym membership. They may think “only then I’ll have access to all the equipment that I need in order to stay active, healthy and in good shape”. This is not the case; as long as you have an open space and motivation, there are plenty of ways to stay active without all that gym equipment.

Pinterest

Pinterest is a great place to start when looking for motivation or creative workouts to do without even leaving the house. If you are someone who likes to watch television, you can look up workouts based on the shows you watch. This makes it easy to work out while watching your favorite show: when a character does something predictable, you have an assigned workout to do.  It cannot be overstated how important moving your body and getting that heart rate up is for long term health. Television-centered workouts are perfect for those days you’re not up to doing a full-circuit exercise regimen.

Hiking

For many, there are plenty of places near you to enjoy an active hike. Not only will you be able to enjoy nature and see what it has to offer, but it also it doubles as a full body work out. There are easy hikes and more difficult hikes, but they all help you stay active. Hiking helps build strength, improve balance, and since it’s a cardio workout, it can help manage blood pressure.

Planking

Planks are a great workout to incorporate into your schedule wherever you are. It strengthens the core, as well as other parts of your body. Planks are a beginner-level core exercise that packs a punch, and you can tell while doing it–you will really feel the burn.  Doing planks regularly will help improve posture if you’re able to maintain the right form while in position. Keep a yoga mat at home and at work if you’re able so that you can drop into a plank for thirty seconds to one minute when you have some down time.

Dr. Barbara Edwards, a Princeton MD is the Academic Director for the Ambulatory Residency Program at Penn Medicine Princeton Health, providing quality care to uninsured and under-insured New Jersey residents in Mercer and Middlesex counties.