dr barbara edwards | Dr. Barbara R. Edwards

December 27, 2021December 13, 2021

Three Simple Healthy Holiday Desserts

The holidays are here, and so are the cravings that come along with it! Don’t worry, your healthy diet can stay strong despite the temptations. Indulging in dessert, especially around the holidays, doesn’t have to make you feel guilty.

Apricot Oat Bars

One healthy holiday dessert you can incorporate at your table are apricot oat bars. Oats are considered a healthy food and are super delicious when incorporated in a dessert! Since oats are amongst the healthiest grains, it’s a smart move to bake with them. They are also a reliable source of fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants. What are you waiting for? Try this recipe today!

Almond Snowballs

Almonds deliver an incredible amount of nutrients and contain a high amount of monounsaturated fats, fiber, protein and various important nutrients. Almond snowballs are a simple recipe to incorporate for the holidays with a prep time of 10 minutes!

Healthy Carrot Muffins

If you remember your grandmother telling you that carrots are good for your eyes, she was right! This vegetable is rich in beta-carotene, a compound that changes into Vitamin A which helps keep our eyes healthy. Incorporating this healthy carrot muffin recipe is a no-brainer! In addition, carrots can also boost your immune system and help strengthen bones.

These are just some ideas of what can be incorporated or substituted at the holiday dessert table this year! Happy holidays and happy baking!

Dr. Barbara R. 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.

December 14, 2021December 13, 2021

Healthy Holiday Meal Ideas

The holidays are a time for getting together with loved ones while enjoying a delicious meal. Holiday meals don’t have to be unhealthy to taste good. Here is a list of great holiday meal options to make that are both healthy and delicious.

Main course

Codfish: Rich in omega 3 fatty acids codfish is a great choice to serve over the holidays for those that want to have a healthy meal. In some cultures, it’s traditional to eat seafood on Christmas eve, making codfish a traditional, healthy option during the holiday season.

Side dish

Baked sweet potato latkes: Traditional latkes are made from white potatoes, which are not as nutritious as sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are rich in beta carotene which is important for eye health, high in vitamin C which is essential for immune health and a great source of potassium which is important for heart health. Baking the latkes is also a healthier method of cooking than traditional frying since it involves less oil, meaning less fat is used.

Dessert

Healthy gingerbread cookies: Gingerbread cookies have healthy ingredients such as cinnamon and ginger but are often filled with unnecessary added refined sugar and flour. These cookies can be made healthier by using recipes that only have natural sources of sugar such as blackstrap molasses, raw cane or coconut sugar. They can also have added nutrients when you use whole wheat flour instead of refined wheat white flour.

November 30, 2021November 12, 2021

Foods Rich in Vitamin C

Although Vitamin C is well-known as a dietary supplement, it is commonly found in multiple foods naturally. This vitamin is used by the body to support your immune system, which is especially important as cold and flu season arrive. Read along to find out more of the benefits of this nutrient along with some suggested foods.

Foods High in Vitamin C

Luckily, Vitamin C can be found in many foods and is most often associated with citrus fruits such as lemon, limes, oranges, tangerines, and grapefruit. However, Vitamin C isn’t limited to citrus fruits, as there are plenty of other fruits and even vegetables that contain high levels of this nutrient. Some other foods high in vitamin C are broccoli, red cabbage, bell peppers, cantaloupe, and kiwi. The best part about this variety? They can easily be incorporated in a salad, as a side dish or even as a snack!

Benefits of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is an important nutrient to our body. It aids the body in completing many important functions: repairing tissue, forming collagen, immune system defense, maintaining adequate formation of teeth and bones and cartilage as well as healing wounds. Vitamin C also helps your body to increase absorption of iron, which is essential for the formation of hemoglobin. Hemoglobin facilitates red blood cells carrying oxygen throughout your body, an essential function that keeps us alive and healthy.

Since vitamin C helps your body to perform these crucial functions to keep you healthy, making sure to consume enough of it is important to take care of yourself. The most important times for increased vitamin C intake are during illness, cold weather, or when there are high infection rates. Since vitamin C aids in the function of your immune system, it also helps to decrease the risk that an infection will be severe or prolonged.

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.

November 15, 2021November 12, 2021

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.

October 27, 2021October 22, 2021

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.