Tag: dr. edwards princeton

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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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Volunteer Opportunities for the Disabled

mother father and disabled son hugging

There are people who think that disabled people can only be the recipient of volunteerism and not the benefactor, but this ideology is just not true. Volunteering is beneficial to every person no matter their age, race, gender, or disability. Although there are obstacles that disabled people may face while volunteering, such as inaccessibility of volunteer locations or lack of transportation, there are many opportunities out there for those who are disabled or handicapped that want to volunteer. Some examples of volunteer opportunities for the disabled include:

  • Serving meals at soup kitchens
  • Stocking shelves at food pantries
  • Preparing and providing meals to seniors
  • Cleaning up parks and helping keep communities beautiful
  • Volunteering at animal shelters
  • Volunteering at nursing homes

People choose to volunteer every day to obtain new skills, build their confidence, and gain work experience. Volunteering is a great way to better yourself and build connections and networks of support. If you are interested in learning more about the volunteerism opportunities in your community, contact your local government, or do a quick online search! The volunteer possibilities are endless.

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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Three Unique Ways to Volunteer

group of volunteers putting their hands in to the group

If you have grown tired of the same volunteer activities that you have been doing, it may be time to switch things up and find a new, unique way to volunteer. As great as it is to volunteer at food pantries and animal shelters, it is natural to get bored of doing the same thing repeatedly. If you want to volunteer in a different way, here are three unique volunteer activities you can try.

1. Show Off Your Theatrical Capabilities

If you love to act, you can volunteer for a community theater production. You could also volunteer by singing in a community choir if you want to share your musical talent with the world. Another way to volunteer in the spotlight could be to give tours at a local museum, or you could even work behind the scenes for many of these places.

2. Volunteer from Home

Thanks to technological advancements, you can now volunteer without leaving your home. Some virtual volunteer opportunities include: blogging, translating, or becoming a crisis text line volunteer. These are just a few ways to virtually volunteer and a simple Google search could give you many more options for your local area.

3. Hike for Others

Not only can hiking personally benefit you through exercise, but you can hike to benefit others as well. Common volunteering tasks may include basic maintenance to keep trails in great shape, assisting with building projects, and mentoring young hikers. If you live near hiking trails, reach out to them to learn about the volunteer opportunities they offer.

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.

More on This: Reader’s Digest

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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