Tag: health tips

Posted on

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

Posted on

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.

Posted on

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

Posted on

What To Know About the Keto Diet

healthy food for keto diet

The ketogenic diet has continued to gain popularity as one effective way to lose weight. Like any diet, this approach to eating may or may not be for you and you should consult a medical professional before making any significant dietary changes. It is always recommended to pair diets with workout plans to supplement weight loss.

How The Ketogenic Diet Works

The ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet. The goal is for your body to enter ketosis, a state where your body will start to break down protein and fat, thus causing the individual to lose weight.

Benefits

This diet has been used to manage conditions like epilepsy, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. Because body fat is linked to various diseases, successful weight loss from this diet can improve heart health, decrease the risk of cancer, and acne. Some studies show that the ketogenic diet may lead to better cognitive function while preventing Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.

Potential Drawbacks

For long term use, minimal research has been done on the effects of this diet. Long term users may suffer adverse health effects or struggle with keeping the weight off. Being in ketosis for too long may put you at risk for entering ketoacidosis (high levels of acid in the blood) which can become life threatening. Because carbohydrates are a main food group, largely excluding them from your diet may create deficiencies.

Dr. 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.

Posted on

Staying Active During the Winter

Exercise in the winter

Staying physically active during the winter can become difficult as the temperatures are frigid, there is snow on the ground and just in general, motivation levels are lower due to the winter season. Choosing to stay snuggled up next to the fireplace with a cozy blanket and a good book is much easier than heading outside to work out. Below are some tips to stay physically active during the winter, keeping your heart healthy!

Stay Warm

When the temperatures are absolutely frigid, stay inside to work out. Explore new classes like yoga and pilates to help you stay fit during the winter. If you have a spacious room or basement, exercises like jump rope, push-ups and sit-ups are a great way to get your heart rate up and get a good workout in. There are so many great workout how-to videos on YouTube to help get you motivated. If you really want to sweat it out, add a couple of layers to your workout gear to maximize your session. Though you may not be sweating as much during the winter, be sure to stay hydrated and drink lots of water too.

Get Creative

If you’re tired of sitting in the house and want to get out, there are so many activities you can do to get your heart rate up. Activities like bowling, roller skating and walking your local mall all can help get your heart rate up and are great indoor activities. Find out more about these activities and other tips from American Heart Association. When the weather permits, feel free to bundle up and go for a light jog or fast walk outside – your body will thank you for the brisk fresh air outdoors.

Dr. Edwards, Princeton internist, practices at Penn Medicine Princeton Health in the Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center.