CHP: How to Love Your Heart, for Heart Month

Submitted by Jonna Gaberman, MD Print Story | Email Story
Dr. Jonna Gaberman is CHP Berkshires Director of Adult Medicine and primary care physician at CHP Neighborhood Health Center in Pittsfield.
It's National Heart Month, so now is a good time to give some TLC to your body's most important muscle. Prevention is always the first step in keeping your heart healthy, but you can also make changes to address any existing heart conditions. 
 
Key risk factors impacting the heart include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and smoking, including second-hand smoke exposure. 
 
What are some meaningful changes you can make to care for your heart? First, have a basic heart health screening with your primary care provider or with CHP Mobile Health. This will include a blood pressure check and screening for high cholesterol and diabetes.  
 
If your blood pressure is elevated, set a goal to lower your salt intake to under 2,000 mg per day, and take care to read labels of soups and other foods for sodium content. Eating more fruits and vegetables, and getting more physical activity will help, too. You can also help your heart by eliminating or reducing alcohol use, as alcohol can contribute to elevated blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythm.  
 
Diabetes screening is typically done with an A1C blood test, which indicates your blood sugar level over the past three months. If the result suggests a risk of diabetes, it's time to make some changes in your diet and exercise routine. Focus on whole grains, veggies, fruits, beans, nuts, lean proteins like fish and chicken, and healthy fats. 
 
If you don't have regular time to exercise, try parking further away from your destination and walking more, or take the stairs more often at work. Any amount of physical activity is good, so, when possible, take a walk, a bike ride, go on a hike, or take a yoga class. Find a friend, family member, or colleague to join you and choose an activity that you enjoy. If you are a CHP patient and need a hand getting started, ask for a referral to our CHP Nutrition team. 
 
If you are a smoker, talk to your PCP about different medications and strategies to help you to kick the habit, because smoking – and second-hand smoke – can also raise the risk of heart problems. There are many tools to help you quit, and the more often you try to stop, the more likely you will succeed.  
 
Taking care of your heart health will impact your overall wellness and your mood. As always, check in with your CHP primary care provider. We are here to help. 
 
 

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Berkshire Waldorf High School Secures $4M Donation

STOCKBRIDGE, Mass. — Berkshire Waldorf High School announced that it has received $4 million from an anonymous donor toward renovation of Procter Hall, the Old Town Hall at 6 Main Street.
 
The school has completed the architectural phase of the project design and construction is now underway. Pamela Sandler, AIA, is the lead architect on the project, and Marois Construction is on-site doing the actual renovation. The project includes remediation of asbestos and lead paint, the addition of an elevator and sprinkler system, a redesign of the interior, and preservation of the upstairs meeting room and other historical features.
 
Berkshire Waldorf High School Executive Director Stephen Sagarin said he is thrilled and grateful for the gift, saying that that capital campaign donations earmarked to fund the renovation will enable the school "to double our current square footage, including creation of more and larger classrooms and science labs, while allowing us to remain in Stockbridge within walking distance of the town center. The construction should be complete by summer 2025."
 
"The Town of Stockbridge is well on its way of realizing its two–decades-old dream of finding a permanent use for this early 19th century historic structure," added Teresa O'Brient, chair of the board of trustees of Berkshire Waldorf High School, a longtime Stockbridge resident, and owner of the Stockbridge Country Store. "The community really stepped up to help us realize this dream."
 
The First Congregational Church, UCC, Stockbridge, voted last year to sell the building to Berkshire Waldorf High School. The Town of Stockbridge Selectboard and Planning Board approved the zoning variances this past winter. The sale closed in February 2024 and the school has been working closely with both the Church and the Stockbridge Golf Club to ensure that all parties' parking needs are met during construction.
 
Berkshire Waldorf High School CFO Patrick White observed that with this donation, funding for more than 80 percent of the anticipated construction budget is now in place. 
 
"We've already seen a significant need to tap into contingency funds, specifically related to availability of electrical services and the need to reinforce beams in both the front and the back of the building," he said. "We are confident the community will support this capital campaign and get us over the finish line." 
 
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