From 2006
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| From left: Dr. Walters, wearing a Nike Pro Seamless DriFit short-sleeve athletic shirt in blue ($30); Dr. Day wearing his own white shirt; Dr. Casey, seated, wearing a Nike Sphere Dry long-sleeve zip-up hoodie in black and magenta ($65); Dr. Desaloms, wearing an Asics Velostretch short-sleeve running shirt in teal ($38); Dr. Daros, wearing a Nike DriFit short-sleeve athletic shirt in lime green ($40) under a Nike DriFit Knit zip-up track jacket in dark and light blue ($75); and Dr. Zoys, wearing a Nike DriFit and UV protection long-sleeve athletic shirt in red ($40). Workout wear available at Luke’s Locker, 3607 Oak Lawn Ave. 214-528-1290. www.lukeslocker.com. photography by Elizabeth Lavin |
Dallas-area physicians spend hours on their feet—delivering babies, diagnosing illnesses, operating on joints and spines, and patching up everyone from Baby Zoe to Grammy Bea….
Yet each of the seven doctors we talked to manages to make time to be good to his or her body. They take great pains to work out (almost) daily, eat right, manage stress, and protect their skin and hair. Like the rest of us, they’re not perfect, and the job gets in the way of their best intentions: They work painfully long hours; burn the midnight oil for emergency cases; eat too much sugary, high-carb hospital food; and forget the sunscreen. So what’s their secret? Get back on the bandwagon, fast, they say. Quit kicking yourself for yesterday; today is a fresh start, another chance to eat well, exercise, and take care of yourself. Find an exercise regimen that works for you—feel free to steal one of theirs—and stick to it.
Jack Walters Jr., M.D. | Age: 59
Medical Specialty: Obstetrics/Gynecology
Workout Regimen: Dr. Walters does one hour of weight lifting six days a week—he never misses it. He gets his cardio in by walking or jogging to and from the gym (about 3 miles total).
Health-related Issues: Working too hard and not watching his diet, Dr. Walters has gained up to an extra 20 pounds in the past. He loves to be outside and in the sunshine, but has had a recent surgery to remove cancerous cells from his cheek.
Rx: Sunscreen. “I’m lazy about it,” he says. “But now I’m motivated to do better.”
The Doctor’s Advice: Reduce your fat intake.
Father knows best? Sure, but sometimes Sonny Boy is pretty smart, too. The doctor’s son, also a physician, is finishing a fellowship in sports medicine and occasionally gets after his dad for lifting weights too often and sometimes incorrectly. Always active, the North Dallas OB/GYN plays golf, tennis, and racquetball; water and snow skis; and only recently downgraded his 6-day-a-week run to the gym to a walk or jog.
A one-time social smoker, Dr. Walters hasn’t touched a cigarette in years and says, while he is not a diet fanatic, he does carefully watch what he eats. He drinks the occasional glass of red wine and a touch of bourbon—just what this doctor orders.
Gustavo Day, M.D. | Age: 41
Medical Specialty: Internal Medicine
Workout Regimen: The doctor plays soccer at least three times a week. He also plays tennis and racquetball, though not as regularly. Lifting weights and spinning round out his regimen.
Health-related Issues: “I have many relatives with diabetes,” he says. “I know if my weight shoots above 150, that’s my destiny, as well.”
Rx: Cut down on carbs as much as possible and get 10-14 hours of exercise per week. He orders sushi for the office every Wednesday.
The Doctor’s Advice: Dark chocolate and red wine in moderation are healthy. Never go to bed directly after a big meal, so you have a chance to burn off some of those calories.
Dr. Gustavo Day, an internist at Medical City and Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, is a whirlwind. His office opens at 6:30 a.m., which means he has rounds at 5:30 a.m. He has a wife and four young boys, so the family is always on the go. Yet he still fits sports and exercise into his schedule and watches his weight so closely that he weighs himself three times a day. With a family history of diabetes, he knows that at 5’6”, his weight must be under control. So he begins the day with coffee and a protein bar, has a snack at 11:00 a.m., and avoids a heavy lunch, focusing on pure protein. “I eat a lot of salads,” he says. “I do not eat potatoes, rice, or bread.” Fish is a staple in his diet; he eats it three times a week. In fact, Wednesday is sushi day in his office. He admits a weakness for desserts, though, particularly La Duni’s Quatros Leches cake and anything with chocolate. To make up for his sweet tooth, “I go for a walk after a big meal, and I try not to eat too late,” he says. Maintaining his weight, and hence his health, is all about controlling what he eats and staying as active as he possibly can.
Vanesa I. Daros, M.D. | Age: 34
Medical Specialty: Obstetrics/Gynecology
Workout Regimen: Dr. Daros takes spinning classes or uses the elliptical trainer three times a week. When she has extra time, she does 30 minutes of cardio followed by 30 minutes of weight training—“I prefer to do the cardio first,” she says. She also enjoys swimming and works biceps and triceps with weights in the pool.
Health-related Issues: She’s prone to overeating during all-night deliveries and suffers back spasms and occasional back pain from overdoing it at the gym.
Rx: Dr. Daros strengthens her abdominal muscles with nightly crunch sessions because strong abs help support the back and ward off back pain. She eats fish twice weekly for omega acids and energy.
The Doctor’s Advice: Take a daily vitamin and calcium; after 30, women need more calcium. Eliminate soda from your diet. Maintain your ideal weight before getting pregnant.
Brazilian-born, Dr. Daros may be more weight- and beauty-conscious than most Americans; she and her sisters were taught to use wrinkle creams early on, and professional pore cleansing is a must every four months. (In Brazil, she says, even haircare is a ritual.) Watching her weight was particularly difficult during her OB residency, partly because of her uniform: “When you’re so busy with patients, you don’t care what you eat, and sometimes you wear scrubs for 15 days straight. The drawstring waists are too forgiving.” When she finds her jeans getting tight, she cuts back on the carbs and doubles up on the water. She drinks no soda and also limits her caffeine intake, so she often drinks green tea. A size 4 in Brazil, Dr. Daros admits that she has assimilated an American attitude toward weight. “I’m not as obsessive as I once was, but I want to keep my weight down so I can gain 25 to 35 pounds when I get pregnant—what we advise if you are normal weight—and still be healthy.”
George Zoys, M.D. | Age: 37
Medical Specialty: Orthopedic Surgery
Workout Regimen: Dr. Zoys works out at the gym daily and does sit-ups while watching TV. Does sibling rivalry count? He also “wrestles with three brothers.”
Health-related Issues: Lack of sleep and poor diet during residency, though he eats better now: “After a long case you’ll eat anything,” he says. The doctor uses daily exercise as stress relief.
Rx: He uses eye cream every day to relieve puffy eyes and look well-rested even when he’s not.
The Doctor’s Advice: Discipline: “I take care of a lot of athletes who are in great shape,” he says. “That keeps me motivated.” Drink alcohol in moderation.
This orthopedic surgeon says he needs his daily work out: “If I miss 2 days, I feel it.” So he heads straight to the gym from work for at least an hour every day. He also does sit ups before going to bed—650 to 800 of them during a half-hour sitcom. Every morning he swallows vitamins and a protein shake. He stays on the healthier side of eating: no fast food, lots of fresh salads, chicken almost every day and, of course, Greek food.
When he travels it’s either an action-packed adventure vacation (whitewater rafting, cliff rappelling, parasailing, or scuba diving) or someplace with on-site exercise facilities.
Dr. Zoys, who is in his late 30s, also takes good care of his skin; he uses a facial scrub twice a day, plus a toner, moisturizer—with sunscreen, of course—ascorbic drops, and an eye cream to treat occasional puffiness. The bachelor also gets a facial every six weeks, a massage every other week, and curbs alcohol consumption. “I go out a lot with my friends,” he says, “but I don’t drink a lot—maybe 2 or 3 drinks per week.” Overdoing the alcohol, he says, would undermine the good he does by eating well, exercising, and taking care of his skin.
Martin Kassir, M.D. | Age: 40
Medical Specialty: Dermatology
Workout Regimen: He hops on the Stairmaster or treadmill, or runs outdoors, two to three times a week.
Health-related Issues: Travel: Dr. Kassir logs more than 120,000 airline miles per year and has been sunburned at high altitudes while visiting Mount Fuji and the Great Wall of China.
Rx: For sunburns, he uses topical steroids and lots of moisturizer. To combat the effects of recycled, dry air while flying, he has carried oxygen-fused moisturizing and AminoPlex sprays. (Caveat: These are no longer allowed on planes.)
The Doctor’s Advice: “I eat ethnic food all the time—taking four or five small meals a day—and lots of greens. And I never eat anything from a can.”
Dr. Kassir has visited at least 50 countries, teaching and lecturing on dermatology. Air travel, as we all know, is not only stressful, but it’s also murder on your skin. To counteract this, he gives himself Botox injections, enjoys frequent microdermabrasion—“Microdermabrasion is maintenance and should be done regularly, like brushing your teeth,” he says—and follows a rigorous daily skin program using a mild glycolic cleanser, antioxidants, and sunscreen.
Blessed with good genes and an iron stomach—“I ate whatever I wanted in India recently and had zero problems,” he says—Dr. Kassir’s only health issue is a sensitivity to chlorine that usually keeps him out of the pool. He tends to run or walk to get his exercise, which he can do anywhere in the world: “Climbing the Great Wall of China was like being on a giant Stairmaster,” he says.
Donna Casey, M.D. | Age: 39
Medical Specialty: Internal Medicine
Workout Regimen: Runs 6 miles most mornings.
Health-related Issues: Red meat—and her killer schedule—leave her feeling fatigued.
Rx: No red meat: “For protein, I eat turkey, fresh fish, and smoked salmon,” she says. She also takes vitamin, fish-oil, and folic-acid tablets daily and has a vitamin B-12 shot monthly.
The Doctor’s Advice: “Jello. Eat it every day for a month, then check out your hair and nails.” Gelatin has amino acids, which strengthens nails and hair.
Dr. Casey, an internist who practices with her father at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, has zero time for anything that slows her down, including red meat. “I am so active and busy; I cannot afford to be tired,” she says. “I eliminated red meat from my diet and feel great.”
For an energy boost in the office, she eats preservative-free smoked salmon from Whole Foods, where she shops for food and mercury-free fish-oil tablets. But her best health tip and stress reducer is the love of her life: riding, which she says relieves more stress than even running. “I’ve been riding my whole life, except during medical school and residency,” says the equestrian M.D. But the day she finished, she got right back in the saddle.
J. Michael Desaloms, M.D. | Age: 39
Medical Specialty: Neurosurgery
Workout Regimen: The doctor keeps himself in top shape by mixing it up; he enjoys boxing, swimming laps, rowing, and Pilates.
Health-related Issues: Like most doctors, he sometimes suffers from sleep deprivation. Dr. Desaloms tries to keep an eye on his weight.
Rx: Going to bed early to get a good night’s rest is a high priority, and he watches what he eats.
The Doctor’s Advice: Make your own lunch to control portion sizes and limit your intake. Don’t smoke; it causes disc degeneration, among other things.
This neurosurgeon says his secret to good health is making his own lunch every day. “There are not a lot of healthy choices in the hospital cafeteria, unfortunately,” he says. Each morning he rises at 5:30 a.m. and packs fresh fruits and vegetables, organic yogurt, and a ham or turkey sandwich on whole-wheat, high-fiber bread. “When you bring a limited amount of food, you eliminate over-eating,” he says. “For me, the biggest part of weight control is not what I eat but how much I eat.”
Getting enough rest is also vital, he says, especially for a surgeon: “Medicine is a physically demanding job. As a surgeon, you can be on your feet for hours.” With patients and three young children, the good doctor needs all the energy he can muster, so he makes a point of not skipping breakfast. And we’re not talking about a measly cup of coffee. While making his lunch, Dr. Desaloms enjoys a healthy breakfast of fresh fruit, oatmeal, whole-wheat toast, and eggs.
Talk about your fresh starts.
