 "There
isn't a day that goes by that I don't talk about healthy
living," says Dr Arni Sekar, a gastroenterologist at the
Ottawa Hospital. "It really is a part of my life." For
the past 25 years, besides his hospital duties, he's run
a private practice and makes every effort to educate his
patients about diet and exercise. "All Canadians should
be more fit and we have the resources to achieve this
in this great country of ours," he says.
He admits, however, that it isn't
exactly easy � or necessary � to counsel every single
patient about diet, exercise and lifestyle. With some
patients, it's pretty clear they should follow a healthy
diet. "But in a select group of patients, since this
is the treatment � rather than a prescription � it's
important to try and find time to give diet and exercise
advice," he explains.
TIME
MANAGEMENT MACHINE
For Dr Sekar, well-honed time- management skills can
afford busy doctors the opportunity to talk nutrition
with patients who don't know the score. This comes with
practice and experience. "For patients who need help,
such as those who are obese, I make it a point to talk
to them and offer my advice and I look to see if they've
made any progress on their next visit." But for MDs
with heroically heavy patient loads, who are absolutely
certain that time is not on their side, Dr Sekar suggests
that at the very least, high-risk patients should be
referred to a nutritionist or dietician.
You're probably wondering, 'exactly
how is busy Dr Sekar able to enjoy his invigorating
lifestyle?' To a large extent, this also comes down
to astute time management. When he's not with his patients,
you can find Dr Sekar at the gym pacing himself on the
treadmill or an elliptical trainer about three or four
times a week.
"Once you've gone down this route,
there's usually no turning back," he says. In addition
to working up a sweat at the fitness club, Dr Sekar
also takes weekly yoga classes and practises yoga at
home as well. "None of this interferes with my very
busy work schedule, family life or other fun stuff like
dining out or going to the movies," he says. "I realize
that some are better at time management than others,
but it's clearly something worth striving to improve."
SMALL
STEPS
Dr Sekar is always on the lookout for simple ways to
fit exercise into his everyday routine. Instead of waiting
around for elevators, he tends to take the stairs. And
you'll never see him spending his free time loafing
at the office or shooting the breeze in hospital corridors
� that spare time is precious and he knows just how
to put it to good use.
Because he eats well and exercises,
Dr Sekar feels fit physically, mentally, and emotionally.
He believes that it not only makes him a better physician,
but it also helps him establish a good rapport with
his patients. "To practise what you preach is certainly
not mandatory. However, if you really believe what you
are talking about, I suspect you will also do it," he
says. And he feels that patients can sense if their
doctor isn't being straight with them and cautions that
some may not heed the physician's advice if they see
that the doctor isn't taking a dose of his own medicine.
"We're no different than other people, but we should
be," he says. "We should set the example."
Despite his uncommonly healthy
lifestyle, Dr Sekar doesn't see himself as a fitness
guru. "I would consider myself a recreational athlete
� in other words, nothing extraordinary, and my exercise
regime is very doable for most, if not all of us."
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