Running between critical surgeries and OPDs, given the burden of heart disease in the country, cardiologists are under a lot of stress themselves. Not too long ago, a cardiologist in Ahmedabad had succumbed to heart attack himself at 41. These three experts share their mantra of keeping it together.
Dealing with hundreds of heart patients in clinics during the day and attending to emergencies at night, Dr Rakesh Yadav hardly has the time to exercise regularly. But he wakes up at 6 am regardless of the time he turns in for the night. The days it is possible, he sleeps by 11 pm. The first thing he does after waking up is make himself a cup of tea with very little milk, light and refreshing. Then it’s time for stretches and some yoga.
By 8 am, he is at the breakfast table, eating his usual eggs and oats. “I like to have a heavy breakfast of around 500 calories. I eat light the rest of the day,” he says. He may not have time for a morning walk but that does not stop him from walking 10,000 steps a day, a number he tracks on his smartwatch. “AIIMS has an expansive campus. I walk from the outpatient clinics to my chambers to the emergency department. I try to get in the steps whenever I can, wherever I can since,” Dr Yadav adds.
For lunch, he has fibre-rich fruits and very light food to keep sleepiness at bay. And he does what he tells his patients, practise portion control. “I have parathas and whole eggs too. I do not overeat, howsoever delicious the meal might be,” he says.
His destress mantra: Research and developing modules for patient welfare.
His other mission: He is currently encouraging young cardiologists to give up smoking. “We all know the harms of tobacco now. Such awareness was not there when we were in college,” he says.
Dr Rajiv Bhagwat, 59
Interventional Cardiologist, Nanavati Max Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai
Dr Rajiv Bhagwat believes that daily exercises condition our heart muscles and tissues in such a manner that they can expand and withstand the stress of less oxygen in the blood, even during a heart attack.
Despite the challenges of emergencies, complicated surgeries and late nights, Dr Bhagwat wakes up at 7.30 am. With a palmful of nuts, bananas and black coffee at 8 am, he checks on his patients’ status on the phone. By 9 am, he is on the beach for a 30-minute jog. He skips the morning jog when he hasn’t slept well the night before. “Overworking a worn out body puts stress on the heart,” he says.
He doesn’t have breakfast but packs a brunch and snack pack to work. Just before OPD or surgery hour, he has a cup of tea or coffee, his caffeine shot to take on the day. “On OPD days, I have my brunch at 11 am, which comprises mixed atta chapati, a vegetable and dal. On surgery days or emergencies, I can’t eat on time. But whatever I eat or drink, I carry from home food,” adds Dr Bhagwat.
On days he misses his morning exercise, he makes up for it in the hospital premises, choosing to walk up and down the stairs and not taking a lift. He munches on nuts or has a fruit around 5.30 pm. Dinner is very light with chapatis, dal, vegetables and occasional lean chicken or fish. He may unwind by reading news or watching sports but sleeps by 11.30 pm at all costs.
His destress mantra: Travelled to national parks, Kanha being his favourite. Wildlife photography is his passion.
His other mission: He has his own ‘save the tiger’ project.
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Dr Mohammed Rehan Sayeed, 50
Senior Consultant, Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Heart Transplant Surgery, Robotic Cardiac Surgery, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru
As pre-surgery preps take time, Dr Mohammed Rehan Sayeed, who is known for valve replacement surgeries, starts his day early, at 5.30 am as he sleeps most days by 10.30 pm. He cannot think of going through the day without his workout on the rower machine. “I do a one-hour workout that comprises 20 minutes of rowing cardio, 15 minutes of strength training and 15 minutes of mobility exercises. On rushed days, I condense this routine into 30 minutes,” he says.
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An exercise junkie, he works out four to five days a week and sticks to intermittent fasting. He has his last meal at 8 pm and breakfast at 8 am, which comprises idli vada or roti with vegetables, eggs occasionally. A 50 ml gulp of coffee and he is ready to begin his surgeries at 9 am. Depending on the kind of surgeries or complicated cases, he gets to eat a meal sometime between 2 pm and 4 pm. “I never miss out on this meal of rice/chapati, vegetables, dal/chicken/fish as I need all the energy I can for the next round of surgeries, which may last beyond 7.30 pm at times. At 8 pm, regardless of whether I am at home or the hospital, I begin with a yogurt and have an extremely light meal of either salads or dosa. No rice, no carbs,” says he.
His destress mantra: Spending time with dogs, a Labrador and a German Shepherd, family, listening to retro pop, Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar and latest Hindi songs.
His other mission: Works on innovations in surgery. Dr Sayeed has already patented his own line of protein and pre-workout drinks.
