Staying Healthy in Medical School And Residency

STAYING HEALTHY IN MEDICAL SCHOOL AND RESIDENCY


It’s not easy to be super healthy when you’re a brand new intern. Days are super busy (because I’m ridiculously inefficient) and when I come home, I’m hungry, tired, and just want to relax. I know life is a balance, and I don’t have to be the #1-most-healthiest-person-ever, but I do still want to eat well, exercise often, sleep as much as possible, and be happy.



Let’s start with eating well:

Even though Mayo provides lunch for residents every day, I still pack and bring my own lunch. I think it’s one of the little but powerful things I can do to stay healthy this year. I will eat more veggies, less processed carbs, less sugar, and more protein if I bring my own lunch. That’s basically guaranteed. I’ve been bringing lots of salads:



These had fresh mozzarella cheese, bacon, lettuce, cucumbers, parsley, carrots, radishes, celery, tomatoes, and avocado,



I have to shout out to Tara from Treble in the Kitchen for gifting me these amazing Tupperware. I love them so much! (your thank you note is coming soon I promise!!)





I try to pack enough for lunch and dinner if I’m there on a call day which goes until 7 or 8 pm.



Sometimes lunch is totally random like this mix of veggies, egg, chicken sausage, avocado, and sriracha.





I’ve also made a few KILLER smoothies in the past few days:



I blended up a peach, a frozen banana, kale, 1/4 avocado, almond milk, and 1/2 scoop protein powder. I was reluctant to try adding avocado, but after hearing so many people rave about it, I gave it a go. You really can’t taste the avocado, but it does help make the smoothie thicker. And, the extra fat keeps you full for longer.

****Smoothie TIP: Let your bananas ripen a bit longer than usual before you freeze them. I think super ripe bananas make for creamier and sweeter smoothies



Since it’s summer, I’ve strayed away from my beloved oatmeal and favored greek yogurt with fruit.



I really think Fage should sponsor my blog because I am their biggest fan ever. It’s my absolute favorite greek yogurt





EXERCISE OFTEN:

Before residency I almost always worked out 5-6 times per week. Certainly, there were weeks that I would go without exercise, but in general I did something 5-6 times each week. This month, I’ve made it my goal to get at least 4 good workouts in every week. I don’t want to stress out about not making it to the gym every day, and I feel like 4 is a decent number. Maybe once I get the hang of this residency thing I will be able to fit in another day or two.



There have been multiple mornings that I’ve worked out before work and gotten ready at the gym. I really love this routine because I get ready so much faster at the gym! Plus, my workout is already done for the day so when I get home from work I can really relax.

The only thing I don’t like about it is that I have to have my breakfast pre-made so that I can eat it at work after the gym. Greek yogurt and fruit works well but I don’t like my smoothies or oatmeal to sit around too long… so I have to find some other breakfast options that I can make the night before and eat later.









I love going to the gym because it’s an excuse to watch TV! I have a hard time making it to the classes at the gym; they are never early enough in the morning or late enough in the afternoon for me to get there in time! But, I have done several spin classes which I LOVE. Days off and days on night call are perfect for fitting in a spin class



Since the weather has been so wonderful, I’ve forgone the gym for the past few days and run outside. There is a nice 4 mile loop by my house and I’ve run 3.5 miles and walked the last 1/2 twice now- I really like that routine! When get home I do a few pushups and ab exercises (we’re talking 10 push-up and 20 crunches- but hey! that’s something!!) I even saw a little bunny on my run!



SLEEP AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE:

This one is HARD!! I am normally a champion sleeper, but I’ve been struggling lately. I really function best with 7.5-8 hours of sleep each night. When I start getting less than that, I am notably fatigued throughout the day and often turn to extra caffeine or food to give me some energy. Getting enough sleep is such a priority for me, but I’ve noticed that even if I’m in bed for 8 hours, I only get about 7 hours of actual sleep.

I’ve been wearing my FitBit to track my sleep and it keeps telling me that for the first hour after I go to bed, I alternate between periods of being restless and awake. Kyle can attest to this as well. He says that I toss and turn for a while before finally going into a deeper sleep. Hmmmm. What’s my deal?



See??



This is unacceptable.



I want my sleep to be as efficient as possible. Meaning, that if I’m in bed for 8 hours, I want 7 hours and 55 minutes of solid, restorative sleep. For the last few nights I took a melatonin before bed, and I think that helped a bit. I will keep trying and report back if I figure anything out!

And lastly, Be Happy:

I’m all for treating myself with afternoon coffees, frozen yogurt, manicures, and whatever else I need mentally/emotionally/spiritually.





So there is it! Residency so far!

Any tips on good breakfasts to go? Does anyone else get ready at the gym in the morning? I’d love those tips too!

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