Living Your Best Life: A Doctor's 10 Essential Health and Wellness Tips for All
Today’s woman dreamer, Dr. Saira Hussain, will be taking you through her top 10 tips for a fulfilling and healthy lifestyle, from a doctor’s point of view. From sleep and stress management to intermittent fasting and supplements, Saira answers all your essential, burning health questions. A wonderful combination of traditional and holistic medicine, her actionable and simple tips are easy to implement into your daily routine. Join us on an amazing health journey!
Saira’s Story
Hello everyone! My name is Saira Hussain, and I am 52 years old. I will be taking you through ten tips that I have learnt and applied to lead a healthy lifestyle. I am originally from Karachi, Pakistan, and graduated from Dow Medical College in Karachi. I married my classmate, Dr. Ehsun Mirza, and we have been happily married for over 25 years with three children, Humza, Laila, and Ali. We immigrated to the United States in the early ’90s, and I completed my residency in primary care from Brown University. I worked as a hospitalist before I transitioned into being a physician at nursing homes which has made me realize that the majority of the diseases are preventable with good life choices and thus I advocate passionately for a healthy lifestyle.
I draw inspiration from my early childhood. My grandparents lived a very simple yet meaningful life. They would go grocery shopping together and buy fresh produce from local farms. They would cook simple yet delicious food. They were disciplined. They ate at the same time every day. They enjoyed what they cooked. Post meals we would sit together and talk for hours without any distractions of gadgets. Now the family is fragmented during dinner time. Kids are not eating what their parents are cooking. Everyone may be on their devices or distracted with TV. There is no engagement with food or the family as a unit.
Here are ten tips I have compiled based on my understanding of traditional and holistic medicine that I have applied on myself and continue to evolve.
Saira’s Top 10 Tips
1) Stress management:
Many ailments come from too much stress in the body—It is important to learn and teach our kids how to deal with stress with meditation, time management skills and exercise.
2) Sleep:
Sleep is extremely important. This is the time when we reboot and heal naturally. 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep is the best beauty secret. Not having any electronic devices prior to going to sleep helps.
3) Intermittent fasting:
This technique gives my body a break from having to digest food all the time. I fast for 16 hours while leaving myself a 7 to 8-hour window to eat from noon-7 PM. I avoid eating fruits in the evening. Do not consume any liquid half hour before and after meals. Drink 8-10 glasses of warm water with lemon slices throughout the day.
4) Avoid processed food:
Stay away from processed and fast food which is full of fat, high sugar and salt. Keep your family away from soda and boxed juices. It is one of the main causes of obesity in children. In my opinion, they should be banned everywhere. I suggest taking your children to markets and local farms and teaching them how to read labels and ingredients. Food education should be a required subject in schools.
5) Supplemental vitamins:
Majority of vitamins and minerals should come from fresh fruits and vegetables. Eat seasonal produce eg. citrus fruits in winters will give sufficient Vit C to help protect from cold and flu symptoms. Eating watermelons in summers protects against dehydration etc. Out of season produce should be avoided. They don't have much benefits. I take Vit D, B-12 complex, Calcium, zinc, Magnesium and collagen peptide for hair, skin and nails.
6) Usage of herbs and spices:
They have medicinal and healing properties that help with boosting of the immunity. Use spices daily in your cooking and make sure your children are using it too. Eg. I put black seed oil/ Kalonji in fried eggs or tofu. I also make vinegar based pickles with mustard seeds. A drink I consume every morning is warm water with turmeric, some black pepper, honey, and coconut oil. It helps with inflammation and immunity.
7) Avoiding red meat:
Red meat should be avoided and white meat should be organic and eaten 2-3 times a week at most. Fish should be wild caught. Farm raised fish are full of toxins like mercury etc. I recommend trying to eat more plant-based proteins as studies show they are better for your body in the long run.
8) Cut down on sugar:
White sugar is extremely addictive and creates many health problems. High fructose corn syrup which is a very common additive should be avoided. Read the labels before buying anything. I recommend replacing it with honey, coconut sugar or pure maple syrup.
9) Positive thoughts and social interactions:
Having positive thoughts and avoiding negative interactions has amazing effects on general health and wellbeing. Surrounding oneself with people who help you get there is vital. Many studies have shown that people who exist in tight knit social circles tend to live longer and remain healthier than the ones who prefer isolation.
10) Exercise:
I highly recommend picking a form of exercise you enjoy and consistently do it for at least 45-60 minutes every day. This will help you physically and mentally. Women and older adults should also incorporate some weights in their work out to prevent muscle loss. Having increased core strength helps avoid back injuries and improves posture. Exercise also helps release endorphins that act as antidepressants. I teach yoga almost every day to my friends and family and go for daily long walks.
I hope these tips have been helpful and that you may use them in your daily practice. This may help create a healthier version of yourself and your family.
Thank You Saira for educating our empowered women’s network!
Bio: Originally from Karachi, Pakistan, and graduated from Dow Medical College in Karachi. Sair married my classmate, Dr. Ehsun Mirza, and we have been happily married for over 25 years with three children, Humza, Laila, and Ali. We immigrated to the United States in the early ’90s, and I completed my residency in primary care from Brown University. I worked as a hospitalist before I transitioned into being a physician at nursing homes which has made me realize that the majority of the diseases are preventable with good life choices and thus I advocate passionately for a healthy lifestyle.