Healthy Habits: Dr. Gabriel Loor enjoys martial arts, breathing exercises to stay focused

April 3, 2017 Dr. Gabriel Loor, Healthy Habits, Lung, Nutrition and Wellness

Taking care of your health is a priority and nobody knows that more than physicians and healthcare providers.

It can sometimes be difficult to find ways to stay healthy, so we’ve asked members of our Baylor College of Medicine community to share what they do in their daily lives to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Gabriel Loor, surgical director of the Lung Transplant Program at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center, shares some of his healthy habits with us.

Q: What health decisions start your day?
A: My goal is to start the day with a healthy mindset. I reflect on the day to come and what I am grateful for. I usually reinforce this with meditation, a short breathing exercise or yoga.

Q: What is your go-to healthy breakfast?
A: I love eggs and ham if I have time. Coffee helps me focus a bit. Kind bars are great on the go.

Q: What is your favorite type of exercise?
A: I have always liked martial arts and related exercises. Usually these are short burst, high-intensity exercises. Boxing and kickboxing are similar. I don’t have as much time for these, but I’ll do some 40-60 minute routines on my own when I can. Now that my son is older, I love working out with him – but he’s outpaced me.

Q: What keeps you motivated during your workout?
A: I work out for my physical health but also because I know that physical development is integral to my professional development. It clears my mind and gives me energy to carry out things that are important to me; like surgery and patient care and research. It all goes hand in hand. Music also motivates me during a workout.

Q: What activities do you do when you can’t fit in a full workout?
A: I will almost always fit in a 45-60 min workout 3-4 x’s a week. If I can’t then I’m probably not planning myself optimally. On vacations, I’ll substitute a long hike, biking, skiing or activities with my kids as a substitute.

Q: What is your favorite healthful snack?
A: Fruits. I love apples and bananas.

Q: Do you take vitamins and if so, which ones?
A: I don’t take vitamins but I probably will start. There’s a lot of great research on this.

Q: What do you include in your child’s lunch?
A: I try my best to get them eating things like fish, meat, vegetables and fruits. But it’s pretty hard. I think talking about it and setting an example is better than forcing it.

Q: How do you make an unhealthy recipe healthy (healthy substitutions)?
A: It depends on the goal. Recently, I’ve been in more of a low-carb, high-protein bent. So I’ll substitute ingredients to reflect this.

Q: What hobbies do you have to help you relax?
A: Meditation, exercise, journaling, yoga and spending time outdoors and with my wife and kids. I also enjoy breath control exercises, which are great for stress management. Simply learning to breathe deeply is a great way to relax during exercises.

Q: What is your go-to Houston restaurant for a healthy meal?
A: I’m pretty new to Houston, but I tend to favor steaks which are in a wide abundance.

Q: Do you use a pedometer or Fitbit and what is your daily step goal?
A: I used to have a Nike band that I used for counting calories during workouts. It’s awesome for gauging yourself. But I lost it.

Q: What is your favorite health tip that you live by?
A: I try to focus on what’s important to me. What is my main objective, mission or purpose? I align everything with that. Exercise, healthy eating and family are all integral to this.