Healthy Habits: Dr. Shanda Blackmon paints, writes to relax

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. Shanda Blackmon, director of the Lung Institute at Baylor College of Medicine, shares some of her healthy habits with us.

Question: What health decisions start your day?

Answer: I start by doing yoga when I first wake up for at least 15 minutes and then I always have a cup of yogurt with flax seeds and chia seeds with granola in the morning.

Q: What is your go-to healthy breakfast?

A: Coffee with yogurt or scrambled eggs. I always try to drop flax seeds and chia seeds into every meal.

Q: What is your favorite type of exercise?

A: Yoga and running. However, there is nothing better than a great hike.

Q: What keeps you motivated during your workout?

A: My children. I have 18-year-old twin boys, and they are in excellent shape. They absolutely shame me if I do not exercise.

Q: What activities do you do when you can’t fit in a full workout?

A: I love to do micro exercises like leg lifts when I am in the elevator and push-ups in between Zoom meetings in my office.

Q: What is your favorite healthful snack?

A: My favorite snack is fruit or oatmeal. I always keep small cups of frozen fruit in the freezer and drop them into the oatmeal. When I add the water and microwave it, it cooks the fruit and mixes it in to sweeten the oatmeal rather than adding sugar.

Q: Do you take vitamins and if so, which ones?

A: I take either a woman’s daily multivitamin or the Thorne multivitamins.

Q: What do you include in your child’s lunch?

A: My daughter gets lunch at school, but I always cut up apples with peanut butter for her. She also loves fresh squeezed juice, and we do that on the weekends where I take cucumbers, celery, kale, lemons and limes, ginger and fresh green apples to make a homemade juice that the whole family drinks during the weekend.

Q: How do you make an unhealthy recipe healthy (healthy substitutions)?

A: A lot of times I will substitute skim milk for whole milk, wheat bread or whole grain for white bread, and olive oil for butter.

Q: What is your nighttime skin regimen?

A: I always wash my face at the morning and night, and use night cream and day cream, and my new favorite product is called Plated, which is an exosomal product made by Rion Medical. It sends a signal for healing and especially helps if I have something I need to heal quickly.

Q: What hobbies do you have to help you relax?

A: We have a pet, our dog Lucy, and she helps everyone to calm down. I love to paint. I do oil painting and find it very relaxing. I also like to write books.

Q: What is your go-to Houston restaurant for a healthy meal?

A: I love Mexican food, Da Marco’s pasta and the shag roll from Uchi.

Q: Do you use an activity tracker or Fitbit and what is your daily step goal?

A: Yes, I love the Oura Ring and I have an Apple Watch. But I’ll track my sleep, which I have been working on a lot lately. I have struggled with insomnia ever since I was a resident.

Q: What is your favorite health tip that you live by?

A: Always give yourself a little forgiveness and time. I used to be such a people pleaser and sacrificed my own health for that of others. Now, I understand that the healthier I am, the better I can be for others.