one house, two cardiologists

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Produced by Jeanne Ambrose
Photos by Joe Szurszewski

Do doctors really practice what they preach? In the case of Drs. Sharonne and David Hayes, both cardiologists at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, the answer is absolutely. They are not only looking out for their own health, but the heart health of their two kids as well. See what the cardio-couple says about keeping a healthy heart and how they do it themselves.

Q. You both have expertise in matters of the heart. Are there steps you take in your own lives to prevent heart disease?

Sharonne: Following a vegetarian diet is probably the most significant step we’ve taken. We were never big meat eaters, and the less we ate, the less we wanted. With a history of heart disease in my family, and an eye on the compelling health benefits, we decided we didn’t need or want meat anymore. We both love, and often crave, fresh veggies, and we now eat an eclectic and fun mix of foods borrowed from the tastiest and healthiest world cuisines. We particularly like Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Asian, and Italian foods. All of these cuisines are plant-based and traditionally use meat more as a condiment than as a main dish.

David: Sharonne and I don’t follow exactly the same diet. I don’t eat any meat, and for me that includes fish and seafood. I eat dairy and will eat foods that are prepared with eggs, but I don’t eat eggs per se.

Sharonne: In land-locked Minnesota, fish and seafood have never been a big part of my diet because it’s more difficult to get a variety here. But after several years of not eating it, I’ve added fish back into my diet. In addition to enjoying the taste, there’s a lot of evidence that eating a couple of servings of fish each week, particularly oily or cold-water fish, reduces heart disease and cancer risk. Fish is a great source of lean protein and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. I advise my patients to eat two servings of baked, broiled, or grilled (not fried) fish each week.

David: We’re in the process of putting a formal exercise room in the house. We’ve found that as our careers and kids have gotten busier it’s tough to carve out time to get to the gym or aerobics class. Until now we’ve been using a treadmill, exercise bike, and some resistance training gear in a spare room. With Sharonne, Sarah (16), sometimes Drew (11), and me all using the equipment, we needed a less cramped and more pleasant workout environment.

Q. What is your favorite heart-healthy meal?

David: I really like almost any type of legume and particularly lentils. I also love pasta fixed almost any way. We have a favorite Greek Lentil Pasta Sauce that’s easy to prepare, freezes great, and is good enough to serve to company.

Sharonne: I credit my sister, who married into a Greek family, for this recipe and for sharing with me a number of traditional Greek dishes that we’ve incorporated into our regular diet.

Olive oil is the principle fat used in a Mediterranean-style diet, and it is associated with improved heart health, especially when it replaces saturated fats in the diet. Good quality olive oil is critical for this and many other dishes from the region. The lentil pasta sauce is also a great source of fiber from the lentils, lycopene from the tomatoes, and beta-carotene from the carrots—and it has a healthy dose of garlic to boot. I make a huge pot of this sauce and freeze family-meal-size portions. It has become our perfect “desperation dinner” because all you have to do to get dinner on the table is boil some pasta, heat the sauce, and toss a salad. We serve this dish when entertaining a crowd of friends and family. Everyone raves and no one notices that there’s no meat on the menu.

Q. How do you instill healthy patterns in youngsters? What should we be doing for our families?

Sharonne: Planting the seeds of lifelong good habits for diet and exercise is the most important thing we can do for our kids’ health. And as parents we try to practice what we preach. (Forget preaching to kids! It doesn’t work on them—or our patients.) We don’t tell Sarah and Drew what foods they absolutely must or can’t eat, but we hope that regardless of what they eat, they’ll make informed choices. I try to have healthy options available.

I keep a variety of easy-to-access snacks such as fresh fruit and berries, pre-cut raw veggies, low-fat yogurt, whole-grain cereal and bread, and ingredients for healthy “homemade fast-food” that even Drew can put together.

When we go out to eat, we talk about healthy menu options and reasonable portion sizes. Sarah follows a healthy vegetarian diet and avoids soda. Drew still has a ways to go to reach healthy dietary habits, but he’s started making some healthier choices since reading Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser (Harper Perennial, 2002). He’s started to realize that maybe he really is what he eats.

David: Being physically active is a regular part of our children’s lives. They are both competitive swimmers, Sarah since age 8 and Drew since age 7. Swimming is a year-round sport for both of them, but practice schedules vary from season to season. On average they practice four to six times a week and are in the water for at least two hours each practice. They expend a lot of energy swimming and as a result are in great shape.

On the days Sarah doesn’t swim, she cross-trains by running and doing resistance exercises. Drew also plays soccer in the spring. We do our best to encourage them to stay active and, as much as we can, be active with them by taking family bike rides and walks and enjoying active vacations. We try to show them that following a healthy lifestyle is an active choice, and one that is enjoyable, not a drudge.