Spotlight on an S+ client

Dr. Èvelyne Bourdua-Roy, MD

​I will be doing a periodic spotlight on the splusstudio.com blog where I talk with an S+ clients about their fitness objectives and experience with the S+ strength training program.
 
Today’s spotlight is on Dr. Èvelyne Bourdua-Roy, MD.

Randall Lightbown:  Hello, Èvelyne!  You are my first spotlight guest, and it’s a pleasure to speak with you today about your personal health and fitness regime and how S+ has helped you achieve your objectives. 

Èvelyne Bourdua-Roy:  It’s my pleasure, Randall, and thanks for having me.
 
Randall:  Èvelyne, you hardly need an introduction, especially for followers of North America’s leading medical issues, and particularly when it comes to metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.  But here goes:
 
You are a family medicine doctor in Québec and are board-certified in Obesity Medicine by the American Board of Obesity Medicine.  You are co-author of six best-selling books about metabolic health and diet management.  And you are the founder of Clinique Reversa, a not-for-profit metabolic program that helps patients reverse their lifestyle-related chronic diseases, where you supervise a multidisciplinary team of nurses, kinesiologists, psychologists, pharmacists, medical assistants, coaches, and doctors.  You also find the time and energy to host and participate in international conferences, appear as a guest on numerous television and radio shows and podcasts, and write articles and blogs about nutrition.  You are also a fierce advocate for the rights of female doctors. And, last but not least, you are the mother of two young children.
 
Èvelyne, how do you do it all?
 
Èvelyne Bourdua-Roy:  Doctor of family medicine, co-author of three best-sellers, founder of Clinique Reversa, conference presenter, media guest, blogger, advocate for rights of female doctors, mother of two young children
 
Èvelyne:  Well, thanks for that introduction, Randall!  Obviously, I have accomplished those things over a number of years, so time and experience are part of the answer. 
 
But, perhaps more importantly, I have always tried to be very clear about my personal and professional objectives and focused on how to achieve them.  I truly believe that anyone who takes the time to identify clear and achievable objectives, and pursues those objectives passionately and consistently with small, doable, and regular steps, can accomplish much more than they might at first imagine.
 
Identify clear and achievable objectives and pursue them passionately and consistently with small, doable, and regular steps
 
Randall:  Well, you almost make it sound easy, and I’m sure it’s not.  But tell us a little about the “small, doable, regular steps” that you carry out—as you said—“consistently” that put you on the path to achieving so much.
 
Èvelyne:   Right!  Well, perhaps “easy” is not the best word, but everything that is worth pursuing—success in your profession and in your family life—is well worth working for.
 
The key, I would say, is energy.  Because, if you have sufficient energy to tackle your pursuits—again, in small, doable, and regular steps—you will find that you can pretty much—metaphorically speaking—move mountains!
 
Randall:  This is both encouraging and exciting!  So, how do you build up and maintain the energy that you need to “move mountains”?
 
Èvelyne:  My—and I believe the answer—is in two parts:  good nutrition and strength training. 
 
If you want to have sufficient energy to do everything you love to do (both at work and at play), you need to 1) eat the food that’s right for you, and 2) build and maintain skeletal muscle, where most of our energy sources are stored.
 
Build and maintain energy with good nutrition and strength training
 
And if you do these two things consistently—in small, doable, regular steps—you will be prepared to tackle a whole range of personal and professional objectives that will bring you pleasure and happiness in your life.  They certainly have in my life!
 
Randall:  This is great news for anyone out there who needs some encouragement to get organized and on the right track to meet their everyday professional and personal challenges.
 
So, since you’ve been a client for a number of years, please tell me how the S+ program has helped you fit strength training as one of those “small, doable, regular steps” into your busy schedule.  (As you know, S+ has also begun to provide nutrition coaching, but let’s save that topic for another discussion.)
 
Èvelyne:  Simple answer, Randall:  I do a strength training routine once or twice a week—regularly and consistently—for only 20 minutes.  That’s all I need to develop and maintain the muscle tone and mass I want.  Those 20 minutes give me the energy I need to get through my long days of clinical work with patients, advising the team at Clinique Reversa, traveling to conferences, making meals at home, playing with my children—and picking them up with ease when I need or want to—all this is possible because I eat right and exercise smart!
 
Strength training once or twice a week for only 20 minutes—That’s all I need to develop and maintain the muscle tone and mass I want…because I eat right and exercise smart!
 
At only 20 minutes, my strength training routines are brief, doable, and tremendously effective!  And this is true for both in-studio machine workouts and Zoom video body weight sessions that you and I have done during the pandemic.
 
And don’t forget: a big part of the magic is the role that you play as personal trainer—knowledgeable, empathetic, encouraging—these are critical ingredients in the S+ method of high intensity strength training.
 
Personal trainer:  critical ingredients of knowledge, empathy, encouragement
 
Randall:  Well, thanks for saying so, Èvelyne. 
 
And if you’ll permit me to summarize your personal wisdom on the question of health and wellbeing:  “Good Nutrition + Strength Training = Energy for the pursuit of professional and personal objectives.”  And, in your case, the result has been satisfying achievement, health and happiness.
 
Èvelyne:  That’s a good summary!  And I hope that anyone out there looking for a way to more effectively manage their professional and personal lives with increased energy will take that summary to heart.
 
Randall:  Thanks again, Èvelyne.
 
Èvelyne:  Pleasure!  And thanks for inviting me to share my energizing experience with S+.