Dr. Akshat Chadha is a General Physician who is passionate about lifestyle-related topics. This passion helped him become a Lifestyle Consultant who educates people on the importance of a good lifestyle.
Dr. Akshat Chadha also has a keen interest in the areas of Diabetes, Thyroid, Hypertension, Obesity, and PCOS. In his conversation with Icy Tales, he spilled the beans on his journey, his opinion on PCOS, and how Dr. Akshat Chadha navigates through life’s struggles.
Q) You call yourself ‘Doctor with a Twist’ – What is the story behind it?
Dr. Akshat Chadha: Instagram always makes you put in the bio, right? When I came up with some ideas, I thought Doctor with a Twist made more sense. In today’s world, doctors have this really serious image, and it’s like if you’re going to a doctor, it’s obviously for something negative. You’re falling sick because something is not right. And when you come back, you will have a bunch of medicines, if not more than maybe injections, or you will get admitted.
Thanks to lifestyle medicine as my profession that it allows me to do things a little differently. It allows me to be a little more relaxed and less serious. I can give good news and bad news to my patients in a relaxed manner. 90% of my patients go back without medication, which is one very big difference.
Fortunately, I am blessed to be in a profession that allows me to reduce the seriousness, thereby making it easier for the patients to get alright without medication. I try to go through sicknesses without depending on medications; that’s the twist. And, of course, a patient recently pointed out to me that the meaning of the twist also is that you dance. So the twist is a dancing doctor, too, right?
Q) How important is it to maintain a good lifestyle?
Dr. Akshat Chadha: It’s become an entire profession because so many people are practicing it all over the world, not only in India. So it’s important, but we need to understand what exactly this word lifestyle is because people tend to get confused as everything eventually becomes a fad.
Now lifestyle is also becoming a fad, but people need to understand that things like supplements are a part of your life. Lifestyle means what you do every day. You have your habits which kind of come together and make a routine. This routine which is repeated over and over again is a lifestyle. It’s not just the medication, supplements, or exercise; it’s a combination.
How much exercise do you do? Do you brush your teeth twice a day? What food you’re eating? What time you’re eating? How stressed are you? Are you managing your stress? Do you sleep well at night? All of these are habits that come together and give you your lifestyle. It is extremely important as it will define how fit, healthy, and disease free you remain.
Q) What is your opinion on PCOS, and what would you want to tell women going through this situation?
Dr. Akshat Chadha: First, we must understand that PCOS can come in different degrees. The disorder’s intensity can also be mild, moderate, and intense. In case it is very mild, people can get treated without medication.
This can be detected specifically by irregular or missing menses. Six months, you’re not getting menses; it is a big problem, right? So to everyone out there, be open to the idea that a small amount of medication might be required, so don’t avoid or get distressed with the label that I have PCOS.
Secondly, be open to a little medication as and when required. I am treating ladies with no medication but not every woman can go without medication. Third, whatever you decide, whether you’re looking at homeopathy or anything, take a look at your general lifestyle. If you feel you can take any medicine without correcting your lifestyle, you will not get your desired result.
Exercise regularly, but don’t overdo it as you exercise for three days, then disappear for three months; no! Do adequate exercise and do it so that you’re being consistent. You’re meant to start to get better, so if you’re ready to make a change, be serious, and eventually, your reports and symptoms will improve. So it’s not the end of the world at all.
Q) How do you deal with times when you feel demotivated and don’t achieve what you want?
Dr. Akshat Chadha: First is a personal kind of achievement. Then there is family achievement, societal achievement, and patience. So I’m going to analyze it and break it down. Most importantly, I find the trigger, like why I am demotivated and what makes me feel this way.
Second is that I accept that feeling; the problem is not about feeling low nowadays; it’s about the pressure of feeling low. We feel like we have to be positive always, right? So I always tell everybody I’m allowed to feel low and demotivated. I’m absolutely fine if I’m sad. I accept the feelings and understand them. On a demotivated day, I choose something which I’m good at because if I manage to do that, it makes me feel productive and helps me feel a little good about myself. Apart from this, I listen to music as it allows me to relax.
Sometimes I go to my wife after everything, telling her I have solved all these issues, so that’s another form of happiness for me. And then, obviously, if nothing is working, I will go to my wife. She will give me a solution immediately, and if not, she provides attention and listens to me.
Q) Tell us one experience that inspired you and brought a change in you
Akshat Chadha: There’s no single experience; I am inspired by my patients almost daily. If I have a father who comes to me with type one diabetes or type two diabetes, that child also has type one diabetes, and they are ready to make a change, that’s very inspiring for me. I don’t have kids, so when I had a single mother coming to me who has diabetes and she’s taking care of herself and her children, that was motivating for me.
I have transgender patients looking for a change in their sexual orientation. They are the ones who motivate me every day because they go through a lot, not only within themselves but the society or their family doesn’t accept it; it is very disheartening.
Recently I had a patient who had gone through hell. And now, after two years of hard work and everything she’s done for herself, her parents accept it. So when I get to hear that it is finally paying off, it feels great. It is inspiring to see that people don’t give up on themselves, the world, and goodness.
People have a lot of traumatic experiences like sexual and physical abuse, and they go through it. There’s not one experience; my patients are full of adventures. So many people live in a toxic environment but still live without giving up on goodness. I think that is something that inspires me almost every day.
Dr. Akshat Chadha aims to raise awareness about maintaining a good lifestyle and thereby giving health the top priority. He believes that the right diagnosis will provide the treatment and lead to a sustainable lifestyle.
Check out the whole conversation with Dr. Akshat Chadha on our YouTube Channel.
Last Updated on by Sathi