https://www.mdvip.com/doctors/sunnysharmamd, https://teamfeed.feedingamerica.org/participants/DrSunnySharma, http://www.

Dr. Sunny Sharma, 1555 Barrington Road/Doctor's Building 1/Suite 310, Hoffman Estates, IL (2026)

12/30/2025

I’ve been asked to partner with the team and for their Real30™ January Challenge — and honestly, this couldn’t align better with my 365 Consistent Challenge 🌱💪🏽

If you’ve been following along, you know my philosophy:
👉 consistency over perfection
👉 abundance over restriction
👉 real food, real movement, real life

That’s exactly what Real30 is about.

For 30 days in January, the focus is simple:
🥦 30 unique plants per week (fruits, veggies, beans, grains, herbs, spices)
🚶🏽‍♂️ 30 minutes of movement per day — your way
🧠 No shame. No “start over Monday.” Just momentum.

This is NOT a detox.
NOT a cleanse.
NOT a crash-diet January.

It’s about adding more plants, building sustainable habits, and doing it inside a supportive community.

I’ll be layering Real30 directly into my 365 Consistent Challenge — sharing:
• real meals
• real movement
• real plant counts
• real life (busy days included)

If you join and share your journey, tag and use — you’ll even be entered into a giveaway for a plant-packed bundle 🌿

January doesn’t need to feel restrictive.
It can feel expansive, energizing, and doable.

Let’s make this a month of adding, not subtracting.

Tagging along with me? 👇🏽
Comment “REAL30” and let’s do this together.

12/30/2025

As the year winds down, a lot of people are getting ready to go “all in” on January 1st.

Harder.
Stricter.
More extreme.

And usually… shorter-lived.

So today I want to introduce the framework behind what I’m building for 2026:
365 Consistent.

This isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about showing up — consistently — in ways that actually improve your healthspan and lifespan.

No competitions.
No prizes.
No suffering-for-75-days energy.

Instead, everything is built around Good → Better → Best.

Not as labels.
Not as rankings.
But as options — depending on the season of life you’re in.

We focus on the pillars of Lifestyle Medicine:
• Movement that supports longevity
• Strength to preserve independence
• Nutrition that prioritizes protein, fiber, and gut health
• Sleep as a performance enhancer
• Mindfulness and joy (because stress counts)
• Avoiding risky substances
• Awareness of key health markers — not obsession

If you hit Good consistently, you’re winning.
If you can move one pillar to Better, that’s progress.
If you miss a day? You don’t “start over.”
You just don’t miss twice.

This is the opposite of extreme challenges that people can’t wait to finish.

365 Consistent isn’t something you complete.
It’s something you become.

More coming soon — including how this integrates with my concierge practice and how we track progress in a meaningful, non-punitive way.

Progress > Perfection. Always.

12/29/2025

Yesterday I hinted that something was coming for 2026.
Today, I’ll say it clearly.

I’m building 365 Consistent.

Not a challenge you survive.
Not a competition.
Not a “grind for 75 days and collapse” situation.

This is a framework designed to help people build momentum, habits, and consistency — for real life.

Here’s the thing most programs get wrong 👇
They’re one-size-fits-all.

Some of you want to:
• lose weight
• get healthier
• get stronger
• stop starting over
• or just feel better in your own body

365 Consistent works for all of that.

Because the goal isn’t just weight loss — it’s better metabolic health, better strength, better energy, and better longevity. Too many programs help people lose weight while quietly worsening their health. That’s not success.

This isn’t about beating anyone else.
When people ask who you’re competing against, the answer is simple:

You vs. you from yesterday.

The goal is to get the good, better, and best out of YOU — safely, sustainably, and without perfection.

Over the next few days, I’ll break down:
• how this actually works
• what “good, better, and best” means
• how to pick a level that fits your life

This starts January 1.
Not perfectly.
Just consistently.

Progress over perfection. Always.

12/28/2025

Why Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail

Everyone is about to wake up on January 1st with elite motivation and zero plan.

New shoes.
New supplements.
New “this year is different” energy.

And by January 12th…
👻 disappeared.

Not because you’re lazy.
Not because you “lack discipline.”

But because you’re chasing perfect, not consistent.

We’ve been sold this idea that health requires:
• 100% clean eating
• 2-hour workouts
• Zero carbs
• Zero rest
• Zero joy

That mindset works great…
👉 for about 10 days.

Real health—physical, metabolic, and mental—is built by what you do most days, not what you do on your most motivated day.

That’s why I’m building something different:
365 Consistent.

Not extreme.
Not sexy.
Not miserable.

Just showing up—again and again—at a level you can actually maintain.

Over the next few days, I’m breaking this down into:
✔ GOOD
✔ BETTER
✔ BEST

Because consistency beats intensity.
Every. Single. Time.

Stay tuned.
January isn’t about going harder.
It’s about going longer.

12/26/2025

New tracksuit. Same message.
Merry Liftmas 🎄💪

This time of year, most people think health starts on January 1st.
New year. New plan. New motivation.

But the real secret isn’t intensity or perfection.
It’s consistency.

That’s why I’m building toward 365 Consistent.

Not 75 hard.
Not “go all out until you burn out.”
Just showing up—again and again—stacking small wins.

Lift a little.
Move a little.
Sleep a little better.
Eat a little better.

And repeat.

You don’t need to crush every workout.
You don’t need to track every macro.
You don’t need to be perfect between Christmas cookies and New Year’s champagne.

You just need to keep coming back.

That’s the foundation.
That’s how bodies change.
That’s how health compounds.

Merry Liftmas.
Let’s keep building.

12/25/2025

Downshifting for Health

On Christmas, I want to talk about something we don’t emphasize enough in health:

Downshifting.

We spend most of the year trying to optimize everything—
work harder
train harder
eat better
be more productive

But health isn’t built only by pushing.
It’s also built by intentionally slowing down.

Downshifting means choosing a lower gear—
less pressure
less noise
less “what’s next?”

In a car, you downshift for control and power.
In life, you downshift for recovery and fulfillment.

Rest, sleep, mental peace, and connection are not “lazy.”
They’re productive for your nervous system.

Quick reminder:
• Exercise is where you stress and mold the body
• Nutrition is how you fuel it
• Sleep is where you recover and adapt

Most adults need 7–9 hours of sleep.
Not “Netflix until 1am because it’s the holidays” hours.
Actual sleep 😅

And downshifting isn’t just sleep.

It’s:
• sleeping in a little
• going for a walk without tracking it
• reading a book for fun
• playing with your dog
• talking to family just to catch up
• sitting quietly without scrolling

I love pushing limits with workouts and diet.
But there’s a reason sleep, mindfulness, and social connection are pillars of Lifestyle Medicine.

They’re not optional.
They’re essential.

So today, give yourself permission to downshift.
Your body and brain will thank you.

🎄 Merry Christmas to you and your family. 🎄

12/24/2025

Fiber, Carbs & Metabolic Health (Christmas Eve Edition)

On Christmas Eve, carbs tend to get blamed for everything.
Weight gain. Blood sugar. Uncle Bob’s cholesterol. 🎄

Let’s clear something up:

Fiber is a carbohydrate.
And carbs are your body’s preferred fuel source.

The problem isn’t carbs.
It’s which carbs—and whether they come with fiber.

Why fiber matters (a lot):

• Improves gut health
• Lowers LDL cholesterol
• Improves blood sugar control & insulin sensitivity
• Reduces heart attack and stroke risk
• Improves satiety (aka helps you not eat the entire cookie tray)

My goal isn’t just to help people look fit.
It’s to help them become metabolically healthy.

That’s where low-carb, high-fat trends miss the mark.
Diets like keto, Atkins, and carnivore may change physique short term,
but the data consistently shows worsening cholesterol and higher long-term cardiovascular risk.

Fiber targets:

• Women: ≥25 g/day
• Men: ≥38 g/day

Reality check:
The average American gets ~15 g/day.
(Yes… that’s less than half.)

Where fiber actually comes from:

• Beans & lentils
• Whole grains
• Fruits & vegetables
• Nuts & seeds

Fiber-forward protein sources (like beans) are a cheat code—
you’re hitting protein + fiber + micronutrients at the same time.

And no—fiber gummies don’t count the same.
Fiber works best in its whole-food package,
with phytonutrients, minerals, and all the good stuff attached.

Instead of eating processed food with fiber added,
choose the original food that fiber came from.

Enjoy Christmas. Eat carbs.
Just make sure they come dressed like plants. 🎄

12/23/2025

Protein: Important, Not Magical

We’ve talked about how to train the body.
Now let’s talk about how to fuel it.

Let’s start with protein.

Yes—protein is important.
No—protein is not magic.

Somehow our society became protein obsessed.
Food companies noticed…
and now we have protein Pop-Tarts.

Adding protein to a Pop-Tart does not change the fact that it’s still a Pop-Tart.
Nice try though.

Here’s the reality

Protein never comes in a neat little package all by itself.

When companies sell “protein products,” you’re often also getting:
• added sugar
• refined flour
• added fats
• ultra-processed ingredients

That’s why where protein comes from matters just as much as how much you get.

Why plant-based sources are often preferred

Plant proteins come packaged with:
• fiber
• phytonutrients
• vitamins & minerals
• compounds that support gut and metabolic health

Protein + fiber is a very different conversation than protein + sugar.

How much protein do we actually need?

Despite what the internet says, most Americans already exceed the RDA.

• Sedentary adults:
0.8 g/kg (0.36 g/lb)
A 150-lb person → ~54 g/day

• Older sedentary adults (sarcopenia prevention):
~1.0 g/kg
Same 150-lb person → ~68 g/day

• Physically active / resistance training:
1.2–1.6 g/kg

Going beyond that?
No added benefit shown—just easier to overshoot calories.

Important reminder

Protein without resistance training does not magically build or maintain muscle.

Protein supports the process.
Training triggers the adaptation.

One more common mistake

Most people calculate protein based on their current weight.

But when someone is overweight or obese, that often leads to:
→ excess calories
→ weight gain

A better approach:
Calculate protein based on target or healthy body weight.

What about “incomplete” plant protein?

This myth needs to retire.

• All plant foods contain all essential amino acids (just in different ratios)
• This only matters if someone eats one single food forever
• Variety solves the problem

Unless you’re on an all–black bean diet (please don’t be),
plant-based protein does not limit muscle growth.

Protein matters.
But it’s one tool—not the whole toolbox.

12/22/2025

Resistance Training: Not Just for Looks

Most people think resistance training is about looking muscular.

And sure—that can happen.

But that’s like saying the Bears clinched a playoff spot just because the uniforms looked good.
That wasn’t the point. 🐻⬇️

What resistance training is actually for

As we age, some muscle loss is inevitable.
You probably won’t be as strong at 70 as you were at 30.

But how much strength and muscle you lose is largely up to you.

Muscle follows a simple rule:
Use it or lose it.

Without regular loading, muscle mass and strength decline.
And there’s no substitute for loading your muscles.

What resistance training really improves:

• Strength & muscle mass
• Bone density (lower fracture risk)
• Body composition
• Joint stability & injury prevention
• Balance & functional movement
• Cardiovascular efficiency (yes—your heart works harder too)

The underrated benefits

Strong muscles are metabolically active.

That means:
• Better glucose disposal
• Improved fasting glucose & HbA1c
• Improved insulin sensitivity
• Greater tolerance for carbohydrates (good news for people who enjoy food)

Translation:
Strength training isn’t just about muscles.
It’s about metabolic health.

The big picture

Resistance training improves quality of life:
• Getting off the floor
• Carrying groceries
• Protecting joints
• Staying independent as you age

You don’t lift weights to look good in your 30s.
You lift weights so your 60s, 70s, and 80s still work.

Just like the Bears—
you build strength before you need it…
so it shows up when it matters.

12/21/2025

Last night was a reminder that conditioning shows up when it matters most.

Final drive.
Game on the line.
And DJ Moore still has the legs to sprint 46 yards, separate, and make a miraculous catch on a dime from Caleb Williams.

That’s not luck.
That’s capacity.

That’s VO₂ max.

What VO₂ max actually is

VO₂ max = the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense effort.
It’s a major marker of:
• cardiovascular fitness
• endurance
• performance
• and even longevity

When the moment demands everything…
VO₂ max is what lets you answer the call.

How VO₂ max improves

VO₂ max improves with VO₂ max workouts:
short, hard efforts near max intensity (Zone 5).

But here’s where people go wrong—
doing it too often.

The evidence-based sweet spot

1–2 VO₂ max sessions per week.

More than that:
• diminishing returns
• higher injury risk
• worse recovery
• burnout faster than Packers fans leaving Soldier Field 😅

What I do

My go-to VO₂ max workout is Norwegian-style intervals:

4 rounds of:
• 4 minutes hard (very uncomfortable)
• 3 minutes easy recovery

Total time: ~30 minutes
Frequency: usually once per week

I don’t try to make it longer.
I make the hard parts count.

The Bears comeback lesson

That final drive only works because the foundation was already there.

Same with training.

Zone 2 builds the engine.
VO₂ max raises the ceiling.

When it’s time to sprint, you don’t build fitness—
you reveal it.

🐻⬇️
And yes… it still feels better when it’s against Green Bay.

12/20/2025

I used to think a “good” workout was one where I went as hard as possible…
and was completely worn out after.

If I wasn’t exhausted, I felt like it didn’t count.

Then marathon training humbled me.

When I leaned on the science, I realized something uncomfortable:
I had to slow down. A lot.
Into Zone 2.

Not because I was slacking—
but because it was the only way to handle the training load, recover, and actually improve.

Zone 2 = steady, conversational effort
~60–70% of max heart rate
You can talk in full sentences, but you’re clearly exercising.

What Zone 2 actually does:

• Builds your aerobic base
• Increases mitochondrial number & efficiency
• Improves fat oxidation & metabolic flexibility
• Improves cardiac efficiency and endurance
• Supports insulin sensitivity & cardiometabolic health

Zone 2 is low impact, which means:
• Lower injury risk
• Faster recovery
• You can do it consistently

That consistency is the secret.

Most people live just above Zone 2—
too hard to recover, too easy to adapt.

Zone 2 isn’t about going easy forever.
It’s about building the foundation so when you push, it actually works.

Tomorrow: VO₂ max—what it is, why it matters, and how it builds on this base.

Dr. Sunny Sharma

12/30/2025

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