Dr. Chankanok Kuagoolwongse -
A doctor’s take on healthy

If your mental picture of a typical doctor includes days spent reading medical textbooks, a serious look and few smiles, you may change your mind after meeting Dr. Chankanok Kuagoolwongse, a specialist in Pulmonology (lungs), Sleep Medicine and Critical Care at Bumrungrad International hospital.

WORKING OUT MAKES IT BETTER

No matter how busy her day gets, there’s one activity she almost never misses. “After work, I usually go to the gym for a workout,” Dr. Chankanok told Better Health. “Otherwise I have trouble sleeping. Some
days can be exhausting, but I know it’s not only my body that’s tired, it’s my mind. And nothing relaxes me more than exercise. Just a few minutes into my workout, I start feeling refreshed and my energy returns,” she explained. “It makes me feel happy again!”

ENJOYING A HEALTHY DIET

In choosing what to eat, Dr. Chankanok sticks to a strategy that may seem unconventional. “I don’t eat everything that’s offered to me,” she explained. “I only eat foods that taste good, unless they’re especially
unhealthy. After all, why fill up on food that doesn’t taste good? I do eat some candy and sweets, but in small amounts. I save room only for my favorites!”

She also follows some simple but important principles of good nutrition. “I don’t skip meals,” she said, “because that’s not healthy. If I focus on what’s good to eat and stick to my exercise routine every day, I know I’m taking care of two key factors for staying healthy.”

A THIRST FOR ADVENTURE

Besides helping patients, Dr. Chankanok’s other passion is traveling- the more adventurous, the better! She spoke with great excitement about her latest adventure; she and three other Bumrungrad doctors volunteered to travel to Nepal to be the medical support team for nine Thai mountain climbers attempting to scale Mount Everest. “Though technically it was considered work,” she said, “it was a fantastic experience. And it definitely was an adventure!”

Dr. Chankanok stressed the importance of having a healthy life attitude. “When we work hard,” she explained, “we need to reward ourselves. I put my full energies into my work, and the same goes for my free time - it gets my full effort. After the trip to Mt. Everest, I went scuba diving, jungle walking and mountain biking three things I really enjoy! And I’m still enjoying the memories months later."