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 (2025)

12/16/2025

First day back in the office after my birthday and my work family understood the assignment. 🎂🌱

A vegan cake, decorations, and a cake that literally says “The Plant Doctor.”
I felt very seen. And very fed. 😄

We talk a lot about “work–life balance,” but here’s the truth:
Most of us will spend 90,000+ hours of our lives at work.
That’s more time than we spend with many friends… and sometimes even family.

So the people you work with matter.
A lot.

Mental health isn’t just about what you do —
it’s about who you do it with.

And there’s a big difference between:
➡️ “We’re like a family here”
and
➡️ Actually showing up like one.

This team checks in. They celebrate. They care.
And they know the quickest way to my heart is a plant-based dessert. 🌱😉

Grateful to do meaningful work with people who don’t just share an office —
they share kindness, support, and way too much cake.

Now excuse me while I convince myself one more slice is still “lifestyle medicine.”

12/15/2025

When Patrick Mahomes and Micah Parsons both suffered ACL tears, knee injuries immediately took center stage.

The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is a primary stabilizer of the knee. It controls rotation and prevents the shin bone from sliding forward during cutting, pivoting, jumping, and sudden stops. That’s why ACL injuries often occur during non-contact movements, awkward landings, or collisions in sports like football and basketball.

I tore my ACL in August 2009 while in medical school playing competitive basketball. A collision bent my knee sideways, and I had to be helped off the court. Believing I couldn’t afford time off, I hid the injury, wore a brace under my scrubs, and delayed surgery for nearly two years.

I eventually underwent ACL reconstruction with a patellar tendon graft and rushed rehab to be ready for residency. Delaying repair and accelerating recovery didn’t help—I still deal with knee pain and swelling.

The lesson: recovery timelines matter. Most athletes return to high-level performance after ACL surgery, but outcomes are best when rehab is respected and long-term joint health comes first.

Your knees are built for longevity, not shortcuts.

12/15/2025

40.
Apparently that’s “over the hill.”
Funny… looks more like I’m still climbing. ⛰️

I grew up hearing the jokes — “it’s all downhill from here.”
Cue the midlife-crisis starter pack: flashy car, partying like you’re still 21, drinking like your liver didn’t age with you.

Hard pass.

I didn’t plan a big birthday blowout. I wanted time with close friends and family, to watch my Bears take down the Browns 🐻 — and I started the day with a 5-mile run and a long sauna session.

That’s not a crisis. That’s clarity.

I spent my 30s building my career, my family, and trying to be everything for everyone else. Health issues along the way forced a wake-up call:

👉 You can’t truly be there for your family if you aren’t healthy enough to stay.

On my 30th birthday, I drank like I was still in college, ate all the junk food I grew up loving, and stayed up until sunrise.

Today?
A healthy smoothie, indulgent-but-plant-forward vegan meals, movement, recovery, and a plan to get 8 hours of sleep.

The only thing I want to do “like when I was younger” is get in shape — the difference is I now train smarter, fuel better, and recover on purpose.

This year’s goal: run or walk 1,000 miles.
Not for speed. Just consistency.

I’m not over the hill.
I’m not having a midlife crisis.
I plan on living well past 80 — this is just halftime.

Rocking my “Party Like It’s 1985” Bears shirt today — for the ’85 champs and my birth year — and celebrating the Bears way:

Good. Better. Best.
Never let it rest.
’Til your good gets better
And your better gets best. 🐻💪

12/13/2025

🥶 Chicago cold isn’t “winter.” It’s a personality test.

I usually love finding any excuse to get outside.
Fresh air. Movement. “Just bundle up.”

But when Chicago decides to turn the volume to ‘Antarctica with attitude’… even I tap out.

If you’ve ever:
• Had your eyelashes freeze
• Felt the wind slap you personally on Michigan Ave
• Questioned your life choices walking from the car to Target

—you know this isn’t regular cold. This is Lake Michigan-assisted disrespect.

Why this matters (besides emotional damage):

• Frostbite can happen in under 30 minutes when wind chills drop below 0°F
• Hypothermia risk rises once body temp drops under 95°F
• Cold causes blood vessels to constrict, raising blood pressure and heart strain
• Winter is linked to higher rates of heart attacks, especially during snow shoveling
• Cold, dry air can trigger asthma and breathing issues

Yes—I believe in getting outside.
Yes—I believe movement is medicine.

But sometimes the most Chicago-appropriate workout is:
🏠 Lifting weights in your basement
🧘 Stretching while staring out the window dramatically
🚶 Walking laps inside like you’re trapped at O’Hare during a delay

Bundle up if you go out.
Keep it short.
And don’t let anyone shame you for choosing survival.

This isn’t weakness.
This is Midwestern wisdom.

12/12/2025

Snow ≠ cozy for your heart. ❄️❤️‍🔥

Fact: heart attacks and cardiac deaths go up in cold weather — and snow shoveling is a notorious trigger. When you’re out heaving slabs of frozen wet snow, your heart faces a triple threat: colder air narrows blood vessels, blood pressure spikes, and the sudden heavy exertion increases demand on the heart. For some people that’s the “one more rep” that becomes one too many. 🧤🪓

Quick numbers: studies and meta-analyses show clear increases in heart attacks and cardiovascular deaths during cold spells — and hospitalizations rise after big snowfalls. If you’re over 45, sedentary, or have known heart disease, treat shoveling like a HIIT workout — but without the warm-up. (Translation: don’t do it.)

Safety tips (because I care and also because ambulances don’t come with scarves):
• Warm up, dress in layers, and take frequent breaks.
• Use a small shovel or push instead of lifting heavy loads.
• Ask for help or hire it out if you’re at risk.
• If you feel chest pain, jaw/arm pain, sudden shortness of breath, or lightheadedness — stop and call 911.

Heart + snow = dramatic rom-com villain energy. Be safer than your weather app. 😉

12/11/2025

Your favorite juice or sports drink might be secretly applying for a job as a cardiovascular risk factor. 💔😂

We love a good marketing slogan — “hydration,” “electrolytes,” “immune-boosting,” “natural,” “vitamin-infused.”
But let’s be honest:
A lot of these beverages are just liquid sugar with a multivitamin complex and a good PR team.

Here’s what the actual science shows about sugary drinks and heart health:

🍭 The average adult consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugar daily.
Recommended:
• Women → 6 tsp/day
• Men → 9 tsp/day
(Meanwhile… America: “Who’s counting?”)

💔 Drinking 2+ sugar-sweetened beverages/day raises your risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by ~30%.

📈 Sugary drinks contribute to 1.2 million heart disease cases per year worldwide.

🫀 They’re linked to:
• Higher triglycerides
• Lower HDL (“the friend who actually shows up”)
• Higher blood pressure
• Increased AFib risk
• Type 2 diabetes (the gateway to cardiovascular issues)

And yes — this includes:
• Juice “made from real fruit”
• Sports drinks marketed like they belong in the Super Bowl
• “Healthy” hydration mixes
• Vitamin water dressed like it shops at Whole Foods

What to drink instead:
– Water (classic, reliable, undefeated)
– Sparkling water
– Unsweetened tea
– Whole fruit (the OG electrolyte source)
– Herbal teas
– Black Coffee

Your heart works hard for you — don’t repay it with a 20 oz sugar bomb disguised as wellness.

12/10/2025

Everyone’s acting like electrolytes are the new green juice, therapy, and personality test all rolled into one.

Influencer: “YOU NEED ELECTROLYTES DAILY.”
Also influencer: “Fruit is bad.”
Me: …so the thing that naturally contains electrolytes… is bad… but the $42 watermelon-flavored powder is good? Got it. 👍

Here’s the tea (or… coconut water?):
🥭 Fruits and veggies are literally electrolyte powerhouses.
🥦 Water hydrates… shockingly well.
🧂 Most Americans already eat WAY too much sodium — no supplement needed.
🥤 And many electrolyte drinks contain more sugar than a plot twist on The Bachelor.

Unless you’re:
🏃‍♂️ Running long-distance
🔥 Working out intensely for over an hour
💦 Actually drenched in sweat like you just escaped a sauna
🤒 Sick and dehydrated
…you probably don’t need a neon-colored salt potion.

I’m not anti-electrolyte. I’m anti “make-things-we-don’t-need-a-personality.”

Drink water. Eat plants. Balance your electrolytes without needing a sponsorship code. 😎

12/09/2025

EBOO therapy is having a moment again… and no, it’s not a new sneaker drop — it’s a machine that takes your blood out, ozonates it, and puts it back in. And yes, it’s trending because a certain baseball superstar decided to broadcast his blood-spa day. 😅

Let’s talk about it.
Because when celebrities post IV bags, everyone suddenly wants to sign up — meanwhile, your doctor is in the corner quietly screaming into a pillow.

⸻

🩸 What Even Is EBOO?

EBOO = Extracorporeal Blood Oxygenation and Ozonation.
Basically:
Blood out → through a filter → mixed with ozone/oxygen → blood back in.
Wellness clinics call it “detoxifying,” “energy boosting,” “anti-inflammatory,” and “immune supercharging.”

And on the surface, it sounds incredible… like your bloodstream just got promoted.

⸻

🧪 What the Early Science Says:

There are small studies suggesting ozone can stimulate antioxidant pathways, influence immune cells, and maybe help circulation in very specific medical populations.

But the keyword is: small.
Tiny sample sizes. No long-term data. No large randomized trials.
It’s like judging a restaurant based on three Yelp reviews, all written by the owner’s cousins.

⸻

⚠️ Why Doctors Are Pressing the Brakes:
• Not FDA-approved
• Risks: oxidative damage to red blood cells, hemolysis, shifts in blood pressure, infection, clotting issues
• Unknown long-term effects
• Glossy marketing ≠ safe medicine

If too much ozone harms lung tissue when inhaled, imagine why we’re cautious about injecting it into the bloodstream.

⸻

🏟️ And in Sports?

Blood out → manipulated → blood back in.
You don’t need a PhD to see why people are calling this “blood-doping-adjacent.”
Even if it lives in a regulatory grey zone, the ethical questions are very real.

⸻

💬 My Take

I’m not anti-innovation. I love evidence-based healing.
But I’m also not here for unproven, high-risk biohacks being marketed like Wellness Disney World.

If something claims to “detox your blood,” please remember:
⭐️ Your liver and kidneys already have that job. And they work 24/7. Without ozone.

Curious about EBOO?
Ask questions. Demand data.
Don’t let someone’s celebrity recovery routine become your medical plan.

12/08/2025

I thought I’d seen the worst health advice on the internet…
until an ad told people to cancel their gym membership because “GLP-1s make weight loss simpler—not sweatier.”

Ma’am. Sir. Algorithm.
Please sit down.

Let’s be clear:
Exercise is NOT optional.
It’s not “extra credit.”
And it’s definitely not something you replace with a $99/month mystery vial from a company named after a tree.

What exercise actually does:
🏋️ Builds & maintains muscle (your metabolic retirement account)
❤️ Protects your heart
🦵 Supports joints
🧠 Boosts mood, memory, focus
😴 Improves sleep
💥 Lowers chronic disease risk
🌱 Makes you kinder to your family (peer-reviewed in my house)

Meanwhile the ad is out here saying, “Don’t sweat! Just take this pill we invented last Tuesday.”

⚠️ Now… compounded GLP-1s.

I prescribe GLP-1s for many of my MDVIP patients — FDA-approved ones. Your body deserves better than Hogwarts Pharmacy.

Compounded GLP-1 risks:
• Wildly inconsistent dosing
• Multi-dose vial overdoses (5–20×)
• Contamination
• Unapproved chemical forms
• Products with no active ingredient
• Counterfeits
• Zero trials, zero oversight

Also:
There is NO FDA-approved oral semaglutide for weight loss.
If someone sells one… 🚩🚩🚩

If you’re using a GLP-1 or considering one:
Work with a doctor who:
✔️ Uses FDA-approved meds only
✔️ Monitors you closely
✔️ Builds a personalized nutrition plan
✔️ Includes strength training
✔️ Optimizes metabolic health
✔️ Focuses on lifespan and healthspan

…aka what I do every day in my concierge practice.

If you want safe, supervised, lifestyle-centered weight loss — not shortcuts and sketchy meds — send me a message or call (224) 273-6010.
Let’s build a plan that’s sustainable, science-backed, and actually improves your life.

12/07/2025

Two months post–Gamma Knife.
One week from turning 40.
And my oomph? Still not fully back from its bye week. 😅

I’ve been back at work taking care of patients — that part fills my cup. But when it comes to workouts, motivation, and the usual “let’s crush today” energy, these last two months have been tough. Not exactly what I envisioned for the grand finale of my 30s.

But here’s the reality check: the past 2 months have been tough, but this year? I’ve accomplished more than I give myself credit for. Brain tumor radiation, recovery, launching a practice, growing a community, helping patients transform their health, Deepening my own lifestyle journey. Being a dad, husband, physician, human.… that’s not exactly a “light” year.

So I’m reminding myself of the same thing I tell my patients: 
Setbacks don’t define you.
The comeback does. And right now, I’m channeling my inner Michael Jordan — that relentless drive, that refusal to quit, that ability to take a tough break and turn it into fuel for the next big play. 
And luckily, as a lifelong Chicago Bears fan, emotional resilience is basically my core personality trait. I’ve been training for highs and lows since I could walk. 😭🐻

With the Bears playing the Packers today, I’m taking inspiration from the team that’s been turning things around this season — with heart, grit, and actual fun (refreshing!).
And nothing hits better than hearing Coach Ben Johnson lead the locker room in the chant after a Bears win:

“Good, better, best.
Never let it rest.
’Til your good gets better,
And your better gets best!”

That energy? I’m borrowing it for my own comeback.

Healing takes time.
Motivation comes back.
The spark returns.
And just like the Bears this season — I’m not done yet.

Here’s to progress, patience, humor, health, and hoping the Packers end today the way they usually do: sad, confused, and wondering why Chicago is better at everything. 😉
 40, I’m coming for you. 🔥

12/06/2025

🔥 Hot Take: The Grinch was NOT the villain. We just met him on a bad day.

We’ve all judged someone based on a single moment — the missed birthday party, the short reply, the “wow… they’re grinchy” vibe. But here’s the truth: we rarely know the whole story. Especially in the era of social media highlight reels, it’s easy to assume someone’s personality is the problem… when in reality they might just be struggling.

Maybe they didn’t show up because they’re overwhelmed.
Maybe they snapped because their car got stuck in the snow, their kid threw up on their shirt, and they just found out a loved one is sick.
Maybe they’re fighting a battle they’ve kept completely private.

Look at the Grinch — isolated as a kid, bullied because of his appearance, living alone on a mountain with a dog who didn’t get a vote. And suddenly he’s the bad guy? Honestly, he showed remarkable restraint.

And Oscar the Grouch??
We literally call him “THE GROUCH.”
We named him after his mood, stuck him in a trash can, and then acted shocked when he wasn’t sunshine and rainbows.
Maybe if we just called him “Oscar” and got him into stable housing he’d be writing gratitude journals like the rest of Sesame Street.

I’ve had my own “Grinch moments.” There are parties I skipped because I didn’t have the emotional bandwidth. Messages I didn’t respond to because I was mentally tapped out. Medical struggles I keep private that people never see. And yes, folks got irritated — because they only saw the moment, not the story.

So maybe the Grinch wasn’t bad.
Maybe Oscar wasn’t bad.
Maybe we’re not bad when we’re burned out, overwhelmed, or fighting invisible battles.

✨ Moral of the story: Give people grace. Give yourself grace. There’s always more happening behind the scenes… even if all we see is a green guy, a grouch, or someone having an off day.

12/05/2025

It’s officially that time of year when everyone floods your feed with Spotify Wrapped…
But since I don’t use Spotify (and I’ll tell you exactly why 👀), please enjoy my Spotify UNwrapped — the plant-based, strength-training, life-rebuilding remix.

Swipe to see the graphics. Yes, they look exactly like Spotify… and no, Daniel Ek should not call me. 😄

⸻

🌱 Top Foods of the Year

Ranked like the Grammy Awards of plant protein:
1️⃣ Tofu (the GOAT)
2️⃣ Tempeh (fermented funk = flavor + gut health)
3️⃣ Seitan (AKA “vegan chicken but make it swole”)
4️⃣ Beans (heart-healthy, longevity-approved)
5️⃣ Broccoli (cruciferous royalty)

🏋🏽 Top Workouts of the Year

My Apple Watch is filing for workers’ comp:
1️⃣ Weighted Vest Walks
2️⃣ Leg Day Strength
3️⃣ Push Day
4️⃣ Pull Day
5️⃣ Norwegian Split Squats (science-backed torture)

⏱ Minutes Worked Out: 15,632

That’s… a lot of podcasts I didn’t listen to on Spotify.

🍜 Favorite Cuisine: Asian

Balance, flavor, color, fiber — say less.

⸻

📸 Swipe → My Top 5 Moments of the Year

1️⃣ Brain radiation recovery — the comeback story I never knew I’d need
2️⃣ Opening my new MDVIP practice — purpose meets community
3️⃣ Country Magazine cover — still surreal
4️⃣ Chicago Health Magazine feature — grateful and humbled
5️⃣ Presenting at the Food as Medicine Conference — lifestyle medicine at the forefront

These weren’t just moments — they were milestones in healing, rebuilding, and finding my voice again.

⸻

⚠️ Now the serious part… why I call this “UNwrapped.”

I don’t use Spotify because:
• Their artist payout model massively underpays creators
• They’ve run advertisements for ICE
• The CEO has invested in AI-driven warfare tech
Those aren’t values I can support, and they don’t align with the kind of world I’m trying to help build.

So instead of letting Spotify summarize my year…
I summarized it myself — with plants, purpose, community, and a whole lot of leg day.

Dr. Sunny Sharma

12/16/2025

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12/13/2025

12/12/2025

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