A Healthy Friendship:

Dr. John O’Brian and Patient Shaun Moore Find Theirs Working Out

When Shaun Moore was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes two years ago, crisis became opportunity. It was an opportunity for this young entrepreneur, the picture of health, to not only understand what he needed to do to help fight his own disease, but also to help others with diabetes and to help his own doctor take control of his own health.

Shortly after he was diagnosed, Shaun was referred to Dr. John O’Brian, Interim Clinical Director at the SDI, for help with managing his blood sugars. “Dr. O’Brian helped me to understand diabetes. He’s been a wealth of knowledge. When you’re diagnosed, you have a million questions, and he has answered every one of mine.”

Through their conversations during Shaun’s appointment, Dr. O’Brian learned that Shaun had tremendous experience in the health field as an athlete, exercise equipment designer and builder, and owner of Body Structures, a well-known gym in Chesapeake with a large, active clientele.

“During my visits with Shaun, I reflected on my own health and realized that I was not feeling well,” said O’Brian. “My hectic clinical schedule, lack of exercise, and poor eating on the run was taking its toll. One day after leaving the Institutes’ Chesapeake office, I found myself driving to Shaun’s gym.”

Under Shaun’s guidance, O’Brian began a regime of strength training and cardiovascular exercise three times a week. Shaun also placed him on a strict plan of eating moderately three meals a day.

“I had been starving myself all day long because my schedule was so hectic, then I’d eat too much at night - the pounds went on and the lethargy set in,” says O’Brian.

As Shaun was helping Dr. O’Brian, he also learned about the particular exercise needs of people with diabetes. “So many people with diabetes are idle,” he says, “ they’re worried about getting low blood sugars. They should worry about their high blood sugars. The exercise combats that.”

Dr. O’Brian and other physicians began referring their patients to Shaun for exercise training.

Dr. O’Brian says, “Shaun has a tremendous knowledge of the dietary needs. He’s an amazing carbohydrate counter from his background in body-building. He can design a program specifically tailored for the physical needs of the diabetic patient. I have been encouraging him to expand his Type 1 diabetes clientele.”

Shaun has seen dramatic changes in his Type 1 diabetes clients.

“One woman I am training first came to me two months ago,” he explains. “She’s had diabetes since she was four and is currently on the pump. In a short period of time, her strength has increased by 80%, her numbers are 20% lower and her HBA1c has dropped 1.2 points. She was having trouble with a “frozen shoulder” which is sometimes associated with diabetes. We’ve been doing therapy on her AC joint with a stretching program, and now she has more flexibility than she’s had in twenty years.”

Shaun’s diabetic patients have been doing so well they are referring others with diabetes to Shaun to begin an exercise program.

Besides special exercise needs, people with diabetes also have to watch their carbohydrate consumption before exercising. “I have some people who drop 60 points in blood sugar after one hour of exercise. If you know what’s happening, you can take enough carbohydrates to combat that issue,” says Shaun.

He continues, “I think that most people with diabetes think that they can eat like most other people. From my conversations with Dr. O’Brian, I have made changes in my own regime. As an athlete with diabetes, I have to constantly think about what keeps my numbers in a positive state. I have to eat more frequently during the day, and I need a diet high in protein with only 20 grams of carbohydrates at a meal. Now, I keep my food intake to a lean 60% protein, 30% carbohydrates, and 10% fat. That’s great for people who want to stay in great shape, but it’s a little difficult for most people who’d like a more comfortable diet. Some highly processed carbohydrates should be avoided by people with diabetes - and pasta is one of them. It’s hard, but habits are built in 21 days, you just get used to it. If you eat right, it just becomes natural.”

Lifestyle is also very important. Shaun has cut back on his busy schedule that would still appear to be hectic for many. He arrives at 6:00 a.m. each morning after a 30 minute commute from his home on Tull’s Bay in North Carolina. The parking lot is already full. He works with clients, two at a time, until 8:00 a.m. when he takes time for himself and a workout partner/client for his own exercise regime. Then he’s back with clients until noon. Afternoons until 4:00 are spent working on equipment building projects for other gyms and school systems or relaxing back at home, then it’s back to the gym until 7:30 p.m. when the evening crowd thins out.

Dr. O’Brian, one of the late-day arrivals, now comes in to the gym twice a week for workouts supervised by Shaun. He says, “Besides being incredibly knowledgeable, Shaun is a great motivator and trainer. He knows just how much weight you can lift and how far to take it. We’ve built a wonderful friendship and because of him, I feel like I am getting my life back. The exercise has helped me to get my energy back, improve my attitude, and relieve stress.”

Shaun adds, “Dr. O’Brian has been so helpful to me that I am hoping to make an annual commitment to help raise money for the Diabetes Institutes Foundation.” A former Mr. Virginia Beach, Mr. Charlottesville and Mr. Virginia, Shaun has been training other body builders for competition for the past seven years. Each year he sponsors the Tri-State Open Body Building Championships. This past June, Shaun donated part of their proceeds to the DIF.

Both Dr. O’Brian and Shaun are committed to helping each other and helping others with diabetes achieve and maintain a healthy life through exercise and eating right – making lifestyle changes for themselves and helping others make lifestyle changes they need.

Dr. O’Brian remarks, “Whether you have diabetes or not, committing to a healthy way of life is vital to everyone.” And Shaun concludes, “Everyone should have an outlet. The more stress we put on ourselves, the more we need to exercise, eat right and find a healthy regime that works in our lives.”