Healthy Talks with Dr. Muhammad Ansari aka Dr Mo Fit
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- September 1, 2020
MSM: Dr. Muhammed Ansari aka Dr. Mo Fit, you’re a man with an abundance of skill sets, your main profession is a foot surgeon but you’re also a personal trainer, a businessman, and what most of us know you for which is running. Firstly, I think I speak for many when I say we’re proud of you for becoming a Doctor. It means so much when we see the representation of our community in the medical field. What were your reasons for becoming a foot and ankle surgeon?
Dr. MoFit: I would like to first say thank you for the opportunity to tell my story with this interview. I decided to pursue this career because it was a chance to bring together my love for sports medicine, science, and my desire to create an impact in our community. I played soccer, basketball, and football from my early youth to high school and played a year of soccer in college. I love being a podiatric surgeon and learning ways to realign the foot and ankle so that individuals can walk and ambulate comfortably.
MSM: You’ve recently moved on from NYC, how has the quiet life been treating you?
Dr. MoFit: It’s been bittersweet. I love my new job and my patients. I have a nice spacious apartment and nice ride. But socially, I miss my NY family so much. Then have to remind myself due to the pandemic, NYC isn’t the same anymore. But overall, life is treating me well.
MSM: You’ve traveled around the world as a surgeon to perform surgeries in areas where people can’t necessarily travel to main hospitals for surgery. How was that experience, and could you give us an idea of some of the procedures you did?
Dr. MoFit: I wouldn’t say I traveled around the world as a surgeon. But I have been granted the opportunity to partake in major limb reconstruction surgeries while in Honduras. In addition, I have performed wound care-based procedures for patients who limbs were at risk for amputation in the Dominican Republic and Jamaica. I had this experience while in residency and as a student. But while in Honduras, I have assisted in surgeries to reconstruct residual club foot, performed amputations, ankle fusions, ORIF’s on metatarsals, bunion surgery, and rearfoot fusions.
MSM: What is life like as a resident? Being a doctor/surgeon, I would assume is an experience that many wouldn’t fully understand unless they were actually doctors.
Dr. MoFit: Yea, it was constantly burdensome. Every day, I was given the responsibility to make decisions on people’s limbs who were at risk of amputation. During my 1st and 2nd year of residency, I was always in the hospital working on the floors, running clinics, and assisting in surgery.
MSM: Pre Covid it felt like you were always in the operating room. Has it slowed since Covid?
Dr. MoFit: It has slowed down significantly. I lost 4 months of surgical training due to the COVID pandemic. All elective cases and clinics were cancelled, and we had to assist in the ICU during the pandemic.
MSM: Let’s get into Everybody Eats, you launched this food service about 2 years ago, creating a delivery service that is inclusive of food-insecure customers. What made you create this service?
Dr. MoFit: I created this food delivery, Everybody Eats Globally, to find better and more effective ways for food distribution. The fact that we live in a country where restaurants spend millions of dollars on food waste, yet food insecurity is rampant throughout lower-income communities just doesn’t add up. We have starving families in this country who are as malnourished as people who live in developing countries where the food is not as accessible. Lastly, I was tired of seeing poor quality food always marketed to our communities. I seek to improve access to better quality and convenient meals for families. To sum it up, I decided to create the change I wanted to see.
MSM: As a doctor, personal trainer, runner, and also someone that’s completed multiple triathlons, a healthy diet is a must. What are some meals that help you prepare for your events? Have you also brought some of these meals into the Everybody Eats menu?
Dr. MoFit: Yea a healthy diet is a must. Honestly, when I am not training for races, I average 1 large meal/day. I manage the rest of the day on smoothies, salads, fruit, natural juices, and smaller snacks. During the training season, I tend to increase my consumption of carbs. I have also significantly decreased my consumption of red meats. My choice of meat is either chicken breast or fish. I have not been able to bring these ideas to Everybody Eats just yet.
MSM: What’s the go-to Mo Fit/Everybody Eats recipe? Would you care to give us a peek into one of these recipes to share with our readers?
Dr. MoFit: The key Mofit/Everybody Eats secret foods are Superfoods/supplements. Spirulina, Sea Moss, Black Seed Oil, Turmeric, Ginseng, Olive Leaf Oil, Golden Seal/Echinacea, and Turmeric are a few healthy items I consume on a regular. My choice of protein powder is Raw Meal.
My specialty recipe to cook is Barbecue Jerk Chicken and Fried Red Snapper.
MSM: Please correct me if I’m wrong or let me know if I missed anything. You’ve completed 2 marathons, various other distance races, multiple triathlons (which is all a feat within itself) but out of everything, what’s the toughest one? What’s the one that made you cross the finish and say to yourself I can’t believe that just happened?
Dr. MoFit: Yes I have completed in total 3 triathlons, 2 marathons, and over 15+ half marathons. The most difficult race that I have completed was the NYC marathon. Running for a consistent 26.2 miles was very difficult for me. However, it was the NYC triathlon that gave me that emotional feeling of gratitude upon completing.
MSM: I always say once you run a marathon you have the bug. It never leaves you, I’d assume this is the same for triathlons. Should we expect to see you in more at some point?
Dr. MoFit: Of course! It’s just getting started. Now that I have finished residency, I have the time to put in the training as I want. My goal by the end of 2021 is to complete a half ironman.
MSM: You’ve been very consistent as a trainer when it comes to your Mo Fit bootcamps, during Covid times it’s obviously been difficult to have anything face to face. Are you providing any virtual options if so where can folks tune in?
Dr. MoFit: I have done a few fitness classes on Zoom and Instagram. But I have been focused on my transition now and maintaining my own personal fitness. I plan to start back up once I finish my boards.
MSM: You’re a foot and ankle surgeon, and our readers are mostly runners; what advice can you give us runners to avoid injuries? I feel as if we always focus on soft tissue leg injuries, but we sometimes neglect the part that we need/use the most – our feet.
Dr. MoFit: Well I don’t want to be cliché, but the best thing you can do as a runner is to stretch and properly warm up…..but in regards to your feet, I recommend getting a shoe that is fit for your foot type and muscle strength. If you are new to fitness and running, you would probably need a more supportive shoe that supports your lower extremity muscles from fatigue and over exhaustion such as an Asics or Brooks. If you are a more experienced runner, then you want to consider your arch type, gait cycle, running distance, and running terrain when buying shoes but, I recommend getting a shoe that complements your biomechanics of running.
MSM: I’m a fan of scare tactics so I must ask, what’s the worst foot injury you’ve seen from a runner that you had to tend to?
Dr. MoFit: Well when I think about the worst injuries, I don’t usually think of injuries from the running population. However, running injuries often are due to poor biomechanics. But the most common injuries that I see in runners are Lateral Ankle Instability, Peroneal Tendonitis, Achilles Tendonitis and stress and avulsion fractures. But now that I think of it, the worst injury I have treated in a runner was an Achilles Tendon Rupture.
(Dr MoFit actually showed us a photo and lets just say RUNNERS, stretch and be sure to take care of your feet).
MSM: Brother I think I speak for many when I say we salute you King and we are proud of you. What’s next for Dr Mo Fit? Anything our readers can expect?
Dr. MoFit: Thank you so much for this interview. Professionally, I am focusing on developing my surgical expertise and perfecting my treatment plans for patients from a sports medicine perspective. Athletically, as soon as this pandemic settles, I am setting the goal to complete a Half Ironman and Ironman. Also, while here in South Carolina, I am going to resume fitness classes and attempt to help others within our community become more healthy.