What we're talking about in this episode
Dr Zoe Williams, perhaps best known as one of the resident GPs on This Morning, has a warm chat with fellow GP Gemma where they discus:
- The importance of lifestyle medicine
- Tips on how exercise can lift your mood
- Dr Zoe's ingredients for success
With guest:
- Dr Zoe Williams - This Morning’s resident GP, Dr Zoe is a former Gladiator and rugby player. As well as being a GP with lots of great, no-nonsense general health advice, Zoe is big on lifestyle and preventative medicine – she’s a runner and has increasingly spoken out about mental health and the need for human connection
Listen to Episode 3
Search 'The Wellness Edit' on your favourite podcast streaming service
Dr Zoe Williams shares her guide to staying fit and healthy
She’s a resident doctor on This Morning, a former Gladiator, and a passionate advocate for ‘lifestyle medicine’, especially how exercise helps our health. Here Dr Zoe Williams shares her advice on getting the best from your GP, being honest as a new mum, and how a paediatrician’s advice changed her life
‘There are three ingredients for success’
‘One, whoever you are, you’ve got to work hard to achieve great things. Two, be brave enough to aim higher than what you want. If you aim for Saturn, you might just make it to the moon; if you want to be a millionaire, aim to be a billionaire. Three, never be told you can’t, always believe, yes, I can. Sometimes we are our own biggest enemy and self-doubt can be the biggest hurdle.’
‘A doctor’s words changed my life’
‘As a child we didn’t have much money, my parents separated when I was young, my mum needed benefits, and I had severe asthma. I ended up in hospital two or three times a year and once almost died. My paediatrician said to my mum when I was about six, it’s important you encourage Zoe to get into some kind of physical activity because it will help her get strong, it’s just as important as her inhalers. I wouldn’t be where I am today had that doctor not given that advice. Sport taught me to believe in myself and gave me confidence. Everything I’ve achieved since happened because I was active.’
‘The last two years have shone a light on lifestyle medicine’
‘During the first lockdown, physical activity got a rebrand because it became the one thing we were allowed to leave our houses to do. Everybody had a taste of what social isolation feels like or knew somebody who struggled – it breaks my heart to think there are people for whom the pandemic made no difference. With nutrition, people engaged with cooking and ingredients, and learned about a more plant-based way of living. And they learned how sleep affected them: some people slept really well and some really struggled.’
‘There’s been a revolution in understanding how exercise helps mental health’
‘We’ve known for 10 years that, for mild to moderate depression, physical activity as a treatment is as effective as SSRI antidepressants or CBT. I’d never give a prescription for anti-depressants without also making sure the patient has some knowledge about how efficacious physical activity can be alongside that medication. My job in promoting physical activity has changed a lot from people thinking I am a bit mad to recognising and respecting my expertise.’
‘Don’t hold back with your GP’
‘There are two experts in that room: the patient and the doctor. I often think it’s like a game we’re supposed to play: the patient gives the clues, and the doctor is the detective and has to work it out, whereas, often as a patient you know what’s going on but feel you’re treading on their toes. As doctors, we’re experts in medicine, diagnosis, which investigations to do, treatments. But as the patient you’re an expert in your particular problem, so tell us everything.’
‘Everybody uses Dr Google’
‘The internet is a great source of information, just use it sensibly. First, pick your source well. The NHS website, for example, will give you evidence-based, up-to-date information and advice. If you’re going on Instagram or Twitter for something medical, go to a doctor’s page; if you want dental advice, go to a dentist’s page, not a celebrity’s. It’s obvious but younger people, especially, can idolise certain individuals.
‘Secondly, if you’ve been on Google, tell your GP what you’ve seen. For example, if you type in “chest pain”, angina and heart attacks will come up. But if you’re a fit, healthy person, in the absence of other symptoms, we can reassure you straight away, no, this isn’t a heart attack.’
‘It always starts with talking and sharing’
‘The thing I hear again and again from new mums is: nobody talks about this stuff. Like the intertrigo you can get between your boobs because they’re massive and pinned together all the time, so you can get a rash and infections. So, I think, well, I’ll talk about it, I’m happy to. I’ve already talked about everything online: the fact I suffer from anxiety, the fact my mum was an alcoholic.
‘I’ve found if I’m brave enough to open up it gives other people permission to share their experiences too. In British culture, we often keep things locked behind closed doors. But dealing with things on our own in private leads to poor mental health, plus, we’re less likely to find a resolution. Talking honestly is a gift I’ve found really easy to give.’
Want to learn more? Listen to more episodes The Wellness Edit podcast here.
Search 'The Wellness Edit' on your favourite podcast streaming service
Related Articles
