Dr Sundhya Raman

I think we would struggle to think of anyone who's own life or that of a loved one has not been affected by illness.  

My own father was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in his early 40s.  Since my 20s he has suffered multiple heart attacks, had open heart surgery and multiple stents to open up the blood vessels that supply his heart.  He has been blind from diabetic eye damage for the past decade which means he has never seen the faces of 3 of his 4 grandchildren.  His body has been degrading for decades robbing him of a quality of life, and my mother has been his carer at a time in their lives when they should be enjoying financial stability and quality time with their children and grandchildren.  There is no drug treatment that reverses diabetes, but there is very strong evidence that it can be prevented and reversed by making moderate lifestyle changes.  

These very same changes reduce the risk of dementia, cancer, strokes, depression and a huge number of other illnesses.  I am certain that if we had implemented these changes at the start of his diagnosis my parents' lives would be strikingly different today.

My first foray into Lifestyle Medicine came with helping a family member, who felt he was being sensible, yet couldn't get his diabetes under control.  Since he knew my father, the worsening state of his kidneys and eyes were really worrying him.  We started by modifying his diet and exercise and within 6 months we reversed his diabetic eye damage and kidney damage. Typically these would have worsened,  potentially leading to blindness and dialysis.    
 

Whilst medications deal with symptoms and can slow deterioration, they do not reverse disease.    It  is  one  thing  to  read  the  theory,  but  quite  another  to  see  the  effects  on  a  person‘s  life  of  making  such  changes.    

At  this  point  I  realised  that  this  was  how  I  must  practice  medicine   -  it  is  more  powerful  to   truly  treat   rather  than simply   obscure  the  effects  of  illness.

Every year, our Chief Medical Officer (CMO) produces a report on the state of the health of our nation.  Chris Whitty's report for 2020 found that we spend 20% of our lives in poor health- and worryingly this proportion has been increasing.  

Having seen what this looks like I would not want it for myself, anyone I care for or anyone at all.

Whilst modern medicine has turned the tide for infectious diseases, maternal and infant mortality and a range of illnesses, it is not the solution for our biggest causes of disability and death anymore.  These illnesses- such as heart disease, diabetes, most cancers, dementia, are lifestyle diseases - we don't have to suffer from these diseases and their consequences.

I am fortunate to be a part of the process when people want to take control of the trajectory of their health and happiness.  I think there is a grassroots movement within the NHS towards a style of medicine that deals with preventing and reversing disease which is where the real power of health lies.  But such cultural changes take time. and I feel too passionate about this style of medicine to wait for that to happen. 

Thus 'My Wellness Doctor' was born.

I am delighted you've stopped by to join us on this exciting journey!

Often people think they have a “good diet doc”, but in fact,  although they watch their sugar and salt, and take the dog out for a walk each day this is not enough, given how ubiquitous sugar and salt are, and how stressful modern life can be.

I have spent a greater proportion of my life eating meat, dairy,  eggs, junk food, takeaway food, salt, sugar etc. My Fitbit  informs me that over a 5 year period I averaged about 5 hours of sleep per night and managed about 6000 steps per day. I am  in no position to judge anyone (except perhaps myself, and the Fitbit marketing department ) so I understand when people believe that to change more than this would be “extreme” and “too difficult” (I often hear the phrase: “What’s the point in living longer if life is miserable?”). 

Given the new studies coming out, this sentiment is far from the  truth and through personal experience consisting of small but  consistent steps towards impactful lifestyle changes I have seen  first-hand how a transformation is possible.

We  may  forego  the  shorterm  pleasure  of  a  burger,   a  doughnut  or  a  pint  of  milk,  but  even  in  the  medium  term  healthy  choices  such  as  these,  actually  make  us  feel  better, more  energised,  as  the  addiction  wains  and  we  develop  healthier  habits.  

In  the  long  term,  a  healthier  lifestyle  allows  us  to  live  longer  and  free  from  the  burden  of  chronic  illness.  

How  can  we  compare  the  simple  pleasure  of  a  beef  burger  with  the  pleasure  of  being  able  to  play  football  with  our  grandchildren?  This  is  why  i  don’t  agree  when  i  hear  people  saying  that  living  healthier  would  make  life  more  miserable.

We must put aside defensive or long-held ideas  about how we thought things should be done, and honestly ask  ourselves if the way we’ve always done things is  really  the  best  way  of  doing  things  for  ourselves, the world and others.

Welcome to My Wellness Doctor.

I look forward to hearing from you.