Best known for his cutting-edge science documentaries including Eat, Fast & Live Longer (which gave rise to the popular 5:2 diet), acclaimed TV journalist, presenter & local resident, Michael Mosley, knows a thing or two about wellness.
He tells Seed why he advocates the likes of yoga, mindfulness and good nutrition as effective routes to health and happiness.
Recent stats show that as a society, we are taking more medication that ever before. In your view, do you feel we rely too heavily on our medical system to fix our health problems without looking first at what we can do to help ourselves?
I do think that we rely too much on the medical system, and in particular on drugs, to sort out our health problems. There is no doubt at all that when it comes to chronic diseases, like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver and dementia, life style choices (what we eat and how much we move) plays a huge part.
A friend of mine who runs a local beauty clinic revealed that 30% of her clients are taking medications for depression, anxiety and insomnia. Do you believe there are other routes available to people that can also help them feel happier and sleep better? If so, what would you suggest?
Medications can be effective, but we also know that a large part of any medication is the placebo effect. Changing to a Mediterranean style diet (rich in olive oil, oily fish, nuts and legumes) has been shown to help with even severe depression.
Yoga, mindfulness and activities like gardening are also very effective for reducing anxiety and depression, possibly via their effect on the microbiome, the bugs that live in your gut. Visit cleverguts.com for more information.
Wellness is trending and disciplines such as yoga, Pilates and meditation are becoming increasingly popular. Have you ever attended a yoga or meditation class? If so, how did you find it/ them?
I have never done yoga, though I do practice mindfulness, via an app. My wife who is a local GP goes to yoga classes once a week and finds it a great way to unwind and to increase her flexibility and posture.
Do you feel our medical system should be more commonly recommending the likes of nutritional therapy, yoga, meditation and talking therapies as a starting point before or even alongside prescribing medication?
There is a strong move towards de-prescribing, using alternatives to medication, which is also being encouraged by our new health secretary. The challenge is finding evidence-based interventions.
The reality is the best alternative to medication is finding a lifestyle change that you enjoy and will stick to.
At Seed, we believe that IF we find effective ways to counter stress and achieve more balance in both body and mind, we would be less prone to illness and disease. What do you do to counter your own stress levels?
I eat a Mediterannean style diet, do regular exercise and practice mindfulness.
Seed offers local yoga and mindfulness classes as well as nutritional therapy.
For more information about local mindfulness and meditation classes, contact cecilie@seedwellness.co.uk
For more information on nutrition, diet and gut health, contact evie@seedwellness.co.uk
For more information about local yoga classes, contact kate@seedwellness.co.uk
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