I am sorry for any offence I have caused. That never was, or would be, my intention. I am not against dairy. I drink milk and love cheese. I simply believe in good-quality production. I fully support the UK’s strong regulations and believe they are one reason why our food production industry is one of the world’s best. That said, people should be aware of what can go on in the wider, global food industry beyond the UK’s borders. I wish I had made that distinction clearer.

Hello everyone! I hope everyone is well and enjoying the start of the festive season! Last week I was in California for the American College of the Advancement of Medicine’s conference (ACAM). I wanted to share some of the things I learnt in the USA with you as I know you are interested in health and well-being. The first big news was that  chelation,  which is a intravenous drip formulation process to bind molecules and remove them from the body, has been proven to be very effective in reducing coronary artery disease, especially in diabetic patients. This is big news as it could avoid the need for lots of people having bypass graft surgery. Here is an article reviewing the results of the trial:  http://www.mayoclinic.org/medicalprofs/trial-to-assess-chelation-therapy-cvuv10n4.html I was able to attend a workshop to learn first hand how to carry out this therapy which was really informative and am looking forward to implementing it in to my practice in 2014. I also had the opportunity to have a  thermography  scan. Thermography measures areas of heat in the body and therefore can pick up early subtle changes before symptoms can occur. I am overall a healthy and well person, yet my scan picked up that I have high oestrogen changes in my breasts, probably from deodorant use that blocks the glands in my armpits. If not corrected these changes could lead to breast disorders and possibly cancer in the future. It also detected an area of dysfunction in my thyroid gland, even though I have not been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid before. It may sound odd but I was quite pleased with these results, because I haven’t felt quite right for a while and it was good to get an answer to why, and also have something I can now correct through supplements and lifestyle changes.  I am glad I invested in myself to be able to make changes now that will benefit my health in the future. I also learnt about the way.  nutritional deficiencies can negatively effect conditions such as depression, autism and other mental health disorders  and stop them fully responding to treatment. For example the speaker, William Walsh, explained how he has found that high copper levels and low zinc levels are commonly seen in autism, and when corrected the condition improves. I am now checking for nutritional deficiencies in all my patients with mood and mental health problems. The big news is about  glutathione . Glutathione is a very important antioxidant in the body that is needed to improve so many conditions. It can be made from alpha lipoic acid and also can be supplemented in a liposomal or intravenous form. I am definitely implementing it in to my treatment plans with patients. There was also lots of fascinating research about using  stem cell therapy  for cancer and the emerging speciality of Regenerative Medicine. It is exciting for the future and the further developments for treatment. It was also interesting to learn how  resveratrol  is a great adjunct to conventional cancer therapy, and is useful in preventative medicine. It was fantastic to meet so many other integrative doctors and practitioners and learn from them. There are many exciting developments happening out there and research is happening.  It is wonderful that there are so many new and innovative treatments for conditions that can be devastating, so don’t give up. This is the future of medicine.

I recently was interviewed by Meddebate, a blog for medical students: Dr Sohère Roked   is a General Practitioner with a specialist interest in Integrative medicine. Her passion is to help empower patients to take control of their healthcare, using a range of tools to achieve this. Born in England and brought up in Wales, she studied medicine at Southampton University and graduated in 2003. She has worked across hospitals in England and Wales, in the specialities of A&E, general medicine and surgery, women’s health, otolaryngology, and spent 3 years working as a psychiatrist before becoming a GP. It was this broad knowledge of medicine that made her realise that the current conventional medical practise is far from complete. 1. Could you tell us a bit about your background and why you decided to become a doctor? I’m from South Wales and always wanted to be a doctor so I could help people. My dad is a GP and I grew up watching him be a valued and respected member of the community and I wanted to emulate this. 2. Could you explain what integrative medicine is and when it was first introduced? Integrative medicine involves looking at a person as a ‘whole’ and using the best of conventional and alternative therapies that have scientific evidence. The main principles are that the practitioner and patient work as partners to achieve the healing process. All aspects are considered to achieve good health, such as the mind, spirit, social factors as well as the body. Both conventional or alternative medicine should be considered to help stimulate the body’s innate healing response, and wherever possible natural options that work in synergy with the body should be used. These principles have been around for years but integrative medicine was first introduced into clinical practice in the 90′s. 3. How has your prior experience in psychiatry influenced your current practice? Read the article in full here: Read More…

I’ve been a doctor for 10 years. I have seen thousands of patients. I’ve seen patients die and I’ve broken bad news. I’ve spoken to countless relatives of sick people. I have dealt with crash calls and emergencies and traumas. However, nothing prepares you for when it is your own family. I went with my aunty to her consultant appointment to get the results of her tests for a mass in her stomach. Sitting in the waiting room, hoping for the best, preparing for the worst. I’ve been that doctor that people come to see for their results. It’s just part of my job. But when the shoe is on the other foot, you hang on to every word, and all your hopes and fears depend on what that doctor has to say. He controls the outcome of your destiny. Thankfully he didn’t think the mass was cancer. We all breathed a sigh of relief and instead of anticipating months of chemotherapy, nasty side effects and emotional trauma, there will be a quick operation, a period of recovery and the chance to get on with normal life. And as someone who has been in that situation, sat on the other side of the desk, I was surprised at how emotional I felt. How life could change in an instant. How it feels to be on the other side. A paediatric consultant once said in a lecture at medical school that he felt having children made him a better paediatrician. At the time I disagreed, but on reflection I think he was right. Empathy plus skill can be a doctor’s greatest tool if he/she has it. Having compassion and seeing the patient in front of you with emotions, a family, fear and hope is essential to do a job well. Unfortunately, this is often the first thing to go when one is under pressure and a time-led, target-driven service is the priority. Not only has this experience reminded me to take control of my own health, it has inspired me once again to see the real person sat in front of me, and to try and not be distracted by the targets and the fact there’s a queue of another 10 people waiting to see me. That person is someone’s aunty, mother, sister, friend – and someone loves them as much as I love mine. So the aim is to walk beside them, and keep remembering how it feels to be on the other side of the desk.

Most people avoid making New Year’s Resolutions that will improve their health because they are not confident about maintaining their new lifestyle, according to the results of a new survey revealed today. Sixty-three per cent of respondents said fear of failure put them off making positive changes to their lifestyle, while 17 per cent cited a lack of money, 11 per cent worried that they would become a different person if they altered their habits, and nine per cent said life wouldn’t be as fun. The poll was carried out by Dr Sohère Roked, a holistic GP who sees many of her patients struggle to make changes because they have put too much pressure on themselves, or have negative associations about improving their health. She says: “The best way to make positive and lasting changes to our health is to consider a holistic approach – one that embraces the body, mind and emotions. One reason people don’t succeed is that we tend to see being healthy as hard work – on the pleasure/pain spectrum it’s towards the ‘pain’ end. They key is to shift our mindset so that waking up with more energy, looking good and feeling fewer aches and pains is associated with pleasure. It can also help to visualise the end result, then break it down into manageable steps. So if we want to lose two stone by July, we imagine ourselves looking great in a bikini on the beach, but then plan the little lifestyle changes we will make each week in order to achieve that.” The number one goal for the majority of Britons is to lose weight  [1] , yet traditionally a large number  [2]   (nearly 90 per cent) fail, despite being confident of success at the outset. Dr Roked suggests: “If making lifestyle changes feels like too much after a busy and tiring time at Christmas, why not get your plan sorted in January, but don’t actually start it until February. This will give you time to get motivated and plan something that will really work for you. And choose things that you know you will enjoy – for example, if you hate running, don’t force yourself into believing it’s the only way to get fit. Your friends all might be doing the ‘Couch to 10K’, but if dancing or swimming feels more ‘you’, go with your instinct. When we do things that make our body and mind feel good, we’re much more likely to keep them up” . Notes to editors For more information or interviews, please contact Cat Dean on 07903 731 141 or email catdean76@yahoo.co.uk . Out of hours contact Sohère Roked directly on 07515 389 782, email  info@drsohereroked.co.uk . 190 people responded to the poll, which was carried out in October 2012 at www.holisticdoctor.co.uk . Dr Sohère Roked is a General Practitioner with a specialist interest in Integrative medicine. Her passion is to help empower patients to take control of their healthcare, using a range of tools to achieve this.She studied medicine at Southampton University and has worked across hospitals in England and Wales, working in the specialities of A&E, general medicine and surgery, women’s health, otolaryngology, and spent three years working as a psychiatrist before becoming a GP. It was this broad knowledge of medicine that made her realise that the current conventional medical practice is far from complete.Dr Roked has a strong belief that in order to achieve true health, you must look at the body in conjunction with the mind as the two are closely linked, something that is often overlooked in conventional NHS healthcare. She has studied with the British College of Integrative Medicine and has been taught by experts in the field from the UK, Australia and the USA.   [1]  Research study by Channel 4, 2011 [2]  A 2007 study from the University of Bristol found that 88% of those who set New Year’s resolutions failed, despite 52% being confident of success at the beginning

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