New Normal Project: Dr Gemma Newman - A GP helping patients to heal themselves with a holistic plant-based lifestyle (NNP #60)

Dr Gemma Newman - A GP helping patients to heal themselves with a holistic plant-based lifestyle (NNP #60)

Nov 27, 2019

This episode features Dr Gemma Newman, a knowledgeable, caring and helpful UK General Practitioner, who practices lifestyle medicine based around a whole-food plant-based diet and the core belief that the body can naturally heal itself if it’s given the right conditions.

Gemma is the sort of doctor we could all do with visiting no matter how healthy we feel. We can no doubt all improve our lifestyles, particularly with the growing evidence to support the ability of a plant-based lifestyle to prevent, reverse, or at least halt the progression of chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and cancer. And from my perspective as an Intensive Care doctor, the less chronic disease due to a healthier lifestyle, the the less likely you are to ever meet someone like me by becoming a patient in the ICU.

Gemma, the Plant Power Doctor, can be found through her website, on Instagram (@plantpowerdoctor), on Twitter (@drgemgem) and on Facebook. She has a specialist interest in holistic health, plant based nutrition and lifestyle medicine, and in her practice has come to understand that body, mind and soul are not separate, and that it is only in addressing the root causes of stress and disconnection that we can truly heal, from the inside out.

She has worked in medicine for 15 years and is the Senior Partner at a family medical practice where she has worked for 11 years. She studied at the University of Wales College of Medicine and has worked in many specialities as a doctor. Gemma had also gained additional qualifications in gynaecology, family planning and integrative medicine. She is passionate about the study of psychology and meditation, and is also a qualified Jikiden Reiki practitioner having studied this as well as Western style Reiki for the purposes of pain relief.

Gemma is an advisory board member of Plant Based Health Professionals UK and has contributed content on the topic of Diabetes for the Winchester University Plant Based Nutrition Course. As a broadcaster and writer she has been featured on ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky News Sunrise. She has spoken on many podcasts including The Rich Roll Podcast and the Deliciously Ella podcast, and is regularly invited to teach other doctors and the general public via training programmes, podcasts and conferences about the benefits of plant-based nutrition. Ultimately she hopes her passionate for healing of mind, body and planet become contagious!

This episode is full of information, inspiration, helpful advice and even a couple of powerful patient-related stories. In it Gemma discusses many topics including:

How the plant-based lifestyle has changed her life, her family’s lives and her professional life
Why she became a General Practitioner
Her view that the body has a natural ability to heal itself
How her husband inspired her to adopt a plant-based diet
The very first patient she suggested try a plant-based diet
Understanding the difference between a patient and a doctor’s agenda in a health consultation
Some thoughts on seeking good lifestyle advice from your doctor
Some of the good online sources of lifestyle information
Working through the dietary confusion that seems to be everywhere
Her view that a whole food plant-based diet is the best all-round diet
Dealing with the varying quality and amount of evidence
How we all respond well to engaging stories
Another great story of a patient reversing a range of medical disorders and stopping his medications
How putting on your “GLOVES” (an acronym for Gratitude, Love, Organic, Veggies, Exercise and Sleep) will help improve your health
The benefit of journalling as a tool for gratitude
Her own preference for transcendental meditation
How she talks to patients about love
The health value of eating organic vegetables and fruit
How she individualises advice about exercise
The benefits of blue light glasses and turning off our screens in the evening
Her philosophy on the use of medications as a practicing doctor
How antibiotics can affect our microbiome
How alcohol might affect the microbiome by “sterilising" our gut
How Gemma lives a regular week in her life
Her admission that she knows she could do better with her sleep

Gemma has a growing and well-deserved public profile, particularly because of her heavily science-based plant-based nutrition and healthy lifestyle advocacy. I loved talking with her.

Please enjoy listening to Dr Gemma Newman.

Live well, feel well, do well.

Andrew Davies

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About the New Normal Project podcast: The podcast is aimed to help you to become more healthy, fulfilled and conscious through a plant-based, body-moving and mind-focused way of living. I hope to inspire and empower you with scientific evidence, helpful information and real-life stories, based on eating mostly plant foods, being physically active, particularly in nature, sleeping well, being mindful and refining both the connections in your life and your purpose.

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Links related to Dr Gemma Newman

Dr Gemma Newman’s website

Gemma Newman on Instagram

Gemma Newman on Twitter

Gemma Newman on Facebook

Links to people and resources (in order of mentioning)

Lifestyle medicine

Plant-based Health Professionals UK

Plant-based nutrition course (with University of Winchester)

Gemma Newman on the Rich Roll Podcast

Rich Roll