shhh! the secrets doctors tell their friends

We asked medics and health experts the one piece of advice they’d give to their inner circle

1 DON’T RUN!

That’s the advice of Garry Trainer (garrytrainer. com). The human body is designed to walk – and to run occasionally when the fight or flight mechanism kicks in. The compressive force and wear and tear on the lower spine and joints simply wears everything out faster. To get your heart rate up, have intervals of building up from a fast walk to a light jog then only a slow run and back again.

2 TLC FOR FEET

Treat them like your face, says podiatrist Heena Patel (heenapatelpodiatry. com). Invest in a rich foot moisturiser and use it every day. Cracked heels can be painful, and infections can enter the body through those cracks, especially if you have diabetes. And remember, drinking water helps maintain the elasticity of the skin on the feet as well as your face.

3 GUT INSTINCT

Try new foods, says Dr Anton Emmanuel, consultant gastroenterologist at University College Hospital and medical director for Guts UK (gutscharity.org.uk). 60% of Brits eat the same foods every day. However healthy the foods, that’s not good for our gut. Dr Anton points out that the digestive system needs a range of food to absorb the wide variety of nutrients and minerals we need.

CHECK LIST

Ignore any claim on the front of the packet, says health coach Olly Leicester (ollyleicester.co.uk). Phrases like ‘sugar-free’, ‘vegan’, ‘gluten-free’ only tell you what is NOT in the product, not what IS. The ingredients list on the back of the packet is what you need to read. My mantra is, “If your food is wrong, medicine is of no use. If your food is right, medicine is of no need.”

5 SAVE IT

Don’t pay up to 10 times more for a pack of brand-name painkillers, says Sunil K. Kochhar, consultant pharmacist for dearpharmacist.info. There’s the notion that named brand products are better or you get what you pay for. In fact, you’re usually paying more for the colour and style of packaging (though big brands do come in a choice of formulations). All products, branded or generic, have to be manufactured by law to the same minimum standard.

6 PAINS AND VEINS

Don’t ignore aching legs, warns Professor Mark Whiteley, consultant surgeon and clinical director of the Whiteley Clinic (thewhiteleyclinic.co.uk). 30% of adults have varicose vein problems in their legs – but only half can see them on the surface. The other half have hidden varicose veins beneath the skin which they aren’t aware of until they get aching legs, swollen ankles, phlebitis, eczema, red or brown stains on the ankles, or leg ulcers. And no doctor or nurse can say you don’t have hidden varicose veins until you have had a duplex ultrasound scan.

7 TOP TEETH

Don’t replace amalgam fillings because you don’t like the look of them or because you worry about mercury, warns Sally Rayment, restorative dentist at the Implant Centre Hove (theimplantcentre.com). Replacing them can trigger problems if the nerve becomes compromised.

8 ADDED PRESSURE

If your doctor wants to prescribe medication to reduce blood pressure, ask for Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (ABPM) where blood pressure is measured at intervals over 24 hours at home first, advises Professor Gareth Beevers, from Blood Pressure UK (bloodpressureuk.org). This is the “gold standard” of blood pressure measuring and gives far more accurate readings than a single measurement at the GP’S. The next best option is to buy your own monitor (from £15 to £20) and check your blood pressure at regular intervals. (Make sure it’s endorsed by the British and Irish Hypertension Society and ask for guidance on using it correctly.)

9 THINK SEPSIS

Consider sepsis, says Dr Ron Daniels BEM, intensive care consultant and chief executive of the UK Sepsis Trust (sepsistrust.org). If you (or a loved one) have the symptoms of an infection and feel worse than you have ever felt before, ask your GP if it could be sepsis. Or, if you’re at home, dial 111 and explain your concerns. A difference of just one hour in receiving treatment can mean the difference between life and death.

10 BRAIN FOG

Don’t take unnecessary medication, advises Dr Mike Dow, psychotherapist and author of The Brain Fog Fix. Many of us take over-the-counter drugs – including aspirin, antibiotics, asthma medications, ibuprofen, and steroids – that we don’t even need. They can deplete B vitamins (essential for boosting mood and energy) and may increase inflammation in the brain, causing it to age more rapidly and think less clearly. But always speak to your doctor before ditching medication.