People think a healthy lifestyle means going on a diet –NkemEzeilo, General Medical Practitioner

Dr Nkem Ezeilo lives and breathes for a healthy lifestyle. You
can never catch her promoting anything else other than how
people can remain healthy. She is a general practitioner,
speaker and author. She runs a private practice in London’s
Harley Street.
Dr. Kem as she is fondly called, is passionate about a healthy
lifestyle as a way of preventing and reversing disease and as
a key to improving quality of life. Her heart also beats for
women empowerment as a fundamental right of every female.
To this end, she works tirelessly to spread the message
through her day job as a GP, and her second career as a
keynote speaker and author.
Her first book deals with women’s empowerment and is
entitled, Inspirational Blueprints of Personal Success for
Women. She has won several awards and has spoken at the
British Parliament as part of the Black History Month
celebrations. Recently, she was appointed a Health and
Lifestyle Expert / Advisor for BBC Radio 5 Live afternoon
edition.
Ezeilo told Sunday Sun that the biggest misconception people
have about being healthy is going on a diet.
Excerpts:
Why do you enjoy talking about healthy lifestyle? I enjoy
talking about healthy lifestyle because I know how powerful it
is to set people free from illness and untimely death. I see it
work for people every time and each time I see someone
healed or lose weight or their blood pressure becomes normal
and things like that , just from a healthy lifestyle, not with
drugs, I feel even more fired up to share the message wider
still.
How has the journey of promoting healthy lifestyle been?
It’s been really good. People are truly eager to hear this
message. They are so fed up with taking drugs which give
them side effects yet not treating the actual cause of their
illness. So, I gave a healthy lifestyle seminar first in 2010, then
in 2012 but since the first one, people have been inviting me
to various events to speak on the topic, especially business
people who realise that without health they have no wealth.
How do you handle the challenges you face?
I handle the challenges I face talking about health first with a
positive attitude. I see challenges as building blocks destined
to make me better. So, I remain thankful for them and then
seek solutions for them.
What are some of the high moments of your career as a
general practitioner?
They include speaking at the British Parliament during last
year’s Black History Month, winning the Motivational Speaker
of The Year award at Women4Africa, winning the GAB Award
for Excellence in Health 2013, winning the Life changers
Personality of the Year Award, 2013, and being recently ap­
pointed Health and Lifestyle Advisor by the BBC Radio 5Live.
What about your low moments?
I can’t think of any, to be honest. I’ve loved my career every
step of the way.
In your years of practice, what does it really take to be
healthy?
It takes strengthening each of the 10 Pillars of Health, which
are mindset, nutrition, elimination, gut health, hydration,
sunshine (Vitamin D), Oxygenation, activity (exercise) and
rest.
What are some of the practical ways Nigerians can maintain
a healthy lifestyle?
First of all, we need to change our attitude and mindset about
health, foods and things related to them. Nigerians need to
realise that being overweight is not a sign of wealth, it’s a
sign of illness and it’s a time bomb. It’s not a sign of ‘cash
madam’ or ‘big oga.’ Being overweight is a sign which if
ignored can lead to untimely death. So, change the mindset of
“it’s attractive to be overweight.” It’s unhealthy. Then, we
need to realise that when it comes to nutrition, plant foods, es­
pecially green ones, are king. Meat is secondary, not crucial
and excess of it could lead to illness. Our flag is green and
white.
More green than white even. We should use that as a guide to
remind ourselves that our meals should always have more
green than white on our dishes also. The greener a dish is, the
healthier it is. So, for instance, if you are eating a rice dish,
ideally it should be brown or wholegrain rice but in either case
have a lot of vegetables with the dish. Always have more
green vegetable than rice or yam or whatever.
If you are already obese or overweight or already suffering
from diabetes or hypertension, I would be even stricter and tell
you to avoid the white foods for a few weeks until your
condition is under control then you can introduce the brown or
wholegrain versions of them. If you are eating an eba and
soup dish, make it such that there’s way more soup with
vegetables and fish than the eba. Think more greens in every
meal.
What’s your typical day like?
I don’t have a typical day because of my schedule. However,
certain things happen regardless of what my work day is like,
but not necessarily in this order. I have quiet time and work-
outs which involve either running, going to the gym, work-outs
at home or outdoors. I prepare my meal for the day, I spend
time with my son, work, sleep and study because I have to be
up to date with the latest in my field so I can serve people
better.
What misconceptions do people have about promoting a
healthy lifestyle?
The biggest misconception I’ve come across is that people
think a healthy lifestyle means going on a diet. They couldn’t
be farther from the truth, for a diet is an unhealthy restriction
you place on yourself in a bid to lose weight. This is not
healthy, because when you come off the diet you pile the
weight back on with interest. It’s better to improve your entire
lifestyle all round and not placing unnecessary restrictions on
your eating routine. Just eat healthy.
What do you love most about what you do?
I love seeing peoples’ lives changed even in ways they didn’t
expect. Some people regain their self confidence when they
have lost weight or when they come off their medication etc
and when I read their testimonies, I feel so honoured and
blessed to be a part of their success stories. One lady even
conceived after being told she wouldn’t be able to because of
her medical condition. But once she adopted the healthy
lifestyle principles I taught her, in less than a year she
conceived and now she is a happy mother of a bouncing baby
boy.
How financially rewarding is your job? I can’t complain about
the financial reward. I’m thankful to have a job that I actually
enjoy doing.
What else are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about women empowerment issues and, in
fact, my first hard copy book was an inspirat ional success
book for women. I love to help women break free from limiting
beliefs that hold them b a c k from fully expressing
themselves in every way.
How do you juggle your busy speaking schedules and your
personal responsibilities?
It’s easy to juggle when you know your priorities. So, for
example, my priorities are God, me, family, work and socials, in
that order. So, I take care of the important things first before
anything else. It can be a challenge sometimes but you have
to do what you have to do, so I keep pushing on.
What gives you the strength to move on whenever you feel
like giving up?
If I feel like giving up, I remind myself why I am doing what
I’m doing. Thinking of that gives me the strength to push on
against any odds I may face. I then keep reminding myself
that I can do it, and that’s why it’s been given to me to do.
What are some of the things that you r e l a x with?
I relax with music, especially smooth jazz, a nice warm bath, a
good book (fiction), and a good movie.