Aileen Alexander
Lifestyle Physician @Nourish
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WORK HISTORY
Lifestyle Physician @Nourish
Aberdeen, GB
For the first 2 years my company was kept a secret. I was ashamed, private work was frowned upon by my NHS colleagues.Instead of following my head, I followed my heart. I had healed my own challenges with stress, wellbeing, binge eating, self esteem, sleep deprivation and burnout. I was using my medical knowledge and experience teamed with my personality and interpersonal skills to help others do the same.3 years in, my patients were achieving exceptional results and that’s when I finally hung up my stethoscope. I’m still a Doctor, but I’m no longer an NHS GP. I’m what you call a Lifestyle Medicine Physician. I’m interested not just in helping people manage disease but how we prevent illness and build habits to become our healthiest and happiest selves. I’ve first hand experienced putting my life on hold for work. I’ve also experienced burnout. I know what it’s like to feel too anxious to function or not to be able to switch off after a long day with thoughts running around my head. My special interest lies in supporting professional women. Helping them navigate the responsibilities and challenges of a demanding career and home life whilst prioritising their health. Most of the women I work with have weight loss aims, but traditional dieting approaches have not worked for them. They often blame themselves. According to medical science, 80-95% of traditional diets don’t work long term. This tells me that it’s not the woman who is at fault for not having enough willpower, it’s the diet that isn’t fit for purpose.From building healthy habits to repairing relationships with food and eliminating binge eating my team and I help women create sustainable, enjoyable and realistic approaches to stress management, energy optimisation and weight loss.
EDUCATION
University of Aberdeen
MB ChB, Medicine
Royal College of General Practitioners
MRCGP, General Practitioner
British Society of Lifestyle Medicine
Dip BSLM/IBLM, Diploma in Lifestyle Medicine
ABOUT AILEEN ALEXANDER
If you had to choose, would you follow the traditional route or follow your heart?In 2018, after ten long years of medical training, I qualified as an NHS GP. I was proud of my achievements, but I was also burned out.Back in 2013, during my time as a Junior Doctor, I battled stress, anxiety, and depression. My coping mechanism? Comfort eating.After exhausting 13-hour shifts, I’d polish off a huge bar of chocolate or a tub of ice cream - a pattern of self-sabotage fuelled by stress, fatigue and overwhelm. Frustrated with myself, I knew it needed to stop but I didn\'t have the willpower and always ended up giving in.I was frustrated, exhausted and gaining weight.This realisation led me on a journey of self-care. I read books, enrolled on a nutrition diploma, and hired experts to help me better understand how to better manage stress, improve my energy levels, and eliminate the comfort eating.It led me to study a diploma in Lifestyle Medicine and become interested in health optimisation and Longevity Medicine. Two years later, I began helping others with weight loss, healing their relationship with food, improving work-life balance and managing stress with outstanding results and endless referrals.By 2019, I had a full roster of clients, a couple of team members and matched my GP earnings.So I took a HUGE risk and left NHS GP role and go all-in on my business, Nourish!Two key factors drove this decision: Firstly, my own work-life balance and how much I enjoyed this new venture. Secondly, my frustration with the NHS—specifically the lack of time, ongoing budget cuts, and the pill first culture.I wanted more time with my patients to truly understand their medical history as well as what was going on at home and in work. What were they thinking and feeling that was driving their health decisions and behaviours?Today, I’m proud to help professional women to lose weight sustainably, heal their relationship with food and reclaim control of their health so they feel energised, and break free from the cycle of fad diets for good.Better yet, along with losing weight and feeling confident in their own skin, they optimise their health using a medically guided and psychology-driven approach. We help them prevent and reverse conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, reduce or eliminate medications, and add years to their lives!In 2022, I had the privilege of performing a TEDx talk; Why Traditional Diets Don’t Always Work to share my work with the world.I chose to follow my heart. Will you?
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