Dr Mashhood Syed

It all started from watching medical and legal detective shows like Quincy ME and Perry Mason, whilst being immersed in a household enriched with the aroma of spices from my mother’s cooking, and Hikmat (combination of Ayurvedic and Perso-Arabic traditional medicine) and Homeopathic influences from my father. This sowed the seeds for my inquisitive nature and interest in different systems of healing.

Equipped with this I went on to study medicine in 2003 at Birmingham University. Whilst at university I started to lose interest in orthodox medicine and decided to learn Mandarin Chinese. For my elective I spent a couple of months in Taiwan where I sat a Chinese Language exam, made lovely friends, and immersed myself in the rich food experiences.

I qualified in 2008, following which I spent a few years rotating through surgical specialities and emergency medicine. I eventually found my calling in General Practice. It was during GP training that I began to experience some health concerns. I gained weight, was constantly tired, and had a flare up of chronic tonsillitis – a problem I’d had for more than a decade. It was at this time that my orthodox medical training failed me. I came across a viral youtube video about sugar, and decided to remove all sugar from my diet. The effect was transformative. With a few tweaks to my diet all my symptoms resolved! This rekindled my interest in nutrition and forgotten childhood influences.

I was introduced to the world of Functional Medicine through ‘Doctor in the House’ which was being televised at the time. I went on to attend AFMCP (2017) and completed Diplomas in Nutritional Therapy (Institute for Optimum Nutrition) and Homeopathy (Faculty of Homeopathy). I have also completed further training with the Institute for Functional Medicine in Environmental health, Gastrointestinal health, Cardiometabolic health, Immune health, Hormone and Mitochondrial health.

I am a firm believer in continuous professional and personal growth through the acquisition of knowledge, self-reflection, and growth through therapy. I also appreciate the importance of psychological and spiritual dimensions of healing, and their effect on physical ailments.

Whilst on this journey, I have also faced the challenges of caring for a neurodiverse child with additional needs. This has changed the trajectory of my whole life. I have been privileged to meet some amazing practitioners who have helped shape my practice.

When not at work, I enjoy spending time with my family exploring green areas around the Midlands. I love making bread (sourdough brioche!) with my kids and have recently learnt to cook traditional Pakistani ‘Karahi’s’, so my children are also surrounded by the aroma of spices as they grow up.