Lifestyle medicine
Why fibre is more than a digestion story
How fibre-rich meals influence metabolic health, gut signalling, satiety, and long-term disease risk.
Read note
Knowledge and experience from general practice
Dr Mel's GP Notebook.
Sharing what I have learned as a GP: the questions patients ask, the patterns we see, the lifestyle changes that help, and the reality of working and training in general practice.
01
Patient questions
The things people ask in clinic, explained clearly and without drama.
02
Lifestyle medicine
Food, movement, sleep, stress, connection, and the small habits that shape health.
03
GP training
Reflections for trainees, trainers, and anyone interested in how good general practice is learned.
About Dr Mel
Hi, I'm Dr Mel Lemon.
I'm a GP Partner in Plymouth, a GP Trainer and a Training Programme Director with a passion for making healthcare easier to understand.
Throughout my career I've developed practical resources to support patients, clinicians and medical learners, from patient information leaflets and decision aids to consultation tools, teaching materials and educational videos. Dr Mel's GP Notebook brings these resources together in one place.
My aim is simple: to provide clear, evidence-informed information that helps people make confident decisions about their health and supports healthcare professionals in delivering high-quality care.
I'm particularly passionate about lifestyle medicine, preventative healthcare, medical education and finding practical ways to make everyday general practice a little easier.
Whether you're a patient looking to understand your health, a clinician searching for a useful resource, or a learner developing your knowledge, I hope you'll find something here that helps.
Welcome to Dr Mel's GP Notebook.
Featured notes
Notes from clinic, training, and real life.
Child health
Fever in children: what matters most
A calm guide to temperature, fluids, warning signs, and when to ask for medical help.
Read noteCommon questions
Do I need antibiotics for this cough?
Why many coughs take longer than expected, when antibiotics help, and what recovery can look like.
Read noteGP training
What makes a good GP consultation?
Clinical knowledge matters, but so do uncertainty, safety-netting, listening, and knowing what to do next.
Read noteSearchable library
Find notes and videos by topic.
Lifestyle medicine
Why fibre is more than a digestion story
Gut health, metabolic risk, satiety, and the daily food choices that quietly add up.
Read noteChild health
Fever in children: what matters most
Temperature is only one part of the picture. Behaviour, breathing, fluids, and rash matter too.
Read noteThrive with Dr Mel
When should I worry about a child's fever?
A short explainer that can link out to the matching TikTok video.
Watch videoCommon questions
Do I need antibiotics for this cough?
Why coughs linger, when antibiotics help, and what recovery usually looks like.
Read noteGP training
What makes a good GP consultation?
Clinical knowledge, uncertainty, listening, safety-netting, and knowing what to do next.
Read noteLifestyle medicine
Sleep: create the right conditions
Sleep pressure, body clocks, routines, myths, and what to do when lying awake makes things worse.
Read noteNo matches yet. Try a broader search or choose another topic.
GP training
A branch for learning the craft of general practice.
This could become a dedicated area for GP trainees, trainers, and early-career doctors: consultation skills, uncertainty, exam preparation, supervision, reflective practice, and the bits of GP that are hard to learn from guidelines alone.
Explore training notesWatch and learn
Short videos, longer notes.
Thrive with Dr Mel is where ideas often start. This notebook is where they can breathe a little more.
Thrive with Dr Mel
When should I worry about a child's fever?
TikTok explainer
“Good health advice should be clear enough to use, careful enough to trust, and human enough to remember.”
Practical tips
Quick notes for everyday health.
Add before you subtract
Start by adding a protein source, colourful plants, or water before focusing on restriction.
Watch the child, not just the number
With fever, behaviour, breathing, fluids, rash, and alertness often matter more than the thermometer alone.
Symptoms have timelines
Many viral illnesses feel worse before they improve. Knowing the expected pattern can reduce panic.
Context matters
Health advice lands differently depending on time, money, work, caring duties, housing, and access to care.
Stay connected
Follow along as the notebook grows.
New notes can sit alongside Thrive with Dr Mel videos, useful patient handouts, topical GP commentary, lifestyle medicine resources, and GP training material.