A celebrity doctor from Burnley has published a book that she “wished she had while growing up”.
Zoe Williams, who is a resident doctor on ITV’s This Morning, has published ‘You Grow Girl: The Complete No Worries Guide to Growing Up’, a book that explains everything kids need to know about puberty.
The book discusses everything from periods and breast changes to hormones and body hair.
Whatever changes girls are going through, it's hoped that the book will help them feel confident, informed, and positive.
Zoe said she was inspired to write the book after her own experience growing up, adding that this guide is scientifically correct.
She said: “I wish I had been kinder to myself when growing up which is something that inspired me to write the book.
“This is the book that I wish I had had when I was growing up, but it’s been written for girls growing up in today’s world.
“Our children have access to instant information at their fingertips, which may not always be reliable, age appropriate or even scientifically correct.
“I wanted to provide a resource which is honest, reassuring, and comprehensive when it comes to answering questions they might have about changes happening to their bodies, their emotions, and their relationships.
“The book is broken down into small manageable chapters which are further broken down through sections such as Myth Busters, Dr Zoe’s Prescriptions and some ‘over share moments.
“Along with the text, the book is illustrated with pictures and diagrams to aid learning and understanding.”
Zoe says You Grow Girl is more than just a ‘puberty book’ and it covers a range of topics such as body image and mental health.
She said: “It covers topics such as body image, mental health, bullying, consent, and ‘being kind’. Girls growing up today face additional challenges to what I did, such as social media.
“This book explains how we can use social media to our advantage, by 'curating our feed' so that it works for us and not against.
“Confidence, respect and self-love are important values for girls in this age group to adopt and maintain, so there are tips, tricks and practical activities throughout the book that are designed to empower, build confidence and self-love, as well as approach the world around us with kindness and compassion.”
Zoe also explained more about the topics that could be found in her book, weight gain and why we feel stronger or weaker at certain phases of our period.
She said: “Girls experience so many physical changes and I always say that knowledge is power so having a scientific understanding of why we gain weight in certain places and why we sprout hairs and why we are more likely to get spots can be really helpful.
“The section of the book about periods goes into a little more detail than your typical puberty book. It teaches girls that by having a deeper understanding of the four different phases of the menstrual cycle, they can learn to use hormonal changes to their advantage.
“For example, phase one of the menstrual cycle is when we have the lowest pain threshold but phase two is when we are at our strongest and is when we are more likely to get a personal best on the athletics track. Whereas phase three is when we are more likely to enjoy social events like parties.”
Zoe, who recently launched a podcast called The Doctor Will Hear You Now says it is never too early to learn about the biology of your body.
She said: “It is so important that girls and women understand their bodies.
“The first episode [of my podcast] features Lisa Snowdon explaining how her perimenopause went undiagnosed for several years. It is never too early to know about the biology of your own body.”
Zoe hinted that this could be the first of many books.
She said: “Writing this book has been an extremely positive experience and I do have some ideas up my sleeve for other books that can help families – but I am keen to see how ‘You Grow Girl’ does first.”
You Grow Girl!: The Complete No Worries Guide to Growing Up by Dr Zoe Williams is published by Wren & Rook, priced £9.99. Available now
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