Feelgood 13-11-2009

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Feelgood Friday, November 13, 2009

KISS

GOODBYE? Our love affair with mobile phones may be putting us at risk: 8,9,10

CHILL TIME

Four busy women on stress busting: 4,5

LIFE PARTNERS

Marriage more than a contract of mutual interests: 6

FARM TO FORK

Schoolchildren get taste of country life at Ballymaloe House: 7

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Amid concerns over swine flu vaccinations, Dr Juliet Bressan recommends the jab to all her pregnant patients Kate O’Reilly WHAT’S ON WORLD DIABETES DAY: In Ireland, it is estimated that there are 200,000 people living with diabetes and many are unaware that they have the condition.

Tomorrow November 14, is World Diabetes Day and a number of events are taking place to highlight the risks and warning signs of the condition.

■ The Diabetes Federation of Ireland's Southern Office will hold a free screening and information event in Merchants Quay Shopping Centre, Cork today from 10am to 4pm (lunch break at 1-2pm).

There will also be a screening tomorrow at Bermingham’s Pharmacy, Patrick St, Fermoy. To book a slot, call 025-31336.

■ A Rat Pack Music Night will be held at the Commons Inn, Commons Rd, Cork next Friday, November 20, doors open 8.30pm. Tickets are F10 (including finger food) on the door. Charlotte Pearson of the Diabetes Federation is raising funds to go on the Fighting Blindness and Diabetes Federation of Ireland Transylvania Trek next May. ■ To raise awareness of the increased risk of hearing loss for people living with diabetes, the Hidden Hearing mobile hearing clinic is touring Ireland providing a free hearing test. The mobile unit will visit SuperValu, Cobh tomorrow and Ballyduff Health & Wellbeing Fair, on Sunday from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

You can also avail of a free hearing screening at one of Hidden Hearing's 56 branches nationwide or online by visiting www.hiddenhearing.ie.

BENEFIT CONCERT: Proceeds from the After The Rain concert at axis Ballymun on November 17 will go to The Irish Hospice Foundation for two programmes. The Hospice Friendly Hospital Programme and a new initiative, the Children's Hospice Home Care Programme.Tickets are F20 from 01-883 2100, www.axis-ballymun.ie or www.aftertherainconcert.com RESPECT GALA: The Park Shopping Centre Ltd is hosting a Christmas Gala Night at the Dogs, in aid of RESPECT, the Daughters of Charity service for People with Intellectual Disabilities. It will be held on Nov 19, at Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium. Tickets start at F15.Bookings can be made by contacting RESPECT on 01-824 5420 or Park Shopping Centre at 087-260 7510.

DOWN SYNDROME SEMINAR: On Thursday November 19, the Down Syndrome Centre will run a one-day seminar: Supporting the needs of people with Learning Disability and Dementia, featuring Diana Kerr from the University of Edinburgh, at Killiney Castle Hotel, Co Dublin. Tickets F95 at www.downsyndromecentre.ie or 01-661 8000.

Items for inclusion in this column can be sent to koreilly8@gmail.com

Mercury rising M OST vaccines take years to develop, and have to undergo extensive testing in order to get a licence. Because swine flu is so dangerous to pregnant women, regulatory authorities have been flexible in fast-tracking the approval and licensing of H1N1 vaccines.

Flu vaccines have been used for over 60 years and have an established safety record.

Serious adverse events are rare. In 1976, an outbreak of Guillain Barre, a paralysing disease of the nervous system, was linked to a mass flu vaccination programme. Rare events that fail to show up during a trial, are more likely to show up when there is a massive vaccination programme involving millions.

Swine flu vaccines are still undergoing trials and all adverse effects are monitored and reported. Thiomersal (also known as Thimerosal) is a mercury-containing compound used to keep the vaccine sterile, which has been used in vaccines since the 1930s. All the routine infant vaccines are Thiomersal-free.

The swine flu vaccine Celvapan does not contain Thiomersal, whereas the vaccine Pandemrix does.

In the US, some states suspended their legislation on mercury limits in medicines so that the swine flu vaccine could be administered, as the benefits of mass vaccination to immunise as many of the vulnerable population as possible was thought to far

outweigh the risks.

Switzerland has not approved swine flu vaccine for pregnant women or children under 18 due to concerns about mercury in the vaccine. However, large studies exploring the link between Thiomersal and neurological disorders, including autism, have found no association. The World Health Organisation currently recommends at a global level that all swine flu vaccines, including Pandemrix (containing Thiomersal), can be used safely in pregnancy.

According to The Lancet, pregnant women are four times as likely to catch swine flu and the risk of death in pregnancy and young children is higher. Most European medicines regulators now recommend that Celvapan needs two doses in order to generate full immunity to swine flu, whereas for Pandemrix one dose is sufficient.

As a GP of a busy inner city practice in Dublin, I’m recommending all my pregnant patients to get the swine flu vaccine — with or without Thiomersal.

Older people are probably already immune to H1N1, following a pandemic which is thought to have occurred in the 1960s. So, in effect, many of the over 40s will already be immune to H1N1, whereas children and teenagers are especially vulnerable. The immunity that a pregnant woman might develop if she has been previously infected with swine flu is not passed on to babies before they are born.

AVERT RISK: WHO recommends all swine flu vaccines can be used safely in pregnancy.

Picture:iStock

HEALTH NOTES BOTH the Irish general public and some medics underestimate the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in women, even though heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death in women in Ireland. Chair of the Irish Heart Foundation’s Council on Women and CVD Dr Kathleen McGarry says the underestimation happens because women usually suffer from CVD 10 years later in life than men.The Red Alert for Women’s Hearts conference held in France recently highlighted the need for gender-specific research in cardiovascular health, reporting that women represented less than four in 10 participants in 62 clinical trials published in the last three years.

OBESE teenage girls are more than twice as likely to develop multiple sclerosis (MS) as adults as those who are not obese, a new US study reports. The study ran over 40 years and involved over 200,000 women aged between 25 and 55 — almost 600 of them developed MS over the four decades.

The researchers found that women who had a BMI of 30 or larger at age 18 more than doubled their risk of getting MS, compared to those with a BMI of between 18.5 and 20.9.

INVEST in property this Christmas — that’s the message from Age Action. But instead of investing in bricks and mortar, the older people’s charity is urging people to put their euro into cardboard — the charity’s table-top

BIG PROBLEM: Obese teenage girls are more than twice as likely to develop MS, a new study has warned. Picture: iStock

collection box. Designed in the shape of a house, the festive box is available as part of the charity’s first national Christmas collection. To get a box, contact 01-4756989, email info@ageaction.ie or write to Age Action, 30/31 Lower Camden Street, Dublin 2.

VITAMIN B3 is good news for heart patients, according to an Oxford University study, which found that taking the vitamin for a year reduced furring up of the arteries.

Patients with clogging and hardening of the artery walls (atherosclerosis) saw a reduction in size of the artery walls, compared to patients on a placebo who saw their condition worsen. Patients took the vitamin in conjunction with cholesterol-lowering statin medication.

FASTING for 12 hours before taking a cholesterol test may become a thing of the past if new guidelines are adopted following studies by Cambridge researchers, who analysed data from 300,000 people and found results were just as accurate if patients had eaten before the test. It has been thought for years that the body needs enough time to digest food in the system and to clear any fatty particles from the blood in order to produce an accurate reading of “bad” cholesterol (LDL). But data from 68 long-term surveys in 21 countries suggests this isn’t the case.

“These findings indicate that cholesterol measurements are at least as good — and probably somewhat better — when made without fasting,” said lead researcher Professor John Danesh.

Helen O’Callaghan

feelgood@examiner.ie EDITORIAL: Irene Feighan 021-4802292 ADVERTISING: Niamh Kelly 021-4802215

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THE SHAPE I'M IN

Colm O’ Neill

Healthy hero CAPTAINING the All-Ireland winning under-21 Cork team isn’t the only achievement Ballyclogh club player Colm O’Neill has had this year. He was also named Cadbury Hero of the Future for his partnership and dedication throughout the football championship.

“Being from a small club and captaining the All-Ireland winning team and going up to collect the cup was the best.

Usually the captain comes from a big club. And being awarded ‘hero of the future’ just topped it all off,” says the fourth-year CIT construction management student.

But the footballer who celebrated his 21st birthday in September also did himself proud in the senior All-Ireland final, when he scored a goal and a point. “Not that it did much good,” smiles Colm, whose girlfriend of two and a half years is UCC student Claire Kennedy.

What shape are you in?

I’m in good enough shape. I was training two to three times a week in the peak of the championship season.

Do you have any health concerns?

Nothing, thank God. I had an operation in my knee last year. I was out for six months. My knee is fine now.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I eat a lot of fruit and drink a lot of milk. I always have a good dinner of meat and vegetables in the evening.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

Burgers and chocolate every now and again.

Being from a small club and captaining the All-Ireland winning team and going up to collect the cup was the best.

Usually the captain comes from a big club

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How do you relax?

I go for a round of golf or I go for a swim. I also like the cinema — I especially like comedy.

What’s your favourite smell?

The smell of buns baking in the oven, when my mum makes them.

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What would keep you awake at night?

Nothing much really — I’m a good sleeper. I always get a good nine or 10 hours, even before a big match.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Cheryl Cole because she’s very good-looking and Tommy Tiernan because he’d be good for a laugh.

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MATCH FIT: Colm O’Neill is in good physical condition following his training — two to three times a week — for the championship season.

Picture: Gerard Bonus

What’s your earliest memory?

Going to matches in Cork with my grandfather.

What would you change about your appearance?

I wouldn’t mind being a bit stronger.

When did you last cry?

At the cinema during the summer. It was a film called My Sister’s Keeper — bring the tissues.

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What trait do you least like in others?

I hate bad losers and people who begrudge your success.

What trait do you least like in yourself?

My impatience — I’m always on the go.

Do you pray?

I do, I pray a lot.

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What would cheer up your day?

Good weather.

Helen O’Callaghan

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009

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Jo Kerrigan, who enjoys a monthly massage to relieve stress, asks three

Tuning out from I

N TODAY’S world, women are more pressured than ever as they juggle home, job, relationships, family and so on. While on one hand there are more options in terms of career than our grandmothers could have dreamed of, on the other the age-old tasks of home-making, shopping, making ends meet, etc, still have to be dealt with.

It’s little wonder that many women will experience the signs of stress at some point in their lives. Insomnia, edgy temper, headaches, backache, anxiety, depression, difficulty in breathing — these could all be telltale signs that you need to review your lifestyle and do something to help you relax.

In my own case as a freelance journalist, I’m only as good as the next job I do. I tend to spend a lot of time on my own, working at a computer screen.

Quite apart from the stiffness and aches I get from spending too long hunched over a keyboard, deadlines can be stressful.

I get stress relief from getting tui-na massage, on a monthly basis. It’s an age-old Chinese bodywork therapy now becoming increasingly available in this country.

Tui-na works on the acupuncture points of the body to correct imbalances and achieve curative effects, but no needles are used, and the client can remain fully clothed.

I go to Peter at the Tung-Chi Centre for Chinese Medicine in Wilton, Cork (pictured here working on me).

Sometimes I almost fall asleep, and the feeling of wellbeing lasts for days.

Tui-na can be used to treat all kinds of disorders, as well as stress, and I can’t think of a gentler, more pleasant form of treatment.

But what do others do to cope? I asked three busy career women to reveal their secret stressbusters.

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As I turn the pages, my breathing calms down ■ Jenny O’Sullivan, RTE news reporter

M

Y job is totally unpredictable. I can never tell where I’m going to be the next morning or indeed in the next hour. It could be a village protest about a road diversion, or it could be a murder. I might be out on a cliff during a storm or outside a courtroom in the rain. When it’s an unpleasant situation I have to try and switch off my imagination and concentrate on the job in hand — giving a clear and accurate summary of events to the camera.

“I can’t afford to think about the awful bits if it’s one of those situations. But it does tend to hit later on, when the broadcast is over.”

Even then Jenny can’t relax, since she has two lively children waiting at home for mum’s attention, which means it’s often late in the evening before she can try to unwind.

“My secret weapon is tucking myself up with a book and reading for an hour before bed. No matter where I am, no matter what time it is, sooner or later there’s a bed at the

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end of it, and there is no way I could sleep without that reading time. As I turn the pages, I can feel my breathing calming down, my pulse slowing to normal. Then I can sleep.”

So obviously she chooses something relaxing, quiet, gentle in the way of literature?

Chick lit? An Aga saga? Oddly enough, no.

“I love a really good thriller, the gorier the better. The wilder it is, the more I can feel the stress ebbing away.”

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other women what they do to find refuge from the pressures of a busy life

the daily grind I forget it all when I do my Zumba dance

■ Aileen Horgan, nurse

A

ILEEN is a busy full-time nurse. Free time is precious, yet she is also taking a course at UCC to expand her qualifications and improve her skills.

“It took a bit of doing to get back into studying, but I enjoy it.”

It does mean homework, projects and preparation when she finishes a long 12-hour shift at the hospital, though. Oh and she’s getting married next year, and is heavily involved in organising that big event. What with the job, the studies, and the wedding plans, it’s understandable that Aileen sometimes finds the stress building up. And being a nurse, she knows she has to deal with it.

So what does she do? Goes Zumba dancing at Donna Daly’s Dance Studio. This wild and lively Latin-American-based style has taken off hugely on the international scene because of the sheer fun and enjoyment it engenders among participants.

“My sister in New York emailed me and said I simply had to try this, so I went looking and there was nowhere in Ireland that did it, so I spoke to Donna and she set up classes. Now it’s full every week. I wouldn’t miss it for anything. No matter what kind of day I’ve had, or what’s gone wrong, once you’re out there on the floor and the music starts, you forget everything else.

“The other night we worked really hard, yet when we finished the class we all felt like going clubbing. That’s how good it makes you feel. I tell you there isn’t a hint of stress in my body when I finish a Zumba session.”

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The paper and a cuppa is a welcome break ■ Mary Hopkins, advertising and PR executive

M

Y job involves solving other people’s problems and so I have to be on top form the whole time. An important client doesn’t want an agency boss talking about her own worries after all. If I’m handling a big event or turning around a crisis for someone, I’m so keen to make sure everything turns out well for them, I don’t think about being stressed myself. It’s only afterwards I feel totally wiped out.”

So what does Mary do when she feels her stress levels rising above normal? She

goes to the Farm Gate in the English Market in Cork.

“I have a cuppa and read the paper. Inevitably I’ll meet someone outside of my business life and have a natter and a laugh so that helps me calm down.”

Recently Mary was involved in a frightening near-accident in a helicopter.

“My sister and I were offered a trip back from the Ploughing Championships in Athy and we were delighted. Halfway through the flight, the pilot noticed a red light, and told me he would have to make an emer-

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gency landing immediately. I didn’t have time to think of losing my life. I was more concerned with pretending all was okay so that my twin, Norma, in the back-seat wouldn’t be aware of the gravity of the situation.

“I was jittery the following day though, and I know I’m going to have to go up in a small plane or a helicopter soon just to deal with it.

“There’s no point in burying bad experiences. You have to face these things and come to terms with them.”

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New book suggesting marriage should be approached as an 11-year economic arrangement misses the point

For richer for poorer Tony Humphreys

A

CCORDING to figures from the British Office of National Statistics, 11 years is the average staying time for couples who get divorced. And according to a new book on couple relationships, marriage should be seen as an economic arrangement which couples should leave when the emotional and economic benefits begin to decline. Titled Changing Relationships, it’s based on five years’ research into family life by the British Economic and Social Research Council.

The main belief expressed in the book is that “people come together and stay together only when it is to their advantage”. What is astounding is that the authors take no account of the stark fact that the economic reductionism model being proposed has shown itself to be a complete failure even within the narrow sphere of economics and it does seem bizarre that this approach be suggested for marriage. Furthermore, this mercenary approach seriously militates against family and social stability, particularly when research consistently shows there is nothing to compare with the two-parent stable family.

Equally alarming is the co-authors fail to recommend to anyone entering a marriage with the idea ‘if I’m lucky, this relationship may only be to my advantage for 11 years’, then, to quote the poet Philip Larkin, ‘please don’t have any kids…’

Children suffer greatly when parents part — more often than not — with conflict.

There is no suggestion here that couples who are deeply unhappy stay together for the children’s sakes but there is a recommendation that at least their irreconcilable differences do not darken the lives of their children. Parents who wish to part from each other need to seek either individual or joint help to separate in ways that are supportive of each other and non-threatening to children. Very often, fathers need to join parenting classes to develop the necessary skills for effective parenting as, ironically, they may then be spending a lot more time with their children.

The statistics and the book’s reciprocity take on marriage do pose an important question: does marriage have a natural duration?

The answer to this is dependent on your beliefs about marriage. Certainly, if you see marriage like an accountant, totting up the debits and credits of what you don’t get and what you get, then I’m surprised such a marriage would endure for even 11 years. Such an arrangement begs the question: why get married at all? More couples are living together than ever before and if this is a means of testing the long-term viability of the relationship — great. However, I believe the

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deeper and more meaningful nature of marriage is being missed when it is viewed in mercenary terms.

For me, marriage is primarily the privilege of accompanying another on his or her quest for self-realisation and self-fulfilment. I do not see my wife as being responsible for my happiness — nor, indeed, my being responsible for her happiness. The pursuit of happiness is the responsibility of each adult and not one to be passed onto one’s partner. Such a lean-to relationship will definitely lead to conflict, but the deeper source of the conflict between the troubled couple is the nature of the relationship within each person. A lean-to relationship is not a real marriage but a co-dependence, which is the source of most marital breakdown.

A mature marriage is where each takes responsibility for self and for one’s own actions, enjoys one’s aloneness and supports the other in the inner relationship with self. Independence marks the couple relationship and each brings to the other a fullness (a maturity) that enhances and deepens what happens within each individual and between the couple. The

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BANKING ON IT: The more meaningful nature of marriage is being missed when it’s viewed in mercenary terms. Picture: iStock

focus is not on what we can get from one another but on what we give each other in terms of the support and resources required for that longest and most difficult but, ultimately, rewarding, inward journey.

Everybody gains from a person’s self-realisation, self-confidence and self-reliance — not least partners and children. Society benefits hugely from mature individuals. John O’Donohue, author of Anam Chara, puts it so well when he says: ‘It is the responsibility of each adult to inhabit his or her own individuality’. He goes on to say it is the hardest task of all and, it’s my belief, that marriage provides the most potent support for that life purpose. Inhabiting one’s individuality is not akin to individualism which is all about ‘me, me, me’. Individualism demands and commands others to take responsibility for one, whereas individuality takes responsibility for self and appreciates the support offered by one’s partner and others.

The German poet Rilke also puts it well when he says: ‘Love consists in this, that two solitudes protect and touch and greet each other.’

A person who stays in a marriage purely for economic reasons is, indeed, being mercenary but hardly fulfilled. There is a lot more to marriage than a bank balance. Even more important, there is infinitely more to each person than economic prosperity.

■ Dr Tony Humphreys practises as a clinical psychologist and is author of several books on practical psychology including Myself, My Partner

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009

A DIFFERENT VIEW ON LIFESTYLE Your guide to fitness, health, happiness and lifestyle. Great writers and mentors.

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At Ballymaloe Ailín Quinlan encounters an educational food skills scheme

Students of life L

AST week, some lucky schoolchildren got to abandon the classroom to gather apples, feed pigs, sow seeds and cook pizza.

Sixth class boys and girls from Brooklodge National School in Glanmire, Co Cork, spent the day in the scenic environs of Ballymaloe House learning the traditional skills involved in farming and cooking.

Explains best-selling author and chef Darina Allen of Ballymaloe: “Half of the children went around the farm learning how to do various things, and the other half were cooking in the kitchen.

“The young ‘farmers’ will do everything from learning how to sow seeds and grow crops to visiting the farm’s free range pigs, chickens and hens, and collecting produce from the gardens and orchard for the kitchen crew.

“Using the produce gathered by the ‘farmers’ the young cooks will prepare a mouth-watering meal for both groups, as well as setting the table properly and later feeding any leftovers to the hens.

“They learn about the holistic cycle of food production,” says Allen.

This is Brooklodge National School’s second year to sign up for the project and the children really look forward to it says teacher Claire O’Connor.

“Last year our pupils made pizza from scratch, as well as jam, frittatas and apple crumble, while the farmers sowed seeds and collected apples and fed the pigs.

They all had a great time,” says O’Connor, a resource teacher at the school.

Brooklodge is one of five primary schools from the east Cork area to participate in the second year of the East Cork Slow Food Educational Programme.

Under the programme, each school has the option to come twice over the term to allow the children to learn about basic food production, so over the next few weeks and months senior students from primary schools like Kilcreddan National School, Ballycotton National School, Shanagarry National School and John the Baptist School in Midleton, will be making regular visits to Ballymaloe to learn those all-important traditional skills.

“The raison d’etre is that children nowadays are further removed from food production than ever before. They have a huge interest in it and, between the ages of nine and 11, they are very bright and inquisitive,” says Allen.

One of the things children love most, she says, is chickens — and as part of the programme, participating schools get a gift of a chicken coop and two hens from the project: “We raised money during our Slow Food events over the year to buy chicken coops which are sent to the schools along with a couple of hens. One of the teachers takes overall responsibility for the care of the hens and for teaching the children about them. It always makes for great excitement.”

Schoolchildren are deeply involved in the care of the hens, though, during the

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CHICKEN RUN: Shanagarry students Daniel Fawsitt and Kiaran Aherne, with the school farm chickens, and classmates Eoghan O’Sullivan, Georden Daly, Cormac Aherne and visiting student, Evan Letellier, from France. Picture:Des Barry

P

UPILS at Shanagarry national school in east Cork are old hands at keeping hens — they’ve got their own chicken-coop, complete with two plump hens, on the front lawn.

The school, which has been involved with Ballymaloe for years, got the coop last year as part of the East Cork Slow Food Educational Programme. “It’s the children who have the responsibility for feeding the hens — they have to check that they have water and food, though I would normally check in on them over the weekend,” says school principal, Noreen Walsh.

school holidays, the fowl can come back to Ballymaloe if the primary school is unable to arrange for their care.

But often the arrival at school of a pair of hens can have an interesting effect on the

“Every now and again, the chicken coop has to be moved, so that the hens have fresh grass. I let the children take responsibility for this and for the other aspects of the care of the hens, as much as possible — I think it’s excellent for them. When the hens are laying — right now, though, they’re resting — they produce two organic eggs a day, and, every Friday, the children hold an egg sale,” Ms Walsh says.

“The money raised at the sale goes towards buying food for the hens. The pupils have to keep an eye on the feed and know when it is running low. As a

children and their families: “Providing the school with a chicken coop very often encourages the parents to get hens at home,” says Allen, adding that the programme also encourages schools to create a vegetable garden for which the children are also responsible: “When the children are taught to

result of the scheme, several parents have told me that they have got chickens at home, as well,” she says.

“The school also has its own, award-winning garden — and schoolchildren hold regular vegetable sales. “It’s a great opportunity for the children to learn a lot of basic skills,” says Ms Walsh, adding that this year the fifth- and sixth-class students will also be participating in the programme.

“They love it — they are split up into two groups to do gardening and cooking, and it’s a great experience for them.”

grow things, they will encourage their parents to grow vegetables at home as well — and, remember, children are more likely to eat vegetables if they grew them.”

■ For more information on slow food events, visit www.slowfoodireland.com

Children nowadays are further removed from food production than ever before. They have a huge interest in it and, between ages nine and 11 they are very bright and inquisitive —

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009

Darina Allen

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MOBILE ALERTS

While expert opinion emits confusing signals on the dangers of mobile phones, Helen O’Callaghan finds there is enough evidence to give cause for concern

N

An upwardly mobile dilemma

INE to five, Monday to tients with a glioma (common type of maFriday, nobody calls me lignant brain tumour). Researchers noted on my landline. It’s always whether patients were right or left-handed, my mobile. My landline is for doing believing if there was a link between mointerviews, which could take half the bile phone use and brain cancer, the paday, so — not wanting callers to get a tient would get the tumour on the side of constantly busy line — I have them the head at which they held the phone. ring on my mobile.

“Brain tumours are more common on And that — given my job — could the right side of the brain. We don’t know mean 20 daily calls, or at least an hour why that is. Our analysis showed that paevery day with my mobile jammed tients using the phone on the left side against my ear. So when I hear that a didn’t have a statistical increase in brain tulandmark international mours on the left side — study is to publish its findthey were still more likely PREVENTION TIP 1 ings about the possible to have the tumour on the link between mobile right side,” says Dr Phillips. phone use and brain canPhillips points out that Use a cer, I take notice. there hasn’t been an inhands-free Preliminary results from crease in brain cancer cases the Interphone study, since mobile phone use bekit, use which looked at whether came common in Ireland in speaker the radiofrequency radiathe late 1990s. Nor, he says, tion emitted by mobile was an increase reported at phone, phones is carcinogenic, two of the world’s biggest send text make for sober reading. meetings of neurosurgeons Investigating 13 countries held this year — the meetmessages for almost a decade, reing in Dublin of the Socisearchers tried to deterety of British Neurological mine whether exposure to mobile Surgeons and, in September, the World phones is linked to three types of Congress of Neurological Surgery in brain tumour and a tumour of the Boston. salivary gland. According to InterBut the problem in assessing the potenphone they found “a significant intial link between brain tumours and mocreased risk” of some brain tumours bile phone use is the relatively short period related to use of mobile phones for a these phones have been heavily in use in period of 10 years or more. large populations and the long latency peThe debate over whether mobile riod for many tumours — cancer sympphones put users at higher risk for detoms are rarely detectable until at least a veloping brain tumours or other candecade after a cancer-producing event. cers has waged for almost two Just one month before Phillips attended decades. The Interphone study (when the Boston conference, a report titled child when he or she starts using a mobile published in full, it’s expected to inCellphones and Brain Tumours: 15 Reaphone, the higher the risk. clude a public health message that will sons for Concern was released by the InSome of the strongest evidence pointing put governments under pressure to isternational Electromagnetic Field (EMF) to a link between brain tumours/mobile sue stronger guidelines for mobile Collaborative. This group includes the Raphone use comes from a series of Swedish phone use) is already stirring up condiation Research Trust in Britain and the studies, with researchers finding risk introversy.

People’s Initiative Foundation creased with the numDetractors question in the US. More ber of cumulative hours PREVENTION TIP 2 why young adults and than 40 scientists of use, higher radiated children were excluded and officials from PREVENTION TIP 3 power and length of from the study and how 14 countries enWhen not mobile phone use. The Avoid accurately those studied dorsed the report, using, keep which had three highest risk was among could recall mobile using in a people younger than 20 phone use going back phone away major conclusions: years at time of first use. moving several years.

■ Studies indefrom your Meanwhile, a recent Dublin neurosurgeon pendent of the vehicle or Israeli study found a rise Jack Phillips says the telecom industry body in salivary gland cancers in rural neurobiology of the brain consistently show a since 2002, with the is a more complex issue “significant” risk areas at cancer disproportionatethan doing a phone call review. “Too for brain tumours from mobile ly common among some distance many variables have to be considered phone use. young people. Rebefore coming to alarming conclu■ EMF exposure limits advofrom a mobile searchers suspect a mosions,” he says. “The barrier of the cated by industry and employed bile phone link. By skull is a significant barrier — I find it by governments are based on a phone tower — contrast, incidence of difficult to understand how a minute false premise that a mobile these uses salivary cancers in amount of radiation could give rise to phone’s electromagnetic radiaglands the lower malignant brain tumours.” tion has no biological effects exincrease power of mouth ofremained stable.

Dr Phillips was one of the authors cept for heating. the mobile’s The researchers now of a 2000-2001 study in Beaumont ■ Danger of brain tumours plan to investigate their Hospital, which took a retrospective from mobile phone use is highradiation oral cancer patients’ look at mobile phone use in 73 paest in children — the younger a

low-emission phones in Germany, there’s older age category, Dr Michael is conno such practice here, confirms Tommy cerned about the effects on children.

McCabe, director of the Irish Cellular In“Children are particularly susceptible bedustry Association. cause of their thinner skulls. Radiation is Whether your mobile phone is a 0.29 projected more powerfully into their brain W/kg Nokia N90 or a 1.02 W/kg Mo— this has been shown on MRI scans.

Picture: iStock torola A008, it’s all immaterial, says McChildren will also be exposed for a longer Cabe. “Even at the maximum level of time-frame.”

2W/kg, it’s still fully compliant with ICA 2007 expert group, reporting to the NIRP safety levels. It’s a bit like driving in Irish Government, cited “no adverse short a 30-mile zone. Whether you’re doing or long-term health effects” from exposure five, 10 or 25 miles an hour, it’s still safe.” to radiofrequency signals proBut the ICNIRP duced by mobile phones. Such guidelines have come signals had “not been found to PREVENTION TIP 5 under fire for being cause cancer”. The report conbased on outdated scitinued: “There is no data availAvoid using ence. Dr Grahame able to suggest use of mobile a phones by children is a health when inside Blackwell, British-based indepenhazard. The time in children’s dent consultant in buildings, development that might make telecommunications them particularly vulnerable to particularly health issues, told a radiofrequency exposures to the meeting of the Irish with steel head is when they’re aged two Doctors’ Environmenyears or under.” Yet in France, structures tal Association in 2008 new legislation will ban advertisthat the “health guideing of mobile phones directed at lines we have pushed under 12s, as well as the sale of upon us by official bodies are based on phones designed for children under six. outdated science and don’t take into acIn Ireland, where mobile phone subcount new research”. scriptions stood at more than five million Explaining that the ICNIRP guidelines in June 2009, 55% of voice traffic is along used by authorities are based specifically on mobile networks. thermal (heat) based radiation, Blackwell According to a ComReg (Commission referred to a Russian study, which showed for Communications Regulation) study, that the harmful effects of electromagnetic 94% of 15- to 74-year-olds had access to a radiation are occurring at sub-thermal levmobile phone for personal use by this els, as well as to the Reflex study of seven summer. And when it comes to average countries, which replicated radiation actumonthly minutes of use, Ireland came secally breaking DNA chains, something that ond highest on a list of seven countries — leads to cancer. in the second quarter of 2009, we talked Blackwell pointed to a need to find a on our mobiles for an average of 232 minmobile phone use to determine the possifrequency/type of emission not harmful to utes per month, behind France at 253 ble statistical link between the two. human cells, rather than “hotly denying minutes.

Dr Christine McCreary, senior lecturer the problem”.

“One in three Irish adults rely on their and consultant in oral medicine at Cork As the debate swings from one end of mobile phone now,” says Patricia Dowling, University Dental School & Hospital, bethe safe/dangerous spectrum to the other, research manager with ComReg. lieves the jury is still out on whether mothe one thing almost all “Fixed lines have debile phone use causes experts agree on is that creased in the last 10 cancer. “The mobile PREVENTION TIP 6 — while additional years. There are phone industry says they PREVENTION TIP 4 studies are needed to about 1.3 million don’t cause a problem determine a consistent Don’t sleep landlines now combut I don’t think we can link between mobile Keep phone pared to 1.6 million with your say that. More research is phone use and cancer in 1999. The trend is turned off needed. I wouldn’t derisk — it pays to take a mobile that even if you have bunk findings suggesting precautionary approach until you a fixed line, you tend under your a link. It would pay us to in the meantime. to use the mobile need it be more vigilant, espeMe? My mobile pillow or more.” cially around children phone’s as essential a The International beside your bed and teens using the tool as ever, but I’m Commission on phones.” keeping it at arm’s Non-Ionising RadiaVice-chair of the Irish Doctors’ Envilength, limiting my tion Protection (ICNIRP) sets ronmental Association Dr Philip Michael time on it and never again will I keep it guidelines limiting human exposure to says it “would be amazing if there weren’t switched on beside my bed at night, in electromagnetic fields. In Europe, limits on health effects”, considering we’re exposed alarm mode to wake me in the morning. radiofrequency radiation emitted by moto “thousands of times more non-ionising biles (SAR ratings) are set at two watts per radiation since mobile phones came in”.

■ Discover your phone’s SAR rating on kilogram (2W/kg). While a ‘Blue Angel’ With a recent Dublin Institute of Techwww.mmfai.org/public/sar.cfm?lang=eng mark is displayed on packaging of nology study into play and technology among four to 12-year-olds finding that 18% of four- to eight-year-olds had a mobile phone, a figure that rose to 59% in the

HANGING ON THE TELEPHONE: Using a landline for those long conversations might be a wise move.

The problem in assessing the potential link between brain tumours and mobile phone use is that cancer symptoms are rarely detectable until at least a decade after a cancerproducing event

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■ PAGE 10: Doctor’s suspicious tumour

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009

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MOBILE ALERTS

Helen O’Callaghan talks to a doctor who is sure of the health risk of mobiles

The lump I got was where the phone touched me D UNGARVAN-based medical doctor James Stacey had a benign tumour removed from his chest 10 years ago.

Aged 50 at the time, he believes the tumour was caused by his having carried his mobile phone in his inside jacket pocket for long periods.

“It was the early days of mobile phones. The one I’d been using had a pull-out aerial, which I carried in my inside pocket with the aerial pulled out, to improve reception.

“I believe the energy from the radio signal was transmitting into me rather than out into the air. The lump I got in my chest was definitely where the phone was touching. I’ve no doubt at all it was related,” he says.

But it’s the ear which gets the most exposure to mobile phones.

“If your ear’s clammy from holding the phone there for ages, it encourages the signal to pass along a pathway to the nearest part of the body — the ear and brain.

“Today, the aerial’s enclosed within the plastic body of the modern phone, which significantly reduces radiation,”

CAUTIONARY TALE: Dr Jim Stacey, from Dungarvan, believes his chest tumours were caused by his mobile phone.

Picture:Denis Scannell

says Dr Stacey, who still owns a mobile.

“I use it as little as possible. And I don’t carry it in my breast pocket — I carry it in my coat pocket, not next to my skin.”

■ See Dr Niamh Houston, page 12, for mobile phone mast concern.

Children at home and abroad need to be protected Ireland Expert group says there is “no adverse short- or long-term health effects” from exposure to mobile phones. Radio frequency waves had “not been found to cause cancer.”

Children up to the age of two might be “particularly vulnerable to radio-frequency exposures to the head.”

France All users, particularly children, should limit the amount of time spent on mobile phones. Under proposed legislation, the government wants to ban advertising of mobiles to children under 12. By regulation, handsets must be sold with hands-free kits.

Germany Public advised to “minimise, as far as possible” their exposure to mobile-phone radio waves. All low-emission phones carry a ‘blue angel’ mark.

Land lines are recommended over mobiles. When using handsets, calls should be kept short or, better again, send texts.

Until research clearly establishes whether or not there is a link between mobiles use and brain tumours, “extreme caution” should be taken.

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Russia Austria Parents Mobile advised to phones to be limit their used for urchildren’s gent calls, and use, as they by children may en“only in excounter treme emerhealth risks gencies.” Durfrom mobile ing a call, mophone radiabile should be tion. With kept at a dislong-term tance from exposure, users’ heads. it’s believed Games on they are mobile phones are CHILD HAZARD: Many countries ask for restriction on the likely to face loss memonot recomuse of mobiles for children. Picture:iStock ry, poor atmended. tention, reduction of learning and cogniThey should be switched off at night. tive abilities, increased irritability, sleep problems, stress and susceptibility to Finland epileptic episodes.

Restricted use by children. Recommend sending texts when possible, and Sweden hands-free devices. Users advised not to Users should use hands-free kits, keep use when connection is weak. phones away from their bodies, and establish good coverage before making Italy calls. “There may be a slightly increased Limits in place for the amount of radiarisk of tumour on the auditory nerve by tion, from mobile phone transmitters, prolonged, more than ten years’ use of employees can be exposed to in their mobile phones,” say researchers. workplace.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009

This is of importance to young users, “because children and young people will use mobile phones for longer than today’s adults.”

Switzerland Wireless or Bluetooth, hands-free systems recommended to reduce radiation to the head. Buyers should make sure a new handset comes with a low SAR. Calls should be short, or text instead. “Whenever possible, only use mobiles when the signal quality is good.” This recommendation “applies, especially, to children and adolescents.”

Israel Mobile phone use should be avoided in enclosed spaces: for example, lifts, trains and cars. Wired, not wireless, earpieces are recommended, along with hands-free kits. Use among children should be limited. A national study found an association between mobile-phone use and a risk of developing tumours of the salivary gland.

USA More studies on the effects of mobile phone radiation are needed before conclusions can be drawn. Meanwhile, mobile phones should expose people to the least amount of radiation possible.

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Healthy ever after

By 2050 we can expect that a third of our population will be over 65 LIFE CYCLE: Lots of statements about food products are not based on science, says Dr Cusack, below.

By eating well and maintaining a balanced digestive system we can hope to enjoy a longer, healthier life.

Roz Crowley

C

HILDREN born this year could live to 100. Even by 2050 we can expect that a third of our population will be over 65. All very well, but what will life be like for them?

Healthy we hope. In an ideal future, by 2050 childhood obesity will have been tackled and, as well as dealing with general medical conditions, services for the elderly will be a priority of the health service.

Ongoing research as University College Cork is looking at ageing positively, and results so far show there is plenty that can be done to ensure we get the best nutritional value from food, mainly by maintaining a healthy digestive system.

Dr Siobhán Cusack is project co-ordinator of Eldermet, a research project led by Dr Paul O’Toole, Department of Microbiology, UCC with 15 scientific and clinical investigators from a wide variety of disciplines, departments and the HSE. Eldermet aims to put solid statistics behind anecdotal evidence about what happens as we age and what effect intestinal bacteria have on the ageing process. The researchers are looking at diet and lifestyle and how changes in both affect health and the ageing process.

Bacteria present in the gut produce an enzyme which eventually can affect cholesterol levels. So it’s not just the digestive system that is affected by what we eat, but also the circulatory system and all that it involves with heart disease and risk of stroke.

Recently the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) rejected 350 health claims in food products and found that two-thirds of claims in existing products had to be rejected. With new legislation demanding that health claims on food labels be substantiated, this science is needed by food manufacturers and by consumers all the more.

“Lots of statements about food products are not based on science,” says Dr Cusack. “We are trying to provide the science.”

The project, which started in 2007, will continue to 2013, and is looking at participants (and are currently recruiting) who do and don’t take probiotic yoghurts to keep healthy and some who, for example, take antibiotics to cure perceived illnesses.

Many consumers trust claims by manufacturers, but up to now blind faith has served them badly. “It’s difficult for consumers to make choices between brands,” says Dr Cusack. “And there is a new habit of self-medicating with more potent products such as antibiotics which they can buy on the internet.

“They don’t realise that there are consequences such as unbalancing the gut flora.

We want to test people to see exactly what happens to their digestive tract when they are on a course of drugs, so we can then see if a few tubs of yoghurt can make a difference to re-balancing and helping in their recovery.

“We are testing people as they age to see what effect probiotics have in maintaining a

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healthy gut which may have a positive influence on the ageing process.”

In UCC’s laboratories sequencing technologies — which are leading the way in this type of research worldwide — are getting to the bottom of the science of what exactly happens to us as we age. Armed with this cutting-edge research, living healthily to 100 may well be within our grasp.

To live to 100 try: FIBRE: While research is ongoing, there are already plenty of good pointers for ageing healthily. With age, the digestive system can slow down if it’s not well stimulated. As teeth problems arise from poor oral hygiene — gum and bone recession — and as energy levels decrease with illness, people enjoy chewing less and opt for softer foods. These often don’t sufficiently challenge the digestive

Test your yoghurt PUT a tablespoon of yoghurt in a flask with a mug of milk. Leave it for an hour. If the yoghurt is live, it will curdle the milk.

It will do the same in the gut and so the good bacteria will multiply and overpower the kind of bacteria that should be there only in relatively small quantities. If the milk in the flask doesn’t change texture, it might be time to change your brand of yoghurt.

system to break down fibre and encourage the gut to squeeze it along. The adage applies to food — if you don’t use it, you lose it.

SPICE OF LIFE: If the gut is allowed to weaken it can enflame easily so spicy foods may become an irritant. This can result in less variety of tastes and enjoyment of food. The taste buds can also wear out resulting in less pleasure from food. If they irritate, use spices but not in large quantities and add yoghurt to tone them down. Look at spices such as ginger which warm the body, but avoid lots of chilli which can be more pungent.

EAT EVERYTHING: Keep a wide variety of foods in the diet, both from a nutritional point of view, but also to maintain a healthy interest in food. Limiting foods means excluding valuable minerals and vitamins needed to fight heart disease, stroke, some cancers, obesity, osteoporosis and arthritis.

The Food Safety Authority’s Recommendations for a national food and nutrition policy for older people amount to a balance of a

Grow old slowly PARTICIPATING in the Slow Food movement which encourages the use of unprocessed local food is one way of supporting a healthy lifestyle (www.slowfoodireland.com).

The Cornstore on Cornmarket Street, Cork will host a celebratory Thanksgiving dinner on 19 November which is open to Slow Food members and non-members. To book, ring: 021-4274777.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009

wide range of foods with emphasis on freshness and good body weight for good wound healing and immune function. Malnutrition is a huge problem in the ageing population, so at least four portions of fruit and vegetables a day are essential to help the absorption of other iron and mineral-rich foods such as fish and meat. Seeds and nuts make good snacks.

NO SUGAR: Don’t start the day with a high-sugar breakfast. Opt instead for slow release energy foods such as porridge oats, which also have natural prebiotics which support the growth of healthy bifidobactria which are needed more in old age. Sweeten and add more nutrition with a banana and honey. Raw or toasted oats are good for us too, so snacking on them is a good idea.

Ready bought toasted oats can have fat added and there can be a huge amount of sugar in muesli, says Dr Cusack, so read labels carefully, keeping a keen eye for sugar disguised as various syrups. Toast oats by tossing in a dry pan until light golden. They can be stored for a few days.

PROTEIN AND CARBOHYDRATES: To get the best value from protein, low carbohydrate diets should be avoided by the over-60s.

To aid digestion, carbohydrates such as potatoes, rice, pasta and bread should be included with protein meals of meat, fish, cheese, eggs and pulses.

■ To take part in the Eldermet study contact Dr Sinead Cusack: eldermet@ucc.ie or 021-4901754

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Q

Dr Niamh Houston

FAMILY

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Dr Niamh Houston is a GP with a special interest in integrative medicine. If you have a question about your child’s health email it to feelgood@examiner.ie or send a letter to Feelgood Irish Examiner City Quarter Lapps Quay Cork

THERE is a mobile phone mast near where we live.

Normally this wouldn’t bother me, however I have two children. Can mobile phones or masts damage their health?

A. Without a doubt mobile phones have transformed peoples’ lives since they first appeared in 1985. For mobile phones to operate correctly they need to transmit and receive signals from a “base-station” mast.

Phone operators are erecting more and more masts to accommodate the increase in network traffic as more and more people use the latest UMTS or 3G technology.

The possibility of health risks arising from mobile phones and masts has been of concern for some time.

According to studies carried out by the independent Mobile Telecommunications and Health Research Programme (MTHR) in Britain, no evidence has yet been found to link short-term exposure (less than 10 years) to mobile phone use with cancers of the brain or brain function. But scientists do not know yet everything about mobile phones and health. It is as yet impossible to say for certain that long-term use is safe, as research is continuing on the effects of using mobile phones for more than 10 years.

It can take 10-15 years or longer for cancers to be detectable after risk exposure.

Few people have used mobile phones for that long.

In a small number of experiments, mobile phones and other sources of electromagnetic fields /microwave radiation caused biological effects (stress protein production and changes in calcium signalling) to occur in cells and animals. There is a higher exposure to microwave radiation from a mobile phone mast transmitter within 400 metres distance. The effects on health reported to be associated with ELF (extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields) and or RF (radiofrequency) include childhood leukaemia, brain tumours, genotoxic effects, immune system dysfunction, allergic and inflammatory responses, breast cancer, miscarriage and neurodegenerative disease. The duration and intensity of exposure needed for these effects to occur is not yet clear.

The current guidelines for European microwave exposure from mobile phones, for the brain are 2 W/kg. It has been suggested that new biologically-based guidelines setting lower limits is needed. There is little research on the effects of mobile phones or masts on children, who are more sensitive than adults to many other environmental agents such as lead pollution and sunlight.

Play it safe and limit mobile phone use by children/teenagers. Keep calls short and essential. Encourage them to use text (which only takes seconds to transmit) rather than voice calls.

It can take 10-15 years or longer for cancers to be detectable after risk exposure. Few people have used mobile phones for that long MOBILE MASTS: Play it safe and limit mobile phone use by children/teenagers. Keep calls short and essential.

Q. I am pregnant and have been in contact with a child who had chickenpox. I’m not sure if I had it when younger. If I develop chicken pox while pregnant, could it harm the baby?

A. Chicken pox (varicella) is a very contagious viral illness that causes an itchy rash. If you develop chickenpox while pregnant the risks depend on the timing.

During the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, the baby faces a slight risk of congenital varicella syndrome. This is rare, but can involve birth defects such as muscle and bone defects, malformed limbs, vision problems and mental retardation. If you are pregnant and develop chicken-pox before delivery, the baby may-be born with a potentially life-threatening infection.

Most pregnant women are immune to chickenpox, either from childhood infec-

tion or immunisation. If you’re not sure if you are immune, your doctor can do a simple blood test to find out. If you’re exposed to chickenpox and not immune to the illness, contact your doctor immediately.

You can get an injection of immune globulin that contains antibodies to chicken pox. If this is given within 96 hours of exposure, it can prevent chickenpox or reduce its severity. If you develop chickenpox when pregnant, your doctor can prescribe antiviral tablets — these can help reduce the risk of complications, such as pneumonia.

If you’re trying to get pregnant and are not immune to chickenpox, get the vaccine. It’s safe for adults, although you will need to wait one month after vaccination before trying to conceive.

NOTE: The information contained in Dr Houston’s column is not a substitute for medical advice. Always consult a doctor first

Catherine Shanahan MUM’S WORLD

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CHALK is to cheese as Lughaidh is to Dearbhail: two things superficially alike but very different in substance.

Aged three-and-a-bit, the brother is helpless as a newborn when it comes to dressing and dependent as a nestling when it comes to mealtime.

He sits to the table waving his fork like a flag, calling on his mother to “Feed me” while his one-year-old sister shovels her dinner down.

I have seen her try to fit on her shoes with much patience — he proffers his foot to his mother as a royal to a stooge.

His natural instinct is to do no more than is required to survive. For everything else, Mammy’s around to act as his personal slave.

Eating he acknowledges as essential but he sidesteps lifting so much as a fork.

He knows by feigning intent to starve, his mother will eventually snap and, like a breeder hand-feeding her pet baby cockatiel,

will nourish him right to the last.

She tires of saying: “I am not your slave and it’s not fair that you think I am.”

His response to this is to echo her words, albeit with a slant of his own. “You’re NOT my slave and it’s NOT FAIR,” he shouts, whenever he wants something done.

This belief that mother is handmaiden is a disorder singular to males.

Therapists call it a ‘sense of entitlement’ that stays with them all of their lives.

I have bent over backwards to purge such presumption for the sake of the future wife.

Conversely, the sister is quite content to soldier on by herself. In fact, she resents if anyone interferes and resists all offers of help.

She explodes like a tiny supernova if her fork is taken from her grasp. Her independence and resolve are quite a revelation

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009

and her brother is completely out-classed.

This tendency to fend well for themselves is a girl-thing right from the start.

It’s self-preservation for the rough ride ahead where Prince Charming breaks many a heart and where countless glass ceilings threaten careers and children will tear her apart.

If narcissism and self-deception are survival mechanisms, the male is built to last.

He can fool himself blind at the drop of a hat or talk through it whenever it likes.

A woman will speak when she wants to speak, a man when driven to do so.

When he can’t find his tie, he’s bound to pipe up to ask her to look as a favour.

As Jerry Seinfeld said — and he hit the nail on the head — men want the same thing from women as their underwear: a little support and a little bit of freedom could make their lives so much happier.

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Taking control

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T’S EASY to feel that life has spun out of control, with increasing job losses and finances getting tighter.

With 12.5% of the work force now on the dole, many men find it difficult to cope with and manage the turbulent upheaval going on in their lives, feeling the answer is bigger than their own capacity.

However, it’s also easy to allow change to you instead of for you. “Many people see what’s happening today as being outside their control,” says James Martin, a business trainer and strategy coach who is based in Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim. “But you have to look at what is within your control and act on that.

Events will always happen in your life — but it’s not the event that is the challenge but the meaning you give to it.”

James gives the example of two men born to alcoholic fathers. “One son will follow in his father’s footsteps because he sees that as inevitable, whereas another son won’t touch alcohol because he doesn’t want to be like his father. It’s all about the decisions we make,” says Martin, a director and trainer with HandsUp, an organisation offering training in managing change.

On November 22, HandsUp is running a programme, Change is in Your Hands, in Co Wicklow to support people to

Deirdre O'Flynn MOSTLY MEN

cope emotionally and financially with the pressures of change. The programme focuses on helping you to not only survive, but ultimately thrive through challenging times.

It’s important today to reclaim your identity, particularly when so many men are facing or experiencing unemployment.

“We need to look at who we are and who we believe we are in terms of identity,” says Martin. “We attach roles to our identity and when that role is gone, such as our work, we become angry. What drives us all is having a compelling future and it can be challenging when we don’t have that. What we do is help people to find their vision, to tap into their own

resourcefulness and to tap into what is available to them.”

It’s also important to tap into your support system. There will be plenty of buddies on bar stools willing to support you to stay in your comfort zone, but finding people to support you on your new journey is vitally important. “We all know people who know what to do but don’t do what they know,” says Martin. So, it’s vital to find people, a partner, a friend, a work colleague or a former work colleague, who will support you as you take control of your circumstances and your decision to change them as you walk towards your own bright future.

■ Change is in Your Hands, Sunday, November 22 at Glenview Hotel, Glen of the Downs, Co Wicklow. F75 per person or F45 for students and those seeking employment. For more info, log on to www.handsup.ie or email bookings@handsup.ie

MANAGING YOUR LIFE: ‘Events will always happen in your life — but it’s not the event that is the challenge but the meaning you give to it,’ says James Martin. Picture:Brian Farrell

Help a call away thanks to vital suicide prevention line

Give yourself an energy boost

A NEW 24-hour suicide prevention helpline — 1Life (1800-247100) — offers confidential advice and support nationwide for callers in need of help.

The service is of particular relevance to people who are feeling low, have had suicidal thoughts, who are self-harming, or want to discuss any problems in relation to suicide.

The helpline is provided by a team of professional counsellors and trained volunteers and is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. “With an estimated 600 deaths by suicide in

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Berocca Performance Exotic is rich in vitamins B and C which are fundamental in providing energy and supporting the immune system.

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Ireland each year, thousands of Irish families are left struggling to overcome the grief and emotional impact of the suicide of a loved one,” says Paul Kelly, founder of Console, a charity supporting people bereaved through suicide.

“Many people in crisis feel isolated, hopeless and overwhelmed by their circumstances and often do not know where to turn.”

1Life has been established by The 3Ts (Turn the Tide of Suicide) and Console, to meet the need for a dedicated 24/7 national suicide prevention helpline service.

SILVER SPOON: Silver has been used for its natural antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties since the earliest times.

Today Colloidal Silver is used by the World Health Organisation as one method of disinfecting drinking water. Claims have also been made for the effectiveness of colloidal silver as a natural antibiotic. However, as yet there is no scientific evidence that colloidal silver is effective at treating any type of disease and concerns have been raised about possible side effects.

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NATURAL DISINFECTANTS NATURAL DISINFECTANT: Studies have shown colloidal silver’s antimicrobial and antiseptic properties and Higher Nature recommend it as a natural disinfectant this winter.

Higher Nature’s Colloidal Silver, which was recently renamed Active Silver, can be sprayed on your skin, face, work surfaces and in the air as a general disinfectant. They also suggest using it to keep your hands clean when out and about or to disinfect and sterilise utensils, toothbrushes, etc, when travelling.

It is available in a 15ml travel size liquid spray F9.20, 100ml liquid spray, F19.90 or 200ml refill bottle (without spray) F27.60.

GRAPEFRUIT SEED: Antibacterial, antifungal and antimicrobial Higher Nature’s Citricidal Liquid, Grapefruit Seed Extract, F6,70 for 25ml has many uses. It can be used as an antiseptic mouthwash. Applied (diluted) externally it may help fungal skin and nail infections, can be added to shampoo to treat dandruff or used as a natural disinfectant to wash food, clean worktops etc.

Generally known for its low toxicity levels and safety, grapefruit seed extract can interfere with the action of some medications, so it is advisable to consult your GP before taking it.

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NATURAL REMEDY: Some of the ways Citricidal can be used are: Scalp: (safe on scalp including dandruff). Add four to 12 drops to each shampooing. Mix in hand or on head with shampoo. Massage into scalp. Leave for two minutes and rinse.

Nails: Apply one drop directly on surface of nail along the cuticle and underneath the front of the nail, twice daily.

Skin rinse: (safe on minor skin irritations, warts and athletes foot. Do not use on open wounds). Apply one drop directly to chosen area once daily. Do not use undiluted on sensitive areas. If irritation occurs flush immediately with water. Irritation is temporary.

Mouthwash: Stir two drops into 3oz or more of water. Vigorously swish in mouth for 10 seconds alternatively gargle with four to 12 drops in a glass of water. Gargle several times.

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The news on ...

You can keep your skin fresh and radiant during the dark days ahead

VOLUME BIG is where it’s at with hair this winter, and, as we draw closer to the Christmas party season, we’re going to be seeing a lot of voluminous hairdos coming out to play.

If your hair is a little on the limp side and you can’t seem to get any volume going, then try using Redken’s new Rootful 06 root-lifting spray, F16.

The precision applicator means you can get the product right to the heart of the roots, while the hair is still damp after washing. According to stylist Jason Welch, from Eleven Salon, in London: “Pumping hair at the crown gives you Bardotesque sexiness. Simply work Rootful 06 into the roots, and lift with your fingers as you blow-dry with a round brush.”

Pouting is optional.

Emily O’Sullivan

U

P until the last week or so, we’ve been frolicking around the city streets wearing runners with no socks, T-shirts and light blazer jackets. While summer was misery incarnate, autumn has been unusually mild — so much so that our opaque tights and bulky chunky knitwear have been sitting neglected in the wardrobe.

But now that we’re into the season of long, dark nights, the weather is getting colder and winter proper is settling in. This means a good five or six months of chilly winds, freezing rain and maybe the odd bit of snowfall. So keeping our skin looking hydrated, fresh and radiant starts to become a real challenge.

By mid-December, we’re usually starting to look a bit Les Patterson around the nose, while with one look at our cheeks you would swear we had just stumbled out of one of The Canterbury Tales. Clearly, a good concealer and slightly heavier foundation are essential, but making sure your skin is well hydrated is vital for getting through winter without bits falling off.

In the summer a moisturising lotion will do fine for your skin, but come November, you may need to change to a cream if you haven’t done so already. And not only that, but your skin may also become more sensitive.

“Some skins will become more sensitised with the cold weather and exposure to extreme of temperature when moving from centrally heated environments to icy winds and back,” says Candice Gardner at The International Dermal Institute.

“Other skins may experience more dehydration or even become drier (requiring rich-

TAKE THREE EYE MAKE-UP REMOVERS Picture: Fotoware

Winter protection er oil-based nourishment). Most skins will require some added protection to enhance the skin’s protective barrier.”

And if you think that you don’t need to worry about SPF concerns on dull, winter days think again. “SPF 15 should be your minimum daylight defence, even in winter,” says Candice. “Ensure you pick a product that offers broad spectrum protection with a UVA screen. UVA rays are constant regardless of season or time of day, and protecting against these rays are vital if you want to guard against premature ageing.”

Dullness is one of the main problems most of us suffer from in winter. As we spend less time outdoors, our complexion inevitably

takes on a slightly porridge-like tone. “Exfoliating regularly with a mild polishing product will remove dull dry skin cells,” says Candice. “You should also keep your skin well hydrated by applying a masque to repair and soothe.”

Mind you, throughout the colder months, it’s also important not to neglect the bits you can’t see. Keep to a routine of exfoliating and moisturising your body and you’ll be amazed by the difference it makes to the condition of your skin. Use a good quality thick body butter for maximum results, and keep a balm, such as Balance Me Rose Otto Body Balm, F20 (lovelula.com), on hand for particularly rough, dry bits of skin.

flower. It’s a lovely winter moisturiser.

Unusually, this one is a cleanser — which means it’s perfect for skin that feels a little more sensitive in the colder months.

This season’s beauty look is heavy on the eye make-up, which means if you don’t want to wake up with panda eyes you’ll need a good remover. If you can, dump the cotton wool and go for soft muslin cloths (you can buy them online or in Mothercare) — they’re reusable, washable and soft enough for the delicate eye area.

Simple Gentle Eye Make-up Remover, from F3.33. This is a very light, non-greasy, almost watery eye make-up remover that feels just right. But it’s not. It took a lot of product to get even a little bit of eyeliner off — and you still wake up with panda eyes.

Score: 2 L’Oreal De-Maq Cashmere Eye Make-up Remover, F9.03. This is a wonderful little product. It has a silky, milky texture that smoothes onto the eye, causes no irritation and wipes off gently — along with all your eye make-up.

Score: 8 Dr Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Eye Make-up Remover Pads with Therapeutic Benefits, F38. This is a great remover: it’s effective, it’s gentle and it’s easy to use as the pads come pre-soaked. However it’s expensive (you get 60 pads) and it’s not very environmentally friendly.

Score: 5

STUFF WE LIKE Soap & Glory The Righteous Body Butter, F14.95. To keep your skin feeling soft and supple all year round, a good-quality body butter is a vital product to have in your bathroom cabinet. We love this offering from Soap & Glory, its super-rich texture means it’s great for applying post-bath and pre-bed.

Trilogy Vital Moisturising Cream, F lovely light scent to it, smoothes beautifully onto the skin, deeply hydrates, and contains rosehip, evening primrose and orange

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Prescriptives Good in Bed Restoring Night Moisturiser, F62. Skin can start to look dull as dishwater in winter and if L’Occitane Sweet Cherry Body Cream, you’re not into dousing yourself in fake tan, F39.95. This is a perfect moisturising then look to this little gem. It’s a rich, cream, especially for the colder months deeply nourishing night cream with a touch when the sweet cherry smell really enof self tanner — skin looks radiant and hyvelops the skin in sweetness. Great for a drated the morning after, although it does Christmas treat.

26.95. have a whiff of fake tan off it. This rich creamy moisturiser has a Sisley Radiant Glow Express Mask, Neal’s Yard Wild Rose Beauty F66. Sisley cosmetics are Balm, £31.20 (F34.76). Balms expensive, but they do are lovely to use on the skin in some truly lovely masks. the winter months and reThis one is a winner with ally feels like they’re givus because it peps the ing added protection. skin up in no time at all,

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009

and gives your complexion a refreshed, revitalised feeling.

Vichy Aqualia Antiox New Skin Result Deoxidising Fresh Treatment, F30. Giving your skin an intensive treatment once or twice in the winter is definitely a good idea, and this booster from Vichy works perfectly.

It’s a 21-day course, and the powder and creamy liquid that need to be mixed together should be kept in the fridge for those 21 days.

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Q

Megan Sheppard Do you have a question for Megan Sheppard?

Email it to feelgood@examiner.ie or send a letter to Feelgood Irish Examiner City Quarter Lapps Quay Cork

I SUFFER from mouth ulcers. I often get two in the month. Is there something I could take to prevent them from reoccurring?

A. Common reasons for frequent ulcers include poor diet, feeling run down, and the number one cause — stress. It’s worth working on reducing stress levels alongside a nutritionally balanced diet.

Do ditch your toothpaste if it contains sodium lauryl/laurel/laureth sulphate (SLS/SLES) since this ingredient (an industrial degreaser and foaming agent used in many personal care products and household cleaners) is not only harmful to skin and the delicate membranes of the mouth, studies have shown that 80% of people who suffer from mouth ulcers have had no further problems simply by changing to SLS-free oral hygiene products.

Lavera has a wide range of SLS-free toothpastes for all ages, available from most health stores. Or contact Evenone, based in Wicklow, www.evenone.com, low-call 1890-252 193 or phone: 01-2011201.

For instant relief, try myrrh tincture. Simply apply it neat to the ulcers (beware, it stings) or dilute 4ml in a glass of warm water and rinse your mouth with it.

Q. When I was six years old I pulled boiling tea down on top of myself, it burnt my left breast badly. Nothing was ever done with it at the time. But now that I am 37 I feel I would like to do something with it. I hate going swimming with my children as people stare at me. I hate putting on my togs or even wearing low tops. My husband is great about it, he says it doesn’t matter, but I still feel unhappy. I was wondering if anything can be done. Please help.

A. I have a close childhood friend who scarred her décolleté and left breast in exactly the same way you describe, and was also very conscious of the scarring throughout her teenage and early adult years. She had tried a number of different conventional remedies throughout her childhood, but in the end decided on reconstructive surgery.

Since you are interested in natural remedies, I would suggest that you treat this internally and externally.

Rosa mosqueta oil is renowned for its ability to regenerate tissue and minimise the appearance of scars. It works by softening scar tissue and keloids, healing wounds, reducing inflammation, rejuvenating the skin, and minimising pigmentation (such as sun blemishes and age-spots). Simply massage into the area in the morning after your shower, and again at night before bed. The massaging action can also help to break down and soften scar tissue.

CLEAN SWEEP: Studies have shown that 80% of people who suffer from mouth ulcers have had no further problems simply by changing to SLS-free oral hygiene products.Picture:iStock If you are unable to source Rosehip/Rosa Mosqueta oil locally, contact the Rainforest herb specialists, Rio Health (www.riohealth.co.uk, 00-44-1273 570987) where 20ml Rosa mosqueta costs £9.99 (F11.06).

Internally, taking a supplement such as Solgar’s Hair, Nails & Skin which is formulated to specifically target the production of keratin and collagen — essential building blocks for healthy skin, hair and nails.

This product not only visibly improves the condition of the skin, hair, and nails, it also helps with joint mobility due to the high content of MSM (Methyl Sulphonyl Methane). This key ingredient will also help to improve the appearance of scar tissue (see panel below). In fact, if you find the rosehip oil not to your liking, an MSM-based cream would be just as effective.

Another important nutrient for the skin is vitamin A, the antioxidant nutrient found in foods such as fish and eggs. In a recent study, 129 people with severe sun damage were randomly assigned daily doses of 25,000IU; 50,000IU; 75,000IU or a place-

Megan puts the spotlight on : MSM is often referred to as a “beauty mineral” because of the role it plays in keeping hair glossy and nails strong Feelgood

bo for a whole year. A staggering 81% of those given the 50,000IU daily dose had reduced their existing skin damage. None of the dosages given showed any signs of toxicity.

Though your scarring is not due to sun damage, vitamin A has a significant body of research to back up its use in repairing scar tissue.

If you do want to try the vitamin A supplementation, you will need to take 50,000IU daily. Do keep an eye out for side effects, such as nausea, sluggish liver, hair loss, and dry skin — signs that this therapeutic dosage is too high for your system and will need to be adjusted until you find the level which works for you.

You can buy vitamin A from health stores.

If you do opt for surgery at any point, then the supplementation and topical solutions I have recommended will greatly help your skin to recover and heal well, although you would need to discontinue the therapeutic vitamin A around surgery.

NOTE: Individuals who consume large amounts of alcohol have an increased risk of developing side-effects from high doses of vitamin A and pregnant women should take no more than 10,000IU of vitamin A per day unless advised otherwise by their GP.

MSM: The Beauty Mineral METHYL Sulphonyl Methane (MSM) is also known as organic sulphur. It is one of the five basic elements required by the human body, supplying the amino acid building blocks for tissues, joints, hair and nails.

MSM is often referred to as a “beauty mineral” because of the role it plays in keeping hair glossy, nails strong, and the complexion youthful. But it also plays a significant role in keeping the body moving since it works to keep ligaments and joints in great shape.

Sulphur is crucial for the production of keratin and collagen, and it is a component of cysteine — which accounts for about 14% of skin and hair composition. Indeed, organic sulphur is necessary for the repair and growth of most tissues in the body — whether it be a case of natural ageing, or wounds, burns or surgical incisions. MSM is also a factor in preventing dry skin and maintaining elasticity.

As we age, natural levels of MSM decline within the body, and modern processing and

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2009

heating destroys this nutrient in our foods.

MSM is available in capsule, crystal, and topical applications, often combined synergistically with other nutrients.

Topically it can help with scar tissue, acne, nappy rash, psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis, rosacea, dry skin, scabies, fungal infections, ageing, sun damage, wound healing, and joint pain or stiffness.

Taken internally, it will boost the effect considerably in treating these same conditions — you will need to take 1000mg-3000mg daily for best effect.

NOTE: There are a group of synthetic compounds referred to as sulpha drugs, known to cause allergic reactions in a number of individuals. These are entirely different to organic sulphur, a naturally occurring substance in the human body, and an allergy to these compounds does not indicate that a person would be allergic to MSM (for which there are no known side effects).

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