Feelgood 14-05-2010

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Feelgood Friday, May 14, 2010

Food

cravings

Drop weight by getting in touch with your core instincts: 8,9

FASHION APPEAL

IRISH CELEBS DONATE THEIR FAVOURITE DRESS TO CHARITY SALE: 4,5

GOING GREEN

GROW YOUR OWN HERBS FOR HEALTH AND VITALITY: 12

Picture: Getty Images

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GOLDEN GLOW

FAKE IT THIS SUMMER WITH THE LATEST BRONZING PRODUCTS: 14

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International Day of the Family is an opportunity to celebrate families in all their diversity, writes Arlene Harris Kate O’Reilly WHAT’S ON CHERNOBYL CYCLE: The eight Annual Pfizer Cycle for Chernobyl from Cork to Galway takes place on June 18 and 19 this year to raise funds for the Chernobyl Children’s Project International. More than 400 cyclists are expected to take part and accommodation in Limerick and Galway will be provided plus an evening meal in Limerick, on-road support and fully stocked pit-stops (three per day). The minimum sponsorship per cyclist is F350 and registration is open until today (May 14). For more details you can call 083-3715685.

Full information and registration is at www.chernobylcycle.com BREAST CANCER: Europa Donna Ireland will host a free information session featuring former Irish Olympian Marie Murphy, on the importance of using exercise to help lower the risk/recurrence of breast cancer. Marie is an exercise specialist for the Simm/Mann UCLA Centre for Integrative Oncology, Los Angeles an IOC sports nutritionist, and fitness instructor for the Dr Susan Love Research Foundation. All are welcome to the free session tomorrow, May 15, from 11.30am to 1pm at Buswells Hotel, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. If you would like to attend please let them know by emailing info@europadonnaireland.ie or call 087-6383609.

RICHARD MOORE: In 1972, the founder of Irish charity Children In Crossfire, Richard Moore was blinded by a rubber bullet. He will be in Kinsale next Monday night, May 17 to talk about his work helping vulnerable children and his new book. The talk, hosted by the Kinsale Peace Project, will be at the Carmelite Friary, at 8pm. Admission is free and all are welcome. Contact Padraig Fitzgerald on 086-8583185 or visit the project’s website: www.kinsalepeaceproject.com.

CHARITY WALK: On Saturday, May 22, Kevin Corcoran, author of West Cork Walks and Kerry Walks will lead a group on a six-hour walk on the scenic Sheep’s Head peninsula in west Cork.

This walk is suitable for those with a reasonable level of fitness. Numbers are strictly limited to 40 participants. The fee is F25 and all proceeds will go to The Hope Foundation. For more details call Marjorie Cullen on 087-2887596.

MINDING THE MIND: The St John of God Hospital’s Minding the Mind 2010 Public Lecture Series are free to attend and open to the public. The subject of next week’s lecture on Monday May 17 is alcoholism. The lectures take place from 8pm to 9.30pm in the St John of God Hospital Campus on the Stillorgan Road, Dublin. View the full schedule at www.sjoghosp.ie Items for inclusion in this column can be sent to koreilly8@gmail.com

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Back to our roots

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HE ups and the downs, the tears and the laughter, the joy and the pain — no matter what we have been through with our families, the fact remains that blood is thicker than water and when the going gets tough most people turn to those who know them best.

Tomorrow is International Day of the Family which marks the importance of family and its ever changing make-up.

The traditional family stereotype consisted of two loving parents, two or more children and a couple of beloved family pets.

But times have changed and whether you are a single mother of one or a widowed dad with seven sons, there are no set rules any more.

“This is an occasion to celebrate the importance of families, people, societies and cultures around the world,” says Hilary Fennell of One Family, an advice and support group for one-parent families.

With almost 189,000 single parent families in Ireland, the charity hopes to highlight the need to support them and is asking people to get together with their nearest and dearest to help raise funds.

“Parenting alone can raise all types of challenges and our trained staff are there to help,” says Fennell. “But we’ve seen a 20% increase in calls since the recession and simply can’t cope with demand. So as well as celebrating families in all their glorious diversity, we want people to think about what their family means to them and to-

FAMILY FUN: Tilly and Louie Lyons prepare for their Big Night In with Rosie Scully.

Picture:Conor McCabe/Jason Clarke Photography

gether with EBS Building Society we are asking everyone to host a Big Night In.” The aim of the event is to gather families together for a fun evening while donating whatever they can. Participants are invited to take photos of the event, some of which may win a prize of F1,000.

“The most important point is to have fun and really think about what the word fami-

ly means to you,” says Fennell. “I am having an old-fashioned night with music and storytelling — while some of my friends are having close family round for a meal.

So your Big Night can be as big, or as small, as you like.”

Sherie De Burgh, a family counsellor, believes that no matter how far we have travelled or whatever age we might be, we will always be tied to our roots.

“Family is so important to us because it’s where we develop our value systems, our sense of right and wrong and learn about loving and being loved,” she says.

“If we are valued and loved within our family it will carry us far as our life expands on it own personal journey. But no family is perfect and we will also grow through questioning our values, facing our own struggles and understanding them, expanding from our first family into the families we create for ourselves,” she adds.

Ideas for your Big Night In: ■ Barbecue or family meal ■ Storytelling ■ Fancy dress ■ Family games night (could be video or board games) ■ Karaoke ■ Quiz night ■ Movie night ■ For more information visit www.bignightin.ie or call One Family on 1890-662212.

HEALTH NOTES Agency. Fees within local areas also display a wide disparity. National Consumer Agency CEO Ann Fitzgerald called for greater transparency of doctor and dentist charges.

THE Senior Times Over 50s Show is making its way to City Hall, Cork this weekend. A one-stop lifestyle event, it offers information on everything from fun to fitness to finance.

Jill Kerby will be on hand to offer financial advice, Gerry Daly will dig up the latest gardening tips, and among a myriad of exhibitions and events, there will be free health checks along with fashion makeovers and golf lessons. The first 2,000 early birds will be rewarded with a goodie bag worth F10.

■ Normal admission is F5 but free admission can be obtained by visiting www.seniortimes.ie.

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of blindness in Ireland in the over 50s. With more than 7,000 new cases every year, AMD is believed to affect one in ten people over 50.

According to Dr Anthony Cullinane, consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Cork University Hospital: “AMD is the biggest cause of blindness in the western world and yet awareness among the 50-60 age bracket, which is the stage in life when detection can really make a huge difference, is still quite low.”

To promote early detection and awareness of AMD, Novartis in association with the Association of Optometrists Ireland, will be offering free AMD screening to visitors at the Over 50s Show in Cork’s City Hall tomorrow and Sunday.

www.irishexaminer.com www.irishexaminer.com

TOP TIPS: Gerry Daly will be on hand with gardening advice at the Senior Times Over 50s show in City Hall, Cork.

Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

■ To learn more about AMD, log on to www.amd.ie.

Almost seven out of 10 dentists and half of doctors do not display a schedule of fees on their premises, according to research released this week by the National Consumer

www.irishexaminer.com feelgood@examiner.ie

FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2010

Senior Care, Cork has launched ‘The 40-70 Rule’ a campaign designed to assist adult children and their parents address challenging issues such as finance, driving, independence, end-of-life issues, and in some cases, new relationships.

“If you’re over 40, or your parents are over 70, it’s time to start talking — at least about certain senior topics,” says Noeleen Cronin, managing director of Home Instead Senior Care in Clare. ” Likewise, there are many topics that seniors themselves should begin discussing with their children once they are 70-plus.

■ For a free copy of the 40-70 Rule booklet, call 021-5002190 or visit www.homeinstead.ie.

Bestselling author Sheila O’Flanagan will lend a hand today at the Age Action Ireland charity book fare. You can meet her and pick up a bargain read at the National College of Ireland (IFSC Campus) from 11am to 7pm. The book sale also runs on Saturday from 10pm to 5pm.

■ For more information visit www.ageaction.ie

Editorial: 021 4802 292

Irene Feighan

Advertising: 021 4802 215

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THE SHAPE I'M IN

Finbar Wright

FEELGOOD

The Wright way FINBAR WRIGHT is on a national tour to celebrate his 20 years of concerts and music-making. The 52-year-old, who has sung with performers as diverse as Jerry Lee Lewis and Spain’s Montserrat Caballé will be at the Gaiety Theatre on Sunday, May 23, in Sligo on May 28, Mullingar on May 29 and Portlaoise on May 30, with Frances Black as special guest at his Mullingar concert.

Cork-born Finbar, who released his first album, Because, in 1990, was a priest for seven years, as well as a teacher of Spanish and Latin. Living in mid-Cork and married to Angela, he has two children, Fergus, 17, who has just passed his driving test on his first go and Ileana, 16, named after Romanian soprano Ileana Cotrubas. “I studied with her for a while and I always loved the name after that,” says Finbar.

His most recent album is entitled When I Need Love and he’s working on his autobiography, which he hopes to have ready for release by the end of the year.

“I have a good chunk of it done. The debate is always between what’s interesting to you and to your family and whether this will be of interest to the general public.”

■ For more details about Finbar Wright’s concerts, visit www.finbarwright.com/tour_dates.htm.

What shape are you in?

I lost two and a half stone about six years ago and I’ve managed to keep it off. I lost it through perseverance — eating less and moving more. I walk for an hour every day, even when I’m away from home and in cities I don’t know.

Do you have any health concerns?

I’ve got an allergy to dairy products. I used to have a

lot of mucus and phlegm. I cut out dairy and it all cleared up but anytime I have something like ice-cream, it quickly flares up again.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

We eat a lot of home-grown food. I’ve always loved gardening. We have tomatoes, strawberries, apple trees and the general range of vegetables. For a good long part of the year, we enjoy fresh produce, which is a great treat.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

It would definitely be chocolate. I once stayed in the Peninsula Hotel, Chicago, where they do an entire chocolate buffet. I nearly killed myself — it was the nearest I’d come to death by chocolate.

What would keep you awake at night?

Any kind of trial or tribulation would keep me awake, but not business matters — I refuse to let them upset my sleep. We’ve got an unwritten rule at home — after 7.30pm there’s no reading of emails or answering phone calls.

How do you relax?

Reading — it’s the one time I do switch off. At the moment, I’m juggling Private Latitudes by Michael Crichton and a book about the Second World War, The Storm Of War, by Andrew Roberts. I love history but I also love novels.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

The entire cast of Emmerdale but they’d have to come in character — I don’t know how entertaining they’d be otherwise.

When did you last cry?

I’m not averse to crying. I get emotional easily enough — in order to sing, your emotions have to be close to the surface. I probably shed a tear in the last few days listening to a Leonard Cohen song — he has a quality and depth to his voice and his poetry is quite magical and very touching.

What would you change about your appearance?

Absolutely nothing. I’m quite happy with the cards nature has dealt me.

What’s your favourite smell?

Lavender, definitely. I’ve always loved it and I grow it in the garden. I’ve walked through fields of it in the south of France — incredible.

What trait do you least like in others?

Plain dishonesty is the one thing I find hard to stomach — people saying they’ll deliver some service but they have no intention of doing it.

What trait do you least like in yourself?

I’m a bit impetuous. I do things on the spur of the moment and repent later. I should steady up a bit and take time making decisions.

Do you pray?

I always do, very often at odd moments. I would pray for anyone who enters my head — that could be thinking of them and wishing them well. I could pray for anyone from my departed parents to Nell McCafferty. Old habits die hard and I grew up with prayer. I’ve been known to sing an old Latin chant in the dressing-room before a concert.

CLOSE TO GOD: ‘I’ve been known to sing an old Latin chant before a concert,’ says former priest Finbar Wright.

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What would cheer up your day?

Hearing success stories. It’s something Americans do really well. They applaud the simplest success, from a child hitting a football to a businessman achieving some economic success.

Helen O’Callaghan

FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2010

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Down syndrome liaison nurse Angela O’Riordan’s position was made possible due to

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a novel fundraising project, now in its second year, reports Arlene Harris

Addressing a need

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HE birth of a baby is such a joyous occasion. A new life full of hope and wonder lies ahead of the recently-arrived bundle as the proud parents revel in their wonderful creation.

But what if things didn’t go exactly as expected? What if your baby was slightly different to the other newborns in the ward? For most parents, caring for an infant is a daunting experience, but when the normal needs are coupled with an underlying condition, getting to grips with your new role can be so much harder.

Ireland has one of the highest rates of Down syndrome in Europe (one in 500 Irish babies have DS) and while the majority of these children turn out to be a delightful addition to their families, the initial uncertainty can be hard for new parents to overcome.

This is where Angela O’Riordan steps in. She is the only Down syndrome liaison nurse in the country and her role was created following a unique appeal last year.

Set up by the Down syndrome Centre (DSC) in Dublin, the Buy My Dress campaign encouraged women to give once-loved dresses to the charity and/or purchase someone else’s donation.

The plea obviously worked because from celebrities and politicians to career women and stay-at-home mums, women donated in their droves. And the event raised F35,000 which helped to fund a specialist nurse to offer support and a positive presence to some of the 140 families newly affected by DS in Ireland each year (salary and administration costs amount to F70,000 annually).

Having worked with parents of special needs children for years, Angela had plenty of experience behind her and was the ideal candidate to bridge the gap between the often-bewildering medical world and the family receiving a new diagnosis.

“Parents sometimes feel overwhelmed with the news that their baby has Down syndrome and they may not take in all of the information that has been given to them after the birth and diagnosis,” says Angela, who already has 32 families under her wing.

“They are often very much in shock and my role is to guide and support them through those early days.”

The arrival of any baby heralds a complete life change for parents with many struggling to cope with the new routine.

But when a child is born with DS there are more than just feeding schedules and bath times to consider.

There are a lot of health issues linked with Down syndrome and it is important that parents learn how to cope with each of these individually without feeling overburdened with fear and negativity, Angela explains.

“Some babies born with DS may have

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ALL SMILES: Down syndrome liaison nurse Angela O’Riordan with Ava Leahy. Ava’s mum, Ciara Leahy, says the two-year-old is coming on “in leaps and bounds” as a result of vital early intervention.

Parents sometimes feel overwhelmed with the news that their baby has Down Syndrome and they may not take in all of the information that has been given to them after the birth and diagnosis. My role is to guide and support them through those early days

— Liaison Nurse Angela O’Riordan

complex medical needs, all of which need to be monitored and managed. Therefore early intervention is vital to meet these needs. Key to my role is a link between the hospital and community services.”

Based at the children’s hospital in Tallaght, the Down syndrome liaison nurse is quick to

point out that while her role is hugely beneficial to families once they have left the hospital, the medical staff are a constant reassuring presence.

“I am contacted by a member of the medical team, a midwife, social worker or consultant once a baby with Down syndrome is

FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2010

born — we are very much a team and work in collaboration right from the start,” says Angela.

“I am there to help during that vulnerable time when parents are getting to know their baby with DS while settling into their home and routine: advising and guiding the parents

I really loved this dress. I think it would work on most people as it is very simple and has the added bonus of magically sucking you in at the waist

through the challenges while liaising with the hospital/community teams. By providing parents with up-to-date information and supporting them in the early stages, we hope to empower parents to navigate and work with the services available for their children and help them to achieve their full potential.”

At the moment, Angela is the only nurse of her kind but the DSC hope that this year’s campaign will help to keep her position open and fund a similar service in other hospitals around the country.

“My job is reliant on donations and considering that there are so many children with Down syndrome in Ireland, having colleagues in similar roles in Munster and Connaught would make a huge difference to so many families.”

Ava Leahy is a bright and bubbly two-year-old, who also has Down syndrome.

When she was born there was no liaison nurse to show her parents the ropes. Mum, Ciara, believes it would have been a big help.

“We had so many questions and so few answers when Ava was born — we were totally lost,” recalls Ciara.

“To have someone providing relevant information at birth is vital. We had no idea how positive the prospects are for people with Down syndrome and nurses like Angela can counteract the often outdated ideas conveyed by some members of the medical profession.

“We feel passionately that the DS liaison nurse fills a gap that was missing when we had Ava.” Fortunately for Ciara and her husband Dave, their little girl has shown huge progress since birth and her mother puts this down to getting the right therapy as soon as possible.

“Ava is a little star with a very hectic schedule,” says Ciara. “This is mainly due to early intervention which we discovered is essential to her development — she has come on in leaps and bounds as a result.

“She is a very social child and really enjoys interacting with her friends at school and in various play groups — she is also getting on great with her six-month-old brother Dylan.

“In short, Ava has lived up to the old cliché and she enriches our lives daily — this is a message that should be reinforced to parents of Down syndrome children from day one,” she adds.

■ The Buy My Dress sale will take place on Thursday May 20 in Dublin (Royal College of Physicians, D 2), Cork (Cork School of Music, Union Quay) and Galway (Meyrick Hotel, Eyre Square) from 10am — 9pm with an admission fee of F10. Dress donations can be left at drop-off points in Peter Mark salons in Dublin, Cork and Galway.

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ELEVISION presenter, Mary Kennedy is one of the many well-known personalities who have given a dress to this year’s campaign.

“The dress I donated is a gorgeous bright blue evening dress,” she says. “I saw it on a trip to New York with my children and my daughter encouraged me to buy it — I was a bit reluctant as it isn’t something I would normally wear, but I was delighted with it afterwards.”

And the beautiful American one-piece designed

by Jessica McClintock has had a couple of high-profile outings including the TV Now Awards in 2007 and a St Patrick’s Day programme which was broadcast from Rome.

“I really loved this dress,” says Mary. “I think it would work on most people as it is very simple and has the added bonus of magically sucking you in at the waist.”

Well known for her style and elegance, the Nationwide presenter says simplicity is the key to sucTRUE BLUE: cessful dressing.

Mary Kennedy in the “I haven’t changed my style dress she has donated much over the years, but I to the campaign. think the secret to looking well Picture: Brian McEvoy/VIP is to wear clean lines and stay Magazine. away from anything fussy. Aside from that, clothes should never be too tight,” she adds.

The mother of four was delighted to support the Buy My Dress Campaign and urges everyone to search their wardrobes for a suitable gown to donate.

“I have quite a few friends who have children with DS, and while all of the children are loving and gregarious and have enhanced their families greatly by their presence, I know that the initial stages after diagnosis can be difficult for people — this is why the liaison nurse is such a brilliant idea.

“Funding this nursing programme is a great cause and everyone must have a dress they can donate. So dig it out — it will make you feel good, you will be benefiting the charity and everyone knows that decluttering is good for the spirit.”

■ For more information about the campaign, visit www.buymydress.ie ■ For advice about Down syndrome, visit www.down centre.ie or call 01-6618000 ■ Dave Leahy’s DS blog can be found at http://southdublindad.blogspot.com.

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■ Among the other celebrities donating a dress are TV presenter, Colette Fitzpatrick whose red dress appears here, and author Cathy Kelly.

FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2010

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Feel Good Personals

Defensive behaviours will continue until each individual becomes conscious of their source

Know your fear

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Tony Humphreys

E

VERYBODY has a story and each person’s story is a unique autobiography and only that person fully knows their story.

However, some aspects of a person’s story may be known only at an unconscious level and this hidden world will only become conscious when the person finds adequate emotional and social safety, at first with another and, subsequently, within self.

The story of a person’s life is not the events he or she encounters — for example, difficult birth, loving mother, emotionless home, conditional loving, violent father, possessive mother, kind grandparent, affirming teacher. The story consists in the person’s inner responses to these events. What is amazing in a family or classroom or workplace is that each person responds in a unique way to situations that arise. This means that each child has a different mother and a different father, each student a different teacher, each employee a different manager and each voter a different politician. This makes total sense because when two individuals interact, inevitably, their interaction will be of a unique nature.

Parents are powerful witnesses to how each child is completely different from the other and this happens whether children are reared in benign or difficult circumstances.

However, when children are reared in violating circumstances their individuality is expressed through very powerful defensive behaviours that are designed, on the one hand, to reduce the frequently encountered threats to their wellbeing, and, on the other hand, to bring to the attention of mature adults their deeply troubled interiority.

Children who experience a stable and loving family also express their individuality and develop a repertoire of open and creative responses that are different to those of the other siblings.

Another way of putting it is that children whose wellbeing is jeopardised daily are ingenious in the ways that they repress (hide away) what aspects of their individual self they dare not exhibit, while children whose wellbeing is unconditionally held are ingenious in the ways that they express and manifest their individuality, ensuring that they are not confused with anybody else within the family.

As an adult, each of us has a responsibility to occupy our own individuality. To do that, we need to become aware of our unconscious and conscious responses. You may well ask: are we not always conscious of what we feel, think, say and do? Certainly, you may notice that you can be aggressive, violent, shy, timid or manipulative but you may not be conscious of the sources of those defensive responses. Unless these sources are uncovered your threatening responses towards yourself or towards others will continue.

Consciousness requires that we own, understand and are accountable for our inner and outer behaviours and when the responses are defensive (as opposed to mature) in nature, that we make new mature choices and take new mature actions.

Take the manager in the workplace who bullies and intimidates other employees: when confronted he is likely to justify and rationalise his threatening responses by saying, for example: ‘nobody would do anything around here

Picture: iStock

Parents are powerful witnesses to how each child is completely different from the other and this happens whether children are reared in benign or difficult circumstances without being shouted and ranted at’ or ‘being bullied did me no harm as a child’. However, when the manager compassionately understands that bullying behaviour arises from unresolved fears within himself — for instance, fear of failure, fear of what others think, fear of letting down his parents — it is likely that a consciousness will emerge of the real threat that he is posing to the wellbeing of employees.

Once that consciousness is present, new choices and new actions are now possible towards himself and the employees.

Getting to the story of what led to the bullying is not an attempt to dilute the serious emotional threat that bullying poses — tragically, more than 60 suicides occur annually as a result of bullying. On the contrary, it is my belief and my experience that unless the person who bullies becomes conscious of his hidden self-esteem issues, his defensive behaviour will continue and is likely to escalate when outside pressures increase.

Change is only possible when what lies hidden is brought to the surface and what it was in his story that led to bullying as a means of withstanding hurt. Individuals who bully need the support to stand with themselves, so that they are no longer dependent on others standing with them.

The overt intention of bullying is to ensure control, but the covert intention is to draw attention to the urgent need to be in control of self. Whatever the threatening behaviours we engage in, either towards self or others, the unravelling of their purpose can only be found in the examination of one’s story and the discovery of what the defensive responses are doing for you that you need to be doing for yourself.

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■ Dr Tony Humphreys is a clinical psychologist, is author of several books on practical psychology, including The Power of ‘Negative’ Thinking. � ��������� ���� ����� ��

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FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2010

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Áilín Quinlan says how much

BASIC W

E KNOW we eat too much.

We want to stop, but we can’t — it’s too hard to resist all those delicious, high-calorie foods.

But suppose an internationally-accredited scientist, working mother, weight-control enthusiast and former chef came up with a diet that let you lose up to 10lbs in the first fortnight, 16lbs in two months, and confidently promised an overall weight loss of 30lbs?

Suppose you not only drop two clothing sizes in two months, lose that belly fat, and reduce your waist size — but also circumvent those pesky dieting plateaux that made you give up in the past? Sound good?

With spiralling obesity levels in Ireland — according to statistics from the 2008 National Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes and Nutrition, 38% of Irish people are overweight and 23% obese — we could do with some help.

It’s not that we’re not trying: Weightwatchers has 40,000 men and women attending weekly meetings in this country.

Now, US scientist, Dr Susan Roberts, pictured right, says she has a new route to healthy weight loss, following years of research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and at the Tufts Human Nutrition Research Centre, where she is currently professor of nutrition and professor of psychiatry.

“It was at Tufts that I started my weight-control research programme on obesity, as well as on protein, carboyhydrates, fat, the Glycemic Index, fibre and everything else I could think of,” says Roberts, an internationally-recognised expert on nutrition and obesity, who has appeared on The Today Show, as well as ABC News and CNN. After publishing almost 200 scientific papers and reading thousands of research papers by other scientists, Roberts had, she says, a eureka moment.

Roberts realised that all of the studies agreed on five things that affected our eating behaviour.

“There was striking agreement that these five variables have predictable effects on what, and how much, we eat and what we enjoy,” she says.

And so she focused her research on the five

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instincts — why we have them, how they work, and how we can use them to control our weight.

That was the beginning of the instinct diet, which is now referred to as the ‘I diet’.

So, how does it work? Our instinctive eating behaviour — the thing that gets us into so much trouble with our weight — falls into these categories: ■ Hunger: We need to satisfy our hunger.

We like feeling full.

■ Availability: We eat because the food is there — and we want to eat more when more food is there for the taking.

■ Calorie density: We love to eat food, especially when it’s loaded with calories.

■ Familiarity: We enjoy eating foods that are familiar to us, associate them with feeling safe and comforted, and have triggers that drive us to eat them again … and again.

■ Variety: We are instinctively attracted to a variety of foods, and we eat considerably more when we’re presented with more choices.

“These food instincts are basic to who we are. We cannot change the fact that we have them, but we can learn to manage them,” says Roberts.

Next, according to Roberts, there are three ‘feeding centres’ in the brain that we should know about, because they control hunger-satiety, reward and pleasure.

■ the hunger/satiety centre, or hypothalamus, gives us our sensations of hunger or fullness.

■ the pleasure centre in the cerebral cortex recognises different tastes of food.

■ the reward centre in the mid-brain secretes dopamine and other chemicals that make us feel good.

Roberts says exercise doesn’t help us lose weight — while it’s great for our physical health and state of mind, and for preventing weight gain in the first place, she says it has a “disappointingly small” effect on weight loss.

“When it comes to shedding pounds, it’s what and how much we eat that counts the most,” she says.

So ask yourself: Do you get hungry when you try to lose weight? (hunger).

Do you eat more when portions are large or food is free? (availability).

Do you love high-calorie foods like chocolate, salty snacks, French fries etc? (calorie density).

Do you still crave the foods your mum used to cook, or lose control and overeat when you’re happy, upset or stressed? (familiarity).

Do you buy different kinds of chocolate, chips, or ice-cream rather than just one kind of each? (variety).

So, how does the ‘I diet’ work?

While some diets appear to deliver very fast weight loss — for example, up to 15lbs over two weeks — it’s because you’re probably losing body fat, plus water and a bit of muscle, but you can’t keep that up, says Roberts.

The ‘I diet,’ which allows for three meals and two snacks daily, and emphasises the intake of a wide variety of foods carefully organised to keep hunger down and satisfaction up, enables the dieter to lose fat every day with minimal water loss. It also focuses heavily on the development of skills not just for weight loss, but to prevent weight regain: “Exercise is important for health, but research studies indicate that exercise doesn’t help weight loss too much, so we focus on food.

“Food is where it’s all at — we get people to follow a menu that is incredibly satisfying,

we eat is dictated by five basic drives, and the ‘I diet’ can teach you to take control of them

INSTINCT

keeps hunger at bay and which makes weight loss easier.

“Our menu is all about good foods in right amounts, and regular meal and snack times. The combination of regular meals and snacks and extremely satisfying foods helps also cure cravings, triggers, etc.

“So, people not only lose weight, they gain enormous control over

food and feel satisfied and happy,” Roberts says.

What sets the ‘I diet’ apart? “It’s more effective and people like the food more, so they keep eating the food after weight loss, because they love it.

“Our average weight loss is also 30 pounds.

Our statistics show that our weight loss is about four times the average you get in Weightwatchers, where a loss of about seven to seven and a half pounds over two

months is about average — and then you plateau.

“Our people are losing about 16lbs in eight weeks and a total of about 30lbs, according to our statistics,” she says.

A spokesperson for Weightwatchers declined to comment on Dr Roberts’ claims, but said that Weight Watchers Ireland had, over 31 years, successfully helped thousands of members reach their goal weight: “The Weight Watchers programme recommends an average weight loss of 1-2 lbs a week, after the first few weeks. Our members’ successful experiences are testament to continuous, sustainable weight-loss.

“With rising obesity levels, the demand for our healthy, easy-to-follow, trusted weight-loss programme remains strong,” the spokeswoman said.

There have been no independent findings published, to date, on the ‘I diet’ programme, but Tufts is having external research carried out on it, says Roberts. “I’m a scientist and the diet brings together the best science, which is why it’s working so well.”

The ‘I diet’ requires some organisation, she says — one of her more affluent clients, a Harvard professor, actually hired a cook to prepare the meals.

But lots of ‘I dieters’ are ordinary women: “The first week people find it hard, because I’m saying, ‘look, you need to change what you eat.’ They’re trying to find the different foods for my recipes. But after about a week they’re very happy and find it is sustainable.

They don’t always follow the diet exactly’ but they stay close,” she says.

■ the food

THE top five healthy foods recommended by Susan Roberts are: 1. High-fibre cereals: For example, All-Bran, because the insoluble fibre seems to be extremely effective for weight control.

2. Green vegetables: high in fibre, low in calories.

3. Very lean protein: white fish, and skinless chicken.

4. Greek yoghurt: high in calories, but extremely filling with a very high protein content.

NEW SHAPE: Two of the women who partook in the ‘I’ diet before and after, left Kelly, and right Alice.

5. Legumes: chickpeas, kidney beans, etc. “Terrific for weight control, because they have a lot of fibre and are full of protein.”

Picture:After pictures: Tracy Powell

■ the ‘I’ diet by Susan Roberts Phd and Betty Kelly Sargent published by Workman, F11.50.

■ stage 1 Three different daily menus repeated throughout two weeks, including skinless chicken breast, olive oil, high-fibre cereals, fruit, vegetables, some nuts and cheese. No refined white carbohydrates and no alcohol.

■ stage 2

Six weeks of using seven days of menus, repeating each week — no food groups eliminated, though the balance is carefully organised.

■ stage 3

The rest of your life: Continuing the ‘I diet’ menu plan and learning how to keep your weight down permanently. “A different set of skills is needed to prevent weight regain,” says Roberts, who points to the need to plan your own weight maintenance menus, to keeping track of calories, or make some general changes to what you eat, so that you don’t have to count anything, but keep the calories down and the weight off.

■ The 5 behaviours

HUNGER: We like feeling full.

AVAILABILITY: It’s there for taking.

CALORIE DENSITY: We love calorie rich food.

FAMILIARITY: It’s comforting and makes us feel safe.

VARIETY: The more choices, the more we eat.

FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2010

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Q

Dr Niamh Houston

FAMILY

TERAPROOF:User:margaretjenningsDate:12/05/2010Time:16:02:47Edition:14/05/2010FeelgoodXH1405Page:10

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

dominal pain, bloating, quickly feelMY four-year-old son ing full after eating, or even, in becomes very quiet and some cases, feeling sick and vomithangs back whenever ing. Occasionally, pregnancy may he meets friends or bring to light a hiatus hernia, where relatives, or other chilthere is a weakness in the valve bedren. This never seemed to bother tween the stomach and the oesophahim before. My family have begun gus, causing heartburn. to comment on the change, saying If you’re not doing so already, eat that he’s just “shy”. Does this mean small, frequent meals every three he’ll always be like this, and how hours, Eat a light, slow-burning can I help him out of it? snack before sleep, such as oat bisA. No parent wants to see their cuits or rice cakes. Avoid strong cofchild suffer from social awkwardness. fee, fizzy drinks, alcohol, fatty or It’s a natural instinct, as a parent, to heavy meals. Try drinking different want to rescue the ones we love from water — some tap water is very difficult experiences. While you canacid, so drinking mint or camomile not solve every problem for your tea may help. Foods that have been child, you can make life easier by besuspected of making symptoms ing patient and understanding. Even worse in some people include pepif you were not a shy child, you can permint, tomatoes, chocolate, fatty probably remember situations that and spicy foods, fruit juices, and hot made you anxious or nervous when drinks. Raise the head of your bed young. Many children are labelled by 10-15 cms (with books under the “shy”, and it is a personality trait not bed’s legs), this will help gravity to a fault. Shyness can be a help or a keep acid from refluxing into the handicap to a child, depending partly oesophagus. on how it’s handled.

For many women with mild Before age two to three, many symptoms, making the above children are spontaneous. They act lifestyle changes is enough to relieve before they think. Around ages four them. But if these changes do not to five, it is not unusual for children help, medication can. Most antacids, to be fearful of new surroundings or like Gaviscon are safe to take in people. Social retreating can be a pregnancy, but they can interfere normal stage of development. with the absorption of iron, thereWatch the words said around a fore they should be taken at a differchild. Avoid labels such as “shy” or ent time of day. Antacids containing “timid”, as these references can unsodium bicarbonate or magnesium dermine your child’s self-confidence. trisilicate should be avoided during There’s no need to say apologetically pregnancy. “he’s shy,” especially in front of your If your symptoms continue to rechild. On hearing this, he may feel main troublesome, your doctor may something’s wrong with him. If you prescribe a medication called Ranimust use words to describe him, use tidine. This works by reducing the “reserved” or “private”, but you amount of acid that the stomach shouldn’t feel under pressure to exSHY BOY: Shyness is a personality trait, not a fault. Be patient makes. It is generally considered safe cuse his shyness. and understanding. Picture: Getty Images to take in pregnancy. It should be You can’t pull a child out of shytaken regularly, and not just when ness, it’s better to create a comfortyou have reflux symptoms, to be able environment that lets his personality develop. You could try role-playing with your child avoids eye-to-eye contact, and be- most effective. Omeprazole is another comes extremely agitated or angry when fac- acid-suppressing drug that is licensed for use him before a social event. Have him practice ing social situations, talk to your doctor. in pregnancy to treat reflux. Other medicines in the comfort of his own home, making inthat are commonly used for heart-burn, but troductions and telling his age. Allow him to should not be used during pregnancy, inanswer the phone and be social in his own en- Q. What do you recommend for heart burn and indigestion? I’m seven months clude cimetidine, lansoprazole and esomepravironment. Tell him ahead of time what’s expected of him when meeting people — a sim- pregnant and am taking Gaviscon frequent- zole. Always check with your doctor or pharmacist which are the safest medications to ple ‘hi’ and polite behaviour is all that’s neces- ly. Is there anything else I can take in case it gets worse? take when pregnant. sary. Don’t ask more than you can reasonably A. During pregnancy, hormones relax and Homeopathic remedies used to treat reflux expect. Keep the attention off him and be soften the muscles in the valve between the in pregnancy include Arsenicum, Lycopodicomfortable interacting socially yourself. oesophagus (gullet) and stomach. Also, in the um, Nux Vomica or Pulstailla. Take the most Recognise his personal strengths and use appropriate remedy for your symptoms in those areas to build on socially. Spending time last few months of pregnancy the pressure of the uterus on the stomach may allow gastric 30c potency, one tablet four times a day, for in activities he enjoys or excels in are good acid to flow upwards into the oesophagus. three to four days, initially, and review with a ways to encourage him to spend more time This acid reflux occurs at some point in homeopath if there is no change. with others. By providing space and encouraround half of all pregnant women. The Do not take Pulstailla until after week 12 agement, he will develop at his own pace. of pregnancy.

Rarely is shyness a sign of inner problems. If symptoms can include heart burn, upper ab-

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

I

Catherine Shanahan MUM’S WORLD Feelgood

HAD a dream, not quite Martin Luther King-sized, but aspirational nonetheless.

In it, I stood on the winner’s podium, draped in Olympic gold, dazzled by the popping of flashbulbs, deafened by the roars of a jubilant crowd, dumbstruck by my achievement.

For the first time in history, the strains of the Irish anthem rang out about an Olympic stadium in celebration of an Irish woman winning a track gold and smashing the world 100m record on the road to victory. For a night, I was officially the fastest woman on earth.

Morning burst that bubble and brought the realisation that I would never amount to anything more than an also-ran, which, were I a horse, would make me the nag nobody wants to bet on.

My dream of Olympic glory crashed and

burned whenever I took to the track. My only achievement on school sports day was winning the three-legged race which had little to do with athleticism and even less to do with pace. A game of co-operation, the trick was in the timing and what I lacked in alacrity I made up for with heart. But no amount of hard work can outrun natural talent and so my dream of gold medal glory remained in the realm of the Tooth Fairy.

Then along came Dearbhail, and with her, a second shot. Should she be infused with the correct genetic blend, I may have created an Olympic champion. With Daddy Long Legs for her father her odds seemed superior to mine. I bought her a trampoline to build her lower body strength. I made sure she had plenty of tummy time to build on muscles in the arms and neck. We suffered a setback when she seemed slow to walk, preferring to

FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2010

get about on her bum. She was referred for physio and on our last visit, the physiotherapist finally laid my Olympic dream to rest. In a sneak peak at my daughter’s sporting horizon, the physio informed me bum shufflers are not destined for Olympic Gold.

I was shocked, not at Dearbhail’s poor prospects, but at the time it had taken for an explanation for my own lack of success on the track. Some babies, the physio said, are born with naturally good muscle tone. If this is properly conditioned, you have your Usain Bolt. Outside of these natural athletes, the best of the rest must work hard.

Toiling and heart can pay off but few make natural stars. On the bottom rung are the bum shufflers, on the back-foot from the start. So there I had it, no Flo Jo of the future, my king-sized dream shot through the heart.

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A Dublin woman is planning to give under-siege Palestinian children a break in Ireland, says Helen O’Callaghan

A fortnight of freedom

E

ILEEN Carr never wanted to have friends in a warzone. But when the Dublin woman visited Deheishe refugee camp in Palestine’s West Bank last summer and again this spring, it was inevitable she’d forge friendships.

A clinical nurse specialist in the Lucena Clinic, Rathgar — a child and adolescent mental health centre — Eileen. pictured here, has a masters degree in anthropology and has studied Arabic. Now, the Cabra woman, single and in her mid-40s, is planning to bring ten 13 to 18-year-olds from Deheishe for a two-week holiday in Ireland in July.

About 65% of the 17,000 people who live in the 1.5km sq area of Deheishe are aged under 16. Their lives have been affected in every aspect by the ongoing political conflict that has seen generations of their families displaced since 1948.

“The houses in Deheishe are built very haphazardly. Air doesn’t circulate much around the camp, which leads to increased respiratory and gastro-intestinal infections.

Water’s a constant source of anxiety — people never know when it’s going to be cut off or when soldiers will fire bullets at the storage tanks positioned on top of houses.

“There’s poverty of movement, of space. There are no playgrounds where children can experience the freedom of childhood. Daily trips to school and work are fraught with fear of checkpoints, of being turned away and interrogated. Children are frightened so their sleep and eating becomes irregular,” says Eileen, who — under the auspices of locally-run organisation Karama — stayed with Palestinian refugee families during her two West Bank trips.

Last summer, she stayed with a couple in their 30s, parents of four children, aged from eight down to one. As a lodger, she paid the family $400 a month.

“Both of their little boys had second-hand bikes but they had nowhere to ride them. The parents wouldn’t allow them out because the alleyways are dangerous. To compensate, they allow them freedom of expression at home. There weren’t many limits on their behaviour. The TV was always on full, they all screamed at each other. The dad said: ‘I think because we have no voice internationally, we feel we have to scream to be heard’.”

This spring, Eileen, along with an Irish friend, stayed with a

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family whose five children are aged between eight and 22. “They’d lock us into the house at night. We didn’t know why.”

Since arriving home, Eileen understands why. “They wanted to keep us safe,” she says, explaining that she has learned that the front wall of this family’s home is now full of bullet holes. “I cry for them, particularly for the eight-year-old girl, who has started to wet the bed because she’s so terrified. She’s on Facebook, she’s very clever, she likes to colour. She worries about her dad from when he leaves for work until he comes home at night.”

Eileen doesn’t know yet which of 20 children will get passports to come to Ireland this summer. Accommodation-wise, she has lined up three four-bed houses owned by St John of God in Dublin’s Blackrock. The children will be accompanied here by the Karama director and another adult. Eileen’s friends have already acquired police security clearance, allowing them work with children, and plan to take

time off to help during the visit.

“I want the children to be able to walk in our hills, play in our parks, swim in our sea,” says Eileen.

“They’re all dying to go swimming.

In Deheishe, they’re only a 20-minute drive from the sea but they’ve never seen it. They want to visit the Dáil — they’re fascinated you can go into a Government building.

When I showed them photos of Glendalough, one boy asked ‘can I really walk in the hills — there’s nobody watching?’ And he started to cry.”

■ Eileen must raise F15,000 towards costs of the holiday. Senator David Norris is guest-speaker at a fundraising dinner at The Cedar Tree, St Andrew Street, Dublin, on Tuesday, May 18. Anyone wishing to attend the dinner (ticket: F80) or donate to the cause should email emecarr@gmail.com or phone 086-8152464.

There are no playgrounds where children can experience the freedom of childhood.

They are frightened so their sleep and eating becomes irregular FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2010

the children THE Palestinian children planning to come on holiday to Ireland are: ABED, 14, (left in this picture), misses his dad. He saw him just once after soldiers beat him and took him away when Abed was just seven.

“They let him out. We didn’t even know he was coming home. But then they came and took him back the next night. We had a really big party with balloons and everything,” says Abed whom Eileen Carr describes as rugged and very warm – “a boy who’ll give you big hugs”.

Abed lives in poor housing at the edge of Deheishe camp. He wishes his uncle was in better health. “He went crazy after they took my dad away. He walks around the house all day, smoking, talking to himself. He hardly ever sleeps. I think my dad told my uncle what they did to him.

He never told my mum. No way could a man tell a woman that.

My dad told me I have to be strong for my mum.”

ISLAM, 17, pictured right with Abed, lives with his mother. Last year, his 16-year-old friend was shot dead while sitting at the barber’s. “Islam failed his exams last year because he was so upset about the death of his friend. He’s very macho.

He says failing the exam had nothing to do with his friend — just that he didn’t study,” says Eileen.

A boy who’s “very proud of his body”, he trains in the local gym any chance he gets. “He’s very trendy and Westernised.

He’d like to be an accountant. He wants to travel. In particular, he’d love to go to New York. But he feels guilty about wanting to travel while his family is suffering in the West Bank.”

The youngest among the children whom Eileen Carr plans to bring on holiday to Ireland is eight-year-old SADAF. Eileen believes it’s vital she comes here because she has a serious eye problem.

A child who loves playing with her younger brother — her toys are a skipping rope and a small dirty ball — she collapsed a few months ago. Her uncle told Eileen: “She just fell on the street.

When she woke up she couldn’t see a thing. I ran with her to the doctor and then to the hospital.”

Sadaf seemed to regain her sight but some weeks ago lost it again — this time for a few days. Now she can’t see colours.

“Her uncle wonders if it’s due to stress or the tear gas that was thrown a lot near her house,” says Eileen, who has arranged for Sadaf to be examined by doctors while she’s in Ireland.

VITAL CARE: Eight-year-old Sadaf needs help for an eye problem after she collapsed a few months ago.

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Picture: Getty Images

TERAPROOF:User:margaretjenningsDate:12/05/2010Time:16:36:14Edition:14/05/2010FeelgoodXH1405Page:12

Roz Crowley

Turn over a new leaf

Thyme Though this year’s frosts may not have killed thyme, it’s looking pretty scraggy, so plant some more to have plenty. It has many uses and one of the most beneficial antiseptic teas I make is from a small handful of thyme in a mug of hot water. Allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

It somehow helps to reduce the appetite too. If you make a teapotful, it will keep for a few days.

Use thyme in vegetable and meat stuffings, stir fries, tomato and mushroom soups, and in marinades with lemon juice and olive oil for barbecues.

As thyme breaks down fats, as an aid to digestion it is good to add to meat dishes from roasts to stir fries to stews. Chop and sprinkle on new potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil.

Get tasty and medicinal benefit from herbs

M

AKING use of every inch of our garden or patio, even a doorstep, is the best way to get value from our property, even if it’s rented. Herbs are one way to make your garden patch or window box pay their way while making a contribution to good health.

Fresh herbs make as much and sometimes more of a contribution to health than fruit and vegetables. On top of that we get lovely scents and a huge sense of satisfaction.

With most of them you cannot fail. The tricky ones are the soft-leaved types which grow easily in the heat of the Mediterranean.

As weather forecasters have not given us much hope of a long, hot summer it might be best to avoid basil, unless you have a greenhouse or good indoor conditions. Now is the time to plant all herbs, so don’t let another week pass.

Parsley Parsley is easy to grow in wet conditions.

Don’t skimp on the number of plants and choose at least two each of the two main types of curly and flat parsley which have quite different flavours and textures.

Both types are rich in vitamins A and C and are good at helping to digest other iron-rich foods such

Feelgood

nervous, digestive and circulatory systems.

Some doctors suggest keeping consumption low for those with high blood pressure.

A few stalks in boiling water make a good tea/tissane to reduce headaches and for rinsing dry scalps.

Add rosemary to the bottom of a roasting tin when cooking lamb or pork. Chopped, it works well with stuffings for large, fresh tomatoes, aubergines or courgettes. Add a sprig to stocks and gravies and remove before serving.

(■ Read more on rosemary, page 15)

as meats.

Parsley also contains good levels of iron, along with potassium which helps to balance salt levels in the body and keep nerve tissue healthy. It also has some essential oils which can help with pre-menstrual tension as it has a diuretic effect if taken in enough quantities.

If you have rheumatism, try adding parsley to salads as it helps fight uric acid which collects on joints causing pain.

Keep parsley raw as much as possible. It’s delicious added to couscous, but don’t skimp on it for real taste.

Coriander While coriander looks similar to flat-leaved parsley, it isn’t quite as rich in iron, but is a good aid to digestion and is said to enhance male potency. It’s worth having at least one plant for its aroma, and to finish off stir fries.

Rosemary Rosemary stimulates the

Not just a fruit for jam and tart FULL of colour, high in potassium and manganese, rhubarb also contains a surprising amount of calcium. It also contains vitamin A, good for skin, vision and growth.

All of the calcium is not easily absorbed by the body as it also contains oxalic acid which interrupts the absorption of calcium. However, the vitamin C which it also contains helps combat those effects.

Poach lightly in water or elderflower cordial and sweeten later to taste — the sweetness

of rhubarb varies hugely.

In the last few years it has been fashionable to stew it with strawberries which sweeten it nicely.

Cooking it in apple juice also helps avoid using a lot of sugar.

Try serving rhubarb cubes gently poached in apple juice or water with pork chops for an interesting contrast.

Rhubarb also makes a refreshing sorbet or ice-cream. If you have lots, make jam with some freshly sliced ginger — a great combination.

FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2010

Mint To keep it from running wild in your garden, plant mint in pots. This herb is an ideal aid to digestion and can be enjoyed chopped into salads, added to hot water to make a hot drink to relieve headaches, or as a cooling drink with added ice.

Add to rice dishes, couscous and quinoa. Serve in salads with pork and lamb to help break down fats, and sprinkle on new potatoes.

Float a few leaves of mint on drinks and eat them at the end. Add to a salad of chopped watermelon mixed with crumbled feta and chopped red onion.

Fennel Use the bulb of the fennel plant for flatulence and other digestive problems, kidney stones and cystitis.

Slice finely and mix with orange slices and/or thinly sliced red onion. I add it to green salads too for substance.

Add finely chopped fennel to sauces for fish and to mayonnaise when serving with fish. Use fennel fronds snipped and sprinkled on fish for decoration and to stimulate the liver.

Marjoram and oregano Marjoram and oregano are similar in taste and are easy to grow. Even this year’s strange weather didn’t kill oregano, so it’s a good all-year round herb.

An antiseptic with plenty of the essential oil thymol, they help with coughs and chest problems.

A handful in hot water is worth trying if you feel anxious or cannot sleep. Sweeten with honey to taste. I sprinkle on salads, on new potatoes, in quiches, pizzas and sandwiches.

Branches of them look lovely in table arrangements, especially when in flower.

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Tattoo removal can be a costly affair

INK HAS DRIED: Tattoos last a lifetime but, as we age or change lifestyle, they may well seem out of place.

Picture: Getty Images

T

HE sun is shining and it’s time to lose the winter wardrobe and flash some flesh. But while some men are more than happy to flaunt their tattoos, many wish they’d never been inked.

The Hospital Group, in Dublin, offers laser tattoo-removal, the latest, most effective method available. And while it might be too late to take effect for this summer, clients can be tattoo-free for next year.

“Tattoos go in and out of fashion, and for every much-loved Celtic Knot, there’s someone stuck with a ten-year-old tattoo of Tweety Bird,” says Aisling Holly, of The Hospital Group. “From teenaged compass and ink handicraft to huge professionally applied artwork, we’ve seen it all,” said Aisling, adding that men’s tattoos tend to be bigger and more ornate, and on arms and backs.

People choose to get tattoos removed for many reasons. Unless you’re playing for a Premier League soccer club, in some employment

Deirdre O'Flynn

MOSTLY MEN

markets it can be a little difficult to find a job with a mega-death flaming skull of Satan on the side of your neck. But now, with tattoo removal becoming more effective and affordable, many more people are taking the plunge. Based on The Hospital Group’s figures, the split is 60/40, women to men, between the ages of 20 and 35. Most had their tattoo done when they were teenagers and have outgrown the tattoo, or, in some cases, the relationship, and want them removed.

F700,000 raised in shave or dye cancer campaign

Campaign kicks off to keep workplaces safe

THE first-ever Today FM’s Shave or Dye campaign resulted in a hair-raising F700,000 in aid of the Irish Cancer Society. All proceeds raised are going towards the provision of the society’s free cancer information service (including the National Cancer Helpline), other nationwide patient care services and the society’s cancer research activity.

For information or advice on any aspect of cancer call the National Cancer Helpline

A NEW Healthy Workplaces Campaign for 2010/11 has been launched, promoting safe maintenance across Europe.

“Safe maintenance is a core aspect of minimising workplace risks and it is important that employers and employees are aware of the risks and take appropriate actions to reduce them,” says Martin O’Halloran, chief executive of the Health and Safety Authority, which is

TAKE

4

ENERGY SHOT: Feeling tired and looking for a quick pick-me-up? Quick Energy is a new drink designed to give you an energy boost for up to six hours, without the crash associated with sugar. Packed with B vitamins, antioxidants and amino acids, this sugar-free, orange flavoured formula, contains the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee. It comes in a 59ml bottle, which fits snugly in the palm of the hand, pockets, gym bags, briefcases and handbags and costs F1.99. Now available from convenience stores nationwide. For more information visit www.quickenergy.com

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on freefone 1800 200 700, which is staffed by nurses weekdays from 9am to 7pm Monday-Thursday and Fridays from 9am to 5pm.

■ Our picture shows Ian Dempsey getting his hair shaved off

by Mick Moriarty The Baldy Barber and Miss Cork Etaoin ÓhAilpin for the Ian Dempsey's Shave or Dye Today FM live at the Bodega Bar on Corn Market Street, Cork. Picture: Gerard McCarthy

running the Irish element of the initiative under the auspices of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work.

One of the principal activities to support the campaign is the European Good Practice Awards.

■ The official campaign guide and other campaign materials as well as details on the Good Practice Awards can be downloaded from the Healthy Workplaces Campaign 2010/11 website http://hw.osha.europa.eu or visit www.hsa.ie.

If you’ve got an old love’s name tattooed on any part of your body, it’s as well to plan far in advance of your wedding to your current amour to have the embarrassing tattoos removed.

Celebrities can often prompt tattoo fads, which is fine if you’ve followed Roy Keane and tattooed your children’s names on your person. Other popular tattoos include barbed wire around the bicep, made famous by Pamela Anderson, and crosses on the back, as sported by David Beckham.

You’re not alone if you want to remove your tattoo — rapper 50 cent recently began having his tattoos erased, to improve his versatility and appeal as a film actor. Elsewhere, Peter Andre, Angelina Jolie, Kerry Katona, and Cheryl Cole have all had body art work removed.

It can cost anywhere from F600-F1,000 to have a tattoo removed, so think carefully before you decide where you put your next tattoo.

DId DId you you know... know...

Low levels of testosterone are linked to frailty in older men Source: University of Western Australia, Perth.

New for Summer ROYAL TREATMENT: For a natural summer shimmer Burt’s Bees has developed the Radiance range of cleansers, moisturisers and other products, which contain Royal Jelly packed with nutrients and essential fatty acids. One of the top products in the range is Radiance Body Lotion, F11.95 also contains light-reflecting Mica to help add a summer sheen and sunflower oil for soft, shimmering skin. Radiance Day Lotion SPF 15, F23.95 has titanium dioxide and zinc oxide to provide broad spectrum protection from the sun’s rays, with calendula and golden seal extracts to soothe and soften the skin.

ALOE VERA: One bottle (90 tablets) of Higher Nature’s new Aloe Gold tablets contains almost the equivalent of a litre (900ml) of standard Aloe Vera liquid and they don’t need to be refrigerated which makes them an ideal solution for travelling.

Aloe Vera is well known for helping to maintain health in a number of body systems, including skin. It also has antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, which can support immune function and aid digestive health, especially while on holiday. Aloe Gold Tablets cost F13.70 for 30 or F38.70 for 90, from health stores.

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SUN VITAMIN: Healthcare pioneer, Jan de Vries, has helped to develop, and launch a new solution to vitamin D deficiency, BetterYou D Lux 1000 oral vitamin D3 spray. Vitamin D is produced by the body when skin is exposed to UVB rays and recent studies have shown that many people have low levels. Vitamin D aids calcium absorption and helps maintain healthy teeth and bones. One spray of D Lux 1000 delivers the daily recommended dose of vitamin D and because it is applied under the tongue it enters the blood stream immediately rather than having to be processed by the digestive system. It has a sweet lemon taste so can easily be given to babies and children. D Lux 1000 costs F8 for a 15ml spray (100 measured sprays — about three months supply) and is now available in health stores and pharmacies.

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SCALP CARE DOESN’T sound very glamorous, does it, looking after your scalp? But if the condition of your scalp isn’t good, then your hair can end up looking dull and lifeless. The answer, according to Yes to Carrots, is mud. Again, not very glamorous, but who said the path to beauty was easy! Their new Hair and Scalp Moisturising Mud Musk, F10.95, has extracts of organic carrot, organic pumpkin and organic orange which are rich with beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, vitamin E, enzymes and Dead Sea mud to keep your hair and scalp nourished and protected. It’s designed to be used once a week and takes about 15 minutes to be effective.

Emily O’Sullivan

It’s nigh impossible to resist adding bronze to your skin in summer, so give in to temptation

B

EING pale in skin tone, I’m loving the fact that, after many decades of being slathered in foul-smelling, fake tan, I can now quite fashionably parade my milky limbs, safe in the knowledge that I’m at the cutting-edge of cool. Yes, it’s wonderful being part of the zeitgeist, albeit accidentally. But while pale skin may be rocking the pages of Vogue, beauty products are still tempting us with some of the sexiest bronze products around.

And, be honest, it’s very hard to resist adding a little bronze to your make-up during the summertime — whether it’s a slash of eyeliner or a dusting of pick-me-up face powder, a touch of bronze doesn’t have to mean looking like a WAG. The hottest way to wear bronze this summer is against a palette of nude and porcelain skin. Worn this way, bronze is sultry, sexy and seriously flattering. MAC’s new greasepaint stick in blackened bronze, F19, is my favourite bronze product around, and is seriously versatile. You can wear it smudged around the eye in a mussed-up eyeliner style, or else across the whole eyelid for a more rock-chick, night-time look. It looks particularly sexy with a little bit of gold eyeshadow dabbed on the top, so if you’ve got any left over from Christmas, dig it out.

Estée Lauder is upping the ante with their new, bronze-goddess liquid eyeshadow in molten bronze, F20. This is perfect one for summer — it’s easy to apply with a wet texture that dries to create a lovely, metallic sheen on the eyes. Over at Clarins, there’s a more natural approach to bronze with earthy shades of ginger, cinnamon, cocoa and paprika combining to make a bronze-meets-brown eyeshadow quartet beautifully presented in a

TAKE THREE TINTED LIP BALMS

Golden touch smart, caramel-and-silver compact.

Bobbi Brown’s metallic eyeshadow in burnt sugar, F22, comes in a high-shimmer, high-pigment formulation that stays well throughout the day and looks especially pretty worn with a complexion that shimmers slightly with a bronze hue. This is a great one for holidays, teamed with lashings of black mascara for a sexy evening look.

Of course, while pale is perfectly chic, most of us will turn to a bronzing product during the summer months, if only to take the blueish hue out of our skin. The key is to pick a product that is closest to your skin tone — bronzers should give a light, caramel tone to the skin, anything dark or mahogany-coloured should be given a wide berth.

A good way to get a light glow is to wear a liquid bronzing product, or add a little shimmery liquid bronzer to your existing foundation. Chanel’s Soleil Tan de Chanel,

F37.50, is a gorgeous, sheer bronzer that not only gives a light-bronze sheen to the skin, but also gives your complexion a boost of radiance and luminosity. You can mix it with your foundation, but it looks very pretty on its own, with just a little concealer to cover any blemishes or red bits. Benefit’s one-hot minute looks a real fright in the pot, almost like an update of the 1980s bronzing classic, Egyptian Wonder, but it has a divine flattering effect on the skin.

You only need a tiny bit, and make sure to apply it with a very big powder brush.

When it comes to the skin, less is definitely more, but if you’re going for a light dusting of bronze on the face, then make sure you don’t leave your neck and shoulders weirdly pale. A light dusting of bronzer can look sophisticated and pretty, or else go for a super-sexy, dry, bronze-toned body oil, such as Nuxe’s classic Huile Prodigieuse Or, F24.50.

Bobbi Brown Metallic Eyeshadow in Burnt Sugar, F22. More of a daytime shade, it’s a very pretty eyeshadow with a high-shimmer, metallic effect. Wear it with a coral lip colour for an on-trend, summer clashy effect.

liquid form. If you’re nervous about wearing it on its own, try blending it with a little bit of foundation or moisturiser for a more subtle effect.

IF lipstick is too drying and matt, and glosses are too sticky, then opt for the third way in lip colour — tinted lip balms, which give a subtle and sexy slick of sheer colour, while keeping your lips comfortable and hydrated.

Clarins Instant Smooth Crystal Lip Balm, F19.50. This has got a lovely, set-jelly type of texture. You can see through the actual stick itself, and on the lips it’s equally sheer with a very subtle hint of colour. It’s quite strongly fragranced, but feels soft and moisturising on the lips, although it doesn’t last quite as long as other balms.

Clinique Superbalm Moisturising Gloss, F15. Much glossier than the Clarins offering, Clinique’s Superbalm is ideal if you’re after a shinier effect.

It’s fragrance-free and is good for those who have drier lips and need more of a conditioning product.

L’Occitane Peony Lip Balm, F13.95. This one has the subtlest of colours with a very, very light hint of shimmery pink. Enriched with shea butter, the balm is perfect for keeping lips nicely hydrated.

STUFF WE LIKE MAC Greasepaint Stick in Blackened Bronze, F19. This has got a really great texture, which hits all the right notes in terms of getting a non-precise, smudgy, and smoky eye look. It blends well and is easy to apply, with a thickish, crayon-like pencil.

The blackened bronze shade is really flattering, especially on pale-skinned blondes.

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Liquid Shadow, F20. It’s easy to apply and is small and neat enough to slip into your back pocket to carry about. Wear it on its own during the day, or rev up the sexiness with some black eyeliner and mascara at night.

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Benefit One Hot Minute, F23.50. This looks seriously strong in the pot, but once you’ve put it on your skin, it’s actually very pretty and quite subtle. It’s shimmery, but not excessively so.

Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel Sheer Illuminating Fluid, F37.50. This is like summer in a bottle — a flattering, summery bronze in

Body Electrics Illamasqua Dry Body Oil in Pulse, F35. Infused with light-reflecting particles, passionflower seed oil and vitamin E, the golden bronze shimmer in this dry oil gives the skin a pretty boost in summer.

Lovely for balmy holiday nights.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or, F24.50. A super-sexy version of Nuxe’s classic oil that comes into its own for summer. If you’ve got a golden glow, this shimmering oil will

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make the best of it, but it also looks delicate on pale skin tones.

Clarins Instant SunLight eyeshadow and liner quartet, F35. A great palette that allows you a number of combinations to create many different looks.

The small brown eyeliner is good for adding definition, while the shadows add a more natural, less overtly metallic take on bronze.

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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

MY daughter is taking 60mg Cymbalta a day. She suffers headaches and sometimes her tummy is upset. Is there any herbal remedy she could take to help with these side effects? Also, recently you wrote about the role vitamin B plays. Could she take these alongside the anti-depressants?

A. Ensuring your daughter is drinking enough water, daily, will help immensely with both of these side-effects, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol in all foods and supplements is essential, since these substances are contraindicated.

Ginger is a great herb for relieving nausea. As for headaches, these can often be effectively treated using sinus rubs, or alternating hot and cold packs on the top of the head, or pressing with the thumb and forefinger into the acupressure point in the webbing between the thumb and forefinger of the other hand (repeat on both sides).

You will find that one of these methods is often more effective than the others, depending on the type of headache.

While there are no conclusive studies regarding the use of vitamin supplements and Cymbalta, there are anecdotal reports that suggest the vitamin B complex, vitamin E, and multivitamin supplements can often neutralise the action of Cymbalta. With this in mind, it is worth avoiding supplementation, or at least discussing it in depth with your doctor before taking vitamins. Fish oils are often found to enhance the action of anti-depressant medication, but, once again, this is best discussed with the doctor who is HEADS UP: Sinus rubs, or alternating hot and prescribing the medication. cold packs ease headaches. Picture: Getty Images Q. I suffer from poor circulation. It gets worse when the weather is cold. I develop these sudden changes in temperature will red, swollen areas on my fingers, which have on your hands and feet by protecting are both sore and unsightly. I dress warmthem from the cold, and taking care to ly, eat good, plain food, walk every day, gradually acclimatise your hands and feet to and am fit and in good health, generally, the cold outdoors and warm indoors. You for my age, 65. Are there any natural supmention taking a daily walk — this is great, plements or foods which might improve since it will benefit your peripheral circulathe situation? tion.

A. The swelling you describe sounds very There are a couple of supplements that much like chilblains, which are, indeed, caused by the combination of colder weather may help — silica and calcium. People who and poor circulation. Fingers and toes are the suffer from chilblains are often found to be lacking in these minerals, and taking them as most common places to get these painful, tissue salts has proven to be very effective, swollen patches, although they can even apboth as treatment and as a preventative meapear on the ears, wrists, heels, nose or legs. sure. I would suggest you take Calc. Phos.

Fortunately, they don’t cause any lasting (calcium phosphate) along with Silica (silidamage to the tissue, as they are actually the con dioxide) — both by New Era. If you result of blood crossing into the tissues due are unable to source these locally, try orderto constriction in the small arteries and ing online at www.thehealthstore.ie. veins. This blood then swells when the temGinger is also an age-old remedy used in perature rises, which leads to itching, pain, many cultures for all manner of circulatory and swelling.

It is important to minimise the impact that conditions. You can make a simple infusion

Megan puts the spotlight on:

T

HIS hardy perennial herb has been renowned throughout history for improving memory and as a symbol of love, friendship and remembrance.

Branches of rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis) were burned in the Middle Ages to protect homes from the plague, and scientific research has shown that rosemary has more than 20 different antioxidants working to neutralise free-radicals and toxins in our bodies.

These antioxidants also make rosemary a wonderful tonic herb with rejuvenating properties — so not only will it keep the mind sharp, it will also keep help to slow the ageing process.

Take up to three cups of rosemary infusion daily (made with a teaspoon of dry herb, or one to two teaspoons of fresh herb, to one cup of water) to

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improve concentration, memory, and protect the brain from degeneration.

Rosemary is also a wonderful herb for pain relief, as it is both warming and invigorating. It helps to improve circulation, as a tea and as a herbal poultice or rub. When taken internally, these stimulating properties benefit digestion and help optimise the digestion and absorption of nutrients while facilitating the removal of toxins from the body.

Obviously, rosemary is a wonderful and well-known addition to many foods — and it goes well with rich or

Rosemary starchy foods since it functions as a digestive aid.

Externally, rosemary tea can be used to reduce bags under the eyes and is said to reduce wrinkles. Chewing the fresh leaves sweetens the breath and helps to fight and prevent bacterial infection in the mouth. The fresh leaves crushed and rubbed on the temples and nape of the neck can do wonders for tension headaches — and if you are finding yourself fighting mid-afternoon drowsiness, take a rosemary sprig to work and crush it between your fingertips to awaken your mind.

Finally, if your child suffers from bad dreams or night terrors, a sprig of rosemary under the pillow can work wonders. Don’t put it inside the pillowcase on the top side of the pillow though, or you will have a highly alert child on your hands.

FRIDAY, MAY 14, 2010

by simmering an inch of ginger root in two cups of water. Add a pinch of cayenne and sip throughout the day. If you don’t have access to fresh ginger root, then use powdered ginger to taste.

Q. I suffer from IBS and I was taking a cocktail of cures, such as psyllium husks, peppermint capsules, and prebiotics but with no relief. I decided to take liquid Floravital — you recommended it in a previous article — with iron, as I felt I was running on empty. I feel much better, energy wise, and I was just wondering what would be the recommend length of time to take the Floravital, and, also, do you have any tips for someone with IBS with regular bowl movement, but discomfort and gas as the day goes on?

A. It certainly sounds as if iron deficiency was or is a factor in your flagging energy levels. This is very common in digestive and bowel disorders where nutrients are often not efficiently absorbed, with a lack of nutrients leaving the system deficient and fatigued. It’s good you have found relief with the Floravital, a most pleasant and effective way to take iron (particularly since it is non-constipating). I suggest you use Western diagnostic technology (i.e. blood testing) to get a complete picture of your situation.

It is just as important to have enough iron, as it is to ensure that you don’t overload the system. While a gentle herbal tonic, such as Floravital, is unlikely to do this, since the body typically eliminates what it does not require, it is wise to err on the side of caution. One-third of the Irish population carries the genetics for haemochromatosis, a metabolic disorder resulting in overloading of iron in the internal organs. Early symptoms include fatigue, aching joints, weakness, and decreased libido — which is why this condition is often misdiagnosed, and can even be mistaken for low iron.

Blood testing ensures a definitive diagnosis, so it is well worth get your ferritin levels checked and taking appropriate action from there. The three main tests that will determine iron levels are as follows: transferrin saturation (TS), serum ferritin (SF) or storage iron levels, and unbound iron-binding capacity (UIBC).

If your ferritin levels are found to be low, it is wise to continue with the Floravital until they are at least 20-25ug/L. In this case, you can keep taking the Floravital until you actually feel that you are no longer needing it (this is usually quite evident in your energy and mood levels), then have your blood tested to check your progress.

ONE TO WATCH Earn More, Stress Less, Fergus O’Connor, Capstone, F16.90 “I’m living the life I want on the money I earn and I don’t worry about debt,” writes Fergus O’Connor in his latest book.

But nine years ago he had a very different story to tell. Unable to pay the mortgage and the weekly food bill, he also had a business debt that had spiralled to F750,000. His wake-up call came with a visit from the sheriff. Yes, he was terrified but he was also determined to turn his thinking and his life around. By applying the universal Law of Attraction, (used widely by New Thought writers, it is based on the idea that thoughts influence chance) O’Connor cleared his debt. And this year he is set to earn F1m. O’Connor’s book not only tells us what to do, but how to do it. IF

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