Feelgood 30-07-2010

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Feelgood Friday, July 30, 2010

SUMMER IN A BOWL No matter what the weather, Rachel Allen has the sunny touch: 8,9,10

Courtesy of: Kerrygold/Irish Dairy Board

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JUDGMENT DAY

Tony Humphreys on the labels we use to wound each other: 7

RELAXED LABOUR

Self-hypnosis for mums-to-be: 11

INSIDE OUT

Brush your skin to clear those toxins: 15

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2 News front Kate O’Reilly WHAT’S ON ■ EQUINE THERAPY: Equine assisted therapy and learning can help people of all ages with cognitive, physical, social or emotional challenges. The Irish Horse Welfare Trust believes that interaction with horses is positively mood altering and promotes mental wellbeing. Its first three-day Equine Assisted Learning and Therapeutic course, will take place on August 17,18 and 19 at the IHWT farm in Woodenbridge, Co Wicklow. IHWT education officer Lesley Jones and the IHWT team of humans and horses will deliver the programme.

Contact IHWT at 0404-45720 or visit www.ihwt.ie ■ FREE TAI CHI: There will be free Infinite Tai Chi, Chi Kung, yoga and meditation classes, daily during the Kilbrittain Festival from this Sunday, August 1, until August 8. The classes will be given from 11.30am to 12.30pm in the marquee in the Village Amenity Park and from 7pm to 8pm on Coolmaine and Harbour View beaches and also in Bandon, Kinsale, Clonakilty and Cork city. For times and location, see www.YogiCho.com or contact 085-1691304.

■ TREK KILIMANJARO: Towering almost 6,000 metres above sea level, Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest free-standing mountain in the world. Oxfam Ireland is now offering you the opportunity to join the charity on a Kilimanjaro trek in February 2011. This 13-day challenge will incorporate a seven-day climb, followed by a visit to an Oxfam Ireland programme partner in Tanzania. For more details visit www.oxfamireland.org/challenges/kilimanjaro.htm ■ RCSI TOURS: As part of National Heritage Week, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland will host free public tours of the college on August 24 and 28.

This year RCSI celebrates 200 years on St Stephen’s Green. Tours will take place at 3.15pm, 4.30pm and 6pm on Tuesday August 24 and at 11am, 1pm and 3pm on Saturday August 28. To book a place visit www.rcsi.ie or for call 01-402 2196.

■ TOUR DE PICNIC: Join one of the most exciting cycling events in Ireland this year for the 2Wheels Tour de Picnic fundraising cycle to the Electric Picnic in aid of Temple Street Children’s University Hospital on Friday September 3. The challenge will help raise funds for Temple Street and its Neurosurgery Appeal to assist children suffering from serious brain and spinal conditions. In return you will receive a ticket to the festival. For more details, visit www.templestreet.ie ■ BREFFNI CHALLENGE: The Breffni Challenge is a 20km and 13km walk from Cavan Town to Arva which will take place tomorrow, Saturday July 31. This is the 10th year of fundraising by the community of Arva and they have raised over F680,000 for cancer. Participants can either walk or cycle from Cavan to Arva (20km) or Ballinagh to Arva (13km). This year the event is in aid of St Luke’s Hospital, Rathgar; NBCRI (National Breast Cancer Research Institute, Galway) and Cavan Cancer Homecare Association. Sponsorship cards and more details are available from local businesses or by ringing St Luke’s Hospital, Dublin on 01-406 5102; www.friendsofstlukes.ie ■ Items for inclusion in this column can be sent to koreilly8@gmail.com

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Tick bites are usually only skin deep, but prolonged contact can result in Lyme’s Disease. Take precautions, says Arlene Harris

Once bitten ...

F

OR many country dwellers, getting bitten by a tick is part and parcel of their childhood. It’s not a nice experience, but, in most cases, once the insect has been removed, the only reminder is a short-lived itch.

But with the school holidays in full swing, more people will be taking part in outdoor pursuits and the Health Surveillance Protection Centre (HSPC) has issued warnings against Lyme disease.

Spread by a simple tick bite, this condition usually only affects the skin, but, in some cases, it can be more serious — affecting the nervous system and even the heart.

With this in mind, the HSPC has urged anyone working, playing or sleeping outdoors to take extra care to help prevent catching this disease: ■ Use insect repellent ■ Don’t walk barefoot through grass ■ Wear long-sleeved trousers and shirt ■ Check skin and hair of both adults and children after a day out.

■ Remove any ticks as quickly as possible, and consult with GP if worried about Lyme disease.

Dr Paul McKeown, of the HSPC, says if a tick bite is attended to swiftly, there is less chance of contracting the disease.

“The longer the tick has been attached to the skin, the greater risk of passing on infection,” he says. “All the evidence suggests that they need to be attached and feeding for quite sometime before trans-

TICKED OFF: Children are more likely to be bitten on the head and neck, adults on the legs. A red skin rash is evidence of infection.

Picture: Getty Images

mission of the bacterium takes place.”

“And, if it is removed as soon as it bites, the risk of infection is very low.”

Dr McKeown says, like most insect bites, exposed areas of skin are more vulnerable.

“Adults tend to receive most bites to the legs, whereas children, especially those under 10, tend to be bitten on the head and neck,” he says.

Due to the size of the insect, it is important to check bodies, especially children’s heads, when they playing outside, as the tick may go unnoticed for quite some time.

“The most commonly visible evidence of this infection is a red, raised skin rash,” warns Dr McKeown. “But it can develop anytime between three days and a month of being bitten.

“This rash can spread to several inches in diameter and infected people can often complain of headache, sore throat, fever, muscle aches and neck stiffness.”

“Occasionally, there may be more serious symptoms involving the heart, nervous system, joints and other tissues.” ● For more information, visit www.hspc.ie.

HEALTH NOTES DURING the summer months our skin dries out as we expose our normally covered up bodies to the elements. With the warmest June for years and the possibility of more sunshine for August, many people will be suffering from dry flaky skin. Research has shown that taking essential fatty acids not only significantly increases skin hydration, but may help to prevent skin ageing by helping to address UV-induced damage. A new supplement from the Advanced Nutrition Programme has just become available, and enriched with a combination of Omega 3 and 6 fatty Acids, Skin Omegas promises to nourish and hydrate flagging skin cells. Visit www.advancednutritionprogramme.com

Scientists in America have discovered what they believe to be the key to recognising autism in the very early stages. Research has shown that the babbling of infants with the disorder is different to those without. Using automated vocal analysis technology, scientists were able to spot the difference and also identify very young children with impaired language development.

Professor Steven Warren from the University of Kansas, who took part in the study, said: ‘This technology could help paediatricians screen children for autism spectrum disorder to determine if a referral to a specialist for a full diagnosis is required and get those children into earlier and more effective treatments.’

A new report from the Crisis Pregnancy Agency (CPA) has shown a significant decrease in the number of women travelling to the UK for abortions. In 2001 over 6.500 women terminated their pregnancies in Britain compared to just under 4,500 in 2009. The number of teenagers giving birth has also dropped from almost 2,300 in 2001 to just over 2,000 last year. The CPA has seen an increase in counselling services, with currently over 50 centres offering free support around the country.

For more information visit: www.crisispregnancy.ie

Millions of people worldwide and thousands of people in Ireland suffer from coeliac disease.

This condition, in which sufferers who are intolerant to gluten, endure diarrhoea and cramps, and in severe cases can even develop malnutrition and osteoporosis, has puzzled scientists for years. But a breakthrough in understanding the condition may have been found. Scientists in Australia believe they have isolated the component in wheat which causes the immune system to attack the gut. Nexpep, a Melbourne biotech company, is currently creating a jab to desensitise sufferers to gluten.

EARLY DETECTION: Scientists are now saying babbling of infants with autism is different to those without the disorder.

Picture: Getty Images

www.irishexaminer.com www.irishexaminer.com

www.irishexaminer.com feelgood@examiner.ie

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In profile THE SHAPE I'M IN

Sally McKenna

Nicely chilled IT’S now 21 years since Sally McKenna and her husband, John, gave up their Dublin flat, splashed out £100 on a Renault 4 that had seen better days, and set off on a tour of Ireland to discover what they hoped would be an exciting food culture.

“We’d always loved travelling to France and Italy and we loved the food of those countries, so we thought there must be something like that here in Ireland. It wasn’t documented then though.

“Cheese-makers and organic food growers existed, but nobody knew where they were,” says the 48-year-old, who grew up on the island of Fiji and who came to Ireland when she married in 1982.

Living now in Durrus, West Cork, she has just seen the publication of the latest Bridgestone Irish Food Guide.

Does the mum-of-three, whose favourite Sunday dinner is organic roast chicken, feel Irish restaurants are rising to the challenge posed by the recession? “Definitely — it’s never been better value to eat out. Despite the recession, the local ‘him and her’ restaurants — where a husband and wife run the place together — are flourishing. Some have had their best year ever,” says Sally, whose children range in age from 16 down to 11.

What shape are you in?

I’ve never been in better shape. I did a water sports instructor course three years ago. I learned kayaking, wind-surfing and sailing. I’ve got a temporary job taking people out kayaking and it keeps me fit. It has made a huge difference to my health and it’s brought exercise central to my life.

Do you have any health concerns?

All my family are prone to putting on weight. The only way I can control my weight is to exercise vigorously.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I eat a lot of vegetables and organic food. I’m not a great fruit eater though. I grow a lot of my own food. I absolutely never eat anything processed. I use a new rapeseed oil, which I put on potatoes and vegetables instead of butter.

One of the things I think is most important in life — and getting less and less common — is to share food with family. And I love that my kids make me laugh when sitting round a table at dinner Do you pray?

Yes, I do, in my own way. But I don’t believe in bartering — praying to God to change something. I accept the world the way is. I would pray, not to change things but to keep people safe. I try to think positively about people and send them warm wishes.

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A UNIQUE GIFT A PERSONALISED IRISH EXAMINER FRONT PAGE

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What would cheer up your day?

My little dog, Holly, is very energetic. The way she bounces along makes me laugh.

Helen O’Callaghan

ORGANICALLY GROWN: Sally McKenna eats lots of vegetables and organic food.

Picture: Shane O'Neill/Fennells

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

I like a glass of wine. I don’t think it’s necessarily bad for you.

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What would keep you awake at night?

Overwork. And sometimes I wake up and worry that I didn’t do enough during the day. Otherwise, I’m a good sleeper.

How do you relax?

I play the piano or go kayaking.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

One of the things I think is most important in life — and getting less and less common — is to share food with family. And I love that my kids — now that they’ve grown up — make me laugh when sitting round a table at dinner.

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What’s your favourite smell?

The smell of a chamomile lawn.

When did you last cry?

While watching the film, Up. I was watching it with John and I was so embarrassed about crying. Then I looked over and saw he was crying too.

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What would you change about your appearance?

I’d like to be much skinnier.

What’s the best book you’ve read recently?

Guide To The Night Sky by Patrick Moore. I’ve been trying to learn about the stars. This book makes it easy.

What trait do you least like in others?

Meanness —not being generous.

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What trait do you least like in yourself?

Sometimes I can follow a bit of a double standard when it comes to environmental issues — I’d like to be able to practise more what I believe.

Feelgood

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FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2010

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Behaviour

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Kelly's A misunderstanding pillow W How I talk learned Shyness should not be treated as a mental disorder, says sufferer Jason Walsh

ITH Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, blogging and texting it’s never been easier to connect to others.

But there’s a growing belief that if you don’t want to connect, there’s something seriously wrong with you — something that can be fixed with the right kind of medicine or endless therapy sessions. Are we pathologising normal behaviour?

It is the morning of March 17 and I, unlike my fellow countrymen, am not doing anything even remotely related to our national holiday. Instead I am staring out across a sea of expectant faces.

I am in England participating in a debate on the subject of what makes a terrorist. Beside me are lofty intellectuals of various stripe. I am here as a mere journalist, ready to talk about a subject I have written plenty about. The only unusual thing in this set-up is that, according to received wisdom, I shouldn’t be able to do this. You see, I am a shy person.

As is often the case, the received wisdom is bunk. Addressing the audience is not a problem. I’m prepared, I know what I’m talking about and I’ve done this plenty of times before. In fact, public speaking is a breeze.

Never mind all of the stupid suggestions people make, the only one that matters is this: know your subject.

Spending time, one-on-one or in small groups, with people I’ve never met before, though, that is my private hell. Several years ago I went to a stand-up comedy show with a friend. In the pub beforehand he introduced me to five of his friends. Well, I say ‘introduced’ but basically he sat down and left me with a bunch of perfect strangers. I instantly went into lemon mode.

Shyness is not a personality trait generally associated with journalists but, then again, journalism isn’t so much about doing as observing. Or perhaps there is a simple question of professionalism at work: it’s my job so I do it. Either way, shyness seems to me to be much misunderstood.

Apparently shyness is offensive. For a start it is often mistaken for snooty aloofness but even when it is properly identified it somehow affronts those garrulous souls not ‘inflicted’ with it, people who feel the need to cajole and pontificate about how ‘if you’d just come out of your shell’…

This is all par for the course; what’s much worse is the creeping idea, one promoted by many shy people themselves, that shyness is somehow a mental disorder.

Increasingly, shy people are being medicalised and pathologised. The antidepressant Paxil is now prescribed to so-called ‘social phobics’.

Like all medical treatments this has attracted its fair share of critics, many of whom have their own axes to grind. The anti-medical brigade claim it’s a sinister conspiracy — ‘evil’ pharmaceutical companies, ignorant doctors and modern life in general are all blamed. There are also hundreds of therapists and counsellors offering help and advice to people like me — for an hourly fee.

In fact what is happening is people are explicitly seeking medicalisation of their personalities, arriving at GPs’ surgeries with a

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to cope

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FIGHTING THE FEAR: Jacqui Russell doesn’t like crowds, but says that tackling her shyness head-on has helped her cope. Picture:James Flynn/APX laundry list of predefined ‘symptoms’.

“These days every human attribute is re-labelled as a health problem,” says Frank Furedi, sociologist at the University of Kent and author of Therapy Culture, a book that demolishes much of the received wisdom about counselling and psychotherapy.

Furedi says that we, as a society, are increasingly encouraged to think of ourselves as fragile or damaged and to view normal responses to adverse circumstances as somehow pathological.

“Shyness is diagnosed as ‘social phobia’ and promiscuous behaviour is labelled as ‘sex addiction’. Even caring for the one you love can be recycled as a disease. Some call it ‘compulsive helping disorder’,” he says.

Una, (not her real name), lives in Kilkenny and is a self-confessed shy person.

“I feel cajoled into doing things,” she says.

“I despise it but I am usually too embarrassed to say anything. I have with a friend who is

ACQUI RUSSELL a Canadian-born sales assistant living in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, is shy but has learned to cope with it.

“I may be shy or ‘social phobic’ but I do get along well with people,” says the 34-year-old.

“I [just] don’t like crowds. I work with the public and people touch you,” she says.

For Jacqui, shyness presents an additional difficulty, but it’s one she has had to tackle head-on — Jacqui is gay.

“I worked in a job where I was semi-closeted and that turned out to be such a magnificent disaster that I decided I’d have to face it head-on in future,” she says.

Dealing with things head-on isn’t always easy but Jacqui says this approach has worked for her.

“I did this ‘pretend you’re not shy’ thing when I was at university and it worked. I just walked up to people and said: ‘Hi, I’m Jacqui’.

Everyone else was so disoriented by the new experience of being there that they were open to it.”

Having lived in both Canada and Britain, Jacqui did find Ireland required some adjustment: “When I came here people were really, really friendly but they didn’t mean it. You become fast friends but it’s very shallow,” she says.

Shyness and loneliness can go hand-in-hand but Jacqui says a fulfilling relationship is enough to stop that.

“Once you’re partnered-up, being shy isn’t such a big deal.”

dominant and I do allow her to push me around — it’s easier that way.”

Una is a music fan and regularly travels to other European countries to see bands perform live. Somehow that doesn’t sound like the ‘tragic’ woe of the shy. “I end up befriending like-minded people,” she says.

Consultant psychiatrist Pat Bracken, director of West Cork Mental Health Services, says there is a growing trend to medicalise behaviour that, while perhaps not ideal, is well within normal parameters.

“There has been a general trend toward medicalising more and more of life’s difficulties,” he says, pointing to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), a laundry list of psychiatric complaints that grows massively with each new edition.

“The DSM is incorporating more and more aspects of life,” says Bracken. “Bereavement, loss, being shy or awkward — things that are part of the package of being human

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De-stressing

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— we are defining as psychopathology.”

Bracken is not anti-medicine, however.

“As a practising psychiatrist I prescribe medicine every day but I would like to see a more responsible pharmacology,” he says.

“What irks me is the false confidence around psychiatric drugs.”

Excessive shyness is clearly a problem, as are other conditions such as anxiety and depression but simply medicalising them often ignores the causes.

“We need a psychiatry that is open to the experience of life,” says Bracken. “It’s about trying to focus on other things. You can get stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts that you can’t just ‘snap out’ of, but you can squeeze in other things.”

But in a culture that lionises shallow exhibitionism — the final season of Big Brother is now upon us — maintaining there is nothing wrong with being slightly withdrawn may be an uphill battle.

TV personality Kelly Brook says a good night’s sleep can help you relax. She talks to Gabrielle Fagan about her own ways of coping with stress

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ODEL and TV presenter Kelly Brook may have an enviably glamorous life, but she reveals that stress can make her grind her teeth.

Kelly says: “As a rule I tend not to get down about stuff. Of course, everyone has their down days, but I’m a big believer in positive thinking. I’m a glass half-full girl rather than a glass half-empty type.

“But I do grind my teeth if I am stressed. I even have braces to stop me doing it.”

Teeth grinding, or its medical term bruxism, is on the rise and it’s most commonly caused by anxiety.

Dentists report a 20% increase in cases over the last year, possibly linked to the recession.

The most effective treatment is a bite guard designed to prevent grinding, which long-term can damage tooth enamel, disrupt sleep, and cause facial pain and headaches.

Kelly’s modelling career began at 16 when she won a beauty competition for which she was entered by her mother.

Since then she’s starred in numerous magazines and advertising campaigns and is currently the new face and body of Ultimo, the lingerie brand.

Recently, it was reported she’s agreed to pose naked for Playboy for a fee of F600,000. She’s comfortable with her hourglass figure and has described herself as “confident” in her own skin.

“I’m a naturally curvy woman and I’m happy with that. I have no desire to be any other shape or size and I’d never buckle to the pressures of size zero. My ethos is, be confident in yourself and make the most of what you’ve got.

“And I’m very conscious that I’m a role model for younger women, being in the public eye — and especially fronting an Ultimo lingerie campaign.”

Kelly, who was a presenter on Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast, has been a judge on ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, and competed in BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing, has a varied fitness regime.

“I really enjoy dancing, and I try to keep up everything I learnt on Strictly, which is easier said than done! But at least dancing doesn’t feel at all like exercise, which makes it more fun.

“Actually I prefer exercising outdoors, as I find running and cycling exhilarating and it really de-stresses me. And, I rarely sit down as I usually have too much to do.”

Kelly, 30, is single since her relationship with rugby star Danny Cipriani, 22, ended. She was previously engaged to the actor, Billy Zane, who starred in the film Titanic.

She loves relaxing at her home, a 15th century farmhouse in Kent, surrounded by countryside where she can walk her dog, Rocky.

“I’m not a morning person so my perfect day is waking up after a long lie-in. I like being there cuddling Rocky, reading a book, or planning what I’m going to do,” says Kelly.

“I really take care to make my bed a luxury retreat, and dress it with pure cotton sheets, and cosy, alpaca blankets that were specially made for me. Bliss!”

■ Kelly’s remedy: To de-stress: she has a hot bath before going to bed, uses a lavender spray on her pillows, and drinks camomile tea.

■ Kelly’s beauty tip: Products from Linda Meredith’s range. She uses an Amazon vitamin cream and a gel cleanser.

A hot bath, a cup of camomile tea and a spray of lavender on her pillow is Kelly's pre-bed routine Feelgood

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6 New perspective

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Karl Spain tells Arlene Harris how his diabetes diagnosis meant a lifestyle change

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AMED for his dry sense of humour and his televised search for love, Karl Spain has become a household name in Ireland. But although the Limerick man is always up for a laugh, he is also living with a debilitating condition.

The 38-year-old has type 2 diabetes — an increasingly common condition that currently affects more than 200,000 people in Ireland.

Diagnosed three years ago, the comedian knew something was wrong with his health and despite a fear of doctors, decided to get himself checked out.

“I had been feeling a bit off for quite some time but during the Edinburgh Festival in 2007, things really came to a head,” he recalls. “I was hot and cold all the time, was constantly thirsty and kept needing to go to the loo. I even left the stage in the middle of a gig to go to the toilet — I think the audience thought it was part of the act.”

The telltale symptoms combined with severe perspiration persuaded Spain that it was time to take action.

“We have an ‘I’ll be grand’ attitude in Ireland which means many of us, including myself, don’t go to the doctor until we really have to,” he says.

“So when I was finally told that I had diabetes, I was actually relieved — it was good to know what was wrong and what I could do to take control of the situation.”

Type 2 diabetes is usually related to lifestyle and the comic was no exception.

“I had a real thing about fizzy drinks and could drink up to ten cans a day,” he says.

“Also when I was in the middle of a festival, I would only get about 20 minutes for lunch so there was no time to leisurely peruse a healthy menu — I just grabbed whatever I could and washed it down with more soft drinks.”

But three years after his diagnosis, Karl is on top of his condition and has taken measures to change his eating and exercise habits.

“I knew I had to cut out the level of sugar I was consuming and I also started to take more exercise,” he says. “I only learned to drive about five years ago and I’m sure that contributed to my downfall as where I used to walk everywhere, I then started taking the car on even the shortest journeys — that had to stop.

“So although I know I still have to lose a few pounds, I am taking more exercise and eating a better diet. And those changes along with taking my medication every day should ensure that I am kept out of trouble.”

Keen to put the spotlight on the condition, Karl is one of the participants in an RTÉ documentary, Living with Diabetes, to be aired next week.

“Now that I recognise the symptoms, I’m sure quite a few of my friends and colleagues are diabetic,” he says.

“People may recognise my face, so I hope that by hearing someone familiar talk about the condition, it might make them sit up and pay attention.

“And, if it makes it any better, Homer Simpson and Inspector Morse have both suffered from diabetes,” he laughs.

Dr Anna Clarke of the Diabetes Federation of Ireland says there are two types of diabetes and it is important to make the distinction between them.

“Diabetes mellitus [type 1] is a chronic dis-

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When I was in the middle of a festival, I would only get about 20 minutes for lunch so there was no time to leisurely peruse a healthy menu — I just grabbed whatever I could and washed it down with more soft drinks

Picture: Dylan Thomas

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order in which the body’s ability to use sugars is altered,” she explains. “This can cause raised levels of glucose in the blood and its excretion in the urine.

“Type 1 has a sudden onset, usually before the age of 40, but most commonly occurs in the young. The beta cells in the pancreas which produce insulin are killed off by the person’s own immune system. Insulin treatment is essential for life and will always need to be taken.

“Type 2 is the more common type and affects mostly people over the age of 40 and may be related to lifestyle factors. It has a slow onset and may go undiagnosed for up to 12 years. People with Type 2 diabetes still secrete insulin, just not enough to meet their body’s needs.

“Although type 1 and type 2 are clinically distinct from each other, many people with type 2 will go on to need insulin injections in order to manage their diabetes effectively.”

Symptoms of type 1 diabetes: ■ Unquenchable thirst.

■ Constant tiredness.

■ Passing a lot of urine.

■ Weight loss if the symptoms persist without diagnosis.

While genetics do play a role in the transfer of the diabetic gene, a healthy lifestyle can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

“Obesity is one of the fastest-growing medical epidemics and 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight,” says Dr Clarke. “It appears that in most obese indi-

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viduals, the cells in the body begin to develop a resistance to insulin. However, you can reduce the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes by being careful with your refined sugar intake, lose weight if you are overweight and stay as active as possible.

“The Diabetes Prevention Programme and numerous other scientific studies have proven that type 2 diabetes can be prevented, or at least it’s onset delayed by 58%, by paying attention to lifestyle factors.”

■ For more information visit www.diabetes.ie or call 1850 909 909 ■ Living with Diabetes will be shown RTÉ One on Tuesday, August 3 at 8.30pm ■ To see Karl Spain live: visit www.laughterlounge.com

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Psychology 7

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Confusing people’s essence with their behaviour can cause unnecessary anguish

Marked for life www.acara.ie/lesotho

TIME IS PRECIOUS

PLEASE GIVE THEM SOME

LESOTHO BUILD PROJECT OCTOBER 421 2010

Tony Humphreys

“I am not a mechanism, an assembly of various sections.

And it is not because the mechanism is working wrongly that I am ill.

I am ill because of wounds to the soul, to the deep emotional self.

And the wounds to the soul take a long, long time, only time can help.

And patience, and a certain difficult repentance long difficult repentance, realization of life’s mistake, and the freeing of oneself from the endless repetition of the mistake which mankind at large has chosen to sanctify.

— D.H. Lawrence on ‘Healing’

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HAT does Lawrence mean by the word ‘mistake’ and the sanctification of that mistake?

My own interpretation is that the mistake — best written as mis-take — refers to how from so early on in our lives we are mistaken for our particular qualities or behaviours and that confusion of our soul, our true emotional self with such phenomena are deep wounds to the unique Self that is each one of us.

Whether the mis-take is about ‘good’ or ‘bad’ qualities or behaviours a great darkness descends on us and, until sometime in adulthood when we have the time and safety to examine the mistake, we are compelled to create protectors to reduce the threats that the mistakes pose.

The most common mis-take is that a person is their behaviour and from that confusion arises such judgements as ‘you’re a difficult person’. ‘you’re a bully’, ‘you’re a bold boy’, ‘you’re a clever kid’, ‘you’re a good girl’. Much more harsh judgements are ‘you’re bad, sad, mad, insane, selfish, neurotic, psychotic, lazy, no-good, depressive, a waste of space’.

What is often not appreciated is that the person who is told that she is ‘so good’ or ‘so clever’ is as much threatened as the person who is told that they are ‘bad’, ‘impossible’ and so on.

Suicide is a common phenomenon around examination times and arises from fears of falling short of the perceived unrealistic expectations and falling off the pedestal that the person has been put upon. Similarly, individuals who are perfectionist in their behaviours believe that any mistake will result in rejection by the person who has mistaken them for getting things right all of the time; as a consequence they will strive relentlessly to be perfect.

The ‘realisation of life’s mistake’ that is required for this person is that ‘I’m not my behaviour and that perfection lies in my unique being and presence and that mistakes and failures are wonderful opportunities to learn more about the world’.

The latter process takes a long, long time because the person’s intense endeavours to be perfect have been ‘sanctified’ over and over again within her home, classrooms and workplaces. Nobody corrected the mis-take and affirmed the person for her unique presence and demonstrated that behaviour

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The first ACARA Safe House built in October 2008 Lesotho, Southern Africa is an independent country totally landlocked by South Africa and

BIG ERROR: Passing judgments on your child, whether positive or negative, have an enduring effect.

is one of the 6 poorest African Countries. There are over

Picture: Getty Images

180,000 orphans in Lesotho mainly due

is a means of understanding and exploring our inner and outer worlds, but it is not a means of proving myself and it certainly is not the self.

Arising from their earlier childhood experiences, many men believe (mistakenly) that they are their work, and a high percentage of them die quite soon after retiring from work, even though there were no indications of ill-health at the time of retirement. A typical response to retirement is ‘I have nothing left to live for’.

Sadly, these men’s addiction to work would have resulted in poor marital relationships, strained relationships with their children and the endless repetition of the mistake in their daily work life.

Work is a wonderful expression of the immense power of our nature, but I am not my work, and that realisation means I can enjoy my work in a way that I don’t live to work, but I do work to live.

Work organisations believe that those addicted to work — highly engaged — are a great asset (thereby sanctifying the mistake), but the reality is that they are a great threat to the wellbeing of others and are not mature and effective managers.

What does Lawrence mean by the ‘soul, the deep emotional self ’? Intuitively, we have a sense of ourselves as being unique, as being unlike any other, a distinctiveness that cannot be pinned down to anything tangible, such as particular dimensions of our physical appearance, or a particular type of intelligence, or a particular way of believing, or a particular way of relating, or a particular way of feeling. The self as unique presence has a physical mirror in the uniqueness of my DNA, and more observably in my fingerprints. My self is unrepeatable and as a unique presence, as inviolate wholeness, is present from the moment of conception.

There is no greater wounding to the self, to the soul, than to mistake the Self for how we look, what we feel, think, say and do. The redemption of the self from the endless repetition of the mis-take is our most urgent responsibility.

■ Dr Tony Humphreys is a clinical psychologist, author, national and international speaker. His new books The Compassionate Intentions of Illness and Relationship, Relationship, The Heart of a Mature Society are now available.

FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2010

to HIV and AIDS. The average life expectancy is only 38.

ACARA are currently looking for skilled and non-skilled trades people to undertake the Lesotho Build Project Challenge 2010 THE CHALLENGE:

• To bring a minimum of 60 participants to build the second ACARA Safe House in Lesotho, Southern Africa for orphans and vulnerable children • To provide a Keyhole Vegetable Garden and play area for the children in the area • Fill a 40ft container with clothing, school and medical supplies • To fund the building of toilets for an existing ACARA School Project

If you want to do something worth while in 2010 then ACARA want to hear from you!

20 Stephens Street Lower Dublin 2 Tel +353 1 4784505 Email info@acara.ie

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8 Cover story

Summer in a bowl

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We don’t need the weather to enjoy the seasonal delights of the summer. Rachel Allen tells Irene Feighan how she brings the sunshine out in the food, either way

It’s all a question of taste Summer food is all about freshness and colour.

There are strawberries, tomatoes, red peppers and many more bright, lovely ingredients.

I always embrace the foods that are in season

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RREPRESSIBLE Rachel Allen could easily be one of the characters from Enid Blyton’s Famous Five books. For her, summer is an endless adventure of spontaneous quick-fix picnics and outdoor living. And like the Five who take up residence in the seaside town of Kirrin, the Allens live next door to the sea in East Cork, giving them every opportunity to make the most of the sun — when it appears.

Ever the trooper, Rachel is not about to give in to the vagaries of summer. It’s a miserable, damp day when we speak, but the super cook is bursting with vitality and good food suggestions.

Summer, it seems, is a state of mind.

And any opportunity to celebrate the season should be grabbed with both hands.

“Everything tastes better outside. I’m a great fan of picnics. All it takes is something as simple as a rug out in the back garden, a flask of tea, slice of cake, even a sandwich.”

And it can be done in minutes. “Like an assembly job you can take out tomatoes, cheese, salami and so on, or prepare the food inside and carry it outside.”

Though the rain never seems to fall in a Rachel Allen summer, I ask her to consider the possibility of a wild, wet day.

Simply bring the sunshine indoors, she says. “Summer food is all about freshness and colour. There are strawberries, tomatoes, red peppers and many more bright, lovely ingredients. I always embrace the foods that are in season.”

But what if you can feel the cold in your bones and a tomato salad is the last thing you want, I ask doggedly? “Tomato and basil soup is terrific and so too is pea and coriander soup — both are fast, fresh and taste of the summer,” she says brightly.

A determined realist, I try to stir things up by admitting to having a fortifying bowl of porridge every morning, even when the sun is pouring down like honey.

But this woman is not for turning: “I still have porridge. I was on the Ray D’Arcy Show this morning and didn’t get to have breakfast until late, and rather than reach for a slice of bread or cake, I had the guilt-free option — though I’m planning on having coffee cake this afternoon to balance things out.”

Rachel also likes to mark the different seasons, and these days is eating more yoghurt and fruit. “Smoothies are great if you are in a rush — just whizz up strawberries, banana, yoghurt, a splash of orange juice followed by a little honey and your sorted.”

But children can be notoriously picky eaters and hesitant to venture beyond the tried and tested. What do you do if chicken goujons are their definition of fine dining? Change starts by consulting the children, says this mother of three (her youngest, Scarlett, is 18 months).

“Find out what they like to eat. Then bring them to the supermarket to buy the ingredients.”

Gazpacho

YUMMY MUMMY: Rachel gives her youngest child, Scarlett, who is 18 months old, a taste of the new season’s vegetables.

And refuse to buy rubbish — “Children can sniff out chocolate a mile away.”

But while it’s unlikely you’ll ever hear your child say: ‘Please let’s have a salad tonight’, there are, says Rachel, ways to get them to eat raw vegetables.

“I used to serve up sticks of vegetables saying: ‘Boys these are really good for you’ and, of course, they wouldn’t touch them.

But my mother told me it was best to serve them up while the children were watching TV and say nothing. It worked.”

Rachel’s sons — Joshua and Lucca — have just started growing vegetables, a cornucopia of carrots, broad beans, herbs and radishes. Ever the intrepid eaters, they happily munch on their homegrown radishes along with their school lunches. “But for the last two days at school the radishes remained uneaten,” says Rachel.

But this is far from ordinary — the average child will baulk at carrots, not to mention a wince-inducing radish.

“Salmon fish fingers are worth trying – when one has time,” she says in a deliberate voice, recognising that time is often a scare commodity in our fast-forward lives.

Other quick-fix foods include: pan-fried fish with a squeeze of lemon, barbecue lamb chops (a family favourite) and chicken goujons — “it reminds children of chicken nuggets.”

Foreign holidays are an ideal opportunity to enjoy ripe, abundant food at its sun-kissed best. Yet Irish people have the reputation of taking ice boxes packed with rashers, sausages and pudding — for fear of missing the traditional breakfast.

Rachel is charmed by the image. “I think it’s very patriotic of them,” she says, adding quickly that it’s not something she would do herself. “I look to enjoy what

the locals eat. Sometimes the best places to eat are not to be found in the guidebook, but by asking the locals.”

One of her favourite haunts is a tapas bar near Palma in Majorica where her parents often stay. A well-travelled family, the Allens will soon take a week-long break in Corfu. She can hardly wait and excitedly lists off the terrific local foods: olives, lamb on a skewer, mint, garlic, yoghurt, Greek salad and so on.

Though the boys are off school until September, Rachel is not about to kick back for long. She is currently working flat-out on two new projects: a TV series for RTE and a cookery book — Rachel Allen’s Dinner Parties.

But, given the opportunity and a scrap of clear blue sky, Rachel, husband Issac and three children will out be creating their own Famous Five adventure, picnic basket in hand.

FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2010

Serves 4, Vegetarian (with non-vegetarian variations) Gazpacho is a classic chilled summer soup from Spain. It reminds me of the many happy holidays I’ve had in Mallorca.

800g (1 ¾ lb) ripe tomatoes (about 3-4), quartered 1 red pepper, deseeded and roughly chopped ½ large cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped 8 spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped 8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling 2 tbsp sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar Squeeze of lemon juice 2 cloves of garlic, peeled 2 tsp caster sugar Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1. Place all of the ingredients in a blender and blitz until smooth. Check the seasoning and add a little more sugar if necessary.

Push the soup through a fine sieve over a large bowl, cover and place in the fridge to chill before serving.

2. Ladle into bowls and drizzle over a little olive oil. Serve with your choice of toppings from below, placing little bowls of them on the table for each person to add to their own soup.

Toppings Mix ½ red or yellow pepper, deseeded and finely chopped, with 4 teaspoons of finely chopped red onion and 4 tablespoons of golden croutons (2 thick slices of white or brown bread cut into 5mm/ ¼ in cubes, brushed with olive oil and baked in the oven, preheated to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas mark 6, for 10 minutes).

Mix 2 tablespoons of fresh white crab meat with ¼ avocado, finely chopped.

Push 1 cold hard-boiled egg through a sieve and mix with 25g (1oz) finely chopped cooked ham.

Vodka ice cubes — 1 teaspoon of vodka mixed with 1 teaspoon of water per ice cube and frozen overnight. Add to the soup, with or without the other toppings.

Picture:Dan Linehan

Salmon fish fingers with a tomato and basil dip Serves 4 Try to buy the best quality salmon you can afford. If it is farmed salmon, then go for organic if possible. You can easily substitute the salmon with another chunky fish such as cod, haddock or whiting. If eating the fish fingers as a meal rather than as a snack, serve with peas, Pea Purée, boiled potatoes or chips, either chunky or as frites.

500g (1lb 2oz) centre-cut skinless salmon fillet 3 tbsp plain flour 2 eggs 110gt (4oz) fresh white breadcrumbs Salt and freshly ground black pepper 25g (1oz) butter (if shallow-frying) 2 tbsp olive oil Lemon wedges, to serve For the tomato and basil dip 275g (10oz) tomatoes, roughly chopped 110ml (4fl oz) creme fraiche 1 tbsp finely shredded basil 1. Preheat the oven to 220C (425F). Gas mark 7.

2. Cut the piece of salmon in half across the width and then cut each half into six equal-sized fingers down the length. Sift the flour onto a place or into a wide bowl, beat the eggs in another bowl and place the breadcrumbs in a third. Season each with salt and pepper.

First dust the salmon fingers in the flour, then dip them in the beaten egg and finally in the breadcrumbs, to evenly coat. (The fish fingers can be prepared in advance to this stage and then stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours or freezer for up to three months.)

3. To shallow-fry, melt the butter with the olive oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high heat and fry the fish fingers for 3-4 minutes each side, or until crisp, golden and cooked through. Drain well on kitchen paper.

4. Alternatively, drizzle the olive oil on a large baking sheet and arrange the fish fingers on the oiled sheet. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through cooking, until crisp, golden and cooked through.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the tomato dip. blitz the chopped tomato in a blender or using a hand-held blender until smooth. Push through a fine sieve into a small saucepan and simmer on a low heat for 4-5 minutes or until reduced and thickened. Remove and leave to cool completely before stirring into the creme fraiche with the basil and a little salt and pepper.

6. Serve the salmon fish fingers with lemon wedges for people to squeeze over together with a bowl of the tomato and basil creme fraiche to dip into.

Variations Flavoured coatings: for a different flavour every time, try adding one of the following to the breadcrumbs before coating the fish fingers. * 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest * 2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese * 1 tbsp finely chopped herbs, such as parsley, chives or dill * ½ tsp paprika, ground cumin or ground coriander.

Basil dressing This is of course great over tomatoes, with mozzarella or another soft cheese such as ricotta, or even just over simple green salad.

For the basil dressing: 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 handful basil leaves, chopped 1 small clove of crushed or finely grated garlic To make the dressing, simply mix together all the ingredients and season to taste with salt and pepper.

■ MORE SUMMER RECIPES, PAGE 10 ■

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10

Summer in a bowl

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Taste the season South American beef steak with chimichurri salsa

The flavours in the salsa marry beautifully with the steak, which can be cooked on a barbecue, in a frying pan or grill pan on the hob. It is delicious served with the avocado, orange and watercress salad.

6 sirloin steaks about 1cm (½in) thick 6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped Juice of 1 orange Juice of 1 lemon 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 100ml (3½fl oz) olive oil For the chimichurri salsa: 1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped 1 tbsp finely chopped spring onion 1 tbsp white wine vinegar 1 pinch dried chilli flakes 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley Juice of ½ lime 100ml (3½fl oz) olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper Using a sharp knife, score the steaks deep in a criss-cross pattern. Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a shallow glass or china dish or strong plastic bag, add the beef and toss in the marinade. Then place in the fridge for at least one hour (or up to about 8 hours).

To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat a grill pan, frying pan or your barbecue until very hot. Remove the beef from the marinade and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side or longer, depending on your taste. Reserve the marinade and use it to brush over the steaks during cooking. Transfer to serving plates, spoon over the chumichurri salsa, with more in a bowl on the side, and serve.

CREDITS All of the recipes and photographs accompanying this interview were taken from books written by Rachel Allen, and are reprinted here courtesy of her publishers.

The books featured are: ■ Home Cooking: Rachel Allen (Collins Press, 2009) ■ Bake: Rachel Allen (Collins Press, 2008) ■ Rachel’s Favourite Food at Home (Collins Press, 2006) ■ Rachel’s Favourite Food For Friends (Gill & MacMillan, 2005) ■ Rachel’s Favourite Food (Gill & Mac Millan, 2004)

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Crudités and dips

Crudités, the French word for raw vegetables served as a appetiser or hor d’ouvre, are one of my favourite things to nibble on, especially when there is a tasty dip to indulge in. Makes as many as you like — use a selection of vegetables that are in season.

Vegetable choices: Tomatoes, whole if small, or halved or quartered if large Cauliflower, broken into florets French beans, mangetout or sugar snap peas Cucumber, cut into sticks Celery, trimmed and cut into sticks Celery, trimmed and cut into sticks Spring onions, trimmed and cut in half Chicory, broken into leaves Red, green or yellow peppers, deseeded and cut into strips Radishes.

Prepare the vegetables and arrange them on individual plates or one big platter with small bowls of one or more dips alongside.

Fresh Fruit Salads Each recipe serves 2 — Vegetarian There’s nothing like a fresh fruit salad to make you feel healthy and invigorated. Eat for breakfast or serve as a starter, simple snack or dessert, either on its own or with natural yoghurt. First make the fruit juice dressing, then mix with your choice of fruit salad.

Fruit juice dressing 1 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tsp caster sugar or runny honey 2 tbsp finely chopped mint (optional) Mix the orange juice and lemon juice in a bowl and stir in the sugar or honey to dissolve. Pour this over your choice of fruit salad (adding finely chopped mint, if you wish). Stir to combine and serve immediately.

Pink Grapefruit and Pomegranate 2 pink grapefruit, peeled and segmented Seeds from 1/2 pomegranate Mix the pink grapefruit segments and pomegranate seeds together. Stir in the dressing and serve.

Grape, melon and grapefruit 110g (4oz) seedless red or green grapes (or a mixture), halved 250g (9oz) peeled and deseeded melon, diced 1 grapefruit, peeled and segmented 1 tbsp very finely chopped celery (optional) Mix the red and green grapes with the melon, grapefruit and celery and serve.

Tropical fruit mix 1 large orange, peeled and segmented 200g (7oz) peeled and stoned mango, roughly chopped 125g (4 1/2oz) peeled and cored pineapple, roughly chopped 110g (4oz) peeled and deseeded papaya, diced Seeds and pulp from 1 large passion fruit.

Mix the orange, mango, pineapple and diced papaya with the passion fruit. Stir in the dressing and serve.

FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2010

White bean dip Makes about 200g (11oz) — vegetarian This is delicious not only as a dip but also spread on bruschetta, a piece of crispbread, or warmed up and served with a steak or lamb chops. It can be stored in the fridge for up to two days.

1 x 400g tin cannellini or butter beans, drained, or 125g (4 ½oz) dried beans, soaked and cooked.

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed Juice of ½ lemon 2 tsp Dijon mustard 4 tsp extra-virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

1. Place the beans in a food processor with the garlic, lemon juice and mustard and whiz until coarsely chopped. Alternatively, use a hand-held blender or mash the cooked beans with a fork before stirring in the other ingredients. Add the olive oil.

2. Season to taste with salt and pepper and a little more lemon juice, if you like. Use straight away or place in the fridge to use later.

Homemade nut butter Makes about 200g (12oz) — vegetarian This spread is so versatile: on a ham sandwich but also lovely rippled through ice cream, great on toast and also perfect as a dip for crudities. Don’t worry if it starts to look a little oily: excess oil will rise to the surface once it settles in the jar but this helps to preserve the nut butter. It should keep in your cupboard for about six weeks.

150g (5oz) salted peanuts 50g (2oz) whole hazelnuts 50g (2oz) whole almonds 100ml (3.5 fl oz) hazelnut or groundnut oil 1-2 tsp brown sugar (optional) 1. First check the nuts, discarding any that look dried out or darker in colour as these will have gone off, then place in a food processor with the hazelnut or groundnut oil and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar (if using).

2. Blend to a fairly smooth paste, adding the second teaspoon of brown sugar to taste, if necessary.

Place in a serving bowl to use as a dip or pour into a larger sterilised jar with a tight-fitting lid if saving for later use.

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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

Medical matters I AM 27 weeks pregnant and interested in having a natural birth if possible. Can you tell me about hypno-birthing and how this works?”

A. Hypno-birthing is an increasingly popular mind-body technique among parents seeking a natural birthing experience. It teaches you through easy-to-learn self-hypnosis techniques to enter deep states of relaxation during pregnancy and birth.

Women who use hypno-birthing tend to have shorter labours, with less need for intervention or pain relief. It is believed that fear and tension worsen labour pains in most pregnant women. When we are afraid, our body diverts blood and oxygen from non-essential organs such as the uterus. Fear activates our fight — or flight mechanism, causing stress hormones called catecholamines to make the heart speed up, force blood to the arms and legs and reduce blood flow to the uterus.

Replacing fear with relaxation will help minimise the pain of labour.

Hypnosis is a naturally occurring phenomenon and helps redirect your energy and focus on the birthing process. Mums-to-be are trained to self-hypnotise, use deep breathing and relaxation techniques during labour.

You are also taught basic physiology of birth and birth positions.

When in hypnosis you are always fully in control and aware of what is happening to you and around you. Daily practice helps eliminate distractions and reach a state of deep relaxation earlier each time. Mothers who have used this technique often say they only experienced pressure and tightening sensations.

Hypno-birthing is safe. However, the key to a successful natural childbirth is having the attitude that you’re doing this for yourself and if for whatever reason you can’t continue with it, there is nothing wrong with quitting. If you choose to use this technique make sure your doctor supports you. There is always the possibility that things don’t go as planned during labour, so it is best that delivery takes place in or near a hospital with access to emergency obstetric care.

See www.hypno-birthingireland.com for more information Q There is a history of Parkinson’s Disease in my family. Is there any way to prevent this illness happening to me. I’m in my 40s and in good health. What are the signs of Parkinson’s, and I’ve heard there is surgery you can have as treatment?

A. Having one or more close relatives with Parkinson’s does increase the chances that you may develop it, but your risk is still lower than 5%. Family history is only one risk factor — it usually begins in later life and increases with age. Men are also more likely to

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EASING TENSION: Relaxation techniques help ease the fear and tension which can worsen labour pains.

Picture: Getty Images

develop it than women. Ongoing exposure to herbicides and pesticides also puts you at an increased risk. It can be difficult to diagnose, especially in the early stages. For instance tremor is often an early sign of Parkinson’s, but the most common type of tremor, known as “essential tremor”, isn’t caused by Parkinson’s. The other main symptoms are slowing or freezing of movement (bradykinesia) and muscle rigidity. The symptoms vary from person to person and can go unnoticed for months or years. Getting a correct diagnosis in the early stages is the key to starting the right treatment that can delay or manage symptoms for years.

“Deep brain stimulation” is the most common surgical procedure to treat Parkinson’s Disease. This involves implanting an electrode deep within the parts of the brain that control movement. The amount of stimulation delivered by the electrode is controlled by a pacemaker-like device placed under the skin in your upper chest. A wire that travels under your skin connects the device (pulse generator) to the electrode. This type of procedure may not be suitable for everyone and is most

often used for people who have advanced Parkinson’s. It helps reduce involuntary movements especially tremor.

Medication used to treat Parkinson’s can have good but variable results in individuals.

Some may cause a number of complications, including involuntary twitching or jerking movements of the legs or arms, hallucinations, sleepiness and a drop in blood pressure when standing up. When someone is first started on treatment the initial response can be dramatic. But, over time, the benefits of the drugs can become less consistent, although symptoms can usually still be fairly well controlled. Medication help manage problems with walking, movement or tremor by increasing the brain’s supply of dopamine.

Co-enzyme Q10 is an important vitamin-like substance that helps provide energy to cells and also has antioxidant properties.

People with certain diseases, such as Parkinson’s Disease seem to have lower levels of C0-Q10. It may help slow the progression of the disease in some people with Parkinson’s.

But it’s not known if taking C0-Q10 routinely will prevent you from developing it.

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

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Catherine Shanahan MUM’S WORLD Feelgood

Y son understands that confession is good for the soul in the same sense that Regaine is good for hair loss — likely to buy him some time, but not a permanent cure.

“I hit my sister,” he says, running breathlessly towards me while his victim has a conniption.

“I locked my cousin in the cupboard,” he says, as the sound of a minor cat fit comes from the cloakroom under the stairs.

His ready confessions are designed to disarm the enemy and dampen retribution, but fail to acknowledge that mother did not come down in the last shower.

I made this mistake myself on countless occasions, assuming my mother would buy my side of the story if I got to her in time.

This strategy backfired badly on one particular instance. My sister and I had acquired roller skates: not your high-grade polyurethane in-line roller-disco

bells-and-whistles boot skates, just the old-fashioned metal plate-type with plastic wheels and a set of straps to hold them together.

We skated with gusto and, surprisingly, survived, despite shooting down the hill on which we lived faster than a speeding train, on brakeless skates, straight out onto a main road where thankfully the traffic was far lighter than it is now.

Occasionally, when the mothers were watching, our friends and ourselves skated on a level concrete area at the top of the hill, ingeniously nicknamed “The Flat”.

A number of our neighbours’ gardens fronted onto “The Flat”. On this particular day, one neighbour had left a sheet of linoleum lying upside down in her garden.

We assumed she had thrown it out.

Descending en masse, we skated and carved our way across that lino with the tenacity of Torvill and Dean cutting up the

FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2010

ice on their way to victory at the Winter Olympics of that same year — until all that was left was a shredded memory of what had once lined the neighbour’s bathroom floor.

As we admired our footwork, our neighbour opened her front door. The lino she had temporarily set out in the sunshine to dry was scattered in patterned strips around her lawn. She did not award a 10 for perfect artistic expression. We fled in terror.

We confessed our crime to our mother amid endless expressions of sorrow and more crying than Charles Ingalls ever managed in the cornfields of Walnut Grove. She was singularly unmoved.

The other kids who partook in the carnage stayed sensibly schtum. My sister and I wore hairshirts for a while, but we were not grounded for life. Nonetheless, we learned a valuable lesson; honesty may be the best policy, but insanity is a better defence.

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12 Food survey

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TIME TO DRESS IT UP

Roz Crowley

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UPERB, fresh produce this year means we can have a salad every day and not repeat an ingredient. From delicious varieties of lettuce, chicory, cabbage, tomatoes, onions, radishes, peppers, aubergines and courgettes to chunkier broad beans, string and French beans, we are spoiled for choice.

Add a wide range of vitamins, minerals, fibre and general all round good health, and we have lots of pleasure and satisfaction in our food preparation. Just chop and slice and pour over a Miles Cattell’s Rocket Dressing 250ml, F4. Farmers’ markets in Kinsale and Emmet Place, Cork.

A BLEND of fresh rocket, oil, vinegar, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper and sugar, this scored best for us for depth of flavour, texture and its deep green colour. Good to see the best of fresh ingredients used at their peak so we can enjoy other vegetables even more. Delicious on cold or hot new potatoes, hot French or runner beans, carrots and as a sauce with fish. An excellent product at a fair price.

Score 9

Meridian Organic French Dressing 220g, F3.33, Organic Garden, English Market Cork and wholefood shops A LIGHT, runny texture with a beautiful balance of 30% organic sunflower oil, organic cider vinegar, 10% organic extra virgin olive oil and the sweetness of 5% organic agave syrup. Agave has some iron, magnesium potassium and calcium and is more like honey is terms of health than sugar. Liked by all tasters.

Score 8.5

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Picture: Getty Images

dressing and you have a meal. Pour dressings over non leafy vegetables and they will marinate a little, taking on delicious flavours otherwise dress just before serving.

Add some chopped leftovers or a freshly cooked, thinly sliced steak (this way it will stretch to four people) and you can have a feast.

I usually don’t make dressings — just drizzling some olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice is enough for me, but balsamic vinegar is useful for a change and to use on heartier vegetables such as beans and beetroot. Balsamic is also delicious sprinkled on freshly boiled new potatoes. Freshly grated Parmesan or hard Irish cheeses such as Gabriel added to simple oil and vinegar or lemon juice make them creamier and are good on the side with a simple dish of fried fish and new potatoes.

Use like pesto and add to soups in the bowl — especially fresh tomato or cucumber. Mayonnaise is easy to make and to be sure it doesn’t curdle my best tip is to make it by hand and don’t work it for too long. I also start with sunflower oil as olive oil can have too much acid and lead to curdling.

Add the olive oil once it has thickened a little. If by chance it does curdle, use the old tip of starting again with a raw egg yolk and slowly add the dressing made so far to it. Add chopped fresh herbs or mustard to vary and a little grated garlic is delicious with beans and with cold meats.

All dressings should be applied delicately. It is easy to drown a good salad in too much of a good thing. It shouldn’t be able to drip off the leaves, instead it should cling on for dear life. Allow a dessertspoonful to a small head of lettuce.

Tesco Light Choices Caesar Dressing 250ml, F1.35

Hellmann’s Caesar Dressing 235 ml, F1.55

Newman’s Balsamic Dressing, 250ml, F2.66

THIS is more like a salad cream than a Caesar dressing with no flavour of traditional Parmesan or anchovies which makes a Caesar dressing interesting. Instead a cheese paste includes yeast extract and glucose syrup for added flavour. Low in saturated fats, but it does have the added colouring titanium dioxide which is also used to add bright whiteness to paint. The amount in this dressing is hardly dangerous. No interesting flavours and not liked by any of the tasters.

Score 2

A SLIGHTLY gloopy, unnatural texture from the thickener and emulsifier here, but also has some cheesy bits which we expect, though not from Parmesan as is traditional. Instead extra salt has been added for flavour totalling a high 2.68%. It is still a pleasant, albeit salty, product. Good for a quick green salad, with some leftover cold chicken. Use sparingly to keep salt level low.

Score 6

An interesting complexity of flavours here from the addition of a little garlic purée, red pepper, basil, oregano and parsley which don’t have the dry flavours that added herbs often do. Overall an interesting dressing and a good all rounder for a variety of salads.

Score 7.5

Nash 19 Strawberry and Pink Grapefruit Dressing 250ml, F3.95

Lakeshore Healthy Balsamic & Red Pepper Dressing 245ml, F1.50

Bramwells French Style Dressing 240ml, F1.69, Aldi

SWEET strawberry and soft grapefruit flavours are mixed with a light oil, to make a sweet dressing which would contrast well with peppery rocket, radishes, thinly sliced raw beetroot or drizzled over warm, tangy goat cheese. Low on acidity, we would like more zing.

Good to introduce children to dressings — one of our young tasters was happy it tasted of jam.

Score 7.

RED pepper is the main flavour for this smooth dressing. Bits of red pepper skin are not so pleasant, but the overall texture, despite the addition of modified maize starch and a stabliser, is pleasant. 10% balsamic vinegar gives a sweet depth of flavour and a little chilli gives it a slight kick. Not too sweet.

Score 7.25

QUITE a runny texture with sharp mustard flavours from 6% each coarse grain and Dijon mustards. Rapeseed oil is used here and as a result there is no oily taste. Bright yellow when in flower, we see fields of it growing in Ireland. These days it’s often used for biodiesel fuels. Health wise rapeseed oil, also know as canola, has less saturated fats than many oils. Thickener is used here and it’s obvious, but used sparingly, salads will benefit from it.

Score 6.5

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Male health

We can’t go on like this M

ORE than 700,000 Irish people, 17% of the population, live with neurological conditions, such as stroke, epilepsy, acquired brain injury, multiple sclerosis, dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Yet, we lag behind in Europe in the provision of services for people with these conditions. That’s according to a report published by the Neurological Alliance of Ireland (NAI), the national umbrella group of 30 or so charities in the neurological field.

“We are nowhere near the standard of care routinely available in other countries,” said Anne Winslow, chairperson of NAI and chief executive of Multiple Sclerosis Ireland. “The HSE now has an unprecedented opportunity to bring together all the doctors, health professionals, voluntary organisations and resources to improve neurological care for Irish people. We have already seen how effective this can be in the area of cancer and we feel the same can be achieved for neurological conditions.”

According to the NAI, neurological conditions account for one in five A&E admissions

Deirdre O'Flynn MOSTLY MEN

RUSH HOUR: According to the NAI neurological conditions account for one in five A&E admissions.

Picture: Getty Images and one in eight visits to a GP, yet Ireland has no national plan for our health service to deal with these conditions. This leaves people with neurological conditions and their families experiencing long waiting lists for diagnosis and treatment, as well as limited access to specialist care and rehabilitation services.

The World Health Organisation has indicated that neurological conditions are the next significant challenge facing healthcare systems in developed countries worldwide, as

Discussion board for depression awareness IF YOU, or someone you know, The discussion board is a valuable lives with depression, check out the addition to Aware’s depression supAware discussion board online. The port services. Through online supboard is intended as a safe, underports like this, Aware hopes to standing space for those reach even more of the essuffering from depression, timated 400,000 people as well as friends and suffering from depression family members affected in Ireland at any one time, indirectly, to seek support not all of whom will be from others with an uncomfortable calling the derstanding of this debilihelpline or attending a tating illness. Any regisface-to-face support group. tered user can post a query, a comment, or, a ● Go online at good old-fashioned www.aware.ie/inmoan. dex.php/forums Picture: Getty Images

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TAKE

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NATURAL PROTECTION: When protecting children in the sun a common misconception is that an SPF50 offers twice the protection of an SPF25 but this is not the case, says skin product company Green People. In fact, an SPF25 offers 96% protection against UVB rays, while SPF50 offers 98% protection.

Green People advises that the key to staying protected is to apply sufficient lotion before sun exposure, reapply after swimming and activity, and to avoid direct sun between 11am and 3pm when it is at its strongest.

Green People says its sun care range contains over 80% certified organic ingredients with natural mineral sun filters, and includes two children’s sun lotions.

Feelgood

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populations age. In ten years’ time, it is estimated that neurological conditions will affect 860,000 people in this country.

The launch of the report, The Future For Neurological Conditions In Ireland: A Challenge For Healthcare, An Opportunity For Change, marks the start of Vote for Thinking Ahead, a nationwide campaign by the NAI and its member charities, calling on the HSE to put in place a national programme for neurological care. Members of the public are

Hole in one: get exercise and help cancer patients THIS summer, why don’t events. you hit the fairways, have Not only is golf good exsome fun and raise valuable ercise for men, but this offunds for the Irish Cancer fers a valuable chance to do Society’s pasome good while tient-care seryou chip and putt. vices? You can Contact the Irish swing into action Cancer Society’s to help them help fundraising team people all over the on 1850 60 60 60, country touched or fundraisby cancer by oring@irishcancer.ie ganising a golf to discuss and regtournament, a golf ister your event skills competition, and get support or an auction to from the organisacoincide with any tion’s fundraising of your golfing Picture: iStock team.

with Kate O’Reilly

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BAMBOO SHIRT: Kidz Banz are also a bestseller at The Organic Cotton Shop in Clonakilty (F14.99 without case) but what’s really flying out the door this year are these new bamboo sunshirts by Tatty Bumpkin. Knee length and hooded for extra protection, bamboo has natural anti-UVA properties and wicks perspiration away from the skin, keeping the wearer cool and dry.

This shirt has been tested as UPF79, which is a greater than 50 SPF and costs F23.95 and comes in blue or pink in sizes, age two to six. Visit www.organiccottonshop.ie for more details.

encouraged to join the campaign by signing the petition on www.nai.ie.

Winslow says the NAI looks forward to being a key partner in this process. “The health service needs our expertise and experience to enable it to develop an effective response to the needs of people with neurological conditions.”

To download a copy of the report, visit the NAI website at www.nai.ie, or phone 01-872 4120.

DId you know...

Men who are obese at 20 face a life-long doubling of the risk of dying prematurely (Source: Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark)

Sun Safety for Kids

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SNOOZE SAFELY: SnoozeShade is a new blackout blind created by a British mother specifically to help babies and toddlers sleep for as long as needed in a pram or pushchair on sunny days. Made from a double layer of soft dark breathable fabric, SnoozeShade provides a shady and well-ventilated sleep environment, while protecting babies from the sun with a UPF50+. The shade folds into a small drawstring bag which stores easily under the buggy, or in a changing bag and costs F24.95 from www.onceborn.com who stock a variety of buggy and car sun shades.

FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2010

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TRAVEL TIPS: Another Irish online retailer, babytravelshop.com provides lots of tips on travelling with children, as well as a number of useful products. Bestsellers include the UV Infant Play Shade, F34; Konfidence UV suits, F25; Baby Banz Legionnaire hats, F12.99 and Baby Banz wrap around sunglasses. Made from tough polycarbonate, these sunglasses fit securely with an adjustable neoprene band and are suitable from birth and designed to give 100% protection from harmful UV rays; F17.99 with case.

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The news on ...

HYDRAPHASE INTENSE LA Roche Posay’s excellent moisturiser, Hydraphase is definitely one of our favourites, but the formulation has now been improved, with a new Hydraphase Intense for dehydrated skins, F21.50.

New, hyaluronic acid fragments infuse skin with moisture and lock it in quickly and deeply. It’s a well-priced, highly effective moisturiser that will suit anyone feeling tightness, or dry, fine lines on their skin.

Emily O’Sullivan

Banish that pale look with the right bronzer to give your skin an instant glow

VOLUME MASCARAS

HERE’S something inherently tacky about bronzer. There just is. Especially if it’s worn in large amounts — plastered on, as it were. But tacky can be good sometimes.

Like drinking sangria on holidays in Spain, it can make you feel happy, sunshiney and, well, a little bit smiley. This is beauty’s flirtation with kitsch — no matter how you look at it, bronzer just isn’t sophisticated. It’s not even particularly hot right now, with super-pale looks where it’s at from high street to catwalk.

But bronzer is a product that’s been around for a LONG time (Egyptian Wonder, anyone?) — so it has proved its staying power, and if you want to get an instant glow to your skin, without resorting to fake tan, then it’s the only product for you.

Yes, so we know that pale is way cooler for summer, but once September hits we’re going to be as pale as can be for several months… so we feel it’s okay to give the Kristen Stewart look a miss and go a little bit Cameron Diaz California, while we still can.

Irish skins are generally pale, and the main thing to remember with bronzer is not to opt for a product that’s too dark for your skin tone. Otherwise, you’re going to end up with a weirdly brown face while the rest of you is miserably milky. Bronzers now come in a variety of shades, so don’t be tempted to go all mahogany. It’s just wrong.

The other thing to keep in mind is that while sparkly might occasionally be okay for evening, it’s definitely not okay for the middle of the day — it’s way too disco, especially when the sun hits your face. Bronzer should have a little shimmer — this is a product

FORGET lash extensions and false eyelashes, some of the best mascaras around this summer will take your lashes to truly vertiginous heights and plump them up like never before.

L’Oreal Paris Volume Million Lashes Mascara, F14.99. There’s something about the chubby size of the packaging with this one that screams volume. And it really does plump up your lashes.

Volume Million Lashes is a fantastic mascara. It thickens and really lengthens without clumping, flaking or smudging.

5/5 Lancome Hypnose Precious Cells Mascara, F25.50. Lancome mascaras are very good, and this one is no different although it amps it up a bit by introducing lash care as well as volume. It’s a great product, though. The slimline brush really combs through lashes giving you volume you never knew you could get.

4/5 Maybelline Lash Stiletto, F11.94. It’s the most unattractively packaged of the three with its square shaped red packaging, but looks aren’t everything! This mascara is good for getting a volume-look that’s not too over the top. It’s better for a more natural, daytime look and it definitely doesn’t plump things up as much as the other two.

3/5

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TAKE THREE Picture: Getty Images

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SUNNY OUTLOOK

that’s all about bringing light and luminosity to your complexion, after all – but leave the glittery products for the Marbella nightclubs.

Another really important aspect to bronzer is to remember that you need squeaky clean skin before you apply it. Keeping your skin regularly exfoliated helps enormously, as it gets rid of dead skin cells that bronzer can cling to, making the skin look dull and uneven.

If you’re planning on going the way of the bronze, then there’s no need to wear it over foundation. For the summer a light, natural effect is definitely the way to go, so apply a moisturiser, dab a little concealer on any dodgy bits that need covering up, and dust on a powder bronzer (note: it’s a good idea to wait until your moisturiser has absorbed, or else you’re going to have issues with clumpy bits again).

Powder bronzers are the easiest to apply, although you do need a large good-quality powder brush to get full, natural coverage.

Use it on places that the sun would normally touch, — the cheeks, forehead — and remember that if it’s giving you a flat look, you’re not using it properly.

If you’re after a fresher, more modern look then sidle up to a liquid bronzer. Chanel’s Soleil Tan de Chanel is easily our favourite for the summer — it’s limited-edition, too, so if you like the sound of it then you need to get it quick before it all goes. It has a molten bronze feel to it, all gorgeously shimmery and highlighting.

You can wear it over a little foundation, for a slightly layered look, or else wear it on its own. Either way, just a little goes a long way, although it will make your cheekbones look particularly rocking.

■ Giorgio Armani Bronze Mania Skin Tint, F40 The fresh gel texture of this one is unusual, but it’s a really lovely product to use, especially on warm summer days when you want your skin to have more of a dewy tint. Can be used on the body, too.

■ Too Faced Aqua Water Resistant Bronzer, F24.50 When it comes to tack, it does sound like this product would be at the front of the queue. A water-resistant bronzer? Mind you, whatever about wearing make-up while swimming (naff, naff, naff), in Ireland you occasionally need some waterproof make-up to keep avoid getting streaky in spontaneous downpours.

Suddenly water-resistant doesn’t seem quite so unappealing.

STUFF WE LIKE ■ Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel, F42 For a bronzer, this is quite expensive, but it’s really beautiful. It gives a real luminosity to the skin, especially used as a highlighter on the cheekbones. Great for a fresh daytime look, as well as sexy night-time chic.

■ Clinique Almost Bronzer, F32 This is quite a matte bronzer, but it’s not flat and best of all, there are two shades within the one compact — so you can go for a light look and then get darker as your holiday goes on. It comes in Light/Medium and Medium/Dark, too, which is good as getting bronzers for fairer skins can be a little tricky.

Feelgood

■ Benefit One Hot Minute, F34.50 When we opened this bronzer it looked like a bit of a shocker — it’s quite dark and because it’s loose it’s hard to know where to start. But dip a brush into it, knock off the excess powder and dust it over the face and you’ll soon see its brilliance working. It’s definitely one that gives a glow. Instantly.

■ Mac Bronzing Powder, F23 We like bronzing powders that offer us a few options, and Mac’s long running favourite comes in five shades from Matte Bronze to Refined Deeper Bronze. We’re currently in love with Golden — a muted tan beige shot through

FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2010

with golden shimmer; good for lighter skin tones.

■ Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Luminous Liquid bronzer, F29 This has quite a pearlised look to it, which won’t suit everyone and it can be a little dense — if you’re finding it hard to blend, mix it with a little moisturiser or tinted moisturiser. The slightly lighter look works wonderfully.

■ Nars The Multiple Bronzer, F41 Nars’s Multiple is available in Bronzer format, with four shades from light creamy rose bronze to a darker burnished shade. Great for highlighting the eyes, cheeks and body with a cream-to-powder texture.

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Natural health

Q

BRUSHING TIPS: Skin brushing helps release toxins from your body. Using a long-handled brush is the best way to scrub that sluggish circulation and cellulite.

I WOULD like to incorporate skin brushing into my daily routine as I have read that it is good for stimulating organ and skin health and can help those who are recovering and healing from illness. Can you please tell me more about this procedure as I have come across conflicting information on how to do it?

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

A. Skin brushing is one of those things that is so simple, yet so effective. It only takes about 5 minutes each day, but the results are astounding. From treating simple concerns such as cellulite and sluggish circulation, through to total body detoxification and supporting natural treatment of chronic illnesses, brushing your skin with a dry natural bristled brush is one of the cheapest and effective therapies available!

Skin brushing works by helping to stimulate the flow of lymph towards the nodes, where it can be filtered out. Basically, lymph flows through the body and toxins are filtered via the lymph nodes. These nodes produce white blood cells (leukocytes) which manufacture antibodies in order to destroy the foreign particles. The clean filtered fluid is then returned to the blood.

The brushes themselves are widely available from chemists, health stores and beauty stockists. Choose one with a long handle and soft natural bristles — you want it to be gently stimulating, not a harsh scrubbing, and the long handle makes it easier to brush the entire body effectively. A long-handled body brush will cost from F10-15. I bought mine from the Avon lady nearly seven years ago for about F7.00 and it is still going strong.

The most important rule of skin brushing is that both the brush and the skin need to be dry. If your skin is damp then the bristles will simply pull on your skin, and if the brush gets damp then the natural bristles tend to soften and become less effective. An ideal time for skin brushing is before you hop in the shower or bath.

You will need to clean your brush about once every week or two since it sloughs off dead skin cells, which can build up in the bristles. You can spritz it once a fortnight with an antibacterial spray — 2 drops of lavender essential oil per 100ml of water (you could also use a number of other oils such as tea tree, patchouli, bergamot or sandalwood depending on your preference) — or by washing it with a natural shampoo or mild detergent and drying it in the sunshine.

To dry skin brush, begin at the soles of your feet and work from the toes to the heels, then work upwards from ankles to knees, and knees to thighs. Each stroke should be a single, long, gentle sweeping movement. It is an unusual sensation at first — some redness is perfectly normal and means that you are brushing correctly. If it

hurts, then you are brushing too hard.

Continue with the buttocks, brushing from the centre outwards on each side in order to encourage toxin movement towards the lymph nodes. Do the same with your lower back area. Brush the belly from below the breastbone towards the lymph nodes in your groin area (sweeping from the centre to either side in the direction of your hip bone).

Brush your upper back upwards, sweeping towards the nodes in your armpits, then do your chest area from the centre to either armpit — taking care not to brush the nipple area. Next brush your arms upwards from fingertips to elbows, elbows to shoulders.

Finish with gentle downwards strokes from the neck. Never brush your face.

Avoid brushing areas of irritated or broken skin, and take a break when you have any kind of infection. People with dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis and the like should not brush their skin, however, it is both safe and beneficial for individuals prone to skin breakouts. Skin brushing should also be avoided by individuals with heart problems, high blood pressure, and cancer.

Q. I have trouble with cellulite on my thighs and buttocks. I am not really very overweight, but am not as fit as I could be.

What do you recommend for getting rid of cellulite, or am I stuck with it?

A. Activities which increase your level of fitness will certainly help with cellulite, as will the dry skin brushing discussed in the previous question. I’m glad that you mention the weight factor, since many people are un-

Megan puts the spotlight on: These findings rovide evidence at the most basic level of healthy effects derived from virgin olive oil consumption in humans

Feelgood

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LIVE oil, long touted as the reason why peoples existing on a Mediterranean diet are so healthy, has now been shown in scientific studies to repress genes which are linked to inflammation.

The research, published in the BMC Genomics journal, looked at the changes in genes mediated by olive oil phenols using a double-blind, randomised study of 20 research subjects.

All of the subjects have what is known as metabolic syndrome, where the individual has excess abdominal fat, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and elevated blood glucose levels.

The six-week study required the subjects to eat a low-fat, carbohydrate-rich diet with a

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der the impression that cellulite is only an issue for overweight people — particularly women. Cellulite can be present on people of all shapes and sizes, and is more closely related to diet and lifestyle than dress size.

True, cellulite appears in the areas of the body where fatty reserves are held — breasts, belly, buttocks, thighs and upper arms. The dimpled uneven presence of cellulite indicates that fluid waste products are being held by the body. This is typically a combination of unhealthy diet, insufficient exercise, and poor elimination, but emotional blockages have been found to play a surprisingly significant role in the accumulation of cellulite.

Foods to avoid include excessive sugar, dairy, meat, and processed foods. Whole foods, locally grown and organic where possible, with a high intake of raw fruit and vegetables, will help to move the toxins and wastes from your entire system, including the fatty reserves. Pure water is also essential. To work out how much water you need to flush your system daily, divide your weight (in lbs) in half and drink the fluid ounce equivalent, i.e. if you weigh 160lb then you would drink 80floz (around 2.3 litres) each day.

Movement is also important to prevent cellulite, as the body uses fat as fuel — if you don’t exercise daily then the fat is stored.

Tight clothing is also counter-productive, as this impairs circulation of the lymph fluid. I make a blend of raw organic sugar, jojoba oil and add whole juniper berries along with essential oils of juniper, grapefruit, cypress and fennel for a refreshing and stimulating body massage scrub. These oils leave you with smooth and freshly scented skin.

Olive oil and your heart breakfast either containing virgin olive oil (phenols are most abundant in extra-virgin varieties) or a similar breakfast which had a low content of phenols.

The results showed that the high phenol olive oil impacted the regulation of genes linked to obesity, high blood fat, type II diabetes, and heart disease.

Dr Perez Jimenez said: “We identified 98 differentially expressed genes when comparing the intake of phenol-rich olive oil with low-phenol olive oil.

FRIDAY, JULY 30, 2010

“Several of the repressed genes are known to be involved in pro-inflammatory processes, suggesting that the diet can switch the activity of immune system cells to a less deleterious inflammatory profile, as seen in metabolic syndrome.

“These findings strengthen the relationship between inflammation, obesity and diet and provide evidence at the most basic level of healthy effects derived from virgin olive oil consumption in humans.”

I am excited that there is yet another reason to include extra virgin olive oil in your diet.

We already know that some of the phytonutrients in olive oil are effective against depression and breast cancer, and now it has been confirmed that it can also improve heart health at a molecular level.

The full text of the research article can be found online at: www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/11/253.

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