Feelgood 13-08-2010

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Feelgood

Friday, August 13, 2010

Fed up

The psychology and politics behind our love-hate relationship with food: 8, 9

NATURAL CHOICE

Mums who believe home births are best: 4, 5

CLOSE UP

Celebrity hands under the microscope: 6

GUT INSTINCTS

Eight yogurts put to the health and taste test: 12

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2 News front Kate O’Reilly WHAT’S ON ■ STRETCH FOR SIMON: Stretch Your Heart for Cork Simon Community with a Yoga fundraiser at Cork Movement Centre South Main St on Saturday August 28. Yogacharya Lalit Kumar a traditional Ashtanga Yoga Teacher from India will give two workshops 10 am to 12pm for beginners and an intermediate workshop from 2 to 4pm. The suggested donation per class is F20 and profits raised go to Cork Simon Community (www.corksimon.ie) Please book early as spaces are limited for the workshops.

You can either email info@yogagoaindia.com or call 086-0700048 to reserve your place.

■ LADIES DAY: A Ladies Fashion Health & Beauty Day will be held at Peacock Farm Enniskeane, (between Beal na Blath garage and Coppeen) Co Cork, tomorrow, Saturday August 14 from 10am to 6pm. Admission is free and further details are available Tina McAvoy on 023-8847880.

■ AWARE MEETING: Mallow Aware’s support group meet every Thursday in Le Cheile Family Resource Centre, Fair Street, Mallow at 8pm. Meetings last 90 minutes and are open to all who suffer from anxiety or depressive disorders.

For those who are unable to a ttend meetings or require further support, Aware’s loCall Helpline at 1890 303 302 is open 10am-10pm Monday to Wednesday and 10am to 1am Thursday to Sunday.

■ BACK PAIN: back pain ‘guru’ Steve Timm will be giving a talk and demonstration on back pain management in the Metropole Hotel in Cork on Tuesday August 17 at 7.30pm. For more information call 087 996 7615 or visit www.mindyourownback.com ■ GOLF CLASSIC: Jockey Johnny Murtagh has lent his name to The Irish Horse Welfare Trust Golf Classic 2010, sponsored by Newbridge Silverware, which will take place at Powerscourt Golf Club, in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, on Friday August 27.

The annual golf classic is organised by the IHWT in order to help raise funds for the charity’s work rescuing and re-training horses in Ireland. Entry is F700 per team and further information is available from Heather Osborne on 086-0864772 or 01-2863509.

■ HUMANITARIAN DAY: Thursday August 19 is World Humanitarian Day 2010. Concern Worldwide will be highlighting the theme for this year’s event: “I am an aid worker” with a free open day from midday at Cultivate on St Andrew St (off Dame St), Dublin 2. More details are available on: www.concern.net ■ MEDITATION WEEKEND: A First Sphere meditation weekend will be given in Kenmare from August 20 to 22 offering an opportunity to learn simple meditation techniques. It is being given in return for a donation by Jane Killingbeck. . There is a free introductory talk on August 20 at 7pm. For further details call 023-8843067 or email Iraishaya@hotmail.com RCSI Items for inclusion in this column can be sent to koreilly8@gmail.com

FeelgoodMag

Feelgood

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Bono reported odd cravings while on morphine after his back op — most unusual according to experts, says Arlene Harris

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Pain barrier

HEN U2 front man Bono underwent spinal surgery last month, he admitted that his pain management was causing him to behave in mysterious ways.

Perhaps the 50-year-old still hadn’t found what he was looking for; but when prescribed morphine to ease the pain he was under after his operation, he began to have unusual cravings.

In a statement, the singer said: “To deal with the pain I took morphine. And like anyone on drugs I did strange things. In hospital, I always wanted ice-cream. I drank. I even started smoking again.”

The opium-based drug has been used since 1914 and has proven to be very effective in the management of pain, especially for patients with a terminal illness.

But Pamela Logan, director of pharmaceutical services for the Irish Pharmaceutical Union (IPU) says strange cravings are not usually associated with this pain relieving medication.

“Craving ice-cream or cigarettes is not a recognised medical or clinical side effect of morphine,” she explains. “The feeling of having a dry mouth is very common so perhaps Bono felt he needed to eat ice-cream to relieve that sensation — but nicotine and alcohol isn’t something I have heard associated with taking morphine.”

The IPU director says while morphine is widely used for pain relief, there are some common side effects.

“As with any medication, adverse reac-

BACK TO BLACK: Bono reported craving ice-cream, alcohol and cigarettes.

tions can occur and the main side effects of morphine are nausea, vomiting and constipation,” she says. “Dry mouth, muscle rigidity and respiratory depression can also occur but this is far less common.”

The first morphine sulphate injection was authorised in 1978 but the medication has been used to treat pain for over a century.

But despite its longevity, Logan says that it can still hold its own against advances in modern medicine.

“Morphine is still the medicine of choice when it comes to pain relief,” she says.

“And while there are other more modern options, all of them have been adapted from the original.”

The dosage and form of administration will differ from patient to patient, but despite the unusual side effects felt by the voice of U2, most people will simply find great relief from pain.

“People suffering from moderate to severe pain will usually be put on morphine, whether post-operative or receiving palliative care — and it is usually very effective,” says Logan.

HEALTH NOTES FIRE-BREATHING entrepreneur Niall O’Farrell has praised a clever new iPhone app which allows the thousands of Irish people struck down by heartburn to track down their nearest pharmacy.

“This is the sort of imaginative solution that I like,” says O’Farrell. “It works because many Irish people experience heartburn and research tells us it makes people feel very uncomfortable. So there’s a target market.

“Your local pharmacy is the best place to find a solution but finding one isn’t always straightforward.”

Galway-based pharmacist Frank McAnena says heartburn affects the work and social activities of half of all Irish adults. “It’s an easy thing to play down but the research tells us that it is a big issue for many of us. I expect that there’ll be a lot of interest in this technology.”

The Nycomed Irish Pharmacy Finder has been launched to mark the launch of new heartburn treatment SOMAC Control available in pharmacies.

The pharmacy finder and additional information about heartburn can be found on www.heartburn.ie.

THE hourglass figure is not only the ideal shape, it’s also the healthiest, according to nutritionist, Aoife Kirwan. “This is because if you have an hourglass figure — or are pear-shaped — it means that fat is not

www.irishexaminer.com www.irishexaminer.com

looked for small but significant differences.

According to the Journal of Neuroscience, the computer detected autism with over 90% accuracy. Conventional diagnosis involves a team of experts who analyse behaviour and make a complex series of assessments. Current methods of diagnosis can be lengthy and expensive. Autism Spectrum Disorder affects an estimated one in every 100 adults, most of them men.

DOUSE THE FLAMES: Niall O’Farrell and model Aoife Coogan at the launch of the Nycomed Irish Pharmacy Finder. gathering around the waist and stomach areas,” she says. To avoid gathering fat in the wrong areas log onto a new website: www. BalanceFood.ie for clear advice from Kirwin and other experts.

A BRAIN scan that detects autism in adults could mean a quicker and more straightforward diagnosis of the condition, scientists say.

Forty people were tested using an MRI brain scan at the King's College London. At first they were diagnosed using traditional methods, and then given a 15-minute scan.

The resulting images were reconstructed into 3D and analysed by a computer, which

www.irishexaminer.com feelgood@examiner.ie

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010

SCIENTISTS have established a link between global warming and heart-related deaths. A study published in the British Medical Journal found that a temperature drop of 1C in Britain on a given day can be linked to 200 additional heart attacks.

Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine analysed data on over 84,000 patients admitted to hospital with a heart attack between 2003 and 2006 and compared this with daily temperatures in England and Wales. Significantly, they found a 1C reduction in average daily temperature corresponded to a 2% increase in risk of heart attack for four weeks.

By contrast, soaring temperatures increase heart-related deaths from other causes. In 2003, more than 11,000 people died in France when a 40C heatwave struck during the first two weeks of August. The principal cause of death was linked to heart conditions other than heart attack.

Editorial: 021 4802 292

Advertising: 021 4802 215

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THE SHAPE I'M IN

Amanda Brunker

Safe sex please AS a novelist, former Miss Ireland and model Amanda Brunker writes a lot about sex. “Some say there’s too much sex in my novels, but my characters always practise safe sex. In movies, using condoms isn’t very glamorous, but in my books I try to glamourise safe sex,” says Amanda, who earlier this year lent her support to the launch of a new report on young people’s attitudes to sexual health, which found that a high proportion of teens are now becoming sexually active before they’re 16.

The 36-year-old says she learned a lot about the facts of life from Jilly Cooper’s novels, but says parents shouldn’t leave it up to teachers to educate their children about sex.

“You’re not going to stop young people having sex so it’s important they’re armed with the correct information. A lot of parents are embarrassed to discuss the facts of life with their children and expect everybody else — schools, kids on street corners — to inform them.”

Author of Champagne Kisses and Champagne Babes, Amanda was brought up in Finglas and married businessman Philip McLoughlin in New York last September. She is mum to Edward, four, and Setanta, two. “Previously, I’d wanted to have many children. Having two boys knocked that idea on the head — I’m exhausted and I’ve only got two.”

What shape are you in?

Apart from being slightly haggard from looking after two children, I’m in pretty good shape. I haven’t been to the gym since my Miss Ireland days. I find the gym terribly boring. I’ve got a greyhound that needs to be walked a few evenings a week and if I have a big weekend I try to be good on a Monday and Tuesday.

Do you have any health concerns?

I’m very lucky with my health. The big health shock was when one of my sons — Edward — had a seizure earlier this year and was zoned out for a while. We had a mad dash to Crumlin Hospital and he was diagnosed with asthma. He’s on a preventative inhaler.

When did you last cry?

I cried with relief when I saw Edward coming back to

The big health shock was when one of my sons, Edward, had a seizure earlier this year. We had a mad dash to Crumlin Hospital and he was diagnosed with asthma.

He’s on a preventative inhaler me after he’d had that attack. I thought I’d lost him.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

Until I had my kids, I wouldn’t have thought about my diet. I’d have grabbed a bowl of cereal and good luck to it.

Since having the boys, I try to eat as well as possible. I’m diligent about their getting vegetables, white meat, fish and carbs, so my own diet is much more balanced.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

When it’s my birthday or Philip’s we go away on eating weekends and go to posh restaurants. My particular weakness is bread — I could sit down and eat a whole loaf. I love baking my own — anything from soda bread to cheese and bacon bread. I also love home-made ice-cream.

What would keep you awake at night?

I could sleep on a bed of nails. I don’t get too stressed — I’m always a glass half-full girl. I’m too busy to get bogged down by things but, if I am going to worry, it’ll be about the children.

How do you relax?

By writing in the evenings. Once the kids are in bed and hubby is fed, I retire to my office. I recently finished writing my third novel, Champagne Secrets. I just giggle my way through writing them.

What would you change about your appearance?

I’d have smaller boobs. I want to get a reduction but I’m too scared. I’ll get it at some stage though. I’m just waiting for the technique to get better.

What’s your favourite smell?

My children’s smell — especially first thing in the morning.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

I love throwing parties so I’d invite the world and his wife. In particular, I’d love to invite Barack Obama — I find him quite fascinating.

What trait do you least like in others?

Apathy, also I don’t like people who aren’t very sympathetic to others. I hate ignorance. I hate that so many people profess to be Christian but don’t practise it.

What trait do you least like in yourself?

That I need to be so in control. I’m somebody who likes to be on top of everything and then I end up feeling resentful because everything’s left to me — yet, a lot of the time, I don’t ask for help.

NO GYM: Amanda Brunker hasn’t been to the gym since her Miss Ireland days.

Feelgood

www.acara.ie/lesotho

TIME IS PRECIOUS

PLEASE GIVE THEM SOME

LESOTHO BUILD PROJECT OCTOBER 421 2010

The first ACARA Safe House built in October 2008

Lesotho, Southern Africa is an independent country totally landlocked by South Africa and is one of the 6 poorest African Countries. There are over 180,000 orphans in Lesotho mainly due 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!

Do you pray?

I don’t. I wish I had faith. I’m a big believer in positive energy and I’d like to think I have Christian values. I teach my children to be caring and loving.

What would cheer up your day?

A nice song, kids’ laughter.

Helen O’Callaghan

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010

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

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4 Birth options

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For a growing number of women giving birth at home is much more appealing than

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a sterile hospital, reports Karen Funnell

HOME DELIVERY

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E TEND to love our homes, Through word-of-mouth and internet feeling comfortable and safe research, women, particularly those who are there. Indeed, between eatkeen for a natural delivery with as little ing, sleeping and rearing children, our lives intervention as possible, are learning that seem to revolve around the home. Maybe this different birth options exist. explains why, for some women, giving birth Any woman regarded as low-risk can apply at home rather than in hospital is a more nat- through their local HSE area and then source ural choice. a midwife locally. Since October 2008, Once considered a hippy option, homemidwives are insured by the state to facilitate births have moved into the mainstream homebirths. However, many regions do not thanks to expert midwife-led care. Celebrities have many self-employed community Charlotte Church and Davina McCall both midwives (SECMs) so the message is to try to delivered their babies at home, no doubt relsource one as early as possible in the ishing the privacy this option afforded them, pregnancy. although last month Danni Minogue’s dream In some areas, for example Cork/Kerry, of having baby Ethan at home was cut short NMH Holles Street and Waterford General, by medical complications. homebirth schemes are provided through the Back in the 1950s, one in three births in hospitals, which are free of charge. Other Ireland was a domiciliary one. Now it’s only hospitals provide schemes on an ad-hoc basis. six in every thousand (about 400 a year) Women undergo the same scans, tests and which the Homebirth Association of Ireland check-ups during pregnancy that they would (HBA) says is down to lack of awareness if having a hospital birth. because giving birth in Ireland is primarily The SECMs are covered by a F2,400 obstetric-led. payment they receive from the HSE, which The HBA’s Marguerite Hannon says: “For covers the majority of the fee for the birth, every 10 women who call us asking about antenatal and postnatal visits. Additional homebirths, only two get one. We believe charges, if any (for example, travel expenses), there could be 4,000 homebirths a year if the are agreed between midwife and patient. system was different.

SECM Mary Cronin, based in Kinsale, Co “Pregnant women go their GPs and are au- Cork, has assisted women in giving birth at tomatically put into the hospital system. They home for 20 years. The only hospital choice are given no choice regarding for giving birth in Cork now is a homebirth or even midCork University Maternity wifery-led care. The women Hospital, which can have who come to us are generally between 20 to 45 births a day. on their second or third babies Last year, there were 8,978 deand they’ve met other women liveries within its 10 birthing who’ve had homebirths. Docrooms. tors still believe hospitals are “There is a demand for the safest places to give birth. homebirths, but there are only They see birth as a potential four self-employed community hazard waiting to happen.” midwives in the Cork region,” Catherine Verling, who had says Cronin. “In a hospital seta homebirth last year after two ting, a lot of women feel they hospital births, agrees. “My don’t get all their questions anfirst baby was born at 33 swered. Each consultation with weeks so I wouldn’t have a community midwife lasts qualified for a homebirth and about an hour so there’s plenty hadn’t considered it either. of time for questions.

But when I was pregnant the “A woman who chooses a second time, I mentioned to HOME BIRDS: Celebrities homebirth has exactly the my doctor that I liked the same care in pregnancy as a idea of a homebirth. It wasn’t Charlotte Church, left, and woman having her baby in Davina McCall, above, both encouraged and I wasn’t hospital. The difference is they delivered their babies at given any information. The will get to know their midsame happened on my third home. wife, build up a relationship of pregnancy but this time, I trust and the same midwife contacted the Homebirth Association and will attend the birth and visit her for up to they sent me two weeks after the baby is born. Every information and a list of midwives and we labour is different, but being in an environtook it from there.” ment they are comfortable in can really help.

Tania Lawlor, 32, who lives in Shanbally“We liaise with consultants, GPs and public more, Co Cork, is planning to have her first health nurses and follow strict criteria — homebirth with her third baby, due at the women must be low-risk to qualify and safety end of January. “I made my mind up after is our priority. Complications can occur — hearing about other people’s positive experithey can in any labour, at home or in hospital ences,” she says. “I’ve had two hospital births, — but we are trained to deal with them and both were very straightforward, and I didn’t women agree to be transferred to hospital if have a bad experience with either. But I have the medical need arises. this idea after I give birth of sitting in my “I would like to see homebirth offered as own bed with a cup of tea, relaxed in my an alternative choice to low-risk women. own home with my family around me. I feel Midwife-led care is standard in the rest of as if I will be in control of my labour this Europe and yet we only have one time.” midwife-led unit in Ireland.”

Feelgood

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I have this idea after I give birth of sitting in my own bed with a cup of tea, relaxed in my own home with my family around me. I will be in control of my labour

HAPPY FAMILIES: Tania Lawlor at home with Oisín and Elsa in Shanballymore, Co Cork.

Tania is planning a home birth for her third baby due in January.

Ailís Brosnan, Castleisland, with her husband Bernard Pabon and their 19-month-old baby Aisha Pabon who was a homebirth.

Picture: Domnick Walsh/Eye Focus

AILÍS’S STORY

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ilís Brosnan, 39, from Castleisland, Co Kerry, is mum to Aisha, 19 months. She gave birth at home in December 2008.

“Once I was pregnant, I knew wanted a homebirth. I couldn’t understand why I would need to go to hospital to give birth unless there were complications. People said: ‘Oh, you’re so brave’, but to me they were the brave ones going into hospital because of the risk of intervention. For me, it was about a natural, holistic approach — that’s the type of person I am.

“The beauty of a homebirth is the relationship you build up with the midwife, and giving birth in the comfort of your home.

My husband Bernard was much more involved in the process, not on the sidelines like he may have been in hospital.

“My labour was very long and I had no pain relief — had I been in hospital this may have been different. I felt it was empowering.

I had a doula there as well and this definitely helped my frame of mind. I had no fear of labour during my pregnancy.

“As it was my first baby, I had no idea what to expect with labour. I’d heard a lot of comments about me not knowing what I was letting myself in for — so I didn’t discuss my plans for a homebirth with many people.

“The Homebirth Association was really helpful. I went to support meetings when I was pregnant and met other people who’d had homebirths. I didn’t get any negative comments there.

“I gave birth just weeks before Christmas and we had our Christmas tree up in the room where I delivered Aisha. She was born at 3am, so afterwards we all went to bed and snuggled up together. A few hours later we had family come to visit and I was out and about in a couple of days. My recovery was really fast and the aftercare was great.

Picture: Denis Minihane

CATHERINE’S STORY

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atherine Verling, 38, lives on a farm in Castlelyons, Cork. She is mum to William, 5, Peter, 3, both born in hospital, and Margaret, 11 months, born last September at home.

Feelgood

“I still get a buzz every time I walk into the room where Margaret was born. For me, the high points were: knowing, liking and trusting my midwife, immediate skin to skin contact, my two other children meeting the baby an hour after she was born, no car ride in labour, complete respect for my choices, no hospital policies to follow and a very fast recovery.

“The only low was arguing with my husband to get him to

agree and having to register the birth in Cork city (I had done it in the hospital before).

“My experiences of labour in hospital weren’t good. I felt like I was in a factory on a production line having things done to me rather than giving birth.

“It took me a lot longer to get over Peter’s birth mentally and when I was pregnant again I didn’t want to go back to hospital.

“I got in touch with the

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010

Homebirth Association when I was 22 weeks pregnant and decided that’s what I wanted to do.

“I had a great relationship with my midwife. I went to her house for a lot of my antenatal check ups and she called to my house before the birth to make sure she could find it. She came out once I was in labour and stayed the night after I had given birth.

“She then came to the house for all the postnatal check ups and the heel prick test.

“I wish I’d had all my births with her and would now consider her a friend.”

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6 Beautiful hands

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Celebs are rapped on knuckles for unsightly mitts, says Deirdre Reynolds

HANDS OF TIME

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ELEBRITY yummy mummies: come out with your hands up!

They may have wrinkle-free faces and the toned bodies of women a fraction of their age, but forever young stars Sarah Jessica Parker Madonna and Teri Hatcher are proof that you can’t defy the hands of time forever.

From Botox to knee lifts, boob jobs to foot fillers, recent advances in cosmetic surgery have made the plot of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button seem not so far-fetched, as celebs like Demi Moore and Jennifer Aniston appear to age backwards before our eyes.

But a scalpel can only stop so much from heading south — and there’s still one tell-tale sign betraying the ageless beauties who’ve resorted to cosmetic surgery: craggy hands.

Having blasted celebrities for everything from droopy décolletage to less than perfect patellas, now it’s wrinkly hands that have the body-obsessed brigade up in arms.

At the premiere of Sex and the City 2 this summer, Sarah Jessica Parker, 45, — often pilloried for her coltish legs — was this time sneered at for having hoof-like hands.

With a body to die for, not a hair out of place and impeccable style, body fascists instead ripped into SJP’s “bony” fingers and “bulging veins” on her hands and arms.

Fashion bible Marie Claire was so concerned, it they gave them a complete Photoshop makeover for the cover of their June edition — smoothing out her protruding knuckles and throbbing veins.

Preternaturally fresh-faced Madonna, 51, and Teri Hatcher, 45, have both been rapped on the knuckles for letting their granny hands give away their true age.

Supermodel Kate Moss, 36, suffered the indignity of being replaced by a hand double for close up shots in a Rimmel make-up ad — ironically, for the brand’s anti-ageing Renew and Lift foundation.

Even the woman regularly voted the most beautiful on the planet, Angelina Jolie, 35, has drawn the wrath of fashionistas for not having perfect hands — her scrawny claws proving that, contrary to Tinseltown convention, it is actually possible to be too thin.

But why the sudden obsession with our hands anyway? With nip/tuck enabling women to preserve practically all their other bits and bobs, it was only a matter of time before one of the most ageing features of all came under the same scrutiny, says Dr Katherine Mulrooney of The Clinic in Dublin’s Sandymount Green.

“People were mostly concerned with their face, neck and chest area up to now,” she says. “But the hands are constantly being used and abused.”

With the face of a 20-something but hands of a middle-aged woman, Madonna is a prime example of how plastic surgery can highlight body parts that appear out of sync.

“The more they do to rejuvenate their faces, the more they notice their hands by contrast,” says Dr Mulrooney.

But even regular women ageing gracefully have to be vigilant against granny hands, warns beautician Noelle O’Connor.

Sun damage is the biggest culprit — causing collagen to break down, hands to appear bony, skin crêpey and brown spots to develop.

“I always advise women to wear SPF 30 sunscreen on their hands 365 days a year,”

Feelgood

With the face of a 20-something but hands of a middle-aged woman, Madonna is a prime example of how plastic surgery can highlight body parts that appear out of sync

CLOSE UP: The hands of Madonna, above and Sarah Jessica Parker, far left, reveal their true age. Laser treatments and injectable fillers are an option — but the stars may have more pressing matters on their minds.

says O’Connor, founder of Dragons’ Den sensation Tan Organic. “I see clients who have a lot of sun damage like brown spots — or in extreme cases even skin cancer — on their right hand in particular from driving, so always carry sun protection in your car or handbag.”

Even exercise — crucial to prevent the ravages of time on the waistline — can contribute to OAP hands, as enthusiastic cardio workouts increase blood flow and make them look more vascular.

Until now, there was little that could be done cosmetically for imperfect paws.

Probably the most practical human appendage, hands are simply too dangerous to

operate on — while freezing your forehead with Botox won’t stop you from doing something as simple as making a cup of tea or tying your shoe laces, freezing your hands is another story.

Nonetheless, in this image-mad age, the demand for youthful hands has inspired the cosmetic industry to come up with answers.

IPL laser treatment to fade pigmentation and injectable fillers to plump hands are increasingly popular choices at her clinic, says Dr Katherine Mulrooney. And a complete rehaul can cost thousands.

“It’s never going to be as popular as Botox, but there’s definitely a demand for it,” she says.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010

For a less extreme — and expensive — metacarpus makeover, treat your hands to regular rub downs advises Kate Verling of Mink Hand and Foot Spa. The plush D4 salon has teamed up with legendary skin guru Dr Murad to develop a ‘facial for the hands’.

“We developed two special manicures — the vitamin C renewing manicure and the Dr Murad AHA glycolic manicure — which help combat the signs of ageing such as sun spots and lacklustre skin.”

And, if all else fails, you could always cunningly disguise your flawed paws in this season’s lace and leather driving gloves — a trend made famous by Madonna in the ’80s.

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Psychology 7

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The experience of the death of a loved one can bring authenticity to our lives

Time and tide waits for no one

The

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FEELGOOD

Tony Humphreys

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N ELDERLY neighbour, a man who inspired me in many ways, recently passed away. As for each one of us, his presence is irreplaceable, but his way of being in relationship and of working are qualities I highly valued. His passing inspired me to write on the least talked or written about subject — death.

In my book the Compassionate Intentions of Illness (co-author Helen Ruddle) I write about how illness has the power to make us real and authentic. I also believe that the experience of the death of a loved one, or the thought of death itself, equally can bring authenticity to our lives. Indeed, the witnessing or the thought of death may create a shift to a truer and more significant life. Certainly a shift that needs to happen is from seeing myself through the eyes of society to seeing myself for my true and sacred presence.

There are many individuals who do not recognise from an early age how, out of fear, they conformed to the ways of ‘society’ and suspended living according to their own individual and spiritual values. Society, in the persons of parents, teachers and other significant adults, model that life has meaning and value only when we are educated, productive, achieve status, work effectively, dispense patronage and throw dinner parties.

When we are in good health and at the height of our powers we seldom question the maturity of our aspirations. And we are unlikely to ask the question: “Is it me who is recognised or my position in society?”

This non-questioning is understandable because when our visibility depends on achievements, on status, on wealth, on power, it is deeply threatening to question that dependence for fear of being invisible.

Management specialist, Stephen Covey, queries: “How many people on their deathbed wish they’d spent more time in the office?” Yet some, even in the face of mortal illness, never leave the office — a clear indication of the web of busyness they have become entangled in and the terror of facing the loss of self and the emotional pain of a conditional belonging.

Typically, ambition, love of power, arrogance, superiority, avarice, covetousness, pride, control, depersonalisation of self and others are some of the qualities that gained them a pseudo and substitute recognition and security. The pity is that even on the brink of death the hard realisation does not come that they have led an outwardly ‘acceptable’ and ‘respectable’ but an inwardly barren and empty existence.

I find it amazing that, aside from minimal and superficial reference, the theme of death is absent from most of our conversation. It appears that death is a taboo subject, not to be talked about. In a society where time is money — ironically, a fact that has undermined emotional, social, economic

Feelgood

END OF LIFE: Out of fear we avoid thinking about or preparing for death.

and spiritual prosperity — no one really wants to concentrate on what happens when time runs out on us. Our education system never really considers death — indeed, there is no pedagogy of death.

Consequently, death is the dreaded experience, something we are left to deal with — and not very effectively — in the isolation of our own life and family. To quote the late John O’Donoghue, author of Anam Cara: “There is no cultural webbing to lighten the blow. Death can have a clean strike because the space is clear. Against this background, it is not surprising that we are never told that one of the greatest days’ work we could ever do in the world is to help someone to die”.

We need to view death not as the enemy but the ally, the friend that can strongly prompt us to reorient our priorities away from the worldly and towards the spiritual, away from covering up our pain and towards authenticity and love.

The real enemy is the illusion that death only happens to others. Out of fear, we avoid thinking about or preparing for death and, consequently, wind up neither living our life from the inside out nor spiritually prepared for the end of life.

Death is universal and no one escapes it. It can come at any time, to young, middle-aged and old. To be conscious of death inspires us to live authentically, to come to know our unique and true nature and to recognise those qualities in others.

■ Tony Humphreys is a clinical psychologist, author and international speaker and is director of NUI courses on interpersonal communication, parent mentoring and relationship studies in Cork and Dublin. Details of courses: www.tonyhumphreys.ie or contact Margaret: 021-4642394.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010

THE FEELGOOD PERSONALS FOR COST EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING

Phone: LORI FRASER Tel. 021-4802265 Fax 021-4273846 lori.fraser@examiner.ie Every Friday � ��������� ���� ����� ��

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Comfort food

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Mood food F

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: ‘Hyperpalatable’ foods — containing high levels of fat, salt and sugar — stimulate our brains to release dopamine, which is associated with the pleasure centre.

Feelgood

ROM the moment we are born we are hooked. Thrust from the blissful cosiness of our mother’s womb we are propelled into a strange and no doubt frightening world of noise, shapes and smells.

And then it happens — we suck the warm sugary milk from our mother’s breast or from the bottle and the association between food and comfort has been indelibly made.

That primal link between oral satisfaction and psychic soothing is so potent that all of us to varying degrees in our lives reach out for food to distract us from uncomfortable feelings — to arguably regain that initial experience of bliss.

As we walk down our supermarket aisles or ‘treat’ ourselves to a meal out, or a take-out at home, quite often we are on a quest to feed our emotions rather than our physical bodies — soothing ourselves from the stresses of the modern world.

So you think this is all hogwash? Not according to David A Kessler, a former head of the US Food and Drug Administration, who claims the ‘reward centre’ of our brains has been hijacked by modern food manufacturers, who dish out products laden with fat, salt and sugar, turning us into addicts.

Having spent seven years doing detailed research for his best-selling book The End of Overeating, Kessler concluded multinational corporations know exactly how to lure us, with a bombardment of food cues, targeting not just taste, but all our senses.

‘Hyperpalatable’ foods — those containing high levels of fat, salt and sugar — stimulate our brains to release dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with the pleasure centre, he says. Over time our brain gets wired so that dopamine pathways light up by ‘cues’ — the mere suggestion of such foods. And then, just like Pavlov’s dogs, when we are driving by a supermarket or restaurant, or sitting in front of the TV, our urge to eat the food grows even more, regardless of whether we are hungry or not.

Eating fat-sugar-salt foods produces the release of endorphins which are chemicals that have similar effects on us as morphine and heroin. So our so-called ‘bliss point’ is reached and we get emotional relief.

Kessler uses such scientific back-up and numerous interviews with experts in the field to emphasise that the food industry conditions us to associate these foods with positive emotions and then creates an environment that fosters those associations.

In other words, we lose control — and though we may know certain foods are bad for us, we continue to eat them and eat them in a mindless sort of way.

“Whether we are pulled towards a reward (the food) because of its positive appeal, or pushed there as a way to avoid a negative emotion such as anxiety, we often react without awareness to a force we do not recognise,” he says.

In fact, one of the food manufacturing experts with whom Kessler spoke referred to

FOOD REHAB

How big industry has us hooked on eating for comfort

It’s not about weight. We use over-eating and dieting to help us avoid facing uncomfortable realities. And the food industry is the only winner, says Margaret Jennings such processed foods being a sort of ‘adult baby food’ — with the fibre and gristle that are hard to chew and swallow removed. “It goes down very easy.” he said. “You don’t even think much about eating it... It overrides the body’s signals that should tell us ‘I’m full’.

Another food consultant said: “When you’re eating these things you’ve had 500, 600, 900 calories before you know it. Refined food simply melts in the mouth.”

One of the main fallouts of course is the growing levels of obesity and associated serious health issues in the western world.

This trend was one reason why an overweight Kessler originally started his mission, as he himself had become powerless to say no, in the face of such foods.

According to the Slán 2007 Report, two-thirds of the Irish population are either overweight or obese — and climbing. The majority of Irish adults (86%) consume more than the recommended three daily servings of foods high in fats and sugar, while almost half (48%) snack between meals on biscuits and cakes.

The connection between emotional eating and ‘oral comfort from infancy’ is an obvious one, says Ruth Yoder, a clinical psychologist with the weight management clinic at St Columcilles hospital in Dublin.

She believes the rise in comfort eating in Ireland will continue due to the growing numbers of children being detached from their mothers at an early stage.

While she recognises that there are several other factors which can contribute towards emotional eating, she says: “A child needs their own mother, not a substitute. We as a society have bought into the lie — I’ve done it myself — that climbing the ladder

RECOVERNIG ADDICT: Author Geneen Roth was a yo-yo dieter for 15 years.

of success, whether for a big job or to go on foreign holidays is more valuable then being with our children.”

Whether we are all seeking that original blissful bond with mother or not, self-help author Geneen Roth also believes emotional eaters — and more extremely, compulsive eaters — must stop using food to distract them away from painful emotions.

Having been a yo-yo dieter for 15 years several decades ago, Roth has built an industry around helping women obsessed with food to face their demons. In her latest book, Women, Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything, she claims ending the obsession with food is all about staying in the present moment, not using the food as an escape. Women need to stop dieting, she says, as it only keeps them on a circular path of self-loathing.

“Staying where you are, with what you are feeling, or seeing, or sensing, is the first step in ending the obsession with food. I turned to food for the same reasons that people turned to God: it was my sight of ecstasy, my transport to heaven, my con-

FINDING HELP: Teresa Moorhead says commercial support groups for people struggling with being overweight are a ‘farce’.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010

crete proof that relief from the pain of everyday life was possible,” she says.

“The truth is, it’s not about the weight.

When a pill is discovered that allows people to eat whatever they want and not gain weight, the feelings and situation they turned to food to avoid will still be there, so they will find other, more inventive ways to numb themselves.”

Food, in other words, is only the middleman, the means to the end — of altering emotions, of making yourself numb; of creating a secondary problem when the original problem becomes too uncomfortable. And of course this does not only apply to women — though the book is marketed at them.

If most of us have that early emotional association with food — what Suzanne Horgan, director of the Eating Disorder Resource Centre in Dublin calls ‘the food-mood connection’ — then we really need to become more aware of whether we eat when we are not hungry, or reach for foods that are bad for us on a regular basis.

“At birth and then throughout childhood, for example when you hurt yourself, you might be given an ice-cream as a comfort,” says Suzanne. “People then don’t learn to self soothe. A lot of Irish people comfort eat when they are in some distress and most of us don’t even realise we are doing it.”

A

lthough Suzanne largely deals with emotional eaters who have serious eating disorders, she agrees most of us eat when we are not hungry because we are suppressing feelings or disassociating from them.

“For example, if someone feels guilty about something they did in the past, they can

perpetuate the guilt by bringing it up in the cycle of eating and feeling guilty about that instead. Sometimes people don’t know why they are overeating but they do know that a tension is in their body and it goes away when they eat. The bottom line is they have difficulty handling the feelings.”

Teresa Moorhead, director of clinical services at Lois Bridges Eating Disorders Centre in Dublin sees lots of young girls in their mid-20s referred by their doctor with a BMI of over 45 (obesity level is 30).

“At assessment stage I ask the question: ‘What is this about?’ ‘Why are you doing this to your body?’ It is not about the food. It is about the relationship with themselves.”

At the centre they don’t focus in on nutrition so much as about that relationship.

“When we get that across to somebody, it’s a real breakthrough for them.”

And she believes commercial support groups for people struggling with being overweight are a “farce” because unless that psychological aspect is confronted by the participant, then they just put it all back on: “The symptoms are removed but not the root cause.”

Becoming aware of your own cues and breaking the cycle is the solution which Kessler found for himself and offers his readers — though it takes awareness and determination.

And if as a healthy eater you feel smug that you are escaping the multinational manipulation of your emotions, just remember fat and sugar isn’t confined only to food; other legal emotional highs can be bought at the latest coffee shop near you. To prove the point, one venture capitalist who had invested a lot in the industry, whom Kessler interviewed, referred to how the Starbucks coffee chain had recognised and responded brilliantly to a cultural need of a stressed society. Aside from the caffeine and the sugar, which were part of the equation, the chain offered something much more primal, he said.

“It’s about warm milk and a bottle. One of my colleagues said: ‘If I could put a nipple on it, I’d be a multimillionaire.’”

■ The End of Overeating, David A Kessler, Penguin, F13.59.

■ Women, Food and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything, by Geneen Roth, Simon & Schuster, F14.50.

MIND GAMES: Suzanne Horgan, director of the Eating Disorder Resource Centre of Ireland, says a lot of Irish people comfort eat.

Picture: Sharppix

N

O-ONE can persuade you with intellectual arguments that hyperpalatable foods will not relieve stress, but will only make it worse, according to David Kessler.

“The moment you’re thinking ‘I deserve this’, or ‘I’ll only eat a little’, no-one can remind you that you will feel differently after the meal,” he says.

“The nation’s weight problem is evidence of how we have lost control over eating and have been focusing on food as a reward.”

The solution he offers? Food Rehab. The goal of Food Rehab is not only to change your eating behaviour, but also to alter your perceptions of hyperpalatable foods. Here are some of his suggestions: Planned Eating Choose food in appropriate quantities.

A just-right meal is one that will keep away hunger for about four hours; a just-right snack will do the same for about two hours. It’s important to think in advance about what a meal or a snack should look like and then to put only that much on your plate.

Feedback signals from the stomach come long after you have consumed too much and the increased activity of the brain makes it difficult for people with conditioned hyper-eating to stop eating.

Choose foods that satisfy you Choosing what to eat is as important as deciding how much to eat. Low-fat foods don’t satisfy. Most people find protein and high-fibre foods the most satiating. Sugary foods only satisfy for an hour. It’s also important to eat foods you enjoy.

Find out what triggers overeating For a long time you will have to fight the conditioned responses that drive overeating — you still have to deal with the emotions that propel you toward highly palatable food.

1. Be mindful of what triggers your automatic behaviour. We fool ourselves into thinking the brief high we get from food high in sugar and fat will last before we eat it, but it doesn’t and you need to remind yourself of that before you eat that slice of pizza.

2. Stay away from the cues that have conditioned your behaviour. You will typically experience tension when you are around them — and only eating brings relief.

■ Make a list of the foods you overeat ■ Replace positive associations with negative ones — it has to be done immediately and without ambivalence.

(For example: If I eat this I will feel awful about myself later.)

■ Exercise as a reward instead. Focus in on its positive effects rather than the positive effects of food.

David Kessler: We have lost control over eating and have been focusing on food as a reward.

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10 Medical matters

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BREAST AID: Vitamins A nd E can improve fibrocystic breast pain but vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil are yet to be proven effective.

I am in my 30s and went to see my doctor recently about a breast lump. She mentioned that I have “lumpy breasts” and it was most likely fibrocystic breast disease. Does this mean I can get breast cancer?

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

A. No. Fibrocystic breast disease doesn’t increase your risk of breast cancer. This condition is a very common, non-cancerous(benign) breast condition. Women who have fibrocystic breast disease tend to have lumpy painful breasts especially right before menstruation. There can be a feeling of fullness in the breasts, with dense, lumpy breast tissue, and general pain and tenderness that may radiate to the underarm. It is usually diagnosed with an ultrasound test, and/or mammogram, depending on your age and family history.

Fibrocystic changes of the breast are thought to occur due to hormone fluctuations during a woman’s menstrual cycle.

There’s no specific treatment for fibrocystic breast disease. Some simple measures, such as wearing a supportive bra, reducing caffeine in your diet (tea, coffee, soft drinks), and taking an anti-inflammatory medication before your period is due, may help reduce the symptoms.

You may notice an improvement by taking vitamin A and E supplements for two to three months. Some women find vitamin B6 and evening primrose oil helpful, but these supplements have not fared well in some studies on fibrocystic breast pain. Taking the oral contraceptive pill seems to lessen all benign breast conditions, including fibrocystic changes.

This is not a lifelong condition: signs and symptoms of fibrocystic breast changes often disappear after the menopause.

Although fibrocystic breast disease doesn’t increase your risk of breast cancer, having lumpy and sore breasts may make it more challenging to do breast self-exams. If you decide to do breast self-exams, it is best to perform them for a week after your period ends.

Also get your doctor to show you the proper way to examine your breasts. Always see your doctor if you find any new change or lump in your breast, or if you have severe or persistent breast pain that is mainly in one area, or that doesn’t fluctuate with your menstrual cycle.

Healthy eating and regular exercise have been shown to help protect against breast cancer. Weighing more than is appropriate for your age and height increases your risk of breast cancer. Excess fatty tissue is source of oestrogen and breast cancer risk is linked to how much oestrogen you’re exposed to during your lifetime.

A low-fat diet helps in the prevention of not only breast cancer, but also other diseases such as diabetes, stroke and cardio-vascular disease. Phytoestrogens, in particular flaxseed, are naturally occurring compounds that appear to lower oestrogen levels and which may inhibit the growth of some breast cancers.

Picture: PA

Be vigilant about early detection of breast cancer. Start having regular mammograms at age 40.

Q. My four-year-old son has recently become quite clingy, which he isn’t normally.

Any time I leave him now he gets upset.

He’s due to start school this September and I’d appreciate your advice.

A. You mention your son isn’t usually “clingy”. Have there been any recent changes at home to explain this, or is he feeling anxious about starting school in September? Parents can usually expect some reluctance from younger children under the age of six, as they often go through early-onset separation anxiety which is a normal part of childhood development.

For some children this will be the first time their mum/dad or carer will have to leave them behind. Perhaps he is fearful or unaware of what his routine will be in September.

Separation anxiety is common when children are starting school.

Other typical childhood fears include fear of strangers, heights, darkness, animals, blood, insects, being left alone.

Experiencing and dealing with anxieties can prepare young children to handle unexpected or challenging situations of life.

If a parent is anxious, sometimes the child

will reflect their anxiety. Be positive when talking about starting school. Use story telling or read him books about starting school as a way to ease his anxiety. Prepare him in advance to be dropped off at school, perhaps leave him for a few hours with a baby-sitter or relative. This way he will learn to count on you returning later. Remind him that mum or dad are going away, but they will come back to collect him. Be specific about when you’ll return, such as “after lunch”.

When starting school give him something to look forward to when you collect him.

Don’t prolong your goodbyes no matter how upset he may be. Keep the tears in perspective. Tears or temper tantrums are an attempt to keep you from leaving. It may be tempting to comfort him but don’t say he doesn’t have to go school. When you’re gone the tears aren’t likely to last long, especially when he is engaged in a new activity. Give him a gentle goodbye — then go.

Remember separation anxiety when starting school is an emotional milestone for many children. Be patient as he learns that its OK to spend time away from you.

If his separation anxiety seems intense or prolonged — especially if it interferes with school or other activities — consult his doctor. Sometimes separation anxiety is a sign of a more serious but treatable condition known as separation anxiety disorder.

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

Catherine Shanahan MUM’S WORLD Feelgood

BEHIND the wheel my other half is a man who doesn’t always know where he is going but is determined to set a speed record getting there.

He regards Sunday drivers as imbeciles and classifies as “maniacs” those who drive faster than him (no argument there). He cannot cope with being “stuck” behind drivers respectful of speed limits and will tailgate threateningly until his tormented victim pulls in.

He will then overtake with more revs per minute than a jet engine, having terrorised the driver whose car has an engine size twice that of ours.

If I saw him in my own rearview mirror I would screech towards the nearest lay-by in search of a squad car and dub him in quicker than a cop could award a penalty point.

Like our favourite Top Gun fighter pilots, he feels the need for speed, but fails to ac-

knowledge the constraints of road travel compared to flight through the open skies.

Pre-children, I survived lengthy road trips by burying my head in a stack of magazines and ignoring the relentless overtaking at a speed that caused vision to blur. I would arrive at our destination carsick and dizzy and in greater need of air than the tyres.

Nowadays, journeys are a mixture of hissed obscenities and gesticular threats that have nothing to do with other road users and everything to do with a mother and a father who see danger in different ways.

“I’VE BEEN DRIVING FOR 20 YEARS!” he roars, amid pleadings not to overtake, more outraged than a Formula One driver asked to trade pole position for the back of the grid. Every trip we take is a tribute to Nigel Mansell and every pitstop a chance to check we are still in one piece.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010

I dream of a role for him on Top Gear and frequently wish he was the Stig: posting a few power laps would surely burn off the testosterone that hurtles us along the M1.

When I’m behind the wheel he offers snide advice. “Drive carefully!,” he snorts.

“Remember, it’s not only a car that can be recalled by its maker.” Or, “The last person to get across town in under three hours was yelling ‘The British are coming!’”.

By the time we reach our destination the only conversation is “I Spy” and that’s between me and the child under three. I am stuck to my seat on account of the g-force.

He glances at his watch, steps from the car, and smiles. Another record has been set. I take comfort from the words of John Steinbeck: A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.

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Charity challenges 11

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Áilín Quinlan tells how a moment of revelation became an inspiration

Reaching out

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T was 2006 high in the mountains of South Vietnam when Cork-woman Colette O’Sullivan had her ‘so this is what it’s all about’ moment.

She and a group, including Dubliner Helen O’Malley, had been trekking for days to raise money for Barretstown Camp, a specially-designed adventure camp for children with serious illnesses from Ireland, Britain and throughout Europe.

Suddenly the skies opened and the group was caught in a torrential rainstorm. Their bus, travelling behind with luggage and supplies, broke down in the flash floods, and it was late in the evening when the hikers finally trudged down to the remote valley — access was only by foot — to the primitive village which constituted that night’s rest stop.

They were shown to their accommodation, and fed. To their surprise, late that night their baggage started to appear. It turned out, recalls Colette, that women from the village had waited about 12 hours for the bus — and the luggage.

When the vehicle finally arrived at the agreed rendezvous, the women collected the baggage and carried it — on foot — down the rough mountain pathways to the village. As a thank-you, the hikers collected money which they presented to the village.

“The villagers each made a huge personal contribution to help us, and we made a small monetary contribution to help them,” says Colette, 38.

That resulted in a revelation which was to change her entire life: the small sum of money donated by the hikers was used to install a generator, which provided running water and electricity and utterly transformed the lives of the villagers.

“Suddenly we saw how far a little money could go.”

It was an inspiration, both to Colette, who was, at the time, a highly paid consultant working in the corporate sector, and to Helen, who was an events organiser for Barretstown Camp.

“When I came back to Ireland I started thinking about how a little goes a long way and how I wanted to try to make a difference to peoples’ lives.

A year later, the duo went on a charity trek to Lesotho.

Colette and Helen, in her 50s and a grandmother from Dublin’s Shankhill area, met with Lesotho’s Ambassador to Ireland, Mannete Ramail, a charismatic woman who explained to them the need for schools, medical centres and residential centres in Lesotho.

The women then visited a number of villages requiring assistance — which, as it turned out, was the inspiration they required to set up their hugely successful Lesotho Project Scheme.

On their return to Ireland, the women set up ACARA, named after the Irish word for friend. The organisation was established to help charities reach their fundraising targets by providing high-quality charity and corporate projects and challenges in Ireland and overseas.

Feelgood

Mountain Kingdom

FIELD-WORK: Colette O’Sullivan and Helen O’Malley with children from Phoku, where the ACARA Action Project built two classrooms.

From this, the ACARA Lesotho Build Project was established to build and facilitate the construction of safe houses — residential centres for orphans within the community — as well as schools and medical posts in the southern African state of Lesotho.

Lesotho has one of the highest rates in the world of people affected and infected by HIV and Aids.

“Mannete told us stories about the lives of the children that have been orphaned, losing both their parents because of this virus,” explains Colette.

Things moved quickly.

The first ACARA Lesotho Build Project was completed in just 14 days in October 2008 by 60 volunteers.

“The ACARA House is a safe house for vulnerable children who have been orphaned, in many cases through HIV/Aids,” says Colette. “This facility enables the children to attend local schools, learn life skills, help them integrate within their community and lead a normal life like every child deserves.”

To make ends meet, Colette and Helen now work part-time as freelance consultants, Colette in the green energy sector, and Helen in events management.

To date, ACARA Action Projects has built a safe house facility for the orphans in Mafeteng, two classrooms in Phoku (a village in the mountains) and filled and shipped a

40ft container with clothing, toys and medical supplies.

On October 4 next, 40 ACARA volunteers, 12 of whom are from Colette’s home city of Cork, jet out to Lesotho on a new Build Programme, Their objective? To construct two classrooms in the Mafeteng area and build a playground for orphans at the local safe house.

There’s a lot of commitment required as each volunteer has to raise about F3,800 to cover the cost of flights, food and accommodation in Lesotho for the 18-day stay.

ACARA is also filling a 20-ft container with clothes and medical equipment — and trying to raise the F8,500 required to ship it to Africa.

The group gets no Government funding.

As Colette explains, it’s all down to the volunteers.

■ ACARA Action Projects: 01-6856805, info@acara.ie, www.acara.ie/ lesotho.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010

LESOTHO, known as “The Mountain Kingdom” of Southern Africa, is an independent country totally landlocked by South Africa and is one of the six poorest African countries.

This small under-developed country has a population of about 2.3 million people. Its economy is based on limited agricultural production and light manufacturing.

A major challenge for Lesotho and its development partners is that half the population lives below the poverty line and income inequality is among the highest in the world. Decades of development gains have also been lost due to HIV/AIDS and efforts to reduce poverty and improve living standards have been severely undermined.

With a shortage of trained medical personnel and supplies, Lesotho is severely afflicted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. According to recent estimates, about 30% of Lesotho’s population is HIV positive, one of the highest rates in the world. The United Nations projects that this will rise to 36% within 15 years resulting in a sharp drop in life expectancy. According to the Lesotho Bureau of Statistics, in 2001 life expectancy was estimated at 48 years for men and 56 years for women. Recent statistics estimate this now to be about 38 years for men and women, leaving many young children without their parents and left to fend for themselves.

GOOD TIMES: The lives of Helen O’Malley and Colette O’Sullivan have been radically changed by an experience during a charity trek in South Vietnam.

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12 Yogurt survey

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Culture club rocks W

ITH or without the H, yoghurt or yogurt, can be a healthy product which tastes good too. It’s not easy to get to the bottom of what one pre- or pro-biotic added to milk will do for our health compared to another.

What matters is that the culture is live and strong enough for our stomach acids not to kill it during digestion.

You can prove they are alive by adding a spoon of yogurt to a glass of milk and seeing if it turns sour — it should if it’s live. Live yogurt could be useful for adding healthy bacteria to the digestive tract, count-balancing the multiplication of undesirable bacteria which can happen if we are stressed, have been under the weather from infection, or have had a dose of antibiotics which kill good bacteria.

We are bombarded with lists of cultures, such as lactobacillus, acidophilus and bifidobacterium, and manufacturers’ claims (all of them backed with science). However, huge research into gastro-intenstinal problems is sponsored by companies producing yogurt, so it’s difficult to get scientists to tell us what brands are best.

We can, however, make informed decisions about the right yogurt to buy by watching labels and avoiding sugar and fat-laden varieties.

Bad bacteria thrive on sugar and can undo many of the benefits of yogurt. However, sweetness encourages us to eat more of them, so we can allow ourselves some natural sugar Glenilen Farm Apple & Natural Prebiotic Yoghurt, 160g F1.44

Roz Crowley in the form of fruit. On labels some of the sugar content comes from the natural sweetness of the fruit, so don’t fret about high amounts until you check how much fruit is in the pot.

In a perfect world, we would add fresh fruit to natural yogurt, especially these days when there are terrific strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, peaches and apricots available. I am inclined to save these fruit-flavoured varieties for later in the year, or freeze them to have instead of more fat-laden ice-cream.

Whatever we do, we must count them in when considering calories, and eat them instead of a dessert.

While some brands we tested appeared expensive, they also have larger pot versions, so this time I am not deducting marks for price differences.

In a glass, recycleable jar, a light, creamy textured natural yogurt sits on top of tiny apple cubes with 7% added sugar bringing total sugar content to 13.4%.

The yogurt has a natural tang and the apple has a nice balance of acidity and sweetness.

Saturated fat content is a low 1.7%.

No thickeners, stablisers or colours.

All tasters liked this best.

Glenisk Probiotic Goat’s Milk Yogurt, 540g F2.19 This six-pack of strawberry and raspberry pots contains whole goat milk and goat milk solids. Added sugar, cane sugar, and 9% raspberry (or strawberry) puree comes to a moderate 10% sugars and there is a reasonable 2.8% saturated fats. Lemon juice from concentrate helps to offset sweetness and there are some goat and yogurt tangs. The stabiliser is carob gum, giving a firm texture. Overall there is a pleasantly rich fruit flavour all tasters liked.

Taste: 9 Health: 9 Total score: 9

Taste: 7.5 Health: 8 Total score: 7.75

Rachel’s Organic Low Fat Strawberry Yogurt 450g F1.99 Organic low-fat yogurt with just 1% saturated fats is sweetened with organic sugar and 6.2% organic strawberries to bring a total of sugars to a high 14%. The sweetness is offset well by lime juice and a natural yogurt tang. Rice starch is used for texture which is light.

Taste: 7 Health: 7 Total score: 7

Feelgood

Aldi Specially Selected West Cork Indulgence Heritage Raspberry Yogurt, 150g 69c 18% raspberries and added sugar brings sugars to a reasonable 10.8% with saturated fats at a low 1.2%. Modified maize starch provides quite a thick texture and there are added flavouring, colour, an acidity regulator and preservative. Concentrated lemon juice offsets the sweetness. There is a pleasant yogurt bite while the raspberry flavour is mild.

Taste: 6.5 Health: 7 Total score: 6.75

EAT UP: Live yogurt adds healthy bacteria to the digestive tract but when sweetened, it should be treated as a dessert.

Picture: Getty

Dunnes Simply Better Lemon Curd Yogurt, 150g 79c A creamy yogurt, this has a lovely lemon curd flavour. Quite sweet with a high 24.7% sugars, but with some lemon flavour from lemon peel and juice to offset the sweetness. The addition of an egg makes it satisfying, so it may keep hunger away. Saturated fats at 5.4% are high due to 12% cream.

Use as a dessert treat.

Taste: 8.5 Health: 6 Total score: 7.25

Onken Raspberry Biopot Yogurt, 450g F1.49 With a strong raspberry flavour from 9% raspberries, added sugars (including invert sugar syrup), come to 14.3% and the taste quite sweet. A slightly unnatural texture comes from the addition of modified tapioca starch, guar gum and pectin, but nothing to worry about. Not the favourite of any of the tasters.

Taste: 6 Health: 7 Total score: 6.5

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Old MacDonnells Farm Low Fat Strawberry Yoghurt 250g 99c A jelly-like consistency means this has to be mixed up to make it smooth and then it looks quite sour and curdled. However, this is preferable to using added stablisers and thickeners. Strawberry flavour is natural, though a little mild. At 1.1%, saturated fats are low and the 5.5% sugar count is low too. A good all rounder for those who really like yogurt, though no-one liked the texture.

Taste 5 Health: 9 Total score: 7

Yoplait Bramley Apple Yogurt, 125g 62c 10% apple is sweet with no typical tartness to counterbalance the total 13.4% sugars and provide interest in this over-sweet yogurt. Saturated fats have a commendably low 1.7%. Modified maize starch, glucose syrup, acidity regulators, stabilisers and flavouring are added. It comes with a little apple flavour, but there is no acidic bite. Not a favourite of tasters.

Taste: 5 Health: 7 Total score: 6

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Male health

Stars back ED campaign

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ONNIE WHELAN, Páidí Ó Sé and Shane Byrne are advising Irish men to give erectile dysfunction (ED) the red card this summer by being as passionate about this aspect of their health as they undoubtedly are when it comes to soccer, rugby and Gaelic games.

ED affects 50% of all men over 40 at some stage in their lives. However, a recent Ipsos MRBI survey found that only 3% of Irish men polled had ever discussed ED with their peers, suggesting that, despite the high prevalence of ED, men remain reluctant to speak to each other about the condition. The ‘Don’t Spend Life on the Sidelines’ campaign strongly encourages men to speak to their doctor if they think they are suffering from erectile dysfunction.

The campaign encourages men to promptly make a GP appointment if they experience erection problems and to log-on to the erectile dysfunction education website www.manmatters.ie for advice on ED and how to strike up a conversation about ED with their healthcare professional.

Previous research found that 66% of patients had experienced ED symptoms for one year or longer before seeking treatment.

Deirdre O'Flynn MOSTLY MEN This reinforces the belief that Irish men need to be made aware that help is available. It is vital that men presenting with ED symptoms seek help early as it may indicate diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

Former Republic of Ireland and LIverpool soccer legend Ronnie Whelan says he was delighted to become involved in the campaign.

“ED affects guys of a certain age. It’s a shame that there are guys out there suffering in silence with this and who feel they cannot talk about it to anyone,” says Ronnie.

“If you experience ED, be as passionate about this aspect of your health as you are about the beautiful game.”

“This is arguably the last great male health taboo,” says former Kerry GAA legend and All-Ireland winning manager Páidí Ó Sé.

WISE UP: Shane Byrne, Ronnie Whelan and Paidi ó Sé say it’s time for Irish men to be serious about erectile dysfunction.

“We’re in the 21st century now and there is a range of treatments available for ED. Don’t spend life on the sideline — mention it to your doctor. They’re extremely well placed to help you find a solution to the problem,” he added.

Former Ireland and Leinster rugby legend Shane Byrne said: “Ronnie, Páidí and I will be taking this male health awareness initiative to radio with a series of adverts designed to give men our age the confidence to approach

Website offers help to problem drinkers

Support groups to start this autumn

A NEW approach to dealing with problem drinking habits has been launched: www.stopdrinking.ie. It offers immediate help to those for whom alcohol has become a problem.

Traditional solutions to problem drinking can offer support to people when they have quit drinking.

The Beyond Clinic in Dublin offers immediate help in the actual process of stopping drinking alcohol.

Using hypnosis and neuro-linguistic programming, hyp-

ANAMAIRE — Men’s Support Groups (Ennis & Galway) — has announced its support schedule for the new autumn/winter term and calls upon all men interested to now make contact as soon as possible, as places are limited. Two groups will be run again this term — in Ennis and Galway city. The groups provide personal development

1

TAKE

ECO CLEANERS: RECENT research has suggested a link between cancer and the use of household cleaners and air fresheners.

While more research needs to be done, there are now a number of household cleaning products available that use natural ingredients and are environmentally friendly.

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notherapist Brian Healy says he help to change the ingrained habits of a lifetime in just a few short sessions.

“Hypnosis can be very effective in changing your drinking even after many years of the same pattern,” says Healy.

“Whatever the level or amount of your drinking, if you have a genuine desire to stop or cut down, our stop-drinking programme will really work for you.”

For more information, visit www.stopdrinking.ie or telephone Brian at 01 235 0762

SQUEAKY CLEAN: Eco detergents just didn’t scrub up until I tried the Heavy Duty Washing Powder, F8.35 for 19 washes from AlmaWin. It is part of a skin-friendly, Ecocertified range of German detergents and household cleaners which are 100% biodegradable. For stubborn stains, there is a bleaching agent, while for light soiling the laundry liquid, F5.35 leaves clothes soft and sweet smelling. AlmaWin products are available from health stores and online at www.naturalselection.ie

their GP. The recently updated www.manmatters.ie website is a great resource for those who want more, easy-to-understand clear and succinct information on ED.” The Ipsos MRBI survey showed 92% of those surveyed said that they would seek advice on ED from their GP while 11% would use the internet to gather information on the condition.

■ Log on to www.manmatters.ie for information and advice about erectile difficulties.

DId you know...

and emotional support services to men from all walks of life west of the Shannon.

The courses will run in Ennis on Sunday nights, 7-10pm, for 15 weeks starting on September 5. In Galway, courses run on Monday nights, 7-10pm, for 15 weeks starting on September 6.

The 15-week terms will cost F450.

See www.AnamAire.org for more information.

with Kate O’Reilly

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Teenage boys are three to four times more likely to develop high blood pressure in early adulthood than girls (Source: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel)

Sun Safety for Kids

3

SWEET SMELLING: One product which has impressed me is a natural air purifier and deodoriser from the Attitude range. Made from just two ingredients — essential oils and activated carbon — it comes in two scents, Eucalyptus & Lavender or Passion Fruit, lasts for at least two months and costs F4.99.

Frances Duff of Irish distributors Breathe Natural Health, describes the All Purpose Multi Surface Cleaner as the ‘hero’ product of the range. Anti-bacterial and scented with lavender and grapefruit, it costs F5.38 for 800ml and is pleasant to use and effectively removes stains. Available from health stores, the Avoca shops and online at www.breatheonline.ie.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010

4

ECO LUV: Lilly’s Eco Clean was set up in Castletownbere Co Cork seven years ago.

The company now employs four people manufacturing a range of six environmentally friendly cleaning products using raw materials such as vinegar, vegetable glycerine and natural essential oils.

Lilly’s All Purpose Spray Cleaner F3.73, with either citrus or eucalyptus oils, can be used throughout the house including kitchen surfaces as well as the fridge, microwave etc and the containers are recyclable.

Available in health stores nationwide, you can find more details on www.lillysecoclean.com

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14 Beauty

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The news on ...

Bobbi Brown Chocolate & Navy Collection All About Eyes WE are big fans of Bobbi Brown cosmetics — they’re versatile, great quality and last well. If you’re looking to update your make-up look for autumn, then this deal from Brown Thomas may interest you: the Bobbi Brown Chocolate & Navy Collection All About Eyes is exclusive to Brown Thomas this August. With the set you get five eyeshadows, a Brownie Lip Colour, Pink Blossom Lip Gloss, Caviar Long Wear Gel Eyeliner and a mascara. It costs F80 — a lot, but for what you’re getting we think it’s not bad value.

Emily O’Sullivan

The new blush trend focuses on perfecting your features and giving a sculpted look

TAKE THREE

I

F asked, most of us would probably admit that we’re not quite sure what to do with blusher. We feel we need it, to avoid that undead look, but we generally just lash it on and hope for the best.

Some days we overdo it and other days we forget to wear it and get catapulted back to mid-90s heroin chic.

For most of my 20s, it was a product I did without, but in my mid-30s, going out without blusher does tend to raise concerned looks from neighbours. Sadly, I just look ill.

As autumn hovers expectantly at the end of the month, the new beauty looks start to hit the shelves, but I can’t bear the thought of dark lip shades and sultry khaki and plum eye-shadows while we still have sun-kissed days — which is where blusher comes in.

Spearheading the new autumn looks is a trend that revolves all around the face — and it’s mainly focussed on the cheekbones. The new blush trend is all about perfecting your features and giving your face a more sculpted look.

Killer cheekbones are seriously cool right now. Great news for Elle McPherson lookalikes, not so great news for the round, cubby -faced among us.

But cheekbones can be achieved no matter what your original face shape. You just need a little practice, and it’s important you get the right formulation for your skin type.

My favourite blush right now is Bobbi Brown’s Sheer. It’s not new. I’ve had mine for about a year, but it’s so easy to use, particularly for blusher luddites.

It smoothes on the skin, rubs in and makes the cheekbones a focal point of the face in a subtle way, and nothing like the big-blush look of performer Grace Jones in the ’80s.

Budget Body Lotions I DON’T want to be spending a complete fortune on body lotion… not when I have to save for autumn. Yes, there are some very luxurious body products out there that cost over F50, but in terms of effectiveness, these cheapies work just as well.

Promise.

Don’t spare the blushes With autumn in mind, Clarins has just introduced Instant Blush which has a slightly ridiculous-looking pale Barbie pink glittery sheen. Quite frankly, it would appear to be the last thing you’d be into putting on your face, unless you’re a 12-year-old with a liking for, like, glitter and, like, Jedward, and like, girly stuff. The utterly strange thing is that it actually does what it promises, which is to bring a natural “rosy glow” to cheeks.

The pink gloss adjusts to the cheeks on application, but when you put it on initially it looks seriously bubblegum pink so just use

the tiniest bit.

Products like these two are excellent for drier skin types, they’re also good if you prefer to use your fingertips to get a good finish.

More sophisticated-looking than Clarins’ cutesy blusher is Chanel’s classic Joues Contraste. These excellent blushers last for ages so make for a good investment.

To apply: smile with your lips closed and brush a little colour into the apples of your cheeks, then try softly blending upwards and then downwards, making sure there are no harsh lines.

Dove Visible Effects Body Lotion, F5.92. It’s a little strongly fragranced for my liking, but has a nice light texture that smoothes onto skin and dries in very quickly, leaving no greasy residue. After application, my skin felt very soft and satiny.

Vaseline Intensive Care Aloe Fresh Hydrating Body Lotion, F5.29. This has long been a favourite. It’s very intensely hydrating, very light and has a nice fresh scent thanks to the addition of aloe vera and cucumber.

Nivea Sensitive Body Lotion, F4.20.

Sensitive skin tends to react to richly fragranced products and this gentle formulation from Nivea is a good alternative. Chamomile extract provides moisture and soothes the skin, there are no colourants and the lotion feels light, refreshing and pleasant on the skin.

STUFF WE LIKE Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush, F9.03.

We like make-up products with “interesting” textures, and this is certainly one.

This whipped blush has a lighter-than-air feel to it and blends into the skin very well.

It gives a lovely pop of colour to the cheeks, and last year won a Sunday Times beauty award.

Feelgood

Bobbi Brown Sheer Colour Cheek Tint, F24. A flush rather than a blush — this sheer colour is really flattering to wear, giving you a healthy glow with the added benefit of accentuating your cheekbones. It blends in evenly and, despite a very slight shimmer, it looks entirely natural.

the cheeks.

MAC Powder Blush, F21.50. With a silky, glide-on texture, this blush has a devoted legion of fans and comes in five finishes from Sheertone to Matte. Choose from an extensive range of shades, from pale Peaches

Clarins Instant Blush, F22. I’m half in love with this blush, and half alarmed. It gives such a remarkable rush of colour to the cheeks, but it can so easily go wrong, as happened when we used it first. Only use

to the faded burgundy tones of Loverush.

Chanel Joues Contraste, F36. Chanel’s iconic blusher is 30 years old this year, so it must be doing something right. Perfectly round (which makes it very easy to get a good swirl of colour onto a brush), the blush has a very silky soft texture that lights up

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010

the very tiniest amount on your fingertips as the colour is deep and saturated.

Clinique Blushing Blush Powder Blush, F28. This long-wearing blusher gives a terrific natural look to cheeks. It’s a simple, no-nonsense product with a lovely texture.

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Natural health

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recently tried a raw food diet and found it very good. I have just read The Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier and am planning to build his approach into my diet. It’s based on lots of fresh fruit and vegetables plus herbs etc. I am wondering what is your opinion on such a diet.

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. I love the raw food diet but understand that not everybody enjoys eating this way.

This way of living, and it is a complete lifestyle change — not just a diet — is something that I first came across back in the 1980s when the book Fit for Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond was published. While the book isn’t specifically about raw veganism or a raw way of life, it was the first book to suggest a long-term change involving a high percentage of fresh uncooked vegetables and fruit rather than a quick-fix fad diet.

For very active people, raw-food proponents Brendan Brazier and Dr Doug Graham are wonderful role models. For people who wish to replicate cooked foods with gourmet raw counterparts to ease their transition into this way of life, I would suggest Alissa Cohen, Juliano, and Ani Phyo (particularly for desserts). Storm and Jinjee Talifero have great information for families going raw, as do Victoria Boutenko and Ka Sundance. For superfood inspiration, Shazzie and David Wolfe are the best place to start.

Simple raw foods are the speciality of Nomi Shannon and Paul Nison, whereas Angela Stokes-Monarch has lost an incredible amount of weight and kept it off for years since going raw. Gabriel Cousens takes a spiritual view of raw living, and Karen Knowler provides a wealth of accessible information for rawbies, while Frederic Patenaude takes on raw politics. I’m certain that the list of inspirational raw food chefs and authors grows by the minute with the help of the internet.

I have personally seen the raw food diet improve the health of people who have been given mere days, weeks or months to live. I have seen it transform the bodies of people who were drastically underweight and obese.

I have known athletes who have improved their performance and recovery considerably.

I have seen people treat their mental and behavioural disorders using nothing more than an organic raw food diet. I have also witnessed perfectly healthy people achieve the next level of wellbeing by switching to raw — it is not just for illness and high-performance athletes.

My advice? Keep it simple — there is more than enough information out there to both motivate and confuse an individual interested in raw. There will certainly be authors and methods that resonate with you, and you will know what feels right.

Q. I have been suffering from thrush

GET FRESH: The raw food way of living is a huge lifestyle change.

since I was about three years old. I’m now 22 and I’m pretty fed up with it. It did clear up when I was seven. However, when I became older and started having sex it returned. I use antifungal creams, pessaries and oral pills which relieve the symptoms but it never fully goes away. At the most, if it does, I have it again within a few weeks. I suffer from thrush symptoms at least once a month. I would like to know if there are any other medical or herbal treatments out there. I’m desperate to get rid of this, or even just suffer from thrush once or twice a year.

A. I can only imagine what you must go through having dealt with such a chronic condition for so long. No doubt this must wear you down physically and emotionally.

Candida overgrowth, particularly if it is a long-standing condition which is being treated, can take some years to treat completely — but you can certainly reach a point where your symptoms are manageable within in a matter of weeks.

In dealing with any type of candida albicans infection, the first step is to overhaul your diet. Typically this includes eliminating foods which contain yeasts — most breads and pastries — and moulds (fungus, such as mushrooms, and fermented drinks), along with processed foods, fats, and sugars. Because candida overgrowth leads to the destruction of the beneficial bacteria usually

Megan puts the spotlight on: The best treatment of all when it comes to strengthening your system for seasonal illness is often overlooked — rest and relaxation

Feelgood

Herbal treatments

W

ITH the change of season nearly upon us, it is the perfect time to investigate herbal treatments for the cold and flu.

Pseudoephedrine and ephedrine are themselves derived from a single herb — ephedra spp. Used for centuries as a natural remedy against respiratory and sinus conditions, to treat arthritis and also to keep alert, this herb has a pharmacological action similar to adrenaline in the brain and nervous system.

Medical concerns have arisen around the safety of this herbal derivative for people with weaker hearts and nervous systems, but the herb utilised in its whole form rarely has side effects. The stimulating properties of this herb have led to restrictions in many countries, however, there are many effective and widely available herbal alternatives to choose from.

Goldenseal is brilliant for mucous mem-

found in the gut, you will also need to replace this by taking a probiotic.

Threelac is a probiotic specifically formulated to destroy candida and restore intestinal balance. Take four sachets per day for the first month, and then reduce to two sachets per day until you no longer experience the symptoms. Continue the two sachets for a full month after symptoms have stopped and then reduce to a maintenance dose of one sachet per day. Threelac is available from your local health store or you can order it online from www.bodykind.ie where one pack of 60 sachets costs F50.68.

The other supplement key to your recovery is Kolorex, which is formulated using the native NZ herb, horopito (pseudowintera colorata). This plant has had almost miraculous results in effectively treating thrush and other candida conditions because it has active compounds in the leaves which discourage fungal attack. I recommend you use the capsules and the topical cream to help win this ongoing battle. Kolorex is also available as a tea. Forest Herbs Kolorex is available from Noma Ltd, contact by phone on 00-44 -2380-770513 or email noma@complementary-medicine.com.

Olive and coconut oils have been shown to inhibit the action of yeast and fungal growth — but only if it is virgin, cold-pressed and unrefined. Take garlic, aloe vera, probiotic yoghurt, and of course drink plenty of water to help flush out your system.

Herbal products can help ease colds and flus. brane issues in the eyes, ears, nose, throat, gut and female reproductive system, and it is often prescribed to help tone the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract.

Barberry bark can also be substituted for goldenseal. Goldenrod is ideal for chronic nasal catarrh and can help with urinary tract infections and candida imbalance. Eyebright, as the name would suggest, is beneficial for the eyes. Use it to treat infectious conditions of the eye, nose, sinuses, and middle ear.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13, 2010

Elder is well known in treating cold and flu, with the berries and the flowers being used to help with catarrh, allergies, coughs, colds, ear infections and hayfever.

Hyssop is another fantastic cold and flu herb, particularly where chronic nasal catarrh is an issue. Thyme is perfect for asthmatics, and those who are plagued by sinusitis. Horseradish is another plant which has an affinity for sinus conditions, but is also wonderful for addressing digestive and respiratory problems.

The best treatment of all when it comes to strengthening your system for seasonal illness is often overlooked and completely free — rest and relaxation. During the resting phase the body actively repairs itself and works to maintain balance of the bodily systems. If congestion is already an issue then elevate your head with pillows to allow mucous to drain efficiently and keep the airways open.

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