Feelgood 19-11-2010

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Feelgood

Friday, November 19, 2010

Find it hard to remember things? Our experts tell you how to boost your memory: 8, 9 IDEAL WEIGHT

Stay in shape by eating the right foods for your blood type: 5

IN FOCUS

Seán Gallagher of Dragons’ Den on his visual impairment: 11

BIG BITE

Eight beef burgers get a grilling: 12

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2 News front Kate O’Reilly WHAT’S ON ■ COUNSELLING DAY: The Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (IACP) will host a free Public Information Day in the Round Room of the Mansion House tomorrow from 12.30 to 5pm. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness among the public of the benefits of counselling and psychotherapy, especially in times of crisis and change and to inform people about the options that are available. Visit www.iacp.ie for further details.

■ HEALTH FAIR: Fermoy Holistic Health and Food Fair will take place tomorrow from 1 to 7pm in the Youth Centre. A number of therapists who are practising locally will be exhibiting. Talks include the benefits of manuka honey and spelt, yoga and stress release and nutrition and children’s learning and behaviour.

Admission F5, OAPs F2 and children are free. All will receive a free goody bag sponsored by Horan’s Health Store.

Proceeds from the door will be donated to Fermoy Action Children’s Education (FACE), a voluntary group set up to provide support services for children with dyslexia, dyspraxia and other learning difficulties.

■ CONCERN FASTIVAL: The Concern Fastival is 24 hours of fasting and fun events which aims to raise F1 million to combat childhood malnutrition in the developing world. This year’s festival takes place on November 25 and 26 in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway and other venues. Fasters can attend fun events, including yoga classes, drumming workshops and a host of gigs for free. If you aren’t fasting, or would like to bring some friends, you can buy tickets for entry to the gigs. See www.concernfastival.net for more details.

■ HEART CLINIC: The Irish Heart Foundation will hold a free Blood Pressure and Cholesterol testing Clinic at the Parish Centre, Carrigaline on Wednesday next from 10am to 12pm.

For further details call their Cork office on 021-4505822, or if you have questions about stroke or heart disease you can also contact the Helpline 1890 432787.

■ MG CONFERENCE: The Myasthenia Gravis Association will host a conference on Saturday, November 27, in the Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork, to raise awareness of the auto-immune disease in Cork. Myasthenia Gravis (MG) causes a breakdown between nerves and muscles, and results in loss of effectiveness in the muscles of the arms, legs and eyes. In Ireland, there are almost 400 diagnosed sufferers, but it is estimated that there are at least two to three others whose condition is undetected.

Speakers will include Dr Aisling Ryan, consultant neurologist at CUH and MG specialist nurse Lisa Gribbin, from St Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin. The conference, which runs from 10.30am to 2pm is free and open to the public. Transport between the train and bus stations is available. To register, please go to www.mga-charity.ie or contact Karen Clancy on 065-6838270.

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

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Some celebrity fathers have shown a reluctance to attend their children’s births. Arlene Harris finds out why

Dads dodge births W ITH seven children to his name, English football pundit and former professional player, John Barnes, should be no stranger to the delivery room. But when his wife Andrea went into labour last week, the 47-year old was commentating on the Liverpool and Chelsea game and on hearing the news that he had a new baby son, decided to stay in studio to watch the end of the match.

When asked by fellow-commentator, Richard Keys, if he would like to leave the studio to be with his wife and newborn, Barnes calmly replied “I’ll stay for the second half ”, and waited until the final whistle had blown before leaving the studio.

This decision has caused outcry among parents, professionals and the media, with people hotly debating whether or not fathers should be present at the birth of their child.

Barnes is joined by celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay who has admitted he did not attend the birth of his four children because it would put him off having sex with his wife Tana.

Cork University Hospital consultant obstetrician and father-of-six, Professor John Higgins is well placed to comment on the role of fathers in the delivery room and says that while the majority of women would like their partner to be present, it shouldn’t be obligatory.

NO PRESSURE: One expert says while the majority of women would like their partner to be present at births, it shouldn’t be obligatory.

Picture:Getty Images

“Research has shown that the presence of a trusted companion during labour can help provide support for the mother-to-be,” he says. “Almost 95% of women will choose their partner to be present at the birth of their child, but there are couples who feel pressurised to play the expected role and either the woman or man, or even both, would feel better if someone else was there to lend support.”

In these circumstances, Professor Higgins says it would be more beneficial for all parties if an alternative companion was found for the delivery. “It has become almost compulsory

for fathers to be present, but if they have a fear of blood, are likely to faint or really don’t want to be there then their presence can actually be unhelpful,” he says.

“And while attention is focused on the mother and baby, the unnoticed father may have to witness procedures which leave him entirely shell-shocked.

“Overall, the presence of the father at the birth of his child is a great idea and it is the choice of most couples, however, it is not obligatory and I would advise couples to have an honest discussion beforehand and make a decision that suits them both.”

HEALTH NOTES IRISH shoppers strongly endorse traffic light colours combined with Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA), according to research published this week.

The research of 400 grocery shoppers, both male and female, was undertaken by RED C and showed that four out of five claimed the words high, medium and low, combined with the colours red, amber and green, helped them identify the nutritional content of a product.

“These findings confirm the aim of the traffic light colour coding system which is designed to help consumers identify at a glance the level of key nutrients of relevance to their health,” says Irish Heart Foundation chief executive Michael O’Shea.

WE are eating more salt than we think. A typical lunch of soup, a sandwich and a chocolate muffin can contain more than an adult’s recommended salt intake per day, according to safefood.

Launching its workplace salt awareness campaign, safefood is reminding consumers to check food labels and choose lower salt options where possible, as the majority of dietary salt is from processed foods such as processed meats, sauces and bread.

Salt Alert will see workplace restaurants in 55 companies and organisations target 65,000 employees over a two-week campaign, helping them become more salt aware.

At the recent Retina 2010 conference, Dr

www.irishexaminer.com www.irishexaminer.com

gy. If approved for clinical use in humans, it could offer options to treat a number of degenerative eye conditions in the future.

RP is the most prevalent cause of registered visual impairment in the developed world. To date, there has been no treatment available to cure the condition or to halt its progression.

LOOKING AHEAD: Dr Anna-Sophia Kiang of the Smurfit Institute of Genetics at Trinity College Dublin, at Retina 2010, the annual conference of Irish charity Fighting Blindness. Picture: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

Anna-Sophia Kiang of the Smurfit Institute of Genetics at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) announced a groundbreaking method of delivering therapeutic drugs more easily into the retina at the back of the eye.

The drug is extremely potent in preventing a form of retinitis pigmentosa (RP)) when administered with this latest technolo-

www.irishexaminer.com feelgood@examiner.ie

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010

Almost 1,000 people have been reported dead as a result of a cholera outbreak in the Caribbean country of Haiti. And now the Dominican Republic has reported its first cholera case. In response, the Tropical Medical Bureau is urging people to be cautious before they travel by getting the appropriate vaccinations.

Dr Graham Fry of TMB said: “The vaccine is not easily available in the Carribean and very few specialists are at hand there to administer it. We would like to stress how important it is for people to be prepared before travelling.”

The Cardiac Support Group North Cork will hold a meeting on Monday next, November 22 in Mallow Day Care Centre at 8pm. The guest speaker is Dr Tom Kiernan, consultant cardiologist. All are welcome, contact 0868900886 for further details.

A self-help workshop on stammering will be held in the Clarion Hotel, Cork on Saturday November 27, 9.30am to 5pm. For details contact: Michael O’Shea 087-2504611.

Editorial: 021 4802 292

Advertising: 021 4802 215

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In profile

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THE SHAPE I'M IN

Patricia Crosbie

Best foot forward

P

ATRICIA Crosbie has spent the past couple of weeks training 60 ballet dancers the intricate dance routines for Cork City Ballet’s first-ever full-length staging of Swan Lake.

“We’re putting our own stamp on it. We’re introducing male swans into the first and second acts,” says Patricia, who is ballet mistress with Cork City Ballet.

A ballerina for six years with the Irish National Ballet, Patricia joined the company straight out of school in 1976. “After that, I danced freelance with different schools in London,” says the 51-year-old, who used to be married to Ray Davies a member of the English rock band the Kinks.

“He was eccentric. It was never dull being married to him. I had a very exciting life with him,” says Patricia, whose daughter, Eva, is 13. “She’s done some dancing but she’s not as passionate about it as I was. She’s still finding her thing. Among other interests, she’s a very good writer.”

Cork City Ballet performs Swan Lake at Cork Opera House from Wednesday, November 24 to Saturday, November 27.

What shape are you in?

I’m in pretty good shape. I’m moving all the time. I also have a dog that needs walking. I go to yoga once a week because it stretches everything.

Do you have any health concerns?

Not really — I had a big Well Woman check-up a month ago and everything is fine. My father died of stroke just over a year ago, so maybe I have to keep an eye on that side of things.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I like my meat and three veg and I try to eat a lot of fish. I really like salads. I love my food — I always have.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

Cheese and onion Tayto crisps.

What would keep you awake at night?

I tend to fall asleep immediately because I’m usually so physically tired. If there is something on my mind — such as an upcoming production like Swan Lake — I’d wake up again at about 3am.

How do you relax?

In front of the television with a glass of white wine or meeting a friend for a glass of wine.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Arthur Miller, the playwright; Nijinsky, the Russian dancer – and his sister, Nijinska. She was one of the few female choreographers of her time, so she’d be very interesting to talk to. Susan Sarandon also interests me — I think she’s a great actress but very down to earth. And I’d invite Liam Neeson — he’s Irish and good-looking.

When did you last cry?

I’m quite an emotional person and will cry at the drop of a hat. The last time I had an out-and-out bawl was when my father died. It was a releasing kind of cry.

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What would you change about your appearance?

My curly hair — I’ve always wished it was straight. You can do something with curls when you’re younger but when you’re older, I don’t know… I suppose it has its good days.

What’s your favourite smell?

I love the smell of brand-new bed sheets. And I got a present of soap the other day, which has Mediterranean plum as one of the fragrances — it’s fantastic.

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

I loved A Thousand Splendid Suns.

What trait do you least like in others?

Arrogance, hypocrisy and meanness of spirit.

What trait do you least like in yourself?

I’d like to be more tolerant. Certainly, as a mother, I’d like to be able to listen more — when you’re a teacher, you tend to talk a lot and tell people what to do.

Do you pray?

No, I don’t pray to a god, though I believe there is something there. I have a lot of faith in people.

What would cheer up your day?

So many things — I’m actually really easy to please. The mother-daughter chats you have with your child are the best. It would also cheer me up if Cork City Ballet were to be given a huge grant by the Arts Council.

Helen O’Callaghan

STEPPING OUT: Ballet mistress with Cork City Ballet, Patricia Crosbie finds it easy to keep in shape as she is always on the move. Picture: Des Barry

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 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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Life challenge Former Dublin footballer Gerry Collins is back on track, writes Noel Baker

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A new look

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Lisa Salmon finds out how why Cheryl Cole and Cliff Get fit for Richard are fans of diet designed to fit your blood group winter: Week 8

Type cast

W

HEN the Cork footballers pipped Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final in August, Gerry Collins was one of the more interested spectators — not just because he used to represent the Metropolitans in senior football, but also because at one point it looked unlikely he would be around to see any matches at all.

The 54-year-old father of three, originally from Stillorgan but now living in Greystones, looks back with a slight sense of bewilderment at how he went from a member of the Dublin panel in 1980 to the king of the couch potatoes, when he smoked 60 cigarettes a day, washed down with up to 15 cups of coffee and topped off with more than a few pints.

Six years ago, with cholesterol levels he describes as “obscene” and a growing sense of discontent, he began to turn it around — only to be tripped up by the onset of cancer when he was diagnosed with a tumour at the base of his tongue.

But first, the back story. A keen footballer with Kilmacud Crokes in his youth, Collins’ aversion to training appears to have been legendary.

“I was a sporty guy but I enjoyed the high life as well,” he says. “I chased the buzz.”

His day job was in the recruitment industry, and he admits to burning the candle at both ends, particularly when he stepped back from football. He had always hated training, and when the football side slipped away he plunged headlong into unhealthy living.

“It wears you out with injuries and everything else,” he says of his career. “I was gone in my early 30s. At that stage you descend into a different world.

“Between running different businesses I enjoyed craic and booze far too much and it got to the stage when it took over my life,” Collins says.

“When I say I was drinking 15 coffees I am not exaggerating. Recruitment is all about chasing the buzz — I had 20 people working for me at one stage. It was always the manic side of life that turned me on.

“I thought life was going really well, I was living in pressure zone, but there is a price to be paid for everything.”

While never overweight — something he attributes to his 100mph lifestyle and nicotine addiction — it became clear that things were not firing on the health front. By his mid-40s, Collins admits to being in something of a slump, with his days filled with food, coffee, cigarettes and alcohol. He decided that the time had come for a change of gear.

“Only in the last 10 years I started to wake up to the fact that this isn’t working,” he says, admitting that he had landed into a state of “complete discontent — no inner peace, no inner contentment”.

“Right across the board I wasn’t happy. I was losing control of the business and losing control of myself.

“It affected the relationship with my family and the relationship with my kids, my relationship with everything.”

Cigarettes were the first thing to go, and he found by ridding himself of that crutch it was

X DIFFERENT VIEW: Gerry Collins says he used to ‘chase the buzz’ in sport and work before he got ill. Now he and his daughter Lisa, seen here, are organising the Healthy BODY Healthy MIND exhibition and show to be held in Dublin next February. Picture:Billy Higgins

A NEW BUZZ easier to contemplate going to the gym.

“I always wanted to go to the gym but when I was smoking it didn’t add up.

“The thing with the cigarettes was the smell. I got the smell from some guy next to me on the Dart and I said to myself ‘this guy stinks’.

“Then I realised this guy is me. I got off the Dart and I had two cigarettes in the box and I threw them in the bin and said ‘I am not smoking any more’.

“The only reason I could do it was my family, sending me a text every day saying ‘well done dad’.

He replaced the cigarettes with exercise — first through the gym and hillwalking, then through boxing in the club in Bray where the trainer is Peter Taylor, father of Irish champion Katie Taylor.

Next on the agenda was alcohol. “I was still drinking pretty hard at the time, so then I decided I had to look at that. Initially I said I would give up for six months. That was four or five years ago and it was a tremendous decision.”

THE FACTS

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Now the only remaining vice is the odd slab of chocolate or sticky bun, but on turning over a new leaf with his health regime, Collins had every reason to thank himself for replenishing his energy reserves when he was diagnosed with a tumour at the back of his tongue.

His medical team told him this was directly attributable to his years of smoking and drinking. Chemotherapy followed and as he recovered, he also had to contend with the impact of the recession on his business interests.

“The oncologists felt that my physical and mental fitness would help me tolerate the very toxic treatment,” he says. “It was extremely tough and the changes I made in my life were definitely a major influence in my ability to tolerate the treatment physically and mentally.

“During the cancer treatment I was out of action for a year and the economy collapsing at the same time,” he recalls. “The recruitment market had died as well. I needed to find something else and to get re-energised.”

■ THE most common sites for oral cancer are the lips and tongue. Oral cancer is relatively uncommon, accounting for about 5% of all cancers.

Men are twice as likely to develop oral cancer than women and most cases occur over the age of 40, but it can occur in people of any age.

Those who drink alcohol are six times more likely to contract it than those who do not.

■ Oral and pharyngeal cancer (OPC)

leads to around 150 deaths every year in Ireland, according to recent figures.

■ Tobacco and alcohol use are the primary causes, and poor oral hygiene can also play a role in the cancer developing.

■ Main symptoms include a sore in the mouth that won’t go away, as well as soreness around the mouth, difficulty in moving the tongue or jaw, and difficulty in chewing or swallowing. A dis-

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010

That came when he joined together with his daughter Lisa to begin planning the conference to take place next year at University College Dublin which is now the focus of his energies. The Healthy BODY Healthy MIND Show takes place on February 4-6 and will highlight the link between physical exercise and positive mental health.

“I was lucky to survive and am in remission now. It has taken over two years to slowly rebuild my life and part of that is being able to regularly exercise again. I am energised, less stressed and more at peace in my head.”

In a society driven, he believes, by instant gratification, people need to appreciate the simple pleasures of physical exercise, even if it doesn’t mean running out at Croke Park.

“We’d like to be part of a movement that is driving this message,” he says.

Thanks to his own lifestyle choices, it’s likely he will be able to do just that for many years to come.

■ www.healthybodyhealthymind.ie ■ www.mentalhealthireland.ie

coloured patch may be noticeable in the mouth or a lump in the cheek, or sufferers may experience numbness in areas of the mouth.

■ A biopsy is the main method of diagnosis.

■ Treatment depends on health and age of patient and size and location of tumour. Radiotherapy is often used to treat the cancer. Early treatment will result in a cure in about 75% of cases.

FACTOR judge Cheryl Cole owns a figure that most women would die for and boasts that she’s bursting with energy.

Further up the age scale, Cliff Richard celebrated his 70th birthday last month, but has a physique men 30 years younger would be proud of.

Cliff and Cheryl, 27, may inhabit markedly different worlds but they have something very much in common: apparently they have both followed a diet based entirely on their blood type.

Both have high praise for the Eat Right 4 Your Type diet, written by American natural therapist Dr Peter D’Adamo.

D’Adamo’s book on the diet features lists of foods that he says are either highly beneficial, neutral or should be avoided by each particular blood group type.

“Your blood type influences every area of your physiology on a cellular level,” he claims. “It has everything to do with how you digest your food, your ability to respond to stress, your mental state, the efficiency of your metabolism, and the strength of your immune system.”

Cole told Hello! magazine: “It has made such a difference to how I feel and my energy levels. Before I was like ‘energy schmenergy’ and didn’t believe it. But now I believe it 100%.”

And Richard, who is blood type A, has cut out foods including milk, cheese and wheat, in what he calls a “healthy eating plan”, rather than a diet.

“I can eat more now than I’ve ever eaten and I still can’t put on a pound. I do miss a good Indian curry, but if you are going to try to enhance your diet, it will mean giving up something you love to eat,” he says.

“Good eating is not the only way to stay fit but you can help your body by feeding it the right food.”

D’Adamo says that when we eat, a chemical reaction occurs between our blood and the food, which is why he believes some foods may be harmful to the cells of one blood type and beneficial to the cells of another.

Foods contain proteins called lectins and D’Adamo says our blood type is genetically programmed to accept or reject certain lectins.

He says that when food containing lectins that are incompatible with your blood type are eaten, the lectins target an organ or bodily system and clump cells there.

This clumping (agglutination) can interfere with digestion, metabolism and the immune system.

He claims this process has been directly linked to problems including arthritis, colitis, high cholesterol, anaemia, high blood pressure, stress, weight gain/loss, depression, diabetes and food cravings.

The book suggests that sticking to the diet around 70% of the time should be enough for most people.

“Unless your health is very bad and every minute counts, you probably don’t need to be 100% compli-

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ant all the time.”

D’Adamo says that in a study he carried out of 6,617 people who followed the diet for at least a month, three out of four people (71%-78%) reported an improvement in their health conditions.

Weight loss was the effect most often observed, he says, but a number of reports detailed improvements in digestive function, resistance to stress, overall energy and mental clarity.

D’Adamo says the percentages reporting positive results were consistent across all the blood types, and stresses: “The results certainly appear to question many of the standardised ‘one size fits all’ diets.”

But if the Eat Right 4 Your Type diet, which was first published in the USA in 1997, has such good results, why hasn’t it been adopted as best practice by medical

ENERGY BOOST: Cheryl Cole claims increased energy from the diet plan based on your blood type.

Picture: Zak Hussein

professionals? D’Adamo says he believes it’s just a matter of time. Stressing that there is “significant research” available on everything discussed in his book, he says: “Although science is starting to catch on to the idea that there is no ‘one-size fits all’ diet, I predict you’ll see a lot of changes to dietary recommendations in the next few years and a real move toward personalised nutrition programmes.”

However, dietitians point out that weight loss, increased energy and improved health are normal benefits of any sensible eating programme.

“A lot of the blood group diet is promoting weight loss and, like many diets, it’s effective because it imposes tight rules as to what you can and can’t eat,” says dietitian Ursula Arens.

“Does it work? Yes, but equally if I developed a diet that wasn’t based on any kind of logical science, but simply imposed tight rules, it would have the result that you lost weight.

“Being fat or being thin, and the benefits of eating meat or not eating meat etc in relation to blood groups, is not something we’ve been able to observe any real associations with.

“If you follow the diet, you will lose weight, but that isn’t scientific proof of the theory, it’s the imposition of tight rules.”

Arens points out that there are “a million diets out there” if you want to lose weight.

“The bottom line is that they work by restricting certain foods, and with that you’re restricting calories.”

She adds that when it comes to energy levels, most people say they feel better when they lose weight.

“I don’t know what Cheryl Cole’s diet was like before,” she says. “Maybe this diet has imposed better meal patterns for her. There are lots of factors to consider when considering what we consume and how it affects our energy levels.”

■ Eat Right 4 Your Type by Dr Peter D’Adamo, Century Books, F11.85.

Eat for your blood type

ACTION PLAN: Trainer Gillian O'Sullivan put Edel O'Sullivan through her paces for eight weeks. Picture: Cillian Kelly EDEL O’Sullivan finishes her eight-week training programme just in time for her wedding. She is delighted with the results, but it did take sweat, effort and buckets of determination.

“I really enjoyed the training with my personal trainer Gillian O’Sullivan, I don’t think I would ever have got into the running without her — I really had myself convinced that I couldn’t do it. It was great because the training was built up over time. If I had been doing it myself I probably would have given up because I would have taken on too much too soon, You need to build it up slowly. That said, Gillian did push me, she encouraged me to keep going and was always really positive.

“Some evenings it was hard as I was travelling from work in Clonakilty to train with Gillian in Cork and then I had to do my own training other evenings so there were days when I didn’t feel like doing it but I knew I had to have the training done before I met her.

“I was very lucky to have Brian (fiancé) and my son Matthew. It is very important to have support because you do find you have weak moments and it is great when somebody encourages you to get the training done.”

Gillian says Edel’s commitment paid off with impressive results. “Edel is very typical of most people who go to the gym and get a little bit done but who want to go further. She started out running for two minutes and after seven or eight weeks she had upped her performance to 20 minutes solid. The message I want to get out there is this is achievable for most people. The key is to take it step by step and to build on the progress you make each week.

“When Edel came to me she had a back injury. Some people can be frightened and turned off by this. Obviously you cannot ignore it, but depending on the severity of the injury, it is possible to strengthen the core area. It helped too that Edel was dedicated to her training and was consistent in her application. Hit and miss will not suffice.” www.gillianosullivan.ie

Blood type O: Eat meat (high protein, low carbohydrate). Cut out wheat and most other grains. Take vigorous aerobic exercise.

Blood type A: Eat a largely vegetarian diet (high carbohydrate, low fat). Take gentle exercise such as yoga or golf and meditate to deal with stress.

Blood type B: Eat the most varied diet of all the blood types, including meat and dairy products. Take exercise such as moderate swimming or walking.

Blood type AB: Has most of the benefits and intolerances of types A and B, so most foods which are recommended for either type A or B will work. Engage in calming exercises and relaxation techniques.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010

Therese O’Callaghan

Measurements at start of training Weight: 9st 8lbs Waist: 30.25” Hips: 39.1” Thigh: 20.75” Arm: 10.75” End of training Weight: 9’5 Waist: 29” Hips: 38.5” Thighs: 20.25” Arm: 10.25” In total Edel lost 3” and 3lbs.

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6 Using initiative

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Food inititatives put emphasis on communities first, writes Ailin Quinlan

Full co-operation O

NE MOMENT she’s giving a cookery class, the next she’s involved with a community garden to a food co-op, meals on wheels, or a community café — anything so long as it is linked to a local food initiative.

As food project coordinator with the Limerick Food Partnership, which is supported by the Paul Partnership, Liz Slattery is a busy woman, helping coordinate a range of community food initiatives around the city.

The objective is to help make the recommended healthy diet affordable for low income families.

Take, for example, the project which sees 3,000 healthy school meals a day dished up to several schools in disadvantaged areas of the city.

Or the community café in Southill which serves healthy low-cost meals, or the meals-on-wheels service to the elderly, or the two community gardens in Southill and St Munchins.

And let’s not forget the Food Co-Op in Southill, or the Grow Your Own classes, which offer an outreach service to would-be gardeners.

On top of all of that, Slattery, a former chef who runs a part-time bakery, also holds Cook It classes on cookery and nutrition.

It’s not that difficult to set up a community food initiative, she says — as long as you know what you’re doing and don’t expect to receive automatic financial support.

“You need an organiser and a small amount of funding. Our Community Gardens project got some support from the HSE, for instance,” she explains The Community Garden organisers also applied for, and won, a place on the Healthy Food for All/safefood Demonstration Project, which supports a number of community food initiatives.

Healthy Food for All (HFfA) is an all-island multi-agency initiative that seeks to combat food poverty by promoting affordability of healthy food for low-income groups. .

It’s really not that difficult to set up a community food initiative, agrees Sinead Keenan, HFfA Project Coordinator: “You need to know what you re doing and you need the community behind you,” she says, adding that these initiatives are usually driven by a group, such as a family resource centre or a community project, members of which identify a need.

“There is no direct funding stream from the Government for community food initiatives. Many groups will use fundraising or a grant that they may get, for example from the local authority.”

In conjunction with safefood, Keenan’s organisation runs the food demonstration project which is currently funding and providing mentoring to seven community food initiatives, such as community gardens or community healthy eating policies — three in the North, one in Dundalk and one each in Kerry, Cork and Limerick.

Although there’s as yet no figure for the number of initiatives nationwide, HFfA is

Feelgood

THUMBS UP: Liz Slattery (main picture), Food Project Co-ordinator, PAUL Partnership, Limerick and insert, giving a cooking class at Southill Community Centre, Limerick with Thomas Mulready, Brian Hickey, Margaret Carey and Ann Allen. Picture: Kieran Clancy.

EASY TASK: Sinead Keenan, HFfA Project Coordinator says it’s really not that difficult to set up a community food initiative.

Picture: MAXPIX DUBLIN

WHAT YOU CAN DO

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TO set up a Community Food Initiative: ■ Start small.

■ Keep the group involved.

■ Provide hands-on training.

■ Check that the project is needed and will be used.

■ Identify key people who can get involved.

■ Organise a small committee to deal with the management of the initiative.

■ Decide what to sell in your cafe or market and contact your local community dietitian services for suggestions.

currently compiling a directory. But from the Knocknaheeny Food Focus in Cork to the community café at Raphoe Family Resource Centre in Donegal to the Southill Food Co-op in Limerick, the food project at the Organic Centre in Rossinver, Co Leitrim and the ‘Dig it and Eat it!’ project in Belfast, communities everywhere are waking up to the benefits.

“Ireland has the second highest prices in the EU for food and the highest for fruit and vegetables — facts that were highlighted in the Eurostat survey this summer,” says Keenan, who warns that healthy food is often unaffordable for low-income families.

“Even though people on a low income spend a higher proportion of their income on food their nutritional intake is poorer.”

It’s up to 10 times cheaper to provide calories in the form of unhealthy food high in fat and sugar than in the form of fruit, vegetables and lean meat etc.

So in this context taking control of your food is crucial — whether through grow-

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010

ing it in a community garden or sourcing it locally in a coop.

Locally grown food will usually not be as affected by global factors such as drought or poor harvests, which can affect the availability and cost of long-range food in the supermarket. “If you are growing your own you have more control over your food — and if it’s grown locally it is better.”

The growing focus on healthy eating by chefs like Rachel Allen and Jamie Oliver has percolated the public consciousness, says Slattery: “In the past few years public awareness of healthy eating has rocketed and I find I’m pushing an open door.”

Now all that’s needed, she says, is a system for seed funding.

■ The HFfA’s Good Practice Guide for Community Food Initiatives is a practical, user-friendly resource for community groups looking to set up a community project with a food component and is available online at www.healthyfoodforall.com. Anyone interested in setting up such a project can contact Sinead on 01-8360011

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Psychology We must first embrace our own depths before we come to know the value of others

Individual worth

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By Patrick McKeown, author & International practitioner.

As seen on RTE Health Squad, Irish Times and Irish Independent.

Freecall: 1800 931 935 or visit www.asthmacare.ie

FEELGOOD

Tony Humphreys

F

OLLOWING a talk recently on managing from the inside out, a person commented: “You’re an idealist, aren’t you?” I responded: “On the contrary, I’m a realist but I live in a world where many people confuse illusion with reality.”

Some of the most common illusions are: ■ Money brings happiness ■ Success brings happiness ■ Marriage brings happiness ■ Ideas bring happiness ■ Power brings happiness ■ Celebrity brings happiness ■ Religion brings happiness ■ Work brings happiness ■ Possessions bring happiness When you examine the above list it becomes clear — for me at least — that these pursuits are socially acquired addictions. I call them process addictions. For example, the western world’s dream is about money. So many of those who strive to reach summits of personal achievement and success are still empty, desperate and soulless.

Neither do the other addictions listed ever totally fill the void within, and they don’t give any significance to one’s true self and to the person of children, partner, employee, to parishioners and to students.

In many ways, these process addictions are just as blocking of people’s mature progress as substance addictions — alcohol, drugs and food. However, there is a need for compassion here — for no individual creates an addiction without having experienced major threats to being real and authentic. Indeed, the illusions are a means of reducing the impact of the harsh realities experienced.

As an adult I need to explore my own addictions and attempt to get back to reality and to free myself of the illusions I cleverly created in order to survive.

I also need to return to those who operated from their own addictive places and to their actions towards me, and determine to live my life based on core values and not confuse my worth with anything I do, say, think, feel, achieve or experience.

I also need to see other people for their true self and not confuse their presence with what they do. It is in these ways I am a realist, but this is a realism that those who live in illusional worlds can be very threatened by.

When illusions reduce the pain of emotional abandonment and unrealistic expectations, it is wisely a difficult task to embrace realism. Relational depth needs to be created for people to emerge from the hidden worlds of illusion to the open and free world of realism. The resolution lies in infusion — seeing a person for his or her true self.

I can understand why I am called an idealist, because I know those who say so have intelligently found a way to distance themselves from the realities of what I’m saying or doing.

There is not yet sufficient emotional and social security for them to make the connection between their own driven lives and their illusions and addictions. What is important is that I wait patiently for them to become present to their individual

Feelgood

The Western World’s dream is about money. So many individuals who strive to reach summits of personal achievement and success are still empty, desperate and soulless presence and that I continue to transform my own life from illusion to realism.

How do we know when we are living our real as opposed to illusional lives? The truth is that we are always spilling the beans on where we are within ourselves but we will only see this when we begin to live in the real world.

For example, ‘people are our greatest asset’ is a popular espoused value of the corporate sector. Though this value is written into mission statements, spoken about and repeated by thousands of people every day, the evidence for it is just not there. Unless we value people as our greatest asset — within family, church, school, workplaces, society — we will stay with the illusions and not embrace reality. This change can only happen from the inside out and can only happen when we examine our actual behaviour — our illusions — and see that we are missing out on what is vital for our total wellbeing: the cherishing of each individual person. ● Dr Tony Humphreys is a clinical psychologist, author and international speaker. Relationship, Relationship, Relationship — Heart of a Mature Society is relevant to today’s article.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010

7

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

Great writers and mentors.

Where you come first.

Phone: NIAMH O’CONNELL Tel. 021-4802215 Fax 021-4273846 niamhoconnell@examiner.ie

Every Friday.

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Cover story 8 xxxxxxxx

Staying xxxxxxxx sharp

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9

The saying ‘use or lose’ it is as true for building brain power as it is for fitness, so don’t just sit there — start moving, planning and eating well, says Helen O’Callaghan

YOUR OWN MEMORY STICK Y

world, scientists are pioneering high-tech ways OU spot a familiar face in the crowd. Familiar face spots you too, of boosting brain power. Researchers at the University of British Columbia have found stops and uses your name at least that transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) twice in the first five seconds. You know this person. But how — and in what context? And — sending magnetic pulses to stimulate the dorsal premotor cortex region of the brain — what in God’s name is their name? improves motor skills in young healthy adults.

For the next very long minute, you try to While reports suggested the researchers hold a generic conversation that won’t expose your embarrassing memory lapse. Your brain planned to develop a ‘thinking cap’, scientist Lara Boyd told Feelgood this isn’t accurate. fishes around for a context and a name that “We actually use a coil, which transmits elecfits. It never finds it and the encounter limps tromagnetic pulses into the brain; these allow to a red-faced halt, leaving you to ponder in us to increase or decrease brain excitability.” private the significance of this brain blip.

Meanwhile, Oxford University neuroscienEverybody has them, don’t they? Yes, say the tists have experts. Ian demonstrated Robertson, prothat electrical fessor of psycholstimulation can ogy at Trinity enhance matheCollege Dublin, matical abilities. says there’s a tenFifteen student dency as we get volunteers, aged older for the 20-21, were front parts of our given low elecbrain to shrink trical stimuli somewhat and across the parifor neurotransetal lobe, an area mitters — chemof the brain cruical messengers cial for processthat help coming maths probmunication belems. Those tween brain cells who received — to deplete.

“We get forstimulation from the right to the getful. We forget left parietal people’s names. lobe reached a We have difficul- AGE RELATED: Ian Robertson, professor of psychology at high level of ty thinking of Trinity College Dublin, says there’s a tendency as we get performance in the right word. older for the front parts of our brain to shrink.

It happens fairly Picture: Maxwells Photography mathematical tasks after a few steadily from our sessions, whereas those with stimulation from 30s onwards but, on average, the biggest the left to the right underperformed — at the change is in our 60s.”

American science writer Barbara Strauch level of six-year-old children.

“We’re not advising people to go around agrees that brain processing speed slows down giving themselves electric shocks but we are as we age and it can take us longer to learn new things. But she says that scientists — who extremely excited by the potential of our findings. Electrical stimulation is unlikely to turn used to think we lost as much as 30% of our you into the next Einstein, but it might help brain cells as we aged — simply got it wrong. some people cope better with maths,” says “If we’re healthy, we keep most of our brain team leader Roi Cohen Kadosh. cells for our whole lives. In fact, the brain improves in a number of cognitive functions as IT’S ELECTRIC: Closer to home, Trinity we age, perhaps most importantly in inductive reasoning, the ability to see the big picture.

College Dublin research found that electric shock treatment (ECT), administered to “The brain is more agile from age 40 to 60 than it was in its 20s. It’s operating better than severely depressed patients, caused cognitive difficulties in the immediate aftermath of treatever, not only in reasoning power but also in ment but, within a few weeks, patients’ memvocabulary, which continues to build, as well ories and information-processing skills were as in memory and spatial reasoning. These better than they’d been pre-treatment. abilities contribute to a surge of creativity in our middle years,” says Strauch, who “The electrical stimulus used is quite small, about the amount of energy involved if you has just published The Secret Life drop a tennis ball to the ground from your Of The Grown-Up Brain. waist,” says Professor Declan McLoughlin at TCD’s department of psychiatry. He BRAIN BOOST: Around the warned that while ECT is an effective treatment for severe depression, it is not SHOCK TREATMENT: Declan something to use in otherwise healthy McLoughlin, professor at TCD’s people in an attempt to improve brain Department of Psychiatry, says function. while ECT is effective for severe High-tech brain-boosters are probably a long way off. And, at any rate, it depression, it is not to be used seems a DIY approach can optiin otherwise healthy people mise brain power on its own. in an attempt to improve brain function.

Feelgood

KEEPING GREY MATTER IN SHAPE If we don’t keep our brain active as we progress through life, it will deteriorate. If we keep it active, it grows more powerful. Memory gets better.

Creativity grows

Picture: Nintendo/PA Wire

MOVE IT: Tony Buzan, inventor of Mind Maps and author of Use Your Head, says if we don’t keep our brain active it will deteriorate as we age and suggests using imagination to build mental skills.

heart-beat or arteriosclerosis, it’s important to attend to these because they will affect brain function. For reasons not yet understood, the risk goes beyond having problems with blood supply to the brain,” says McLoughlin.

BRAIN GYM: Tony Buzan, inventor of Mind Maps and author of Use Your Head, calls oxygen our thinking fuel. “You have to keep your body aerobically, cardiovascularly fit.

If you’re not fit, your tank is empty,” says the 68-year-old, who says his memory is better than when he was a 20-something.

“If we don’t keep our brain active as we progress through life, it will deteriorate. If we keep it active, it grows more powerful.

Memory gets better. Creativity grows.”

Buzan advocates training the imagination, which he calls the engine room of our

mental skills. “Train your imagination by daydreaming and by making good daydreams come true. Daydream about playing the guitar or violin — then make it happen.”

He suggests doing brain gymnastics, exercises like finding as many connections as possible among unlikely twosomes (for example cat/umbrella, shoe/elephant, cheese/the moon).

“Make your brain your new hobby,” he says.

“What happens when you acquire a new hobby? There’s excitement, stimulation — your brain has to re-organise. Think what’s going to happen if your brain is your new hobby — do courses on the brain, read books about it, surf the web for ‘brain’.”

But if it’s a case of ‘use it or lose it’, doesn’t new technology threaten much of what traditionally kept our brains agile — mental maths, having to remember things?

“It depends on what you do with new technology,” says Buzan. “You can use it as a crutch to make your brain weak and flabby or you can use it as a training device to make

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010

Take a nap. University of California Berkeley psychologist Matthew Walker followed two groups of adults, who went through rigorous memory exercises, after which one group took a 90-minute afternoon snooze. In follow-up tests, the nappers performed better than in their pre-sleep exercises, while the non-nappers got worse. Scientists believe the first 90-minute stage of sleep clears out the hippocampus (area for short-term memory). “It’s like the inbox in your hippocampus is full and, until you sleep and clear out those fact emails, you’re not going to receive any more mail,” Dr Walker explained.

Eat oily fish and get some sun. University of Manchester scientists found that higher levels of vitamin D (sunlight and oily fish are sources) are associated with improved cognitive

UNIVERSAL APPEAL: Actress Nicole Kidman appears with a handheld Nintendo PS console trying out the latest 'brain training' game.

Exercise is one of the best things we can do for our brain. “Vigorous exercise has been shown to increase cognitive function, increase brain volume and produce new baby brain cells,” says Barbara Strauch.

Professor McLoughlin points to a strong link between brain and heart function and says cardiac disease is an independent risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. In Ireland, 44,000 people suffer from dementia, the umbrella term for a range of neurological conditions, including Alzheimer’s, which damage the brain, leading to progressive decline in ability to manage everyday life. Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60% of dementias. “If you have cardiac disease risk factors, high blood pressure, irregular

Lie down. Australian National University scientists say lying down decreases concentration of noradrenalin in the brain, a natural hormone produced by stress that interferes with brain cells and reduces attention to detail/reasoning. Researchers suggest lying down can boost thinking speeds by 10%.

your brain more powerful.” Celebrities like Nicole Kidman have lent their name to publicity campaigns for the lucrative computer game industry of electronic brainteasers and memory games. The claim is that the games ‘exercise’ mental muscles and improve general thinking and memory. Yet the largest study of the games to date reported that healthy adults

DIETARY INFLUENCE: When it comes to sharpening memory and maximising cognitive potential, what we eat determines brain efficiency, says consultant dietician Aveen Bannon.

who undertake computer-based brain training don’t improve their mental fitness in any significant way. People who practise a certain mental task improve dramatically on that task but the improvement doesn’t carry over to cognitive function in general, the Cambridge University study concluded.

FOOD WISE: When it comes to sharpening memory and generally maximising cognitive potential, it seems we’d do well to embrace the maxim “we are what we eat”. What we eat determines brain efficiency, says consultant dietician Aveen Bannon. She points out that the message-receiving and sending stations of the brain are made from essential fats, phospholipids and amino acids (proteins). “60% of our brain is made up of fat, so the type of fat we eat has a big influence on brain activity.

Omega 3 fatty acids are essential components of brain cell membranes — their role is thought to improve the powers of memory.

Good sources include sardines, salmon, trout, tuna, herring and mackerel — sardines are also

function in middle-aged and older men. Men with higher vitamin D levels performed consistently better in tests assessing attention and speed of information processing.

Get your vitamins. A 12-month study looked at effect on mental performance of adding vitamins to schoolchildren’s diet. Children who received a vitamin and mineral-enriched daily drink performed significantly better on mental performance tests than children who received the drink without added nutrients.

The vitamin mix contained iron, zinc, folate and vitamins A, B-6, B-12 and C. Learn a musical instrument. Studies show that people who regularly practise a musical instrument build up the pipeline of nerves enabling the right and left halves of the brain to communicate.

Meditate. Brain scans of non-religious people, who do 20 minutes daily meditation, show they have increased development in regions linked with memory and attention.

HEALTHY REMINDERS: Taking a nap, eating oily fish and meditating are suggestions to keep your memory sharp.

a rich source of the nutrient choline, a key brain chemical associated with memory.”

Bannon points to phospholipids as another major player in intelligence. “They help manufacture acetylcholine, one of the brain’s memory neurotransmitters. Good dietary sources include egg yolk, sardines, soya beans, peanuts and liver. Lecithin’s the best source — a tablespoon of lecithin granules added to daily breakfast cereal will help improve memory.”

There’s also evidence that eating antioxidant-rich foods (blueberries, spinach) can help boost brain power, says Barbara Strauch, who emphasises the importance of continually stimulating our brains to keep them healthy. “We need to push our brains into new areas so that it’s uncomfortable. One suggestion is to talk and expose ourselves to those who disagree with us. We don’t have to change our minds but we need to continue to shake up the cognitive egg.”

■ For more info on events with Tony Buzan in Ireland, visit www.seminars.ie.

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10 Medical matters

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Q

MY partner says I grind my teeth at night and it is getting worse. I’m not aware of this, but have noticed an aching in my jaw recently. Are they related, and what can I do to stop grinding my teeth?

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. Bruxism, the medical name given for the unconscious grinding and clenching of the teeth is more common than people realise. It affects about one in four adults, and symptoms can include a pain or stiffness in the jaw (known as temperomandibular joint disorder) as well as headaches, gum problems, earaches, erosion of tooth enamel and tension in the shoulders.

The pressure on the teeth during grinding can be 20 times greater than the force used in normal chewing and biting. Most people will grind their teeth from time to time, which usually doesn’t cause any harm, but when teeth grinding happens on a regular basis it can permanently damage your teeth.

Stress and anxiety are thought to make teeth grinding during sleep more likely, or worse. Bruxism is more common in people who regularly consume alcohol, smoke, or drink more than six cups of coffee a day. It is also linked to a type of antidepressant known as an SSRI. If you or your partner suspect you may be grinding your teeth, talk to your dentist. He will examine your mouth and jaw for signs of bruxism, help you to work out the possible causes such as an abnormal bite — this is when there is a problem with your top and bottom teeth coming together.

There is no cure for bruxism. Try to train yourself not to grind your teeth — when you find yourself doing it, position the tip of your tongue between your teeth so your jaw muscles get used to relaxing. Treatment up until now has been basic, with sufferers usually having to wear a silicone mouth-guard or splint over the teeth at night to protect them. For those with a stress-related problem, cognitive behavioural therapy may help.

New treatment for bruxism involves Botox injections. Botox is approved for treating the painful symptoms caused by muscle spasticity in 20 different neurological conditions, including stroke and cerebral palsy but it is still in the experimental stages for bruxism. Mandibular advancement devices (MADs) are usually used for the management of sleep apnoea and snoring, but studies have shown they can be effective for night bruxism as well.

GRIND TIME: The pressure on the teeth during grinding can be 20 times greater than the force used in normal chewing and biting. Picture: Getty Images Q. THE newspapers are full of stories about breakthroughs in stem cell technology. Is this the future of medicine or is there reason to be cautious? I have recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and am wondering about taking the stem cell route.

from 2007 now defines stem-cell transplantation as medical treatment, and companies using it will have to prove that their treatments are effective and safe. In future a licence will be required for stem cell transplantation.

Stem cells have unique regenerative abilities and have the remarkable potential to deA. Stem cell treatment is under scrutiny in velop into many different cell types in the Germany following the death of an body, and offer new hope for treating dis18-month-old child with cerebral palsy who eases such as heart disease and diabetes. had been given a stem cell injection into the They serve as a sort of internal repair system brain. The doctor who administered the in- dividing essentially without limit to replace jection is under criminal investigation for other cells as long as the person is alive. the death which happened in 2008.

Stem cell therapy has the potential to offer X-Cell Center, the private hospital proa wide range of medical benefits to patients viding the treatment, says that its technique and offer new potentials for treating diafor stem cell transplantation has had positive betes, heart disease, Parkinson’s disease, effects in treating 17 different chronic despinal cord injury, burns, and arthritis. generative diseases. The treatment involves However much work remains to be done in taking bone marrow form patients, harvest- the laboratory and the clinic to understand ing stem cells from the bone marrow and how to use these cells to treat disease — then re-injecting the cells into other parts of most research is still in its early stages. the body.

The Irish Stem Cell Foundation wants In January 2007 the founder of the legislation to be brought in for the use of X-Cell Centre in Germany had to close stem cells in Ireland. It says this will allow down his treatment facility in the Nethervital medical research to be accelerated and lands after the Dutch government made it that the lack of legislation is putting patients’ illegal for private centres to provide stem at unnecessary risk from rogue stem cell cell therapy. A European Union regulation treatments in foreign jurisdictions.

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

C

Catherine Shanahan MUM’S WORLD Feelgood

OULD imagination be bottled we need never have bothered with head shops. My son’s head is so far up in the clouds that the child in the puddle may well not be a reflection but another identical boy.

The sports car next door is unquestionably Lightning McQueen and every aircraft that streaks overhead is a spaceship bringing the boy to meet the man who lives on the moon.

Every train is Thomas or Gordon and every trip is to the Island of Sodor, even when mammy tries to pretend it’s to Fota, because he knows, deep down, that trains have nothing to do with cameras.

And when she says she’s going to The Jim, what can she mean and who’s Jim, and what does daddy think, and why does she bring her swimsuit when she’s meeting him and why does she always say Jim’s only for grown-ups?

And why does she smile when I say my friend’s name is Batman and that he lives in Gotham? I’ve seen him in his costume a zillion times. I even went to a party in his house and we stood on the roof and looked down on the famous skyline that mammy said was a balcony overlooking Shandon?

She said Shandon was the Four Faced Liar,

but all I could see was a clock and sometimes I think she let’s imagination get in the way of reality.

Or when we went to the racetrack and I saw the Piston Cup that Lightning won at the Los Angeles International Speedway, but mammy told a friend we’d been down the Mardyke and seen a cup won by some famous UCC alumni. And what’s an alumni?

And the time we went to see Jack and his Beanstalk last Christmas in the big glass house in town — I ask every time we pass it if I can run in and visit, but she just says “Don’t be silly, that’s the Opera House,” — but I don’t mind where he lives and what’s so silly about wanting to see your friend?

And why can she not see that daddy and his ‘daft’ inventions are no less ingenious than the works of Caractacus Potts and that he is not criticising her driving when he says “You’ll find a slight squeeze on the hooter an excellent safety precaution,” just as Caractacus said to Miss Scrumptious in the movie about the flying car?

And has she never heard the man who said you can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus, and that Lewis Carroll believed in six impossible things before breakfast and that sometimes reality bites?

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010

Every train is Thomas or Gordon and every trip is to the Island of Sodor even when mammy tries to pretend it’s to Fota, because he knows, deep down, that trains have nothing to do with cameras

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Life’s challenges

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Sean Gallagher’s visual disability inspired his determination, writes Arlene Harris

Enter the dragon

S

EAN GALLAGHER is one of the most successful businessmen in the country. At 48, he has a string of ventures behind him, most notably as founder of Smarthomes, a company that installs cabling and technology systems in new homes.

But Gallagher shot to national fame through his involvement with the entrepreneurial team on The Dragons’ Den — where as one of the TV dragons, his business acumen is far from shortsighted.

However his real life vision is far from perfect. Born with congenital cataracts, the Cavan man has had to work extra hard to fulfil his considerable achievements. His condition, which normally affects the elderly, means that his eyes are covered with a fine filament which causes visual impairment. Despite having an operation as a child, the entrepreneur has been dogged by poor eyesight throughout his life.

“When I was a child, the technology needed to cure my condition didn’t exist, so I spent most of my time squinting at the world — the only way I can describe it is to try to imagine looking through a plastic Tesco shopping bag — everything was very hazy,” he says.

When he was four, Gallagher underwent an operation which involved cutting a hole in his pupil in order to improve his eyesight.

“I had the procedure done on my eyes when I was quite young and although it helped significantly, I was still left partially sighted,” he says. “This caused quite a problem at school as I really couldn’t see anything — even when I was sitting right at the front of the class, the blackboard was barely visible.”

This physical handicap would be daunting for any child, but true to his burgeoning spirit, the young boy worked hard to gain the respect of his teachers.

“I was acutely aware of my lack of vision and despite being told otherwise, my teachers just presumed that I was a slow learner — so I became determined to prove them otherwise.”

So the strong-minded student spent extra hours getting to grips with his schoolwork and, having completed his studies, went on to get involved in a number of business ventures.

Then in 1995, he approached his local Enterprise Board to learn what was needed to become an entrepreneur. And despite his teachers’ doubts and his own visual disability, Gallagher completed an MBA in 2000.

“I knew that I would have to work harder than everyone else, but I figured that if you want something badly enough, there are always ways to succeed,” he says. “Instead of dwelling on the aspects which were difficult for me, I focused on what I was good at and put more effort into the things I was having problems with.”

Hugely successful today, the entrepreneur is an inspiration to anyone suffering from a similar condition. He believes that most of us take our good health for granted and don’t spend enough time being thankful for the good things in our lives.

“Every morning when I wake up, I imagine what my life would have been like if I

Feelgood

FACTS ABOUT SIGHT ■ Worldwide 285.3 million people are visually impaired and 39.8 million people are blind.

■ 153 million people are visually impaired because of uncorrected refractive errors (near-sightedness, far-sightedness or astigmatism). In most cases, normal vision could be restored with eye glasses.

■ Up to 80% of blindness and 85% of moderate and severe visual impairment is avoidable by prevention, treatment or cure.

■ Almost 90% of blind people live in low-income countries.

■ Restoration of sight through cataract surgery is one of the most cost-effective health interventions.

■ Infectious causes of blindness are decreasing as a result of public health interventions and socio-economic development — blinding trachoma, for example, now affects 40 million people compared to 360 million in 1985.

had no vision at all,” he says. “I am very aware of the gift of sight and the benefits it has offered me — and perhaps the fact that mine isn’t as good as everyone else’s, I am more grateful for what I have.”

And last month, the Dragon helped to promote World Sight Day for Sightsavers Ireland (SSI).

“There are over 320 million visually impaired people worldwide and 75% of that blindness is avoidable,” he explains. “I have seen the Sightsavers adverts over the years and was aware of the work they are doing to help prevent blindness in developing countries.

“We live in a country where great work is being done to help people with visual impairments but millions of people aren’t so lucky.”

Gallagher says if more of us took the time to realise how fortunate we are we could jointly achieve a great deal — by simply acknowledging our good health and making a small donation to help others less fortunate.

“My vision isn’t perfect, but compared to

HAPPY STORY: Sean Gallagher, above, and left with his wife of two months, Trish at their home in Co Louth.

Picture:BARRY CRONIN

millions of others, it is really good — in fact it must be better than I thought because I managed to find a beautiful wife,” he says of Trish, his bride of two months.

“We all have lots to be thankful about and I would urge people to log on to the Sight-

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010

savers website and either get involved in some way or make a donation — it could make a huge difference to someone’s life.”

■ For more information visit www.sightsavers.ie or call 1850-502020

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12 Food survey

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Here’s the beef

U

NDER pressure to serve up tasty food fast? Then look no further than the classic beef burger — a quick and easy solution. That is, when they are good. When we make our own we can add flavours and textures to the meat and also pump up the nutritional value.

Among my favourites is a cube of cheese in the centre. This not only adds flavour but avoids the centre being undercooked. This can be anything from a creamy goats cheese such as Boilie (use half a ball per burger) to an almost hard one such as cheddar, Ardrahan, Durrus, Milleens or Gubbeen, some of which do smoked versions which are delicious in or on burgers.

I usually add some finely grated onion, a little soya sauce or Tabasco and even some grated carrot, beetroot or celery.

Serving a burger with salad makes it quite a healthy meal. Try an old fashioned coleslaw, a warm spinach salad with chopped bacon, a simple grated carrot salad dressed with lemon juice or a beetroot salad tossed with balsamic vinegar. Keep oil to minimum as burgers can be quite fatty.

To keep calories in check, burgers should be grilled, not fried — at least not in fat.

Most of them have quite a lot of fat so to fry, place on a pan to cook slowly first to allow fat to melt away.

Texture in a burger is important. Butchers Aldi specially selected Irish Angus Burgers, 280g F1.99 (F7.10/kg) Two per pack, these burgers have a low, 3.4g saturated fats, partly due to a low, 85% beef. The weight is made up for with water and rusk, but this makes a well-balanced burger. Flavourings of salt, onion powder and yeast extract combine to give a high 1g salt. There is also sodium sulphite, and the stabilisers are diphosphates, which, along with gluten from the rusk, are clearly flagged, so watch asthmatics. The attractive flavour comes from chilli extract, pepper extract, nutmeg extract, sage extract, and onion extract. It is also nicely meaty, thick, and the texture is chunky and not over-minced. Not cheap, but good quality.

Score 7.5

Roz Crowley

tend to mince their burgers once or twice.

“We find that once is not enough to keep the meat from falling apart,” says Simon O’Flynn of Flynn’s butchers, Cork. “We mince it twice to get a texture that keeps the meat together without the need for additives.”

Some burger meat is extruded (pressed through a machine to form a shape) and this results in a rubbery texture.

Others have water to add weight (and lightness) and then additives to hold the water in place. This can sometimes explain the difference in price.

Those with allergies or intolerances need to watch labels for gluten content, which are

usually well flagged by producers, as are some sulphites which can trigger asthma attacks in some sufferers.

Watch too for high salt content, found in most burgers, which is not always noticeable in the taste, as sometimes sugars are added to balance the flavour.

While there are plenty of good examples of

burgers in butchers and country markets, this week’s survey looked at what was available in supermarkets, mainly in the fresh meat sections. Nutritional content is based on 100g, a little less than the average burger weight. Always be careful to cook burgers fully through. There should be no pink meat anywhere.

Dunnes Homestyle Beef Burgers, 454g F3 (F6.60/kg)

Supervalu Beef Burgers, 125g, 59c each (F4.72/kg)

Tesco finest Irish Angus Beef Burgers, 454g F3.99(F8.78/kg)

THESE four burgers have 95% beef, with 3% seasoning, which includes breadcrumbs, black pepper and salt. The preservative, E223, is sodium disulphite, so watch asthma suffers. There is also 2% water. No nutritional information is given, apart from the allergy warning about gluten and sulphites, so it’s difficult to know what amount of salt and saturated fats are in each burger. We expect them to be high enough as there is a good amount of meat.

With a good, rich, meaty taste here, the texture is natural and not over-ground/minced or over-seasoned.

A good burger with a decent amount of meat with some fat. Fair price.

These burgers are individually available over the counter, so there is no requirement to have nutritional information.

Thin burgers, they are over-ground or extruded, so the texture is rubbery. With very little flavour, not a favourite of any taster. In their favour, there was no taste of additives, salt or sugar.

Score: 3

Centra Beef Burgers, F4 454g (F8.81/kg)

These frozen burgers have a high, 99% Irish beef content, with a high, 9.4g saturated fats, due to high meat content. At 1.25g, salt content is high. The texture is a little over-processed, but it just about avoids being too rubbery. Some natural flavour. Good for this price.

These four burgers have a decent 96% beef which, however, brings with it a high 10g of saturated fats. 4% seasoning includes breadcrumbs, dextrose, lactose/fructose, spices and potato starch. The E221 preservative listed is sodium sulphite so watch asthmatics.

This, along with wheat gluten and (unexpectedly) milk, are clearly flagged.

A light, natural texture here, not over-ground, not over seasoned and still pretty good flavour. Not cheap.

Score: 7

Score: 5

Marks & Spencer Cheddar & Caramelised Red Onion Beef Burgers, 454g, F6.49 (F14.29/kg) With 75% British beef, 11% mature cheddar cheese, and 8% caramelised red onions, this burger packs quite a flavour punch. Meat content is relatively low, but the cheese makes up for the protein, and, while it’s strong, it doesn’t dominate the overall taste. Gluten-free crumb is added, along with parsley and sea salt.

Added sulphites (E223) are noted, so be careful with asthmatics. Saturated fats are moderate at 6.7g, with salt quite high at 0.85g.

Tasters liked this one. The most expensive per kg of samples.

Score: 7

Feelgood

Four burgers in this pack have a moderate to high 90% beef, with added water, wheat flour, spices, dried onion and sugar. The preservative is metabisulphite, which can cause problems for asthmatics. Allergy advice is clearly noted. A moderate 5.9g saturated fats, but a high, 1g salt. With a light texture, it’s a bit over-ground, with only a little meaty flavour, but still quite tasty.

Score: 7.25

Moordale 4 Quarter Pounders, Lidl 454g, F1.79 (F3.94)

Score: 6

Picture: Getty Images

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010

Big Al’s Big Eat Beef Burgers 340g,F3.80 (F11.17/kg) Two frozen burgers, commendably, have no added salt or preservatives, which is easier to achieve in frozen foods than in fresh, as the freezing does the preserving. Made from 100% Irish beef, there is a high 11.8g saturated fat to be expected from fairly pure meat. This should all amount to a favourable result. However, the large burger is over-processed, with a dense texture that gets tough when cooked. It is also low on meaty flavour.

Expensive.

Score: 3

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Male health

I’m lucky to be alive T

O LOOK at John Nolan, you’d never guess that his heart is severely compromised. “One-third of my heart is dead and the other two-thirds works at only 30%,” said John, who lives in Newbridge, Co Kildare.

A life-changing moment came in August 2008 when he experienced severe chest pain while on a walking weekend with his wife, Annette, in Glendalough, Co Wicklow. “I had been in hospital getting back pain checked out. I was told to get more exercise, so we went to Glendalough walking,” says John, 57, a Bord na Móna employee. “When I got the chest pain, I thought it was indigestion, so I kept going until I could go no further.”

As luck would have it, a mountain rescue worker was showing a group around the area and was alerted to John’s difficulty by a passer-by.

“He called a helicopter straight away and later I heard him redirecting the crew, telling them that if they went to the wrong location I wouldn’t make it. I prayed and asked God to please let me hold my grandchild who was

Deirdre O'Flynn MOSTLY MEN

HEART STOPPING: John Nolan was exercising when he experienced chest pain and thought it was merely indigestion when it was cardiac difficulty. Picture: Billy Higgins.

due to be born the following January.”

John was extremely lucky. More than once in his time in hospital doctors told him that men with a similar heart attack would have died. Indeed, nearly 5,000 men die from diseases of the heart and circulatory system in Ireland each year, according to the Irish Heart Foundation.

And while death rates from coronary heart disease (CHD) in Ireland have been declining

since the 1970s, our rates are still higher than Europe. According to the Central Statistics Office, from 2000-2004, Ireland had on average 144 deaths from CHD per 100,000 population. This was higher than the 113 deaths on average per 100,000 across the EU. Now, John lives with an internal defibrillator which regulates his heart rhythm.

With no obvious family history of heart

Colonoscopy waiting time delay a concern

Healthy Stadia plan aims to aid sports amenities

COLONOSCOPY waiting times continue to concern the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) in the run-up to Bowel Cancer Screening in 2012.

Colonoscopies are the definitive test for diagnosing bowel cancer.

The ICS is donating F1 million to the Government towards the rollout of this screening service which is due to come on-stream in January 2012.

In Septem-

THE F3.6m North Clare Sports and Amenity Park in Lisdoonvarna will participate in the European Healthy Stadia Programme, which aims to help sports and recreational amenities to become healthier environments and to actively promote the health of the staff and local communities. By becoming a fully fledged healthy stadium, the community facility will follow in the footsteps of Terryland Park in Galway, Liverpool FC’s Anfield stadium, and Sevilla FC’s home ground in Spain.

Mary MacMahon, smok-

TAKE 1 WE will all be thinking carefully about what we buy for Christmas this year. Spending a small amount on a charity gift or card could make a real difference:

ber, 705 patients were waiting longer than three months for a colonoscopy.

Unless these waiting lists are tackled before these hospitals start to deliver screening, the lists could get longer, and patients needing a non-screening colonoscopy could be affected, says Kathleen O’Meara, head of advocacy and communications with the ICS.

4

CHRISTMAS HAM: Concern’s little piggy, F9 would make the perfect gift for a family in Uganda. Piglets are easy and cheap to look after, but grow to provide income and security — especially when they have piglets of their own. School sports equipment at F11 is a new gift for children this year; while three fluffy rabbits, F12 will become 33, bringing more income to help feed a family.

When you buy these gifts you support Concern’s work in 28 countries worldwide. Order online at www.concerngifts.org or by calling 1850 458 400.

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13

disease, he always associated the occasional chest pains with back pain, which has subsequently been diagnosed as arthritis.

In the meantime, he, Annette and daughter Jenny volunteer with Pennies for Peru. Each year they help out with children at a non-denominational Bible camp at the Quiruma Project based in the jungle city of Iquitos.

“I do as much as I can and every time I see my grandson, it’s a joy.”

ing cessation specialist, HSE, Clare, says a central element of the programme is the commitment to smoke-free environments. “People who are active are less likely to smoke, and physical activity is an important part of quitting smoking — as it helps ex-smokers to feel better, become fitter and build their stamina and energy.”

■ For the Healthier Stadia initiative, see www.healthystadia.eu.

For North Clare Sports and Amenity Park, see www.activitynorthclare.com

DId you know...

Men are responsible for infertility in 32.5% of cases — the same percentage as women. The cause in 35% of cases is unknown.

Source: Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, UK

The Gift of Giving

2

SEASONS GREETINGS: On average we send 60 Christmas cards each year, according to the Meningitis Trust. By buying 60 of their charity cards you would fund their 24-hour nurse-led helpline for one hour. The charity works to raise awareness of meningitis and the symptoms to watch out for, as well as providing support for families affected by the disease. Their cards come in packs of 10, F6 plus p+p and are available from Moira on 01-2590269 or online at www.meningitis-trust.ie.

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PRECIOUS GIFT: THE Gift of Sight starts at just F6 for an operation that could give someone back their vision. For F20, a person who has been blind for years could see their loved ones again with the gift of an adult cataract operation. Sightsavers Ireland works in 15 countries to eliminate avoidable blindness and promote equality of opportunity for the visually impaired.

“If you are able, we would ask you to consider giving the gift of sight. 75% of all blindness is preventable, or curable, and often at a very small cost,” says CEO John Fleming. Call 01-6637666, or order online at www.giftofsight.ie.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010

4

ORDER A TURKEY: Let this turkey step off the Christmas menu and into the home of a family living in poverty. New from Oxfam Unwrapped this year, a turkey, F20, could be bred to generate income and its waste would make manure for a nutritious vegetable garden.

Since 2004, Oxfam Unwrapped has built over 200 classrooms and sold more than 200,000 goats. There are 33 gifts to choose from and prices start at F7. Unwrapped gifts can be bought online, in your local Oxfam shop, tel 1850 30 40 55. Visit www.oxfamireland.org.

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14 Beauty

Emily O’Sullivan

Boring French manicures are out as Chanel’s seasonal colours give nail gloss a boost

I

HAVE a love-hate relationship with nail polish. Generally, I love how it looks. But I hate all the messing that goes along with it: the buffing, the filing, the removal of bits of navy polish stuck on your nails for ages.

A few years ago, I used to divide women into two camps: those who had manicures and those who didn’t. And I have to admit I was a little disdainful of those who did. But nail polish has improved a helluva lot.

Out have gone the yawnsome French manicures, with all the high-maintenance nonsense that went along with them (that annoying clacky noise on the keyboard, the inability to do up your coat without a ‘nail-breaking’ incident), and in have come a whole lotta shades that look very cool and more-ish.

We pretty much have Chanel to thank for the nail polish revolution — the company has made seasonal shades one of the hippest trends around. A keen marketing ploy, indeed, but a very successful one, too. Ever since the company’s limited-edition Jade shade came out in 2009, and led to waiting lists (it sold out in 40 minutes in London’s Selfridges) and inflated prices on eBay, Chanel has become the one to watch.

Now, we can’t wait to see what they’re going to come out with, from the dreamy, turquoise beauty of Nouvelle Vague, to the shimmery, seashell innocence of Mistral. For autumn, they launched a muddy, purple shade called Paradoxal — it’s pleasant but it doesn’t quite have the must-have quality of summer’s Particulaire, a putty brown. Still, Chanel is back on top form with their Cruise collection, and a gorgeously delicate, pale

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Get all polished up

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The news on ...

SUPER-SIZE ME IN the interests of the environment and all that, big beauty products are the way to go. We’re talking massive, bumper-sized bottles of stuff that never seems to run out, and, this month, Bliss is launching three, huge treats that keep on giving.

Choose from the very excellent Bliss Lemon + Sage super-sized body butter, 14oz, F34.77; Fatgirlslim skin-firming cream, 32oz, F120.53, or Thinny Thin Chin pro size, 8.5oz, F129.80. Big it up.

TAKE THREE IN THE PINK IF you think Christmas is all about red, think again. Pink is an eternally pretty shade that flatters most complexions, so it’s no surprise that big beauty houses, such as Bobbi Brown and Clinique, frequently make it central to their collections. Go for a gentle, flattering effect that softens winter’s harsh light and brings a little delicate glamour to your face.

Picture: Getty Images

blue lacquer called Riva, which is designed to summon up the eternal sensuality of St Tropez. It launches on November 26, so if you want it to grace your hands this Christmas, you’d better get to the Chanel Boutique and the Marvel Room at Brown Thomas, Dublin.

If you can’t manage that, then there are lots of other shades to experiment with. Red is still big news this year, but red coming up to Christmas? Well, it’s a bit cliché, so if you’re after something different, then jump into an unexpected navy or go molten with some silver and gold metallics.

Unusually for this time of year, nude shades are proving to be a big trend, a signal that, by spring next year, a return to more natural shades and a departure from oranges, zingy greens and bright pinks could well be the norm. After all, the whole coloured nails thing is starting to look a little predictable, and while, a few years ago, black nails used to

be cutting edge, now they’re starting to look past it.

Meanwhile, nudes — by which we mean everything from pale caramel to putty beige — are suddenly looking a whole lot cooler.

What could be more unexpected, right now, that a pale nail. There is a problem with nude nails, however. While the dark nail offers many a way to disguise dodgy nail issues, such as ridges, bumps and stains, with the nude nail there’s nowhere to hide.

Having your nails in a healthy looking state is paramount with this lady-like look. This means possibly having a manicure, but if you don’t fancy that, then invest in a little nail kit, slump yourself in front of the X Factor, and do it yourself — it isn’t rocket science and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply soak and push back your cuticles, get a cheap file and buff (most cost around F2) and invest in a top coat and a base coat. A little cuticle oil is a nice treat, but not essential.

hits all the right notes for this season, and the next.

ternative to tired festive shades.

Bobbi Brown Pink and Gold Lip Palette, F40. This is a terrific palette and is filled with very pretty, very wearable fresh pink, deep rose and golden nudes. It’s quite divine. Bobbi Brown has come up trumps with yet another excellent festive palette.

Chantecaille Les Macarons Face Palette, F73 at spacenk.co.uk. It’s an expensive one, but Chantecaille’s good-enough-to-eat palette of eye, cheek and lip shades is versatile and flattering.

A good Christmas present.

Clinique Strawberry Fudge Holiday Compact, F34. With an eyeshadow trio of soft pink, chocolate brown and dark slate, this is a nice compact for people who don’t like things to get too pink. The blusher in new clover is pretty and gives a fresh, pinched look to the cheeks.

STUFF WE LIKE Estee Lauder Blue Dahlia Nail Lacquer, F17. One of this season’s hippest nail offerings, Blue Dahlia is pretty much everything you could want in a nail polish — sexy, sultry and very, very cool. Lauder’s polishes are also pretty good quality — they’re long lasting, lustrous and are also pretty chip resistant.

Chanel Le Vernis Riva, F25. This super-pale creamy blue lacquer is guaranteed to be a sell-out — it’s delivers a great big burst of sunshine, but also looks fabulous in the depths of winter, with black clothes and smoky eye make-up.

Essie Nail Polish in Nude Beach, F11.99.

There’s nowhere we’d rather be in November than on a nude beach. Or something like that. Either way, this is a gorgeous pale pink shade that

Nubar Venetian Glass Collection in Arencia, F10.

This is a very intense orange nail polish shade, with a more than a hint of Halloween (or bronze as they would have it), but it makes a nice festive al-

Feelgood

MAC Cosmetics Style Clan Nail Polish, F12.50. Love this one. It’s kind of anti-Christmas in its sheer muddiness, and is part of MAC’s new A Tartan Tale collection, which is appropriate because it’s the same colour as a Scottish puddle, sort of. MAC describe it as “dark taupe with red pearl”.

Boots No 7 Stay Perfect Smoky Jewels Mini Nail Kit, F11. Can’t decide on a nail colour? Why would you bother when you can have

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010

four minis for less than F3 each. This one pretty much covers all the bases — with a purple shade, bright red, sultry silver and a metallic nude.

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Natural health

Q

I WANT to cut down on coffee drinking, and was considering switching to decaf to help with this. Is there a particular brand you recommend, as I have tried a number of coffee substitutes with no success?

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

the excess mucous. NeverSnore contains sage, elderflower, bromelain, fenugreek, MSM, and a number of enzymes, and it is available from your local health store or Here’s Health (www.hereshealth.ie; 021 4278101) where 90 capsules cost F21.99.

Q. I am due to travel abroad next A. Why not cut down while conmonth, and have heard there is a tinuing to drink regular coffee, since supplement which can help with the processing used to decaffeinate DVT. Can you help me out? coffee typically involves the use of chemicals such as methylene chloride A. The supplement you are referring or ethyl acetate (and in some counto is a Swiss formulation called tries the known carcinogen, Zinopin, and is a specific combination trichloroethylene, is still used). of ginger and pycnogenol developed to When cutting back or gradually help prevent DVT (deep vein thromboeliminating habit items from your diet sis), swollen ankles, and travel sickness. or lifestyle, it is often easier to first It works by promoting enhanced circuintroduce one or two healthy options lation in the extremities and is ideal for and get used to these before you reany flights which are longer than two duce or eliminate the undesirable hours. habit. It is worth exploring the world Ginger is well known as a natural of tea, and trying interesting options remedy to increase circulation, aid such as pu-erh (which is a post-ferdigestion, and ease stiff joints. It also mented blend containing very little prevents blood cells from sticking or caffeine, a rich mellow flavour, and clumping together. Pycnogenol is an no bitterness from tannins), or rooiextract from the French maritime pine bos, which is from the caffeine-free tree, which has been scientifically South African red bush (aspalathus proven to protect the vascular system linearis). There are many variations — it has also a popular addition to on rooibos and the mellow rounded skincare products because it is an effecflavour is divinely matched with tive antioxidant which has been shown vanilla and/or spices. to reduce the appearance of fine lines If you are happy to continue your and wrinkles. coffee drinking while reducing the You will need to take one capsule the amount you consume, make sure you day before departure, two capsules one are drinking coffee made from hour before your flight departs, and fair-trade and organic beans since one capsule daily for the two days conventional coffee is heavily sprayed following your arrival — remember to and fair-trade simply ensures that the take the capsules with food. Zinopin local workers are treated well and Long-Haul comes in a pack of ten capCOFFEE REDUCTION: It is often easier to first introduce paid accordingly. one or two healthy options and get used to these before you sules, and you can expect to pay But if you would prefer to go caf- start to reduce coffee intake. Picture: Istock around F18 for a packet. It is available feine-free and stick with coffee, then at selected pharmacies and health any brand which uses the Swiss Water Proband, he was blissfully unaware of the deafstores, but can be difficult to source in Irecess will be 100% chemical free. Take a look ening noise he would make while sleeping. land. If you are unable to find it locally, then online at www.swisswater.com/process for Simple changes to the diet are certainly I suggest you order it online through Victoinformation on the process. Brands which very effective when it comes to snoring. ria Health (www.victoriahealth.com, 00-44utilise this technology are always clearly More often than not items such as meat and 1733 709100). marked. Words like “natural” or even “natu- dairy contribute to excessive mucous Zinopin is now available as a daily formurally decaffeinated” can be misleading and build-up and internal inflammation, which lation for individuals who travel frequently, doesn’t necessarily rule out the use of chemare a significant factor in this situation. Inare inactive or sedentary due to injury or icals. creasing intake of fruits and vegetables obesity, or are required to sit or stand for which are brightly coloured, such as carrots, long periods of time. Anyone who is deemed Q. My husband recently turned 60 and capsicum, berries, and tomatoes will also at risk for vascular disease or chronic venous snores so loudly that I often end up sleephelp to counter inflammation and mucous. insufficiency may benefit from this suppleing in the spare room just to get some Many snorers have extra pounds to lose ment. peace. He claims that he doesn’t snore, — you might like to introduce an evening The daily formulation contains a lower while I am surprised that he can sleep. I walk, it helps to move the blood and lymph dose of the ginger and pycnogenol, along am finding the whole thing very tiring. Is and is a wonderful way to spend quality with natural extracts of Patagonian blueberthere a simple natural solution for a snorer time together, winding down and preparing ries to support circulation and boost antioxiunwilling to admit they have a problem? for a restful sleep. dant levels. Zinopin Daily not only helps If he is open to taking supplements, then with circulation in the extremities, it works A. I remember as a child spending a week I recommend you invest in some Neverin much the same way that a daily aspirin is camping with my grandparents and being Snore capsules by Higher Nature. This is a intended, to lower the risk of heart attack, surprised that the whole camping ground natural blend of enzymes and herbs destroke, varicosity, ulceration, and oedema. didn’t complain about the volume of my signed to repair and protect the nasal memTake two capsules daily for two weeks, then grandfather’s snoring — yet, like your husbranes while breaking down and removing reduce to just one capsule per day.

Megan puts the spotlight on: A STAPLE food in many cultures for thousands of years, grains are a much under-rated health food today. Here we take a look at a few of the common grains which can be easily included in almost any type of diet.

Oats: With a well-earned reputation for stabilising blood sugar, oats for breakfast as either muesli, or a hearty bowl of porridge helps to decrease the glucose and insulin response due to the presence of the soluble fibre compound, beta-glucan. Oats are also great for immunity, cholesterol, heart health, and nerve function.

Barley: Barley also contains beta-glu-

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15

can, which means that it helps to stabilise blood sugar. Rolled barley can be used in much the same way as oats, with the texture being more chewy. Whole grain barley is also a popular and nutritious addition to soups and stews. Barley water is a traditional remedy for cystitis and fluid retention.

Brown rice (gluten-free): This is considered to be the complete food in terms of nutritional balance according to macrobiotic principles. High

Glorious Grains in B vitamins and magnesium, brown rice is thought to help with depression and anxiety. It works to stabilise blood sugar.

Millet (gluten-free): Millet is an alkaline-forming food, so is often recommended in acidic conditions such as arthritis and rheumatism. It is a potent source of minerals, in particular calcium, magnesium, and silica, so promotes healthy hair, skin and nails. It helps relieve menstrual symptoms and balance hormones.

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010

Quinoa (gluten-free): This ancient grain, pronounced “keen-wa“, can be traced back to the Incas of South America and is considered to be somewhat of a superfood today. It contains all eight of the essential amino acids. It is also high in calcium, magnesium and iron. It’s quick and easy to prepare as either a savoury or sweet cooked dish, hot or cold — or even sprouted.

Amaranth (gluten-free): Another ancient grain, this one the staple for the Aztecs, it is rich in iron, calcium and protein. It reduces blood sugar levels, cholesterol, and balances the immune system. Plant stanols and squalene help to protect against cancer.

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Prevention is better than cure

When 34 year old Kenneth Fallon started losing his hair 4 years ago he went to see the HairClinic and was told about a revolutionary painfree laser treatment that prevents hairloss and helps to thicken existing thin hair.

“The trichologist told me that it was important that I caught my hairloss early as when the hair is gone, it’s gone, and the laser can only work on thinning hair. I cannot grow hair on a bald head. I was

Before treatment

also told that the condition I had, known as Androgenic Alopecia, was an inherited condition and as my dad was bald, as was my grandad, I knew I has to do something as I was heading the same way.

“Unfortunately with my work and the birth of my daughter, I didn’t go ahead with treatment straight away as recommended and my hair just got worse and worse. I kept meaning to do something about it but I just

kept putting it off which I know is the worst thing to do as I know once the hair root is dead, it’s too late.

One evening, after we had been out with friends, a friend of mine posted the evening’s pictures on Facebook and I couldn’t believe how bad my hair looked. I hated seeing myself like that and I knew I had to do something. The next day I made another appointment with the HairClinic which was the original Cork City

clinic I had visited all those years ago and I was told that I has lost some hair around the crown so I would always be a little bit light in that area.

But the great news was that the laser treatment would stop my hair from getting any worse and also thicken my thinning hair.

9 months on and there has been a huge improvement in my hair and I am delighted.

I just wish I had done treatment earlier when I first noticed the thinning!

Stops hairloss and thickens hair in 94% of patients

Totally safe and painfree

Works for men and women

FDA cleared as having no side effects

FREE Consultation

After 6 months laser treatment

No 2 Camden Place, St Patricks Bridge, Cork t: (021) 4552424

OPENING TIMES: Monday to Friday 8am-9.30pm

Please log on to www.thehairclinichlcc.com Feelgood

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2010