Feelgood 26-02-2010

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Feelgood

Friday, February 26, 2010

Are your friends making you fat?

How crowd behaviour shapes our thoughts and actions: 8,9 ONLY NATURAL Health beneďŹ ts of eating raw food: 4

INNER JOURNEY

Discover your true potential: 11

DAILY BREAD Eight scones put to the taste test: 12

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Feelgood factor

Kate O’Reilly WHAT’S ON FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT: Fairtrade Fortnight, the annual campaign aimed to increase awareness of the Fairtrade mark, runs until March 7. On Monday next there will be a public talk on Fairtrade in the University of Limerick from 6.30 to 7.30pm. Oscar Gonzalez, a grower from Nicaragua, will speak about his work and the impact Fairtrade has had on his community. Details: www.fairtrade.ie HEART CLINIC: The Irish Heart Foundation will hold a free Blood Pressure and Cholesterol testing clinic at their Cork office, 42 Penrose Wharf, from 10am-12pm on Tuesday next and in Midleton at the Family Resource Centre on Wednesday next from 2.30-4pm. For details call 021-4505822, or if you have questions about stroke or heart disease, contact the Helpline 1890 432 787.

An Irish Heart Foundation information meeting for patients and their families affected by cardiomyopathy will be held in the Grand Canal Hotel, Dublin, on Sunday, March 6, from 1.30. Call Tracy Egan on 01-6685001 or email tegan@irishheart.ie AWARE LECTURE: Clinical psychologist Tony Humphrey will talk about Depression: An Emotion Calling for Motion in the next Aware public lecture in the CUH Lecture Theatre, Cork at 8.30pm on March 9. Admission free. Call Aware on 01-6617211.

PILATES FOR HAITI: The Pilates Studio in Penrose Wharf, Cork, will be offering one-to-one sessions on Pilates apparatus from 11am to 5pm, this Sunday, F50. All proceeds will go towards Haiti disaster funds. Call 087-2533244 or 021-4509404 to reserve.

HELP HAITI: Cork Arts Theatre present an evening of music and drama on March 4 and 5 at 8pm in aid of Haiti. All proceeds are going to the Cork charity Haven. F20, call 021-450 5624 or log onto www.corkartstheatre.com.

CHRISTY MOORE: Tickets are on sale for Christy Moore’s Aid for Haiti concert with John Spillane in Vicar St on March 23. All proceeds to GOAL in Haiti. Tickets from F39.50 from Ticketmaster outlets or www.ticketmaster.ie.

HOSPICE AUCTION: Irish artist Graham Knuttel has donated an original oil painting, The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, which will be auctioned to raise funds for the Irish Hospice Foundation. The auction take place in the House of Fraser department store in Dundrum Town Centre on Thursday next. Bids now being accepted by Mary Millea on 01-6793188 or emailing mary.millea@hospice-foundation.ie.

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

Lose some pounds, get in shape and help raise funds for ARC Cancer Support House, Arlene Harris reports WE ALL know that losing weight and keeping fit is good for us, but what if we could get in shape and help a worthy cause at the same time?

Thanks to the Juliet Murphy Health and Fitness Club in Ballincollig, Co Cork, participants of a 12-week weight loss challenge will be aiming for their own personal fitness goals while raising funds for the ARC Cancer Support House.

The four teams of 10 will be mentored by well-known local personalities (Terry Kingston, John Allen, Valerie Mulcahy and Linda Mellerick) who will help them to stay on track as they try to stick with diet plans and exercise regimes.

Linda Mellerick has played camogie at county level for many years so is well placed to offer advice to budding fitness enthusiasts.

“Everyone has been touched by cancer in some way or another, so I was delighted to get involved — especially as exercise is my pet love,” she says.

“Being part of a group is a great way to get in shape as people motivate each other; it’s my job to make sure my team keep focused.”

Organiser, Juliet Murphy set up the Feelgood Do Good Challenge just before Christmas and is pleased with the response so far.

“To celebrate the opening of the Health and Fitness Club we wanted to do something innovative, fun and challenging,” she says.

“And we have tried to involve as many people as possible while doing something good for charity.

“Each participant will be asked to collect

NEW RECRUITS: Joining the ARC challenge are Juliet Murphy, John Allen, former Cork senior hurling coach and Linda Mellerick, former Cork senior camogie player. sponsorship for their efforts and all these proceeds will go directly to ARC House for their own needs and the running of the Support House.”

Karen Colgan, director of development at ARC House, believes the fitness programme will help to highlight those who are working to support people with cancer and helping them and their families to find emotional support and practical help.

“All operating costs at Cork ARC are covered through fundraising so we are very grateful to Juliet Murphy and her team for

choosing to support us.

“It is also a great opportunity for us to raise awareness of the free services at ARC House and to reach more families affected by cancer.”

■ A promotional offer of F200 currently applies to applicants of the challenge. To take part call 021-4810830 or email julietmurphychallenge@yahoo.com.

■ For more information on ARC House visit www.corkcancersupport.ie or call 021-4274691.

HEALTH NOTES CHILDREN and teenagers are at most risk of contracting meningitis — inflammation of the lining that surround and protect the brain To address this the Meningitis Trust has developed a teachers’ handbook Meningitis Education for All. It contains all the information that primary and secondary schools needs to know about meningitis, and suggestions of what to do if they are confronted with a case.

“The INTO welcomes the introduction of the Meningitis Trust Teachers Handbook and would encourage schools to download the information at the earliest opportunity.

Meningitis is a frightening disease and unfortunately the children in our care are at an age when they are particularly at risk,” says Maire Ni Chuinneagain, president INTO, and a primary principal teacher in Galway For further information on meningitis and to download the teachers’ handbook, visit www.menigitis-trust.ie or call their 24-hour nurse helpline on 1800 523 19624.

sleep after lunch increased brain power and increased our ability to absorb facts and carry out tasks. According to Prof Walker, sleep is needed to empty the brain’s short-term memory store, allowing for new information to be taken on board.

A NEW study has found most mums are satisfied with their experience of breastfeeding.

And it seems the public health nurse has a key role to play.

According to The Infant Feeding Survey, women who breastfeed value drop-in well baby clinics run by public health nurses (PNH), local breastfeeding support groups, same-day response from PHNs, with a seven-day week service, home visits, and scheduled phone calls. The internet also has a role to play: chat rooms/blogs were highly rated.

The survey was commissioned by the Health Services Executive and undertaken by nurse/midwife researchers in UCC’s School of Nursing and Midwifery to review breastfeeding support services in Ireland. While NEW LAUNCH: Lorraine Keane and Baz Ireland has one of the lowest breastfeeding A NEW DIY test can now predict how long Ashwamy launch the meningitis handbook rates in Europe, the survey found that public you will remain fertile. A new Australian with zoo keeper Brendan Walsh and Claire health nursing services have a positive, protext, costing about F40, will help women Nealon, from Bray. fessional and organisational attitude towards establish how fast their biological clock is breastfeeding. ticking. Called the “egg timer”, it could save “Based on the results, the researchers have AN afternoon nap will boost your perforcouples from undertaking, high-cost but made recommendations to improve breastmance at work. According to researchers, futile IVF treatments. Associate Prof Peter Illingworth, medical director of IVF Australis, sleep is not only key to your health but also feeding support services nationally”, said Helen Mulcahy, lecturer at UCC’s School of to memory. A study led out by Prof says the test will: “Identify those younger Matthew Walker from the University of Cal- Nursing & Midwifery. women who may well be at serious risk of Irene Feighan ifornia at Berkeley, found that an hour’s not having children when they’re older.”

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

Feelgood

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010

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THE SHAPE I'M IN

Stephen Brennan

Greatest role of all THE stage has brought Stephen Brennan many diverse and varied roles, but it also brought him his partner, Clinic actress, Dawn Bradfield, when she played Jane Eyre to his Mr Rochester at the Gate Theatre, in 2003.

“The stage has a lot to answer for,” says the 54 year old, who has four children from his first marriage, ranging in age from 31 to 17, while he and Dawn — in her late 30s — are expecting their second child in July. “I shouldn’t be let out,” he says, adding that he finds children great fun. “They don’t make sense on paper, but when you have them it all works out.”

The couple’s first child, Dylan, was two before Christmas and thinks he’s living in a toy room, says Stephen.

“He had presents for his birthday, then Christmas presents, and in January he was looking for more. Though I’ve been through it all before, fatherhood is new every time. It requires the same energy and attention each time.

I find it invigorating,” he says.

One of Ireland’s finest stage actors, Stephen has had roles in plays ranging from Hugh Leonard’s to Harold Pinter’s, he has done the great leads, such as Mr D’Arcy, in Pride and Prejudice, and Hamlet, and he has had screen roles in The Tudors, The Clinic, and Ballykissangel. Now, he is playing Polonius in Second Age Theatre Company’s latest production, Hamlet, which is directed

by Alan Stanford. It runs at the Helix, Dublin, from February 23, continuing to Everyman Palace, Cork, until March 26 (visit www.secondage.com or phone 01-6798542).

like to clear up with him.

What trait do you least like in others?

Selfishness — people who are blinkered to the needs of others, or who have locked themselves into their own point of view.

What trait do you least like in yourself?

Not being kind enough. I try, but I could do better.

Do you pray?

I don’t. I’d love to have religion, but science has overtaken my faith. I talk to my inner self, which is as good as I can do — I don’t know if it’s a hangover from my Catholic upbringing.

What would cheer up your day?

Dylan is the big thing in my day — when he says ‘I love you Daddy’. The little things that children give you are huge things. I still have the birthday cards my older children gave me when they were kids — these are very valuable, because they come from a lovely place.

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What shape are you in?

I’m not too bad. I’ve always tried to stay in touch with fitness. I played rugby at school, and did a bit of dancing when I first came into the acting business. I play cricket, now, and I play table tennis in our new rehearsal room at the Gate.

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Do you have any health concerns?

I get a medical check every year. I do the blood tests for liver function, prostate, and cholesterol. My grandmother had diabetes. The best way of not flicking that irreversible switch that is type two diabetes is exercise. I walk four miles to work every day. I’ve given up smoking, and sugar in my tea.

FEELGOOD

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I watch the fat intake. When I’m trying to lose weight, I eat stuff that has 3% fat, or less. I lost two stone last summer, when I needed to look elegant in a Noel Coward play. I put it on again and I’ve now got about half a stone to lose. I eat brown bread, and I go by the maxim that ‘if it flies or swims it’s better for you’.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

There’s nothing like a fresh, white-buttered ham sandwich.

What would keep you awake at night?

Worrying about the same thing that everybody in the country is worrying about. Can I pay my mortgage on a continuous basis? We can, at the moment, but it’s a constant thing hanging over us. Of course, actors have been living in a permanent recession all along.

THE FEELGOOD PERSONALS

How do you relax?

I’m not a great one for relaxing. I like hobbies, such as painting, but I don’t get to do that very often. I’m most relaxed when I’m out walking on my own — contemplation time.

When did you last cry?

I cry quite easily, but I usually cry privately. Appalling abuses of humanity make me cry.

What would you change about your appearance?

My tummy — I’d have a better torso.

What’s your favourite smell?

The smell of freesias.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Richard Dawkins — there are one or two things I’d

Feelgood

NEW STAGE: Actor Stephen Brennan has six children, but says fatherhood is new each time.

Picture: Billy Higgins

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010

FOR COST EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING Phone: LORI FRASER Tel. 021-4802265 Fax 021-4273846 lori.fraser@examiner.ie Every Friday.

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Food cooked under 42C is healthiest, Natasha Czopor tells Oliver Moore

A raw deal is best “A

lot of women, when they see my chocolates, say: ‘I’d love to, but I can’t’. But, really, it’s the sugar, the fat, and the high temperature processing that does the damage. My chocolates don’t have any of those elements.

So says Natasha Czopor’s, of Natasha’s Living Foods. In fact, once you take these elements out, and use raw cacao, chocolate’s nutritional benefits, such as flavonids magnesium and potassium, come to the fore.

Raw food may have an image of puritan abstinence but, with a little effort, it can actually be about improving the flavour and fun of food.

Polish-born Natasha exemplifies this. Her Dublin-based business, Natasha’s Living Food, involves making a range of raw foods with natural and organic ingredients, including chocolates and confectionery.

These chocolate treats include varieties like baby fig and sundried apricot, or Himalayan crystal salt and black pepper. She also makes cakes, like raw ganache tart, and savouries, such as raw vegetable and seed crackers.

Her Stonybatter kitchen has no cookers: “It’s all very clean and fresh. There is no moisture or smells in the air. So, your clothes don’t smell of the kitchen at home. The only noise is the fridge and the dehydrators,” she says.

The key to raw food is avoiding cooking temperatures over 42C. Above this, raw proponents argue, food starts to loose some of its natural and essential vitality, freshness and nutrition.

Soaking and sprouting are also important.

“You germinate the seeds, by soaking them in filtered water. That way, you are tapping into the food’s essential nature. Seeds want to be plants. They realise all their vitality through the sprouting process. So, you work with the natural aspect of the food,” she says.

She gives an example: “When I make my vegetable and seed cracker, all the cooking I do is soaking, blending, and dehydrating.

That makes the nutrients more available, as the gentle extracting of moisture allows the food to retain its goodness.”

New research suggests that many cooking styles, including heating, pasteurisation, drying, smoking, frying and grilling, harm foods to some degree.

According to research recently published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, using less harsh cooking styles, such as poaching, stewing, steaming or eating raw, may reduce inflammation and help boost the body’s natural defences.

There is something of a raw food revolution going on in Ireland, at present. Once, all raw food information came from California, and seemed a million miles away from this cold, wet little island off the north-west coast of Europe.

Now, along with Natasha Czopor, food writers, Veronica O’Reilly and Gaby Wieland, are showing people how to go raw.

Veronica O’Reilly’s book, Raw in a Cold Climate, is stuffed with wholesome recipes.

While many require some soaking or sprouting, they are still quite easy to do.

Avocado, carragheen, honey or agarve, soaked seeds and nuts, and coconut milk — all available here — seem to be the secret

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Win the kids over BETTER BY DEGREES: Natasha Czopor with a selection of her raw foods, cooked under 42C.

SO how do I get the kids into it?

■ Start simply: introduce a few ingredients, such as fruits, nuts and seeds, and seeded vegetables (which are really fruits, anyway), like cucumbers and peppers.

■ Steam carrots gently, and play the ‘how crunchy is the noise in your mouth?’ game. Be wowed by their noise.

■ Get one of the cookbooks featured here, and get the kids to help prepare the dishes. These include kiddy dream foods like chocolate truffles, mousse and jelly.

■ Take them on a berry, nut, or seashore food-hunt.

■ Try Japanese food.

Take them to a place like Yo! Suishi, in Dublin.

This is a great, 21st century eatery, very brash and techno, and a bit like living in a Pokémon cartoon. The food comes around on a constant conveyor belt, and you can sample little dishes with raw fishes, pickled, and raw vegetables, and, of course, many sushi rolls.

Chocolate Mousse 70g medjool dates, pitted or figs (soaked until soft, unless soft already) 60 ml maple syrup (or agave syrup or honey) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 mashed or chopped avocados 25-30g raw unsweetened cocoa powder 60 ml water

helpers to get taste and texture into many of the dishes. Gaby Wieland’s book, Neantog, is an easier entry to raw, as it combines raw and cooked dishes, from flapjacks and smoothies to pickled cabbage and soups.

Interestingly, both authors work in places packed with like-minded and organic foodies: O’Reilly in the Servants of Love, Wicklow, a Christian spiritual community, and Wieland in the Organic Centre, in Leitrim.

Nutritionist, Valarie Kelly, says “raw fruits and vegetables do, generally, contain higher levels of vitamins than cooked varieties, with the exception of carotenes — cooking im-

proves absorption of carotenes.”

While Kelly says “fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) are not as sensitive to heat,” she recommends cooking approaches, like steaming, to help retain foods nutrients.

CONTACTS: ■ Servants of Love: 0404-68645, www.healthyhabs.com.

■ Organic centre: 071-9854338, www.theorganiccentre.ie.

■ Natasha’s Living Food: 01-6174807, www.natashaslivingfood.ie.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010

1. Blend dates or figs, maple syrup or agave syrup or honey and vanilla extract in food processor until smooth.

2. Add avocado and cocoa powder and process until creamy. Stop to scrape bowl occasionally.

3. Add water and process briefly.

4. Serve with raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, red or black currants.

Tips: ■ This mousse will store for three days in the fridge, or two weeks in freezer.

■ You can buy organic medjool dates and organic Crazy Jack soft fig in a health food store or in big supermarkets.

From Gaby Wieland’s Neantog cookbook.

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Beauty tips for teens I

F YOU’REaccustomed to the sounds of angsty sighs and whinges from behind the bathroom door, the chances are you have a teenager tackling their changing skin.

With mind-boggling boys and homework schedules to deal with, a bout of angry spots can feel like the end of the world for young girls.

Beauty journalist Alice Hart-Davis became aware of the minefield facing teens when her daughter suddenly started asking questions about her looks and routines.

“One summer, when Molly was 12, she became mad keen to shave her legs and wouldn’t let the matter drop,” Alice explains.

“I said she didn’t need to. I said the hairs were invisible, but clearly it was something that bothered her and I realised I had to take her concerns more seriously.

“Then she started asking what she should use to wash her face, and whether she could wear a bit of make-up...”

As a beauty beginner, Molly had so many questions, she became the ideal co-author alongside her mother to write Be Beautiful — a book offering need-to-know practical advice for inquisitive teens. Many of the tips are handy for debunking beauty myths for big kids too.

THE ‘S’ WORD: Spots are every young girl’s worst enemy and few manage to glide through their teens without outbreaks.

“Teens dread getting them,” Alice says.

“What teens need to know is that spots are basically a side-effect of the hormones that are rampaging around their bodies.

If spots are persisting, a GP cannot only prescribe medicated products to help, but also refer troubled skin to a dermatologist for solutions.

TRY: Clean & Clear Advantage Spot Control Kit, (Boots), Murad Blemish

WRITING DUO: Beauty journalist Alice Hart-Davis and daughter Molly Hindhaugh, co-authors of Be Beautiful.

Picture:PA Photo/Handout.

Beauty minefield made easy for girls, Lisa Haynes reports

Complex Kit (www.murad.ie), Clearasil Ultra Spot Blocker Pen (available in pharmacies).

COVERT OPERATION: Make-up may be new or unknown territory to your daughter, but a small amount of blemish cover can make pesky spots virtually vanish and make her feel ‘normal’ enough to face the school gates.

“If make-up is powder-based and made from minerals, then it should be fine. Powdery make-up helps soak up excess oil,” says Alice. Try not to smother the whole face in make-up. See if she can get by using a medicated blemish-cover stick.”

Blemish sticks contain antiseptic and bacterial ingredients to help dry out the spots and reduce inflammation. “Tinted ones act like a concealer to help provide cover — use one the same colour as your skin. Dab it on gently and, if you need to, blend the colour with a fingertip.”

TRY: Green People Oy! Cover & Clear Spot It (health stores, www.greenpeople.co.uk), 17 Hide Away Concealer Stick (Boots), Witch Targeting Concealer (Boots).

POCKET MONEY PRODUCTS: Teens are at that half-way stage where complex anti-ageing ingredients like Pentapeptides and Retinol are a world away, but Hello Kitty

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and novelty glitter products are too young to make their beauty wish lists.

So what should they be investing their pocket money in to kick off a good basic routine?

“A cleanser that won’t dry your skin out, so a soap-free cream or lotion that you can massage on, then remove with a flannel that has been wrung out in hot water,” Alice recommends.

Clear out a dedicated space for her on the bathroom shelves and she might stop those illegal raids on yours.

There are a growing number of beauty products targeted suited to younger skin.

“There are specialist brands like Amie (Boots), which is lovely, natural stuff at pocket-money prices, and Face Boutique (Boots) and Elizabeth’s Daughter (www.elizabethsdaughter.co.uk) — both great though more expensive,” Alice says.

“Tesco has a young-skin brand called My Skin and Dermalogica (Fresh Start) and Neal’s Yard (Power Berry) have both developed teen-specific products.”

■ Be Beautiful: Every Girl’s Guide to Hair, Skin & Make-up by Alice Hart-Davis and Molly Hindhaugh is published by Walker Books, £9.99.

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The Catholic Church needs a period of deep healing in the wake of the child sex abuse and its treatment of women

Bowing to power Tony Humphreys

T

HERE is an emergence of a maturity in Ireland with regard to upholding the dignity of person. This development was evident in the reaction to the recent newspaper photograph of bishop Martin Drennan bowing to kiss the ring of the Pope. What hope is there for change in the Church when its present leader would even allow such a bending of the knee?

Does the Pope feel he is superior, not only to the cardinals, bishops, other clergy, laity but also to all the children who were spiritually, emotionally, physically and sexually violated by members of his ‘flock’?

What is the nature of the blindness that is perpetuating such blatant inequality?

Each human being is individual, precious, sacred and unique and it is for each of us — no matter what our status — to be in awe of our own presence and the unique presence of every other person. I have no doubt that the man Christ would be absolutely horrified at the Pope’s behaviour and also at those who choose to bend the knee.

The intention here is not to criticise the Pope — he too is worthy of our unconditional love. No, the aim is to assert the dignity and worth of each individual and challenge behaviour that darkens that sacred response.

The Pope may argue that on Holy Thursday evening he washes the feet of 12 lay people, but showing such Christian humility and devotion one day in the year is not even remotely enough. But why am I surprised?

After all the Pope still supports a male-dominated hierarchy and continues to marginalise women. Women are still not seen as worthy vicars of Christ. Yet, Christ’s message was gender free: all persons — male or female — who ‘love God with all their heart and their neighbour as their self ’ are worthy vicars.

Related to the issue of male dominance is that any male-dominated system suffers from the extraordinary absence of the feminine — those qualities of love, compassion, empathy, tenderness, kindness, fairness, nurturance, support, emotional expression and emotional receptivity that explain a lot of what is good in the world. The Church lost

Feelgood

its heart many centuries ago and leadership was head driven rather than infused with head and heart qualities. Regardless of gender, those in leadership positions need to urgently address whether or not they possess essential masculine and feminine qualities. The mind without heart is not mind at all and great danger exists when this is the case.

To his credit the Pope did make some attempt to explain the source of the clerical abandonment of children who had sadly already been abandoned, but his explanation came nowhere near the truth. His suggestion that ‘it was the weakening of their faith’ that led to the unspeakable neglect does not address the much more serious issue of the very dark psycho-social immaturity of those men and women responsible for the violations.

Neither does the Pope’s explanation address the very dark culture of the Irish Church.

For far too long, the Church has neglected to examine the level of the maturity of those they appointed to be shepherds of their flocks, an omission that does not yet seem to have reached the consciousness of the present Church leaders. It is not ‘lack of faith’ that perpetrates abuse; it is a dark interiority, a profound immaturity that lies at the heart of it.

The reality is that emotional violations continue in the Church — not just in terms of the side-lining of women — but also in the authoritarian and superior ways of most Church leaders.

President Barack Obama recently stated that whatever abuses in American society occurs under his governorship, the responsibility ultimately comes back to him. Such accountability on the part of not only Church leaders, but also political, financial and other governors is missing and a great source of concern.

I believe there is a deep healing needed within the Catholic Church, a healing that needs to bring light into the darkest corners of its centuries’ old dark practices. Such healing can only happen within individuals, but it helps enormously when the quest for enlightenment starts with those in the top positions.

Whether the Church survives or not, these individuals will remain a threat to the wellbeing of others until they resolve their inner turmoil.

When ownership by the Pope and other Church leaders of their responses is present, and a willingness to put on the sack cloth and genuinely express: ‘Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa’, then the haemorrhaging that is occurring in the Irish Church and elsewhere may stop. However, maybe the exodus is what needs to happen. The hope is that a new movement that truly represents the Christian message will emerge.

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FEELGOOD PAPAL POWER: Bishop of Galway Martin Drennan kissing Pope Benedict’s ring in the Vatican.

Dr Tony Humphreys is a consultant clinical psychologist, author and international speaker.

His book The Mature Manager is currently on bookshelves.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010

A DIFFERENT VIEW ON LIFESTYLE

Your guide to fitness, health, happiness and lifestyle.

Great writers and mentors. Where you come first.

Every Friday.

For a different view

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THE DOMINO EFFECT

Whether your are happy or down, fat or slim, whether you smoke, vote or take drugs affects your friends, your friends’ friends and your friends’ friends’ friends. Helen O’Callaghan investigates how our social networks influence our behaviour and shape our lives more than we realise

Y

OU’VE never met them, but your friend’s husband’s work colleague can make you fat. And your sister’s friend’s boyfriend can make you thin.

These claims — a new take on six degrees of separation, the concept that we’re all just six links away from being connected to everybody else in the world — are made by Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler, authors of Connected, a new book about how the power of social networks influence our behaviour and shape our lives.

Highlighting that we’re more connected than we realise, the authors show that behaviours and habits ripple along chains of friends in a kind of social contagion that stretches through three degrees of separation.

So whether I’m happy or down, fat or slim, whether I smoke, vote or take drugs affects my friends, my friends’ friends and my friends’ friends’ friends. After that my influence dissolves.

But how could someone I’ve never met make me fatter, happier or richer? “Through imitation,” says political scientist James Fowler, a professor at University of California. “If you’re sitting next to someone who eats more, you will. If your friend starts jogging, you may too.

Friends adopt ideas about what’s appropriate — that certain body sizes are okay, for example.

And it doesn’t stop between two people — there’s a domino effect stretching through three degrees of influence.”

This seems plausible enough, but what of the claim that my friend’s friend (whom I’ve never met) may make me fat, while my friend — the one in between, the one we have in common — stays thin? “Somebody may be a carrier of an idea without being personally affected by it,” says Fowler. “Your friend’s friend gains weight.

Your friend doesn’t, but she becomes more accepting of increased body size so she gives you less of a hard time if you don’t go jogging.”

FAT CONNECTION: Fowler and Christakis — a physician and professor at Harvard University and named by Time Magazine in 2009 as one of the world’s 100 most influential people — first published their findings that obesity is contagious in 2007. Poring through detailed records kept by the ongoing Massachusetts-based Framingham Heart Study, they mapped out the relationships of over 12,000 people with more than 50,000 social ties. They found if someone became obese their friends were 57% more likely to become so. A friend of a friend of that obese person was about 20% more likely to become fat, even if the weight of the linking friend remained unchanged.

The findings sparked outrage from people who didn’t believe something as personal and indi-

Feelgood

vidual as weight gain could be subject to the whims of popular taste, who felt that weight gain happens because people choose to let it. But this notion of ourselves as individuals, largely in control of our day-to-day lives, isn’t the full picture, says Fowler.

“We have this idea of individuality but we’re strongly influenced not only by those we choose to connect with but through this network of friendship that we may not be aware of.”

All kinds of norms and behaviours spread through social networks, say the authors, who explore network ‘contagion’ in anything from back pain (higher incidence spread from West to East Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall) to suicide (known to spread throughout communities) to what they call society’s “obsession” with nut allergies (in the US, 150 die each year from food allergies compared to 45,000 from motor vehicle accidents, yet we don’t ban cars, the authors point out).

Plotting the social connections of people enrolled on the Framingham Heart Study, they found if a person begins to smoke for the first time, the chances of their friend doing the same increases by 36%. Looking at the decline in smoking over the past four decades, they discovered when one person quits smoking the effect ripples through three degrees of separation.

“A smoker may have as much control over quitting as a bird has to stop a flock from flying in a particular direction,” say Christakis and Fowler.

TAKING CONTROL: While it may depress us that we’re not in control of our lives as much as we think we are, Fowler encourages turning the logic on its head and seeing just how much power we have. “The average person doesn’t feel they have much impact on

NETWORK FEARS: Dr Deirdre Kirke believes social networks have an important influence but is cautious.

If someone became obese, their friends were 57% more likely to become so. A friend of a friend of that obese person was about 20% more likely to become fat the world. But if you know 20 people — well enough that they’d invite you to a party — and each of them knows 20 other people, and so on, then you’re connected to 8,000 people who are three degrees away. Connectedness runs so deep for most people that we have the potential to influence hundreds of people out there, which should encourage us to take responsibility for our lives.

“My work has had a big impact on my life. I lost 5lb after we published our obesity study — I realised that by making myself healthier I would affect my son and maybe my son’s friend and maybe my son’s friend’s mother.”

Not everything spreads in the same way through social networks. According to Christakis and Fowler, if you become happy, a friend living close by has a 25% higher chance of becoming happy too, a spouse has an 8% increased chance, while for next-door neighbours it’s 34%. So why would your happiness impact less on your spouse than on your neighbour? Because emotional states are much more contagious when passed on by friends and relatives of the same gender, say Christakis and Fowler. And for emotional contagion, physical prox-

imity’s very important, whereas when it comes to behaviours like obesity or smoking, friends who live hundreds of miles away have just as big an impact on you as friends who live right next door.

“For emotion, frequency of contact has a big effect because spread of emotion relies more on imitation than do ideas about appropriate behaviour. It’s a different cognitive process. If you see someone smile, you automatically smile — you don’t think ‘should I smile now’.”

LIKE MINDED: Dr Deirdre Kirke, senior lecturer in Sociology at NUI, Maynooth, has researched substance abuse among teens and how it’s influenced by peers and social networks.

She believes social networks have an important influence but cautions against over-simplifying things. “It’s not always about being influenced by who you’re friends with. Individual choice doesn’t disappear out the window. We select friends who are like us, so a teenager might select a friend who’s already smoking or drinking.”

STUDY FINDINGS: Dr Helen McAneney points to findings of a British school study on smoking.

She’s also sceptical about taking at face value the idea that someone you never met may make you fat. “The ‘never met’ influence is a bit far-fetched unless it’s the sneeze on the bus that gives you swine flu.”

Being embedded in vast social networks is in our genes, say Christakis and Fowler, who studied several hundred pairs of twins and found that, on average, a person with five friends has a different genetic make-up than a person with one friend. And a person with five friends who know one another has a different genetic make-up than a person with five friends who don’t know each other.

So, are social networking sites like Facebook simply the latest manifestation of a deep-rooted genetic need for connectedness? “These sites have enhanced what we already do,” says Mark Cahill, co-founder of Socialbits, a social networking consultancy for businesses and a guest lecturer on social networks at UL. “If someone tells a story within a group, once that person goes outside the door the story disappears unless someone else carries it on. But if you put a video on YouTube, it’s there on a constant basis, to be shared.”

Citing Dunbar’s Number — the theory that the human brain’s only capable of having a first-degree social network of 150 people — Cahill says Barack Obama is the prime example of someone who utilised social networking sites to move beyond his first-degree network, becoming a key influencer in the process and ultimately winning the US presidency.

“He had 15 million followers. One person alone couldn’t interact with that many followers. Instead he influenced people, who in turn influenced others.”

INNER CIRCLE: While the average person has about 140 Facebook friends, Fowler says the majority of these are on the level of acquaintances and that our average num-

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010

ber of close friends is somewhere between six and eight. “We looked at whether your Facebook friend influenced you. The answer’s no.

Yet when we restricted our study to users’ picture friends — the ones who’ve uploaded pictures of you, or you’ve uploaded their pictures — we found that’s where the influence was. If your picture friend is smiling in their portrait or is overweight, you’re more likely to be too.”

But surely everything we do or feel isn’t down to the influence of our social networks?

“We’re not saying social networks are the only cause of behaviour. Our theory is about how things spread rather than how they originate. But small changes can become big because of social networks. Networks magnify anything they’re fed with. The availability of processed food contributes to obesity, for example. That’s part of the story. But if it causes a few people to put on a lot of weight, a more tolerant attitude towards increased body size can spread through a network and what might have been a 1% rise in obesity becomes a 10% rise.”

If triggers for illness and wellbeing (smoking, obesity, happiness) radiate through social networks, should public health authorities target treatments at well-connected people, who are likely to pass on health benefits to a greater number of people, rather than at people who have fewer social contacts? Dr Helen McAneney points to A Stop Smoking in Schools Trial (Assist) conducted in schools across Western England and Wales. “Rather than educate the whole school, the idea was to educate the popular children about the dangers of smoking and train them to disseminate the information. This was very effective in the close-knit communities of the Welsh Valley schools, a little less so in the city schools.”

Kevin Balanda, associate director of the Institute of Public Health in Ireland, says we need to look at ways to support positive networks. “We need to build towns and cities in ways that promote connectedness, creating spaces for children to play and communities to meet. We need to promote organisations that bring people together.”

But he cautions against excluding minority groups.

For Christakis and Fowler, our connectedness is a good news story. True — networks facilitate the flow of all sorts of nasties from germs and STDs to unhappiness and violence. But they also allow good things to flow — happiness, love, altruism, even valuable information on how to find a job.

■ Connected by Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler costs F15.60.

MORE SUPPORT: Kevin Balanda says we need to look at ways to support positive networks.

According to Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler, left, authors of Connected: 1. Each happy friend you have increases your probability of being happy by about 9%. Each unhappy friend decreases it by 7%.

2. How couples meet is relevant to how quickly they have sex. One study found that couples who met at a nightclub were much more likely to have sex within a month (45%) than couples who met at family gatherings (24%).

3. The probability that a person will have a child rises substantially in the two years after his/her sibling has a child.

4. If a woman begins drinking heavily, both her male and female friends are likely to do so too. But if a man starts drinking more, he has much less effect on his friends of either sex.

5. The higher the male-to-female ratio at a time when a man reaches his early 20s, the shorter his life — a man who’s surrounded by other men has to work harder to find a partner. This heightened competition has long-term consequences for his health.

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Q

Dr Niamh Houston

FAMILY

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

My seven year old came home from school with a picture a boy in his class had drawn of them shooting each other with guns. It was graphic and disturbing. I know this boy spends a lot of his free time playing video games.

I have talked about it with my son, who knows it isn’t real, and said it was just a game they were playing in the school yard. Should I be concerned?

A. It is not unusual for children, particularly boys, to produce violent images in their drawings. Exploring violence can be a natural part of growing up, either in play, drawings, or stories.

I would be concerned if a child was not able to make a clear distinction between imaginary violence and real conflict, or if your son felt physically or verbally threatened in any way. Also, if a child is repeatedly drawing violent pictures, it may be a red flag that deeper emotional issues exist.

It’s important you talk to your son about the content of the drawing. This is a good opportunity to let your child know what your values are, as well as helping him deal with images that may be troubling.

At this stage of their development, up to their late teens, children are very impressionable. Repeated exposure to violent video games or media violence has been shown to increase aggressive behaviour and thoughts, as well as reduce pro-social or helping behaviour in children and adolescents.

Playing violent video games correlates to children being less caring towards their peers. Studies have shown that even immediately after exposure to media violence, there is an increase in aggressive behaviour tendencies and feelings of hostility. As a result, this can lead to children inappropriately resolving their anxiety or anger by externalising these powerful emotions.

Violent video games don’t teach children moral consequences. If they shoot someone, they are not penalised — instead, they are rewarded with extra points. Violent games activate the anger centre, while dampening the brain’s conscience.

It is a parent’s job to censor what their child is exposed to, and to exercise judgement about the content of the games they permit their children to play or watch. Parents should be instructive and not permissive when it comes to violence.

To minimise any potential harm, limit the amount of time, as well as the type of games, your child plays. Become involved in your child’s media usage. Play the games with your child and know how they react to different features in the games. Discuss the inappropriateness of violent solutions to real-life conflicts, and how you can resolve problems with non-violent measures. And keep game consoles and computers in public

GAME BOY: Violent video games are linked to aggressive behaviour in children and being less caring towards friends.

Picture:GettyImages

family space, so you can be aware of the material your child is viewing.

Try to keep a balance, as technology can be an important educative and entertaining tool. If such drawings occur frequently, talk to the class teacher or child’s parent.

Q: I have been recently diagnosed with an underactive thyroid gland. My doctor says I will have to take medication for the rest of my life. Is this necessary? I read somewhere that this can be treated by taking iodine supplements.

A. Underactive thyroid gland, or hypothyroidism, occurs when the thyroid gland does not produce enough thyroid hormone. This hormone is needed to regulate growth and metabolism. The usual symptoms of hypothyroidism include fatigue, constipation, heavy and irregular periods, weight gain, dry skin and muscle cramps. Some people develop a goitre, which is a swelling of the thyroid gland in the front of the neck.

The conventional treatment for this condition is to replace the low levels of thyroid hormone in your body with oral thyroid

hormone medication. Once you start on the treatment, you should notice a gradual improvement in your symptoms, and be able to live a normal, healthy life. If left untreated, complications such as goitre, heart failure, depression, and low libido can develop.

Iodine is an essential element that helps the thyroid gland to develop. If someone does not have enough iodine in their diet, they can be at risk of hypothyroidism. But lack of iodine occurs mostly in poor countries, where malnutrition is common. Living in this part of the world means you should not need iodine supplements, as you will have enough iodine intake from your diet.

Once you start on replacement treatment, you will need careful monitoring of your thyroid hormone levels with blood tests. If the dose is too high, there is a risk of developing osteoporosis (brittle bones). Also, too high a dose can cause an irregular heartbeat.

It is important to see your doctor every six to 12 months for blood tests and a review, to ensure you are on the correct amount of medication.

Treatment, in the majority of cases, is for life.

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

A

Catherine Shanahan MUM’S WORLD Feelgood

LL IT took was a moment of benign neglect to set the cat among the pigeons. As the grandfather entertained one grandchild, a second, slightly older and more opportunistic child seized the chance to give his sextarian sitter the slip and with it, a minor coronary.

The setting was a busy shopping mall with more exits than the M50.

This is precisely the type of venue where possibilities for abduction and/or escape are endless and the probability of a speedy and successful conclusion to a boyhunt is remoter than peace in Palestine.

Target a child young enough not to know any better and he will trustingly go to a fate no parent could contemplate.

On this particular day granddad lost sight of the advice of his all-time hurling hero. “Never take your eye off the ball,” Ringy had said, “even when it’s in the referee’s pocket.” This is advice with

wider implications in life than a hurling event in Croker.

Distracted by a floor display, granddad’s gaze was diverted just long enough for the toddler to scamper. When the poor man turned around he was one grandchild down and a whisker away from his Waterloo.

In a headlong dash towards the nearest shop he knew only fortune could save him.

He careered around rails, flattening shoppers in his haste and risking arrest at the dressing rooms.

He remembered a pet shop and that was his next stop — the young boy was very taken with the terrapins. Outside, a caged canary sang with great gusto, but nowhere could he see the young runaway.

He doubled back to the spot where the child first got lost, heart sinking deeper and deeper. He stood in a sweat, panic rising in his chest, at the thoughts of facing his daughter. Where was her son? What did he

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010

mean ‘Gone’? Did he mean gone to the toilet? The toilets. Of course. Where were the washrooms? He spun about looking for the signs. The arrows pointed upwards so he raced towards the lift that took forever to arrive.

As the doors slid back he closed his eyes and prayed for divine intervention. “Find my grandson,” he whispered to rapacious St Anthony, in exchange for his dwindling fortune.

As he opened his eyes the lift emptied out and granddad prepared to enter. He was just stepping forth, when a vision stepped out in all its three-foot high glory. Lo and behold the fugitive child had gone for a ride in the Otis.

To become a grandparent is supposed to mean enjoyment of a pleasure for which the consequences have already been paid. But the jury was out on the wisdom of this claim after granddad’s nightmarish day.

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Gail Dowling found a way to unlock her energy, Ailin Quinlan reports

Find your potential E

VERYONE has those days — the ones where we question who we are, what we’re doing and why on earth we’re doing it.

Sometimes the catalyst is a bereavement, job loss or a substantive life event — on other occasions, says personal and team development consultant John Leisk, it may be simply a feeling of dissatisfaction with one’s life or a sense that, perhaps, things could be better.

For businesswoman and graphic designer Gail Dowling some of “those days” came around her 50th birthday.

Once she hit the landmark day, recalls the mother-of-four, she found herself analysing her life and career to date: “It all started around my 50th birthday. A lot of people tell me that this is a time that they will find themselves re-appraising where they are.”

As time passed, some of those questions were gradually resolved — but, as it emerged, not all.

Last September Gail, a director of the successful Cork-based Dowling & Dowling Graphic Design firm, visited the Careers Fair at Cork City Hall to see if she could find an advanced class in her unusual hobby — welding.

Instead she was attracted to something completely different.

Gail, now 55, found herself drawn to a stand run by business partners Tim Mehegan and John Leisk of the newly-fledged The Potential Group, a personal and business development company.

“The idea of releasing my potential attracted me and I signed up for a 10-week course,” she says.

Following the course, Gail says, she found herself more able to release self-limiting beliefs and old hurts, became more positive and confident in her decision-making, gave up cigarettes and joined a gym.

“I also feel more open to change now.

We worked on areas like conflict resolution and self-belief and learned to emphasise positive thinking — and not to give yourself a hard time when you do something wrong.

“I also learned the only thing that limits your life is your own head. It’s had a major impact on the way I view my life and other people.”

The duo — Mehegan with an MBA and a background in banking and management consultancy, Leisk with a degree in management and a successful career in the printing sector — launched The Potential Group last year after meeting on a life and business coaching programme.

Their aim: to teach others about personal growth and the secret of fully exploiting their potential.

We may have no choice about the curve balls that life deals us, says Mehegan, but we can decide how we respond to them.

“We both felt there was a need for personal development for people in all sorts of challenging situations,” says Leisk.

“A lot of people may not have major issues but at the same time don’t feel very good about themselves.”

Feelgood

I also feel more open to change now. We worked on areas like conflict resolution and self-belief and learned to emphasise positive thinking — and not to give yourself a hard time when you do something wrong

Last September at the Careers Fair in Cork, Gail Dowling (above) found herself drawn to a stand run by business partners Tim Mehegan and John Leisk (right) of The Potential Group. ‘The idea of releasing my potential attracted me and I signed up for a 10-week course,’ she says.

Picture: Dennis Scannell

Adds Mehegan: “Everyone has potential. Some people may find it more difficult to see that potential in themselves than others.”

Whatever your circumstances, though, he believes each of us has a core of inner strength.

It can become “smothered” by challenging life circumstances such as illness, unemployment, bereavement or the economic crisis, but it can also be revitalised.

The Potential Group covers everything from self-awareness and the influence of self-limiting and empowering beliefs, to

an understanding of the impact of a positive/negative self-image, the power of choice and motivation to demonstrating routes to peak performance and, ultimately, success in achieving a stated goal.

Neuro-linguistic programming, which looks at ways through which people excel, plays a significant part in the programme.

“There’s an element of personal leadership. You must take responsibility for your own actions and find your way forward,” says Mehegan.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010

■ The Potential Group is holding an eight-week evening workshop in Jury’s Hotel, Cork, beginning on March 11. A series of workshops will also be held in Dublin and London throughout March and April.

■ Details: Web: on www.thepotentialgroup.ie Phone: 021-4826022 or mobile 087-2426889 (Tim) or 086-2413963 (John). Email: tim@thepotentialgroup.ie or john@thepotentialgroup.ie

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A piece of cake to bake S CONES can be a good half-way house between savoury and sweet, avoiding too much sugar and getting some benefits of dried fruit, which has iron and vitamins.

Shop-bought samples seem to be getting larger and larger, and so have more and more calories.

Scones belong to the ‘treat’ category and, be warned, the addition of cream, butter and jam will take an hour-long run to work off the calorie hit.

For this survey, finding a scone that was as good as home-made was harder than I expected. For the most part, while substantial and apparently good value, they were tasteless and heavy.

I had to search away from supermarkets, to see if there was anything exceptional and found good scones in two bakeries, Sugar Café and Bakewell Confectionery.

Restaurants and cafés make the best scones in-house and most do take-aways, so are the best source. They appear to use better quality flour, butter, eggs and fruit, which make a huge difference to the end result. We eliminated most supermarket versions, which were full of additives to give them shelf life, though not as long as for many other products. No matter how cheap, they were not worth it.

The recipe below is far more economical than bought ones, so consider making your own, if you want to save money and be sure of quality. These scones take about

Sugar Café and Patisserie, Washington Street, Cork, F2 each As it won our mincepie survey before Christmas, we sought a high standard of scone here and were not disappointed. A good, tasty scone with the best quality fruit of the selection. A large scone, the outside is nicely crunchy, inside the dough appears quite heavy, but a decent amount of fruit lightens it.

Score: 7.5

Country Kitchens Bakery, Supervalu, four for F2.10 THE idea with these scones is to finish the baking ourselves in a pre-heated oven, sprinkled with water to keep the scones moist. This is a lot of trouble for a product that is loaded with preservatives, acidity regulators, and uses margarine, vegetable oil and butter flavour, instead of simple butter.

Without this final baking, the scones are dry and dense, but, with five minutes in the oven, they lighten a little, but then harden once cool. Low on fruit and flavour.

Score: 2

Feelgood

Roz Crowley five minutes to make and ten to bake, they freeze well, and, once defrosted, can be warmed in the oven.

Microwaves are not good for warming baked foods. For baking, a hot oven is the secret of success, so make sure it is up to temperature before the scones go in.

Basic scones 50g butter 250g self-raising flour (or plain flour with 3 level teasps baking powder) ½ level teasp salt 150ml milk Few drops vanilla essence (optional) 50g dried fruit — currants, sultanas, Fair-

Tom’s Artisan Bakery, Mainstreet, Kinsale, Co Cork also in ABC English Market, Cork and stalls at farmers’ markets, 49c each I bought this attractive heart-shaped scone the day before Valentine’s Day. Chunky and nicely browned, they looked delicious, but disappointed in the mouth, a little heavy and with sparse fruit.

Picture: Getty Images

trade Fortnight raisins, chopped dates, dried cranberries, raspberries or blueberries.

Heat oven to 230C/450F/gas 8.

Rub the butter into the flour and salt to make crumbs. Add a splash of milk and the vanilla, if using, and see how it goes before adding enough to make a soft dough. Add the fruit and mix gently. Place on a floured board and pat gently, until large enough to

Marks & Spencer, 95c each Good fruit and some flavour, crumbly, natural texture, texture is more open than some samples.

Score: 6.5

make 12 scones. Use a cutter or a glass to make the rounds, or cut into triangles or long shapes. I like them small, in 5cm squares, as there is no need to rework the dough after cutting out.

Place on a greased and lightly-floured baking tray. For a golden finish, brush with beaten egg or milk.

Bake for eight to ten minutes, or until risen and lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack or turn them over on the tray.

Cuisine de France, 33c each With plenty of fruit and lighter than many, there is even a little flavour here. Low on fruit. Fair value.

Score: 6

Score: 5

Natural Foods Bakery, Paul Street and Blackrock Village, Cork and farmers’ markets, F1 each Soft, slightly sweet flavour here, but quite heavy, with good amount of fruit.

Old Mill, 85c each Soft texture becomes heavy in the mouth, scant fruit, not much flavour.

Score: 4

Score: 7

Bakewell Confectionery, 8 Thomas Davis Street, Blackpool, Cork, three for F1.60 A decent-sized scone with dough which was the lightest of the selection.

No particular flavour, but good amount of fruit. Fair value.

Score: 7

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010

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Cycle of life: get a bike and get fit

I

SADDLED UP: Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan, joins cycling legend, Sean Kelly, and his daughter, Stacey, to officially launch the 2010 An Post Cycle Series. Picture: Maxwell’s

F YOU feel like boosting your health, have a look at a cycling initiative launched by An Post and the Irish Sports Council.

The 2010 An Post Cycle Series aims to encourage communities around the country to improve their health by getting off their couch and onto their bikes. With routes catering for everyone, from the serious amateur to families, the series has proven to be a great way for family, friends and work colleagues to spend a day of healthy fun together, while the serious rider can choose a more challenging route.

“The health and environmental benefits to cycling are well-known, it is a great way to keep fit,” says keen cyclist, Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Eamon Ryan. “The series has something for everyone of any ability, so whether or not you are a regular cyclist or haven’t saddled up since your bike had stabilisers, I would encourage people

Deirdre O'Flynn

MOSTLY MEN around the country to get involved.”

Cycling can help reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes, as well as improving lung capacity. Cycling burns 300 calories an hour, so a simple, 15-minute cycle to and from work, five times a week, burns off the equivalent of 11 pounds of fat a year.

Five counties — Sligo, Clare, Meath, Waterford and Cork — were selected as regional hosts for the An Post Cycle Series, with events running monthly between May and September. Each event

Cigarette smugglers face Help cancer patients huge increase in fines get to treatment SMOKING is a health scourge in Ireland, contributing as it does to lung cancer, mouth cancer and cardiovascular disease. So it’s no surprise that the Irish Heart Foundation has welcomed a tenfold increase in fines for tobacco smuggling into Ireland.

Announced in the new Finance Bill, the maximum penalty on consignments of contraband has increased from F12,695 to F126,970.

“In the last three

TAKE

years, the biggest fine imposed on any cigarette smuggler in Ireland was a paltry F7,500 — this was 100 times less than the corresponding figure in Northern Ireland,” says Irish Heart Foundation chief executive Michael O’Shea.

“While a judge in the North imposed a penalty of £729,000 (F811k) in a single case in 2008, the total fines here in 340 cases of tobacco smuggling and the illegal sale of cigarettes in just over three years to last June, were F161,000.”

4

FAIRTRADE Fortnight 2010 runs until March 7 and this year’s theme is the ‘big swap’. Consumers are being asked to swap their usual purchases like tea, coffee, chocolate, bananas, sugar or cotton, for products that carry the Fairtrade mark. “Thousands of Irish consumers have already made the big swap... and, in doing, so are making a real difference to the lives of producers in developing countries,” says Peter Gaynor, executive director, Fairtrade Mark Ireland.

Retail sales of Fairtrade products in Ireland increased by 27% in 2009, to F118m, and are expected to grow in 2010. More details of Fairtrade Fortnight are available on www.fairtrade.ie.

Products you might like to consider include the following:

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IF you’re interested in volunteering and have time on your hands, you might consider the Irish Cancer Society’s Care to Drive initiative.

Operated in partnership with the social work department at St Vincent’s University Hospital, Dublin, carefully selected and trained volunteers collect cancer patients from their homes and drive them to their appointments and back to their homes afterwards.

“Transport to and from cancer treatment

has become a significant issue for patients and their families, especially since the centralisation of cancer services,” says Olwyn Ryan, patient support groups manager, Irish Cancer Society. “Other issues around travelling to and from treatment can include the age of patients, the nature of their treatment, stresses on their families and the overall cost of travel. The Care to Drive programme has been set up to tackle these issues and provide a comfortable, confidential transport service.”

is organised by the Irish Sports Council’s Local Sports Partnerships, in conjunction with their city, county and cycling club partners. Family routes will be approximately 10k, while short-, middleand long-distance routes will be 60k, 100k and 160k.

This is the second year of the series, and was a huge success in year one, with 5,500 riders taking part last year.

The An Post Series gets underway on Sunday, May 9, with the An Post Tour of Sligo. This will be followed by the An Post Tour De Burren, in Clare, on Saturday, June 19, while the Heritage Cycle Tour of Meath will take place on Sunday, July 25. The well-known Sean Kelly Tour of Waterford will be on Sunday, August 29, and, finally, the Rebel Tour of Cork will be on Saturday, September 11.

■ Further details on each of the events in the series, and how to become involved, are available on www.anpost.ie/cycling.

DId you know...

Just three months of soccer practice, twice a week, causes a significant fall in blood pressure (Source: Department of Exercise and Sports Sciences, University of Copenhagen)

Fairtrade Fortnight GO ON GO ON: This year, as part of the ‘big swap’, Oxfam is asking everyone to swap their usual tea for a Fairtrade cuppa.

Pictured is broadcaster Daithí O’Shea, who is supporting the swap-a-cuppa initiative, in Oxfam’s Galway Fair Trade store, with manager, Agnes Sage. Tomorrow, Saturday, February 27, there will be Fairtrade tea tastings in Oxfam’s trade shops.

RIGHT START: Get the newest addition to the family off in ethical style, with the new range of baby clothes from Oxfam.

They are all made from Fairtrade-certified, organic cotton grown in India. The clothes are made at Assisi Garments, a Fairtrade project set up to provide work for marginalised women.

How about these quirky bibs? Choose from ‘give peas a chance’, ‘I recycle my tantrums’, ‘keep the planet cool’ or ‘I only eat organic chips’, F7.50 each.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010

ETHICAL BEAUTY: Pamper yourself with the Bio Etic range of Fairtrade and organic cosmetics, available from Oxfam Ireland. Bio Etic products are free from parabens, synthetic fragrances, and petrochemicals. These include organic day cream, night cream, body cream, hand cream and organic shea body butter, all F12.50, a sugar scrub with Bolivian quinoa, F13.50, light legs oil, F13.50 and a shower gel, F10.

SEED TO SHELF: All the clothes and soft toys on sale in The Organic Cotton Shop, in Clonakilty (Ireland’s first Fairtrade town), are made from ‘Fairly-Traded’, 100% organic cotton. How about this sweet Henny top, F18.95, age 0 to two years, from Frugi (www.welovefrugi.com). Bestsellers include Gossypium bedding — an eco-white fitted sheet, F41.99 for a king size.

For more details, check out the shop at 20 Connolly St, Clonakilty, 023-8834393, or www.organiccottonshop.ie.

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Colour clashing is one of the boldest make-up trend in years

Gene creams WE all know good skin is partly based on your genes, but L’Oreal is taking things a step further with the launch of the first mass market anti-wrinkle gene cream.

Apparently, when skin is under stress, certain skin genes are activated. This happens quite quickly in the young but in more mature skin it takes longer (six hours compared with 30 hours). L’Oreal’s Youth Code range now speeds up the rate at which these genes respond.

Prices start at F23.49 for the Youth Code Rejuvenating Anti-Wrinkle Day Cream.

Emily O’Sullivan

D

ECIDING I needed to update my slightly yawnsome, smoky-eye look, I opted for a bit of green last weekend. It was a mistake. What looks good on porcelain-skinned 16-year-old models, doesn’t always look good on pasty white, befreckled, 30-something Irish skin. Who did I think I was, anyway, Lara Stone?

Quite pitifully, it turns out that wearing a leaf-green eyeshadow against my ruddy, medieval, matron-style skin made me look like I had just left A&E after several hours on a stretcher. I looked wounded, defeated, exhausted. Okay, maybe I’m being a bit over the top here — it just didn’t suit me.

Colour may be a massively hot look for spring/summer 2010, but it still needs to be treated with caution because some colours simply look awful on the wrong skin.

But it’s hard to resist the flood of shades hitting the shops and magazines, especially after the entirely gruesome winter we’ve just had. It’s like an injection of sunshine — and the gorgeous ’80s clashy-clashy action that caused a big stir on the catwalks just looks too good to resist. In case you haven’t noticed it, one of spring/summer’s massive make-up trends is colour clash.

No, this doesn’t mean wearing a pink jumper with a red scarf, it means wearing lilac eyeshadow with red lipstick, or wearing pretty pink eyeshadow with coral. Or wearing a green eyeshadow, with basically anything.

This new trend is one of the newest bold directions we’ve seen coming out of beauty in a long time — it’s part ’80s, part floaty romance.

Unlike trends such as punk, nude and rock chick, clash hasn’t been done before, which makes it exciting and fresh.

Shimmying delicately away from green, one of the hottest colours to clash with this spring is purple. Purple was a massive shade for eyes, right across the board at the catwalk shows, and, unlike some of the season’s more daring trends, it’s quite easy to wear. If you don’t want to clash it with a leftfield lipstick shade, then you can quite happily go for the pretty option and wear it with nude lips.

The first thing is to find a shadow that suits your skin tone. Go to the cosmetic counters and try some stuff out. In fact, shades that you think might not suit your colouring

The news on ...

TAKE THREE

CLASH ACT: Lara Stone on the catwalk.

Clashing shades are in for summer.

Mix’n’ match could work very well, so don’t be afraid to experiment, and make sure to ask for help from beauty consultants. Dark purples and violets are work a treat with hazel or green eyes, while a pop of bright eyeliner looks modern and hip.

The biggest direction, though, is with pastels — pretty pastel purples were big at Versace, Marc Jacobs, and Missoni, and look ethereal against a pale palette, which is one of the biggest directions for spring skin.

Think of using sheer colours that give a wash over the eyes, and don’t be afraid to use the colour just under the lower lash line for a more dramatic statement.

Brilliantly, this look is one that is incredibly versatile. Dress it up with a clashing lipstick, deep-black precision eyeliner, and lashings of black mascara for night time, or else keep it pretty and low-key during the day with porcelain skin, a delicate touch of mascara and a pale lipstick.

Night creams Night cream/day cream — the jury is out on whether you need a separate cream to hop into bed with (although if your daytime cream contains an SPF then best not to wear it at night). Still, sometimes wearing a separate night cream is beneficial for the skin — especially if you go for a formulation that is richer and more sensuous. We’ve picked out three: Origins Night Cream: High Potency Night-A-Mins, F43.50. This new night cream Night Health has nearly replaced Night-A-Mins in our affections, but not quite. The company’s original night cream has a beautiful texture, a deep, luxurious creaminess that sinks into the skin and helps you wake up with a silky soft complexion. It’s also got a lovely, sleep-inducing scent that is hard not to love.

Nivea Visage Anti-Wrinkle Q10 Plus, F13.05. This has got a really great, sumptuous texture. It might not have the kind of seductive scent of the Origins cream but it’s a pleasant night cream that has double the strength of Q10 compared with previous creams. It also claims that the “appearance” of deeper wrinkles will be reduced in just four weeks.

Trilogy Age-Proof Replenishing Night Cream, F34.95. If you’re after a natural night cream then this is the one to go for as it has marula, olive, evening primrose and avocado, as well as vitamins A and E, green tea, cucumber, aloe and calendula. It doesn’t quite have the rich texture of the other two, but it does leave the skin feeling soft and very supple in the morning.

STUFF WE LIKE MAC Eyeshadow in Parfait Amour and Satellite Dreams, F19 each. These are perfect eyeshadows to create a beautiful lilac look. MAC eyeshadows have a great texture and last well.

While you might not want to create as outlandish a look as Fergie in the Viva Glam campaign shot, they’re great for mixing and matching to create a softness and a trend-driven effect.

Clinique Colour Surge Eyeshadow Quads in Plum Seduction, F31. This is a wonderful little eyeshadow quad, and not bad value ei-

Feelgood

ther. You can create more of a smoky look with the mink-coloured shadow, or go for a light and pretty look by mixing the paler violet with the moondust shade. Versatile and wearable.

Urban Decay Stardust Eyeshadow in light purple, F19. While the look on the catwalk was more matte than shimmery, sparkle is a still a popular look on the street. This glittery eyeshadow is good for younger women.

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow in Starry Purple, F24. Bobbi Brown’s cream eyeshadows have a love-

ly feel to them and are good for daytime wear. The new formula means there’s a slight touch of sparkle, but not so much that you feel like a disco diva in the office.

nation that will appeal to all high-fashion types. The colours can be worn separately, or blended together for an exotic spring look.

Bourjois Smoky Eyes Trio in purple, F10. This is a good, well-priced option and great for anyone who is still drawn to the smoky-eyed look. The trio of eyeshadows blend well together to create a moody look to rival that of Lily Allen.

L’Oreal Colour Appeal Trio Pro in Addictive Plum, F13. While the hot look on the catwalk was more lilac than plum, this is still a good bet for really bringing out the beauty in green eyes.

Yves Saint Laurent Ombres Duo Lumieres in Turquoise Blue/Hazy Violet, F42. This is a really edgy, directional combi-

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010

ELF Brightening Eyeshadow in Silver Lining, F1.70 from eyeslipsface.co.uk. Four eyeshadows for F1.70 — you can’t really argue with that, especially when those shadows are lovely wearable shades of pale pink, mink, lilac and nude.

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Q

Megan Sheppard Do you have a question for Megan Sheppard?

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

vitamin E, phosphorus, B vitamins, manI HAVE a underactive ganese, iodine, chromium and zinc. thyroid, which is manCommercially prepared liquorice can do aged with thyroxine more harm than good, since it typically and causes me no contains additives, sugar, and salt — all problem. But I someputting extra strain on the adrenals, so times suffer from restless legs at negating the health benefits. night. I understand this is due to You can buy ground liquorice root (or magnesium deficiency, but am grind it yourself) and add it to foods for a wondering what the best course of pick-me-up when energy levels are low. action is, given my thyroid condiThis is especially useful for school-aged tion. I find that the spasms usually children who are often worn out and occur when I have eaten dairy frazzled by the end of the day. products.

A. If you want to have your magQ. You have mentioned in the past nesium levels tested, then hair minthat indigestion may be caused by a eral analysis is an accurate method of deficiency in stomach acid. Can you assessing both the levels of minerals please elaborate on this topic as I am and their ratios — this is an imporhaving trouble making sense of it. tant step to consider before you A. This is indeed a common misconself-prescribe through supplementaception, and I understand at first glance it tion. seems to be an issue with over-production From your description, it seems of acid — and that is how it is commonly that your calcium/magnesium ratio treated. needs to be balanced, which is best In 1967, Dr Hugh Tuckey presented his done using a colloidal mineral supfindings after 30 years of research with plement. Colloidal supplements prohundreds of patients. In his experience, vide the necessary nutrients in an even people with healthy, balanced diets optimal ratio, and are safe for daily were having problems with bloating, gas, usage. bad breath, constipation, and indigestion.

Magnesium supplements can be Since their diets were optimal, he decided found in capsule, liquid, tablet or that gut health was the root cause of the powder form. Often they come as a symptoms and discovered that these combination with calcium since the symptoms were eradicated almost immetwo need to be in balance with each diately using hydrochloric acid (HCl). other. Since calcium-rich foods HCl works in the stomach by protectappear to trigger muscle cramping ing the chewed food from putrefying and and restless legs. This suggests that creating gas. If there is insufficient HCl, magnesium is indeed the key. then proteins are not properly prepared If you do decide to supplement, for the next stage of the digestion process look at taking around 300-400mg and the stomach is not emptied as quickly daily, and consider including more as it should be. magnesium-rich foods in your diet.

This slowing of the digestive process Nuts, seeds, legumes, leafy greens, then leads to bloating due to the gas, and and grains are all high in magneTHYROID BOOST: If you suffer from an underactive thyroid, the acid/food combination is often sium. then eating nuts, seeds, legumes, leafy greens, and grains forced back into the oesophagus where it which are all high in magnesium, may be of benefit. causes the feeling of burning and disQ. I OFTEN crave liquorice.

Picture: GettyImages comfort behind the breastbone. At this I’m sure it is not the sweetness or point, most people will take an antacid texture that I crave — can you aid to relieve the discomfort — which can think of any reason why I might be cravoften exacerbate the problem further. ing this particular sweet?

If HCl levels are low, then an antacid A. Liquorice is more than just a humble also drink plenty of fresh water since dehypreparation — which works by neutralising sweet, it’s a valuable herbal remedy which dration is another crucial factor in adrenal acid — is the last thing your digestive system contains glycosides — essential for the relief exhaustion and low cortisone levels. needs. The other concern with antacids, as of adrenal exhaustion and muscular fatigue.

At this time of year liquorice can also be a mentioned last week, is the common addiIt also provides natural cortisone, which is valuable remedy for respiratory ailments, par- tion of aluminium (implicated in Alzheimer’s nourishing for the adrenals. ticularly coughs and colds. It works by helpdisease and cancer).

You may be feeling stressed or overing to shift excess mucous, and is a natural Viridian’s High Potency Digestive Aid, whelmed. The good thing is that liquorice anti-inflammatory. The other well-known available from The Health Store, www.thecravings are likely a very early sign that your action of liquorice is as a gentle laxative — it healthstore.ie, costs F9.95 for 30 capsules adrenal glands need some support. Rather soothes the intestinal tract and can be useful and contain digestive enzymes as well as Bethan choosing the sweet, you could try where ulceration is an issue. taine HCl. Do not take if you suffer from drinking liquorice tea (or adrenal combinaOther nutrients found in liquorice include stomach ulcers. tions including liquorice), and make sure you

Megan puts the spotlight on : Green cleaning WHILE they deliver on their promise of squeaky clean dishes, floors, and surfaces with the familiar smell of freshly disinfected pine forests, many household cleaners in our supermarket aisles are loaded with toxins — it even says so on the labels.

Fortunately, with such an increased awareness of all things green and clean, many companies have reviewed their ingredients and opted for greener measures — taking out the nasties and putting in effective and safe alternatives. There are now entire ranges which are not only good for your family’s health, they are also safe for the environment (ever wondered where that blue liquid in the toilet ends up after you flush it away?).

What’s more, we are experiencing a welcome interest in the wisdom of times past. Simple home-made cleaning products do the job just as well, if not better, and they don’t require an

Feelgood

emergency trip to the hospital if your toddler discovers them.

Top three homemade cleaning recipes: 1. General spray A 5% dilution of vinegar in water will kill more than 90% of household germs. Add a few drops of essential oil (lemon or tea tree work well), and you have added anti-bacterial and anti-fungal benefits with the bonus of a fresher smell. Any vinegar smell quickly dissipates, and this spray can be used on most surfaces.

residue). In fact, much of the dirt and odour in clothing is trapped by this residue — try washing a load with nothing added at all and see how soapy the water is.

3. Furniture polish A squeeze of lemon juice with vegetable oil on a soft cloth will polish up your furniture nicely. Adding ¼ cup of lemon juice to a bucket of water will also do wonders for your floors.

2. Laundry powder A tablespoon or two of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) works incredibly well. For stubborn dirt, add ¼ cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle to help open the fibres and release the dirt (and built-up detergent

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010

ONE TO WATCH

BY ALL accounts cook, model and TV presenter Sally Bee should not be alive.

She suffered three coronaries and lasting damage to her heart by the age of 36. But five years later, she is now the picture of health. “I am so well because of the food I eat,” she says.

Her delicious, heart-healthy recipes in The Secret Ingredient (Harper Collins, F13.99) has even caught the attention of Michelle Obama, who invited her to cook at the White House.

The Healthiest-ever Lasagne is a testament to her vision. Packed with veggies and a dash of wine for flavour, it’s baked without the usual calorie-laden cheese sauce. It’s a winner. And so too are the simple, fruity desserts.

“You have to feel emotionally satisfied by your food,” says Sally. And we do.

Irene Feighan

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2010