Feelgood 25-02-2011

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Feelgood

Friday, February 25, 2011

Bacteria battle

Unnecessary use of antibiotics means we have little left in our arsenal when it comes to fighting superbugs: 8,9

Picture: Getty

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BOOK WORMS

Why children of all ages and abilities benefit from reading: 4, 5

SKIN DEEP

Essential checklist for safe plastic surgery: 11

PERFECT FILLING

Eight spreads for your bread put to the test: 12

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2 News front Kate O’Reilly WHAT’S ON ■ HEALTH LECTURES: Acclaimed medical journalist Robert Whitaker is the author of Anatomy of An Epidemic which investigates the question: do psychiatric medications increase the likelihood that people taking them are more likely to become chronically ill?

He will give a public lecture in Trinity College tomorrow Saturday, February 26, in which he will argue the need for open conversation regarding how to stem the epidemic of mental distress.

His lecture will take place at the Edmund Burke Theatre in the Arts Building at 2pm and is free but places must be reserved in advance by emailing Jeni Ryan on ryanjen@tcd.ie.

Whitaker will also speak in Cork in Boole 2, UCC from 6 to 8pm on Tuesday next, March 1. This free lecture, hosted by the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery and Applied Social Studies.

The journalist will also be among the speakers at a MindFreedom Ireland lecture at 7.30pm in the Carrigaline Court Hotel on Monday, February 28.Other speakers are psychotherapist Dr Terry Lynch and former MEP Kathy Sinnott.

Admission is free but donations will be accepted at the door. Further enquiries: 021-4894303 or visit www.mindfreedomireland.com ■ CARERS COURSE: Addressing Loss in All its Forms — an Introduction, is a six-week evening course which will be run by St Luke’s Home Education Centre, Mahon starting on Tuesday, March 1, from 8pm to 10pm. It is designed for carers and costs F75 (concessions available) Contact Bruce Pierce, Director of Education at 021-4359444 or visit www.stlukeshome.ie ■ PARENTS COURSE: Family Communication: Supporting Family Relationships is a course run by The Social & Health Education Project in Ballincollig for parents. Starting on Wednesday, March 2, this eight-week (20-hour) evening course provides an opportunity to look at the joys and difficulties of parenthood. The cost of this course is F50 (or F25 unwaged). For further information contact 021-466 6180.

■ OPEN NIGHT: The College of Naturopathic Medicine Ireland offers diploma courses and training in Nutrition, Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Homeopathy and Naturopathy. Part-time courses are available in Cork, Dublin, Galway and Limerick. If you would like to learn more, the college is holding an open night on Tuesday, March 1, from 7pm to 9pm in the Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork. For more details call 01-2353094 or see www.naturopathy.ie ■ GROUP HEALING: John Moloney is a non-touch spiritual healer who offers group healing sessions on the first Friday of the month in Vienna Woods Hotel, Glanmire, Co Cork. John is holding his next session on Friday March 4 at 8pm. These sessions are limited to eight people (donation accepted). See www.johnjmoloney.com ● Items for inclusion in this column can be sent to koreilly8@gmail.com

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Feelgood

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From The Beatles to Justin Bieber, adoration is a normal rite of passage for teenagers, reports Arlene Harris

Teen mania

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E’S just 16 years old, but Canadian crooner Justin Bieber has the celebrity lifestyle of someone twice his age — international stardom, a lavish home, top-of-the-range car, glamorous girlfriend and crucially, a devoted fan base. And it’s hardly surprising that his first performances in Ireland at the O2 on March 8 and 9 sold out in just 10 minutes.

In recent months, the fresh-faced singer has been provoking responses in (mostly young female) audiences around the world that are reminiscent of Beatlemania. But what triggers the almost obsessive behaviour of fans who spend most of their waking hours thinking about their idol?

Pat O’Connor is a professor of sociology in the University of Limerick. He says this sort of adoration is a normal rite of passage for teenagers.

“This obsession with Justin Bieber is like the response to the Beatles in the 1960s so it’s not really anything new,” he says.

“Young people often identify with and or fantasise about unattainable people and since pop music is very important to young girls, it is not surprising that their heart throbs are pop stars.

“Being a fan becomes an aspect of their identity (like being a MAN U supporter is for many boys) and it may also be a way of fitting in with their peers since many of

BIEBER MANIA: Justin Bieber arriving for the European Premiere of Justin Bieber : Never Say Never in London last week. Picture: Ian West/PA Wire

them will be doing the same thing.”

The professor says parents should acknowledge their child’s adoration but steer clear of being negative.

“Deriding young people is never a good idea,” he says. “Accepting that during this stage these fantasy figures are emotionally important to their children is much more

useful. The screaming and crying can look spectacular but it’s just a stage — and no doubt one that puzzled their own parents and grandparents before them.”

Psychologist Niamh Hannon agrees. “Being fixated on a singer or sporting hero is normal,” she says. “It can begin in pre-teens and is really a first crush or first awareness of being attracted to someone. The fact that this person is unattainable means that the child can fulfill their fantasy from a safe place. It also helps with identity development as they feel a sense of belonging if they like the same person as their friends.

“Most children will go through phases like this and it is not something for parents to be worried about. Instead they should show an interest, perhaps take them to a concert or help them to find out more about their idol,” she says. “If they are interested in someone unsuitable then it is best to pull back and just keep an eye on their behaviour rather than actively being negative — this will only serve to make them more interested.

“For the most part, these obsessions will run their course in a year or so.”

■ Niamh Hannon is facilitating a personal development course for teenagers on Saturday, February 26, in the Clarion Hotel in Dublin from 10am. For more information visit www.helpme2parent.ie and www.mindworks.ie

HEALTH NOTES YEARLY mammograms do detect second breast cancers early, according to research published this week.

The international study by Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium also found that though more women are surviving longer after having early-stage breast cancer, they are at risk of developing the disease again — a recurrence or a new cancer, in either breast.

Women who had suffered breast cancer had almost twice the number of second cancers within a year of screening mammography than those with no prior breast cancer.

Artificial particles that resemble virus material could form the basis of super-efficient vaccines, new research suggests.

The nanoparticles have already been used to protect mice and monkeys against flu.

Scientists hope to develop hybrid natural-synthetic vaccines that can prevent serious infections for a lifetime.

The experimental vaccine consists of a natural viral component, or antigen, plus two tiny synthetic nanoparticles.

The artificial particles are designed to stimulate specific immune system elements called toll-like receptors (TLRs) that activate immune responses.

Lead scientist Professor Bali Pulendran, from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, US, said: “These particles could provide an instant way to stretch scarce supplies when access to viral material is limited, such as

www.irishexaminer.com www.irishexaminer.com

CHECKS WORK: Research shows that annual mammograms helps detect second breast cancers.

Picture: © Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc./CORBIS

pandemic flu or during an emerging infection. In addition, there are many diseases, such as HIV, malaria, tuberculosis and dengue, that still lack effective vaccines, where we anticipate that this type of immunity enhancer could play a role.”

Most people with locked-in syndrome are happy, according to the biggest survey of people with the condition.

The longer somebody has had locked-in syndrome, the more likely they are to report happiness — suggesting they adapt to life with the condition, researchers said.

The study, from experts in Belgium and France, could reopen the debate about whether people commonly regarded as “trapped” in their own bodies are candidates

www.irishexaminer.com feelgood@examiner.ie

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

for euthanasia or assisted suicide.

Communication may be possible through blinking or moving the eyes, although some people go on to regain other movement and some speech.

EVERY year an estimated 1.2 million children and young people are trafficked, becoming victims of sexual exploitation and abuse.

The Body Shop and the Children’s Rights Alliance are asking the public to be a “Campaign Heroes” and help put a stop to sex trafficking.

To play your part, pick up a Campaign Hero pack at any Body Shop store.

A global petition is being compIled for the United Nations. So far, almost five million signatures have been collected.

Editorial: 021 4802 292

Advertising: 021 4802 215

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In profile

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THE SHAPE I'M IN

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Aoibhinn McGinnity

Funny girl

OIBHINN MCGINNITY played the lead role of Trish in the RTÉ drama Love/Hate. Now, the 25-year-old is back on our screens playing pub quizmaster Tara in the comedy Trivia which airs on RTÉ One on Thursday nights.

“With Tara, I really had to go for it. She makes a fool of herself and doesn’t realise it so you just have to grab the part. With Trish in Love/Hate, you have to think about where it’s all coming from. There’s much more of a backbone to work with whereas on Trivia it’s about getting up on stage and being quite loud and funny.”

The 25-year-old Monaghan-born woman, who’s single, used to do pub quizzes when she was younger but she hasn’t done any in a long time. “I think they’re a thing of the past, which is a pity. Even playing cards in a pub gives you a focus — but then the Irish don’t need any excuse to go to the pub.”

Aoibhinn’s first professional stage role was as Erica in the Ross O’Carroll-Kelly play, Between Foxrock And A Hard Place, which kicks off its second run at the end of March.

What shape are you in?

I’m lucky because I enjoy working out. If I don’t do something active for a few days, I find myself getting agitated. I mix up my exercise a bit. I find the gym boring but I’ve started horse-riding. I love yoga and I dance.

Do you have any health concerns?

Not that I’m aware of, no. I was in hospital once to get a mole removed from my back — it turned out to be nothing.

What are your healthiest eating habits?

I’ve switched from cereals to porridge. I add nuts and seeds and it’s quite nice. I used to be a vegetarian but in the last few years I started eating chicken and, more recently, fish. I feel much healthier.

What’s your favourite book?

I love going back now and then to Rhonda Byrne’s The Secret — it’s really good for keeping your head strong.

What trait do you least like in others?

I don’t like people who don’t think about anybody but themselves.

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What trait do you least like in yourself?

The way I can over-think things — that’s probably just being a girl.

Do you pray?

Yes — if it’s someone’s anniversary, I like to mark it by going into a church and lighting a candle to remember them.

What would cheer up your day?

The right people — meeting my friends. Or if I’m having a really bad day, I like to escape to the sea. My parents have a mobile home on the beach in Downings, up in Donegal. The sea does something for my head — there’s something about water that’s so calming.

Helen O’Callaghan

GAME FOR A LAUGH: Aoibhinn McGinnity plays pub quizmaster Tara in the RTÉ comedy trivia.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?

I’ve got a serious chocolate habit. I get a Butler’s mocha — it’s just divine, a dessert really, and you get a free sweet as well.

What would keep you awake at night?

If I didn’t get something done that day or it could be the night before a first job or audition. I mightn’t even feel that stressed but I’d end up not getting my best night’s sleep.

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How do you relax?

Running a bath and having music playing as well. Sitting by the fire and watching TV is good too and so is yoga.

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Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?

Probably just all my friends and family. I only get to see some of them at Christmas so it’d be great to get them all together.

What’s your favourite smell?

Lavender and roses.

Chari CHILDAID is a Cork Based

When did you last cry?

I found Black Swan overwhelming. You feel so sorry for Natalie Portman’s character. I was crying when the credits were going up. I was on my own in the cinema — it was so embarrassing.

www.childaid.ie

What would you change about your appearance?

I’d love to have a natural healthy tan — the kind of glow you have when you’ve just come back from holiday.

That way I wouldn’t need to wear make-up. I love pale too but with us Irish, it goes beyond pale.

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ty. Chari

Tel 021 4222985 Email childaid@oceanfree.net FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

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World Book Day

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Reading is a great way for children of all abilities to explore a diverse and rich world.

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Arlene Harris finds out why parents should give the gift to young people

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WE’RE BOOKED UP THANKS

As an author I aim to captivate SARAH WEBB (pictured) author of adult and children’s literature, says there is nothing more beneficial than a good book.

“As a writer, the only thing I set out to achieve is an entertaining story,” she says.

“The most important factor in a book, particularly one for children, is that it is captivating from the first page. If a child is bored or finds the wording too laborious, then he won’t bother to continue — no matter who bought or chose the book for him.

“Once a child has discovered a book that interests him, he will experience another life, learn how other people live and find characters to relate to. And for teenagers who may feel alone in the world, reading gives them an escape no matter what is going on around them.”

But the writer says our reading skills are dwindling and it is down to parents to encourage their children to pick up a book.

“Almost a quarter of our children leave primary school without being able to read

properly. This is unacceptable in Irish society. We have to start enjoying books at a young age and parents must promote this love of reading at home.” (Sarah has written a guide entitled Mad About Books to help parents get their children started.)

“Children who are avid readers, will do better in school in all subjects, will have a larger vocabulary, will have a greater empathy and a better understanding of the wider world. But, above all, reading is fun and to be deprived of that joy is a very sad thing.”

■ Visit www.sarahwebb.ie and www.askamygreen.com

KINDLE ROUTE: Mags Walsh says “if a teenager is into technology, then perhaps reading stories on a Kindle or iPad is the way for them.”

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AST month my family and I took on the challenge of living for a week without technology. Initially worried about how my three sons would react, I was pleasantly surprised to see them rekindle a love of reading which was perilously close to being buried under a mountain of video games.

In an age when modern technology is in danger of ruling our children’s lives, World Book Day on March 3 offers an opportunity for parents and teachers to ignite a passion for books and bestow the gift of reading to children of all ages and abilities.

Nollaig Rowan is a senior clinical psychologist with St Michael’s House in Dublin which caters for children with intellectual disabilities. She says that reading plays a vital role in helping youngsters to learn about the world around them and to gain confidence in themselves and their abilities.

“One of the most important aspects of reading is that it helps children who have learning difficulties to feel more normal. Everyone around them — in school and at home — can read so when they master it, they will feel they are able to participate in the same activity.

“Research has also shown that teaching children to read helps enormously with speech and language development, especially in those with Down syndrome. It encourages them to speak more clearly and to articulate and communicate more effectively.”

The clinical psychologist says learning to read also helps children with behavioural difficulties as much of their frustration is borne out of not being able to communicate effectively.

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“We have seen great improvement in behaviour resulting from learning to read,” she says. “For example, if a child cannot speak clearly, he may get frustrated as he cannot be understood and this may result in challenging behaviour. But if he is able to read, he can write down what he wants to say and this will open the communication lines and reduce frustration.”

And while reading is beneficial to a child’s development, it is also a wonderfully enjoyable experience. “If a child is interested in a certain subject, whether it is sport, music or fairy tales, they will enjoy books on that topic and may want to return to the same book or page over and over again,” says Rowan.

“No matter how you look at it, learning to read and cultivating a love of books is hugely important for children with intellectual disabilities and those without.”

The director of Children’s Books Ireland (CBI), Mags Walsh, says children should be encouraged to read, no matter what the medium. “Reading is a great way for children to negotiate and understand the world,” she says.

And for children who are not natural born readers there are hi-tech solutions. “If a teenager is into technology, then perhaps reading stories on a Kindle or iPad is the way for them. Alternatively, younger children might listen to audio stories when they are in the

BREAKING BARRIERS: Clinical psychologist Nollaig Rowan says reading helps all children.

car — the most important thing is to get them interested in the written word.”

The CBI director says a love of books can begin long before comprehension takes place.

“There is no average age when children start reading independently as it really varies from child to child,” she says. “However, I would say that they are never too young to enjoy books — I am a great fan of baby books being chewed in the pram — no matter how old the child is, the wonder of hearing or reading a good story is still the same.”

CBI runs a number of reading schemes and book festivals in schools around the country.

“We are involved with Bisto Book of the Year Award and we have a scheme where children get involved in a shadow contest at school by reading and debating and helping to choose their winner,” she says.

“We also have a Time to Read programme, where volunteers will spend time in their local school helping children with reading and encouraging them to develop a love of books.

“Parents need to focus on what their children like and make reading as easy as possible.

They will learn to read at school, but they should learn to enjoy books at home.”

■ For more information on reading with children visit www.childrensbooksireland.ie ■ World Book Day takes place on March 3.

Over a million F1.50 World Book Day Book Tokens will be distributed to school children across the country. Special World Book Day editions of many children’s books have been published for the occasion, including several titles in Braille. For more information visit www.worldbookday.com

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

OUR OWN STORY: Ethan Walsh enjoys reading with his dad Oliver and has benefited hugely from reading with him every day. Picture: Maura Hickey

Ethan’s

joy with dad

THAN Walsh, aged eight, loves to read. The Dublin boy is the youngest of three boys (Oisin. 13 and Rian, nine) and hasn’t let the fact that he has Down syndrome stand in the way of his passion for books.

“Ethan is a wonderfully caring little boy and gets on well with everyone,” says his dad Oliver, 52, who manages musicians.

“Learning to read has brought huge

benefits for him — he is more confident, more eager to learn and the moral value of many of the stories we read has helped him to cope with his emotions.

“My wife died over four years ago and although I sometimes worry that I don’t get enough time to spend with each of the boys individually, reading is something that allows us to get together.

“We all read copious amounts and every

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day I read to, and with, Ethan — we are currently reading Snip Snip, from O’Brien Press.

“His older brothers will also take time out to do the same thing, so it brings a certain amount of closeness.

“Ethan has benefited enormously from books and reading is something he will be able to grow with, and learn from, forever.”

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

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6 Growing up

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It’s something many parents dread but experts say the key to discussing sex with your child is to start early and be honest, writes Lory Manrique Hyland

Let’s have a chat

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ECENTLY my five-year-old son asked me where babies come from. I stared at him, realising that I was completely unprepared for this discussion. I started talking...and talking. About “information” in sperm passed from daddy to mammy, about gestation periods, about the fact that he didn’t like girls now but he would probably like them someday, and he might like one so much he’d marry her. I went on and on and on. At the end, I asked him, “Did you understand any of that?”

“None of it,” he said.

And that was the end of the sex talk — I’d bored him into disinterest.

No matter how cool the parent, these discussions can be awkward. How much information is too much? What do they need to know now, and what will keep them safe into the future? Here’s what the experts have to say.

Pre-School Anita Butt, training and education coordinator with the Irish Family Planning Association, runs the Speakeasy training programme that teaches parents how to talk to their children about sex and relationships. She suggests starting from toddlerhood.

“If a child asks a question, that’s a good time to start. Use appropriate terminology.

Babies are interested in body parts. They just need the names. Too much information will go over their heads. They may also touch their genitals. It’s good to teach them what’s right and wrong in public places.”

Teach correct terminology such as “penis” and “vagina”. This helps them to understand their own bodies, and decreases any sense of shame or confusion.

Clinical psychologist and DIT lecturer Dr Rosaleen McElvaney says children need their parents to be concrete and explicit. “That is the very thing that adults are uncomfortable with when talking about sex — they avoid being concrete and explicit. Adults say “down there” and “in my privates”, which is not equipping children with the communication skills they need when something goes wrong.”

Five to eight-years-old Answer questions as they arise. “At this age children are more curious about childbirth,” advises Butt.

“Girls could go through puberty as young as eight. If girls have periods, take them shopping for sanitary towels. Build on what you taught in pre-school.”

Use situations to start conversations. For example, if the neighbour is pregnant, ask your child, ‘Do you know how the baby got in her tummy?’ Take it from there.

“Reading stories is also a good way to talk about feelings and relationships,” says Butt.

Explanations can be set in the context of your value system. For example: “When a man and woman are married...”

■ Suggested reading: Mommy Laid an Egg

by Babette Cole is suitable for ages three to nine.

Eight to 12-year-olds Boys should be informed about erections and nocturnal emissions, and girls who haven’t

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Picture: Getty Images

No matter how cool the parent, these discussions can be awkward. How much information is too much?

What do they need to know now, and what will keep them safe into the future? been told about menstruation should be.

Normalise issues — they’re part of growing up.

At this age, children are starting hormone-fuelled puberty.

“They become conscious of differences between them and their friends,” says Butt.

“They become anxious about what’s normal in their bodies and need information on changes. Ask them what they know — parents should fill in the gaps.”

■ Suggested reading: Boy Talk and Girl Talk books by Lucienne Pickering.

Teenagers – 13+ By the time they reach puberty, children should know the basic terminology and mechanics of sex. Keep the lines of communication open. Alert them to the risks of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). “Be prepared for the subject of pornography. Some teens may be exposed to it on the internet,” says Butt.

“At this age talk about relationships. Dis-

cuss being in love. Relationships are a huge issue to put across to your child. Some teens are more emotionally mature than others.

Know your teenager. A good book for this age group is Let’s Talk about Sex by Robbie H Harris. Don’t just give the child the book, but go through it with them.”

The Sex Ed Handbook, available as a free download on Oprah.com, is written by sex therapist and professor of obstetrics and gynaecology, Dr Laura Berman.

There is one section in her book where Berman suggests parents give teenage girls a “clitoral vibrator” as an aid in masturbation.

Berman’s theory is that “masturbation is a safe, natural way to relieve strong sexual feelings safely and without risk of STDs or pregnancy”.

Both McElvaney and Butt agree that masturbation is normal and shouldn’t be stigmatised, but shy away from the suggestion that you give your child sexual aids. “It’s very healthy to do, but must be private,” says Butt.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

Talking about sex is not one sit-down discussion you have at the age of 12 with a child. It’s a running discussion. Developing a rapport with your child allows them to approach you when something goes wrong.

An IFPA Speakeasy report says: “When parents talk to their children about sex and relationships they increase the likelihood that their teenagers delay their first sexual experience and that they will use contraception.”

Talking about sex needs to be part of day-to-day family life, says McElvaney.

“Talk like you would talk about other things, just like other activities they do. It’s a private part of your life, but it should be normalised and not untouchable or separate. If we want children to feel comfortable with bodies and sexuality, we have to feel comfortable talking to them about it.”

■ Visit www.ifpa.ie or email anita@ifpa.ie about the Speakeasy course and literature on sex education

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Psychology

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People might be less inclined to take their own lives if we all spoke our truth

Art of listening

You alone can do it, but you can’t do it alone

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Tony Humphreys

I

N 2009, there was an alarming 25% increase in suicide.

The provisional figures for 2010 suggest the previous year’s figure of 520 suicides has not reduced.

It is men who predominately take their lives, but this does not mean men are more miserable and hopeless than women.

The rate of parasuicide — attempted by three times more women than men — could suggest women are in deeper emotional turmoil. When women attempt suicide, they use more passive means — drug overdose — compared to men, who use more aggressive ways — hanging, shooting, car-crashing.

When women’s attempts at suicide are, thankfully, not successful, they might get the help to resolve the issues that led them to attempt to take their sacred lives. There is a cynical notion that women attempt suicide to get attention, but the question arises: how is it they would need to resort to such drastic measures to draw attention to their inner pain?

Suicide was recently topical again in the media when two judges separately commented on the rise of suicide among the middle-aged and the elderly. Isolation, loneliness and living in remote rural areas are among some social explanations being voiced. The difficulty with sociological explanations is that not everyone who is isolated, lonely and living in a remote, rural area takes their life; only a very, very small percentage do.

The reasons people attempt or commit suicide lie at a deeper, intrapsychic level. Individuals who are disconnected from themselves, who have little or no sense of their worth, who feel unlovable, a burden on their families, passive, hopeless about anything good happening in their lives, who fill the void with work, alcohol or having to do everything perfectly — are more likely to take their lives when changes occur in their outer worlds or when the dreariness of their outer world does not change.

The two most common responses when an individual ends his own life are: “Why did he not talk about what was troubling him”; or “if the person who is troubled does not talk, he won’t know there is help out there.” Each of these responses begs a question: “why did the person believe that it is not appropriate to talk about emotional turmoil?” and “why did a person who is suicidal come to believe there is nobody who will understand?”

Communication within most social, educational and work settings involves people talking at or to each other, and, consequently, they never get to know each other. This makes it unsafe for a person to be real and authentic. When a person speaks at somebody — child, teenager or adult — they are preaching or moralising or controlling or dominating, or all four together. The person at the receiving end can never, or dare not, get a word in, even edgeways. This type of interaction not only disempowers, but also makes it extremely fearful, even terrifying, for the person to express anything that is contrary to what is being said to them. Silence, governorship of the tongue, and passivity are the reactions often found in response to authority figures — parents, teachers, clergy, employers, managers, politicians — who talk at their charges.

When people talk to others, they also disempower, because they are advising, telling, directing and counselling others

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Communication within most social, educational and work settings is where people either talk at or to each other and never get to know each other what to think, say and do. Human beings — and this includes children, teenagers, students and employees — have immense wisdom, intelligence and creativity to express themselves and to find their own answers to the inevitable challenges that arise in their lives. Being deprived of such opportunities results in a loss of their own voice, and an unconscious determination to keep hidden inner or outer turmoil.

Examples of inner turmoil include a sense of not mattering, of not feeling anybody truly listens or understands, a hate of self, feeling useless or a failure, sexual-identity confusion, a sense of powerlessness and helplessness, a belief that nothing will change and that their inner misery will never end.

Examples of outer turmoil are being bullied, hating school, relationship break-up, loss of status, sexual abuse, physical violence and unrealistic expectations by significant others.

Examination of how individuals within social settings communicate is not only reveals part of each person’s interiority, but also provides some measure of the level of emotional and social safety they feel when it comes to speaking the truth, expressing fears, doubts and insecurities and revealing any threats that arise in relationships, inside and outside the social setting wherein the communication takes place.

No matter where — home, classroom, workplace, church, community — individuals communicate with each other, there is an equality, an active listening, a celebration of difference, an affirmation of the individual, an unconditional regard and non-judgemental attitude.

With such mature communication, individuals who are troubled and troubling will speak of, and seek support for, their inner turmoil. But this mature communication is a rare phenomenon and why are we then surprised that those who self-harm, or attempt or commit suicide, do not talk?

Dr Tony Humphreys is a clinical psychologist/author, national and international speaker. His recent book with co-author, Helen Ruddle, Relationship, Relationship, Relationship: The Heart of a Mature Society, is relevant to today’s topic.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

Monday-Friday 9am-1pm our info line on

1890-474474 or

www.grow.ie

GROW - helping people to help themselves

Arthritis Ireland Cork Branch Ms Shay Kearney Nutritional Therapist I.H.S will speak on

NUTRITIONAL ADVICE FOR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Executive & Life Coaching Diploma FETAC Level 6 and Professional Qualification

Wednesday, March 2 at 8pm at Brú Columbanus Cardinal Way, Wilton.

FREE Open Evening River Lee Hotel.

March 10th at 7pm

All Welcome

Register now on

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or cork@positivesuccessgroup.com

FEELGOOD

A DIFFERENT VIEW ON LIFESTYLE

Your guide to fitness, health, happiness and lifestyle.

Great writers and mentors. Where you come first.

Every Friday.

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8 Cover story

The best medicine is a healthy diet LET food be thy medicine, advised the ancient Greek physician, Hippocrates. The wise man was on to a good thing — vitamin-packed fruits and vegetables are packed with anti-oxidants and natural antibiotics, and can help make the difference between fighting a nasty bug or being knocked out by it.

Here are the top foods to pop into your shopping basket, when looking to build you immune system: ■ Garlic: Used as an antibiotic since ancient times, it helps as an expectorant and decongestant.

■ Onions: Recommended for common colds and flu and for stubborn coughs.

■ Honey: The nectar of the gods has long been used as a topical treatment for wound infections, and is proven to be effective against certain antibiotic-resistant

bacterial strains. Researches say it’s active against at least 60 strains of bacteria.

■ Fruit: High in vitamin C, fruit can help stave off, or eliminate, some infectious bacteria. It also has an important role to play in building the immune system and increases the body’s ability to resist infection.

Fruits rich in vitamin C include: honeydew melon, kiwi, strawberries, oranges, pineapple, mangoes and plums.

■ Vegetables: Cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, asparagus, tomatoes and spinach are all packed with vitamin C and ideal as an antibiotic treatment.

■ Probiotic drinks: Probiotics help to increase the number of good bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract, which, in turn, helps fight against invasive microorganisms.

Using medicine

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With new drug-resistant superbugs on the rise, John Hearne says the inappropriate use of antibiotics means we are losing the fight against infection. But we have some choices around how we tackle that misuse

THE WAR IS ON

W

E’RE losing our battle with infection. Following reports of its arrival in Britain, Irish health authorities are on high alert for NDM-1 a gene carried by bacteria, which makes common bacteria such as E.coli resistant to almost all antibiotics. In November, four cases of the drug-resistant bug CRE were detected in patients in Irish hospitals for the first time.

Another superbug, clostridium difficile, continues to dog Irish hospitals. In a three-week period in November 2009, ten deaths in hospitals in Drogheda and Navan were linked to the bug. While the incidence of MRSA is falling, another potentially fatal infection, VRE, is on the rise. There were 152 cases in Ireland in 2009, giving us the highest incidence in Europe. These superbugs with their ability to multiply inside the human body and cause untold damage, are impervious to all but the most powerful antibiotics. The reason?

We’ve made them that way.

On the third European antibiotic awareness day last November, the Department of Health and Children acknowledged that the inappropriate use of antibiotics has become a serious threat to public health in Europe. Taking antibiotics for the wrong reason or incorrectly causes bacteria to develop resistance against antibiotic treatments. Astonishingly, it’s estimated that half of all antibiotic prescribing in Ireland is unnecessary.

According to consultant microbiologist Robert Cunney of the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), in 2009, we were one of only four countries in Europe in which the level of antibiotic use in the community was rising.

It’s hard to understand why this should be the case. Antibiotics are only available on prescription; access is controlled by health professionals. Either they are not aware of the harm caused by unwise use of antibiotics, or they don’t care. Neither proposition seems credible.

“I wouldn’t blame doctors,” says Dr James Stacey of the Association of General Practitioners. “If left to themselves, doctors would probably prescribe very little.” The first problem is that in a surgery setting, it’s not easy to arrive at an unambiguous diagnosis. “It’s very difficult to know which antibiotic to use or if an antibiotic is required at all,” he says.

“For example, somebody comes in with a flu-like complaint, he’s beginning to get chesty.

Chances are that’s a virus and will not respond to antibiotics, but in a fairly high proportion of cases it’s not a virus when it gets to that stage and it will respond to an antibiotic. How do you know? You don’t really know ’til you try it first to see…I think lots of doctors prescribe for safety reasons where it isn’t needed, just to cover the times where it is absolutely needed.”

It is possi-

Make sure to finish Astonishingly, it’s estimated that half of all antibiotic prescribing in Ireland is unnecessary Pictures: iStock

ble to determine with certainty whether the suspected bacteria is actually present in the body, but these tests take time and are not free.

“On the face of it you would say, surely it should be straight forward enough,” says Robert Cunney of the HPSC. ” Just don’t prescribe in these situations, but for GPs they don’t have access to the labs or X-ray departments that we would have in hospitals, and they cannot go back and see the patient again in a couple of hours. Time pressure and the diagnostic uncertainty is a factor.”

It is this uncertainty that gives patients the leverage to push for an antibiotic. We might be able to accept on a general level that an antibiotic is probably unnecessary, but when it comes to our health or that of our children, we seek one, just in case. There’s a perception out there that if you shell out F50 or F60 for a doctor and come away with nothing but advice, you feel cheated.

Irish Pharmacy Union president Darragh O’Loughlin believes what’s needed here is a little more clarity. “I think healthcare professionals all have a responsibility to their patients to give the best advice and the best medical service based on the patient’s real needs, not the patient’s perceived needs. And if a patient presents with symptoms which don’t, in the opinion of a doctor, require treatment with an antibiotic, I do think it’s an obligation of the doctor to explain what it is they have and how best to treat it.

“Patients may sometimes be disappointed that they’re not getting a prescription, but it’s been my experience that when you explain to them why no antibiotic is being prescribed, they fully accept that and they get reassurance.”

Because of this pressure to prescribe, the international awareness campaigns that have sprung up over the

last few years have had a dual focus — on the public as well as GPs. “In studies that have been done on this,” says Robert Cunney, “they’ve shown that if you educate the GPs, the antibiotic prescribing rate goes down, but if you don’t also educate the public, it starts to come back up again.”

Cunney believes that the public awareness campaigns that kicked off in Ireland two years ago have been instrumental in the fact that antibiotic prescribing has finally begun to decline here.

To relieve symptoms, there are plenty of non-prescription products to pick and choose from. “Simple paracetamol will relieve fever and temperature and ibuprofen acts as a pain reliever,” says O’Loughlin “There are also herbal remedies such as echinacea which can be used to boost the immune system. Or, at the onset of a cold, a zinc supplement can help prevent an illness from worsening and can shorten its duration.”

Dietary advice is simple: “Focus on fresh foods, veg and fruits, and when absent from the diet, consider supplementing with vitamins.”

As the old classes of antibiotics are increasingly outmanoeuvred by resistant bugs, there are very few new antibiotics coming on stream. The search for new compounds is a lot like the search for new oil deposits. We’ve taken all the easy picks. To find more, we need to venture further and spend more. As a result, antibiotic research and development (R&D) in most pharmaceutical companies has either ended or been downsized.

Newsweek reported recently that only five of the biggest 13 pharma companies are looking at all.

“If you were to initiate an aggressive R&D

programme looking for a new antibiotic to bring to market,” says Darragh O’Loughlin, “That’s assuming that there was one there to be discovered, you’d be looking at a F1 billion to F2bn programme which would probably take ten years.”

To make your compound effective, you have to ration it. To recoup your investment therefore, you’ve got to charge big for your new drug. Given the fact that the public is used to cheap, effective antibiotics, that’s hardly a winning proposition. As a result, it’s looking unlikely that our increasingly ineffective antibiotics will be replaced by anything better.

Against this backdrop, we are suddenly finding ourselves going back to the future in order to fight infection. Dr James Stacey of the GPs’ Association says that after the discovery of penicillin 70 years ago, a range of treatments that were once the only way of dealing with bacteria fell from favour. “For example lancing of abscesses instead of taking any antibiotic, cleaning of eyes instead of using antibiotic, physiotherapy in the chest instead of using any antibiotic. There are a lot of options that are long since forgotten about. They’re still very important.”

Robert Cunney says that research into immunotherapy is now resurgent thanks to the arrival of the superbugs. The introduction of the universal pneumococcal vaccination as part of the infant vaccination programme has not alone reduced the number of severe pneumococcal infections, it has also reduced the level of antibiotic resistance in the pneumococcus.

“Actually preventing people from getting the infection in the first place means that they’re not going to get infected with the resistant bacteria. It also means if they get an infection, there’s less antibiotic use as a result…In the future we would hope to have more vaccines available against other bacteria that are causing a particular problem with antibiotic resistance. Ultimately though, we need to use what we have more judiciously.”

IF a course of antibiotics isn’t completed, some bacteria may be left in your body and become resistant to antibiotics.

“It depends on the clinical situation,” says Dr James Stacey of the General Practitioners Association. “But in general, most people will feel better halfway through the course of treatment. Your infection is settling down, but almost certainly, it hasn’t gone away. If you stop halfway through, the infection might survive to fight another day. And it might be resistant to the antibiotic the next time. It’s important in a general sense that if the course is for five days or a week, that you finish out that course of treatment.”

And don’t save left over antibiotics for the next time you or your child is sick.

Boost with herbs DR Dílis Clare, pictured, is a GP and medical herbalist who advocates the use of herbs to mobilise the body’s defence mechanisms against infection. “The common things people use antibiotics for are sore throats, chest infections and sinuses,” she says.

“More than 90% of sore throats are due to viruses. Most chest infections are due to viruses and there are studies to show that antibiotics aren’t effective in sinusitis.”

Dr Clare recommends alternative treatments. Elderflower to disburse fever, chamomile to help the digestion and boost the immune system, yarrow to aid blood circulation. The herb golden seal and thyme are the best antimicrobial herbs available.

“Golden seal packs a punch, it’s got established antimicrobial action. Close second and close to my heart would be thyme. People can make a cup of thyme tea with the thyme they put in their stuffing.” Herbs won’t cure viruses or infections — they help the body, together with rest and water, to muster its own resources.

IN THE PICTURE: (left to right), a colour enhanced photomicrograph of penicillium, source of the antiobiotic; bacterial cultures used in antiobiotic research; a 3D image of a generic virus; the clostridium botulinium bacteria. Picture: Getty Images

Feelgood

9

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

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10 Medical matters

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Q

I AM in my early 40s and have osteopenia. I exercise regularly, don’t smoke and try to include plenty of calcium in my diet. I would like to know about strontium, and if I should take this instead of calcium and vitamin D supplements?”

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. Stuttering is not uncommon in children between the ages of two and five. But anyone can stutter at any age, And boys are more likely to stutter than girls. For most children it’s simply a part of learning to use language and putting words together to form sentences.

Many children outgrow stuttering on A. Osteopenia is the reversible early their own. It may come and go, and it stage or precursor of osteoporosis — a may last for a few weeks or for a coucondition of porous bones which results ple of years. But for some children, in weak and brittle bones. A common stuttering can become a life-long conresult of osteoporosis is fractures: most of dition that causes problems in school them occur in the spine, hip or wrist. and in functioning as an adult.

Some people confuse this condition with Although stuttering can occur folosteoarthritis where joints become lowing emotional trauma, these instswollen or sore. In the early stages of naces are rare. There is little evidence bone loss or osteoporosis there are usualto show that children stutter as a result ly no symptoms or pain. Over time you of psychological problems or anxiety can develop back pain due to a fracture caused in early life. of collapsed vertebra, a stooped posture Developmental stuttering that occurs or loss of height (up to six inches). in young children while they are still It’s never too late or too early to do learning speech and language skills something about osteoporosis. And It tends to run in families. Research sugsounds as if you are managing your osgests that stuttering is not a disorder of teopenia quite well. Smoking, a sedensocial functions, but is a disease like any TAKE CARE: Being mindful of your posture and tary lifestyle, excess alcohol, history of other. ensuring a proper diet will help prevent the onset of eating disorder, and poor diet all conFor children who have a severe probtribute to weak bones. Any weight bear- osteopenia. Picture: iStock lem with stuttering, early evaluation ing exercise is beneficial for bones — and intervention is very helpful. Signs walking, running, jumping, dancing, to look for that suggest you should weightlifting seem particularly helpful for have your child evaluated further include: Getting enough vitamin D (400-1,000IU creating healthy bones. stuttering that becomes more frequent or daily) is just as important to your bone How likely you are to develop osteoporo- health as getting adequate amounts of calciworsens with time, or is accompanied by sis depends on how much bone mass you body or facial movements; stuttering that um. Many get adequate amount of vitamin attained in your 20s and 30s. The higher D from sunlight. Vitamin D is also found in lasts longer than six months or after a child your bone mass, the more bone you have in egg yolks, sardines, tuna and oily fish. has turned five years old; speech that is reserve and the less likely you are to develop Strontium is a nutrient from the same minespecially difficult or strained, or if your osteoporosis as you age. child avoids situations that require talking eral family as calcium and magnesium.

Remember to maintain a good posture alare signs that he should be assessed by a Strontium ranelate (Protelos) is the synso — when you sit/drive place a rolled tow- thetic or prescription form only of stronspeech and language therapist. el on the small of your back, avoid bending It’s best to avoid completing a child’s sentium citrate and while strontium appears to over computers or when reading. tences or demand that he speaks in a certain benefit those with osteoporosis, it is by no The amount of calcium you need to stay means a replacement for calcium or vitamin way. Listen attentively when he is speaking healthy changes over your lifetime. From 19 D supplementation. If you decide to take and wait for him to say the intended word. to 50 years, 1,000mg calcium daily from strontium, do so at a different time to when Talk openly to older children about stutterdiet or supplements is recommended. Over ing and let them know it is okay for some taking calcium supplements. the age of 51 this increases to 1,200 mg caldisruptions to occur. cium daily. Dairy products are a good React to any stuttering as you would any Q. My three-year-old boy seems to be source of calcium, as are almonds, broccoli, developing a stutter, it’s more pronounced other difficulty your child may experience kale, tinned salmon with bones, sardines , in life. Patience is key. Gently correcting when he gets excited or upset. What soy products, tofu and calcium-enriched should I do with him at this stage? I don’t any stuttering and praising a child’s fluent juices. Bread, cereals. Diets high in animal speech will help him learn that a person can want to draw attention to it, but other protein, sodium or caffeine can interfere people are commenting on his stutter, and communicate successfully even when stutwith calcium absorption. tering occurs.

I don’t want to leave it alone.

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

H

Catherine Shanahan MUM’S WORLD Feelgood

EY diddle diddle, I have a riddle — how many experts does it take to tell us what we already know? It took a whole slew of researchers at a British university to establish that repetition is to learning what necessity is to invention, albeit the dogs on the street know this is why nursery rhymes have survived.

The study, carried out at Sussex University, reached the dramatic conclusion that the best way to develop a child’s vocabulary is through repetition, or more precisely, by re-reading the same story over and over.

“What we think is happening with reading is that each time a child hears the book, they are picking up new information,” said psychologist Dr Jessica Horst, who conducted the research.

This is the kind of information my granny could have patented had she only known it would eventually appear in Frontiers of Psychology, a prestigious journal celebrating cognitive thinking.

“Hickory dickory dock,” she would say and there was never a need to tell us who ran up the clock. We were all well advised on the usefulness of mice to science so we presumed this rhyme represented some sort of mouse/time continuum the meaning of which would become clear at a later stage in life.

The same applied to Three Blind Mice, clearly the victims of some nasty laboratory

experiment, whose final days were spent on the run from the knife-wielding farmer’s wife.

Ring Around a Rosie was equally repetitive and memorable, although at the time we had no idea we were singing about the symptoms of a fatal illness. A rosy red rash in the shape of a ring on the skin signified infection with the Bubonic plague. The “posies” were pockets and pouches of sweet smelling herbs carried about to ward off bad smells in the mistaken belief that was how the disease was transmitted. Blissfully ignorant of the song’s macabre origins, we belted it out at the top of our lungs until it lodged in our memories forever.

Yes, repetition and rhyme are how words are learned and how they survive and our ancestors bear testament to this, building on their own vocabulary through short easy verse, verbally passed down in the days when most could not read or write and no-one had books.

And teachers have long recognised the significance of repetition in dealing with short attention spans, which is why, parrot fashion, we recite ad nauseum our maths times tables and the alphabet.

So next time your child asks you to read the same old boring story, go with it, in the knowledge that our capacity for learning is limitless and that repetition may eventually produce a genius.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

At the time we sang Ring Around a Rosie we had no idea it was about the symptoms of a fatal illness. A rosy red rash in the shape of a ring on the skin signified infection with the Bubonic plague

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Physical appearance

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11

Below the surface

Helen O’Callaghan on the dangers of plastic surgery in our unregulated market

K

AMBIZ GOLCHIN, consultant ear, nose and throat and facial plastic surgeon, is currently treating a woman with lumps in her face, referred to him because she got the wrong type of cosmetic filler.

“What should have been a safe and simple procedure is now going to involve more radical surgery to correct,” says Mr Golchin, who is based at About Face Clinic at the Beacon medical campus.

The predicament in which the woman finds herself is a direct consequence of the lack of any precise regulation of the cosmetic industry in Ireland. “Essentially, there are lots of practitioners, who aren’t suitably trained and they’re carrying out procedures they shouldn’t be doing.”

In terms of regulation, Britain is far ahead of us, says Mr Golchin.

“In Britain, any clinic doing cosmetic surgery needs to be registered with the proper governing authority. There are minimum criteria they need to reach before they can be in business. We have nothing like that in Ireland so we’re in the ludicrous situation where there are practitioners doing surgery who aren’t on the Irish Medical Council’s specialist register.”

The fallout for the Irish cosmetic consumer is all too real, ranging from death in the most tragic cases to inadequate follow-up. “There are problems even with the simple things such as Botox and fillers. I see lots of cases where fillers have been injected in the wrong place or where the wrong type of filler has been used by over-enthusiastic practitioners.

While some problems are correctable, others we can’t fix, even with the best technology and intention,” explains Mr Golchin.

While the cosmetic industry was estimated to be worth more than F50 in boom-time Ireland, there are no current figures for how many people here are getting cosmetic work done, though indications are that it’s on the rise, despite the recession.

“From looking at their sales figures, we can see that pharmaceutical companies selling Botox, fillers and laser are selling more and more to the Irish market so we know more treatments are being done,” says Mr Golchin.

Irish people are secretive about getting cosmetic work done. “That has driven the whole industry underground. People are happy to go to their hairdresser’s to get their Botox — there are doctors travelling around between salons and carrying out procedures.

Yet these are medical procedures that should be carried out in specially designated clinics.”

In the absence of appropriate regulation, Michael Earley, president of the Irish Association of Plastic Surgeons (IAPS), sees problems with doctors who register temporarily here in order to carry out cosmetic procedures. “The reality is there are non-accredited clinics and doctors who have only temporary registration. They fly into the country and fly out again. One of the biggest problems with that is the lack of follow-up for the patient. A lot of the surgery is inadequate with poor surgical technique.

“Because of the absence of regulation, there’s very little comeback for the patient. It leaves them looking for follow-up care at their GP’s practice, at another clinic or in the

Feelgood

Picture: Getty Images

Know what to look for ■ BEWARE heavily-discounted prices, free consultations and ‘buy one, get one free’ offers. “Under the cloak of recession, standards aren’t being observed,” says Kambiz Golchin, pictured. “You shouldn’t take chances with your face or body.”

■ Clinics that are too commercially-oriented and pushy should ring alarm bells. You’re entitled to take time around making a decision.

■ Ensure you have pre-treatment consultations with the physician who will be carrying out the procedure — it may be obvious, but it must be said.

■ Be on your guard if the treatment is to be carried out in a non-medical setting.

■ The practitioner needs to be clear about the limitations and sideeffects of treatment.

“There is nothing in medicine that doesn’t carry risk of complication or have a side-effect,” says Mr Golchin.

■ Natural is best — stay away from trout pouts, or over-arched eyebrows.

Cosmetic work that restores or enhances natural looks is successful surgery.

public sector,” says Mr Earley, who confirms that less than one percent of the work done by his colleagues in the IAPS is due to botched jobs. “But there shouldn’t be any,” he states, adding that — while some counteractive steps have been taken — the cur-

rent unregulated situation also gives rise to misleading advertising.

“To advertise the clinics, they show beautiful bodies that have never had surgery done to them. It’s just playing on the vulnerability of patients.”

Wrinkles and noses are top worries SO what are the most popular cosmetic procedures sought by Irish people? “On the non-surgical side, Botox is number one, followed by fillers, laser hair-removal and chemical peels,” says Mr Golchin. “On the surgical side, noses tend to be number one

for men — they want rhinoplasty, because of sports injuries and other traumas. For women, it depends on the age group. A lot don’t like sagging necks, jowls and drooping eyelids, so they get neck lifts and blepharoplasty (eye lift).”

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

■ Ask questions, such as: How much experience do you have? How many of these treatments have you done?

What’s your training? How are you keeping yourself up to date? Ask to see one or two of the physician’s former patients. Expert practitioners won’t mind being asked.

■ If you’re offered a new treatment or product, check that it has FDA approval.

■ Be on your guard — check with the Irish Medical Council that the practitioner is on the specialist register.

■ Stick by the rules — patients failing to take pre-operation antibiotics, for treatments such as laser, can end up with nasty infections and poor results.

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12

Food survey

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Spread the news How to liven up your sandwich

Roz Crowley

R

and get some extra

UNNING out of ideas for sandwiches? Our survey this week looks at a range of sandwich spreads to pep up lunchboxes.

A healthy sandwich is made from good quality wholemeal chunky bread with a bit of bite to provide slow-release carbohydrates, topped with some protein to sustain us until our next meal.

If you add some more vitamins in the form of lettuce, tomatoes and other salad ingredients you can contribute to your fivea-day fruit and vegetable requirement.

Picture: Getty Images

goodness

Mcennedy crunchy peanut butter Lidl, 454g F1.49 (32c per 100g)

Profi Poultry Paté 131g F1.99 Tesco (F1.51 per 100g)

Shippam’s Gourmet tuna and black pepper spread, 75g F1.99 (F2.65 per 100g)

While the label says there are no preservatives, there are ingredients here that we may prefer to avoid, such as soya protein. This a smooth, light paté made from water (top of the list), pork fat, 14% of what they call mechanically separated chicken and goose meat, 11% chicken liver, 3% chicken heart, pork liver, eggs, wheat semolina, with modified food starch to thicken. Paprika is the predominant flavour which livens up an otherwise fairly bland, processed mixture. Fats are a high enough 18.4%.

Expensive. Use a little with tomatoes, lettuce, roasted peppers.

It’s a pity that what should be a simple fish paste has a white sauce made from rehydrated milk, rehydrated vegetable stock, modified starch and concentrated lemon juice complete with sulphites.

However, it tastes quite natural with some bite from the tuna which with some cream cheese also delivers 14% protein and a reasonable 5.4% fats.

There is a nice back taste of black pepper. Expensive.

Score: 8

Over 600 calories per 100g means a 15g heaped teaspoon has a high 90 calories.

However, 23.6% protein isn’t bad to keep children going at school. Adults need to watch the fats at 49.7%. though the monounsaturated fats in peanuts are healthy. With a commendably short list of ingredients of 95% peanuts, brown cane sugar, vegetable oil and sea salt, this one is crunchy so the texture has a satisfying bite.

The taste is of roasted peanuts which are not over-salted.

Avoid pairing with jam or with butter, there are quite enough calories already. It has vitamins B and E, folate, magnesium and some antioxidants.

Score: 7

The Laughing Cow cheese spread, 140g F1.69 (F1.20 per 100g)

Heinz Sandwich Spread, 270g F1.39 (51c per 100g)

Nutella Hazelnut Spread, 400g F2.65 (66c per 100g)

Black Olive Tapenade, Marks & Spencer, 130g F2.89 (F2.22 per 100g)

This comes in eight triangular portions with a high 6% sugar and 1.75% salt — each portion has almost a third of a gram of salt which is enough for a junior-school child per day. 13% saturated fat is high from butter and cheese, and protein from the dairy content is a relatively low 11%. Quite a few phosphates too. Serve on good bread, or crispbreads with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red peppers. 107mg calcium content for bone health is useful, though less processed cheese should have more. The ingredients list is difficult to read.

Not cheap.

With a low 0.9% protein, this spread is more about taste than substance. The main flavour is of vinegar and mustard softened with egg yolks. The texture is of a mayonnaise, but, thickened with modified maize starch, it’s somewhat slithery. Spiked with chopped gherkins, carrots and red peppers, this needs something with it to make a satisfying sandwich. Sugars at 20.8% are high. Good with ham, cheese, smoked fish.

You need super eyesight to read nutritional values and the ingredients list on this jar, which show that sugar amounts to over half the content of this spread at a high 8.3g per 15g heaped teaspoon. At 10.3%, saturated fats are high too. Hazelnut content is high enough at 13% (there are two hazelnuts in a teapsoonful) which with skimmed milk powder provides some protein to keep hunger away. Tasters loved the nutty taste and thick, creamy texture, but found the chocolate flavour from 7.4% reduced fat cocoa, a bit lacking. Price reasonable.

Score: 4.5

A list of healthy ingredients delivers a decent 76% black olives, 13% extra virgin olive oil, 4.5% garlic, 3% capers, 2.5% anchovy paste, parsley, lemon juice, thyme and black pepper. While at a low 1.2% protein, this is excellent mixed with a hardboiled egg, cream cheese, sliced tomatoes, grated carrot, cauliflower and added to mashed haricot, butter or pinto beans or chickpeas.

Spread on a good quality white bread, it’s delicious.

Not cheap, but it’s packed with natural ingredients with natural flavours Salt is high at 4.25%.

Marks & Spencer Houmous 300g F1.89 (63c per 100g) The best of the ready-made houmous samples we tested over the least 12 months, this one from M&S is made from chick peas, extra virgin olive oil, sesame tahini, lemon juice and garlic.

No additives is commendable and all the ingredients zing in a blend that is creamy and delicious. Healthy in itself with 7.3% protein, 3.3% saturated fats and 5.7% fibre, but with a high 1.28% salt, this is one of the better spreads to have on any type of bread. Excellent in pitta with shredded lettuce and some tomato chunks.

Fair price.

Score: 6.25

Feelgood

Score: 5

Score: 6

Score: 5.5

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

Score: 7.5

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Male health

No ‘Byrne out’ for ace player

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ANY amateur sportsmen give up when they reach a certain age, losing out not just on the health benefits of physical activity but the camaraderie of team sports. As former Ireland international, Shane Byrne says he’s working his way down the table in rugby terms.

At 39, he retired from professional rugby in 2007, but is still playing at club level. “It took a long time for me to reach the top of my career, and, on the way up, I promised my clubs that I’d come back to play for them at some stage,” says Byrne, who played club rugby for Leinster and Saracens. After a few seasons playing senior rugby with Blackrock, post-retirement, he now plays junior rugby with Arklow, Co Wicklow.

“I was 19 years playing senior rugby and it becomes ingrained in you, because it’s so enjoyable and the camaraderie was great,” says Shane, who played on the British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand in 2005. “I tried triathlons and mini-marathons, but I wasn’t getting the same enjoyment from them.”

He also returned to his home town of Aughrim, Co Wicklow, and played Gaelic football with them for a few years and hopes to grace the green fields of Wicklow this summer with the team.

Deirdre O'Flynn MOSTLY MEN “That’s real grassroots stuff, picking a team from the town and playing on pitches around the county.”

For Byrne, the health benefits were secondary to his decision to stay active into his late 30s. “I’m enjoying my retirement — eating and drinking at will — but I missed doing something and I would still run, train and go swimming,” he says. He loves the banter and camaraderie of being on a team.

“The generation before us all played into their 30s and 40s, and it’s so important to maintain some level of physical activity, even if it’s just tipping along. Once you stop training or playing, it’s so much harder to take that step back to it,” says Byrne, who still

SPORTING LIFE: Former Ireland international, Shane Byrne, seen here during scrummaging practice in his earlier years, says it’s important to him to maintain some level of physical activity now that he is retired professionally. Picture: ©INPHO/Billy Stickland gives back to the rugby community with his involvement in RuckingBall.com, an online community for the development of schoolboy rugby, coaches and parents.

He’s also linked up with former Irish international, Mick Galway, to promote the O2 Be The Difference campaign, which asks supporters to record their roar and get behind

Insurance claims show Don’t parade around. Take a four-hour hike instead gender health gaps INTERESTING gender differences showed up in the 2010 claims report by Irish Life.

Cancer was the cause of death in claims for 40% of men, compared to 51% of women.

However, men accounted for an overwhelming 10 times more heart-related claims compared to women — 20% for men compared to 2% for women.

Road traffic accidents accounted for almost a quarter of

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accident-related claims in 2010.

Last year, 11% of total accident claims settled by Irish Life involved alcohol.

“In 15 of the accident-related death claims, alcohol was specifically noted as a factor on the death certificate. It seems clear that we still have some way to go in educating people about the relationship between fatal accidents and alcohol,” says Martin Duffy, head of claims at Irish Life.

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SHOW OFF: Fairtrade Fortnight runs from February 28 to March 13 and this year Fairtrade Mark Ireland want the whole country to get loud and proud about Fairtrade by asking everyone to ‘Show Off Your Label’. For 2011, there’s a focus on cotton. Buying Fairtrade certified cotton means the producers get a guaranteed minimum price, as well as a premium for investment in social development projects such as water, education and healthcare. M&S’s Fairtrade cotton range now includes underwear, pictured, t-shirts, childrenswear and bed linen. For details about Fairtrade Fortnight visit www.fairtrade.ie

FANCY a walk — and not a parade — on St Patrick’s Day? Advance registration is available for Aware’s annual St Patrick’s Day Harbour2Harbour Walk.

Taking place on Thursday, March 17, the 16.2-mile walk between Dublin’s Howth harbour and Dun Laoire harbour is a great, fun day out for family and friends.

The walk starts at 10.30am and takes four hours.

You can start at Howth and walk south, or vice versa. It’ll give

you a great sense of achievement and a wonderful view of Dublin Bay. Advance registration is at www.aware.ie/events/register/h2h.php, costing F10 per person. Online registration closes at midnight on Sunday, March 13, although you can also sign up on the morning of the walk itself (F15 per person).

For more information, or to volunteer to help with registration or stewarding, just call 01-6617211 or email fundraising@aware.ie.

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FAIR INGREDIENTS: The first two tonnes of Fairtrade coffee beans were imported into Ireland in 2006.

Irish supermarkets have extended their ranges to include new Fairtrade Mark products such as wine, rice, chocolate, fruit, juices, snacks and clothing. Ben & Jerry’s launched the world’s first Fairtrade vanilla ice-cream and their entire range is now Fairtrade. Lidl will celebrate Fairtrade Fortnight with discounts on its own range of Fairtrade products, Fairglobe. Launched in 2007, the range includes milk and dark chocolate with cocoa beans from Ghana; organic coffee from Ethiopia, Peru and Papua New Guinea.

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the Irish rugby team for the 2011 RBS 6 Nations.

Supporters can upload their roar at www.bethedifference.ie, where it will be featured as part of a supporter’s sound wave.

Supporters who record a roar will have their name added to a player’s number, which they can search for on www.bethedifference.ie.

DId you know...

Bachelor pads have 15 times more germs than single women’s homes Source: University of Arizona, US

Fairtrade products

FAIR BEAUTY: The Visionary Soap, organic body care range has been dedicated to Fairtrade since it was founded in 2005. Handcrafted in Britain and abroad, the 38 products in the range use ingredients from producers in Palestine, India, Ghana, Nicaragua, The Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and South Africa.

Choose from soap F5, lip balm F4 and hand salve F9, at Oxfam Ireland Fairtrade shops, where you will find products that provide a fair deal for the people who create them. Visit www.oxfamireland.org to shop online.

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BABY BALM: Two popular, natural baby-care products from Organic Babies, by Green People, have just gained Fairtrade status. The Organic Babies soothing baby salve, F18.63 for 100ml, is formulated with Fairtrade-certified Shea butter, hemp, calendula and lavender. Nappy cream baby balm, F18.63 for 40ml, is suitable for babies with nappy rash and eczema. Green People’s new, No Scent baby oil can be used for cradle cap, dry skin or a soothing baby massage and is 100% organic. It will be available in March. It is made with Fairtrade and organic sesame oil, which is blended with organic rosehip oil, evening primrose oil and sunflower oil, to nourish the skin. www.greenpeople.ie or call 021-4821106.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

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Beauty

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The colour purple

The news on ...

PANTENE COLOUR PROTECT DOES this sound familiar? You fork out a small fortune to get your hair done, only to have the colour drain out of it just a few week’s later. Anything that can prolong our colour is good news, which is why we’re rather happy with the launch of the new Colour Protect range from Pantene.

The range is divided into two, Colour Protect & Smooth and Colour Protect & Volume, which helps you to pick a product that’s more suited to your hair type.

There’s a shampoo, conditioner, colour seal concentrate, damage rescue treatment and nourishing shine spray. Prices start at F2.99 from 250ml.

Emily O’Sullivan

When it comes to eyeshadow shades this spring, liven things up with the lilac look

TAKE THREE SOFT EYE PENCILS IF there’s one thing we hate, hate, hate, it’s super-scratchy eye pencils. They’re painful to apply and give too much of a sharp line to the eye. Thankfully, make-up companies have been feeling our pain lately with great, very soft liners that are a joy to apply and look great all day long.

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T may seem trivial as we vote for our future government today, but posing the question whether purple is currently cool does hold its own significance on the lighter scale of things. After all, colour does influence us — look at all those variations of red ties the party leaders sported as they tried to influence which way we would use our vote.

So, as you head off to the ballot box today, you never know, dabbing on some purple eyeshadow could put a whole new spin on the occasion for you.

But the question remains — is purple cool?

Well, for now it is. By the time everyone else has realised it’s cool, then it probably won’t be, but for spring it’s pretty much the shade to have on your eyelids. To be sure, we’ve road-tested “the purple eye”, and it is indeed rather rocking. But we think we’ll give it a miss on the lips because it’s a bit too late-’90s. And we’re not good with late-’90s looks.

Picture: iStock

The good news is that so many make-up companies have presented purple in so many different variations this spring that you’re bound to get something to suit. Plus, it’s a great way to update a smoky eye, which at this stage is getting pretty tired looking.

Lancôme is one of the major adopters of the lilac look, and their spring collection Ultra Lavande (which somewhat unfortunately sounds like a feminine hygeine product) is a celebration of all things purple. We’re not entirely convinced by using lavender as an inspiration, but gifted make-up artist Aaron de Mey somehow makes it work.

Key to this collection is our current favourite eyeshadow Ombre Absolue Min-

erale in A60 Ultra-Lavande Cold Harmony, F45. If you’ve got eyes with a hint of green in them, then this is a truly excellent shade for bringing out their colour. It’s got a sexy, very slightly silver sheen to it, but it looks pure disco and we love it.

For a more conservative approach, both Estée Lauder and Clarins are offering up purples in their new spring palettes, which can be blended with other shades to give a toned down look, or worn on their own for a pop of bright colour. To keep it modern and avoid any Barbara Cartland associations, make sure to use a purple shadow with a good lashing of deep black mascara and either black liquid eyeliner or kohl.

Absolue Minerale in A60 Ultra-Lavande Cold Harmony, F45. This one is our fav. It looks like it should be a loose powder, but it’s a cake of colour that gives a bright, directional pop of bright violet. It looks fantastic on anyone with hints of green in their eyes and should be worn with a pale face and lashings of black mascara.

Don’t be afraid to really layer it on for an intense sexy shimmery look.

shimmering apricot. The purples are ideal for the coolness of spring, while the other colours will fit the bill when your skin starts to warm up for summer.

Giorgio Armani eye pencil, F 21. Super soft and super sexy, this one is a great choice for those who like to keep it gentle around the eye. The nib wears down a little quickly, but it’s comfortable to apply and lasts well throughout the day.

Clinique Superfine Liner for Eyes, F17.50.

Quickliner has always been our eyeliner of choice from Clinique, but Superfine is up there, too, with a very easy-to-apply nib that never feels scratchy. It’s a little too fine, and not recommended if you want a liner that doesn’t wear down fast.

MAC Powerpoint eye pencil, F17.

This one lasts longer than the other two (we mean the product, rather than the formulation), so it’s a good choice if you’re after very good value for money.

It’s lovely, soft and gives great coverage — good for precise and smudgy looks.

STUFF WE LIKE Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Singulier in Deep Plum, F31. Plum mascara? You may think “no thanks”, but don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it. Plum is one of the most flattering colours to wear and this subtle shade will not make you stand out in a crowd.

Great for green eyes.

MAC Cremesheen Glass in I Love You, F17. This looks kind of scary, but actually it’s not. It’s pale, but not too Dusty Springfield on the lips. You can use it on its own as a foil to a smoky eye, or else wear it over an existing lipstick to shake things up a bit.

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Clarins Neo Pastels eye colour and liner Palette, F35. There’s a pale lavender and a brighter dose of violet here, alongside shades of bronze, gold and

Clinique Colour Surge eyeshadow quad in Plum Seduction, F31. Could it get more plummy than this? Clinique’s eyeshadow quad was launched a few years ago and is still a strong selling, which proves that plum never really goes out of fashion. The four shades can be made as fashion forward or as smokily sexy as you like.

Nars Nail Polish in Pokerface, F21. You might be tempted to hum a Lady GaGa tune as you paint this one

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

onto your nails. Nars’s nail polish debuted last year, but it’s red hot ... in a purplish sort of way.

Estée Lauder Pure Colour Eyeshadow in Wild Violet, F20. Top make-up artist Tom Pecheux’s collections for Estée Lauder have really given a catwalk-dimension to the company’s seasonal launches, and we love the Wild Violet shade.

Rimmel Glam’Eyes eyeshadow quad, F7.95. Quilted like a Chanel handbag, Rimmel’s new eyeshadow palettes look rather cool and come in a selection of shades, including purple. The silky texture is also designed to stay on all day.

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Natural health

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

PRESSURE POINT: Many people complain they have stomach pain when the ailment is actually based in the intestines. Picture: Getty Images

MY partner has been suffering from a mysterious stomach problem for the last two years which is of great worry to both of us. He gets severe pain in his stomach and this then results in a heavy bleed from his anus approximately 24 hours later. When they first started they were less frequent but now occur two to three times a month. The bleeding itself is extremely painful and after the bleed he feels very sore and has to avoid sitting or lying on his buttocks until it eases which takes up to 24 hours.

He has been to various doctors who have under taken various tests which have failed to shed any light on the situation. Piles, stomach ulcers and stomach cancer have so far been ruled out.

He is also under a lot of stress recently which seems to be aggravating the problem.

A. This sounds like a distressing condition — particularly since you have both already investigated many options, some of which will have created stress just awaiting the results, and still have no clear answers.

My first question for your consideration might sound somewhat unusual — when your partner has pains in the stomach, is it in fact the stomach, or would it be likely that this is intestinal pain? The stomach often gets blamed for many an ailment that is, in fact, based in the intestines. If you clench your fist and place it on your chest just below your left breast/pectoral muscle, that gives a clearer indication of size and position of this organ. The area commonly referred to as a gut or belly generally comprises of the intestines and colon.

Unfortunately many doctors assume that everyone knows exactly where their organs sit, and will take a patient on their word when they advise of pain in a specific organ, which means that any tests performed fail to uncover the cause of the issue.

Now to address the bleeding issue. Locating the source of bleeding is crucial to the diagnosis. Some conditions cause bleeding in the upper digestive tract (oesophagus, stomach, and duodenum) while others are located in the lower digestive tract (small intestine and large intestine — including the colon and rectum). Because regular blood loss can also lead to anaemia, it is important that your partner keeps an eye on his iron levels as well.

symptoms which may indicate IBD are diarrhoea, abdominal tenderness and cramps, pain, and weight loss.

There is a set of dietary guidelines which have been designed to relieve the symptoms of diverticulitis, colitis, coeliac disease and Crohn’s. It is known as the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), and it works on the basic principle that eliminating complex carbohydrates, refined sugars, and lactose for a significant length of time will starve out the harmful bacteria in our intestines.

Since the bacteria thrive on complex carbohydrates (disaccharides and polysaccharides), the gut wall becomes inflamed and aggravated as a result of the byproducts of the bacteria population as their numbers increase.

Elaine Gottschall’s popular book, Breaking the vicious cycle: Intestinal health through diet, describes the Specific Carbohydrate Diet in great detail and offers information on how to be successful in making the diet work for you.

My advice would be to investigate the possibility of diverticulitis, a condition where small pouch-like sacs appear along the lining of the small and large intestines. Undigested food can become trapped in these sacs causing pain, inflammation and often leading to bacterial infection. In some cases a small hard mass known as a fecalth will form.

Cramping pain and bleeding are both symptoms associated with diverticular disease.

Two other conditions worth taking into consideration are colitis and Crohn’s Disease.

These are both chronic conditions which may be referred to collectively as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) because they cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.

They are in fact two different diseases, despite sharing common symptoms along with periods of flare-up and inactivity. Other

Megan puts the spotlight on:

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F you suffer from gluten sensitivity, dysbiosis, or systemic inflammation then you will be familiar with the cramping, diarrhoea, constipation, swelling, joint pain, bloating, mood swing, fatigue ... and a myriad of other symptoms common to individuals who are intolerant of gluten.

What scientists have recently discovered is that even one small bite of food containing gluten is enough to trigger some response, and the reaction will last for up to six months.

The studies showed that even a tiny piece of cracker will create a prolonged inflammatory effect for up to six months.

If you are unsure as to whether or

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not you have a sensitivity to gluten, then it is worth noting that symptoms in response to foods containing gluten — pain in the joints or intestinal system, foggy brain or lethargy — all indicate that gluten has triggered inflammation somewhere in your body.

The bad news is that there is no room for “just one bite” or “pretty much gluten-free” when your health is at stake. You will continue to experience symptoms in some form until you truly ditch the

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011

Q. Could you tell me where I can buy the Kudzu herb you recently wrote about?

Also, should a woman take the same amount as a man?

A. You can indeed take the same dosage (1000mg twice daily) that I specified for the male in the question last week — in fact it is often used as a nutritious soup ingredient in traditional Chinese dishes.

For those of you who missed the information in the previous column, kudzu is a vine from China is used to significantly inhibit the desire for drinking alcohol. It can be taken before drinking to help prevent binges, and both before and after to minimise the hangover effects.

Kudzu tablets are available in health stores and in Holland and Barrett (www.hollandandbarrett.ie) where 60 x 500mg tablets cost F10.99. You will need to take two tablets twice daily.

Gluten Sensitivity gluten. The good news is that there are plenty of gluten-free options available, and if you search the internet for gluten-free recipes and support forums, you will find an abundance of information.

Chances are, if you are sensitive to gluten, it is wise to avoid other foods and drinks that trigger an inflammatory response, such as processed foods, alcohol, and sugar. Coffee also poses problems,

and not only as an energy thief.

Gluten-sensitive individuals are advised to avoid coffee*.

This beloved hot beverage is known as a cross-reactive food, which means it can trigger an identical inflammation and autoimmune response as foods which contain gluten. In addition to this, coffee creates acidity in the body, leaches minerals from your bones, and triggers the release of stress hormones, which leads to an increase in the inflammatory response. * Reference: Cyrex Laboratories.

Array 4: Gluten-Associated Cross-Reactive Foods.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2011