feelgood 04-02-2011

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Showgoes on

LOVING MEMORYFather’s poignant tributeto his young son: 11

ON THE BALLBrian O’Driscoll warms upfor Six Nations kick-off: 13

TASTE SENSATIONGet all loved up with ourlibido-boosting foods: 6

FeelgoodFriday, February 4, 2011

FeelgoodFeelgood

Bernie Nolan stripsoff in hit play CalendarGirls months after herbreast cancer op: 8,9

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HEALTH NOTES

Kate O’Reilly

WHAT’S ON

www.irishexaminer.com www.irishexaminer.comFeelgoodMag FeelgoodMag www.irishexaminer.com [email protected] Editorial: 021 4802 292 Advertising: 021 4802 215

News front

■ WALKING WORKSHOP: A free Walk-ing for Health workshop run by the HSEwill take place in Castleisland on Thurs-day next, February 10. The aim of theworkshop is to show participants howto get the maximum health benefitsfrom walking and there will be practicaladvice on stretching, clothing, planninga walk etc. For details contact ValerieMurphy on 021-4921641 or e-mail: [email protected]

■ SIMON QUIZ: A table quiz will takeplace in Nemo Rangers GAA club onThursday next February 10, in aid of theCork Simon Community. The start timeis 7.30pm and tickets are available onthe door — 40 for a table of four. Youcan contact Cork Simon’s FundraisingOffice on 021-4929410.

■ GIRLS CLUB: Girls Club Cork is a newclub for women who have experiencedcancer along with their families andfriends. The aim of the club is to pro-vide advice and support, as well as hav-ing a fun night out. Fashion, cookeryand other demonstrations are plannedfor the meetings which will be held ev-ery two weeks at the Clarion Hotel inCork city. The first meeting is on Mon-day next at 8pm. Call Ann on085-2814495 or Elizabeth on087-8301053.

■ OXFAM APPEAL: The volume of do-nations to Oxfam shops has fallen dra-matically in the past couple of years.Oxfam Ireland has launched an appealasking for donations of books, CDs,DVDs, clothes, homeware, or any itemof good quality that you no longerneed. If you donate five books, for ex-ample, Oxfam will be able to provideschoolbooks to a child in Tanzania for ayear. Oxfam has 49 shops around Ire-land; to find your nearest shop, visitwww.oxfamireland.org

■ DYSLEXIA COURSE: The Dyslexia As-sociation of Ireland (DAI) is organising aone-day course for parents on dyslexiaon Saturday, February 12, in the Radis-son SAS Hotel Cork Airport. Topics cov-ered will include accessing support inschool, practical suggestions for helpingwith homework and assistive technolo-gy. A free workshop for Leaving Certstudents will also be held on the sameday. Full details and application formscan be downloaded from the DAI web-site (http://www.dyslexia.ie/diary.htm).

■ HSE HELPLINE: The HSE South’sFarm and Rural Stress Helpline — 1800742 645 — helps address the issue ofloneliness and isolation experienced bypeople living in rural areas in Cork andKerry. The helpline is open daily from6pm to 10pm and is staffed by profes-sionals who offer callers support andadvice in complete confidence.

■ HEART CLINIC: The Irish Heart Foun-dation will hold a free Blood Pressureand Cholesterol testing Clinic at theCommunity Centre, Ballinlough onWednesday, February 9, from 10.30amto 12pm.

Items for inclusion in this columncan be sent to [email protected]

FAMILY DAY: At the launchof the IKEA four-day familyfundraising event werefive-year-olds OnoraHeavin, Dillion Shinbachand Saorla Heavin.

Picture: Jason Clarke Photography

IKEA has chosen the Irish Cancer Society asits official charity partner for the comingyear. The campaign will be supported by the500 co-workers at the IKEA store in Bally-mun, Dublin.To celebrate the partnership IKEA will host

a special four-day family fundraising event atthe store from February 24-27. The eventwill include face painting, story telling, chil-dren’s games and a large teddy bears picnic.The team at IKEA will be working with

the Irish Cancer Society on numerous pro-jects including the free nationwide NightThrough the support of IKEA the Irish Can-cer Society will be able to continue to pro-vide night nursing care to critically ill chil-dren.

Scientists have developed the world’s firstreliable blood test for the deadly humanversion of mad cow disease.The breakthrough could transform diag-

nosis and screening of the fatal brain disor-der, and identify carriers.Identified in the 1990s, Variant

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) wastraced to the consumption of beef productscontaining contaminated meat.The prototype blood test developed by

British scientists at the Medical ResearchCouncil (MRC) is 100,000 times more sensi-tive than any studied before.

Genes play a far bigger role in Parkinson’sdisease than was previously believed, new re-search suggests.

Five new genes linked to the disease havebeen identified by scientists, leading to a re-think about the biological causes of the con-dition.Scientists now know around 5% of people

with Parkinson’s inherit genes which increasethe risk of developing the disease.An international team of scientists from six

countries scoured the DNA of 12,000 peoplewith Parkinson’s and more than 21,000healthy participants looking for genetic dif-ferences between them.Variations in a total of 11 genes were found

to influence susceptibility to Parkinson’s, in-cluding five previously not known to belinked to the disease.The research is published this week in The

Lancet medical journal online.

A protein produced naturally inside cellscould prove a powerful weapon againstprostate cancer, say scientists.Laboratory tests showed that the protein,

FUS, holds back the growth of prostate can-cer cells and causes them to self-destruct.The discovery could pave the way to

promising new treatments for the disease.Researchers also found that prostate can-

cer was less aggressive and less likely tospread to the bones in patients with natural-ly high levels of FUS.The British-based scientists believe the

protein may also suppress other hor-mone-driven cancers, such as breast cancer.

Legendary Meath football manager Seán Boylan is also afifth-generation herbalist, writes Arlene Harris

A natural gift

FAMILY LEGACY: Seán Boylan did a 10-yearapprenticeship with his late father. His fivesisters are also herbalists.

G AELIC football fans will re-member Seán Boylan as theman who managed the Meath

senior football team for 23 years. Duringhis time, his players won numerous All-Ire-lands and in recognition of his dedicationto the sport, he was made a Freeman of hiscounty in 2006.But while the former player and manager

is devoted to the GAA and sport, he has al-so spent most of his adult life growing andcultivating herbs and using them to treatpeople with all manner of illnesses at hispractice — The Herb Complex in Dun-boyne.“I am a fifth-generation herbalist and so

are my five sisters,” explains the fa-ther-of-six. “The tradition and knowledgehas been passed down through my familyfor years and it is something I have grownup with — just like my own children willtoday.”Traditionally medicinal herbs and plants

would have been picked from thehedgerow but modern pesticides are poten-tially harmful so for the past few decades,the Boylan family has grown its own pro-duce.“When my family first began the practice

of herbal medicine, they would have gath-ered everything they needed from the localenvironment,” he says. “The combinationof pollution, herbicides and pesticidesaround today means that over the years we

have sown our own seeds then transplanted,harvested and dried the herbs. These are thenturned into teas and concentrates to be usedfor different ailments.”When herbal medicine was first practised

over two centuries ago, it was used to treat

four main conditions — asthma, osteoarthri-tis, tuberculosis and a combined heart andkidney condition. Times have changed andthere are now herbal treatments for every-thing from stress to dermatological condi-tions but the 51-year-old Meath man saysthe practice remains the same.“In the olden days people used remedies

they found locally to treat their conditions.More often than not, nature provided thecure for whatever ailment was prevalent in acertain area.“Even today people complain about the

difficulty of getting rid of certain weedsfrom their gardens but for the most part,they are growing there because they are ofbenefit to the health of the people locally.“I have been blessed with a wonderful ca-

reer in sport but being a herbalist is some-thing that has always been part of me. I did a10-year apprenticeship with my late fatherbut there was a lot of knowledge that Iknew instinctively.“Nowadays we often work in conjunction

with conventional doctors and it is wonder-ful to see the mix of the old remedies andmodern medicine.”

■ Seán Boylan’s story — This Sporting Lifewill be told on RTÉ One on Thursday,February 10 at 7pm.■ For more information or to book an ap-pointment at the Herb Complex, call 01 8255250.

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THE SHAPE I'M IN Emma Donoghue

In profile

MUM’S THEWORD: EmmaO’Donoghuepictured at theBord GáisEnergy IrishBook Awardssays cuddlesand tickles fromher childrenhelp her relax.Picture:Patrick Bolger

Novel yearWRITER and mum of two Emma

Donoghue says 2010 was her gala year.Her novel, Room, was shortlisted for the

Man Booker Prize and won the Hughes & Hughes IrishNovel of the Year at the Bord Gáis Energy Irish BookAwards. It also won the Rogers Writers’ Trust FictionPrize.Daughter of literary critic Denis Donoghue, Emma, now

41, was born in Dublin but has lived in Canada for 12years. She admits to missing Ireland. “But I come backquite a bit so I don’t feel entirely cut off. I like the waypeople talk in Ireland, the high-speed witty conversation,the fact that there’s lots of great mockery.”Emma is mum to Finn, seven, and Una, three, and lives

near Toronto with partner Chris Roulston.

What shape are you in?I’m pear-shaped like many mothers. Luckily I’m so tallthat I give the impression of being quite vertical. I barelyexercise — I’ve always been a lazy slob and so far I’ve gotaway with it. I swim once a week when I bring the kids.

Do you have any health concerns?No, not really. I’ve got a slight tendency to asthma butit’s better in Canada than it was in Ireland.

What are your healthiest dietary habits?I’ve never drunk alcohol — I just hate the taste. I don’ttend to add sauces. I like my vegetables plain. I don’t addbutter to sandwiches or cream to cake.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?I’m a dreadful one for baking cakes and bread. I love ap-ple sponge, rhubarb tart and shortbread.

What would keep you awake at night?What usually wakes me is my kids shouting out myname at night. Contract negotiations often keep meawake. Even though it’s done through agents, there’s thislong, slow, low-level arguing with publishers that can goon for months.

How do you relax?Cuddles and tickles with my kids is the best way. Alsobooks and good-quality TV drama.

What’s the best book you’ve read recently?Kathryn Stockett’s The Help.

Who would you invite to your dreamdinner party?I’d invite my own friends — the onesfrom different countries who never get tomeet each other.

What’s your favourite smell?Garlic — I always associate it with myfriends coming round. It’s the smell ofsociability.

When did you last cry?About a week ago.

What would you change aboutyour appearance?Because I’ve had so much public-ity this year, I’d love a whole newface. I’m so sick of seeing myself atthis stage.

What trait do you least like inothers?I can’t stand it when people are sort of limpand kind of lazy and unwilling to change the sit-

uation.

What trait do you least like in yourself?I can be a bit smug and self-righteous.

Do you pray?I do.

What would cheer up your day?I like if I’ve been out and the kids just roar ‘Mum’ whenI get home, the way they shout and run to the door likedogs.

Helen O’Callaghan

EVENING COURSES IN BALLINCOLLIGThe following programme of courses for adults will be held inBallincollig. Each of these night courses runs for 8 weeks (total 20hours per course). The provision of SHEP courses is supported byour funders to make them as accessible as possible to those whowould most benefit from them.

COURSE PLACES MUST BE BOOKED IN ADVANCEFor further information or to book your place,

phone Kerri FitzGerald: 021 466 6180

INTRODUCTION TO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENTStart Date: Monday 14th February Time: 7.30 – 10pmThis course is adapted to the particular needs of the group. It provides an opportunityto explore issues that affect your emotional well-being and growth, including themanagement of feelings, stress, listening, communication and relationships.

MEN’S HEALTH AND WELL-BEINGStart Date: Tuesday 15th February Time: 7.30 – 10pmThis course is for men of all ages. As well as encouraging participants to learn fromone another, the tutor will introduce basic information regarding those health-related issues which are of concern to the men in the group.The course takes a broadview of health and wellbeing and involves an exploration of emotional health andrelationships as well as of physical health.

FAMILY COMMUNICATIONStart Date: WEDNESDAY 16th February Time: 7.30 – 10pmThis course is for parents of children of any age. It seeks to affirm and support you inyour role as a parent. The tutor will help you explore the importance of self-esteem,both for yourself and your children and look in a practical way at issues such asfeelings, listening, communication, conflict and discipline.

NEW MUM? WANT TOSPRING BACK INTO SHAPE

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energy levels had actually increased greatly.I was presently surprised by my results, afteronly 8 sessions I was back to my pre-babyJeans. After 6 weeks I had lost 2 dress sizes

and 12.1 inches. Thank you, Hypoxi.”

LetHYPOXIspringyoubackintoyour

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HYPOXI Centre Cork, Corner House, Village Green, Douglas West.T: 021-4368535 E: [email protected] www.hypoxicentrecork.com

ADDITIONAL3 FREE

TREATMENTSOffer valid until18.02.2011

To Celebrate Nicole’s resultswe are offering a FREE TRIAL,

FIGURE ANALYSIS & CONSULTATIONavailable by appointment only

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It’s amazing what beingable to get in and out ofbed unaided can do for

some people. It can restoretheir confidence

xxxxxxxxMoving on xxxxxxxxMaking choices

H AVE you ever eaten the last, stalepiece of chocolate cake in the tineven though it was dry and tasted

like chocolate-scented cardboard — andwondered why?It can be hard to understand our urges to

eat, especially when we’re not hungry andthe food doesn’t look great. But sadly it’s thisbehaviour which can help pile on thepounds.The reason we eat things such as stale cake

or soggy chips is because we let our expecta-tions override our tastebuds, says food scien-tist Dr Brian Wansink, author of new bookcalled Mindless Eating.“Our expectations have a tremendous in-

fluence on how we taste things,” he explains.“Our expectations give food a positive halo.”The best way to get around this is to only

eat food which tastes “good”, says Wansink,which he admits is “harder than you’dthink”. He adds: “Don’t take ‘good enough’as being the benchmark, it has to be ‘good’.That can help a lot.”It’s estimated that people make more than

200 food decisions every day, ranging fromwhat to eat for dinner to whether theyshould have that piece of chocolate cake.Those decisions are crucial to their physical

wellbeing, as just an extra 100 calories a dayover a year, for example, can increase a per-son’s weight by 10lbs.While most of us probably can’t explain

why we make particular food decisions,Wansink maintains people overeat largely be-cause of their environment.“What we eat is less determined by our

own thoughts and volition, and more by thethings around us: what the person’s doingnext to us, the size of the plate, the lightingin the room or the way we arrange our cup-boards. All these things have a dramatic im-pact.”He estimates that 20%-30% of the of food

we eat is determined by external factors ofwhich people, for the most part, are com-pletely unaware.Studies at Cornell University in America

have found that while people eat, they mind-lessly look for signals or cues to indicatethey’ve had enough. For instance, people takean empty table as a cue to stop eating.Wansink explains that we also respond to

social cues. People tend to eat 30% more ifthey’re with another person, and 80% more ifthey’re with nine more people.“Not only do you not pay attention to

what you eat, you tend to eat for longer be-cause you’re enjoying the company,” he says.

NO MORE OVEREATINGThe key to tackling overeating, explainsWansink, is to understand how your mindworks. There are ways to avoid or ignore thesignals which push you to overeat.Take comfort eating, for example. Wansink

insists that comfort foods such as chocolatesand cakes tend to be eaten not just becausethey’re sweet, but because they have good as-sociations.For this reason, people can create their own

positive associations with healthier foods. Soif you always eat strawberries when you’recelebrating, you’ll ‘comfort eat’ strawberries.Another reason people overeat, he adds, is

convenience. A study at Cornell Universityfound that office workers who were given abowl of chocolates ate nine of them whilethey were on their communal desk, and fourwhen it was moved just 6ft away.That’s a difference of around 125 calories,

or 12lb per year.When the office workers were asked why

they ate fewer chocolates when the bowl wasmoved slightly, they said it wasn’t the extra

effort they had to make, rather that the dis-tance gave them time to pause for thoughtand assess whether they really wanted anotherone.“Putting interruptions into everyday rou-

tines can be very valuable,” explains Wansink.A similar principle can be applied to your

kitchen cupboard, he says. Studies have foundthat people are three times more likely totake the first thing they see when they open acupboard than they are to take the third orfourth.“Most of us put our favourite food, which

tends to be unhealthy, in the most prominent

position in the cupboard,” he says. “We setourselves up to overeat.”He suggests putting something healthier in

the most prominent position.

STOP DIETING, START THINKINGUnlike other food experts, Wansink isn’tpromoting dieting as a means of losingweight.“The best diet is a diet you don’t know

you’re on,” he explains. “A diet is a depriv-ing way of life and it’s hard to deprive your-self for the rest of your life.“Most people will compensate for that de-

privation in the future by coming off theirdiet and overeating.”Rather than staying off food, Wansink sug-

gests people should learn to make betterchoices. He stresses that by consciouslychanging certain cues in their eating environ-ments, people can begin to unconsciously eatless.“The key to solving mindless eating is to

make small changes in your environment soyou mindlessly eat less, rather than mindlesslyovereat.”■ Mindless Eating is published by HayHouse, priced 11.85.

Piece of cakeWANSINK says people who want toaddress their eating habits shouldchange three small things about theway they eat, based on what tripsthem up the most.These could include:

1. Taking serving dishes off thetable if you tend to overeat at meal-times. Such a pause can decreasewhat a man eats by 29%, and a wom-an by 9%.2. Have your own food policies ifyou snack at work. This could includealways eating fruit as your first snackor going for a walk at break time ifyou eat a sugary treat.3. If you tend to over-indulge whileat restaurants, use the slowest eaterat your table as a pacemaker. Try be-ing the last to start eating and settingyour fork down after every bite.

to make

Picture: PA

Stretch in the day

Siobhan Cronin says older people, who often struggle to get into and outof bed, benefit the most from yoga which increases suppleness and mobility

FLEXIBLE ATTITUDE:Jessica Hatchett, yogainstructor, demonstratesyoga for seniors in theBushmount nursinghome, Clonakilty. Picture:Denis Scannell

L EAF through any book on yoga andthe pages are filled with images offlexible, 20- and 30-something

women in comfy gym pants and loose tops.If the purpose of yoga is to become flexible

and agile, why shouldn’t it be directed at thepeople who need it most? West Cork yogainstructor, Jessica Hatchett, was delightedwhen St Paul’s nursing home, in Bushmount,Clonakilty, approached her 14 months ago tooffer its residents a weekly yoga class.Senior citizens benefit hugely from the

gentle stretching exercises of Hatha yoga andthe emphasis on breathing, so Jessica tailoredher routines for them.“It’s amazing what being able to get in and

out of bed unaided can do for some people,”says Jessica. “It can restore their confidence.”Classes take place on Thursdays, after the

10.30am tea break, and even though there are16 in the class on the day I take part, Jessicatells me that it’s a “quiet day,” as it can be al-most double that some weeks.Jessica has adapted some of the best-known

yoga moves to make sure they can be donesitting down, as most of the residents nowhave limited mobility.“Standing for long periods, or having to do

any floor work, would just not be on formost of the people here,” says Jessica. “Manyolder people have lost a lot of confidence inthemselves, so I make sure that there is noth-ing too difficult in the moves.”One of the participants, Charles O’Regan,

from Leap, is delighted that the class hashelped him with getting in and out of bed.“I can hop in and out now, no trouble,” hesays.Betty McSweeney, from Ballinlough, in

Cork, says she finds the classes have made hermore supple, especially the hip rotationmoves.“I do a bit every day, now. You might as

well,” she says. “I did yoga years ago, but Ihad to give it up because my husband wasvery ill, at the time.” But now she is one ofJessica’s most regular class-goers and she feelsafter a class that “every muscle has beenstretched.”The most important aspect of the class for

Rita Barrett, 89, is that it is wonderful inhelping her to sleep, and she has got sometips from Jessica on relaxation at night, too.“She told me to put my hand here and lis-

ten to my breathing,” she says, holding herstomach. “I think of the waves at Inchdoneyand I close my eyes, and I am gone off tosleep in minutes.”Rita gets her best sleep on a Thursday

night, thanks to the weekly class.The classes have also helped her with mo-

bility, as Rita is an avid painter, too. And shehas also found it easier to get up and out ofher chair.Friends Abina O’Driscoll from Youghal

and Julie O’Donovan from Templemartin, al-so love the weekly session. “It gives you greatenergy,” says Abina, and Julie agrees aboutthe sleep benefits. Ellen O’Regan, fromYoughal, likes the breathing exercises — anintegral part of any yoga practice.Jessica conducts the class mostly from a

chair in the centre of the group. “If I standup, I find some people try to copy me, andso I stay sitting,” she says. “And, sometimes,some of the staff members join us. But doingyoga in a chair can still be quite vigorous.”She is currently designing exercises for a

staff-training day, so they can help the resi-dents practise some of the postures through-out the week. “They say that doing yogaonce a week will maintain your health, but ifyou can manage it three times a week, it willimprove it.”Towards the end of the class we do some

useful eye-and-hearing exercises, too, and fin-ish off with a few moments of relaxation,leaving us all refreshed and energised.“You can feel the atmosphere in the room

has changed from the start to the end of theclass,” she says, and I have to agree.What was a somewhat solemn and reserved

bunch an hour ago has transformed into achatty, more alert group, and there are severalwarm smiles for Jessica, when she asks every-one to repeat the traditional yoga closingmantra of ‘namaste’, at the end.“You’re marvellous, you’re a marvellous

woman,” Abina tells Jessica, and there aresmiles of agreement all around.Jessica adds some personal touches to the

hour, like a gentle massage for tired handsand some one-to-one encouragement forthose finding some of the stretches a little toochallenging.“It’s all about inner trust and tackling the

fear of relaxing,” she says. “Some people areeven afraid to close their eyes, so we use vi-

sualisations, where we ask them to think oftheir favourite, safe place, and that helps alot.”“They were all a bit sceptical when we

suggested yoga to them, at the start,” saysClaire O’Donovan, director of nursing atBushmount.“But within two to three weeks, they were

all looking forward to their weekly class, andloving it.”Jessica Hatchett also runs an over-60s yoga

class in Clonakilty, which is “mostlychair-based” for people of limitedmobility. Traditional yoga ma-noeuvres, like ‘downwarddog’ and lunges, are donewith the support of achair.“When you get to a

certain age, you don’twant to be doing exer-cises on the ground, be-cause you are just afraidyou won’t be able to getup,” she says.“I have noticed re-

ally positive results insome people, afterjust eight weeks.”

■ A schedule of herclasses, including one-to-oneyoga therapy, pregnancy, parentand toddler and parent and ba-by classes, can be found atwestcorkyoga.com.

Loosening upas you ageACCORDING to the UN, one in eightof the world’s population will be 65,or over, by 2030.As we age, we need to embrace

disciplines that will keep us suppleand flexible.It makes sense that a practice dat-

ing back 5,000 years is regarded astried and tested.Research conducted by the Gait

Study Center, in Philadephia, in 2008,revealed that Iyengar yoga can helpimprove stability and balance inwomen over 65, which could helpthem to prevent falls.The researchers discovered that the

yoga helped improve balance andstability, thereby reducing the risk offalling.Before she started the programme,

Philadelphia local, Maryanne Brown,wasn’t sure she’d even want to stickwith it.“This programme has been amaz-ing,” says Brown, who spends upto six hours a week practisingIyengar yoga. “They’re real-ly onto something with it.It’s made a tremendousdifference in my qualityof life.”Yoga is now being

promoted worldwideas a flexibility aidfor the elderly be-cause it:

■ Is a gentle form ofexercise that doesn’tstrain joints or muscles.

■ Increases blood flow,aiding circulation and re-

ducing the effects of ageing.■ Helps utilise the lungs fully,when practised in conjunctionwith the proper breathingtechniques.

■ Sharpens memory andfocus.

changes3

The author of a new book called Mindless Eating tells Lisa Salmonwhy we need to engage our brains before opening our mouths

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Romance in the air

■ AVOCADO and prawns with garlicmayo.

■ Asparagus spears with lemonvinaigretteor in acreamysauce.

■ Waldorfsalad.

■ Moulesmariniére.

■ Oat, co-riander andnut crustedsalmon withfennel.

■ Creamyseafood pasta with chilli, garlic and co-riander.

■ Steak in a mustard sauce with babycarrots.

■ Straw-berries, ba-nanas orcherrieswith melteddarkchoco-late.

■ Fresh figs baked withhoney and chopped nuts.

■ Vanilla chocolate pots.

Rosie Shelley says what you eat can give you an appetite for Valentine’s Day

DOWN these dark February daysof dieting and debt, the flare ofgastronomic and sensual delights

that Valentine’s Day can offer is always to bewelcomed. But if you’re not quite there, it’sheartening to know that a whole range offoodstuffs — from the mundane to the exotic— can help get you in the mood.People have been fascinated by the aphro-

disiac power of foods since Greek godAphrodite rose coyly from the sea aboard anoyster. Although Dr Daniel McCartney, ofthe Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute, of-fered a less romantic view: “Maintaining an

ideal bodyweight by taking plentyof exercise and following a dietrich in fruit, vegetables,wholegrains and fish is veryeffective at slowing the age-ing process, the ultimateprecipitant of impaired sexual

performance.”What’s really interesting is how foods that

have been revered through the ages aslibido-enhancing, are now being shown tocontain nutrients that can in fact give bothmen and women a sexual boost.Aphrodisiac foods work on several levels:

■ Some promote the production of sexhormones■ Some promote the neurotransmitter activi-ty that supports libido■ Some work more on a sensual level■ Some have the ability to boost circulationand get blood flowing to the appropriatespots.Prominent in the last group are spices, in-

cluding the ancient aphrodisiac garlic, whichRoman Priestesses claimed could makewomen fall in love and men powerful (butmake sure you’re both eating it), and hotmustard and chilli. Chillies increase circula-tion, stimulate nerve endings and endorphinrelease,

and quicken the pulse — prettymuch like sex.

When it comes to neuro-transmitter activity, the kingof the aphrodisiacs is darkchocolate, which is much

low-er in sugar and fat and richer in antioxidantsthan the milk variety. It’s also brimming withcompounds that can induce a natural highwhich mimics the feelings experienced whenwe fall in love, and when we orgasm.Arginine, an amino acid that has been

called ‘nature’s Viagra’, is found in nuts,seeds, watermelon, carrots, poultry andseafood. Nutritionist Patrick Holford explainsit can help to increase performance andsensation. Other research shows that argininecan enhance arousal in both men and wom-en. A 2004 Italian study reported that wom-en who frequently ate dark chocolate hadhigher levels of desire and function.Some of the most potent foods on a hor-

monal level are oats (hence getting, or sowingyour oats), fennel, and honey, which booststestosterone and thus sex drive in males andfemales.The omega oils in oily fish

are also vital for hormonalhealth, and according to sexexpert Nicci Talbot, “help with

lubrication and sexual response”. They’regreat for heart health too, a worthy consider-ation on Valentine’s Day. And raw celerymight not seem an obvious choice, but as theauthor of Passion Power, Dr Ava Cadell says,“It contains the male hormone androsteronewhich can act as a pheromone to trigger fe-male attraction when released in his sweat”.The visual powers of certain foodstuffs are

nothing to snigger about, especially whenthey’re underwritten by nutritional science.Phallic asparagus spears have been associatedwith sex since time immemorial,but as dietitian Tanya Zuckerbrotnotes they “contain folate, which isnecessary for histamine produc-tion, which is necessary for

males and females to reachorgasm”.Slippery, dipping and drip-

ping finger foods like asparagus, fondues, orfruits dipped in melted chocolate can onlyadd to the richness of the tapestry.Bananas are full of the B vitamins that pro-

mote testosterone levels, while avocados —from what the Aztecs called the ‘testicle tree’and more suggestive of female parts whenopened — also boost sex hormone produc-tion. Red, heart-shaped strawberries arebursting with vitamin C, which reduces anx-iety and improves blood flow in women.One study found that females given 3g a dayaveraged 10 sexual episodes a month, com-

paredwith just three in theplacebo group. Figs are

exquisitely evocative ofcourse, as are oysters. Cru-cially, all shellfish, like redmeat, contains high levels of

zinc, which is directly linked with every as-pect of sexual function.Zinc is also responsible for maintaining our

sense of smell, and Alan Hirsch, founder ofthe Small and Taste Treatment and ResearchCentre in Chicago, says the smell of food is apowerful sexual stimulant. For men, theheadiest scents include strawberries, cinna-mon buns and vanilla, while women areturned on by the aroma of vanilla, cucum-ber, coriander and cherries.Sniffing cherries, for example, can increase

blood flow to the genitals by 13%. And stud-ies suggest that the smell of champagnemimics that of female pheromones — share aglass or two in a steamy, vanilla-scented bath,light the candles, indulgeand engage every one ofyour senses this Valen-tine’s night.

Picture: Getty Images

10 top sexymood foods

Get your love bites

TERAPROOF:User:PAULOKEEFFEDate:02/02/2011Time:17:49:35Edition:04/02/2011FeelgoodXH0402Page:7 Zone:XH

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Tony Humphreys

Psychology

Symptoms are messages we ignore at ourperil. Heed them, and begin a healing process

Listen to your body

W E don’t trust our bodies, particularly whenwe become ill. Think of the millions of pro-cesses our bodies carry out perfectly, in bil-

lions of cells, every second — compared to that reliable, per-fectly-coordinated functioning, the times our bodies manifestdistress are few.The purpose of the symptoms is to alert us that we have

been off the wellbeing track, and need to get back on it. Thenature of the symptom, its verbal description, its location, andthe time of its onset, all contribute to the message the illnesswants to communicate. Most often, we shoot the messenger— the body — by seeing it as letting us down rather thanalerting us to neglect that is present.The neglect may have been present for a long time: we

may have ignored less-threatening symptoms, such as inter-mittent insomnia, vague aches and pain, tiredness, over-eat-ing, under-eating, overweight, underweight, lack of fitness,etc. It is also common to resort to various over-the-countermedications to offset these symptoms, but not take any timeto examine their true purpose. Testament to this is that thereappear to be more pharmacies than pubs in towns and citiesthroughout the country.In examining my own recent onset of illness, I have found

a creativity and intelligence that really confirms that illness iskindness, a friend that whispers (sometimes shouts) in my earthat change in how I am living is required. The change maybe physical — more exercise, healthier diet, meditation, moresleep, more rest, a holiday, less work — but, as often, thechange being called for is an emotional one.Anything up to 70-80% per cent of illnesses are psychoso-

matic in nature — meaning that the illness presenting has anemotional origin. Naturally, treatment needs to focus on bothaspects of the illness, but usually the emphasis is on the ‘phys-ical cure’ rather than the emotional change to which the ill-ness is compassionately and creatively attempting to draw at-tention.A recurrence of the illness, or the development of another

illness, is likely to follow the non-attendance of the total mes-sage of the illness.My own illness — when eventually diagnosed — was an

infection of the gall-bladder that led to the development ofan abscess in the liver. When I was admitted to hospital, fourweeks after the onset of the illness, I had lost three stone inweight, hadn’t eaten for four weeks and had barely slept. It isnot surprising, with the weight loss, jaundiced complexion,exhaustion, that the initial diagnostic was cancer of the liver,which, not surprisingly, caused great fear and panic for thoseclose to me. Because of three, very powerful dreams on thenight of the onset of the illness, and because I truly believe inillness as a friend, I did not buy into the critical-illness no-tion.Nevertheless, I knew I was seriously, acutely ill and that a

diagnosis was urgently needed. It eventually came — thanksto the expertise of an ultra-sound specialist and the initial, in-tuitive assessment by the consultant. The consequence wasthat a drain was inserted into the liver and, with a few hic-cups, I was on the road to a physical recovery. The emotionalrecovery also needed attending.The onset of the illness followed within days of my realising

I was on the point of burnout, due to the pressure I had putmyself under to pay off an unexpected, large tax bill and toan old issue of mine, which was still not fully resolved — thedifficulty of saying ‘no’ to individuals who are in great emo-tional distress.I needed a wake-up-call and the illness weighed in behind

the consciousness of being burnt out. The location of the ill-ness — the gall-bladder and the liver — was very significant.The word ‘gall’ means the daring to assert one’s truth. I had aneed to find my voice to prioritise my own well-being, andnot jeopardise it because of debt or other people’s therapeuticneeds of me.In any case, I needed to practice what I believe and I had

unconsciously allowed myself to slip from that care of myself,particularly over the past three years.The liver is an amazing organ — it has 60 functions, all

having to do with clearing out toxins. There is no greateremotional poison than neglect or abandonment of oneselfand, even before the diagnosis, I had a strong compulsion tohave clear spaces around me — I was not able to take clutter.Emotionally, I had much to process — to clear up —

around my relationship with self and the clear separating outof my person and worth from anything that I do. Of course,the illness immediately brought attention, through the initial,chronic physical pain to the deeper emotional pain of aban-donment — it also got me to stop working and provided mewith the time to rest and reflect.The infection pointed to the underlying emotional infec-

tion of abandonment, and the abscess to the accumulation ofthat ‘toxic’ emotional state. When medical personnel askedme how would I describe my illness, I said: ‘I know thatthere is something in my body I need to clear out. I don’tbelieve I am critically ill, but I do believe that I have an ill-ness that has got to do with the here and now, and that it hasa deep, emotional basis.’These words show that at some level of consciousness I was

close to the true message of the illness. My emotional re-sponse to the illness has been to review my work, for which Ihave a great passion — but I needed urgently to prioritise myown wellbeing. The source of the pressure to pay the debtcame to me during the illness — and that was carrying un-consciously a value of my father — ‘never owe a penny toanyone’.Now, I am comfortable with debt and I will responsibly pay

it, but without compromising my own health. Considerablephysical improvement has occurred but, mostly, I am gratefulto the compassion and kindness of the illness in bringing at-tention to the deeper emotional neglects that needed resolu-tion. That emotional resolution is a work in progress.

■ Dr Tony Humphreys is a clinical psychologist, author and in-ternational speaker. His recent book with co-author HelenRuddle, The Compassionate Intentions of Illness is relevant totoday’s topic.

In examining myown recent onset of

illness, I have found itto be a friend that

whispers (sometimesshouts) in my ear that

change in how I amliving is required

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Feelgood

xxxxxxxxEmbracing lifexxxxxxxxCover story

AN ORIGINAL star of CalendarGirls, Lynda Bellingham also pre-sents popular ITV afternoon show

Loose Women. The actress admits tosimilarities between her and Chris, thewoman she plays in Calendar Girls.“There’s quite a lot of overlap be-

tween me and her. I’m a doer. I leap upto the point of being bossy. I’m over-powering if I’m not sat on,” says thewoman who played Helen Herriot inAll Creatures Great And Small and wholast year wrote her autobiography, LostAnd Found.“I was adopted in Canada,” says Lyn-

da, who now lives in north London.“The biggest trauma for us all as a fami-ly was when I had my own children. Itmade me think about where I camefrom. I was 40 when I met my birthmother in Canada. She’s still alive. I loveand respect her but she’s not my mother— my adoptive mother was everythingto me.”Lynda is 62 and married her third

husband, Michael Pattemore, on her60th birthday. She is mum to Michael,27, and Robert, 22, and has a stepsonand stepdaughter. “Given that I’m 62and that the menopause has taken over,I’m in rude health. All the researchshows that, with the best will in theworld — women’s body shape changesat a certain age. You can’t get that mid-dle area down unless you eat nothing orexercise forever. I struggle between asize 12 and 14. I’m nearer a 14 at themoment.”Luckily, Lynda has few health con-

cerns. “I used to get hayfever very badlybut I generally don’t have allergies. I didaerobics for many years but I don’t findit good now — it’s hard on the knees. Ido pilates. As long as I can touch mytoes and keep supple, I’m happy.”Food is important and she is careful to

start the day on a healthy note. “I nor-mally have yoghurt or porridge forbreakfast. At night, I always cook forthe family. We have a meat or fish dishwith lots of vegetables.”It’s not all healthy eating, however.

“Since my husband and I gave updrinking, I’m partial to desserts. I likechocolate and Twiglets,” says Lynda.While she loves her career as an ac-

tress, it comes with its own stresses andstrains. “If you’re self-employed everyjob you do is the last job you might get.I’m not a saver. I don’t owe much mon-ey but I never have any spare.”To relax Lynda loves to lose herself in

a good book. “My guilty pleasure in theafternoon is to lie in bed, read for halfan hour and then nod off. I also love amassage. I have one every two or threeweeks.”Though body confident, Lynda says

there are a couple of features she’d like totweak. “I like my shoulders but I’d change thebit in the middle — I’d have less breast andstomach.”

The British actress does not believe in tak-ing a stiff upper lip approach to life’s ups anddowns. “I cry very easily. I believe it’s verygood to cry — better in than out.”

STARS AND SCARS

TUNED IN: Meet the cast (from left to right), Bernie Nolan on piano, Jennifer Ellison, Gwen Taylor, Lisa Riley, Trudie Goodwin, Diana Moran, LyndaBellingham, Ruth Madoc and Danielle Lineker.

Ahead of its Dublin run, Helen O’Callaghan talks to two actresses from Calendar Girls who embody the message of empowerment at the heart of the smash hit stage show

CANCER SURVIVOR:Bernie Nolan shavedher hair whileundergoing chemo.Picture: Indigo/Getty Images

FROM the very beginning, CalendarGirls has been about empowerment,about standing up in defiance at

whatever life might throw at you or take fromyou.The original Calendar Girls — who in-spired the hit Hollywood film starring HelenMirren and Julie Walters, (pictured below), aswell as the subsequent stage play — were agroup of women from a Yorkshire Women’sInstitute, who decided to pose nude for a can-cer charity calendar.This same defiant spirit is palpable in Calen-

dar Girls, the play, which comes to Dublin’sGrand Canal Theatre on Monday, February 7,where it runs until February 19. The majorityof the mostly female cast are women of a cer-tain age, who in true Calen-dar Girls style take theirclothes off without worryingabout airbrushing any wob-bling, sagging orless-than-toned body bits.Calendar Girls is essentially aplay that celebrates women’sbodies — just as they are.Here, we talk to two of the

show’s stars, 62-year-old Lyn-da Bellingham, and BernieNolan, self-confessed partygirl of Irish pop sisters theNolans. The feisty50-year-old endured a shockcancer diagnosis last April,undergone gruellingchemotherapy and radiother-apy and had a mastectomyand breast reconstruction.One in 10 women living in

Ireland will develop breastcancer in their lifetime —latest figures show that 2,815women were diagnosed withthe disease in 2008. But rightfrom the get-go, BernieNolan had no intention ofgiving into cancer. “I’ve al-ways been a very optimisticperson so you’d think beingtold I had cancer was a kick in the teeth, but Inever once thought I’m going to die.”This unquenchable spirit has seen her rise to

the challenge of performing in Calendar Girls,just three months after her mastectomy. “I wassupposed to do the show’s autumn tour but myoperation got in the way. The producer saidhe’d keep a part for me in the spring. I had nodoubts at all about doing it.”Not even post-breast cancer, post-surgery?“Obviously I have to take my clothes off.

But nobody sees anything of any of us —we’re all covered up with teapots and buns.Ironically though, I do the part of Cora, thepiano-player, so I have my back to the audi-ence and my back is where the scars are. Sowhat? A few scars just mean you’re alive. Andif other women with breast cancer see me do-ing this in front of 2,500 people, it may makethem more confident.”Bernie’s cancer journey began when she no-

ticed in the mirror something amiss with herleft breast. “My breast just looked different.

There was dimpling. It was very slightly mis-shapen. I thought that’s not right. When Iwent to the doctor, he could find a lump,though I couldn’t.”Her sisters, Anne and Linda, have each en-

countered cancer within the last 10 years butBernie’s diagnosis came as “a big, huge shock”,particularly as hers was an aggressive cancerthat had spread to the lymph nodes. After she’ddigested the devastating news — away frommedics’ eyes, in the privacy of her car —Bernie broke down. Her first thoughts werefor her only child, Erin. She said to husbandSteve Doneathy: “I have to put Erin throughall of this! I’m going to bring cancer into ourhouse and into her life. She’s only a little girl. I

want her to have a care-free life.”It was April 19, a

week before Erin’s 11thbirthday. “Steve and Iwanted to keep thenews from her until af-ter her birthday. Wethought let her have agood birthday. But chil-dren know and she justknew. She said: ‘I knowthere’s something wrong— Daddy keeps askingare you okay’. So wetold her.“Her first question

was ‘Are you going todie?’ I said no – look atAuntie Linda and Aun-tie Anne. Then sheasked ‘Is it big?’ I saidno, it’s small, we caughtit early. Then I saw onelittle tear – that was all.She said: ‘I don’t wantto talk about it anymoreMum’, and she huggedme.“She has been amaz-

ing since. I’d be off tochemo and she’d say

‘Okay, see you later’. Having a childis good because you just have tocarry on and give them as nor-mal a life as possible. When Igot 25 mouth ulcers from thechemo and couldn’t eat ortalk, Erin bought a notepadand pen and told me to writedown anything I wanted tosay.”Erin’s reactions helped

root Bernie in nor-mality during whatwas, at times, avery surrealjourney. “Mysister Maureenwas gettingmarried inAugust andErin wantedto know‘Does this

[the cancer] mean we can’t go to Spain?’ Thatmade me and Steve laugh so much. It’s so typ-ical of kids, wanting to know how things willaffect them. But it was normal and I lovedthat.“The other day I was getting out of theshower and she said, ‘Hey Mum, your scarslook great, — you can hardly see them’.”Having her hair fall out in clumps follow-ing chemo was tough. “I thought: I’m not

having this. I’m in charge, soI shaved it all off. I justthought don’t mope aboutit.”She took control toowhen it came to having amastectomy. “I told the

surgeon to take both my breasts so I didn’thave to worry that I’d get cancer in the otherone. The doctor couldn’t get over it.”But when genetic testing showed Bernie was

not a carrier of the HER-2 cancer gene,medics advised having just one breast removedand she went with that.“In the end, I was actually looking forward

to the mastectomy. The morning I was goingto have it done, Steve asked me how I was. Isaid I’m fine — bring it on. I’m not really thatbrave though. I hate needles but I’d had sixmonths of having this cancer inside me — I’dhad the chemo first — and I just couldn’t waitto get it off. I was like ‘Let’s get this out of meso I can get on with my life’.”Bernie had breast reconstruction at the same

time as the mastectomy, something she’d highlyrecommend. “I got to keep my own nipple. Ihad it all done under the NHS. I was verylucky to be in a place with a fantastic cancerfacility.”Confirmation that she isn’t a carrier of the

breast cancer gene was a huge relief. “It’s very

important for Erin. It means she has as muchrisk as anybody else of getting breast cancer,no greater risk. Of course, she’ll be very close-ly watched when she gets older.”Bernie says she’s having a ball with Calendar

Girls but doesn’t gloss over the challenges. “It’sone of the most gruelling shows I’ve done.There are an awful lot of quick changes, whichare difficult for me. I’m doing everything withmy arms that I did before but they are a bitstiff.”Bernie still attends hospital for administration

of breast cancer drug Herceptin and hospitalappointments have been set up for her in manyof the Calendar Girls tour venues.Survivors, Our Story, a book penned by four

of the Nolan sisters — Bernie, Linda, Colleenand Maureen — is due to be published forMother’s Day on April 3. “We haven’t readeach other’s chapters yet. It goes quitein-depth into our lives so there may be someshocks for all of us,” says Bernie, who — nowcancer-free — is determined to enjoy everyminute of life.

There’s quite a lot of overlapbetween me and my character Chris.

I’m a doer, to the point of beingbossy. I’m overpowering if not sat on

I wassupposed to

do the show’sautumn tourbut my op gotin the way.

The producersaid he’d keepa part for mein the spring. Ihad no doubtsabout doing it


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Feelgood

Dr Niamh Houston is aGP with a specialinterest in integrativemedicine. If you have aquestion about your child’shealth email it [email protected] send a letter toFeelgoodIrish ExaminerCity QuarterLapps QuayCork

Dr NiamhHouston

FAMILY

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

CatherineShanahan

MUM’S WORLDMUM’S WORLD

A recentsurvey found thatwhile Ireland is

bucking theglobal trend for

employingworking mums,

four in 10employers

believe demandsof family reduce

flexibility

Medical matters

CatherineShanahan

QCAN you recom-mend any naturaltreatments for de-pression? I’ve readthat fish oil supple-

ments can help or are there anyother supplements that are alsobeneficial?A. Fish oil is a good source ofomega-3 fatty acids, which play animportant role in brain function.People with depression may havelow blood levels of brain chemicalscalled eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).These chemicals are found in fishoil. It appears that supplementscontaining 100mg-300 mg of ei-ther EPA or a combination of EPAand DHA may be helpful in re-lieving depression.

Supplements aren’t the only wayto get more omega-3s. Eating oilyfish such as sardines, mackerel,salmon, trout, canned white tuna,or shellfish a few times a weekmay be the best way to provideyour body with enough of thesehealthy oils. Fish oil shouldn’t beconsidered a replacement for treat-ment for depression, but it can behelpful as an addition to prescribedmedications.

A dietary supplement calledSAMe (S-adenosylmethionine) is asynthetic form of a chemical thatoccurs naturally in the body. It isused in the production of the brainchemicals serotonin, dopamine andnoradrenaline which help regulatemood. People with depression of-ten have low levels of these brainchemicals and SAMe slows downthe breakdown of these neurotrans-mitters. SAMe appears to work well withpeople with mild depression rather thanpeople with more severe or major depres-sion. A typical dose of SAMe is between800 to 1600mg/day.

St John’s Wort is a herb that has beenused for centuries to treat a variety of con-ditions, including depression. It may behelpful if you have mild or moderate de-pression, however it can interfere with anumber of medications, including the con-

traceptive pill. It is only available on pre-scription. If you are taking prescribed medi-cation, it is important to talk to your doctorbefore starting any supplements, herbal ornatural treatments.

A recent study showed that 30 minutes ofmindfulness meditation every day can helpin reducing stress and depressive symptoms.Other important measures of self-care in-clude regular exercise. While fatigue may be

overwhelming for some people withdepression, regular physical activityhas been shown to help in the re-covery process. Keep to a well-bal-anced diet, take a vitamin B supple-ment and reduce caffeine and alco-hol to a minimum.

Q. I’m 34 years and have twochildren. I suffer with a dry vaginaespecially when having sex. Thiswas never a problem before — is itnormal?

A. What you describe is extremelycommon. Some women produce alot of vaginal secretion naturally,while others are constitutionally dri-er. Sometimes after childbirth awoman is so busy looking afteryoung children, she can become lessfocused on sexual fulfilment, whichmeans the hormones which turn heron are less effective.

Sexual stimulation is essential toincrease the level of secretion, somake sure your partner engages inprolonged foreplay.

Female hormones also strongly in-crease the level of secretion. There isa high-oestrogen dose contraceptivepill that can increase the level ofvaginal lubrication. Or consider sim-ple over-the-counter products suchas lubricants KY jelly or Senselle.

Replens is a vaginal pessary insert-ed every day that provides a contin-uous level of additional lubrication,it’s ideal if you want to enjoy a morespontaneous sex life.

If this is a new problem, it is im-portant to rule out other causessuch as hypothyroid disease, vagini-tis, Sjogren’s syndrome, early

menopause (unlikely at 34 years) or vaginalinfections.

Very often no specific cause can be identi-fied. Pain or discomfort is never part of nor-mal intercourse, so if you experience painduring sex, don’t be afraid to tell your part-ner, who has no way of knowing that you’reuncomfortable unless you talk about whatyou’re feeling. Also make sure to see yourdoctor for diagnosis and treatment of theunderlying cause.

DUMBED down, uncommitted,stripped of ambition and diagnosedwith a lifelong condition, I can kiss my

career goodbye. As a member of the genderwith the principal role in procreation —viewed as fatal to any prospect of promotion— I am swiftly sidelined in the workforcefrom the moment my child arrives.

My transgression — never mentioned butalways present — causes others to wronglyjudge that I can never now be a modelemployee. I am sinbinned on account ofmotherhood, viewed less favourably in theworkforce than non-moms, and should Ichange jobs, less likely to be hired.

The Motherhood Penalty is the price wepay in the workforce for the privilege ofchildren. An employer in search of starqualities prizes unwavering dedication andmistakenly believes it is only possible inemployees with few personal obligations.

A recent survey found while Ireland isbucking the global trend when it comes toemploying working mums, four in 10employers believe demands of family reduceflexibility and hinder mothers from deliveringthe kind of commitment necessary to lead acorporation.

The study by Regus warned prejudicedattitudes may have returned with the reces-sion — but the truth is they never left us.

The Motherhood Penalty is based ondeep-seated cultural assumptions: that

motherhood dumbs women down, thatworking mums are less obsessed with thebottom line and that it is not possible toreconcile the desire to be a good mother withpersonal career ambition.

All of this is utter bunkum but can lead tothe kind of discrimination that leaves uscounting paper clips instead of rising to chiefexecutives of the organisation.

The weakness of the argument is its refusalto recognise that mothers and fathers viewwork primarily as a means to feed, clothe andeducate their child. This should not lessentheir value in an employer’s eyes. He getstheir undivided attention whatever the reasonand they are just as devoted to the notion ofpromotion as their childless peers.

Ironically, working fathers are never accusedof a lack of ambition. A study carried out inthe US last year found working dads benefitfrom the perception of their competence andcommitment. They were also offered signifi-cantly higher salaries than non-fathers.

What all of this means is that the stereotypi-cal expectations of the role women should playhave not changed in any meaningful way downthrough the years.

This is in spite of the many women whowork doubly hard to prove motherhoodmakes them no less an asset in the office or lessworthy of an august career. We have been toldGinger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did,but backwards, in high heels.

DIET BOOST: Fish oil can be helpful as an addition toprescribed medications for depression. Picture: Getty Images


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We’d always been there for Craig, and we were lettinghim go to this thing we were all scared of. I felt helpless

Coping with life

Sue Leonard talks to the father of a young boy who died from a brain tumour

Life after our son

IN MEMORY: Barbara Sinnott and Neville Sexton with son Dean. Neville has written a book about their six-year-old son Craig who lived forfour months after his diagnosis. Picture:Garry O'Neill

N EVILLE SEXTONand his part-ner Barbara seem happy. They’vea beautifully furnished estate

house in Gorey, and they clearly adore theirtwo-year-old son, Dean. And why wouldn’tthey? He’s gorgeous, with big blue eyes and adimpled smile, and he’s chatty, as he watchesthe huge flat screen TV. He looks the imageof his big brother Craig — his brother whodied before he was born.Back in 2006 life for the couple was hectic.

Commuting to Dublin, Neville, 34, workedlong hours in IT. Barbara, 42, worked forTrinity Biotech and Craig attended a crèchein Bray. There was never enough time. Andone Sunday in June, Neville was watchingthe World Cup, when Barbara returned froma walk with Craig.“She was hysterical. Craig had got stuck in

a bucket swing at the playground. He hadn’tbeen able to get out. She felt something waswrong with him.“I called Craig. He ran towards me. He

looked awkward. His head was crooked.Something wasn’t right.“We went to accident and emergency at

Tallaght Hospital. The doctor said it washayfever. But he agreed to get someone for asecond opinion. They kept him in overnightand arranged tests.“When they brought us in and told us it

was a tumour on his brain I couldn’t speak.Barbara was roaring crying,” says Neville.“The tumour was inoperable, Craig was

only five. We were sent to an oncologist inCrumlin. They prescribed radiotherapy togive him more time. But there was nothingelse they could do. Craig was going to die,and it wouldn’t be a good death.”The summer was tough on Craig who was

seriously ill. But he did improve and was ableto return to school for a while.“The worst thing was that we had no con-

trol. We’d always been there for him, and wewere letting him go to this thing we are allscared of. I felt helpless. Then one night Ithought, I have a choice. We could all go to-gether. We could get in the car, take sleepingpills and run the exhaust. I fell asleep happy,but in the morning reality hit.”Craig’s deterioration was cruel. He hated

needing a wheelchair, and deplored his badhand writing. Gradually his limbs began toseize up and his speech to slur. Watching, hisparents were in agony.“Towards the end, Craig, now six, was very

weak. We’d brought his bed downstairs, andhe was on morphine. It was Halloween. Heshould have been out playing. But he slept allday. Then, at 11pm, he sat up in bed, pulledback the duvet and threw himself on thefloor. He tried to walk, but he couldn’t.“I held him.“He said he was hungry so Barbara made

him some toast. He put it in his mouth, buthe couldn’t swallow. That was the final symp-tom. I could see tears streaming down Craig’sface. That killed me. Back in bed, he coveredhis head. I wanted to grab him and head forthe hills. There was nothing we could do.Two days later he passed away.”It was just four months since his diagnosis.“Afterwards I didn’t understand life. It was

as if that past life was a figment of our imagi-nation. We were a couple again, yet weweren’t. We were two people trying to copewith the emptiness of life.”

Neville decided to write a book aboutCraig’s short but impressive life because hewas scared people would forget him.“Barbara was afraid people would stop

mentioning him. There weren’t occasions forhim to be remembered, except for the an-niversary of his death. His cousins wouldprobably grow up and not remember him.”The book celebrates the life of a wonderful

boy. Craig was charming, mature and friend-ly, he lived life to the full, and there are manystories to testify to this.“Craig has changed me, absolutely. I want

to make myself more like him. I want to be

more outgoing. He was always a happy child.He was a divil when he wanted to be, but hewas never bogged down by life, and nevermore so than during his illness. He alwaysmaintained that focus,” says Neville.“Craig just wanted to live. At the end, he

was given oxygen. We were told, ‘this is it,’but he kept going for another five hours.That was him in a nutshell.”Neville is a scientist, but since Craig’s

death, he has explored areas of the spiritworld. And he is convinced that Craig’s spiritlives on. There have been lots of incidenceswhere lights flash or explode, and always at

moments of high emotion.It took time for Neville to accept the idea

of another child. But the minute he knewDean was on the way, all that changed.“It was a lovely bittersweet moment. The

boys were never going to meet each other.But it’s wonderful after almost two years tohave life back in the house again.“It had started to feel like a museum. Now

it’s a home.”

■ Craig, The Boy Who Lives, by NevilleSexton is published by Gill and Macmillan,16.99.


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Feelgood

Roz Crowley

Var

yyo

ur

spu

dsHealthy food

W ITH pasta, pizza and ricenow part of our daily diet,we could easily forget the

simple spud. This is the time of year to makesure we eat potatoes a few times a week toget their valuable vitamin C.Add an orange, some cranberry juice or a

kiwi to your diet during the day and youhave some chance of fighting off winter chillswhich are still hovering. It may be earlyFebruary, but spring has not sprung yet.Potatoes have a lot going for them, espe-

cially if they are chemical-free so we can eattheir skins — a terrific source of fibre.Potatoes are a good source of protein too,

which explains why so many of the Irishpopulation survived on them before thefamine and perished without.With a little bit of self control we don’t

have to expand our waistlines as we enjoy thisvaluable, low-calorie contribution to our vi-tamin and mineral intake.Potatoes are anti-inflammatory and useful

internally and externally. Many naturopathsrecommend the juice of a raw potato as aremedy.Try rubbing a potato on a burn, or make

an old-fashioned poultice with grated potatoto draw out an external abscess, or to reduceswelling around the eyes.Taken as a drink, raw potato juice has been

used to help with stomach ulcers, and it hasbeen suggested that it has antibiotic propertiesand also helps in balancing intestinal bacteria.In his book Healing with Wholefoods

(North Atlantic Books), Paul Pitchford, a nu-trition expert, says potato increases the yinaspect of the body, improving our receptive,nurturing and compassionate nature. Yin alsoincludes the body’s structure, he says, and sopotatoes can be used to build and maintainbody tissues.So now we are sold on the idea of includ-

ing more potatoes in our diet, how shouldwe eat them?Certainly not in the form of crisps if we are

watching calorie intake, which on averagehave 25g-30g fat per 100g of potatoes, de-pending on whether they are low fat or not.Chips can have 15g of fat per 100g. Our

favourite, crisp roasties, have about 5g of fat(not so bad as a treat).The best way of course is taking potatoes

baked or boiled in their jackets. Retaining all

the nutrients in their own wrapping, we caneat the skins too. If we add a lot of butter tomash, that costs us but we do need some fatin the diet, and for me this is one of the bestways to enjoy it.

If we are watching cholesterol, we can addolive oil as it is, or in the form of pesto foradded flavour. To minimise quantity (andcalories) swirl some on top, so the flavour hitsthe taste buds quickly.

■ NOTE: Green potatoes are toxic. Don’trisk cutting off bits, discard if you see anygreen at all.Also be sure to cut out any sprouting

stalks as they are toxic too.

A SMASH HIT

Picture: Getty Images

FOR a morish dish, try layering bare-ly cooked potatoes, sliced, with freshor tinned tomatoes, onions, any fresh

herb and goats (or any other) cheese andbaking at Gas 5 190C for 40 minutes.Sprinkle a little sugar in the base of thedish first. It will caramelise during cook-ing and bring out the sweetness of thetomatoes.

■ Curried potatoes are delicious. Potatoesabsorb flavours beautifully. For ideas there

are loads of recipes on-line. Try www.bbcgood-food.com for an easypotato and mushroomcurry. I particularly like apotato and pea curryrecipe from the doyenneof Indian cooking, Mad-jur Jaffrey. Her latestCurry Easy (Ebury) hasnine recipes with pota-

toes, including South Indian Potato Currywhich is finished with coconut milk andfresh coriander. The aroma alone fromthe chillies, ground coriander and cayenneheats you up and clears the sinuses.

■ Classic French Aligot is a dish which isusually served as a course on its own. Fora homemade version use mashed potatobeaten vigorously with heated cream andbutter, olive oil, grated or finely choppedgarlic, cheese (traditionally tomme deCantal, but Irish cheeses such as Ardra-han, Gubeen, Durrus are delicious too).A little of this goes a long way andis highly calorific. Serve withgreen salad to appease thediet gods.

■ With plenty of sea-sonal celeriac available,try layering it, thinlysliced with potatoes,

onions or leeks, leftover ham, cookedrashers or dried ham. Substitute celeriacwith parsnips for a change. Top with asalty cheese (Parmesan, any other granapadana, an old cheddar or leftover bits inthe fridge). Add stock (if watching yourwaistline) or cream, or a mixture of both,to come almost to the top of the dish andbake for an hour, covered with foil at gas6/200C. Remove foil and crisp up for 15minutes.

■ Try sprinkling a little balsamic vinegaron hot potatoes. You don’t need any but-ter or oil as the flavour is strong enoughand helps to keep the potatoes light andcalorie-free.

■ Chop parsley with toasted sun-flower seeds and a little salt for extraflavour.

■ Add sweated chilli with crème

fraiche to mashed potatoes for a silkyzing.

■ Rub potatoes for roasting with currypaste. There is usually enough oil in it tocrisp them up. Delicious with chickenand lamb.

■ Next week for Valentine’s Day, buy aheart shaped pastry cutter. Slice potatoesand cut out heart shapes. Rub with oliveoil, sprinkle with rosemary or anyfavourite herb androast at gas 7/220C for 20 min-utes or until gold-en. Serve withmayonnaise spikedwith choppedparsley and lemonjuice.

Potatoes are agood source of

protein which

so many of theIrish populationsurvived on

explains why

them beforethe famine andperished

without


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Deirdre O'Flynn

MOSTLY MEN

DId you know...

The Year of the Rabbitwith Kate O’ReillyTAKE 4

Male health

Clooney latest starto contract malariaGEORGE Clooney, pictured,has joined Cheryl Cole as thelatest high-profile name tohighlight malaria, a potentiallylife-threatening disease.“Malaria is a disease which

can affect any traveller and itis not just found on safari andbackpacking holidaysbut also in some ofthe major cities whichbusiness travellersmay be exposed,”says Dr Graham Frymedical director ofthe Tropical MedicalBureau.“The malaria tablets

we have nowadays are excel-lent but they still do not pro-vide 100% cover.“All travellers returning from

an at-risk region of the worldshould be aware that anyflu-like symptoms in the weeksor months following their trip

should be investigatedfor possible malaria.”Recently there were 82

reported cases of malar-ia in the 12 months upto end-December 2010,according to the Nation-al Surveillance Centre.■ More info:www.tmb.ie.

Inhaled insulin may soonbe option for diabeticsIF you live with diabetes, a new,inhaled insulin option may soonreplace injections. Aerogen, aGalway-based aerosol drug de-livery company, has partneredwith San Francisco biotechcompany, Dance Pharmaceuti-cals, to develop this innovation,which would see an endto the numerous insulininjections diabetic pa-tients currently endure.Diabetes affects more

than 200,000 people inIreland alone, and thisnumber is on the in-crease.“Most diabetics avoid

taking insulin for years, becausethe treatment requires multiple,daily injections. The conse-quences for the patient, and thehealthcare system, due to thatkind of delay are dramatic,” saysJohn S Patton, chief executiveofficer of Dance Pharma.

The product will bebased upon Aerogen’spatented, OnQ aerosoltechnology, which en-ables drugs to be nebu-lised into a fine particlemist that can be ab-sorbed through the lungswhile maintaining drugintegrity.

Marriage increasesmale and femalelongevity and benefitshusbands physicallyand wives mentally((Source: Cardiff University, Wales)

All set for theSix Nations

STRETCHING OUT: Brian O’Driscoll in training for Ireland’s game against Italy tomorrow.Picture:©INPHO/Dan Sheridan

W ITH Ireland lining outagainst Italy in the RBS SixNations tomorrow, it’s all

coming full circle for Brian O’Driscoll, whowas first selected for the senior Irish squad inApril 1999 against Italy. While he sat out thematch on the bench on that occasion, Ire-land’s captain will be hoping to play his usualinfluential role tomorrow.In the meantime, the discipline required to

lead out the team has seen O’Driscoll and hiscolleagues in camp in Limerick.“We’ve been out on the pitch, getting our

patterns and formulations right,” saysO’Driscoll, 32..“The calls are different in the national

squad to the provinces and while guys areused to playing with each other in theprovinces, now we need to get used to play-ing with each other on the Irish squad.”Having won his first cap at age 20 against

Australia, O’Driscoll is well used to therigours of training and dietary discipline.“The older you get, the more you know

how to manage the workload,” saysO’Driscoll, who was voted world rugby play-er of the decade (2000-2009) by RugbyWorld magazine. “In the beginning, you dowhat you’re told, but as you get older, you

know your own body and know when tostep out of a session.”That knowledge also comes with a

build-up of trust between the coaches andexperienced players, for whom injury man-agement is as important as fitness.“I’ve had trouble with my hamstrings, so I

have a weekly workout separate to the othersaround those,” says O’Driscoll, adding that heand the others on the team also have physioto bring them as close to 100% fit as possibleon match day.Given that Jamie Heaslip, Shane Horgan

and John Hayes have been added to the list ofno-shows in tomorrow’s Six Nationscurtain-raiser, injuries are a constant threat ina rugby player’s life.“I’ve been very fortunate with injuries.

Mine have been mostly muscular injuries in-stead of joint injuries, so I’ve had maybethree operations during my career. Theshoulder dislocation was the biggest opera-tion,” he says, referring to the infamous in-jury he sustained in the opening minutes ofhis captaincy of the Lions’ tour of NewZealand in 2005.In the meantime, it’s all about balance in

training and his diet. “During the season, it’sall about maintenance and having a good bal-anced diet,” says the Triple Crown winner,

whose ideas of a treat is a burger and chipsand, maybe, an occasional bar of chocolate.“As you get older, you see the results of

maintaining a balanced diet, so if you swayone way on the food, you know you have towork harder — it’s about being streetwise,”says O’Driscoll, admitting that, when they eatat home, he does most of the cooking forhimself and wife Amy Huberman.Meanwhile, the Gillette Fusion ProGlide

endorsed by O’Driscoll is available for12.99.

LUCKY SIGN: TheChinese Year of theRabbit, which beganyesterday, is traditionally

a year to focus on home andfamily, diplomacy and creatinga calm and peacefullifestyle.The rabbit is a lucky sign and

in Ireland celebrations includeDublin’s fourth Chinese NewYear Festival (dublincity.ie/cny)which runs until February14.One highlight is tomorrow’s

carnival where there will beChinese performances withdragon and lion dances, tai chiand martial arts displays,contemporary Chinese musicand a Chinese rock band.

HEALTHY DRINK: Green tea hasbeen used as a medicine in China forat least 4,000 years. The leaves ingreen tea are steamed and dried

which prevents fermentation and preservesthe polyphenol content, a good source ofenergising antioxidants.Green Tea also increases the metabolism

and can help with weight control. Anotherbenefit is that it contains an amino acidcalled l-theanine, which has a relaxingeffect on the brain.

Green tea is now widely avail-able in supermarkets and healthstores. Clipper Organic GreenTea costs 2.40 for 25 teabags.Higher Nature’s High Antioxi-dant Green Tea, 7.50, comes ina granule form or if you don’tlike the taste, Solgar do GreenTea capsules cost 14.70 for 50.

CALMING PATCH: Patch-It areplaster-style reflexology patchesthat are worn on the feet overnightand are made from a blend of

natural, ingredients, including mandarinwood vinegar.In traditional Chinese medicine, vinegar

has warming and “drawing” propertiesand Patch-It works by stimulating thereflexology points on the feet and boost-ing blood-flow to help the wearer feelrefreshed overnight.Clinical trials have found that

using Patch-It will enhancesleep by up to 40%.Fans include Strictly Come

Dancing champion Ola Jordan.Patch-It costs 11.99 for a boxof six, from health stores andpharmacies. www.patch-it.info.

BALANCING HERB:Also known aswomen’s ginseng,dong quai is used

in Chinese medicine as afemale tonic. Research hasshown that Dong Quaicontains phytoestrogens andthat it may also be a musclerelaxant making it useful inhelping to maintain hormonebalance and inthe treatment ofmenopausalsymptoms,menstrualcramps andPMS. Solgar’sDong Quai is17.02 for 100capsules.

2 431

FESTIVE MOOD: At thelaunch of the DublinChinese New Year Festivalwere Jialanna Lucy Yinwith Meili the Rabbit andAmy Yin Zhang of thefestival committee. Picture:Jason Clarke Photography.


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Feelgood

The

heat

ison

STUFF WE LIKE

Beauty

The news on ...

Emily O’SullivanTAKE THREE

It may still be dark outside but the key for spring is colour

AROUND about late January andinto early February, the springbeauty collections launch. But it’s

hard to think of Côte d’Azur-inspired eye-shadows and beachy lipglosses when the skyis granite-coloured and we’re still wearingseveral layers of thermals. The same goeswith fashion.It takes a gargantuan effort to get excited

about light, strappy, pale-coloured clotheswhen your skin hasn’t seen the light of day inseveral months. On the Topshop website lastweek, we saw a sky blue ruffle bra top. Inthis weather? Ruffle bra tops are a tough callat the best of times, but at the start of Febru-ary it sends a chill through our bodies justthinking about taking off our Shetland woolcardi and thick black tights.Getting into summer beauty is actually eas-

ier than it is with fashion. Beauty is not sodependent on the weather for success, and aslong as you’re not going to lash on the faketan and Barbie-ish lipstick, there’s no reasonwhy you can’t incorporate bits of the springcollections gradually. It’s all about choosingwell.One thing we particularly love about beau-

ty is that it’s cheaper than fashion. It mightcost a lot to update your wardrobe, but youcan update your beauty look for next tonothing. We all need a lift in the dark days ofwinter, and if buying a new lipstick or acheeky coloured nail polish can change yourmood then we’re all for it.The key change for spring is colour. Win-

ter has been particularly dreary on that front,with only a few bursts of bright red lipstickto shake us out of our monotoned palette.Otherwise, there’s been lots of dark eyeshad-ows, brooding bottle greens and warm

chocolates. For spring, naturally, the oppositeis the case with a sumptuous burst of prettyfeminine shades from the likes of Lancôme,Bobbi Brown, Chanel and Yves Saint Laurentshowing graceful, wearable, ethereal and veryflattering tones of pinky beige, soft duskypinks and creamy caramels.Lancôme has decided to go a step further

with a whole collection based around, laven-der. It’s difficult to see age-old lavender as acool colour, and reining in ‘girl of the mo-ment’ Julia Restoin-Roitfeld in a ’70s style isnot going to make it any hipper (having saidthat, we admit to having more than a slightcrush on the new Le Vernis in Lavande,which is part of their spring collection).If you’re after a more directional look,

though, you’re in luck this year. We’re partic-ularly loving the styling of the Dior CoutureShows, which showed models with impossi-bly glossy red lips teamed with a pale com-plexion and very retro eyes. It’s a kind of“madly chic” aesthetic reflected in MAC’snew collection Stylishly Yours, a mod-ern-retro clash of colours that works a treat(available online). Technicolour is a hot lookfor summer but don’t be afraid of injecting apop of bright into your current look.Brights, especially zesty oranges or cool

blues, look great against a dark fashion paletteof black and grey. Nars and M&S have somegreat eyeshadow shades this season which areperfect for creating a more graphic,high-fashion look.

EYE CREAM

AS soon as a company launches a super-hot serum, there’s usually an eye creamfast on its heels. Prevage is one of Eliza-beth Arden’s most successful productsthanks to Idebenonetechnology, unsurpassedas the most powerfulantioxidant around.

The new moisturiseris very pricey at 100(as is the serum), but inconsumer tests 97%saw an immediateimprovement in the skin’s appearancearound the eyes. Available from Boots andselected department stores.

MAKE-UP BAGS

Make-up bags can be quite horrificthings. At least ours is. Shoving stuffinto it without lids on, leaky foundation,shattered eyeshadows — it makes us feela little bit depressed every time we haveto open it. Well, it’s February and if youhaven’t cleared out your make-up bagalready, now is the time to start. A newbag could mean a new you — sort of.

MAC Soft Sac make-up bag, small,23. There’s nothing fancy about this

one. It’s as straightforward as it can get,but it has an underlying chic simplicitythat we rather like. A good, purse-sized,pouch-style zip-up option in lightweightnylon.

Bobbi Brown Cosmetic Case, 35.Yes, we knowit’s kind ofexpensiveand kind ofextravagant,but this is areally, reallygoodmake-up bag.It’s well-struc-tured and has good little interior pocketsto keep things from jumping all over theplace. The sleek black nylon makes it feelpretty nice, too.

Ruby & Millie Gold Cosmetic Bag,11. Feeling a bit bored of black, well

this pencil-case style make-up bag fromRuby & Millie in glittering gold should dothe trick. It’s stylish and practical, too.Sorted.

Nars Nail Polish in Desperado, 16. Wedo love this one, and we particularly love itbecause it doesn’t have any kind of telltale

“spring” look. If anything, it’s moreChristmassy with its faded antiquegold look. Lovely.

Lancôme Le Vernis in Lavende,16. There’s little we like

about lavender — we don’tlike the colour and we don’tlike the scent, but as anti-lavender as we might be,this nail polish has won usover. It’s cool and collected.

Yves Saint Laurent Créme deBlush, 42. It’s “all natural” for thecheeks for spring/summer, especially

against a backdrop of pretty pinks andcreams for the face. This cream blush fromYSL is a good option with a very light andvelvety texture that sinks into the skin andleaves you looking all peaches and cream.

Chanel Ombres Perlées de Chanel,50. The softness and beauty of pearls has

inspired Chanel’s spring summercollection, and their paletteOmbres Perlées de Chanel isdelicate and ethereal without

being insipid. A good choice forthe summer months, it can beblended to create a myriad of dif-ferent look thanks to the shadesof white pearl, rose porcelain,light purple, green-grey andsparkling grey-black.

Giorgio Armani Transluminence EyePalette, 52.50. This is a great crossovereye palette because it still packs a punchwith shades rooted in the forest, a moreautumnal look that can be made moreluminous as we edge towards summer.It also offers a way of achieving a moredirectional “smoky eye” look. Expensivebut we think it’s a smart investment.

M&S Essential Colour Eye Palettein Lagoon, 7. This looks like a beachtowel it’s so bright, but you don’t haveto wear them all at once. A greatselection of technicolour shades that’sband on trend at a very affordableprice. Choose from bright orangeto eye-popping turquoise, great forgetting the spring look — on a budget.

VARIED PALETTES: GiorgioArmani Transluminence EyePalette, 52.50. , left andM&S Essential Colour EyePalette in Lagoon, 7.

ON REFLECTION: Take a modern-retro direction with MAC’s new collection Stylishly Yours.


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Do you have a questionfor Megan Sheppard?Email it [email protected] send a letter toFeelgoodIrish ExaminerCity QuarterLapps QuayCork

Megan puts the spotlight on: Top Tips to Improve your Diet

Natural health

Megan Sheppard

SOREPOINT:Stress isone ofthe keytriggers ofheadaches,which canbe eased byessentialoils.Picture: iStock

Q I SUFFER from tensionheadaches. My neck andshoulders get very tight andthe pain radiates from the baseof my skull. Sometimes it feels

as if I am about to put my neck out ofjoint just by moving it. I drink plenty ofwater and try to get rid of the headacheswithout using paracetamol, but often haveto resort to it just to get anything done.What do you suggest?

A. Essential oils can be very effective intreating headaches as long as you choose oilswhich resonate with you. Lavender is oftentouted as a wonderful headache remedy, yetmany people find it can worsen their symp-toms or simply have an aversion to the scent.I find that peppermint and sweet basil essen-tial oils tend to work well when applied tothe temples, base of the skull and down theneck.

Dilute the oils by using a few drops in aneggcup of base oil and gently mix togetherbefore applying the combination. If you canget someone to massage the tense muscles,then by all means do so. However, for somepeople a massage can make things worse.

You might also want to investigate herbalpain relief in the form of boswellia serrata,feverfew and butterbur, which all work torelax the muscular tension by dilating theblood vessels. They are not fast-acting likeparacetamol, so it’s best to take them as apreventative in the short term.

Of course, none of these remedies addressthe root cause of your stress. Once you havebegun to manage this issue, then theheadaches and muscle tension should easeconsiderably. Identifying stress triggers andtaking steps to reduce them, such as medita-tion, journalling, and/or time management,is your best longterm solution.

Bowen Technique can also help to reduceyour stress response and current pain levels.This series of gentle pressures applied to spe-cific areas has proven to be most effective inrelieving a number of muscular, skeletal andnerve conditions. For more information re-garding this technique, contact Joan Hewet-son (087-6448477), a Bowen therapist inCork City recommended by the EuropeanCollege of Bowen Studies.

Q. In the past you have mentioned thathomeopathy is safe for all ages. But whatthe exact dosage is for babies and chil-dren? Do I just give half?

A. People of all ages, including infants andchildren, can have the same dosage as adultswithout any risks or adverse effects. This isbecause homeopathy is a system of medicinewhich is based on energetic properties ratherthan a chemical dosage.

The energetic information ‘recorded’ ineach remedy is virtually the same for anydosage of a particular potency of homeo-pathic treatment. The potency is denoted us-

ing a number and letter — the number indi-cates how many times the source has beendiluted, while the letter indicates the dilutionrate. X is the slowest dilution rate at 1/10, Cdenotes 1/100 dilution, M is 1/1000 andLM is the fastest dilution rate at 1/50,000.

Each remedy is potentised during this se-ries of dilutions and succussions (a powerfulshaking action), which means that the reme-dy substance is activated while removing anyrisk of chemical toxicity. The difference be-tween these potencies is in their actionrather than the notion of being a stronger orweaker medicine.

Homeopathic remedies are not withoutside-effects, however — there are some indi-viduals who experience a short-lived aggra-vation to a remedy depending on their sensi-tivity rather than their age or body mass. Di-luting the remedy further typically remediesthis situation.

It is common to find directions onover-the-counter homeopathic remedies in-dicating a smaller dose for infants and chil-dren — this is more a case of meeting con-sumer expectations rather than being a safetyissue. It is also worth noting that it can befar more simple to give a small dose of anygiven remedy to a baby or child than it is toattempt 2ml or 5 pillules.

Q. I have developed a stye in my left eyeand am finding it unsightly and uncom-fortable. It is very swollen and red. Isthere a natural remedy which can help toget rid of this?

A. A stye is an infection of the oil-secretingglands in the edge of the eyelid, frequentlycaused by the staphylococcus bacterium. Thefirst step you need to take is to be mindful of

hygiene around the stye to prevent spreadingthe infection to the other eye or aggravatingthe existing stye. If you are a contact lenswearer, it is a good idea to switch to glassesfor the duration of the infection.

If the area is extremely swollen, then itmay be necessary to see your doctor to ar-range for the area to be drained. If onlymoderately swollen, then you can generallytreat the stye effectively at home using natu-ral remedies. Do resist the temptation to rubor squeeze the stye.

Relief can be found through eye washeswith a dilute solution of chamomile or rasp-berry leaf tea. You can also use a cotton padto gently apply this solution topically aroundthe eyelid. I have a friend who swears by agold ring whenever she gets a stye. She rubsthe gold ring over the area and it seems towork.

Styes can also be a sign of vitamin A defi-ciency. Food sources of vitamin A includeliver, carrots, spinach, sweet potato, egg yolk,dried apricots, mango, paw paw, rockmelon,and pumpkin. By contrast, alcohol, coffee,and excess iron supplementation can depletevitamin A levels, so exclude or limit these ifnecessary.

If you don’t feel that you are gettingenough vitamin A in your diet, you couldsupplement so that you are getting around50,000IUs daily from combined sources.Beef and lamb liver contain around30,000IUs per 100g serving, while duck liv-er is highest at 40,000IUs per 100g.

Vegetarians will be pleased to know thatcarrots have just under 30,000IUs in each100g serving, which is why they are linkedwith eye health. In fact, most of the brightorange or yellow fruits and vegetables arehigh in vitamin A — so when in doubtchoose these brightly coloured foods.

1. Avoid highly processed foodsOnce food has been processed to thepoint where it no longer even resem-bles the original natural source (sugarcane to sugar, potatoes to crisps,wheat to baked goods) chances arethat your body will also have greatdifficulty in decoding the originalsource nutrients. And there are manyfoods which contain more chemicaladditives than actual food — steer wellclear of these.

2. Eat local seasonal wholefoodsBuy organic where possible, but dothe best you can in terms of budgetand local availability. You can alwaysvisit your local farmers’ market and

chat with the growers about their useof chemical or natural pest and growthmeasures. Often it is a case of thefarmer being as organic as you wouldin your own back yard, but the paper-work and expense of becoming organ-ic is prohibitive to many small scalefarms and orchards.

3. Include plenty of raw foodsCooking destroys nutrients infoods, while live foods containenzymes to help break downand digest the food. Ofcourse, the more you cookfood, the less healthy it be-comes — heavily fried orbarbecued foods should be

avoided in favour of lightly steamed,lightly stir-fried, baked, or slow-cookedmeals.

A small salad or handful of leafygreens before any cooked meal willgive the body some living enzymes todigest cooked food and protect againstdigestive leukocytosis, which is theabnormal increase in white blood cellsseen every time cooked food is eaten,

because it is no longer in thenatural state and cannot be

recognised by your immunesystem. Eating a small sal-ad orsimilar before a cookedmeal reduces this reaction

hugely and so helps with di-

gestion, immunity, and of course ener-gy.

4. Turn your foods into probioticsFermented foods such as sauerkraut,kim chee, tempeh, natto, miso, home-made yoghurts, pickled vegetables, ke-fir, and kombucha are all incrediblybeneficial for your digestion and yourimmune health. Check out Weston APrice resources, or a book called WildFermentation by SandorEllix Katz for more information.

5. Eat a rainbow dietThe phytonutrients which give fruitsand vegetables their fabulous coloursare incredibly beneficial to our health.

TERAPROOF:User:GREGMCCANNDate:02/02/2011Time:15:38:44Edition:04/02/2011FeelgoodXH0402Page:16 Zone:XH

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Feelgood

No 2 Camden Place,St Patricks Bridge, Cork

t: (021) 4552424

OPENINGTIMES: Monday to Friday 8am-9.30pmPlease log on to www.thehairclinichlcc.com

Before treatment

Prevention is better than cureWhen34yearoldKenneth

Fallon started losing hishair 4 years ago he went tosee the HairClinic and wastold about a revolutionarypainfree laser treatmentthat prevents hairloss andhelps to thicken existingthin hair.“The trichologist told me thatit was important that I caughtmy hairloss early as when thehair is gone, it’s gone, andthe laser can only work onthinning hair. I cannot growhair on a bald head. I was

also told that the conditionI had, known as AndrogenicAlopecia, was an inheritedcondition and as my dad wasbald, as was my grandad, Iknew I has to do somethingas I was heading the sameway.“Unfortunately with mywork and the birth of mydaughter, I didn’t go aheadwith treatment straightaway as recommended andmy hair just got worse andworse. I kept meaning to dosomething about it but I just

kept putting it off which Iknow is the worst thing to doas I know once the hair root isdead, it’s too late.One evening, after wehad been out with friends,a friend of mine postedthe evening’s pictures onFacebook and I couldn’tbelieve how bad my hairlooked. I hated seeing myselflike that and I knew I had todo something. The next dayI made another appointmentwith the HairClinic whichwas the original Cork City

clinic I had visited all thoseyears ago and I was told that Ihas lost some hair around thecrown so I would always bea little bit light in that area.But the great news was thatthe laser treatment wouldstop my hair from getting anyworse and also thicken mythinning hair.9 months on and there hasbeen a huge improvement inmy hair and I am delighted.I just wish I had donetreatment earlier when I firstnoticed the thinning!

After 6 months laser treatment

Stops hairloss andthickens hair in 94%of patients

Totally safe andpainfree

Works for men andwomen

FDA cleared ashaving no sideeffects

FREEConsultation

feelgood 04-02-2011

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