feelgood 10-12-2010

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FeelgoodFriday, December 10, 2010

Feelgood

Float away

STRESS BUSTERSHow to stay calm (and bright)during the festivities: 4,5

HAPPY OUTCOMEOne man’s personal journeythrough depression: 6

STIR IT UPTop cookery books forfoodies and beginners: 12

When a silent night filledwith sleep is all you wantfor Christmas: 8,9

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2010

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Feelgood

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

■ BOOK SIGNING: A signing of The BigBook of Hope will take place in Eason’sin Patrick St, Cork, tomorrow from12pm to 1pm. The Big Book of Hopecontains contributions from more than40 Irish personalities and proceeds goto The Hope Foundation which fundsprojects in Calcutta. A number of thecontributors will be on hand to signcopies of the book, including MEP BrianCrowley. And on Sunday December 19the annual Santa Hat Splash for Hopewill take place at Garryvoe Strand atnoon. For further information call021-4292990; www.hopefoundation.ie.

■ PEACE TALK: Nurse Eileen Carr is inKinsale tonight to speak about her workwith children in Palestine’s West Bank.She is a guest of the Kinsale Peace Pro-ject and will give a talk at The FriaryCentre at 8pm. For more, contactPadraig Fitzgerald on 086-8583185.

■ AWARE MEETING: The last meetingof the Mallow Aware support group willbe held next Thursday in Le Cheile Fam-ily Resource Centre, Fair Street, at 8pm.This is an open group and all who livewith depression or anxiety are welcometo attend. The Aware helpline is 1890303 302 and more information on isavailable on www.aware.ie

■ HEART CLINIC: The Irish Heart Foun-dation will hold a free blood pressureand cholesterol testing clinic at theFamily Resource Centre, Farranree nextWednesday from 2.30pm to 4pm. Call021-4505822.

■ SIMON LUNCH: As a Christmas giftidea, Cork Simon is suggesting a ticketto their Women’s Little Christmas Lunchat Maryborough House Hotel on Thurs-day, January 6 at 12.30pm. Tickets cost60. Call Mary at 021-4929410 or [email protected]

■ SANTA DASH: Irishfit.ie has got to-gether with the Irish Heart Foundationto organise the Santa Dash this Sunday.It begins at 10am at the corner of AlfieByrne Rd and Clontarf Rd, Dublin 3 andyou can choose the 5K or 10K course.Santa suits are included in the entry feeof 25. See www.santadash.ie for more.

■ WORKSHOP FUNDRAISER: A Radi-ant Workshop in aid of the St Vincent dePaul will be held in Bessboro MeditationCentre, Blackrock, Cork this Sunday. Allare welcome to come and experiencethe benefits of tai chi, chi kung, yogaand meditation with Irish Infinite Tai Chiteachers. A donation of 50 is asked fora full day (10am to 5pm) and 25 for ahalf day with all proceeds going to SVP.See www.RadiantWorkshops.com orphone Yogi Cho on 085-1691304.

■ OPEN DAY: There will be an OpenDay at Ballincollig Healing Centre in theOld Square on Sunday You can browsethrough the selection of holistic books,crafts etc or experience a therapy ofyour choice —including homeopathyIET and massage – for 10. Call021-4289878 or see www.ballincol-lighealingcentre.com.

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

Rheumatoid arthritis is a debilitating condition which affectsyoung as well as old, writes Arlene Harris

Fighting the pain

POSITIVE ATTITUDE: Rheumatoid arthritissufferer Laura Hickey has found support fromthe Young Arthritis Network invaluable.Picture: Arthur Carron/Collins

L EINSTER House is undoubtedlya stressful place to be right now,but when Justice Minister, Der-

mot Ahern announced his retirement lastweek, it apparently had little to do withpolitics and everything to do with his phys-ical health.The Fianna Fáil Minister revealed that for

the past 18 months he has been sufferingfrom rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a cripplingcondition which ‘necessitates heavy medi-cation’.RA is traditionally viewed as an older

person’s disease and at 55, the politicianseems a relatively young sufferer, but withmore than 1,000 children under 16 copingwith the condition in Ireland, it is far morecommon than most people realise.Laura Hickey is 25-years-old. She was di-

agnosed with arthritis at just 10 years of ageand has spent the last 15 years learning howto live a normal life while coping with painon a daily basis.“As long as I can remember I’ve had pain

in my joints. My parents took me to seeseveral doctors who misdiagnosed me withgrowing pains and fluid on the knees,” sherecalls. “Then one morning I woke up inhorrific pain — all my joints were red,warm, stiff and swollen so my mumbrought me to the GP who referred me toCrumlin where I was diagnosed with juve-nile RA.”

The Dublin woman says that while manyyoung people suffer with the condition, it isnot widely recognised.“I truly believe that people don’t under-

stand the impact arthritis has on a youngperson’s life,” she says. “Severe pain ripplesthrough every part of your body and that iscoupled with fatigue and a suppressed im-mune system.“Having RA has made my life a lot more

difficult — at times my self-confidence hasbeen knocked, I’ve lost several friends whocouldn’t understand the disease and I’ve hadto be a lot more responsible than mostyoung people.”But the fund accountant is currently on

medication which helps to ease the pain ofher condition and she remains positivethroughout.“Having a positive attitude is harder than

it sounds but it has allowed me to live agood life despite the arthritis,” she says. “Iwould advise anyone in the same position torealise that they are not alone and to contactthe Young Arthritis Network.“Since meeting other young people with

arthritis, my life has changed for the betterand the comfort, support and most impor-tantly the laughs we have together is worthits weight in gold.“If you have arthritis, make a New Year’s

resolution to get in touch.”

■ For more information visit www.arthri-tisireland.ie or call 1890 252 846■ Read Laura’s blog on http://youngarthri-tisnetwork.blogspot.com/

DRINK UP: AFinnish studyhas found thatcoffee may lowerrisk of heartfailure inwomen.Picture: Getty Images

VITAMIN D, known as “bottled sunshine“,has been basking in the sun with scores ofstudies suggesting it protects against heartdisease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pres-sure, schizophrenia and multiple sclerosis.But a team of experts beg to differ. After

reviewing more than 1,000 research papers,the heavy-hitting Institute of Medicine in theUS concluded that the high levels often rec-ommended are unnecessary and could evenbe harmful.“This review found that information about

the health benefits [of vitamin D] beyondbone health were from studies that provid-ed often mixed and inconclusive results andcould not be considered reliable,” the com-mittee said.They recommend people need 600 inter-

national units a day (800 a day over age 70)and warn that doses above 4,000 units aday may be harmful. Vitamin D supple-ments containing 5,000 units per pill arewidely available in the US, and can also bebought in Ireland.

Despite significant advances in managingasthma, a recent survey of 271 parents showsthat it continues to be inadequately con-trolled in over 26% of children affected bythe condition. One in four asthmatic childrenare found to experience reduced levels of ac-tivity, such as lower participation in sport,while the condition results in 27% of thoseaffected being absent from school on amonthly basis (or more frequently).

According to the survey, the most commondifficulties faced by parents include an inabili-ty to control triggers that affect their child’ssymptoms (eg pollen, dust and air pollution),difficulties in knowing how best to treat thecondition and difficulties in administering themedication. The results are part of a surveyof parents of asthmatic children (under 1 – 18years) carried out by MSD Ireland throughIrish parenting website, RollerCoaster.ie.Further information about symptoms and

triggers associated with asthma is availableonline by visiting www.allergyandasthma.ie

Yet another good reason for coffee drinkersto ask for a refill. A prospective cohort studypublished in the British Medical Journalshow that coffee consumption may be asso-ciated with a reduced risk of heart failure inwomen. Analysis of data from a cohort of

59,490 Finnish men and women aged 25-74years old, showed an inverse relationshipbetween moderate coffee consumption andheart failure in women. The results alsoshowed there was no increased risk of heartfailure in men who participated in the study.

On Monday, Munster rugby captain DenisLeamy and former Leinster rugby player JohnFogarty will launch the first ABI IrelandGuide to Brain Injury. Produced by AcquiredBrain Injury Ireland, a support organisationfor people with acquired brain injury andtheir families, the guide aims to create aware-ness of the signs and symptoms of acquiredbrain injury, including concussion.More than 10,000 people are affected by

acquired brain injury (ABI) in Ireland everyyear. For more information, visit www.abiire-land.ie

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FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2010Feelgood

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THE SHAPE I'M IN Jason Byrne

I’m mad paranoid. Ialways think I’m

going to drop dead.My family has hadheart problems soI went to a heartdoctor recentlyand got a fullhealth check

On a health kick

Do you pray?I don’t tend to. I envy people with religion. I was in HongKong doing a gig, where there are so many poor people. Isaw this guy in a white vest, carrying a mass of bricks. Hestopped at a religious shrine, put down the bricks and litcandles. He looked like he didn’t have a care in the world.

What would cheer up your day?I love collecting my kids from school. The little fellow justgoes ‘Daddy’ when he sees me — I have no worries then.I also love seeing them dancing in front of the TV whenStrictly Come Dancing is on.

Helen O’Callaghan

FUNNY man Jason Byrne performs at CorkOpera House tonight. From Dublin’s Southside,Jason was the first stand-up comedian to sell over

25,000 tickets at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He has justfinished recording a one-hour Christmas special for RTÉ.The 38-year-old has also recently been inspired by his son,Devin, 10, to get into a new type of exercise. “Devin goesto tae kwon do and I go with him three times a week.Going to aerobics and the gym wouldn’t work for me. Ihave a low attention span so I won’t stick to routine. Taekwon do is great fun — it’s not a load of men punchingeach other.”Married to Brenda, the couple also have a three-year-oldson, Daniel.

What shape are you in?I’m mad paranoid. I always think I’m going to drop dead.My family has had heart problems so I went to a heartdoctor recently and got a full health check. I found out myheart is perfect and so are my blood pressure and choles-terol.

How do you keep fit?Aside from tae kwon do, I’ve got a weight machine in theshed and I work on that. I also do a 3km lap around whereI live.

What are your healthiest eating habits?My wife is a brilliant cook. My favourite healthiest dishthat she cooks is vegetable chilli with brown rice. The kidslove it because it’s quite sweet.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?Whenever I’ve been away and I come back into DublinAirport, I immediately buy a packet of Tayto or Kingcheese and onion crisps. I could also sit down and eat 20chocolate Rice Krispie cakes.

What would keep you awake at night?I’m a very bad sleeper. Two nights ago, I recorded myRTÉ one-hour special for Christmas — in the two-weeklead-up to that, I kept running through the gig atnight-time. My mind is so active. People say ‘clear yourmind’. If I do that, I’ve got an empty canvas that just fillsup immediately.

How do you relax?When I’m exercising, I’m not thinking of the gigs. That’sthe best way for me to get rid of stress and worry. Mydoctor says ‘you don’t have time not to go for a walk’.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?I’d love to invite Harrison Ford, Tommy Cooper andCharlie Chaplin. I’d also like to meet Hitler. Imagine shak-ing hands with him and looking into his eyes — it’d be anervous dinner. His secretary said of him that whenever hespoke, the whole room went quiet.

What’s your favourite smell?I love the smell of fresh wood. My dad was a cooper — hewas always cutting wood.

When did you last cry?My last proper cry was at the birth of my second child.The whole day had been so stressful. All I could think wasI hope my wife survives this. Then you see the baby com-ing out and there’s that release of tears.

What would you change about your appearance?My sisters and I have inherited this weird little jowly bitunder the chin — I’d get rid of that.

What trait do you least like in others?I have a big problem with people who aren’t genuine. Ican’t stand nasty, self-centred people.

What trait do you least like in yourself?I wish I was calmer. My dad’s very chilled out. He nevergot stressed, which was very stressful for everybody aroundhim. I’d love to be like him and not be a worrier. Everyminute of the day I’m worrying about someone or some-thing — I’m always on.

SHARP SHOOTER :Anxious to keep fit andhealthy, Jason Byrnedoes tae kwan do, liftsweights and runs.

In profile

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Feelgood Feelgood

Festive pressure

Christmas is a timewhen all the familydramas played outthroughout the year cometo a head

Christmas can leave us feeling more frazzled than festive. Deirdre Reynolds gets expert tips on how to enjoy it without breaking the bank or losing your cool

T IS THE season to be jolly — butfrom pay cuts to tax hikes, the storyof the Grinch who stole Christmas

may hit a little too close to home this Yule-tide. Lump in the usual stress of Christmasshopping, tackling the turkey and visiting rel-atives, and it’s little wonder that most of usare left feeling more frazzled than festive bythe time December 25 rolls around.Some 51% of people say they feel more

stressed now than they did 12 months ago,according to a recent survey by HSF HealthPlan. And more than half of those affectedcan’t afford professional help to do somethingabout it.From financial pressure to the obligatory

family bust-up, Christmas is one big hang-over waiting to happen, says Dr Harry Barry,author of Flagging Stress: Toxic Stress andHow to Avoid It.“Christmas can be a bit like Big Brother,”

he says. “Family members who mightn’t nor-mally see each other come together in acompressed environment, causing anylong-standing issues to bubble to the surface.“Add in financial difficulties, too much

drink and bad weather, and it can be ex-tremely stressful.“This year more than ever, a lot of people

will spend Christmas catastrophising,” headds. “Part of the problem is the expectationwe have surrounding Christmas — especiallywhen it comes to keeping children happy.“But as a nation we need to start normalis-

ing Christmas — and if the kids don’t findeverything they want under the tree, wellthere’s an important lesson there — you don’talways get what you want in life.“Happiness does not come from Christmas

presents. Try to just enjoy Christmas as a spe-cial couple of days with your family.”

DINNER

From coeliacs to vegans and plain fussyeaters, the festive feast is no longer simply acase of slapping up a few slices of turkey andsome Brussels sprouts no one eats anyway.Hosting your very own Come Dine with Meis stressful enough at the best of times. Stir insome critical in-laws and Christmas cooksmay feel like they’reon Hell’s Kitchen in-stead, says TV chefCatherine Fulvio.“Prepare as much

of the meal as possi-ble in advance,” sheadvises. “I’m thefreezer queen — Ihave everything fromthe stuffing to the vegready so I just have tobung it in the ovenon Christmas Day.“The turkey is

probably the thingthat stresses peopleout most. Althoughyou shouldn’t pre-cook it, you can cleanit, weigh it and work

out the cooking time the day before.”Find out if any of your guests have special

dietary requirements — “but don’t feelobliged to make separate meals for everyone,”says Fulvio. “Your other guests may not jumpfor joy at the prospect of a gluten-freeChristmas pudding, but there are some reallytasty recipes out there.”If there’s one thing you shouldn’t stress

about this Christmas, it’s calories says Aman-da Brunker — who’s just penned her firstcookbook.“If ever there was a time to throw off food

guilt, it’s Christmas,” she says. “If it’s beenpulled from the ground, plucked from a treeor ran around a farmyard, I’m happy tosmother it in butter, roast it and serve it up.”

PRESENTS

Santa has it so easy: Make list, check twice,deliver presents. If you don’t have your veryown band of elves though, there’s no chanceof slacking off for milk and cookies like SaintNick.When in short supply, time, money and

imagination are all foes of good yuletidegift-giving. And this year more than ever,finding anything more than a lump of coal inyour stocking is a bonus, reckons OonaghLevis of Giftguru.ie.“People aren’t splashing out on extravagant

presents any more,” she says. “Instead, they’reputting more thought into it and buyingquirky gifts that won’t break the bank. Forinstance, we have a 15 chess and wine giftset and 30 microwaveable slippers that areproving popular.“People are working such long hours

nowadays that they don’t want to traipsearound the shops after work,” she adds.“More and more Irish consumers are doingtheir Christmas shopping online. It’s conve-nient, delivered to your door and we even doa free gift-wrapping service so you’ve one lessthing to do.”If you’re still stuck for inspiration, a

guilt-free charity gift is the way to go.“Charity gifts can help reduce the stress of

Christmas shopping for you and change the

future for someone in the developingworld,” says Cora O’Liatháin of OxfamIreland Unwrapped. Feelgood gifts startfrom 7.Best of all, even if the recipient doesn’t

like it, they can’t exactly complain.

FINANCES

Second only to Luxembourg, Irelandsplashes more cash than anyone else inEurope at Christmas. In the throes of theworst economic crisis the country hasever seen, however, Rudolph won’t bethe only one being reined in this winter.Consumers here will spend on average

10.6% less this Christmas, accordingto a survey by financial consultantsDeloitte. Scrooge may have beenon to something, says JohnLowe of Moneydoctor.ie.“People really need to

wise up to theirspending this Christ-mas,” he warns. “Ifyour expenditure ismore than your in-come, eventuallyyou’re going to haveto pay the piper —whether that’s a creditcard bill, overdraft oreven a loan shark.“People might be

tempted to bury their headsin the sand and worry about itafter Christmas. But if you enter theNew Year in the red, the problem is only go-ing to keep getting worse.”From Christmas crackers to the obligatory

tin of Roses, nothing is safe this yuletide.“Firstly, ask yourself if you really need the

item then question if there is a cheaper alter-native,” says Lowe, author of The MoneyDoctor Finance Annual 2010. “My newmantra this Christmas is: ‘Stop spending.’”

FAMILY

Christmas is a time for family — and fightingis never far behind.Holed up with your relatives for days on

end, the traditional family Christmas is abreeding ground for rows, says David Ka-vanagh of Avalon Relationship Counselling.“Christmas is a difficult time for family re-

lations,” says the family therapist. “All the lit-

tle family dramas that have been playing outthroughout the year come to a head.”For couples too, the mistletoe often goes to

waste. “Sometimes we put unfair pressure onour partner to make us happy at Christmas,especially if it’s your first year as a marriedcouple or you’ve just started going out. If thesnow isn’t falling outside or there isn’t a hugestack of pressies under the tree, it can feel likean anti-climax.”If you are returning to the nest, resistreverting back to child mode.

“Behaving like a tetchy teen overChristmas can be quite hurtful toyour parents,” says Kavanagh.

“They’ll think you’re only there outof obligation. If you start to get cab-in fever, give yourself a break fromthe situation by going out tomeet a friend or going to thecinema.”

Then there are thedreaded in-laws.“Decide in advancewhere you’re going tospend Christmas as acouple,” he advises.“And remember thatChristmas Day gets ahigher weighting thanany other day. If youdon’t get on with yourin-laws, you may have towork hard to bite yourtongue in order to keep the

peace.”

ME-TIME

Between decorating, cooking, present-buy-ing, gift-wrapping, office parties and familyget-togethers, Christmas is far from a holiday.

I’M THE FREEZER

QUEEN — I HAVE

EVERYTHING

READY TO BUNG

IN THE OVEN

— Catherine Fulvio

Keep the sparkle without the stressBurnt out like well-worn fairy lights, most ofus begin the New Year feeling anything butfresh. Survive the festive season with yoursanity intact by stealing some ‘me-time’, saysJenny Grainger of The Irish School of Life.“I’m a big advocate of being ‘positively

selfish’,” she says. “If you’re constantly givingand giving over Christmas, you’re going to bedrained, snappy and stressed — which is nei-ther good for yourself or the people around

you.”Don’t wait until New

Year’s to vow to improveyour lot — try making a

Christmas res-olution in-stead.

“Rather than rushing blindly into theChristmas break, take a few minutes to de-cide what you want to get out of the holi-day,” says life coach Grainger. “For example:‘My intention is to have a fun, relaxing timethis Christmas.’“Christmas is a great time for taking stock.

One of the things I do every year is take outmy journal and look back over everythingI’ve achieved in the past 12 months — andwhat I’d like to change in the coming year.”Amid bickering family members and

Christmas shopping tailbacks, don’t forget tobreathe: “If it all starts to get too much, stopand count to ten. Using essential oils like or-ange and clove are also great for creating a re-laxaing ambience.”


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Feelgood

Back to the light

would be to address the problem, seek helpand realise that you are definitely not alone.”With the current economic climate being

what it is, there has been a marked increasein people, particularly men, with stress anddepression related problems.Suzanne Costelloe is the director of Samar-

itans Ireland. She says that men in the 30-50year old age bracket are particularly vulnera-ble. “Traditionally, men have not been com-fortable talking about their feelings and dur-ing a time when many people have been hitby unemployment the risk of mental healthproblems and more worryingly, suicide isvery high,” she warns.

Arlene Harris meets a depression sufferer who has turned his life around

I was in aterrible waywhen I came

across Aware,the charity which

helps peoplewith depression.

I suddenlydiscovered that I

wasn’t the onlyperson with this

problem and thiswas such a great

relief

“The winter months also add to the feelingof negativity so we have launched a campaignaimed at encouraging middle-aged men totalk about their problems and to realise thatthere is always hope for the future.”Costelloe says anyone who is feeling de-

pressed or overly anxious should seek thehelp of their GP who will be able to help.Early warning signs include:

■ Overreacting.■ Permanent negativity.■ Constantly tired.■ Drinking and eating too much.■ Difficulty sleeping.

WHEN Padraig Allen was 19,he was diagnosed with bipo-lar depression. The young

student had been suffering from poor sleep,mood swings and increasingly erratic be-haviour. But this was 1968 and mental healthwas a taboo subject, so it wasn’t until theUCD economics student became almost psy-chotic that he was admitted to hospital.“Forty years ago, the word ‘depression’ was

most likely to be associated with a badweather front,” jokes Allen, now 61. “Sowhen I first started to suffer with it, no-onereally knew what was going on and peopletended not to talk about it.”The Dublin man received medical help and

in is his own words was “cobbled togetherwith medication”. This enabled him to finishhis studies and sit an exam for the civil ser-vice. But despite the cocktail of drugs whichhelped him to lead a semi-normal life, itwasn’t long before he was once again admit-ted to hospital.“In 1975, I ended up back in hospital and

was very ill for about 10 years,” he admits. “Iwould veer from being extremely high to ter-ribly low and this was very difficult for myfamily and friends — nobody knew what wasgoing on.”During that time, Allen married and had

four children but he believes his conditionwas too much for them to bear and afteryears of trying to understand his depression,his wife finally gave up on their marriage andthe couple separated.Though deeply troubled, he found solace

with a support group which he believes wasthe sole reason for his survival.“I was in a terrible way when I came across

Aware, the charity which helps people withdepression,” he says. “I suddenly discoveredthat I wasn’t the only person with this prob-lem and this was such a great relief. Going tomeetings and discussing symptoms, treatmentsand life in general with like-minded peoplewas hugely beneficial to me during that awfultime. And I made some very dear friends.”Making new friends and talking about his

condition helped Allen get back on his feetand he decided to make more life-alteringdecisions. “I took two major steps whichhelped me to come back to myself,” he says.“The first was to give up alcohol, which canbe very mood altering. I had my last pint ofGuinness at 8.45pm on December 31, 1993,and I haven’t had a drink since. The next stepwas to find a combination of medicationwhich suited me. Once this was achieved, ev-erything began to look much brighter.”With his condition under control, he was

promoted and spent the rest of his workingyears as a committee clerk (and later a princi-pal clerk) in Leinster House.“Compared with the way things could have

turned out, I feel like my life is a success sto-ry,” says Allen, who retired last year. “In thepast, mental illness was something to bebrushed under the carpet, but now peopleare encouraged to talk about it and I believethat this is the key to dealing with the prob-lem and helping to overcome it.“Ignorance is a deterrent to success and my

advice to anyone suffering from stress, de-pression or any other mental health issue

HAPPY MAN: Padraig Allen’s mental healthimproved when he quit drinking and joineda support group. Picture: Maura Hickey

Road to recovery

And if you know of someone who is dis-playing any of these symptoms, there arethree immediate ways in which to help.“Often when people are feeling very low,

they don’t know where to turn,” saysSuzanne. “If you are worried about some-one, let them know that you care, ask themif they are feeling depressed and point themin the direction of their doctor or a confi-dential support group.”

■ If you are feeling depressed or suicidal or are worriedabout someone else who might be, remember you are notalone. Contact www.samaritans.ie or call 1850-609090, orvisit www.aware.ie, 1890-303302

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Tony Humphreys

One mature teacher cantransform a school, a

parent can transform afamily. A political leader,

can transform a party and,ultimately, a country

Psychology

FEELGOOD

A DIFFERENTVIEWON LIFESTYLEYour guide to fitness, health,happiness and lifestyle.Great writers and mentors.

Where you come first.

Phone: NIAMH O’CONNELL

Tel. 021-4802215 Fax 021-4273846

[email protected]

Every Friday.

Wikileaks’s release of ‘classified’ documentshas exposed our irrational fear of the facts

DOING THE RIGHT THING?: Julian Assange has been vilifiedfor releasing factual documents. Picture: AP Photo

The truth will out

R EADING a Saturday national newspaper recently,I was struck by how, at national and internationallevels and across public and private organisations,

everybody is struggling with the truth.The Wikileaks publication of US government correspon-

dence has prompted a startling reaction to the publication oftruth — though people intuitively know the truth sets usfree, efforts to ‘shoot the messenger’ have been frightening.The founder of Wikileaks, Julian Assange, has received

death threats and has gone into hiding. US internet providersditched the site in two days. The French government at-tempted to ban French servers from hosting the leaked data.Thankfully, Assange has found other internet servers. Wik-

ileaks is about mature journalism — and we need good re-porting that seeks the truth, speaks the truth, and indicateshow to implement the truth. If, as a journalist, you don’tknow the truth of your own being and what makes you tick,then writing about the truth will be shadowed by that lack ofinner knowing.“To thine own self be true, and as sure as night follows day,

thou cannot be false to any man” — Shakespeare’s Hamletstruggled to act on truth, resulting in tragedy.I also read about China and its treatment of its dissident,

Liu Xiaobo, who is in prison because he dared to be politi-cally different. He didn’t threaten anybody, bomb anyone,shoot anyone. He co-authored the Charter ‘08 petition call-ing for political reform in China. The reform proposal waspublicised online and signed by thousands,. The Chinesegovernment is outraged that the 54-year-old Liu has beenawarded the Nobel peace prize, with the ceremony to beheld in Oslo next week. Liu’s wife is now under house arrest— his lawyer has been blocked from flying out of China.When a regime labels a citizen ‘a dissident’, it is the indi-

viduals who hold political power who are the ‘dissidents’.Robert Mugabe, in Zimbabwe, who has ruled ruthlessly, is

such an extreme example of unrelenting and terrifying op-pression of truth and the true nature of the human spirit.Burma is another case in point. When politicians know theirown truth, they are not frightened by difference — on thecontrary, they welcome it. Difference is what makes for aco-creative space, an opportunity to learn from each otherand create new opportunities for self, others and the world atlarge.China appears to want to be centre stage in the world —

economically, politically and socially — but its treatment ofits citizens, its stifling of the truth, its repression of differencereveal inner questions that its political leaders need to ask ofthemselves.Its support of the recent North Korean attack on South

Korea is not a hopeful sign that a breakthrough of truth toconsciousness is about to happen.At least from our point of view, as individuals who are part

of a world of individuals, we can celebrate, congratulate andhonour Liu for his Nobel peace prize recognition and takeheart from the truth penned by him.Another news item that caught my attention was the cyni-

cal decision of FIFA — a multi-national, multi-billion euroorganisation — to award Russia the 2018 venue for theWorld Cup, and Qatar the 2022; all this in a week that Wik-

ileaks revealed Russia to be a mafia state led Vladimir Putin,as well as the revelation that South Africa has substantial debtfollowing the 2010 World Cup.Whatever the events — wherever they are — China, Rus-

sia, Switzerland (FIFA base), Zimbabwe, Germany, Greece,Ireland — there appears to be a failure of so many individualsin political, psychological, social, economic life to come toterms with corruption, greed, avarice, depersonalisation,‘cover-ups’, denial, bullying and suppression of free speech.The list of ‘mistakes’ is endless.Where will hope come from? It can only come from with-

in. One mature teacher can transform a school, a parent whoexamines her life and reclaims the truth of herself can trans-form a family. A political leader who speaks from a solid inte-riority, who lives from the inside out, who knows the amaz-ing capacities of his nature, can transform a party and, ulti-mately, a country.Such potential lies within each of us — those in leadership

positions have a greater responsibility to seek the truth, and ifthat is not happening within, go outside and seek a profes-sional psychologist who has expertise in that area and whopractices what he offers.

Dr Tony Humphreys is a clinical psychologist, author andspeaker. His book, with co-author Helen Ruddle, Relationship,Relationship, Relationship, The Heart of a Mature Society, isrelevant to this week’s column.


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Feelgood

Disrupted sleeppatterns raise levels

of stress andanxiety becauseyour body doesn’trelease the sleephormones that actas an antidote to

tension

THE YAWN OF A NEW DAYWinter may be a time for hibernation but getting a good night’s sleep is still a struggle for many people. Peta Bee looks at ways to get a better quality of shuteye

D ARK, cold, nights and stressfulbusy lifestyles should combineto produce the best sleep we

have all year. Yet, for many of us a fullyrestorative and peaceful night’s sleep re-mains elusive. We struggle to get to sleepand then struggle to catch up on the sleepwe have missed.About 45% of Irish people are suffer

from mild to moderate insomnia and a fur-ther 7% suffer from chronic insomnia, ac-cording to research.Even when we do manage to get our

nightly shuteye, experts are concerned thatit is not of sufficient quality. One recentreport suggests thatmillions of Europeansare too shattered to getout of bed every day,even though many ofthem claimed to fallasleep within minutesof hitting the pillowand were unaware thequality of their sleepwas being compro-mised.The upshot of our

sleep-deprived living?Our health, attitudeand looks are beingadversely affected and,over the next fewweeks, there’s worse tocome.Dr Neil Stanley, a

sleep expert from theNorwich and NorfolkUniversity Hospital inBritain who has con-ducted much research on the impact ofsleep (or lack of it) on society, says thenumber of people suffering from sleep dis-turbance peaks at this time of year, withmore than 50% of people experiencingsome kind of sleep disturbance. He addsthat many experience semisomnia, a formof low-grade exhaustion linked to our in-ability to switch off and says a combinationof factors is to blame. When it comes tothe sudden rise in fatigue at this time ofyear, the problem is largely our changingroutines.“Holiday periods put many people’s

sleeping patterns out of sync because theyusually go to bed later and sleep longer,”he explains.It can take several days to adjust to regu-

lar sleep patterns after a holiday or flightabroad and if someone doesn’t compensatefor the shortfall in shuteye by ensuringtheir nights are free of sleep disturbance,then the cumulative effects of sleep debtbegin to take their toll.Other factors could also be making you

toss and turn. Research by Professor ChrisIdzikowski, director of the Sleep Assess-ment and Advisory Service in Edinburgh,Scotland, found that people with uncom-

fortable beds — which can cause muscularaches and back pain — sleep an averageone hour less each night.Sammy Margo, a chartered physiothera-

pist and author of The Good Sleep Guide(Ebury Press), says even your pillow can af-fect your sleeping patterns. “We rarely givea lot of thought to the pillows we use, butbuying the right one and positioning itcorrectly could be one of the most impor-tant parts of sleeping success,” Margo says.“In addition to providing comfort, the

right pillows can give the necessary sup-port for the neck and spine, alleviating orpreventing many common forms of back

and neck pain.”An uncomfortable pil-

low will affect your ly-ing posture meaning youare likely to toss andturn in a bid to getcomfortable as yousleep. Worse, a bad pil-low can aggravate, if notcause, strain to the mus-cles in the shoulders,back and neck that canaffect your posture,breathing and even yourmood. A badly-posi-tioned pillow also causesnarrowing of the air-pipes, resulting in ob-structed breathing andsnoring which hinderssleep, says Margo.Other common mis-

takes made by peoplewho struggle to get tosleep include eating

heavy meals or drinking alcohol too late inthe evening. “We generally advise peoplenot to eat a big meal after 7pm in theevening,” says Niamh O’Dowd, a sleep sci-entist at the Bon Secours Hospital inCork. “Similarly, smokers shouldn’t have alate night cigarette and exercisers shouldn’tgo jogging or to the gym too late as theycan all impair a person’s ability to drop offto sleep.”Beyond wanting to wake up feeling re-

freshed in the morning, a good night’ssleep is also important for your generalhealth. Over a period of just weeks, sleepdisruption can have a detrimental effect onyour well-being. There has been muchcoverage of the fact that the sleep-deprivedare less efficient at work, fatter and morelikely to take time off sick. They can alsostruggle with relationships and are at in-creased risk of being involved in traffic orother accidents.But lack of sleep also raises levels of

stress and anxiety — as disrupted sleep pat-terns mean your body doesn’t release thesleep hormones that act as an antidote totension. A study at Princeton Universityindicated that missing a whole night’s sleepaffects the hippocampus — the part of the

brain involved in memory forming — andprevents it from forming new cells. Otherstudies have suggested a link between obe-sity and lack of sleep, and this year US re-searchers found that losing three consecu-tive nights of deep sleep could harm thebody’s ability to control blood sugar levels,raising the risk of diabetes.Experts say our sleep requirements vary

from person to person. While the averageperson needs to sleep for about sevenhours a night, a few people need more,and some manage on only four or fivehours. The good news is that you can re-verse the damage caused by disturbedsleep. A week or so after changing theirsleeping habits, most people notice a posi-tive difference to their mood.“Establishing a sleep routine is the most

crucial thing you can do,” O’Dowd says.“If you get up for work at 7am in theweek, get up at no later than 8am at the

weekends — don’t allow yourself an ex-tended lie-in as it upsets your sleep-wakecycle. When it comes to good sleep pat-terns, we advise people to treat themselvesas they would treat a newborn baby. Struc-ture their bedtime habits and they’ll even-tually sleep all night through.”But what about beauty sleep? So accept-

ed is the common wisdom that sleep de-privation affects the way you look that re-sults of the first ever study into the effectsof sleeplessness on appearance came as awake-up call even to dermatologists andthe cosmetics industry.When Ronnie Marks, emeritus professor

of dermatology at the University of Wales,Cardiff, analysed the skin condition ofsleep-deprived male and female subjectswho were banned from using cosmetics ofany kind for the duration of the trial. Aftertwo days, although “men generally lookedmore haggard and hangdog than women”,

says Marks, there were no convincing der-matological changes other than a drop inwater content, or hydration level, of theskin.“Across the board their appearance was

rather surprisingly good after two dayswithout sleep,” he says. “We expected tofind at least some significant developmentof dark circles around the eyes and perhapsmore redness, but even at the end of theexperiment they didn’t look grossly tired.”Long associated with exhaustion, under-

eye circles, it seems, are not linked to lackof sleep. “Some people may think they getdark circles as a result of being tired, butno one really knows what causes them,”Marks says. “So far, the most plausible ex-planation is that they are the result of in-creased visibility of venous plexus, or tinyblood vessels, that occurs with changes inthe water content of tissues around theeyes.” But, he adds, it may or may not be

linked to fatigue and “no cosmetics couldmake a bit of difference”. What didchange dramatically, however, was the waytiredness made people think they were lessattractive.Significantly, lack of sleep affected

self-esteem. As the subjects got more fa-tigued, their self-perceptions changed.When their skin felt good at the start ofthe study, they felt good about themselvesand were not worried about how othersviewed them. But towards the end, mostfelt their faces looked around 50% more“grubby, tired and dirty”. Although themajority described their skin as firm at thestart, nearly all felt it had “become saggi-er” as they struggled to stay awake. In theirminds, sleep and beauty were inextricablylinked.“At the end of the study they were con-

vinced that without sleep they couldn’tfeel or look good,” says Marks.

More than half the population experience sleep disturbance this time of year

xxxxxxxxGetting through the nightxxxxxxxxCover story

■ Avoid foods containing the amino acidtyramine, commonly found in bacon,ham, sausage, cheese, aubergines, toma-toes, red wine, peppers, smoked meats,fish and chocolate — these can all keepyou awake at night.

■ Have a cup ofwarm milk sprin-kled with nutmegbefore you go tobed. Milk containsa sleep-inducingamino acid tryto-phan, which ex-plains why drink-ing hot milk be-fore bedtime actually makes sense. Nut-meg contains another naturally occurringchemical that can induce drowsinesscalled myristin.

■ Exercise can help you to sleep at night,but save the vigorous variety for mid to

late afternoon. Before bed, do some gen-tle stretches or yoga to help you unwindand relax.

■ Try herbal remedies.Many of the brandedproducts contain herbssuch as valerian, StJohn’s Wort (availableonly on prescription)and passion flower (pas-siflora), which are tradi-tional sleeping remedies.In one study valerian,right, was shown to be aseffective as one of the benzodi-azepines or a placebo.St John’s Wort is thought to work on the

brain’s levels of serotonin and melatonin,which both affect sleep. Passion flower isalso reported to help with sleep while wildlettuce is traditionally used for its sedativeproperties and hops have been used forcenturies to encourage sleep.

■ How to get your 40 winks

■ Natural ways to help nod off

FEET FIRST:Cold feet duringthe night cankeep you awake.A pair of bedsocks can helpyou sleepsoundly.

■ Sleep scientist Niamh O’Dowd saysdon’t sleep with the light on (or fall asleepin front of the TV). Recent researchshowed those who do are more prone todepression the next day.

■ Have a power nap. “15 to 20 minutes isenough to be refreshing without givingyou grogginess afterwards,” says JohnSchneerson, director of the sleep clinic atPapworth Hospital, Cambridge, one of thelargest in Europe. A mid-day nap mighthelp to prevent heart disease, a six-yearGreek study recently found. People whotook a 30-minute siesta three times a weekhad a 37% lower chance of a heart attack.

■ Don’t lie there trying to get to sleep ifyou can’t. “Get up and do something reallyboring and repetitive such as the ironing,”O’Dowd advises. “You will probably findyou feel sleepy sooner than youexpect.”

■ Loose-fitting,high-neckedgarmentsallow yourbody to movefreely duringsleep. Choosefabrics that

breathe — cotton is best. A pair of bedsocks could help. As they have the poor-est circulation, feet often get cold beforeany other part of the body. A recentScandinavian study has shown wearingsocks boosts your chance of a goodnight’s sleep by reducing night waking.

■ Check the health of your feather ordown pillow. Physiotherapist SammyMargo says you should lay down yourpillow on a hard surface, fold it in half orthirds and squeeze out the air. Releasethe pillow. If it unfolds and returns to itsoriginal position, it has enough support.An overused pillow will stay folded.

■ Earplugs can be a great investment ifyou have trouble sleeping,” O’Dowdsays. “They remove the interruptionsthat can be caused by random noises,such as someone dropping something,as well as constant noise such as traffic.”

Millions of Europeans

are too shattered to

get out of bed daily


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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 WORLD

CatherineShanahan

MUM’S WORLD

My son ploughedthrough the TerribleTwos with minimumfuss to reach age

three a moreagreeable and

reasonable humanbeing. The girl, a

genetic assortmentof drama and

trauma, is a classicexample of what toexpect when the

two year milestoneis reached

PERSPECTIVE is so much sharper after thefact. I had no idea how clear-cut my sonwas until the daughter arrived.My son ploughed through the Terrible

Twos with minimum fuss to reach age threea more agreeable and reasonable humanbeing. The girl, a genetic assortment of dra-ma and trauma, is a classic example ofwhat to expect when the two-year milestoneis reached.As queen of contrived tantrums, she

brings to her role such raw emotion that Isee in her future an Oscar or, at the least, anaward for human endeavour. With a historyof street protest longer than Tony Benn, thischild could lead a wave of civil or uncivildisobedience if anyone would take her on.“She’s cutting her molars,” starts to wear

thin when used as a constant excuse forbad behaviour. Nor can truncated naps betotally to blame for every little act of insur-rection. I recall the words of a friend whosaid: “Were you any taller, I think you wouldscare me.” The same applies to this child ofmine whose size belies her temper.A veteran of huff, she is light years ahead

of your basic car-seat-strap showdown.Pavement pounding and knicker shreddingare part of her anger arsenal. Best bend toher will or stand clear of her aim or lie low

while the storm passes over.“GET OUT!” she shouted in a recent fit of

pique, sudden and inexplicable in nature.We all trooped outside and waved hergoodbye hoping the desertion would rattleher. Sub-zero temperatures soon drove usback in and we opened the door to re-enter.She stood at the entrance, two foot inheight, and sent us right back whence wecame from.“GET OUT!” she repeated, slamming the

door, bite-sized, enraged and formidable.Facing down a screecher starts to get

tedious when it enters the routine of bed-time. Negotiation is futile when dealing withlilliputians — logic is not part of theirmake-up. Best focus on the endgame andavoid confrontation and bed her before sheclocks your intentions.Tantrums are rampant at that hour of life

and few sail through two unscathed. Chil-dren, to themselves, are at the centre of theuniverse and who are we to disabuse them?Capitulation sits well with dreams of thequiet life and who among us doesn’t wantone? There are days when I dream that ananny steps in to safeguard mother fromchild — but I couldn’t afford her, she’dcharge on the double, to safeguard Jekyllfrom Hyde.

HEARTHEALTH:Women are sixtimes as likelyto die of heartdisease as ofbreast cancer.Picture:Picture:Getty Images

QMy doctor has recommendedI have a stress ECG. I am inmy early 50s and have hadepisodes of chest painrecently. There is a history of

heart disease in my family, but I thoughtheart disease is less common in womenthan men. What will this test show?

A. A stress test or exercise ECG is a testthat measures the heart’s electrical activity atrest and while you walk or run on a tread-mill. This test can detect whether the heartis getting enough blood and oxygen. It isnon-invasive, easy to perform, widely avail-able and is helpful in ruling out heart prob-lems. During physical exertion there is dila-tion of the coronary arteries, if narrow orblocked coronary arteries are present therewill be reduced blood flow to the heartmuscles compared to normal and the stressECG result will show characteristic abnor-malities.

If the test is negative (normal) you areconsidered to be at low risk for future heartproblems such as a heart attack. If you havea positive (abnormal) test, this can indicateyou may be at risk of heart disease, but it isnot enough to diagnose this. You will besent for further testing such as echocardiog-raphy, nuclear stress test or angiography.

The exercise ECG is very accurate forruling out heart problems but it is less accu-rate than other non-invasive tests for detect-ing heart problems. It is also less accurate inwomen than in men. Women are prone tofalse positive tests — the test result shows aproblem but in reality there isn’t one. Wom-en are more likely also to have an inconclu-sive test — one that is not clearly positive ornegative.

In men, chest pain during exercise is usu-ally a classic sign of heart disease, howeverwomen often experience chest pain duringan exercise ECG yet there are no blockagesin the arteries of the heart. The reasons forthe chest pain are not fully understood, butfemale hormones may play a role.

A negative (normal) test is just as reliablein women and men.

The accuracy of a stress ECG result im-proves when it is combined with nuclear orecho imaging. Echocardiography uses soundwaves to give detailed information about theheart muscle, valves, chambers and majorblood vessels around the heart. It measuresthe “ejection fraction” of the left ventricle,which is the main pumping chamber of theheart.

There are several factors that increase therisk of heart disease. The more risk factors awoman has the greater the risk of having aheart attack. Some risk factors you cannotcontrol such as increasing age, menopause,family history. But you can modify, treat orcontrol most risk factors to lower your riskof heart disease.

Women are six times as likely to die ofheart disease as of breast cancer. Smoking,taking excess alcohol (more than two units aday), high blood pressure, high cholesterolplus high LDL levels (‘bad’ cholesterol), dia-betes, and poor fitness levels are risk factorsthat can be addressed with lifestyle changesand/or medication. If you’re physically inac-tive and eat too much, you will gain excessweight. If you have too much fat — espe-cially around the waist (over 35 inches),you’re at higher risk of health problems in-cluding heart disease, stroke, high bloodpressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Aim for at least 30 minutes of some formof exercise most days of the week.

Q. I have Crohn’s disease and a friendhas recommended I take the supplementselenium. Will it help and how do youknow if you are lacking in selenium?

A. Selenium is a trace mineral found in soil,water, some foods and our bodies need itfor normal growth and health. Certain dis-orders such as Crohn’s disease and othermalabsorptive conditions can cause a de-

crease in the absorption of selenium whichmay result in a deficiency of this essential el-ement. People who are fed intravenously arealso at risk for low selenium. Doctors some-times suggest that people with these condi-tions use selenium supplements. Seleniumlevels can be checked with a blood test,though this is not routinely available.

Other sources of selenium are availablefrom foods such as seafood, liver, kidney,lean red meat, and grains grown in soil richin selenium. Other good natural foodsources of selenium include Brazil nuts, wal-nuts, brewer’s yeast and wheat germ. Wholefoods are the best sources of selenium as itcan be destroyed during processing.

If you decide to take supplements the rec-ommended dose of selenium for an adult fe-male is 55 mcg/day. This includes the totalamount of selenium from your diet andfrom any supplements. We only need a verysmall amount — two Brazil nuts a daywould contain a sufficient amount of seleni-um for most people.

Some forms of supplements such as organ-ic L+ selenomethionine may have betterbioavailability than selenite and selenate.

Symptoms of selenium toxicity include di-arrhoea, hair loss, a garlic smell off thebreath and sweat, brittle or thick fingernails,nausea and vomiting, or unusual tiredness/weakness, and thyroid dysfunction. Othersymptoms include irritability, itchy skin or askin rash. These can be features of otherconditions, so always consult your doctor.

Medical matters


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Everyone knowssomeone who is touched

by cancer and if morepeople got involved with

this campaign, they wouldnot only be raising moneyfor ICS but would also beraising awareness of thisdisease which claims the

lives of so many peopleclose to us

— Stephanie Chapman

Creative response

Arlene Harris on how one woman got her firm on board to raise funds for cancer

In good companyF AMILY means everything to

Stephanie Chapman and growingup without siblings, she was very

close to her mum, Eileen, a single parent.The pair did everything together so whenEileen was diagnosed with lung cancer in1993, her teenage daughter’s life was in tat-ters.“My mum had been sick for a while and

the doctors thought it was TB,” recallsStephanie, now 36. “When they discoveredshe had cancer, they decided to operate toremove the tumour, but when she wasopened up, they discovered that the leftlung was cancerous and the right one hadcollapsed.“It was devastating as the doctors had

hoped to remove the damaged lung and lether carry on with the healthy one — butthat wasn’t to be.”The nature of Eileen’s illness meant she

was slowly suffocating and although shewas receiving radiation therapy to shrinkthe tumours, the 52-year-old couldn’t copewith the treatment so made the decision tolive out her remaining days with pain reliefalone.“Mum decided in November of 1993 to

stop taking treatment and two months later,she passed away,” says Stephanie. “I was on-ly 19 at the time and really didn’t knowwhat to do with myself. I was in shock fora long time and it was only a few monthslater that I really broke down — she wasalways there for me and helped me witheverything, so it was terrible to suddenlyrealise that I was on my own.”Stephanie was then taken in by her

mother’s best friend, Brid Kane, who wasalso her godmother.“Without Brid, I don’t know how I

could have survived, she really kept me to-gether,” says the Kildare woman. “SadlyBrid also developed cancer and passed awayin 2005.”Hugely affected by cancer throughout

her life, Stephanie has always supportedthe Irish Cancer Society (ICS) and evenwhen her mother was alive, the pairwould donate to the charity. So when sheheard about a unique way to raise fundsfor ICS, the businesswoman jumped intoaction.“When I started working for Citi

Bank in Dublin I used to commute fromNaas every day,” she says “One morningin 2003 I heard something on the radioabout how the ICS were running a‘Back to the Shop Floor’ initiative whichinvolved senior management getting theirhands dirty in order to raise funds.“I thought it was a great idea and

brought the subject up at a staff meeting —I was really surprised that my bosses alsothought it was interesting and more impor-tantly, achievable.”It was agreed that the Back to the Shop

Floor campaign would coincide with StPatrick’s Day and pay day in order to reallyget people in the mood for fun.Directors worked in the canteen, senior

management washed cars and served foodin the sandwich bar and other members ofstaff had their legs waxed and heads shaved.“Everyone was really enthusiastic and the

initial idea snowballed,” says Stephanie.“We have continued running the eventevery year and the whole company getsinvolved — whether it’s rattling buckets inthe local pub or wearing fancy dress towork, no-one wants to be left out of thefundraising.”Stephanie now works for the London

office of Citi Bank and although she andher husband have settled there for the nearfuture, she still comes back to Dublin ev-ery year for the ICS fundraiser.“It’s amazing to see what can be

achieved by willpower,” says the seasoned

fundraiser. “I was lucky to be in a position tobe able to ask senior management to get onboard, but I think it also helps to have a bitof a brass neck.“Everyone knows someone who is touched

by cancer and if more people got involvedwith this campaign, they would not only beraising money for ICS but would also be rais-ing awareness of this disease which claims thelives of so many people close to us.”That first year, Stephanie and her col-

leagues raised 9,000 which all went tohelping the Society provide direct services tothose affected by cancer in Ireland. However,

the 2,000 Citi employees have continued tobe inspired by Stephanie and her story andthe amount they raise continues to grow eachyear. They raised 160,000 in 2009 alone.And recently Stephanie and her colleagues

were presented with the first ever Our Com-pany Cares Award from the ICS for theircontinued efforts to raise the charity’s profile.

■ To get your company involved in fundrais-ing for the ICS contact Jim O’Malley, corpo-rate partnerships manager, Irish Cancer Soci-ety, 01-2316621 or email [email protected]

REWARDING ROLES: John McCormack, CEO, Irish CancerSociety, after he awarded the first ever "Our Company Cares"award to Citi Bank employees, Batman (Ciaran Kilmurray),Harry Potter (Melissa Sheehan), Catwoman (Lou Sheehan),Daffodil Man (Darren Farrell), Cecilia Ronan, and Robin Hood(Robin Jordan). Picture: Jason Clarke Photography.


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Roz Crowley

Food books

Feast for the eyes

We are swamped with cookerybooks this year and most of themare pretty good. Many shops areoffering bestsellers at half price, soshop around. These are all in hard-back and are built to last, which iswelcome during the credit crunch

Thai Street Food, David Thompson,Conran Octopus Hardback 45.This 374-page large for-mat hardback has vivid,exciting photographs takenby Earl Carter, which fea-ture the excitement ofdining in Thailand, on thestreets, in markets, and intattered indoor/outdoordiners run by families.

The book explains a world of ingredi-ents unfamiliar to many of us, but eachrecipe suggests alternatives. They certainlyknow how to make an ingredient stretchto its limit so it’s a good book for thoseon tight budgets. A treat for vegetarians,the book has plenty of dishes based onvegetable stock which is delicious andeasy to make.

This is a book for enthusiasts of Orien-tal food who want genuine recipes. Writ-er David Thompson has four other Thaifood books to his name. This one is hismost glamorous. A lovely gift.

A Year at Avoca Simon Pratt GlossPublications 24.95There are now eight Avo-ca cafes in Ireland, all atreat to eat in, so this thirdcookbook has recipeswhich will be familiar tomany. The fish pie is a casein point. There is nothingspectacular about therecipe but it always tastesdelicious in the café and iseasy to replicate. Hazelnut and ParsnipStack is a perfect dish for vegetarians forChristmas Day and looks festive as well astasting rich and creamy. Perfect as a win-ter warmer is Mount Usher’s Beef Sukka,a spicy curry dish using economical stew-ing beef. Follow this, or serve the deli-cious Mincemeat Roulade on ChristmasDay. This has the mincemeat in thesponge mixture and is rolled up withbrandy cream. Divided into seasons, thebook will appeal to those who alreadyhave the first two Avoca cookbooks.

An Irish Butcher Shop, Pat Whelan,Collins Press 25The idea of a recipebook by a butchershouldn’t be unusual, butit is. Who better to ex-plain exactly how differ-ent cuts should be treat-ed? Pat Whelan is a dy-namic force, already sell-ing on-line and endear-ing himself to customersbeyond his hinterland of Clonmel.

In this book he tells us how to ten-derise inexpensive cuts (slow cooking isbest) and how fat is important to thetaste of a dish. We may want to cut itoff later, but give it a chance to keep thelean meat moist and tasty.

Divided into the various meat types— beef, lamb pork etc, each one is wellexplained and has recipes which can befound in other books. However, wehave confidence in the author and hisLithuanian wife Lina who provides a de-licious and economical recipe for brawn.

Green & Black’s Ultimate ChocolateRecipes. Kyle Cathie 20It may be a promotionaltool for a brand ofchocolate, but this bookhas plenty to offer thosewho cannot get enoughof this ancient treat. Therecipes come from chefssuch as Delia Smith andPrue Leith and some areeven low calorie.

They are simple treats such as Choco-late Tiffin, made from almonds, pista-chios, ginger biscuits, sultanas, the zest ofan orange and of course good qualitychocolate. These ingredients are notcheap, but go a long way. There is aMartini drink with chocolate-infusedvodka. And how about Dark ChocolateWine? This is hot chocolate with a kickof port — a treat after a long walk in thesnow. In small format hardback, with lus-cious photographs by Jenny Zarins, atreat for chocolate lovers.

Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals,Jamie Oliver, MichaelJoseph/Penguin, 29A stalwart of healthy school dinners, Jamie isnow aiming at those who would otherwise notwant to cook, while pushing the right buttonsfor those who don’t want to fuss, yet want tocook and eat well. What is different about thisbook is that we are told how to get our equip-ment (nothing fancy) and ingredients together,turning the oven on and off we go. We can fol-low his plan, getting a chicken pie started, nextthe mashed carrots, back to the pie when thesimmering of the chicken is done, onto the peas,the berries and cream.

I can see how anyone who is afraid of whereto start and how to get timings right will relishthis approach. Because of all this detail the layoutlooks a little busy, but it’s logical. It’s worth sit-ting down with the book to study it first. Agood one for anyone who fears cooking morethan one dish at the same time.

Homemade, Clodagh McKennaKyle, Cathie 22.50

Kitchen, Nigella Lawson, Chatto &Windus, 32.99

Entertaining at Home, Rachel Allen,Collins 28

A household name, thebest-selling television cookand champion of unfussy,fresh food hasput together aselection ofrecipes for alloccasions. Ilike her SpicedRaisin Tartwhich is idealas a dessertduring the fes-tive season.Made with abase ofcrushed digestive biscuitstopped with a fruity fill-ing, it’s an economicaldessert, as it doesn’t needto be cooked.

Menu ideas for largegatherings are a good idea,along with plenty of

recipes for Christ-mas gifts. Try thinslivers of chocolatetopped with driedfigs, almonds andsalt flakes. And forsomething warm-ing, mix some ap-ple juice, rum andsliced fresh ginger.Delicious.

Clearly laid outwith appetisingphotographs by

Kate Whitaker, good forbeginners and those whowant to celebrate withoutspending a fortune.

Lemon curd makes agreat gift and in thisbook thereare plenty ofideas for dish-es which arenot too chal-lenging, butget impressiveresults. Ap-petising pho-tographs byAlberto Perolido the simpledishes justice— even gnoc-chi looksgood. There are quite afew Italian recipes, col-lected during Clodagh’s

time in a country whichhas endless recipes worth

sharing. TheSpiced ItalianMeatballs areeasy and perfectfor our coldweather, whileFrench OnionSoup with Em-menthalToasties is aperfect lunchmeal in a bowl.

Well present-ed, pretty andeasy to follow,

this is for the aspiringcook who likes classic,continental dishes.

WITH 490 pages, this isone of the heaviest booksof this selection,but the content,as usual, is lightand lively. Beau-tifully produced,recipes whichwork well madein advance arenoted, such asSoup Made withGarlic and Love,a garlic soupthickened withpotatoes.

I agree withher dictum of not put any-thing on the table that in-terferes with peoples’ eye

line, so keep Christmascandles and arrangements

low. She cutsgarage forecourtflowers shortand sticks themin old mustardpots to good ef-fect.

The layout isstraightforward.

Photographsby Lis Parsonsare appetisingand encourag-ing.

Good forthose who need a littlepush to get into thekitchen.

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MESSAGE OF GOODWILL: ManyChristmas cards have been designedin support of children’s charities thisyear. Among them are the Temple

Street charity Christmas cards — 6 for apack of five including delivery within fourdays. www.littlewoodsireland.ie.Brown Thomas has a range of exclusive

designer Christmas cards featuring draw-ings from Victoria Beckham, Manolo Blahnikand Lulu Guinness. Buy a set of three for10 in aid of the ISPCC.Irish charity, Friends ofBreastfeeding have de-signed their first Christ-mas Card which costs 6for a pack of five.www.friendsofbreast-feeding.ie and www.on-ceborn.com.

BEST CUBES: Every little animal hasa home in Topanimo, an innovativetake on baby stacking cubes fromParis-based Djeco toys. Djeco is well

known for its stylish and quirky puzzles,wooden toys and children’s room decora-tions. This new range which cleverly com-bines little animals or vehicles with sturdycard shapes, gives added play value forone- to three-year-olds and is one of thenicest toys I have seenthis year. Topanimocosts 17.99 fromwww.woodentoys.ie.You will also find agood selection ofDjeco toys online atwww.mimitoys.ieand at Pinocchio’s, PaulSt, Cork.

PURE COTTON: Welcome a new-born this Christmas with a Nature’sPurest Sleepytime Gift Set, 24.95. Itcontains an organic cotton sleepsuitand Bunny comforter in a recycled

keepsake box and is one of the range ofgifts now available from online gift storewww.giftguru.ie.For an extensive range try Little Ones chil-

dren’s gift store in Ennis, where you will al-so find the luxurious Jellycat soft toys. Jel-lycat Bashful Bunniesare among the mostpopular items, saysowner Fiona Ryan. Allare suitable from birthand prices start at9.95. Shop at www.littleones.ie or call065-6849728.

SWEET SOPHIE: Slender, flexibleand soft, babies just love Sophie.The famous giraffe has been madein France from natural phthalate-free

rubber for more than 40 years and has be-come the trendiest little teether around inrecent times. Stockists in-clude The Organic CottonShop in Clonakilty whereyou can buy Sophie in apresentation gift box witha card you can personalisefor 13.79. Age 0+. Checkout its range including theI’m Toy wooden play cook-er which converts into ashop and puppet theatre,109.99. Order online atwww.organiccottonshop.ieor call 023-8833747.

Deirdre O'Flynn

MOSTLY MEN

DId you know...Service to rememberyoung SCD victims

Smooth operatorsavoid painful shaves Growing up

with lots ofsisters makesa male lesssexy. For rats,that is ...(Source: University of Austin, Texas, US)

JUST when you thought shavingdaily was tough enough, alongcomes an ingrown hair or, worse, asore razor bump. To prevent in-grown hairs and razor bumps, youneed to avoid cutting the hair be-neath the skin’s sur-face when shavingand to assist thehair to grow outeasily to the sur-face. Do this byshaving in the di-rection of the hairgrowth. Avoidpulling the skin too

tightly. Use a shaving oil to lubri-cate the skin and a shaving brush toapply the shave cream. Exfoliateweekly to polish off dead skin cellsand release trapped hairs. And applya moisturiser or after-shave balm to

prevent dry flakesblocking the hair fromgrowing out.Try Ingrown Hair

Treatment from An-thony ( 29.95, 70g)and Razor Burn Re-pair from Proraso( 9.95, 100ml) on4Men.ie.

LOVING FAMILY: 17-year-old Jason Lowe who was presented with the Young People’sBravery Award by the Irish heart Foundation with his parents Jimmy and Emiela and sistersTara and Shannon. Picture: Don MacMonagle

A S MANY as 30 children could beaffected by stroke in Ireland eachyear. Jason Lowe was just 15

when he was struck down two years ago.From Kilmoyley near Ballyheigue, Co Kerry,Jason’s stroke left his speech affected and hewas paralysed down his right hand side. Justlast month, however, he won the YoungAdult Bravery Award (16-29) in the IrishHeart Foundation’s Stroke Awards, a fittingreward after securing an A in English and a Bin Maths after sitting two Junior Cert subjectsjust a year after his devastating stroke.“The stroke came out of the blue,” said Ja-

son’s dad, Jimmy. “He came home after amatch and said he had a headache. We justthought he was excited because it was acounty final. That night, he got physicallysick at 3am and when we went in to hisroom, he was all twisted in the bed.”After six weeks in Cork University Hospi-

tal, Jason was sent for three months’ rehabili-tation in Dublin. “I didn’t like it at all,” saidJason. “I just wanted to get back to my ownhome and go to the gym, go swimming, do

occupational therapy and speech therapy.”At home, he also has the support of mother

Emiela and sisters Tara and Shannon and thecompany of his dogs. A typical teenager, hespends a lot of time listening to music but hasto fit in his rehabilitative exercises. “He doesa lot of the exercises on his own, and he alsogoes to Enable Ireland in Tralee for physio-therapy,” says Jimmy.Every year about 10,000 people suffer

strokes in Ireland, and up to a quarter of

them will die from it. An estimated 30,000people are living with disability caused bystroke. 80% of strokes are caused by a block-age or clot in a blood vessel that stops bloodflowing to the brain. 20% are caused by ableed. In children, that split is 50/50.Today, Jason walks with a slight limp and is

working at getting full function back in hisright hand. “I’m still working on it andmight get it back next year,” he says.“I don’t know how I feel about having had

the stroke, I just have to live with it.”The Irish Heart Foundation launched a TV

awareness campaign earlier this year, FAST(Face, Arms, Speech and Time to call 999).The Foundation’s medical director, Dr

Angie Brown says: “The average stroke de-stroys two million brain cells every minute.The sooner a person receives emergencytreatment, the more of their brain can besaved and the better their chances of surviv-ing and minimising long-term disability.”

Gifts for little oneswith Kate O’ReillyTAKE

1 2 3 44

THE annual service to re-member young people whohave died from sudden car-diac death will be held inDublin and Cork tomorrow.In association with the

Irish Heart Foundation, theSudden Cardiac Death in theYoung Support Groupis encouraging familyand friends to takepart in a candle light-ing ceremony in re-membrance of thosewhose lives were cutshort by sudden car-diac death (SCD).People are also invited

to bring pictures of theirloved ones, if they wish.In Dublin, the memorial

service will take place in theMonkstown Church of Ire-land Parish Church onMonkstown Road at 2pm.For more details contact

Monica Martin on086-2043932.In Cork, the ser-

vice will take placeat 3pm at St Do-minic’s RetreatHouse, Innismore,Montenotte. ContactMariane Foley on087-2284934.

Male health

Jason’s strokewas so sudden


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Feelgood

NEUTROGENA

ALL you need is a bit of a cold snap tomake you realise how dry your skin canget. Neutrogena’s new Moisture 10 LayersDeep is designed to be very fast-absorbingand enormously hydrating, with moisturi-sation still happening 24 hours after appli-cation. I’m particularly partial to the DeepMoisture ComfortBalm, 6.57. Itdoesn’t quite havethe texture of whatI’d call a “balm”,but it’s beautifullysilky and has beenworking a spactreatto soften out mycold-weather bat-tered skin. Perfect.

HAND CREAMS

THIS cold weather malarkey is wreakinghavoc on my hands. I have the hands of atroll — impossibly dry, rough and very,very coarse. Hand creams are not an es-sential beauty buy — you can always justuse a good-quality body butter — but thericher formula does mean that your poorlittle fingers will be getting the kind of tar-geted TLC they need.

Clinique Deep Comfort Hand andCuticle Cream, 19.50. This is exactlywhat you want from a hand cream: it’sgot a rich, deeply buttery texture thatsinks in quickly and leaves your handsfeeling super-soft. It’s not too greasy andisn’t sticky at all.

Dove Visible Effects Hand Cream,3.29. Dove’s highly fragranced offeringhas a looser, less rich tex-ture that sinks in quitequickly. If your hands arevery dry, you will find youhave an urge to reapply itright away — two applica-tions work better thanone, but not a bad optionby any means.

L’Occitane Pure SheaButter, 31.95. Youcan’t really get any morehydrating than 100% PureShea Butter — and L’Occitane’s littleround tin buttery pot is just the ticket forfreezing cold winter days. It is quite firmand takes a little warming up in thehands, but this is a great one for su-per-dry hands.

STUFF WE LIKE

Beauty

The news on ...

Emily O’Sullivan

TAKE THREE

GOLDEN

MOMENTS

This precious metalneeds to behandled with carebut get it right andyou’ll sparkle

GOLD: pure genius or totallytacky? Discuss. It’s a toughie, butthat’s part of what makes gold a

little bit intriguing — it’s so polarising. In thewrong hands, under the wrong circum-stances, it’s all a bit 1970s suburbia. ThinkPenelope Keith in a flouncy dress. In theright hands, however, it’s more Bianca Jaggerin Studio 54 — cool, edgy and super-sexy.Either way, it’s a definite one to considercoming up to Christmas because festivemake-up usually includes gold and this sea-son, despite the recessionary bent, the brightyellow lustre of this precious metal is still ahot look. Promise.One of the coolest ways to wear gold this

season is also one of the most risky: eyeshad-ow. Yes, the last time I tried to apply goldeyeshadow I ended up looking like a discoversion of Barbara Cartland. It was not pretty.I am blonde. And blondes have a hard timewearing gold, believe me. This season I amdetermined to try again, but instead of thepale spun gold shadow I went for a few yearsago, I shall be shimmying down the colourscale to a rather more acceptable bronze. Notquite as on trend admittedly, but alsomarkedly less ridiculous looking.To get a more modern look this season, it’s

a good idea to blend a little gold into yourexisting make-up shades (this makes goldshades a helluva lot less frightening). Clarinshave got it bang-on for Christmas with itsgorgeous shimmering gold Barocco EyeColour Trio, 34, that mixes dark charcoal

tones with lovely molten golden shades. Thismeans you can blend to get a hint of gold onthe eyes, toned down immeasurably, insteadof opting for a full-on Christmas decorationstyle.A smoky gold eye makes the whole thing a

lot more wearable, especially when you uselots of kohl to add definition. If you’ve got anavy shadow in your make-up bag, then thisalso makes a beautiful shade to blend withgold for a look that is unashamedly “now”.Giorgio Armani has gone all out for gold

with their Holiday 2010 Gold Rush collec-tion, at the heart of which is an all-over plat-inum powder, Gold Rush Palette, that lightsup the eyes, lips and skin, 60. The Eyes toKill Eye Shadow in Gold/Black, 28, is atruly gorgeous option for eyes. Over at YvesSaint Laurent, the gold theme continuesapace, with Touche d’Or Face Highlighter inGold, 35.50. According to YSL, “Touche

D’or can be used in several ways: as a high-lighter at the top of the cheekbones. On theeyes, on its own or mixed with anothercolour, it leaves them twinkling with gold.Applied over a lipstick, the transformation isinstantaneous. And last but not least, it canadd a dash of brightness to the décolleté orthe curve of a shoulder.”While gold is traditionally a high-end look,

there are still some mid-range and more af-fordably priced options around this season.No7 has rocked out for Christmas with aDisco collection that includes an Eye Palettewith in Smoky Jewels, 17.50 with nineshades of deep silver, copper and gold. Or ifyou prefer liner to shadow, try the SmokyJewels Five Mini Pencils Eye Set, 17.75.Finally, disco queens should lash on the

glittery gold liquid liner with an affordabledose of gold from 17 — all you need now isa bit of Spandau Ballet. Sorted.

Benefit Gilded, 21. This lovely soft pen-cil is a good multi-purpose product and hasbeen part of the Benefit stable for years —proving that it must be doing somethingright.

Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Eye Shadowin Gold/Black, 28. Giorgio Armani eye-shadows are expensive, but they’re alwaysa good investment — they last a long time,they have a beautifully silky texture thathelps them blend perfectly and the shadeshere are perfect for Christmas.

Yves Saint Laurent Touche D’Or,25.50. Highlighting products canbe over the top — and restraint al-ways needs to be exercised to stopyou looking too Goldfinger. Still,this limited-edition offering fromYSL is bang on the money — with adelicate dusting of fairytale-likeshimmer.

Eyeshadow in Elegant, 3.50from ELF at eyeslipsface.co.uk. Agorgeous glittery eyeshadow shadeat a perfectly affordable price —this is a great one to go for if you’re notplanning to wear gold past January. The on-ly problem is that the shadow is looserather than set, so make sure you’re careful

with your application.

No 7 Eye Palette in SmokyJewels, 17.50. This might seema little pricey, but for nine eye-shadows it’s not a bad bet at all. Italso gives you a good way of mix-ing and matching shadesto create a look that suitsyour eye colour.

17 Starry Eyes GlitterLiner in Glitter Gold,7.49. You have to love

a bit of frivolous gold indul-gence and this is exactly whatthis product is. It’s unashamedlyglittery, it’s unashamedly gold

and if you’re after the disco diva look thisChristmas, then get your mitts on this one.

Clarins BaroccoLimited EditionEye Colour Trio,34. Our

favouriteproduct forChristmas.This gor-geous palette isn’t too heart-stop-pingly expensive, but it’s reallybeautifully packaged with a blackand gold casing. Inside you’ll findthree stunning shades for creatingthis season’s ultimate smoky eye,gold-style.


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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: SEA VEGETABLES

Natural health

QMY friend got a clot inhis leg last June and ison blood thinningmedication since. Isthere a danger that a

diet high in vegetables would in-terfere with the medication? Whatfoods would you suggest?

A. Your question is one not manypeople consider, since foods are of-ten considered to be neutral. Just assome medications can interfere withthe capacity for nutrient absorptionfrom foods, some foods can increaseor decrease the effect of medications.In the case of your friend, the nu-

trient in question is vitamin K, es-sential for the formation of clots —leafy greens, asparagus, springonions, sauerkraut, broccoli, Brusselssprouts, cranberries, and liver are allhigh in vitamin K. The key is con-sistency from day to day.While too much vitamin K can

counteract the action of the medica-tion, too little vitamin K can have adramatic effect in increasing how themedication works. He should try toget a consistent 90-120mcg (this isthe amount for males — femalesshould only aim for 60-90mcg) daily.There are also a few herbal supple-

ments to be avoided: ginseng,gingko biloba, ginger, and garlic allhave the potential to trigger a bleed-ing episode when combined withblood thinning medication such asHeparin, Warfarin, or Coumadin.Coumadin in particular is a drugthat leaves little room for error, so itis important to share informationabout all supplements or prescrip-tions that you are already on if pre-scribed this drug.Over-the-counter medications

such as aspirin and antacids can alsoimpact blood thinning medication;aspirin can cause bleeding, whileantacids can block the effects of themedication. Antibiotics, NSAIDs(non-steroidal anti-inflammatorydrugs), anti-depressant medication,antifungals, and lipid lowering drugs may allinterfere with the action of Warfarin in par-ticular.To answer your query about which foods

are best, I would recommend that yourfriend take a look online at www.dr-gourmet.com, a website with specific infor-mation and loads of recipes for people pre-scribed Warfarin/Coumadin. In the case ofmonitoring the diet alongside medications, itis always important to maintain regular con-tact with your health professional so that heor she can assess your medication require-ments as your needs change. Often peoplewho make specific dietary changes find thattheir medication needs to be reduced,changed or eliminated altogether.

Q. I have scarring alopecia. I had a vita-min D test done and my levels are normal.What do you think is the cause of it andwhat would you recommend to take?

A. Scarring alopecia, or cicatricial alopecia,actually describes a group of rare disorderswhich cause hair loss by replacing the hair fol-licle with scar tissue. Because it covers a rangeof conditions, the symptoms can vary fromperson to person — some have rapid hair loss,others have very gradual loss, some experienceno sensation accompanied by the loss of hair,while others experience itching, burning, andpain.

It is important to note thatnon-scarring forms of alopecia willnot turn into cicatricial alopecia. Thespecific group which scar includelichen planopilaris, central centrifugalalopecia, frontal fibrosing alopecia,pseudopelade, folliculitis decalvans,and dissecting cellulitis.In all cases, there is inflammation

present below the scalp surface, whichdestroys the follicle and creates scartissue beneath the surface. This ex-plains why it is not always immediate-ly noticeable in some people. The af-fected area may remain bald withoutany signs of irritation, or it can devel-op redness, scaling, pustules or depig-mentation.Like many rare conditions, the

cause of scarring alopecia is still some-what of a mystery to medical profes-sionals. While there have been someincidences of familial cases, it appearsthat the majority of cases have nohereditary basis.The cause of the actual hair loss is

the inflammation in the part of thefollicle housing the sebaceous glandand the stem cells.The best results are seen when the

inflammation is treated as early as pos-sible. Essential fatty acids, vitamin C,and a non-acid forming diet are allcrucial in reducing inflammation inthe diet. Mucusless Diet Healing Sys-tem, a book written by Arnold Ehret,has excellent ideas on how you canreduce inflammation through nutri-tional changes.I suggest you look into a relatively

new pair of products called Stem Floand Stem Enhance. StemFlo is a blendof herbs and nutrients which includesa proprietary blend of plant-based en-zymes that help digest fibrin and de-bris. It is also designed to support thedelivery of stem cells to the tissues byoptimising blood flow to the entirebody.Stem Enhance consists of a natural

5:1 concentrate of the aquatic ediblealgae known as AFA (Aphaniza-menon Flos-Aquae). Stem Enhance

is reported to increase the production ofadult stem cells, capable of transforming intoany cell within the body, in the bone mar-row.It is important that you do your own re-

search as to whether you feel that this prod-uct would be of use to you, since it is mar-keted via a distributor network as opposed tobeing available in shops, where you can dis-cuss its merits with an informed distributor.These products are widely available on theinternet and you can check out their infor-mation pages at www.stemenhancefaq.comand www.stemflofaq.com respectively.Note: Stem Enhance and Stem Flo do notcontain stem cells, they support the produc-tion and delivery of your own stem cells.

SEA vegetables have long been sta-ples in many Eastern countries,prized for their nutritional value

and healing benefits. While we are fa-miliar with sushi nori and the occasionalseaweed salad from Japanese restaurants,seaweed is now becoming more popularin home kitchens.There is a surprising array of sea veg-

etables to chose from, but the nutrientcontent certainly puts this food into thesuperfood category — growing in thesea, these ‘weeds’ have access to all 92minerals required for optimum nutri-tion.Signs of mineral deficiency are varied,

depending on which specific nutrientsare in question. However, if you find

yourself suffering from cravings, andhave a tendency to overeat, then youmay simply be seeking trace mineralsfrom your food. We know that com-mercially grown and treated vegetablesare low in most minerals, but even or-ganic vegetables are missing some valu-able nutrients due todepletion in the earth.Seaweeds are a wild

and organic food whichare calorie-rich whileremaining low in fats,and are also a fabuloussource of magnesium,iron, sodium, calciumalong with vitamins A,B1, C, E, and K. They

are, of course, a great source of iodineand are useful in hypothyroid/underac-tive thyroid conditions (avoid, or usewith caution in hyperthyroid/overactivethyroid conditions — they can help toregulate function in some cases, so fol-low the advice of your chosen health

professional).Alkaline-forming di-

ets are important intreating many healthconditions, and sea-weed helps to balancethe pH of your bodyby reducing acidity. Itis also a rich source ofconcentrated proteinand healthy carbs.

Folic acid, which helps to preventspina bifida and birth defects, is presentin significant amounts in sea vegetables— this nutrient also helps to breakdown homocysteine, which is linkedwith high blood pressure and heart dis-ease. sThe magnesium content is alsobeneficial for heart and organ healthsince it helps to reduce inflammationwithin the body.So, if you are a culinary adventurer,

take a look at what seaweed has to offer.If you can’t bear the thought of eatingseaweed or sprinkling kelp on yourfood, there are plenty of seaweed sup-plements available so that you can reapthe benefits without the seaweedflavour.

FOOD WISE: Leafy greens such as cabbage are high in vitaminK, too much of which can counteract the action ofblood-thinning medication. Picture: iStock

Megan Sheppard

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