feelgood 18-02-2011

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Fit forpolitics

NEW ARRIVALSCompelling TV documentary on CorkUniversity Maternity Hospital: 6

GOLD NECTARMany medicinal usesof honey: 12

FED UPEating disordersaffect all ages: 4, 5

FeelgoodFriday, February 18, 2011

FeelgoodFeelgood

With election day just aweek away, our five main

political party leaders talkfitness, health and the odd

indulgence: 8,9

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011

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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

■ PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT: An intro-duction to personal developmentcourse, open to men and women, is be-ing run by the Social & Health Educa-tion Project in Ballincollig, Co Cork,starting on Monday next, February 21.This eight-week (20 hours) eveningcourse provides an opportunity to ex-plore issues that affect emotionalwell-being and growth, including themanagement of feelings, stress, listen-ing, communication and relationships.The cost is 50 (or 25 unwaged). Forfurther information phone 021-466 6180.

■ STROKE SUPPORT: The first meetingof the North Cork Stroke Support Groupwill be held on Friday next February 25,from 2pm to 4pm in the Gilbert Centre,Mallow. There will also be a StrokeSupport meeting in Cork city onWednesday, February 23 from 2pm to4pm in the Activity Centre, St Finbarr’sHospital. The Irish Heart Foundation willalso hold a free Blood Pressure andCholesterol testing clinic at the ParishCentre, Carrigaline on February 23 from10am to 12pm. For further details onany of these events call the IHF Munsteroffice on 021-4505822. If you have ques-tions about stroke or heart disease, con-tact the helpline at 1890-432787.

■ OPEN MORNING: There will be anopen morning at the Natural HealingCentre, Thompson House, MacCurtainStreet tomorrow from 9am to 1pm. Allare welcome to go along and find outmore about upcoming courses in reflex-ology, massage and sports massageand the centre’s tai chi and relaxationclasses. For further details contact021-4501600 or visit www.nhc.ie.

■ PARENTS GROUP: On the last Fridayof every month, from 10am to 12 noon,in Brú Columbanus (across fromCUMH), Wilton, Cork, Noreen and Va-lerie, two mothers of twins, dedicatetheir time and experience to parentsand expectant parents of multipleswhile twins, triplets and their siblingsmix and play together. The Cork Multi-ples Club will be celebrating its secondanniversary next Friday. For more infor-mation, Valerie can be contacted on087-2171303 or visit www.imba.ie.

■ ENDOMETRIOSIS MEETING: If youwould like to know more about en-dometriosis, or if you have been diag-nosed with endometriosis and wouldlike to meet other women who are go-ing through experiences similar toyours, come along to the next supportgroup meeting of the Endometriosis As-sociation of Ireland. Partners, friendsand family members are also welcometo attend the meeting at the CarmichaelCentre, North Brunswick Street, Dublin7 on Saturday, February 19, from2.30pm to 5pm. More information atwww.endo.ie, or 086-3203855.

■ CLIMB KILIMANJARO: A team fromOxfam Ireland is due to begin a Kili-manjaro trek next Friday, and the chari-ty is also seeking volunteers for theirnext trek in October. See www.ox-famireland.org/kilimanjaro.

Items for inclusion in this column can be sent [email protected]

BREAST DEFENCE: Sarah McGovern sportsa pink outfit and the pink Ballygowan bottlefor Think Pink Week in support of BreastCancer Awareness.Picture: Colm Mahady / Fennells

AN estimated six in 10 adults and two in 10children and teenagers are either overweightor obese. With experts predicting an epidem-ic, a new website packed with informationon our growing obesity problem is timely.The Health Well Obesity Hub — at

http://obesity.thehealthwell.info — will helphealth experts, social planners, campaigngroups and the media to keep up-to-date anduse information to respond more effectivelyto address the obesity problem.The site was developed by the Institute of

Public Health in Ireland (IPH) in associationwith research partners in Cork, Dublin andBelfast.

BOOTS Ireland is offering customers thechance to buy-one-get-one-free on a num-ber of toiletry lines all this week in associa-tion with the Irish Hospice Foundation.With every purchase of selected toiletries

— including brands like Dove, Carex andImperial Leather — customers will receive acomplimentary product, and Boots will do-nate 5c to IHF.Last year, Boots Ireland raised 100,000

and this year’s target is 200,000. The pro-motion is running in all Boots stores untilSunday.

NEW online research from Aviva Health In-surance reveals that Irish smokers consume anaverage of 23 cigarettes every day, 10 morethan research revealed last year, costing the

smoker approximately 293.25 each monthand 3,519 per year. Irish women are smok-ing double the number of cigarettes com-pared to men, an average of 12 more thanmen.The risk of developing lung cancer is set to

increase by 59% for men and 136% for wom-an by 2020 according to the National CancerRegistry.

COLLEGE students and office workers allover the country are thinking pink thisweek, by wearing a pink accessory or don-ning a pink outfit to raise funds for theMarie Keating Foundation. Ballygowan Pinkalso encouraging people to think pink bychoosing the pink Ballygowan bottle in sup-port of breast cancer awareness.

MEN who start losing their hair at the age of20 double their chances of developingprostate cancer in later life, a study has found.Researchers suggest that an anti-baldness

pill, finasteride, could be given to at-risk in-dividuals as a preventative anti-cancer treat-ment.Male hormones play a role both in

male-pattern baldness and prostate cancer. Fi-nasteride, marketed as Propecia, prevents theconversion of testosterone to a form that pro-motes baldness.Until now there has been conflicting evi-

dence about links between balding andprostate cancer. But the new Paris DescartesUniversity study found that those withprostate cancer were twice as likely as healthyindividuals to have started losing their hairwhen they were 20.Going bald at 30 or 40 had no effect on

prostate cancer risk. Nor was there any asso-ciation between early baldness and an earlydiagnosis of prostate cancer, or the pattern ofhair loss and cancer development. The find-ings were published in Annals of Oncology.

An obsession with social networking can affect sleep patternsand be detrimental to health, writes Arlene Harris

Switch offEASILYDISTRACTED: Areduction in deeprestorative sleep(DSR) is a directcontributor todepression andincreased anxiety.Picture: Getty Images

MODERN technology is awonderful thing, but couldour growing obsession with

instant entertainment and social networkingbe harmful to our health?A recent study conducted by the

Travelodge hotel chain has revealed somesurprising statistics about its customers’bedroom habits:■ 65% of the customers surveyed checkFacebook before falling asleep.■ 60% check their phone before closingtheir eyes.■ 7% have stopped making love to check atext message.■ 25% get a work text from their boss inbed.■ 10% of singletons among the respon-dents check dating websites in bed.■ 15% send a ‘tweet dreams’ message.■ 20% check celebrity pages beforesnoozing.Lee Tiller, a clinical hypnotherapist, says

the reliance on multi-media is having animpact on our quality of sleep.“Based upon my own experience, I can

testify to the fact that there appears to be asignificant increase in insomnia and stressrelated issues throughout Irish society,” hesays. “What percentage of this is borne outof social networking is difficult to quantify,namely because of the severity of currenteconomic stressors. However, a reductionin deep restorative sleep (DSR) is a direct

contributor to depression, increased anxietyand stress and will directly and negatively af-fect our circadian rhythms.“But while I cannot see any evidence that

logging on before bedtime detrimentally af-fects sleep any more than watching the TV, ifsomeone upsets you online with a toxic com-ment or you become cerebrally activethrough a challenge, then you’ll probably findit difficult to calm your mind sufficiently forsleep to come,” he says.Business psychologist, John Deeley agrees.“Stimulation of this kind is counterproduc-

tive before sleep as you need to calm yourmind,” he says. “And when you log on orengage in texting, there is the possibility that

you could be exposed to something that willworry you and undermine the quality ofyour sleep.“Everyone should allow themselves some

time to switch off before they go to sleep —whether that means reading a book or hav-ing a bath, your brain needs time to rest.Working or interacting socially right up untilyour head hits the pillow is counter-produc-tive and could affect sleep patterns.”

● For more information on sleep issues visitwww.kerryhypnotherapy.ie or call087-6123301● And for advice on career psychology visitwww.pinpoint.ie or call 01-6425721.

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2011Feelgood

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THE SHAPE I'M IN JOHN GILES

In profile

SOCCER LEGEND:John Giles, now 70, isplanning a second hipreplacement thissummer. Picture:SaskoLazarov / Photocall Ireland

On the ballJOHN GILES is humble about the fact that his

book, A Football Man, was one of the most popu-lar on the Christmas 2010 shelves. Shortlisted in

the sports book of the year category of the recent BordGáis Energy Irish Book Awards, the autobiography waslaunched to mark the soccer legend’s 70th birthday.“I didn’t think it would be as well received. It’s unex-

pected, to be honest, but I’m delighted with it,” says theman who grew up in Dublin’s Ormond Square.The RTÉ soccer pundit — who left Manchester United

in 1963 and became a midfielder with Leeds United,where he stayed for 12 years — was named by the FAI in2004 as the greatest player from the Republic of Ireland ofthe previous 50 years.Giles is a father of six and has eight grandchildren. Based

in Birmingham, he’s looking forward to taking awell-earned rest after publicising his book. “Hopefully I’llbe able to take it easy. To do a book you have to dasharound a lot and do signings.”

What shape are you in?I’m not too bad. I’ve put on a bit of weight. I play golf.

Do you have any health concern?I had a hip replacement 10 years ago. That was a greatsuccess. Now I hope to get a job done on the other onenext summer — I’m having the same symptoms as I hadbefore. I had my prostate tested last summer — I got agood report. The reading was a bit high but I had a biopsy,which came back clear.

What are your healthiest eating habits?I probably don’t eat as healthily as I should. I try to eatas many salads as I can. I’ve never been into sweets or bis-cuits. It’s not willpower — it’s just that I’ve never had ataste for the rich stuff.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?Nothing too drastic — probably fish and chips.

What would keep you awake at night?There’s not much that would keep me awake. I’ve alwayshad a bit of discipline around going to sleep. I say ‘I cando nothing about it tonight so I’ll have a good night’ssleep’. I’ve never watched TV in the bedroom. I go to bedto sleep.

How do you relax?Mostly by watching sport or the Discovery Channel.David Attenborough would be one of my favourites.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?Probably Jack Nicklaus, the golfer.

What’s your favourite smell?I like the smell of fried onion. I can’t eat them though.

What would you change about your appearance?I’m small but that never bothered me. I have enough hairto keep me going.

When did you last cry?I can’t remember. I don’t cry easily.

What trait do you least like in others?Loudness — it usually goes with a bit of arrogance andbad manners.

What trait do you least like in yourself?I’d like to show emotion to the family a bit more. I’venever been good at it. Neither was my mother.

Do you pray?I would pray in my own way, not in an orthodox way.

What would cheer up your day?A birdie on the first hole when I’m playing golf.

Helen O’Callaghan

I’d like toshow emotion tothe family a bitmore. I’ve neverbeen good at it.Neither was my

mother

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Feelgood Feelgood

Coping with life

As we head towards World Eating Disorder Awareness Week, Lucy Taylor explores the experiences of sufferers and treatment options available in Ireland

W E ALL need food to live andit can be a great source ofenjoyment in life, but for

some people issues around food that lead tobulimia, anorexia and binge eating can literal-ly take over their life. But what causes theseconditions? Can we put the blame on thepromotion of unattainable stick-thin figuresin the media, or is it more complicated thanthat?Jacinta Hastings is CEO of eating disorders

support organisation Bodywhys. “An eatingdisorder is a complex, serious condition,” shesays. “And there is no one reason a personmay develop it. However, factors like poorbody image and low self-esteem can be sig-nificant contributing factors and both ofthese have been proven to be influenced bymedia messages and the environment the per-son is living in.”It seems young Irish people are more than

aware of body size messages put out by themedia. In the Eating Problems In Childrenand Adolescents research conducted by Pro-fessor Fiona McNicholas of Our Lady’s Chil-dren’s Hospital in Crumlin, 71.4% of Irishadolescents said they felt adversely affected bythe media portrayal of weight and shape.There are no absolute figures for the num-

ber of people in Ireland suffering from eatingdisorders, but the Department of Health andChildren estimates that up to 200,000 may beaffected.According to a Health Research Board re-

port, 17% of under-18s admitted for in-pa-tient psychiatric treatment in 2008 were ad-mitted for an eating disorder, making it thesecond highest of all psychiatric categories forin-patient admission.And, according to Jacinta Hastings, eating

disorders are not just affecting teenage girls,traditionally thought to be the main sufferers.“Those affected are increasingly coming

from the whole spectrum of Irish societyacross the age, gender and socio-economicdivide. Men are increasingly presenting withissues around eating disorders,” she says.Earlier this week, Suzanne Horgan, director

and founder of the Dublin-based Eating Dis-order Resource, centre said male and femalechildren as young as seven and eight are suf-fering from full-blown anorexia.“One of the major trends amongst eating

disorders is that sufferers are getting youngerand younger,” she said.Treatment for an eating disorder will de-

pend on what kind of problems a sufferer hasand include the help of a number of differenthealth professionals including GPs, counsel-

lors, psychotherapists, nutritionists,social workers, psycholo-gists, psychiatrists, aswell as eating disorderrecovery programmesin hospitals or in oth-

er treatment centres.A major hurdle many families face is how

to pay for treatment as many health insurerswill not cover it. A residential eating disordertreatment programme can cost as much as10,000 — not an inconsiderable sum toraise in today’s straightened times.There are a number of different treatment

centres in Ireland, the vast majority of whichare private. Lois Bridges Eating DisordersTreatment Centre in Sutton, Co Dublin, hassix residential beds and offers outpatient treat-ment to male and female sufferers over 18.There are eight beds for over-16s in St Johnof God Hospital in Stillorgan, Co Dublin andfurther beds in St Patrick’s Hospital, Dublin.Both hospitals are in the private sector butsome patients may be able to access in-patienttreatment through the HSE.Additional private centres that provide

counselling and/or outpatient therapy optionsinclude the Shandon Therapy Centre inCork and the Mari-no TherapyCentre inDublin.

According to Jacinta Hastings, more workneeds to be done to provide sufficient publicservices for those with eating disorders.There are currently just three public in-pa-tient beds in St Vincent’s, Dublin, which areonly available to the catchment area.“Current policy, Vision for Change (2006),

recommends that the public beds for eatingdisorders be 24 — six beds in each of thefour HSE areas,” says Hastings. “The problemhas been identified and the solution offered.The recommendation needs to be imple-mented as a matter of urgency.”Meanwhile, if a public patient from Tralee

needs in-patient care, the HSE will arrangemulti-disciplinary treatment in one of threeprivate Dublin eating disorder centres.“It’s not an ideal situation,” says Hastings.Few would disagree with her.

■ World Eating Disorder Awareness Weekruns from 21-25 February

■ For information on Lois Bridges EatingDisorders Treatment Centre, see www.eat-ingdisordersdublin.ie or call 01-8396147.Lois Bridges is running a two-day work-

shop in the Marine Hotel on March 12 and13 for parents and carers who have a lovedone with an eating disorder.

■ Bodywhys — The Eating Disorders Asso-ciation Of Ireland, 01-2834963, www. body-whys.ie

A family affairFAMILY members play a crucial role inrecognising an eating disorder andhelping the sufferer to get help. “Thesooner the issue is raised in conversa-tion, the better,” says Jacinta Hastings.“Bodywhys has developed a specific re-source for parents, as well as informa-tion leaflets on ‘approaching someone’and ‘supporting someone,’ which maybe useful to anyone who has a concernabout a friend or loved one. We also runa support group for family and friendsof people experiencing an eating disor-der.”

Families play a key role in a sufferer’srecovery from an eating disorder. TeresaMoorhead, pictured, who is director ofClinical Services at Lois Bridges Treat-ment Centre, says: “We see families asan important tool in supporting theirloved one through the re-covery process. It is nec-essary to explore familyrelationships in therapyand important to trainthe family/parents inhow they can supporttheir loved one. Theyneed to separate theperson from the ill-ness.”

I am now well but can’tever go on a diet again

PAINFUL TIME: Judy Blake, above right, who struggled for years with bulimia, with hermother, Jennifer Kelly. Picture:Nick Bradshaw

JUDY BLAKE is 37 and from Dublin.“As a teenager, I developed quickly,overnight, and was taller than my

friends and classmates and very sensitiveto comments about my weight or height.I went on diets from about the age of 12that wouldn’t last. I would starve myself,then, when I ate again, I couldn’t stop, soI started abusing laxatives to get rid offood.“Later, I would stick my whole hand

down my throat to force myself to besick. I could be bingeing and purging ev-ery day, then spend the whole night inthe loo. It was painful and I always sworeit was the last time. I knew what I wasdoing was horrendous, but I couldn’t seeany other way. It’s like it’s your best friendand worst enemy,” she says.Judy’s mum, Jennifer Kelly, remembers

that time well. “There are very few obvi-ous symptoms of bulimia, so it’s not easyto spot. One night, Judy broke down andtold her sister what she was doing — itwas a shock. We didn’t know how to dealwith it, and didn’t know anyone who hadan eating disorder. Over the next 15

years, Judy tried a number of things, in-cluding hospitalisations and counselling.He weight would fluctuate and she suf-fered from severe bouts of depression,” shesays.Life changed for Judy seven years ago,

when she returned to Dublin for a wed-ding and decided she wanted to stay inIreland. “I could see myself bingeing onmy parent’s couch for the rest of my life,and really didn’t want that, so I decided toget treatment,” she says. “I went into acentre and had counselling.“I am now well, but I can’t afford ever

to go on a diet again — I can’t skip ameal, because it may lead to bingeing af-terwards. Some people recover from eat-ing disorders quickly, but mine went onfor a long time.”Jennifer says positives can come out of

such a tough experience. “After my expe-rience with Judy, I became a foundermember of Bodywhys. I want to say topeople with an eating disorder that theyshouldn’t give up hope, even if they’vehad it a long time, because people can,and do, recover.”

EARLY PAIN:Suzanne Horgan,of The EatingDisorderResource Centresays sufferersare gettingyounger.

NEVER SIMPLE:Jacinta Hastingsfrom Bodywhyssays an eatingdisorder is acomplexcondition tohave.

I was fivestone atone point

AISLING (not her real name) isnow 30 and living in Dublin.Her problems with food started

at age 10 and led to serious bulimiaand anorexia by the age of 18.“I would either binge all the time

or control food so much I hardly ate athing and went down to five stone atone point. It was horrific living withit. I started drinking heavily and be-gan stealing to fund my bulimia — Iused to spend 100 a day on food. Ittook over my life.”On days when she was multiple

bingeing, six or seven times a day,Aisling would eat the following: eightjumbo sausages, four large rolls stuffedwith noodles and mayonnaise, aneight-pack of KitKats, a tub of icecream. Shewould drink ahalf a bottle ofvodka to finishoff.Aisling’s eat-

ing disordersalso had an ef-fect on herfamily — herdad wouldlock bread andmilk into theboot of the carand had a bigchest with alock on it be-cause shewould eat everything.She had her own toilet downstairs

because no one wanted to use a loothat always smelled of sick.“I went in and out of general hospi-

tal and treatment centres for bothanorexia and bulimia,” she says. “Theywould feed me for anorexia to get myweight up then I would relapse intobulimia about a week after finishingtreatment — it was a vicious cycle. Ihad become addicted to sleepingtablets and codeine as well as drinkinga lot of alcohol and at one low pointtried to take my own life.”Eventually, Aisling started seeing a

specialist counsellor and after a yearshe decided to go into the LoisBridges Eating Disorders TreatmentCentre, but her health insurancewould not cover the cost.“I tried every bank for a loan, and

in the end my boyfriend and Ire-mortgaged our apartment andasked 20 friends and family membersfor 500 each. Now we are payingthem back and I am so grateful tothem because it changed my life.”Her treatment at the centre cost10,000 and the additional treatmentamounted to 14,000.“I am slowly getting to know my-

self. For the first three or four monthsof treatment I couldn’t feel any differ-ence at all and just took it a day at atime.”

People of all ages are struggling

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Feelgood

THE Irish Nurses and Midwife Organi-sation (INMO) is due to go to theLabour Court next month to get vacantmidwifery and nursing posts at CorkUniversity maternity hospital filled.The union claims that patients’ livesare being put at risk.Industrial relations officer for the IN-

MO in Cork, Patsy Doyle, cites the re-port of an independent midwife con-sultant from Britain, Marie Washbrook,who reported to the HSE (Health Ser-vice Executive) in 2009 on the numberof staff needed at CUMH, on foot of aLabour Court recommendation for 376staff.With births increasing since the hos-

pital opened in 2007, Ms Washbrook“found that 31 additional midwiveswere needed,”says Ms Doyle.The posts,amounting to 407,whole-time equiv-alent midwiferyand nursingposts, “have nev-er existed atCUMH. On anyaverage day, evenwith agency staff,[the figure] is just335 whole-timeequivalents,” says Doyle.On March 2, the INMO will go to the

Labour Court asking to have vacantpositions filled. “So far, the HSE hassaid we have to taper our expectationsin the financial climate,” says Doyle“Staff are being stretched to the pointof being unsafe ... Lives are certainlybeing put at risk.”However director of midwifery at

CUMH, Geraldine Keohane, says: “Onany given day, we’re delivering thebest standard of care that we canstand over.”Since the hospital opened, four years

ago, it has experienced a sharp in-crease in births. Hospital managers saythey are unable to create more nursingposts, due to the employment morato-rium in the public sector.“This necessitates hiring agency

staff,” says Keohane. “We are manag-ing our resources to the best of ourability. It would be nice if the moratori-um was lifted, because we’d be in aposition to recruit staff.”She expresses concern over the IN-

MO’s claims. “We’re not delivering asub-standard service. We are deliver-ing a very busy service. We’re luckythat we’re able to recruit agency staff,albeit staff that are not getting perma-nent employment.”

Under the camera

Fewer staff,more births

Colette Sheridan says 9,000 babies were born last year in Cork UniversityMaternity Hospital, and a new RTÉ series follows some of these life-giving stories

YOUNG LOVE: Jason Coughlan and KatieMcCleary,above, with their daughter, EllieCoughlan. Jason says being at hisdaughter’s birth has made him see women ina new light. Picture:Denis Minihane.

THE joy and anxiety associated withpregnancy and childbirth is chartedin a new, six-part documentary se-

ries for RTÉ One, which starts on February22. From Here to Maternity follows expec-tant mothers, nervous fathers and busy staff atCork University Maternity Hospital(CUMH), where 9,000 babies were born lastyear.Filmed over four months, with unprece-

dented access to the labour and neonatalwards, the series is an insight to the emotion-al journey of bringing new life into theworld.Among the mothers taking part in the se-

ries is Skibbereen-based midwife, CatherineKingston, who works at CUMH. AlthoughKingston has delivered more than 200 babiesin her career, she knows that every pregnancyis unpredictable and presents its own chal-lenges. She says that she and her husband,Sam, were concerned when she becamepregnant, unexpectedly, last year at the age of43. The couple had two children; Shane,now aged seven and Niall, aged four and ahalf.“I had always thought I might love to have

another child. But Colin (now nine months)was a complete surprise,” says Kingston. “Wewere in Costa Brava, on holidays, where ithappened.”Despite being an experienced midwife,

Kingston says that she couldn’t fully controlher labour. “I had a horrendous time withColin. I haemorrhaged and had high bloodpressure. You can’t control things like that.When I was haemorrhaging, I had to go tothe high-dependency unit. I had also haem-orrhaged after the second boy. While I knewwhat was happening, I was still the newmummy in the bed.”Now, Kingston says that she “celebrates

Colin’s life every day. He’s a perfect baby. I’mreally enjoying him. I could have had a babywith a problem that would involve going toCrumlin Hospital, or I could have had achild with a life-long disability. I mightn’thave been able to go back to work. So, de-spite what happened, I don’t dwell on it.”Kingston says that maternity care has

changed for the better. She remembers thedays in Cork when public patients were un-able to avail of epidurals on certain days ofthe week. “It has evolved from that archaicstuff. The choice is there and allows womento have more control over birth.”

Jason Coughlan, 25, says that the birth ofhis first child has made him “see women in anew light. If any man turned around and saidthey got nothing from being at the birth oftheir child, I’d say they’re lying.”Ellie, aged eight and half months, was born

to Coughlan’s partner, 21-year-old Katie Mc-Cleary. “The pregnancy wasn’t planned. Wewere both living with our parents. When wegot the news, we were shocked, but not up-set. We knew we’d be well able for it. Fairplay to Katie’s parents for allowing me tomove in with them,” he says.Bandon-based Coughlan, who is unem-

ployed, is a stay-at-home dad while Mc-Cleary is studying social care. The pregnancywas straight forward, but Coughlan says he

was a nervous wreck at the birth. “It wascrazy. The labour went on for 24 hours. Iwas all over the place and didn’t know whatto think. Holding Katie’s hand, I had fear andexcitement. It was very emotional, especiallyduring the last half hour when Katie was re-ally pushing. When Ellie was coming out, Iwas going nuts altogether. But the experience

is up there at number one. It has changedme, without a doubt. Before you have achild, you can be a bit naive and do thingswithout thinking. Now, my life revolvesaround Ellie and Katie.”

The documentary also traces KatherineMcCarthy and her husband, Cian, who areexpecting triplets. The couple already hastwo children under the age of three. “We de-cided we’d have one more baby,” says Kather-ine. “When I went for the first scan and wastold there were three heartbeats, I just imag-ined there was one baby with all these heart-beats. I rang my husband straight away. It wasa massive shock. It’s overwhelming to be car-rying three babies. It’s like I’ve never beenpregnant before.”As the series progresses, one of the babies

begins to struggle and doctors warn the Mc-Carthys that this child may not survive. Tunein to RTÉ on Tuesdays, at 8.30pm, to see theoutcome of this complicated pregnancy.

ROLE REVERSAL: Mmidwife CatherineKingston. left, with son Niall and baby Colinwho was born when she was 43 years old.Picture:Denis Scannell

Labour exchange

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Tony Humphreys

Psychology

Those who govern should first learn toaccept responsibility for their own faults

POLITICS has never been a favourite topic ofmine. However, given the political lies and cov-er-ups, not to mind arrogance, party before peo-

ple and personal gain before national gain we have been ex-posed to, before and since the onset of the recession and thebanking crisis, I believe everyone in Ireland, including myself,has become more politically-conscious.

Certainly, we cannot afford to put the type of politician in-to power whose immature personal qualities have been partand parcel of the major downturn in Ireland’s social and eco-nomic fortunes. What is crystal clear is that it was not the Fi-anna Fáil government that landed us in such an appalling state— it was individual, government politicians. It is never a sys-tem — political, social, economic or religious — that perpet-uates neglect, it is always an individual.

Systems are created by individuals and it is other individualswho conform and collude with a system. A system has nohead or heart — how can I talk to a system that needs to bechallenged and changed? Change is only possible through in-dividuals, and individual political leaders and those who headthe various civil service departments need to be held ac-countable for their professional decisions and actions.

While individual politicians have been seriously challenged— and rightly so — it appears that those governors of civilservice departments have not been called to examine theirtenure in office. After all, over the last four months, while allthe politicians — those in and out of office — have beentending to their own political survival, the country has con-tinued to be run or run-down by civil servants.

There has been little declaration of ‘mea culpa’ by individ-ual government politicians, neither has there been authentici-ty and accountability by individual bankers. What is of greatconcern is that many of those leaders are still in power, as aremany of the heads of government and local government bod-ies. But, at least, on February 25, we have an opportunity tochange the panel of individuals who govern our country.What is important is that we don’t vote for a party, be it FineGael, Labour, Greens, Sinn Féin, Fianna Fáil. We need tovote for individuals who show maturity.

A politician who possesses a solid interiority, who is notaddicted to power or status, who is independent of how oth-ers see him or her, who operates from a centred, authentic,real and genuine place of care of self and others, and is re-sponsible and accountable for what he says and does, wouldnot engage in the narcissism, greed, lies, cover-ups and cosycartels that have infested the members of the outgoing gov-ernment.

However, make no mistake about it, these behaviours arealso present in members of non-government parties.

I understand, and I deeply believe, that those individualpoliticians, civil servants, bankers and other business leaderswho plummeted the country into the present, social and eco-nomic abyss did so unconsciously. However, a consciousnessof the hidden roots of these dark responses has not beenforthcoming, and the very powerful, unconscious defence ofdenial is maintaining this lack of accountability. When con-sciousness does emerge, a responsibility and an accompanyingaccountability follows, and it is for those individuals I wouldvote. We all make mistakes — but it is the mature individual

MEA CULPA:While individualpoliticians havebeen challenged,the governors ofcivil servicedepartments havenot been called toexamine theirtenure in office.

who admits the mistakes, examines the process, personal andsystemic, that led to these mistakes and finds ways of learningand progressing from their personal and political blunders.

When individual politicians have not learned to govern self,how can they even remotely, effectively and affectively, gov-ern a country?

I also have grave concerns about some members of the op-position parties, who spend so much of their time blamingtheir government peers and not employing more of their in-telligence, creativity, time and energy on devising ways ofgetting us out of the economic hole we are in. Indeed,‘mud-slinging’ is a common phenomenon among politiciansand hasn’t anybody told them that it is a serious sign of per-sonal and professional immaturity?

Blaming emerges from another powerful, unconscious de-fence mechanism known as projection, and I certainly wouldhesitate to give my vote to a political candidate whose sightsare on what other politicians have or have not done, ratherthan on examining his or her own level of personal maturityand fitness to govern. When individual politicians have notlearned to govern self, how can they even remotely, effective-ly and affectively, govern a country? The mature qualities ofself to look for in the individuals who are seeking your allimportant vote are:■ Genuineness — no pretence■ Authenticity — no hedging questions■ Independence — no looking over their shoulder■ Responsibility — no ‘passing the buck’■ Accountability — no blaming the system■ Transparency — no cover-ups■ Compassion — no heartless decisions■ Decisiveness — no endless waffling■ Directness — no ‘beating about the bush’■ Clarity — no ‘political spin’

Vote for maturity, not for ‘personalities’, not for traditionalreasons and certainly not for ‘party’.

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

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TERAPROOF:User:timmyherlihyDate:16/02/2011Time:18:38:34Edition:18/02/2011FeelgoodXH1802Page:8 Zone:XH

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We’ve all heard their policies and how they propose to return the country to full health. But what about their own health? How do they keep themselves fit and well as they weatherthe gruelling campaign trail? Arlene Harris spoke with the five main party leaders about their 24/7 lifestyles and asks dietitian Aveen Bannon to give some tips

“I’m probably not as fit as I could be but given thenature of the job, I get as much exercise as I can. Icycle to and from work every day and get out for awalk every now and then, so I fit exercise inaround my other commitments.”A semi-vegetarian, the 51-year-old politician en-

joys a reasonably good diet, but feels he shouldcut down on some of his more calorific favourites.“I don’t eat meat and only eat fish occasionally,

so I tend to rely on carbohydrates,” he admits. “Ilove pasta and potatoes and probably eat toomuch butter and eggs. But whenever I am intown, I go to a vegetarian restaurant for lunch ordinner so that is always very healthy.“I really like chocolate — milk and dark — and

although I try not to have it very often, if it is leftaround the house, I will eat it.”And when he is away from the office, the Dublin

man likes to switch off and enjoy time out with hisloved ones. “I have a very busy work schedule butI try to take Sundays off to spend with my wifePenny and the family,” he says. “It’s not alwayspossible, but I really enjoy getting together withfriends and doing things with my wife and chil-dren. The nature of my job can be quite stressful,so I wind down by watching television and read-

ing. I usually have a book of short stories thatI read before bed and I always try to get tosleep before midnight.”A health-conscious man, Mr Gormley

is aware of the need to remain fit andhealthy for the future.“I don’t smoke and only have the oc-casional glass of wine so I don’t have

to worry on that score, but Iprobably eat too manydairy products and, al-though I don’t have anyhealth concerns as such, I dohave high cholesterol so I haveto watch that as I get older.”

■ Dietician Aveen Bannon:“John has the right intentions but needsmore consistency with his diet to getthe balance right. A vegetarian diet canbe very healthy but you need to replaceprotein-rich foods with meat alterna-tives, for example, pulses, beans, nuts,quorn, tofu, eggs. Beans and pulses arealso a good source of soluble fibrewhich can help lower cholesterol.“If he eats enough fruit and vegeta-

bles along with a protein-rich foodtwice a day, John should soon noticethat he won’t be as reliant on pasta,potatoes and chocolate for energy.“Also it seems John’s diet might be

a little low in iron which is importantfor maintaining energy levels. Heshould aim to include some darkgreen vegetables in his diet daily toprovide folic acid, iron and im-

mune-boosting vitamins.”

“I stay fit by walking and climbing. My home inShankill is close to a long beach which runs fromKilliney to Bray, there is also a magnificent region-al park nearby, lots of country roads and of coursethe Dun Laoghaire piers. I walk them all on differ-ent occasions and on a good day I would climbCarrickgollogan Hill.”Much of a politician’s life is on the road so the

55-year-old has to fit his health regime around hiswork schedule.“Weight is a constant struggle for me and I don’t

always win,” he admits. “I try to eat a balanced di-et and exercise when I can but it’s not always easyin politics, sometimes I have to grab a sandwichand eat on the run.“But there is one thing for sure, I haven’t been

short of exercise during the past few weeks —mental and physical. Pounding the pavements andthe cut and thrust of the campaign may havehelped me to shed a few pounds.”

Long hours and stressful working conditionscan lead to slip-ups in the healthy-eating de-partment — so how does the Galway manstay on the straight and narrow?“Late nights and long days mean I probably

drink more coffee than I should and the more Idrink, the more biscuits I have to have — so

I’m thinking of switching to herbal tea,”he laughs.“When I’m not working, I reallyvalue time out with my wife Caroland the family. Politics is very de-manding so we try to make the

most of our time to-gether. And to help meunwind, I enjoy cooking,reading and supportingthe Galway senior hurling

and football teams. I alsolike listening to Blues.”

The Labour leader hasn’t had manyhealth concerns but knows that hehas to remain fit to stay in the politi-cal running.“I don’t rely on any supplements

as I get my omega 3 from eating lotsof Irish smoked salmon and I havenever had any alternative therapiesbut remaining healthy and active is abig concern of mine,” he says.■ Dietician Aveen Bannon: “Ea-mon should ensure he eats some-thing every three to four hours tohelp reduce energy dips throughoutthe day. When we keep going forlong periods of time it is easy to relyon coffee and the odd biscuit butdrinking water and eating regularlywill give you more energy in thelong run.“Eamon mentions he gets lots of

omega-3 from smoked salmon butunfortunately the essential fattyacid is destroyed in the smok-

ing process — he should tryto choose fresh or tinned

salmon instead.”

“I KEEP fit by walking, mountaineering and hillwalking. I also swim occasionally and although Ioften exercise alone, it is more usual that I will goout for a walk with my wife, Fionnuala, and mydaughter Aoibhinn, or get in a bit of cycling withmy two boys, Ferdia and Naoise.With his busy work schedule, how does the

59-year-old keep his weight in check?“I probably don’t manage my weight as well as I

should,” he admits. “Fionnuala cooks sensiblefood and I have a good diet — but I am partial to abag of crisps every now and then. Discipline is es-sential if you are to keep the pounds off. I just tryto eat properly and exercise when I can. I don’ttake any supplements, just do my best to eat welland generally mind myself.”And when the stress of his working life gets too

much, Kenny likes to wind down with a few tunesor a walk in the fresh air.“I love listening to music. Bruce Springsteen inparticular, but there are a few others I liketoo,” he says. “I also love walking in coldbut dry weather. I’ve climbed Croagh Patrickin January when it was minus eight de-grees — that was absolutely unforgettable.“And after a long cycle or a strenuous

walk, I find that a good shower and a decentsleep are invaluable for restoring themind and body.”With his healthy diet and love ofthe great outdoors, the Mayo politi-cian is fairly happy with his overallfitness.“I don’t have any health con-cerns that I know of,” he says.“And thanks to my generallyrobust and healthy constitu-tion I have rarely had to attendthe doctor, except once for abroken nose.”■ Dietician Aveen Bannon:

“The best way to keep those fewpounds at bay is to ensure a balanceddiet. All of the politicians say they eatgood dinners at home but it is impor-tant to think about snacks during theday. Keeping hydrated is one of themost important factors in maintainingenergy levels and limiting snacking.“Often when we crave crisps our bod-

ies want us to eat something salty to en-courage thirst and therefore more fluid.”Enda is right, though, with a good in-

take of fruits and vegetables in the daythere is rarely the need for extra supple-ments and regular exercise is key to over-all good health.”

“I am very focused on my health and do plenty ofexercise to keep in shape. I don’t really like gymsand I’m not into stretching so walking, cycling andswimming are my favourite pursuits. I wouldswim all year round in the sea if I had the time, orif we had the climate.”Keeping fit isn’t just about exercise and Micheál

takes his diet just as seriously as is politics.“Eating well is very important and although I

don’t have a problem with weight, it can vary —especially during the summer when I am morelikely to have a few pints. So I make sure I have agood diet — I start every day with a banana, half agrapefruit, some melon and berries if they are inseason. After that I will have porridge with linseedand pumpkin seeds, then some brown bread anda cup of green tea.“It’s a ritual for me and if I don’t have my morn-

ing fix, I’m not right for the day. I usually havesoup or salad for lunch and maybe a stir-fry in theevening — although I would have the odd steakat the weekend.”“I haven’t had a biscuit in over 20 years but I

do have a sweet tooth for home-baking. I loveapple and rhubarb tarts like my mother used tomake and also homemade chocolate cake. I al-

so have an addiction for good darkchocolate and have to have a couple ofsquares every evening before I go tobed.”Politics is a stressful business so the

50-year-old makes sure that he findstime to wind down.“My work life is very busy, particu-

larly at the moment, but I like takingtime out whenever I can — watchingmatches with the kids, going for walksand spending time with my wife Maryand the family.“I also find Lyric fm very relaxing and

usually have it on in the car. I love read-ing so would try to wind down with a fewpages of a book every evening — I recent-ly read Let the Great World Spin by ColumMcCann and it was the best book I haveread in ages.”And whatever turmoil is taking place in

the political world, Mr Martin has no healthconcerns.“I could be fitter but am in reasonable con-

dition. I eat well, take regular exercise andtake Udo’s Oil daily so I’m doing as much as Ican and hope to age gracefully.”■ Dietician Aveen Bannon: ”Micheál has agreat attitude to health and diet. He doesn’tmention what type of protein-rich foods heeats during the day. Ideally, it’s good to get amix between red meat, poultry, fish, eggsand pulses. We all need a protein-rich foodtwice a day in our diet to maintain musclemass and supply us with essential vitaminsand minerals. Including some pulses or lentilswith his soup could be a good idea or someoily fish with his salad.“Nuts would also be great Micheál to snackon while on the road. Ensuring a good intakeof protein will keep his energy levels up.”

“My friends always joke about the fact that I amsuch a big eater but don’t seem to put on anyweight. I think it’s because I eat quite a bit ofroughage — I love my porridge and eat a lot ofvegetables and pulses. I’m also very fussy aboutwhat I eat and stay away from processed foods,especially sliced bread — the whiter the bread, thequicker you’re dead.“I used to go the gym a bit but I found it boring

and then because of security issues, I had to stopgoing. I now go hiking instead. I walk wherever Iam, usually about three or four times a week. I’vebeen walking in the hills, the bog, the beach — nomatter where the location is, I will find somewherefor a ramble. And it’s more than just exercise forme, I just love being at one with nature.”Stretching his legs is also a great stress-buster

for the 62-year-old. “There is always so much go-ing on in the political world, so it is great to get

out for a hike, either on my own, with thedogs or with a friend. There is no betterway to clear the head than to pack a bagwith a sandwich, a flask of tea or a beerand head for the hills.“And whenever I need to let off steam,

I shout uproariously at the television, andbelieve it or not, I sing wonderfullywell.“Aside from that, I deal with

stress by remaining positive. Idon’t take things personally andalways try to live in the now andlet go of the things that havehappened in the past.“I have never eaten a packet of

crisps in my life and although mywife, Collette, has a passion forchocolate, I have a sinus problemso have to steer clear.“But I really love porter cakes

and plum puddings like theyused to make long ago. MartinMcGuinness’s mother used to makewonderful cakes so if there are anygood bakers out there who wouldlike to make me something, I’d be

delighted.“My other guilty pleasure is red wine

and I have this fear that if I put the corkback in the bottle, it will go off so, ofcourse, I have to finish it all.“I take a lot of vitamin C as I believe it

helps to ward off colds and flu and I al-so take multi-vitamins and cod liver oilevery day. So far I’ve been blessed withgood health — long may it continue.”■ Dietician Aveen Bannon: “Cod liveroil is a great source of vitamin D whichtends to be low in the Irish diet particularlya diet low in meat. Also as Gerry generallyhas such a good intake of fruits and vegeta-bles he probably doesn’t need a vitamin Csupplement as our body will only use a cer-tain amount each day and eliminate the

rest. Basing the diet on fruit, vegeta-bles, wholegrains and pulses is a veryhealthy way to live.”

Cover story The way we live

LEADERSHIP LIFESTYLESGerry Adams: Sinn FeinMicheál Martin: Fianna FailEnda Kenny: Fine GaelEamon Gilmore: Labour PartyJohn Gormley: Green Party

I don’t putweight on Ithink it’sbecause ofroughage.I love myporridgeand eat alot ofvegetablesand pulses

I haven’thad abiscuit for20 yearsbut I havegood darkchocolateeveryeveningbefore I goto bed

I am partialto a bag ofcrisps butdiscipline isessential tokeep thepounds off.I try to eatproperlyandexercise

Late nightsand longdays mean Idrink morecoffee than Ishould andthe more Idrink, themorebiscuits Ihave to have

I’m a semivegetarian. Ilove pastaandpotatoesand Iprobably eattoo muchbutter andeggs for mygood


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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

He heardmum mention

No 1 for acertain partyand asked:

“Whosebirthday is itand are we all

invited?”

Medical matters

CatherineShanahan

PAINFUL PROBLEM: Drinking water andeating high-fibre foods are two of themeasures that can help ease toddlerconstipation. Picture: iStock

QMY daughter is three and ahalf and suffers from constipa-tion since she was two. Herbottom gets very sore — atone stage it got so bad she

tore it a little. Her diet is varied and in-cludes fruit, juice and water. The doctorrecommended Movicol which we useddaily in orange juice. It worked for awhile and she was able to go but lately it’stoo strong and, some days, even thoughshe is toilet trained, I put a nappy on her.She now tries to hide when she needs togo to the toilet and ends up having an“accident”.A. It sounds as if your daughter is subcon-sciously holding back the stool to prevent apainful evacuation. It may appear as if shehas diarrhoea but it is due to “overflow”constipation. With chronic constipation thestool builds up in the rectum and only themore liquid stool leaks through, often byaccident. This can also cause soiling of theunderpants, as well as leaving the remainingstools even drier, harder and more painful topass.Usually, a child who has a bowel move-

ment fewer than three times a week, andwhose stools are hard and difficult to pass isconstipated. For whatever reason, a childmay refuse to go to the toilet. Painful bowelmovements in the past can result in a childbeing reluctant to use the toilet for fear itwill hurt again. But the longer childrenleave it, the more painful it can be whenthey finally go and this can put them off go-ing again.This cycle of hard stool-pain-withold can

be broken. You mention that her diet is var-ied. To help soften the stools, increase theamount of fluid and fibre your child getseach day. High-fibre foods include fruit andfruit juices such as pear, prune, apple orgrape juice, and vegetables (broccoli, peas,beans, and wholegrain breads, cereals). Offerwater instead of sugary drinks. Reducefoods that increase constipation, such as fat-ty, or processed foods that are low in fibre.Any change in diet — even when

weaning, or making the transition frombreast milk to formula or cow’s milk orintroducing new foods can affect bowelmovements. Occasionally, passing hard mo-tions results in cracks (anal fissure) that arepainful and as a result constipation becomesmore persistent.Encourage your child to use the bathroom

at regular times during the day, especially af-ter meals (ideally 30 minutes after) or when-ever she feels the urge to go. Let her sit forat least 10 minutes at a time. Put a stool un-der her feet, as this will give her leverage topush. Provide storybooks, music or aportable DVD while she is on the toilet tohelp her relax and take her time. If no stoolis passed, make no fuss — children can sensetheir parents’ anxiety.Praise her each time for trying. Make sure

your child gets out to play for at least 30minutes every day. Exercise helps with themovement of food through the digestivesystem.Discuss with her doctor about trying an-

other laxative — faecal softeners such asglycerol (Babylax) or an osmotic laxative —Duphalac which contains lactulose will alsohelp unblock the bowel and your child torelearn normal bowel habit.Homeopathic remedies that may be used

to manage constipation include Silica, NuxVomica, Bryonia or Alumina. However, in

chronic constipation, it is best to seek ad-vice on a constitutional remedy.

Q. I find that at this time of the year —winter/spring — my psoriasis gets worse.It mostly affects my arms and legs andstops me going swimming. I’m alternatingvarious steroid creams, but would like toknow of there is anything else I can do?

A. Winter brings dry air, colder tempera-tures, and reduced exposure to sunlight —all of which can worsen the symptoms ofpsoriasis. Most cases of psoriasis are mild,and management includes keeping your skinmoist with creams and moisturisers. Othercauses of flare-ups besides a cold climate, in-clude stress, infections, certain medicationssuch as NSAIDS, dry skin and infections.There are many types of treatments that canhelp keep psoriasis under control. You mayneed to try different combinations of treat-ments to find what works for you.Make your showers short and keep at

lukewarm temperature. Shower no morethan once a day, especially in winter whenindoor air tends to be dryer. Avoid scrub-bing which can irritate the skin and makepsoriasis worse.You cannot moisturise enough and one of

the best times is after a shower. Apply threeto five minutes after you towel off after ashower, damp skin will help seal in mois-ture. There are many creams and ointmentsavailable, and petroleum jelly is one of thebest moisturisers, despite its greasiness.Light therapy also called phototherapy has

been used to treat psoriasis for a long time.However most people with psoriasis needmultiple sessions of light therapy. One op-tion is UVB. This emits the part of the UVlight spectrum most helpful for psoriasis —for some people up to 30 treatments areneeded to clear the skin.Check with your doctor for an up-date

on your medication. Besides applying medi-cated creams or ointments, systemictreatment such as methotrexate or injecta-bles such as Humira can be used to treatpsoriasis.Stress plays a big part in making any skin

condition worse. Take time to eat healthily,exercise, and do whatever you think isstress-reducing. Relaxation and stress-reduc-tion techniques can help people managetheir psoriasis.■ See www.psoriasisireland.ie

HAVING kept sketch for almost threeweeks — advising mammy when to hide— Lughaidh decided it was high time to

shake the guys whose kissers littered his hallway.Fed up with the dripfeed of leaflets good for

nothing but recycling, he wondered what pos-sessed strangers to push their mugshot throughhis letter box?He asked mammy for an explanation but she

lost him at the words “general election”, eventhough he could have sworn he heard mentionof a party. Surely the pamphlets weren’t partyinvites?Granted, they all bore the words “No 1”, but

his friends were aged four or more and hescarcely remembered the days of first birthdayswhen everyone went around in nappies and vo-cabularies were atrocious.And since when was it the trend to send in-

vites with pictures of airbrushed adults? (Notthat they resembled models, far from it, truthbe told, they looked more like someone’s mam-my or daddy). And whoever heard of an invitefeaturing words like “opportunity” and “invest-ment”, as if a birthday was some sort of busi-ness transaction leading to job creation?“Time to call in the party police,” he thought

to himself, before summoning his little sister.Having taken counsel, he approached mam-

my with paper and pencil.“Doggie for sale,” she wrote at his instruc-

tion. “Eats anything but children and is fond of

political jokers.” (He knew they were jokersbecause his daddy kept saying so).“That should do the trick,” he thought as he

stuck the note in the front porch before retiringto bed that evening.On the mat the next morning lay a leaflet

with a hand-written note in the top right-handcorner that mammy said read: “Not afraid ofthe dog, afraid of the owner”. To her son’s puz-zlement, she seemed to think this was funnyand he heard her mention No 1 for a certainparty. “Whose birthday is it?” he asked “andare we all invited?”His confusion grew when mammy explained

that this was a party where no-one ate cake orblew candles or held treasure hunts or playedpass-the-parcel, although game-playing washigh on the agenda, and charades in particularwas popular. “People pretend to be all sorts ofthings when they’re hoping to run the coun-try,” mammy said somewhat mysteriously asLughaidh nodded wisely.Secretly, he hoped never to be invited to the

kind of “celebration” where everyone discussedthe state of the nation and playing musicalchairs had entirely different connotations. Hehoped never to deliver litter for a living, clog-ging strangers’ hallways with promises he hadno chance of delivering. He would rathersweep streets than be a politician. Who was itthat said they would promise to build bridgeswhere there wasn’t even a river?


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Life choices

■ On Saturday, February 26, a nation-wide fundraising night — A Night AtThe Dogs — will be held across 10greyhound stadiums in aid of DownSyndrome Ireland.It’s the first time a nationwide event

of its type will be held and all fundsraised will be distributed to nationaland regional branches of Down Syn-drome Ireland.Tickets to the family-friendly

evening include access to the races, plusa race programme. All venues will haveentertainment,goodie bagsfor children,raffles andauctions.Admission

tickets cost10. Familytickets (fortwo adults andup to fourchildren) arepriced at 20.The event

will run inCork, Shelbourne, Dundalk, Galway,Limerick, Mullingar, Newbridge,Thurles, Tralee and Waterford. Doorsopen at 6:30pm. The Irish Examiner ismedia sponsor.

Stay on course

Thomas isvery determined.Anything he hasever wanted todo, he has tried

and he getsthere

Despite a doctor’s predictions, Down syndrome hasn’t stopped Thomas Garry fromleading a full life. Helen O’Callaghan tracks a journey of hope and triumph

MAN’S BEST FRIEND: Thomas Garry with his greyhounds at home in Ballykeen, Geashil, CoOffaly. Picture: James Flynn/APX

THOMAS GARRY’S ambition is tohave a greyhound good enough torun in the Irish Derby in Shel-

bourne Park. He has been a greyhound en-thusiast since before he could walk, evensince his mother, Marie, first started bringinghim to the track in Mullingar.“It’s a great interest for me. It’s my life ac-

tually,” says the 21-year-old, who has Downsyndrome. “We’re all big into greyhoundshere. We have eight of them, as well as fourpups. We’ve had a few winners. Tina Beagwon last October in Mullingar and KilcooneyBilly has won over 4,000 in prize money.”Marie recalls how when Thomas was six,

they had a litter of greyhound pups. “I toldhim they’d all have to be sold,” says Marie,who recalls a visit from an elderly man oneSunday morning that changed her mind. “Heasked Thomas which of the pups was his. Isaid, ‘Don’t be encouraging him’, and theman responded by telling me I’d never have aday’s luck if I sold that dog. So I didn’t andshe won lots of races for Thomas. We hadthe dog for years and when she died, Thomaswasn’t devastated — he accepts the in-evitable.”Thomas is halfway through a Contempo-

rary Living Course in Trinity College, hasplayed hurling and football with his localGAA club and trains with Tullamore SpecialOlympics every Monday evening. A bigsports fan, he’s been to Manchester to seeManchester United and recently attended arugby international.But when Thomas was born, a consultant

doctor told his parents not to have highhopes for their youngest child. “He said he’llnever be like your other children. He’ll nevergo to mainstream school. Later I told thedoctor never to say that to another parent be-cause we don’t know — we don’t get a certwith any of our children as to how they’regoing to turn out.”At the time Marie thought her world had

ended. “From the time I was pregnant withThomas, I felt there was something wrong,”says the mother of six. “He was 10 poundsand three ounces when he was born. Mostbabies with Down syndrome are half that. Hewas big and strong and he took off. He didn’thave a lot of the ailments other children withDown syndrome have.”In Ireland, about 110 babies are born every

year with Down syndrome, which is causedby a chromosomal abnormality that occurs atconception. According to Down SyndromeIreland, there are between 6,000 and 7,000people in Ireland with the condition.While Marie initially felt she wouldn’t be

able to cope with a child who had a disabili-ty, her natural instincts to fight the systemkicked in. “I said I’d give it my best shot. I’dget Thomas as good as I could.” And shefeels huge gratitude to the therapists, teachersand family members who set Thomas on theroad to achieving his potential.“The early intervention nurse was out-

standing,” Marie recalls. “She came until hestarted playschool at the age of three. She didexercises with him and gave him the stimula-tion he needed. He got speech therapy andhis speech came at about two. He was almostthree when he started walking — that wasbecause of his sister Bronagh, nine years older

than him. She persevered with him andwould put him in the middle of a room andget him to walk to her.“He went to mainstream national school. It

was the making of him. He got to know ev-erybody in the area and everybody got toknow him. Thomas is very determined —anything he has ever wanted to do, he hastried and he gets there.”The biggest challenge, she says, has been

the way people underestimate him. “Theseare people who should know better. They’reinclined to put him in a box. The reality ishe has a mild intellectual disability. He canmanage most things. Right now, he’s attend-

ing his course at Trinity College three days aweek. He gets the train to Dublin on a Tues-day and he stays with his sister Bronagh. Inthe evenings after the course, he makes hisway independently to her home. He hasmanaged that very well, far better than onemight expect, which is why nobody shouldunderestimate him.“I’d like to see him continue his very good

social life. I’d like him to have a job he’d beinterested in. He’s a great people person.With lots of encouragement I feel he has agreat future.”

■ Visit www.downsyndrome.ie

I love greyhounds


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Feelgood

Healthy food

Roz Crowley

W INNIE THE POOH knowsa good thing when he sees it.The tubby cartoon bear

beloved by children worldwide just can’t getenough honey, raiding wild bee hives when-ever he gets a chance. And why not? It’sbrimming with goodness and the sweet sen-sation works just as well in your food cup-board as the medicine cabinet.It’s a good idea to keep a jar of honey

handy as an inexpensive addition to your firstaid kit for many emergencies. And, as honeyis a natural preservative, it won’t go out ofdate too quickly either. A simple change ofhabit from sugar to honey could help inboosting our immune systems.Honey has more than 180 properties which

can help to keep us in tip-top shape. Exter-nally it is antibacterial so an open wound, aslong as it doesn’t need to be stitched, can behealed. In cases where there is already oozinginfection, honey can help to clean it up. Andwe don’t have to splurge on an extra-expen-sive honey, the basic one will give us plentyof benefits.The use of honey as medicine goes back as

far as records begin — experts say we begancollecting honey 10,000 years ago. But itwasn’t until Alexander Fleming discoveredpenicillin that honey took a back seat. Foracute infections which need fast action, an-tibiotics are still to be recommended, buthoney can still be useful.In her book Honey — Nature’s Golden

Healer (Kyle Cathie, 15), biological scien-tist and lecturer Gloria Havenhand has aworld of useful information on how to keephives (she has two bee farms in the EnglishPeak District to service her bee products andbio-active honey company) and to makebeeswax candles and skin cream.Here are the top ten ways to use honey:

Burns: Apply directly onto burns to helppain and promote healing.

Gastric ulcers: Caused by the helicobacterpylori bacterium which attacks the stomachwall, try two teaspoons of honey up to threetimes a day for several weeks to halt the mul-tiplication of the bacterium.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Honey feedsthe friendly bacteria so take 3–4 teaspoons aday to subdue symptoms such as bloating, ab-dominal pain and diarrhoea.

Heart health: There are small traces of thechemical compound acetylcholine in honeywhich help transmit impulses of the nervoussystem, particularly the autonomic nervoussystem which keeps organs functioning. Thecompound helps slow down and stabilise theheart rate slightly, but enough to be measur-able. Try 2-3 teaspoons of honey just before

bedtime.

Thrush: A course of antibiotics can killgood bacteria so after a course take at least 4teaspoons a day for at least four to five weeksto build up good gut bacteria.

Constipation: Especially good for the el-derly, honey will help with diets that are lowin fresh fruit and vegetables and high in pro-cessed food.

BEES need water and can easily fallinto sources that are too deep. Keepshallow trays of water for bees — oldbird baths, chopped crockery workwell. Place a layer of pebbles at thebottom and cover them lightly withmoss. This way the bees can suck thewater from the moss. It’s a good wayto attract bees to the garden to polli-nate plants too.

For those who want to keep beesand harvest honey, there are beekeep-ing classes in local schools and goodvideos on the web. For informationvisit: www.irishbeekeeping.ie andbeekeepinginireland.com.

BRITISH investigativefood journalist JoannaBlythman will speak atthe next Cork FreeChoice ConsumerGroup’s meeting onThursday next at7.30pm at CrawfordGallery, Cork. Entry of

6 includes tea or cof-fee.

■ THINKING ahead for Moth-er’s Day, localmarkets.ie has agood idea. Penny’s Best Bits is a

selection of samples from Irish producers fea-tured on their website where food can beordered for delivery.By signing up for Penny’s Best Bits you

will get an assortment of five to eighttasting samples from different local pro-ducers.Bakery treats, cheese, fish and meat, as

well as catering food for parties, chutneys,cakes and lots of goodies can be deliveredwithin 48 hours. www.localmarkets.ie.

■ DR Brian Clement, director ofHippocrates Health Institute(Florida) and Bernadette Bo-

han, pictured, cancer sur-vivor and author will givea talk at 7pm on Friday,March 11, at Cork Inter-national Airport Hotel andat 11am on March 12 atMoran’s Red Cow,Dublin. Cost: 25. En-quiries: 022-25518.www.grovehealthspa.com

Free choice

Water retention: Honey helps to get ridof excess water from joints and tissue whichmeans relief of inflammation. Take 2-3 tea-spoons a day.

Calcium: If you need to take calcium sup-plements, honey can help boost the amountthe body absorbs. Add to calcium-rich foodssuch as yoghurt.

Colds: As honey is anti-viral it is useful forfighting and preventing colds. Replace sugar

with honey on cereals and in hot drinks. Ahot lemon and honey drink is hard to beat,with some fresh ginger for extra heat.

Sore throats: Gargle with a mixture of 2teaspoons honey, 1 teaspoon cider vinegarand water. For chest congestion add somelemon juice.

Insomnia: Honey can help with poorsleep. Try adding 2-3 teaspoonfuls to warmmilk or water half an hour before bedtime.

The buzz on honey


BEE A HELP


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Deirdre O'Flynn

MOSTLY MEN

DId you know...

Hand Creamwith Kate O’ReillyTAKE 4

Male health

One in five Irish has aneurological conditionALMOST one-fifth of people inIreland have a neurological con-dition such as stroke, epilepsy,migraine, Alzheimer’s disease,acquired brain injury and multi-ple sclerosis. Yet, Ireland’s neu-rological care lags behind therest of Europe, with the lowestnumber of neurolo-gists and consultantsin rehabilitationmedicine.Thinking Ahead is a

new campaign callingfor the prioritisationof neurological careby the next govern-ment. The campaign

is driven by the Neurological Al-liance of Ireland (NAI), the na-tional umbrella organisation rep-resenting 30 neurological chari-ties.“The incoming government

must realise that neurologicalconditions will be the cancer of

the future, in terms of theirimpact on developed coun-tries like Ireland,” says Pro-fessor Orla Hardiman, con-sultant neurologist in Beau-mont Hospital andspokesperson for ThinkingAhead.■ For information, visitwww.thinkingahead.ie

A full bladder wakesone in five men atnight(Source: University of Alabama at Birmingham, US)

NATURAL WINNER: Votedbest natural range in theNatural Health BeautyAwards last year, Weleda of-

fers a range of products for all thefamily that are free from syntheticingredients. Dermatological testsshow that Weleda’s pomegranate re-generating hand cream,9.95, increases theskin’s moisture level by34% and reduces rough-ness by 9.1% in fourweeks. This combinationof organic, antioxidantagents, which includesshea butter, is formulatedto promote cell renewaland help prevent the pre-mature formation of agespots.

FAVOURITE FORMULA: Harsh weatheris hard on the hands, making them dryand chapped. Neutrogena Norwegian for-

mula deep moisturise hand cream has been clin-ically proven to penetrate 10 layers deep into theskin. The Norwegian formula story started at sea,where Norwegian fishermen reported soft, sup-ple hands, despite enduring harsh conditions.Neutrogena discovered that the oils in the fishthey were handling contained moistur-ising properties, and developed a syn-thetic version of these oils, designedto soften and soothe hands in one, dai-ly application. Neutrogena Norwegianformula hand cream, either scented orunscented, is 5.63, while Neutrogenaanti-age hand cream is 6.57.

SOOTHING BLEND:Green People’s Help atHand is a soothing

cream for dry hands and is suit-able for people who may beprone to eczema and psoriasis.Highly commended at the2010 Natural HealthBeauty Awards, it actsas a light non-greasybarrier cream andcontains rose gerani-um, lavender andhemp. Seewww.greenpeople.ie.

NIGHT CREAM: Also developed for sensitiveskin, Pai instant-therapy hand cream, 19.95,contains Fragonia, Rosehip and Sea Buckthornto soothe and regenerate dry, chapped skin.

Nelson’s homeopathic dispensary, which stocks thePai range, advises using it at night with cotton glovesfor extra-moisturising. Nelson’s also recommend SOSbarrier hand cream 15.87, for anyone suffering frompsoriasis or eczema. It’s formulated with shea butter,calendula and omega oils, to hydrate andstrengthen the skin’s barrier against irrita-tion. Tisserand intensive hand and nailcream, 7.95, containing the aromathera-py oils of rose and geranium, leaves handsvelvety soft and also helps to conditionnails. Annemarie Borlind hand balm,5.45, contains natural, moisturising ingre-dients to smooth rough, chapped hands.This light and non-greasy balm also con-tains UV filters. Nelson’s dispensary, DukeSt, Dublin 2, on 01-6790451 to mail order.

Tom’s feat withfoot on peddle

LIFE CYCLE: Blind tandem cyclist Tom Kavanagh with cycling partner Sean McGowan on anearly morning spin near Lough Gill in Sligo. Picture:James Connolly / PicSell8

TOM Kavanagh has cycled the lengthof the country three times as part ofthe annual Mizen2Malin cycle.

What makes his feat all the more remarkableis that Tom Kavanagh, 45, has been blind for20 years and only took up tandem cycling in2008.“I was born with retinitis pigmentosa (RP)

and was in my mid-20s when sight loss beganto kick in,” says Tom, who lives in Sligo withwife, Helen. “I was 14 when I was first diag-nosed and was happy to have a name for it,because I was always aware that my night vi-sion was different to my friends. But I wastold I’d be in my 60s before sight loss kickedin.”Originally from Cobh, Tom had to give up

his job, and went to Sligo to do a telephonycourse with the National RehabilitationBoard. Along the way, he got a guide dog, in1998, and got in touch with Shane Hayes,sports inclusion disability officer (SIDO) atSligo Sport & Recreation Partnership, whowanted to acquire a tandem bike.It was a meeting of minds and Tom took

up tandem cycling. “The tandem pilot is incharge of steering, gear changes and thebrakes, but I’ve got to pedal as hard as him,”says Tom. “It’s all about communication be-

tween him and me. We tell each other aboutthe traffic and he tells me about upcomingturns.”Shane Hayes is just one of many SIDOs in

Ireland, attached to sports partnerships ineach county. Their aim is to increase thenumber of people with disabilities participat-ing in sport and physical activity on a regularbasis. They also seek to increase the numberof participation opportunities for people withdisabilities to participate in sport and physicalactivity.“I get a great confidence boost from the

cycling,” says Tom, adding that Sean Mc-Gowan was his tandem pilot on the Mizen toMalin cycles, one of four tandem pilots in-volved.“There’s a great sense of physical wellbeing

and there’s a good social side and banter tothe cycling,” says Tom, a member of InnisfreeWheelers.This year’s Mizen to Malin cycle will take

place on Saturday, May 21, when 80 cyclists

and their support team will arrive in Bantryto partake in the eleventh annual cycle in aidof the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind. Theteam of cyclists will include five tandems and60 solo cyclists.

■ For more information, check outwww.mizen2malin.ie. For more informationabout the SIDO programme in your county,contact your local sports partnership.

1 2 3 4


Course reaches outto offer male supportTHE Social and Health Educa-tion Project (SHEP), theCork-based training organisa-tion, is running acourse on Men’sHealth and Wellbe-ing. The courseaims to supportmen in being com-fortable with theirfeelings and ex-pressing them tothe benefit ofthemselves, theirfamilies and com-munities.There will be a

maximum of 16 men participat-

ing and the male tutor willbase the content on the needsof the men in the group. The

course willrun inBallincolligfor eightweeks onTuesdaynights from7.30am until10pm, start-ing onFebruary 22.Participantsneed tobook in ad-

vance: SHEP, 021-4666180.


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Feelgood

STUFF WE LIKE

Beauty

The news on ...

Emily O’Sullivan

TAKE THREE

Foun

dati

onto

ne

Make-up is about improving how your skin looks, not covering it up

I T’S been a long time coming, butfoundation is finally getting a shake-up.Yes, foundation — that stuff you

smooth over your skin when you’re trying tohide what your skin looks like, which, ofcourse, is the last thing you should be doingwith it. But, unfortunately, that’s what mostof us use it for.

Ultimately, foundation is about improvinghow you look. And that means that it shouldshow the natural essence of your skin whilecovering up little imperfections and eveningout skin tone.

Sadly, lots of people, particularly veryyoung girls, trowel it on, in a shade too darkfor their skin tone and they end up lookingway too made-up. A good foundationshouldn’t be seen — it should blend beauti-fully into your complexion like a hyper-realsecond skin.

This season, foundation is back. Properlyback. And we don’t mean that it’s back to its’80s incarnation where we walked aroundwearing weird pan-stick masks. We mean, it’snow okay to use foundation again. Cooleven. It fell out of favour for a while, as tint-ed moisturisers and super-light skin tints tookover, but now beauty is embracing it again ina big way.

Key to the reinvention of the stuff isChanel’s new Vitalumiére Aqua, an eagerlyawaited launch that follows up the super-suc-cessful Vitalumiére Satin Smoothing Fluid.Aqua is a foundation for a new generationwho want their base to work harder withoutlooking like it’s working at all, which is pret-ty much what it does.

It washes across the skin, almost painting aveil upon the complexion with an ultra-finetexture that makes you think it’s not going tomake any difference at all. This is like a

high-tech “second skin”, making your com-plexion look energised, fresh, pepped up andradiant while hiding all the bad bits. Plus, aUVB filter and mineral sunscreen give it theupscale extras that your skin should be de-manding for daytime.

Another great choice is Skin Illusion SPF10 Radiance Enhancing Foundation fromClarins. As well as having a beautifully fresh,spring-like scent, it glides over the skin, giv-ing you a glowing complexion. It feels likethe perfect modern foundation — a greatone for anyone that feels their complexion isa little below par, but doesn’t want to pile onthe make-up. It’s our top choice.

Long-lasting foundations have traditionally

had a heavy, slightly sticky, almost gluey tex-ture that has often meant they look far toonoticeable on the skin, but Rimmel’s newLasting Finish 25-Hour Foundation changesall that.

Clearly, wearing foundation or wanting towear foundation for 25 hours is lunacy, butthere must be a psychology behind Rimmelusing it ( ‘Oh, look, it says this lasts for 25hours, that must mean it definitely lasts foreight’ etc). We’re not sure our skin lookedthe exact same 12 hours later as it did themorning we applied it, but this is a goodchoice for people who want to make suretheir foundation stays put, without a datedeffect.

SILKSKIN

IF you wake up in the morning with creas-es on your face, then you’ll probably ap-preciate that your pillowcase can, in somesmall way, affect how you look. This is thetheory behind the range of Silkskin SilkPillowcases, which were developed for dryageing skin and claim to help lock in mois-ture and even “protect [your skin]from developing more lines ordeeper creases”. Now the compa-ny has developed a range of beau-ty products, including Age Rever-sal Serum, 145, Face Lift, 82and Radiance Cream, 105. Allavailable from Harvey Nichols,Dundrum, Co Dublin.

MELTING CLEANSERS

Melting cleansers, though they sound abit weird are actually reasonably straight-forward. They do “melt” your make-upoff, but a melting cleanser is also knownfor its ability to morph from one textureto another — ie, gel to oil, oil to milk, etc.Best of all, they’re very soft onthe skin, and very effective.

Elemis Melting CleansingGel, 27. Ooooh, newfavourite cleanser alert. This isreally lovely. Not only did it takeoff all our make-up very effec-tively, but it also left our skinfeeling fabulously soft. It goeson as a gel, which feels like itsoftens into an oil as you rub itin, and then it washes off as amilk water.

Lancôme Baume Eclat, 24.40.This balm to oil massage cleanser wasone of the first of the melts on the mar-ket. You can wipe it off or rinse it off andit can be used on the face,eyes and lips … handy.

Clarins Pure Melt CleanserGel, 23. Another great prod-uct, Clarins’ gel has a very softgentle texture, which againgoes from a gel to an oil and anoil to a milk. It washes off well,and uses marula oil to sensitive-ly cleanse the skin.

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25-Hour Founda-tion, 8.75. We’re not very fond of thepackaging of this one — but that seems likea pretty shallow complaint. In reality,this is a good-quality foundation forpeople who want lasting coverage. It’s

not too heavy, but equally, youneed to be careful and use just

a little. It’s easy to blendand lasts well.

Chanel VitalumiereAqua, 38.50. This setsa new foundation trendwith an ultra-light, fine liq-uid texture that almostfeels like you’re paintingyour skin with a veil of per-

fection. It gives a subtle, natural effect, butthat’s how we should be using foundationthese days. If you find it too light, use a con-

cealer to tone down areas of redness orimperfection.Our only quibble is that the plastic

bottle isn’t very user-friendly and theliquid can flow too quickly (also the liq-uid tends to separate if not used for awhile, so give it a shake before apply-ing). A pump applicator would havebeen better.

Boots Beautifully Matte Founda-tion, 18.95. Matte is back, but there’sa big difference between bad matte andgood matte. The new-look matte maymean the skin isn’t dewy, but it also

shouldn’t look like it’s caked and this newfoundation from Boots ensures just that. Itkeeps things shine-free while also allowingthe skin to show through. Good news allround.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid Foundation,31. Mac’s new Studio Fix Fluid is a liquidversion of their famous Studio Fix powderfoundation. A good matt foundation, it pro-vides medium to “buildable” (a polite wordfor heavy) coverage, has an SPF, is oil-freeand long-wearing.

Clarins Skin Illusion Foundation SPF10, 29. Light, flattering and very wear-able, this is a foundation that’s bound toscore a hit with women in their late 30s

and 40s. It looks light and radiant on theskin and peps the skin up to look fresh andnatural. Nice square-shaped glass bottlewith easy-to-use pump.


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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: Caffeine — the energy thief

Natural health

Megan Sheppard

QSOME time ago, yougave a cure for consti-pation, which involvedtaking two or threekiwi fruit and psylli-

um. I tried it on a modest scale —one kiwi and a dessertspoon ofpsyllium. The results were excel-lent for eight days. Then I devel-oped a rash which in 24 hours be-came large blisters over my body. Icalled South Doc and the doctorsaid it was an allergy. After an in-jection and some tablets every-thing was clear the followingmorning. It was very disappoint-ing. Could you suggest any varia-tion worth trying or anything elsethat might help?

A. I am so sorry to hear of whatyou went through, it must havebeen a very upsetting experience. Itis unusual you were able to toleratethe combination for eight days be-fore your body reacted. This couldbe due to a number of factors.

There are a small number of peo-ple who are intolerant to salicylates,natural constituents of many vegeta-bles and fruits which help protectthe plant against insect and fungalattack. They occur in varying de-grees, and kiwi fruit are reasonablyhigh in this natural chemical. Otherhigh-salicylate fruits include grape-fruit, mandarins, melons, mulber-ries, nectarines, some varieties ofapple (golden delicious and red deli-cious apples are relatively low salicy-late), peach, apricots, avocado,berries, cherries, grapes, all driedfruits, guava, oranges, plums,prunes, strawberries, tangelos andtangerines. And that is just thefruits.

It may well be that this is an issuefor you, although it is uncommonfor a reaction to take longer than aminute or so after eating the food. Ishouldn’t rule it out though, because whenconstipation is severe, it can slow bodily re-sponses considerably.

If you have ever noticed a rash aroundyour mouth, or small cuts appearing in thecorner of your mouth after eating any of theabove foods, or some of the non-sweet fruitssuch as tomato, chilli, cucumber or cap-sicum, then chances are you would do wellto observe a low-salicylate diet.

Another important factor worth consider-ing is that the body shuts down into protec-tive mode, hence the constipation, and whenwe cleanse the system it gives a signal thattoxins can be released so that healing cantake place. This can throw the body into ashock state, depending on what is stored andhow long it has been stored for.

I have come across many alarming and ex-treme reactions as a part of this release, par-ticularly skin rashes ranging from mild itch-ing and inflammation to severe open woundsand pustules. Both the bowel and the skinare very effective and immediate organs ofelimination, and the health of the two isclosely linked. This is connection is worthtaking into consideration. I would also high-light the importance of working closely witha health practitioner who knows your com-plete history and current situation.

As for a variation on the recipe — psylli-um taken with pure water works extremelywell and is unlikely to provoke such a reac-tion since it helps to soothe the mucousmembranes, transport toxins from the body

safely, and heal numerous digestive andbowel issues. If you wish to combine itwith fruit, then for the most gentle ap-proach use mild fruits such as pears(fresh or stewed), bananas, nashi pears,and golden or red delicious apples(fresh or stewed). Bananas in particularhelp tremendously with any sort ofdetox reaction, although they can be alittle constipating in some people, andpears are one of the foods recommend-ed to help with allergies.

Q. I have just been diagnosed withpolycystic ovarian syndrome and waswondering what natural steps I cantake to deal with this condition. I amalso concerned about my fertility. Iam 25, but would like to have chil-dren some day.

A. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome(PCOS) is an endocrine disorderwhere the ovaries are covered in a se-ries of tiny fluid-filled cysts — the re-sult of too much testosterone and aninability to control blood sugar levels.Common symptoms associated withPCOS include unwanted facial hair,acne, weight gain and menstrualirregularities.

This can be a very distressing diag-nosis, particularly when you are toldthat your future chances of becoming amother are at stake. I know more than25 women who have PCOS and havehad no trouble conceiving and carry-ing children to term following carefulnutrition and herbal supplementation.This is a positive sign that this condi-tion can be easily treated naturally, butalso an alarming indication of howcommon this condition has become —only five or six years ago I could countthe women I knew with PCOS onone hand.

Begin by reducing your intake ofhigh GI foods, and ensure you are eat-ing a diet high in wholefoods and localfresh produce. Many women find that

eating four to five small meals throughoutthe day works well to stabilise insulin pro-duction and avoid a spike in blood sugar lev-els. Protein with each meal can help to pro-vide a stable source of energy and reduce therate that glucose is absorbed into the blood-stream.

Hormone-balancing agnus castus is usuallyvery effective in helping to treat this en-docrine disorder since it is an adaptogenicherb with an affinity for the female repro-ductive system. Bioforce’s Agnus castus tinc-ture is available from Here’s Health,(www.hereshealth.ie; 021-4278101), where50ml costs 10.50.

For further details check out the bookPolycystic Ovarian Syndrome, by Dr AdamCarey and Colette Harris.

WHILE at least half of the popula-tion are drinking coffee, cola,energy drinks, or even high-caf-

feine tea to help them stay awake duringthe day, it turns out that caffeine actuallyrobs your body of precious energy.

Caffeine reduces the production ofserotonin — the feelgood neurotransmit-ter responsible for creating balancedmoods, quality sleep, appetite, musclecontractions and cognitive function. Lowserotonin leads to depression, poor diges-tion, insomnia, difficulty regulating ap-petite and memory troubles.

The caffeine levels in coffee, cola andenergy drinks fool your body into releas-ing epinephrine and norepinephrine, hor-mones secreted by the adrenal glands as

part of the important “fight or flight” re-sponse.

These emergency hormones are re-leased in response to a decent hit of caf-feine (one strong coffee is enough), leav-ing your adrenals taxed. It does provide akickstart, but your body and mind pay aheavy price.

All of this naturally leads to increasedstress levels, and trouble sleeping — thetime when our body does some of themost crucial repair and rejuvenation.When caffeine gets into the bloodstream,your heart rate increases, you perspiremore, your blood sugar is thrown off bal-ance, and your muscles become moretense.

We already know that caffeine is a

powerful diuretic, which means that forevery caffeinated drink — you will needtwo glasses of water for every one cup ofcoffee or can of coke just to keep yourhydration in check. When your body isin a caffeinated state, the very vitaminsand minerals that contribute to energyand hormonal balance are used up to dealwith the stress, so you then become de-pleted in crucial nutrients.

So, how much is that coffee, cola, ener-gy drink, or high-caffeine tea really cost-ing you? Load up instead on nutri-ent-rich foods, juices, soups, salads, andsmoothies and drink plenty of water ifyou truly want to blast through the 3pmslump without stealing from your pre-cious energy reserves.

ALLERGY ALERT: There are a small number of people whoare intolerant to salicylates in vegetables and fruit. Kiwi isparticularly high in these natural constituents.Picture: Getty Images

TERAPROOF:User:PAULOKEEFFEDate:16/02/2011Time:17:43:49Edition:18/02/2011FeelgoodXH1802Page:16 Zone:XH

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Feelgood

Call MotivationMaria O’Meara, fromCork City centre, who

lost 5 stone 1lb

Maria before

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“ In May 2010 I decided I needed to change my lifestyleand lose weight. As a result I joined Motivation andfrom my first consultation my experience has been apositive one. Each member of staff has been welcoming,understanding, supportive and encouraging. Positivethinking has been a major factor in my success. Withthe help of the staff and the programme, I am a new,more positive, and confident person. I now eat healthynutritious food. Each day I eat four to six meals a day, twoof which are protein supplements. These are deliciousand a great help to curb my cravings. With the help of thestaff and the tools provided within the programme, I havebecome much more educated about food.

My social life did not have to change and I now makemuch healthier choices. I am much healthier now and Ican honestly say for the first time in my life I am proudof myself. I now enjoy shopping and buying clothes thatI want and not just those that fit. My whole family havebeen very supportive and encouraging and they are veryproud of me. Thanks to all at Motivation.

By the way, I forgot to mention that I have lost 5 stoneand 1lb!”

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supportgroup meeting

cork city onwednesday

dedicatetheir time

cork multiples club

pm to4pm