feelgood 2010-05-07

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Retired racehorses enjoy acarefree home run thanks totheir adoptive families: 8,9

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FeelgoodFriday, May 7, 2010

NIGHTY NIGHTTWO EXPERT VIEWS ONGETTING BABY TO SLEEP: 4,5

WELL COVEREDHOW TO SAVE MONEY ON YOURHEALTH INSURANCE: 11

CRITICAL CONDITIONYOUNG DAD ON SURVIVING ALIFE-THREATENING STROKE: 13

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EDITORIAL: Irene Feighan 021-4802292 Niamh Kelly 021-4802215ADVERTISING:

HEALTH NOTES

[email protected]

Kate O’Reilly

WHAT’S ON

■ CHERNOBYL CYCLE: The 8th AnnualPfizer Cycle for Chernobyl from Cork toGalway takes place on June 18 and 19to raise funds for the Chernobyl Chil-dren's Project International. Some 400cyclists are expected to take part andaccommodation in Limerick and Galwaywill be provided plus an evening mealin Limerick. The minimum sponsorshipper cyclist is 350 and registration isopen until May 14. For more details call083-3715685. Registration is atwww.chernobylcycle.com

■ MEDITATION TALK: On Thursday nextMay 7 at 7.30pm Claire Devereux willgive a free talk called “Meditation andemotional freedom — untangling themess of the mind” at Dervish, Cornmar-ket Street, Cork. For more details call087 6185058 or visit clairedev-ereux.com.

■ HEART CLINIC: The Irish Heart Foun-dation will hold a free blood pressureand cholesterol testing clinic at theCommunity Centre, Ballinlough, onWednesday, May 12, from10.30am-12pm. For details call021-4505822 or if you have questionsabout stroke or heart disease you cancontact 1890 432 787.

■ CUPCAKES FOR ASTHMA: To markWorld Asthma Day on Tuesday last May4 and during the month of May, theAsthma Society of Ireland are askingthe public to support their fundraising“Cupcakes for Asthma” campaign. Peo-ple are encouraged to bake, buy or sellcupcakes to raise funds. They can showtheir support by logging on towww.asthmasociety.ie to order afundraising pack or to donate a virtualcupcake via Facebook. Call 1850 44 5464.

■ CHARITY WALK: On Saturday, May22, Kevin Corcoran, author of West CorkWalks and Kerry Walks will lead a groupon a six hour walk on the scenicSheep’s Head peninsula in west Cork.Numbers are strictly limited to 40 partic-ipants. The fee is 25 and all proceedswill go to The Hope Foundation. For fur-ther details and booking call MarjorieCullen on 087-2887596.

■ MINDING THE MIND: The St John ofGod Hospital's Minding the Mind 2010Public Lecture Series are free to attendand open to the public.The subject of next week’s lecture on

Monday, May 10, by Fiona Flynn ofBodywhys is: Understanding Eating Dis-orders. The lectures take place from8pm to 9.30pm in the St John of GodHospital Campus on the StillorganRoad, Dublin. View the full schedule atwww.sjoghosp.ie or contact the hospitalon 01-2771400.

Items for inclusion in this column canbe sent to [email protected]

The tragic death of Gerry Ryan from a suspected heart attackhas put the focus on cardiac health, writes Arlene Harris

MUCH MISSED: Broadcaster Gerry Ryanwho is believed to have died from a heartattack. Picture: Julien Behal/PA Wire

Be alert to risksL AST weekend the country was

left reeling following the newsthat 2FM DJ Gerry Ryan had

died. The belief that at just 53 years of age,his life was cut short by a suspected heartattack puts the focus on heart disease.While the most likely victims of coronary

failure seem to be middle-aged men leadingunhealthy sedentary lives, heart problemscan and do affect all sectors of the popula-tion with almost 10,000 people dying fromcardiovascular disease (CVD) in Irelandeach year.This figure accounts for 36% of all Irish

deaths making CVD the most commoncause of death in the country.Dr Angie Brown, medical director of the

Irish Heart Foundation, says that while old-er men are slightly more at risk than theiryounger counterparts, young men andwomen can also be in danger.“Heart failure affects people of all ages

and while there are obvious risk factorslinked to an unhealthy lifestyle, a geneticpre-disposition can also be a factor,” she ex-plains.“Women are generally protected from

heart attack until the menopause but afterthat, they are more likely to have heartproblems than breast cancer.”The coronary expert says it is vital to be

aware of your heart and take every precau-tion to keep it healthy.“Heart attacks are caused by a build-up of

plaque in the arteries,” she explains. “To

prevent CVD, it is important to reduce therisk factors. If you get out of breath easilyor experience any form of chest pain, thiscould be a warning and should be checkedimmediately.”

SYMPTOMS:■ Chest pain.■ Upper body pain in the jaw, back, neckor arms.

■ Shortness of breath.■ Sweating.■ Nausea.■ Light-headedness.■ Loss of consciousness.■ Weakness.■ Tiredness.

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES:■ Stop smoking.■ Lower cholesterol levels — have itchecked regularly.■ Manage your blood pressure.■ Exercise — inactivity carries the samerisk as smoking, raised cholesterol levels orhigh blood pressure.■ Be a healthy weight and have a goodbalanced diet.■ Manage your diabetes.■ Reduce stress levels — when stressed thebody produces hormones which are usefulin small amounts. But if the stress is contin-uous, these hormones can damage your ar-teries which may affect your blood pressure.■ Drink less alcohol.■ Other risk factors such as age and familyhistory cannot be changed but can makeyou a more likely candidate for heart prob-lems. So take charge and visit your doctorregularly.

● If you or someone else is suffering froma suspected heart attack, ring 999 immedi-ately. For more information visitwww.irishheart.ie or call 1890-432787

PROGRAMMELAUNCH: Barbara O'Reilly Hyland breastcancer survivor withMinister for Health &Children Mary Harneyat the launch of thenational clinicalresearch programmeon the treatment ofbreast cancer inassociation withAviva and the RoyalCollege of Surgeonsin Ireland (RCSI).Picture: Gareth Chaney

A NATIONAL clinical research programmeon the treatment of breast cancer has beenlaunched by Minister for Health Mary Har-ney. Operating under a joint partnership,Aviva and the Royal College of Surgeons inIreland (RCSI) will conduct their research inthe designated breast cancer centres in Gal-way, Cork, Limerick and Dublin. The aim isto create a National Breast Cancer Bio Re-source of tissue and serum samples.With seed funding from Aviva of 450,000

over the next three years, the first BreastResearch Nurses will facilitate the collectionof serum and tissue samples and providepatient support. All breast cancer patientswill have the option to participate in this re-search initiative and any information gath-ered will be confidential. In creating the firstNational Breast Cancer Tissue Bio Resourceit's hoped it will result in speedier discover-ies and more effective treatments for pa-tients.For further information log on to

www.breastcancerireland.com or www.rc-si.ie or www.avivahealth.ie

Irish consumers no longer hold the beliefthat branded is best when it comes tomedicines. According to the findings of re-search carried out by the Irish MedicinesBoard, eight out of 10 adults would usegeneric medicines if given by a pharmacist ordoctor — the most trusted sources of medicaladvice. And more than seven in ten said they

would consider replacing their existingbranded medicine with a generic alternative.Following on the findings of this research

and keeping in mind the government'scommitment to introducing genericmedicine in 2011, the IMB has published afree information leaflet, which addresses keyissues of safety, quality and effectiveness. It’savailable on www.imb.ie or by calling01-676 4971.

Book lovers can indulge in a feast of booksat a huge sale of up to 40,000 second-handtomes in National College of Ireland, in

Dublin’s Docklands on Friday May 14 andSaturday May 15. All books will be sold for1.In aid of Age Action, you can help by do-

nating books in the run up to the sale.Drop off books at the National College ofIreland from Monday May 10 to ThursdayMay 13. Or bring your old books to the Ac-tion charity shop, 30/31 Camden Street, onSaturday May 8 between 10-2pm. Formore information, contact Linda Desmondon [email protected] or on01-612 8000.

Irene Feighan

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Celebrating lifeACTRESS Geraldine Plunkett is delighted to be in-volved with Bealtaine, Ireland’s unique festival that cel-ebrates creativity in older age.“You think the arts are about acting, painting and

writing, but it’s astonishing the number of things thatare on. You don’t even have to perform — you canjust go along to an event,” says the 65-year-old, who’sstill remembered for her role as Mary Moran in RTÉ’srural soap, Glenroe.Married to Peadar Lamb, Geraldine had seven chil-

dren — her daughter, Jenny, had Downsyndrome and died in 1984, aged 12.Two of her children are artists, onean architect and two actors. She hasperformed in three plays alongsideher daughter, Susie.“When you’re working with

your son or daughter, you justwork with them as you do withanyone else — they’re just the oth-er character,” she says.

■ This year’s Bealtaine festival in-cludes events such as BlowThe Dust Off YourTrumpet, which en-courages older people— who once playedmusical instruments— to return to thejoys of music in afun environment.Dawn Chorus alsoreturns to water-fronts across Irelandon Sunday. Beal-taine runs until May31. For details, visitwww.bealtaine.com.

What shape areyou in?I’m healthy. I’d liketo lose a few pounds butI’m not overweight. I’mquite strong and good atheaving and hauling. Ifsomething heavy has tobe lifted or a patio has tobe laid, I’ll do it.

Do you have anyhealth concerns?No, I don’t. My motherdied of emphysema butI’ve never had any prob-lems, lung-wise. I’ve neversmoked — my mother did.My dad died young, at 42 —he had asthma and a weakheart.

What are your healthiesteating habits?I eat a wide range of foods.

I try to have fish a few times a week and I make sure toalways have vegetables and fruit. I don’t buy junk orconvenience food.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?I’m fond of butter and I love chocolate. I don’t buychocolate but if someone gives me a box, it’s very soongone. I like a glass of red wine too.

What would keep you awake at night?I’m not by nature a worrier, but like anybody, I’d tossand turn if I had anything to worry about – one of thekids for example. As I’ve got older, my sleep pattern haschanged. I used to be able to sleep for eight to 10 hoursat a stretch. I still fall asleep immediately but I oftenwake up after four hours and I’m not able to get backagain.

How do you relax?I’m terribly good at doing nothing, like sitting with abook or watching TV. I like gardening very much.

What’s the best book you’ve read recently?I’ve just finished Alice Munro’s short stories.

When did you last cry?Listening to the story of the little twins from Cork —Hassan and Hussein. I was crying out of a sense of hopefor them and tenderness.

What would you change about your appearance?I might remove the bags under my eyes, but I’dlove beautiful legs and really thick, glossy hair.

What’s your favourite smell?Inside the house, it’s the smell of lavender, out-side it’s the smell of grass and any of the scentedplants.

Who would you invite to your dreamdinner party?Joanna Lumley — she seems down to earth

and lively, great fun.

What trait do you least like in others?Hard-heartedness, which can manifest in many

ways. If someone has a good heart, I can forgivethem an awful lot.

What trait do you least like in yourself?I’d like to be more patient and to have more ini-

tiative and to follow things through.

Do you pray?I do — in a muddled way. I am a believer and a

practising Catholic.

What would cheer up your day?Just seeing my grandchildren. I’ve got sixgrand-daughters. The eldest is doing her Leaving Certthis year and the youngest is two.I mind her on a Tuesday afternoon — that certainly

makes Tuesdays great.

Helen O’Callaghan

As I’ve got older,my sleep pattern

has changed. I oftenwake up after four hoursand I’m not able to get

back again

GOOD FOOD: GeraldinePlunkett eats plenty offish and fresh fruit andvegetables.Picture: Billy Higgins

Geraldine PlunkettTHE SHAPE I'M IN

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on a strict routine at night. We let you decide what works best for your infant

Bedtime ritual will help baby nod offGiving a bath is still one of the favourite tricksELIZABETH PANTLEY’S toptips for gentle sleep are:■ Creating positive sleepassociations for your child.■ Use a bath, massage andpyjamas to signal night timesleep.■ If you want your baby tobe able to fall asleep withoutyour help, let him suck untilhe is sleepy, but not totallyasleep. When you can, re-move the breast, bottle, or

pacifier from his mouth, andlet him finish falling asleepwithout it.■ Help your babydistinguish between nightsleep and day sleep.■ Let him nap in a lit roomwhere he can hear the nois-es of the day. Make nightsleep dark and quiet.■ Don’t talk and play duringnight feeds and nappychanges. Try to keep the

lights off.■ It is natural for a baby to fallasleep while sucking. Butwhen a baby always does this,he learns to associate the two.■ Use cue words every nightwhich they will associate withnight time, for example:“Night, night, sleepy time.”

● For more No-Cry tips visitwww.pantley.com

Grateful parent Lucy Pearce could have cried with joyafter discovering Elizabeth Pantley’s No-Cry Sleep Solution

BEDDING DOWN:Elizabeth Pantleywith her husbandRobert and theirchildren Angela,now 21, Vanessa19, David 17 andColeton 10.

WHOEVER coined the phrase“sleeping like a baby” wasnot, I bet, a parent. Of

course, there are some who are blessed withwonder-babies who sleep through the nightfrom the beginning. But for the rest of ussleep is, at some stage in the first few years ofa child’s life, a major issue.Well-meaning loved ones and the medical

professional shower you with suggestions,most commonly: just let them cry it out.For us, like many parents, this was not an

option we wanted to try, though after fivemonths of hourly wakings, I am ashamed toadmit we did. And it didn’t work.Before this I had scoured the bookshops for

titles on to how solve a baby’s sleep problems.All were written by male doctors or profes-sional nannies, who said things like: “If theycry so much that they vomit, just wipe themdown and put them back to bed.” Howcould you do this to a precious, loved child?My discovery of The No-Cry Sleep Solu-

tion by Elizabeth Pantley was a revelation.Here was a book, written by a mother offour, who had experienced endless sleeplessnights herself with her first and last children.She wrote with kindness and great compas-sion.She recalls how her journey to writing the

book started when her baby was waking mul-tiple times a night: “I read piles of books andvisited many websites to find solutions. Nomatter where I turned I found two basic an-swers: either let them cry it out or learn tolive with less sleep. I wanted neither. I knewthere had to be a kinder way, a road some-where between night-time neglect and day-time exhaustion that would be nurturing formy baby and for me.”Her resulting approach is highly-successful,

from my own experience, and the hundredsof fan letters a month which she receivesfrom grateful parents.Rather than a one-size-fits-all plan, she

recommends you log your baby’s sleep habitsto observe what is really happening, beforetailoring her vast array of practical ideas intoa sleep programme to suit you and your baby.She sums up her commonsense approach:

“I think parents know in their heart what todo with their child — but the voices of un-wanted advice from everyone around themare so loud and determined that it is hard forthem to hear themselves think. For example,when your baby is crying what is your in-stinct? For most, it’s to pick him up. Butwhen so many people around you are tryingto tell you that it’s the wrong solution youbegin to question your instincts.“Sleep issues are complicated, and they’re

hard to deal with because when childrenaren’t sleeping, parents aren’t sleeping, andthat lack of sleep affects every minute of ev-ery day for every person in the family. Whenparents don’t know what to do they searchfor easy solutions — and sleep techniquesthat call to put a baby in bed and shut thedoor seem like that easy solution. Sadly, mosttimes it isn’t easy at all — often it meanshours of crying for child, and parents, too.”Letting babies ‘cry it out’ is not just emo-

tionally draining for the parents, it can haveserious physical and emotional repercussionsfor the child. In The Science of Parenting,Margot Sunderland, director of education atthe Centre for Child Mental Health in Lon-don, shares research which shows that persis-tent, uncomforted crying leads to cell deathand premature ageing of the brain. Scans haveshown the brain becomes permanently wiredfrom over-arousal and over-sensitivity, withchildren less able to calm themselves.“When your child cries in an intense, des-

perate way, the bodily arousal system is wayout of balance... the baby is experiencing thefight-or-flight reaction, with large quantitiesof stress hormones being pumped into the

body,” says Sunderland. This can only be‘turned off ’ by comforting the baby, stimulat-ing the vagus nerve — they are too immatureto do this themselves.Sleep issues are a normal part of parenting

during the early years. “When it comes tosleeping, whatever your baby does is normal.If one thing has damaged parents’ enjoymentof their babies, it’s rigid expectations abouthow and when the baby should sleep,” saysDr James McKenna, who runs the MotherBaby Behavioural Sleep Centre at the Uni-versity of Notre Dame.

Pantley’s sagely advises: “Parents of new ba-bies should know their infants don’t needsleep lessons. They’ve been sleeping for 20hours a day in the womb — they know howto sleep. However, their environment cancause disruption to the sleep they crave. It isa parent’s job to protect their new baby’sneed for sleep and provide a comfortableplace for it to occur at the right times.“Babies will fail to sleep if the routine

doesn’t match their needs. For a new baby, afive-hour stretch is a full night. This may be afar cry from what you thought ‘sleeping

through the night’ meant. It’s often a full yearor more until your baby will settle into anall-night, every night sleep pattern.”So be realistic in your expectations and

gentle and consistent in your approach. Sweetdreams.

■ Books: The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gen-tle Ways to Help your Baby Sleep Throughthe Night by Elizabeth Pantley; Mc-Graw-Hill, 13. The Science of Parenting,Margot Sunderland, Dorling Kindersley,18.50

TEN tips to help baby sleep ac-cording to Tizzie Hall are:1. Always put your baby tobed by 7pm in the evening.This way, he won’t becomeovertired.2. Make sure your baby hasbedclothes instead of, or alongwith, a sleeping bag. It is asdangerous for a baby to be toocold, as to be too hot.3. From the age of sevenmonths, establish a bedtime

ritual for your ba-by — for exam-ple, read him astory.4. Make sureyour baby is stillawake when youplace him in hiscot. Then he willlearn to self-set-tle.5. Don’t give your baby adummy. Babies with a dummy

wake more oftenthan babies withoutthem.6. Instead introducea ‘comforter’ — asoft muslin squareetc.7. Always put yourbaby to sleep in theplace where you in-

tend him to wake up.8. Don’t worry if a baby takesmore formula feed than you’ve

calculated for his age. Babiesoften want a larger feed in theevening.9. Don’t use a ‘sleep aid’ like amusic box. This could becomehabit forming, and make itharder for the baby to re-settleif he wakes in the night.10. Place your baby on hisback, with his feet at the endof the cot. Then he can’t slidedown underneath the bed-clothes.

One baby sleep expert says a child-led approach works best. The other insists

SWEETAfter losing her brother in a cot death, Tizzie Hall was drivento help babies sleep safe and sound, writes Sue Leonard

ROUTINE EVENT: Dublin woman TizzieHall’s routines are helping parents get adecent night’s sleep. Picture: Billy Higgins

T IZZIE HALL was seven years oldwhen her brother Richard died in acot-death. Life was never the same

again.“I can remember it clearly. I can remember

Richard being there, and I can remember thenight when he died. No mother should seeher baby dying. Our whole family changed.”From that sad day Tizzie was obsessed with

babies. She spent every minute with themthat she could. And, it seemed, she had agood way with them. From mixing with ba-bies of different ages, she learned to tell whateach cry meant.“People would phone and say, ‘what is this

baby crying about?’. I’d go round, from theage of seven and say: ‘he’s cold,’ or ‘he’s hun-gry,’ or, ‘this is the problem.’ Word gotaround.”When she left school, the girl from

Killiney went to Nottingham University inEngland to study psychology. But she spentevery spare minute babysitting. And the fam-ilies soon noticed her ability to make theirbabies sleep.“On one occasion a father called me. He

was a doctor, and his twins of 18 months hadnever slept well. I came out, and for the firsttime ever they slept for 11 hours straight. Hesent me a cheque in the post, and I thought,wow! I can make a career of this. I startedcharging people. I left university and I’venever looked back.“When I was 20 I went to Mozambique

on holidays and I watched the babies, whowere tied to their mums. I noticed that theyall fed at the same time and slept at the sametime, and I wrote it all down. When I gotback I tried the ‘routines’ with a few babiesand it worked. So I incorporated the routinesinto my methods. I’d stay with each familyfor 24 hours.“Seven years ago I left England for Aus-

tralia, and the people I’d helped in Englandstarted to email me. They’d say: ‘You cameout to my house five years ago and wroteout a routine for me. I’ve lost it, can yousend it to me?’ I started putting my routinesup on the internet. People paid for each rou-tine.”Meanwhile, Tizzie wanted a baby of her

own. She’d met her husband, Nathan, butthings didn’t run smoothly.

“I had no problems getting pregnant,” shesays. “I was basically pregnant, back to backfor four years. I lost one tube after an ectopicpregnancy, and had loads of miscarriages.Each pregnancy got shorter and shorter.“We paid for loads of tests, and in the end,

they discovered I had an immune problem.My body kills my pregnancy, so to carry ababy, my immune system had to be sup-pressed. I carried my 13th pregnancy to 32weeks. Darragh is now two. And Cillian,now five months was my 16th pregnancy.“Some people say ‘how terrible,’ but it’s

amazing to have two children. And I alwaysknew and believed I was going to have myown children. That kept me going. It wasodd. I was surrounded by pregnant womenand babies, yet struggling to have my own. Iseparated the two things. It was difficultwhen friends had babies, but with clients itwas just work.”Four years ago, Tizzie put her methods for

helping breast and bottle-fed babies in abook. Save our Sleep sold 70,000 copies intwo years in Australia. And it’s now availablein Ireland. Do the methods work on Tizzie’sown children? “Of course!” She smiles. Andtells me that she’s accidentally tested it. “Twoyears ago, we’d been in Ireland, and on ourreturn I was too tired to get Cillian up at7am. I was getting him up at a different timeevery day, and within a week I had a scream-ing, unsettled baby. Nathan put him back onhis routines and he became this perfectchild.”Tizzie says her methods work because they

are common sense. What is the most usualreason for baby’s lack of sleep? “That they’retoo cold,” she says. “Parents are being giventhe wrong information. If they use a babysleeping bag, for example, they need to usebedding as well.“My main achievement is helping parents

to avoid cot death (SIDS). Parents are soscared of their babies being too hot, butcoldness can be a bigger risk. A baby will rollonto their tummy if they’re too cold. My ad-vice is to use cotton or bamboo bedding.And to keep babies on their backs with theirface uncovered.“My brother dying shaped my life. And my

problems having babies has helped me to re-late with pregnant women. My babies werepremature. I had problems breast feedingDaragh. All that has helped to shape my ca-reer.”

■ Save our Sleep — Helping your baby tosleep through the night is published by Ver-million at 12.35.■ For more information visitwww.saveoursleep.ie

DREAMS


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When Tim was born,it was surreal. It was

frightening, unreal,magnificent and

emotional. Of coursethere was joy. He is

one year old now,and we are

enjoying him somuch

Picture: Dan Linehan

When Mairead O’Driscoll decided to have a baby she was just 31 and robustlyhealthy, so her struggle to get pregnant was a shock, says Sue Leonard.

WHEN Mairead O’Driscollwas 31 she decided to havea baby. The time seemed

right. She’d met Leonard when she was 25,married him three years later, moved fromDublin to Cork, and they’d built theirdream house in Aghada, close to Midleton.Her career had settled down, too. A

nurse and midwife, she’d recently ex-changed the frenetic, irregular hours in theBon Secours neo-natal unit for the relativecalm of life as a public health nurse in Mi-dleton. Leonard was also settled. A civilengineer, he’d recently taken up lecturing.“We’d always assumed we’d have a fami-

ly,” says Mairead. “And once we were inthe house, we thought a baby was the nextthing. But it just didn’t happen.”Not that they were worried — not at

first.“After six months, we talked about it

and decided to talk to our GP. She sug-gested that we go to a fertility clinic. I wasshocked then,” says Mairead. “I’m a re-ally healthy person. I’ve never beensick in my life, and Leonard ishealthy, as well. I thought: ‘I can’tbelieve this’. My body had never letme down before.”The couple went to the Cork Fer-

tility Centre, on College Road, surethat their problem would be sorted.There was, it appeared, no reason fortheir infertility, but after six months oftaking the drug, Clomid, Mairead stillhadn’t become pregnant. They continuedfor another six months, without success.When that failed, they decided to try

NaPro, a medical system of procreativehealth care.

“We attended Dr Phil Boyle, in the GalwayClini,c for a couple of years. It’s a very natu-ral treatment, based on a woman’s own cycle.It’s less expensive than conventional treat-ment, and less harrowing.“And it did work,” says Mairead. “I be-

came pregnant, but, unfortunately, I had amiscarriage in 2006. That was really hard.But there was a flip side — knowing thatpregnancy could happen. By then I was 35,and Dr Boyle started to talk about my age.He felt it was becoming an issue. That’swhen we decided to go for IVF.”The first two IVF cycles were not success-

ful. How did the couple keep positive?“We had huge support, from work col-

leagues and from family,” says Mairead. “Wedecided to take a break between each treat-ment, so that the feelings of stress could notbuild up. We kept sight of our marriage andour relationships with other people. If you

become angry and bitter, anx-ious and worried, it burstsinto other sides of yourlife.“We rememberedthat we were luckyto have each other.Lucky to have a

good family and close friends, lucky in ourjobs, our home, and with our nephews andnieces. We decided not to jeopardise any ofthat. We kept children in our life, too. Wewere invited to christenings and communionsand we always went. We wanted childrenaround,” she says.It was tough each time it failed.“We wondered should we give up? Would

it be a mistake to give up, or a mistake tokeep going? We weren’t sure, but we decidedto keep going as long as we were able. But itwas emotionally and financially draining.Each cycle costs 4,000, but there are otherexpenses. I had acupuncture to increase mychances, and I bought expensive supplementsfrom the health shop. All that adds to thecost,” she says.The third IVF cycle was successful. But

there was no euphoria.“It was a significant moment, especially af-

ter so many knocks, but it was only step one.We didn’t dare assume that the pregnancywould be successful. And when Tim wasborn, it was surreal. It was frightening, unre-al, magnificent and emotional. Of course,there was joy.“Tim is one year old now, and we are en-

joying him so much,” says Mairead. “I’mback at work, but I get to see Tim for a goodfew hours each evening and at weekends.And, sometimes, I take a day off to be withhim. He is absolute fun.”Does Mairead have advice for other couples

embarking on fertility treatment?“Don’t listen to the negative,” she says.

“When people say there is ‘only’ aone-in-four chance of success, remember

that is much better than no chance at

all. And put your relationship first. Youstill have this special person in your life.Never lose sight of that.”

A happy ending

Mairead’s bookALONGSIDE her work as a public healthnurse, Mairead O’Driscoll is a best-sell-ing author of four novels. Her latest, AMoment in Time, features a couple whohave undergone several cycles of IVF.Through their story, Mairead charts thecourse of a treatment.“Writing about it has been cathartic,”

says Mairead. “And I wanted to get thestory across. One thing that kept me go-ing was reading articles about otherwomen’s successes. Or meeting some-one in the street who said: ‘My friendhad a baby after ten IVF treatments.’That always gave me a boost of confi-dence; it made me feel it could happen.”

■ For more details, www.maireado-driscoll.com. A Moment in Time, byMairead O’Driscoll, is published by Pool-beg Press, at 13.99


7


XH - V2

Tony Humphreys

People who bully do sobecause of their own

inner turmoil and the reasonwhy they appear to bully on-ly those who are passive isbecause it would not have

worked with those who areassertive

Compassion is key to helping people who arebullied — and those who bully them

Healing the pain

I S IT a bridge too far to ask an employee who hasbeen relentlessly bullied by a manager to have acompassionate understanding of the manager’s un-

conscious plight?Such a situation is only possible when individuals who

have been bullied develop an understanding of their ownemotional pain and the passivity that has unconsciouslyprevented an assertive response that would have challengedthe bullying behaviour when it first presented.

There are two very separate issues that require considera-tion here: the plight of those who are at the receiving endof bullying and the plight of those who, due to their inse-curities, resort to bullying to reduce perceived threats totheir wellbeing. There is a further consideration — com-passionate understanding suggests that individuals who bul-ly or who are passive are responsible to their defensive re-sponses, but they are not responsible for their actions.

The ‘to’ and ‘for’ distinction is important because whenothers insist you are ‘responsible for’ your actions, they arejudging you for being deliberately neglectful, whereaswhen people assert the need to take ‘responsibility to’ youractions, they know your bullying arises from a place ofhurt within yourself — in this way they are compassionate,non-judgemental but still expect you to take responsibilityto the neglect perpetrated.

Returning to the issue of passivity and bullying, it is im-perative we understand that individuals who created passiv-ity as a powerful means of reducing hurt never invite oth-ers to bully them.

People who bully do so because of their own inner tur-moil and the reason they appear to bully only those whoare passive is because it would not have worked with thosewho are assertive. Indeed, their unconscious strategy willbe to do all in their power to avoid those who are assertivebecause at a deep level they know that their insecuritieswill be spotted by those who act from an inner stronghold.

The challenging issue is that no progress can be madeunless somebody — preferably a person in a key manage-ment position — views the untenable situation with com-passionate understanding. Such a manager can attempt toensure that the person doing the bullying is provided withthe emotional safety for whatever unconscious insecurityto come to consciousness so that he can be accountable forhis threatening actions, by taking due responsibility andmaking recompense. When compassionate understandingis not present, the person who bullies will continue to doso and may be quite vehement that the rest of the world isout of step and that he has no problem.

In a similar vein, the persons who are at the receivingend of the intimidating behaviour will continue to judgethe person doing the bullying and will not come to realisetheir own defensive position of passivity. The key maturemanager will also create the opportunities for those whohave been passive to become empowered so that the earlyexperience of being threatened are reported as soon as ithappens. Of course, the latter depends upon the employeefeeling that it is safe to report bullying and that decisiveaction will be taken to restore workplace wellbeing. Butoften such safety is not been present and that those further

up the line in management are often more intimidatingthan those in the lower and middle management group.

Those who head work organisations need to closely ex-amine their level of maturity, but it is often the case thatthey too are as unconsciously imprisoned by their insecuri-ties. What hope then is there for progress? What inevitablywill emerge are major crises within the organisation andthe hope is that such conflict will lead to mature help be-ing sought outside for what has become a dark and threat-ening work organisation.

The fall of the banks, other financial institutions, theproperty developers, the church and a heavily besiegedgovernment are examples of these ‘inevitable’ crises. How-ever, there is little evidence that an authentic examinationis taking place of organisational heads’ insecurities, workrelationships and work practices. If this does not emergethen the crises necessarily need to deepen in order to wakeup those who hold the reins of power to take hold of thereins of maturity.

■ Dr Tony Humphreys is a clinical psychologist and au-thor of several books on practical psychology includingThe Mature Manager.

Picture:Getty Images

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A DIFFERENT VIEWON LIFESTYLEYour guide to fitness, health, happiness and lifestyle.Great writers and mentors.Where you come first.

Every Friday.


8

FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010

9XH - V1

Feelgood

What happens to top performing horses when they are no longer ‘at the races’? Arlene Harris talks to those, who far from the glare of the spotlight, adopt the animals

Contrary to their unfairreputation, not all racehorses are

temperamental — right from thebeginning Saratov was a pleasure.

He is so easygoing as well as beingvery polite and even tempered

— Kate Laurenns

THE FORM IS GREAT

GREENER PASTURES: Above left, Moscow Flyer enjoying new freedom; Jillian Godsil and daughter Georgina with Jaguar Claw; SharonNewsome (IHWT) with Moscow Flyer and Champion National Hunt Jockey Ruby Walsh in action with Jaguar Claw.

THE thunder of hooves, the thrill ofthe race and the joyful popping ofcorks in the winners’ enclosure —

the buzz of the racing world is far removedfrom the humdrum of everyday life.But what about the star of the show, the

skilled competitor who makes it all happen,the hard-working racehorse who for the dura-tion of his highly-charged career has the abili-ty to make or break the hearts of his ownersand gamblers? While they are being trainedfor competitive racing, there is no doubt thatthese animals are given the absolute best careavailable. From exercise and diet to grooming,it is imperative they remain in peak condition.But what happens when they become in-

jured or simply too old and tired to race?Some horses are rehoused or used for breed-ing but sadly those with no place to go aresimply put down. And this is where the IrishHorse Welfare Trust (IHWT) comes in.Founded in 1999, the Wicklow-based char-

ity specialises in rescuing horses and in 2003 aspecial programme for ex-racehorses was es-tablished.Sharon Newsome, co-founder of IHWF,

says although the programme is quite small(50 racehorses have been rehoused since itsconception), it is proving to be a successfulmeans of caring for racehorses and givingthem the chance of another career.Following a stressful career, some racehorses

can take up to a year to adjust to a new diet,different riders and a more leisurely pace oflife in open pastures.“Owners or trainers pass their horses to us

when they are retired and we will reschoolthem,” she says. “But their racing career is of-ten quite stressful so retraining can be a slowprocess.”Once such horse is Moscow Flyer — dur-

ing his racing days he was billed as the mostsuccessful steeplechaser of in 30 years. He iscurrently enjoying a well-deserved rest as anambassador for IHWT.“Moscow Flyer is quite a character and he

really knows he is special,” says Sharon. “Hespends his days living a quiet life at our farm.He has his own stable and visitors come to seehim on Saturdays.“Sometimes he attends shows and events

where he always gets lots of attention — hereally enjoys the limelight. In March he trav-elled to Britain at the request of the Retrain-ing of Racehorses, a British charity — as oneof the famous horses promoting the use ofex-racehorses as riding horses.”Some of his well-known comrades who

have also been rehomed by the trust includeSaratov, Jaguar Claw and Golden Hop.Once they are ready to be rehoused, the

IHWT will accept applications from prospec-tive new owners. But because of the highly-honed nature of a thoroughbred, they must behandled by experienced riders and are notsuitable as a family pet.Kate Laurenns is the proud ‘adoptive mum’

of a retrained ex-racehorse. The German-born woman has always loved horses butcouldn’t afford to buy one of her own — soafter a year spent taking care of her neigh-

bours’ draft horse, she applied to the charityfor adoption.After a thorough assessment of her handling

and riding skills and her compatibility withthe chosen horse, in March 2007, Kate wasallowed to adopt the ex-racehorse Saratov andtake him home to her acre site in Cavanwhere she lives with her husband, Ed.“I was quite nervous at the prospect of a

thoroughbred,” admits Kate. “But contrary totheir unfair reputation, not all racehorses aretemperamental — right from the beginningSaratov was a pleasure. He is so easygoing aswell as being very polite and even-tempered.”After a life in the fast lane, you would imag-

ine that most racehorses would breathe a sighof relief at the peace and tranquility of coun-try life, but it can taketime for them to ad-just.“Before we adopt-

ed Saratov, his lifewas so busy and hewas constantly sur-rounded by people andother horses,” says Kate.“So after he had settledin, we began to realise thathe didn’t seem too happy —it was as if he waslonely. Being aherd animal bynature, he wasobviouslymissingequinecompan-ionship.”“So

we bought a little fat pony called Blackjack tokeep him company and they both seem verycontented,” she laughs.But adopting a horse isn’t something for the

faint-hearted. A lot of commitment, dedica-tion and spare cash are necessary before em-barking on a project of this kind.“Although you don’t have to pay to adopt a

horse from IHWT, most people give a dona-tion,” says Kate. “We couldn’t afford to dothat as we had to build a stable for Saratov andthe day-to-day running costs are also fairly ex-pensive.“On top of that, you need to devote at least

three to four hours a day to grooming, muck-ing out and exercising your horse.”But while it may be hard work and expen-

sive, this horse lover has no regrets.“The IHWT are doing sterling work saving

horses that could end up as pet food,” shesays. “I am absolutely thrilled with Saratov —he is a super animal that has given us as muchas we have given him.”Jillian Godsil from Wicklow has alsoadopted an ex-racehorse from the IHWT.In his heyday, Jaguar Claw was riddenby famous jockey Ruby Walsh but iscurrently enjoying a quieter pace of

life under the care of Jillianand her daughterGeorgina.

“I have sup-ported IHWTfor aboutten

years

as I believe they do an excellent job,” says Jil-lian. “Then last year my daughter’s horse hadto be put down after an infection in his footfailed to heal. It was very tragic and we wereall in bits about it but I had no money to findanother suitable horse for Georgina.”So last November she decided to contact

the IHWT and was pleasantly surprised whenshe discovered that ex-champion Jaguar Clawwas in need of a new home.“The minute we saw him it was love at first

sight and we have been so happy ever since.”Sixteen-year-old Georgina agrees. “He is

the perfect horse — we clicked really fast andhaven’t had any problems,” she says. “Andeven though he can get a bit hot-headed, Iwouldn’t change him for the world.”Looking after a horse is no easy task and

while Jillian does the early morning feed,Georgina and her sister, Kathryn are alwaysready to muck out Jaguar and their otherthree horses.“We do everything but the early morning

feeds as we have to catch the school bus —but the horses are definitely worth the dirtywork,” she adds.Her mother Jillian says that the IHWT

scheme is a great initiative — pairing horselovers with thoroughbred animals in need of agood home.“I would encourage anybody looking for a

horse to contact the trust. It is a perfect matchfor both horse lovers and horses,” says Jillian.“In return for a donation, you can bring oneof these horses home and while they remainthe property of the IHWT, you can still enjoythe riding without the cost of buying it. Andyou’ll be giving rescued and retrained horses anew caring home and new lease of life.”Animal behaviour specialist and veterinarysurgeon Orla Doherty says giving these

horses a second chance can do won-

ders for their temperament and long-termhealth.“Racehorses are managed very intensely for

the duration of their career,” she says. “Theprimary behaviour of a horse is to graze andmove around freely but while these animalsare competing, they are stabled for a large partof their day and deprived of their natural in-stincts — this in turn can make them quitestressed.”Orla says some of these animals can have

deep-rooted problems relating to their previ-ous career, but with time and patience, mostwill adapt well to their retirement.“Many horses will have stress-related be-

havioural problems after a long period in theracing world,” she says. “Just like humans,they will need time to adapt to their new en-vironment and modify their behaviour ac-cordingly.“But I would have no hesitation in saying

that without exception, a calm way oflife in a natural environmentwould be of great benefit toevery horse — champi-on or not.”Ex-jockey, horse

trainer andYou’re a Starwinner, DavidO’Connoragrees. “Iwould onlyhave positivethings to sayabout the re-training ofracehorses,” hesays. “It’s reallynice for a jockeyto know that a horseyou might have ridden

is now doing something different or justliving the good life.“A change is as good as a rest for the

horse and it’s great to see animals of thisstature being taken back into the ruralcommunity. At the end of the day,whether they are racing or just being rid-den around the locality, all horses are im-portant.”

■ For more information about rehousing ahorse or to make a donation, visitwww.ihwt.ie or call 0404-45720 or0404-30773.■ For queries on animal behaviour, callOrla Doherty on 087-2641763.■ Despite his retirement, Moscow Flyer isstill breaking records, this time with hisown Twitter page. Visit him on: twit-ter.com/ihwtmoscowflyer

THE FACTS■ IHWT is the only charity in Ireland dedicated to horsesand ponies.■ 60 equines can be accommodated on the premises atone time.■ The charity rescues, rehabilitates and finds new homesfor horses and ponies.■ It also runs educational programmes promoting equinewelfare in various venues nationally.■ Staffed mainly by volunteers, the charity relies on dona-tions and needs a minimum of 300,000 to operate annu-ally.■ Since the recession, the number of animals being aban-doned by owners has increased, meaning there are morehorses than ever in need of new homes.


10

FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010

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Feelgood

CatherineShanahan

MUM’S WORLD

CatherineShanahan

MUM’S WORLD

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

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 Niamh Houston

FAMILY

QI HAD to bring myeight-year-old son to hospitalwith stomach pains. I thoughthe had appendicitis, but I wastold he had inflamed lymph

glands in his stomach. Is this serious andhow is it treated?A. It sounds as if your child had mesentericadenitis, which is fairly common cause of ab-dominal pain in children under 16 years.Lymph glands or nodes are normally peasized, are found all over the body and are amajor part of our immune system. During aninfection, lymph glands swell and becomepainful while the immune system “fights off ”an infection. You probably have noticedlymph glands in the neck that swell when youhave a sore throat or tonsillitis.Mesenteric adenitis is not serious and will

get better without treatment. Most casesare due to a virus infection such as acold or sore throat. This triggers in-flammation and swelling in the ab-domen’s lymph glands, and pain inthe centre or the lower right-handside of the area. The other symp-toms usually are high temperature,feeling unwell, and maybe nauseaor diarrhoea. Usually there hasbeen a sore throat or symptomsof a cold before the abdominalpain started. It can imitate oth-er causes of abdominal painsuch as appendicitis.Mesenteric adenitis is diffi-

cult to prove as the glands aredeep in the abdomen and can-not be seen or felt. If your childhad the typical symptoms andthere are no signs of anythingelse causing the pain, thenmesenteric adenitis is likely. Butif the diagnosis is not clear, yourdoctor may suggest await-and-see approach and re-view after a few hours to see ifsymptoms have changed. If insome cases appendicitis cannot be ruled out, alaparoscopy — using a thin fibre optic tele-scope to look inside the abdomen and checkfor this or any other problem may be needed.No treatment is required other than simple

painkillers such as paracetemol or ibuprofen. Ifa bacterial infection is suspected, antibioticsare given to treat the underlying infectionrather than the mesenteric adenitis. Symptomsusually settle within a few days, but if they aregetting worse, or last longer than 10 days totwo weeks, have your child assessed again.

Q. Can you tell me what platelet plasmatherapy is? I read that it can be used to treatsport’s injuries.A. Platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) is acutting-edge treatment being tested in theStates. Our blood is made of red blood cells,white blood cells, plasma and platelets.

Platelets were mainly known to be responsiblefor blood clotting, but they have also beenfound to release healing proteins calledgrowth factors. Growth factors among its oth-er functions help speed up tissue and woundhealing. And these special proteins are in-volved in new blood vessel formation, boneregeneration and connective tissue repair.It is a non-surgical technique. A small

amount of the patient’s blood is taken and thered cells, white cells and other componentsare removed and a concentration of the plas-ma containing the growth factors and plateletsis kept. This concentrate is then injected backinto the patient’s own damaged tissue whereit begins the process of repair. The entire pro-cedure usually lasts for about 20 minutes.There is a risk of soreness or discomfort atthe injection site, but this should not lastlonger than a few hours. It is not a quick-fix

and most people undergoing treatment mayneed three to six doses at monthly intervals.As the substance used comes from the pa-tient’s own body, there is little chance for re-jection or allergic reaction. Also there is farless risk for infection or a scar compared tosurgical techniques.PRP looks promising in the treatment of

chronic stubborn injuries such as tennis el-bow or tendonitis. Usually in conditions likethis healing and recovery time can be slow.Regeneration of injured tendons and liga-ments takes time. PRP may become an op-tion to be considered for sports injuries whenthere is no immediate cure. It may reduce al-so the need for complicated treatments likesurgery or medications such as NSAIDs(non-steroidal snti-inflammatory drugs. Butmore rigorous research is needed before PRPcan claim to be scientifically proven.

JUST as the easiest way to be a goodhusband is to choose a good wife, suc-cess in motherhood is far more probable

if gifted with a good child.A good mother has no such guarantees.

No amount of womb music, breastfeedingor pureeing can spare the woman who un-wittingly gives birth to the antichrist. Amother can invest her whole life in mould-ing the ‘perfect’ child only to churn out ahigh-school killer.And while the yardstick for a good wife is

one who can balance her moods as success-fully as the household budget, the bench-mark for triumphant motherhood is farharder to gauge. There is no formula forprosperous parenting and it is only after thebirth of a child that this little truth hitshome.A friend remarked on this recently when

quizzed on her mothering skills. Hersix-month-old daughter made her societal

debut at the christening of another child.When the oohing and aahing subsided, abarrage of questions began. Was she sleep-ing? Eating? Bottle or boob? Windies?Dummy? Thumb? Natural or Caesarean?Forceps? Vacuum? Midwife? Doula? Drugs?The questions rained down and I watchedmy friend squirm, trapped like a corneredrat. The mothers closed in ’til, above thedin, the cry of a child was heard. “Gottago,” my friend said recognising the wail andseizing her chance to escape. The maternalmob parted, only partially sated, as myfriend beat a hasty retreat.“WHAT was THAT?” she asked later, re-

ferring to her interrogation, puzzled by thepumping she’d received. “Your initiation,” Ireplied, “into the mothers’ private membersclub in honour of the status you’veachieved.”She chastised me for not telling her what

to expect as a newly-commissioned mum.

Had she known in advance a cross-exami-nation was planned, she would haveGoogled the correct answers. She wasnone-the-wiser, she said, for having a child,improvising as she went along. Having a ba-by was not a competition and she did notexpect any gongs.“Never,” she swore, would she ever sub-

scribe to the club of the Alpha Mum wherethe rules of the workplace apply in thehome and success is preferred to fun. Shewould not be the first with the latest trends,she would never rush to judge and her kidswould not spend their lives in a car-seatstaring at the back of her head as she drovethem from one activity to another in an ef-fort to stay two steps ahead.“Far easier to be a good wife,” she

thought, “at least if you pick the right man.And if the kids get too much, you can tosshim the reins and let him do the best thathe can.”

Most casesof mesenteric

adenitis are dueto a virus

infection suchas a cold or

sore throat. Thistriggers

inflammationand swelling inthe abdomen’slymph glands,and pain inthe centre

or thelower

right-handside of the

area


11


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Finger on the pulseSave hundreds ofeuros on healthinsurance witha web-basedcomparison tool,says ÁilínQuinlan

YOU can avail of health insuranceplans specifically targeted at acompany workforce even if you’re

not an employee — that’s the message fromthe Health Insurance Authority, which earlierthis year launched a comparison tool for thesector.“There’s a huge range of health insurance

plans available, not all of which are marketedto families and individuals, but which are soldto companies and their employees,” explainsHIA chief executive Liam Sloyan.The Health Insurance Authority’s website

provides for an across-the-board comparisonof health insurance plans of all kinds — butpunters shouldn’t be put off by plans whichappear to be aimed at companies, says Sloyan.“Many of these plans are similar to plans

marketed to people with children etc — butthey’re often better value,” says Sloyan.It’s a good idea to check these out and get

some idea of what’s on offer across thissprawling and hugely complex sector he sug-gests. “Under Irish law the ordinary person isentitled to buy company plans,” he says,adding that the Authority strongly advisesconsumers to check their current health planagainst company-orientated plans and otherconsumer plans using the new comparisonfacility.Currently there are more than 2.1 million

subscribers to private health insurance in Ire-land.“Many people don’t realise that health in-

surance providers have a wide array of prod-ucts that very often provide broadly similarlevels of cover at different prices. By simplyundertaking a little research by logging on towww.hia.ie, consumers can avail of substantialto savings,” says Sloyan.“Private health insurers must allow all con-

sumers access to any of their plans. Very of-ten plans aimed at companies offer insurance

cover at lower prices than to those aimed atindividuals or families.“What consumers don’t realise is that the

health insurance provider must also offerthese group plans to individuals if requestedand the price difference cannot exceed 10%.“You could save a lot of money, depending

on what it is you want — a family could eas-ily save up to 400 depending on the level

of cover they want by comparing plans. Noinsurer can refuse to sell you any plan.”The website www.hia.ie — which allows

consumers to compare all products availablefrom all health insurers — should, at the veryleast, give most people cause to think twiceabout their current plan.

■ Visit www.hia.ie.

THE CHOICESTHE complexity and sheer size of pri-vate health insurance products canpose difficulties for consumers in un-derstanding and comparing differentproducts — and ultimately in select-ing the product that is most appropri-ate for their circumstances.

Although the Health Insurance Au-thority has a very effective compari-son tool on its website, the onus re-mains on the consumer to select themost appropriate product for their cir-cumstances because the HIA is not ina position to recommend one productor health insurer over another. Bear-ing in mind that in-patient hospitalcover is what your premium is mostlypaying for, here are some questionsto ask yourself when selecting ahealth insurance plan.

■ What kind of accommodation doyou want? For example, a semi-pri-vate or private room in a public hos-pital or a semi-private or privateroom in a private hospital?

■ Look closely at your circumstances.Which product offers the best valuefor your partic-ular situation?

■ What kindof maternitybenefitsshould you ex-pect? Treat-ment receivedin respect ofillnesses, in-juries or com-plications dur-ing pregnancy,if covered,would be con-sidered as part of the hospital coversection of your contract. However,routine treatment received during thecourse of a normal pregnancy anddelivery would be covered under thematernity section of your contract. Of-ten this section will provide full coverfor a limited stay in hospital and afixed amount for the consultant.

■ Are you willing to pay the excessyourself? You can save money on apremium by choosing a policy withan excess.

■ Will your health insurance coverconsultant’s fees? Most health insur-ance contracts cover the cost of con-sultant services in relation to a hospi-tal stay. An exception to this wouldbe stand alone, day-to-day or out-pa-tient policies, which allow the con-sumer to claim for expenses, such asGP and physiotherapy visits. Con-sumers should check their policy todetermine the extent of cover offered.

TAPPING IN: The complexity and sheer size of private health insurance products can posedifficulties for consumers and although the Health Insurance Authority has a very effectivecomparison tool on its website, the onus remains on the consumer to select the mostappropriate product for their circumstances. Picture: Getty Images


12

FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010

XH - V1

Feelgood

Veg of the moment have great taste and health benefits

Roz Crowley

One-minutedesserts

CULLY & SULLY have succeededagain, with the introduction of a newrange of delicious products, this timesweet ones.Eat Me is a range of three desserts,

which can be heated for just a minutein the microwave. Each does exactly asit promises. One is a light lemonsponge with a zesty lemon sauce. An-other is a sticky toffee pudding, whichis as good as we could make at home.And then there is the chocolate pud-ding, which comes with a chocolatesauce to add to the luxury. All packscome in two separate portions, each ofwhich could nearly stretch to two peo-ple.Fair value at 3.99. Currently in Su-

perquinn, and due in other supermar-kets soon.

Breathe easy,it’s lunchtime

FANCY some yoga and a little lunchduring the day? Kundalini yoga teach-er, Jai Kartar, pictured, gives 40-minuteclasses on Mondays and Wednesdaysat 1.10pm, followed by a vegetarianyogic lunch. It’s all for 10 per session,or less if you sign up for a series. Herholistic approach includes dietary rec-ommendations. Classes are held atWell Within, Thompson House, Mac-Curtain Street, Cork. Text ahead, if at-tending, to make sure there is enoughlunch for everyone: 087-3339642.

Picture: Getty Images

Season of plenty

I T’S a wonderful time of year. Plantsbudding, walkers walking, cyclists cy-cling, lawnmowers buzzing, new pota-

toes appearing and light vegetables pushingtheir way through the earth. We must makethe best of seasonal vegetables — right nowit’s asparagus and spinach — and enjoy theirgreat taste and health benefits. I have givensome recipe ideas below which I hope willinspire.

AsparagusNow is the time to enjoy the slim, greenvariety which takes little or no preparation,particularly while it’s still young. For thosewith tendency to cystitis or fluid retention,asparagus can help. It also helps with arthritisand rheumatism, and because of the fibre it’sgood for constipation. Plenty of vitamin C,beta carotene and selenium make it a good allrounder.When young and flexible, asparagus barely

needs cooking at all. I eat it raw, dipping it inmelted butter or olive oil, and once it getsstalky, toss it on a griddle. When it’s reallyhard it needs poaching in a skim of water fora few minutes.This recipe brings together three seasonal

ingredients and comes from a new, beautifullyproduced cookbook with recipes, calledPlenty, from chef Yotam Ottolenghi who hasfour restaurants/food shops in London.Originally from Tel Aviv, his recipes make

the best of in-season ingredients and are lowin fat and sugar, though this is not used inthe marketing of the book, it seems to comenaturally to him. All in all, it’s the most ap-petising book I have read in ages. Plenty is instylish hardback with plenty of clear, colour-ful photographs by Jonathan Lovekin. Pub-lished by Ebury about 28.

Asparagus, fennel and beetrootwith verjus

Verjus is a sour juice made from un-ripe grapes and is available in Ireland.However, it can be substituted withvinegar. If you use a good quality bal-samic vinegar it may not need to beboiled down.

Serves 4 as starter4 mini beetroots (150g in total)320ml verjus (or balsamic vinegar)4 tbsp rapeseed oil120g fresh pencil-thin asparagus, or normalasparagus½ fennel bulb (about 120g, halved vertical-ly)30g pine nuts, toasted1 tbsp dill leaves to garnishsalt and black pepperPreheat the oven to 200c/gas 6/400f. Trim

most of the stalk from the beetroots, leaving a

little at the top of each beet for the look. Putin an ovenproof dish, cover with foil andbake for about 45 minutes, or until the beetsare cooked through. Remove from the ovenand leave to cool down before cutting intohalves or quarters (you may want to peelthem if the skin is tough).Next make the dressing. In a small

saucepan, bring the verjus (or vinegar) to alight simmer and reduce to about 3 table-spoons. Transfer to a mixing bowl and allowto cool, then whisk in the rapeseed oil and

salt and pepper to taste. Putaside.If using normal asparagus, cut

the spears on a sharp angle intolong, very thin slices (1-2mmthick), or use a potato peeler tomake “shavings” up to the tip.Place the fennel half cut-sidedown on a mandolin slicer andshave into very thin slices (lessthan 1mm thick).To assemble, arrange the veg-

etables on small serving plates.Scatter the pine nuts on top and

drizzle over the dressing. Garnish with dilland serve.

SpinachIf we can say any food provides cancer pro-tection, it is spinach. With the greennessproving it has lots of chlorophyll, it is alsogood for the eyes. Ideal for those low in iron,it is also full of folic acid which is ideal forthose planning on becoming or already preg-

nant. For best vitamin intake eat raw whenyoung. Baby spinach doesn’t need to becooked. Older spinach is best steamed lightlyin a skim of water until it has wilted. I usual-ly take off the stalks first as they are not ap-petising mixed with the leaves. Use choppedstalks in stir fries. Avoid spinach if sufferingfrom arthritis or gout.

Ways with spinach:■ Make a sauce by slowly cooking achopped onion in olive oil until starting togo golden. Add a clove of garlic, grated andcook gently for another minute. Add 6 finelyshredded spinach leaves and place the lid onthe saucepan to allow it to steam for aminute. Add a splash of sweet chilli sauce.Liquidise and serve with chicken, hard boiledeggs, cold pork or potatoes.■ Add it shredded to omelettes■ Steam, add chopped grilled rasher andserve topped with a poached or fried egg■ Add shredded spinach to stir-fries at thelast minute■ Add 8 leaves shredded spinach to 1 smallchopped onion, 2 sticks celery, 1 apple orpear, all sliced or chopped, a handful of raw,young broad beans, cooked peas, chick peasor beans such as cannelini or kidney and 2grated carrots. Add a large splash of balsamicvinegar so they are all coated. The vinegarwill help wilt the spinach slightly, soften thevegetables and stop the apple from turningbrown. When about to serve, add lettuce andtoasted nuts or seeds. Serve with bread for aneasy lunch or on the side with leftover meats.


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DId you know...DId you know...

World Fair Trade DayTAKE4

Playing a videogame beforebedtime hasonly a mildeffect on thesleep of oldermale teensSource: Flinders University inAdelaide, South Australia

Happy Heart Weekend is stillsaving lives after 20 years

Fighting migrainesduring exam timeIF your child suffers from migraine, the up-coming exam season may not be helpful. Ac-cording to the Migraine Association of Ireland,

there’s no way of ensuringthat you won’t have an at-tack at exam time. If a stu-dent suffers with migraine,special arrangements can bemade to facilitate candi-dates. The school needs aletter from the student’sGP/consultant before ap-proaching the State Exami-nations Commission.

Contact: Reasonable Accommoda-tions Section, State ExaminationsCommission, Cornamaddy, Athlone,Co Westmeath. Web: www.examina-tions.ie. Email: sec_specialneeds@ed-

ucation.gov.ie . Tel: 090-6442781.

FAIRTRADE BREAK-FAST: To celebrate theeighth annual World FairTrade Day tomorrow,people are being asked tohold a 100% Fairtradebreakfast this weekend.As well as tea and coffee,there are now many moreFairtrade items availableon our supermarketshelves, including freshfruit, dried fruit, cereals,sugar, fruit juiceand preserves.■ For moreinformation,seewww.fair-trade.ie.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE: As theonly WFTO member in Ireland,Oxfam Ireland plays a key role inraising awareness of the impactthat our purchasing decisions canhave on people in the developingworld. With every purchase of10 in Oxfam Ireland’s fairtradeshops, you will receive the freegift of this handmade Indian can-dle (while stock last). This candle,which normally retailsfor 5, featuresthe World FairTrade Organi-sation (WFTO)logo.

has just added three new prod-ucts to the Oy! range: a roll-ondeodorant that uses a naturalrock crystal, a shampoo andshower gel, and a wash andshave gel with seaweed extract,which lubricates legs, underarms

or face (for the guys) forsmoother shaving.All are scented with fair-

ly traded essential oils. TheOy! range is free of SLS,lanolin, petrochemicals,parabens, phthalates, alu-minium, alcohol or artificialfragrances and is availablefrom www.greenpeo-ple.co.uk, or selected healthstores. Prices from around8.

ETHICAL SKINCARE: Oy!,the first ever certified organicrange specifically for teenageskin, is made by Green People,which also makes every effort touse fairly traded ingredients intheir products.For example, their organic

shea butter is handmade,using traditional methodsin Ghana. The productionprocess does not use chem-icals or solvents. This fairlytraded project provides em-ployment, a fair wage, andgood working conditionsfor a community of 600women who produce morethan 120 tonnes of shea but-ter each year. Green People

HAPPY Heart Weekend takesplace May 13-15. Celebratingthe 20th anniversary of theIrish Heart Foundation’sbiggest annual fundraiser, it iscalling for volunteers to helpraise vital funds to save livesfrom sudden cardiac death.

“Heart disease affects somany people in our country,”said singer, Brian Kennedy, atthe launch. “Many of us knowfriends or family who havebeen affected by this disease,and I hope people will sup-port the good work of theIrish Heart Foundation.”

Happy Heart Weekend

which is sponsored by theVodafone Ireland Foundation,aims to raise 630,000. Everyyear, 5,000 people die fromsudden cardiac arrest. In foursteps — call 999, start CPR,start defibrillation and ad-vanced care — the chain ofsurvival can save lives.■ www.happyheartweek-end.ie.■ Our picture shows SophieComerford and Cork foot-baller, Michael Shields, at thelaunch of Happy Heart Week-end Campaign in Cork.

Picture:Daragh McSweeney/ProvisionPicture: iStock

Deirdre O'Flynn

MOSTLY MEN

Early response tostroke saves lives

ROAD TORECOVERY:MichaelMcGovern ismakingprogress aftersuffering astroke whenhe was only35. Picture: xxxxx

Y OU don’t expect a35-year-old man to have amassive stroke, but that’s

exactly what happened to builderMichael McGovern in December2006. After a day playing rugby, hecollapsed at home in front of his wifeTherese who was then eight monthspregnant with the couple’s secondchild, Donnachadh.“I thought I was talking, but I

wasn’t and my right hand side wasgone,” says Michael, from Dring,Longford.Therese recognised his symptoms —

clenching his fists as if he couldn’t feelthem, pale face and beads of sweat un-der his eyes. She immediately rang forhelp when Michael couldn’t talk and,unable to move, just slipped off thecouch.Today, Michael is keen to help pro-

mote the Irish Heart Foundation’sFAST campaign, designed to raiseawareness of the symptoms of strokein order to help improve patient out-comes. This is a four-year campaignthat is based on the British campaign,

FAST, which stands for face, arms,speech and time. Two thousand peo-ple in Ireland will die as a result of astroke every year which is more thanbreast, lung and bowel cancer com-bined.Generally regarded as an older per-

son’s disease, stroke has the capacity tosurprise, just as it did with Michael. Afit and healthy man, Michael didn’tsmoke or drink and didn’t suffer fromheart disease or high blood pressure.“I had none of the usual triggers, in-cluding high cholesterol, and no fami-ly history of stroke,” says Michael,who is also dad to son Conor, seven.After hospital care, including two

weeks in intensive care, Michael re-turned home for a few hours onChristmas Day 2006, before beingtransferred to the National Rehabilita-tion Hospital at the end of December.“It took me a long time to under-

stand the concept of ‘time’,” saysMichael, adding that doctors discov-ered that a hole in his heart was thereason for his stoke. A blood clot wentthrough the hole to his brain leadingto the stroke. “But now, every sixmonths, there’s a big improvement. Ican walk around and my right arm ispretty much back.”Today, Michael is still undergoing

tests for epilepsy he contracted due tothe stroke. But he does woodworkand computers and is also happy tosupport this 1m campaign whichwill be the most significant ever un-dertaken by the Irish Heart Founda-tion.“Progress is very slow, but there’s no

finishing line,” he says, adding that he’sback training U8 football, recapturingthe passion of his life before thestroke.

GOOD LUCK: For every Love and Luckfair-trade maternity top sold by e-boutiqueBabes with Babies, a mosquito net is do-nated to a pregnant woman in Burkina Fa-so to help protect them against malaria.The tops are made with soft fair-trade cot-ton and come in four colours — fuschia,dove grey, white and black — and cost£49 exclusively from www.BabesWithBa-bies.com. The tops come with a littlewooden doll which sym-bolises life and good luck.In West Africa womencarry a wooden doll ontheir backs during preg-nancy. The doll is be-lieved to help the mothergive birth to a beautifulchild (in appearance andcharacter).


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Feelgood

THE NEWS ON ...

Emily O’Sullivan

TAKE THREE

STUFF WE LIKE

Nude is nice buta bold splash ofcolour will takeyour look to awhole new level

I MADE a mistake the other day.Thinking it was the height of cool, Iemerged from my house wearing a

nude-coloured top and nude-colouredmake-up. In my head, I thought I was look-ing very high fashion, all edgy and cool. Themirror at work told a very different tale —my top skin and make-up were virtually in-distinguishable, giving me the over-all appear-ance of a pair of flesh-coloured tights. Zexy.Nude is fabulous if you’ve the youthful,

creamy skinned appearance of one of theworld’s top models, such as Lara Stone orGemma Stone.Otherwise, worn in its entirely there is only

one thing it will do to the Irish complexion:wash it out. And no, being seriously fashion-able doesn’t equate with looking fabulous allthe time.Most major directional trends have an un-

canny ability to be unflattering and seriouslyfashion forward at the same time, but in thereal world most of us want to look, well,good.This is where spring’s eye-popping brights

come in. I’m not talking a bit of colour here.I’m talking day-glo bright. Wear your nudetop if you will, wear it with a nude eye by allmeans, but team it with a shocking orangelipstick and take it to another level.The latest super-hot nail polish from

Chanel is the milky aqua shade, NouvelleVague. Think the colour of glimmering sea inlittle Greek coves. The kind of colour you’ddive into if you could. And it’s limited edi-tion, so expect an eBay frenzy as its trend val-ue takes off. And unlike the putty-toned Par-ticuliere from the spring/summer collection,it’s immediately eye-catching. Since I’ve been

wearing it, almost everyone I’ve met hascommented on it.Over at MAC, a new collection called

Give Me Liberty is a riotous celebration ofcolour and print thanks to a collaborationwith Liberty of London department store,famous for its beautiful textiles. The prod-ucts are packaged prettily with swirlingprints, while you can choose from dramati-cally bright shades such as Birds & Berriesbright green eyeshadow; Tinted Lipglass inPerennial High Style, a bold coral, and NailLaquer in creamy Blue India.Lancôme is also keeping things bright and

beautiful with the O My Rose collection

that focuses on French beauty and 1960ssensuality — think gorgeous corals and deepaqua greens against a backdrop of SergeGainsbourg and the Nouvelle Vague cine-matic movement. This is not a collectionfor shrinking violets, but worn individuallysome of these colours are truly gorgeous.Try mixing and matching shades such as

the Pop Petrol aqua green nail colour withintense green smokey eyes, or wear BBSand nail shade with fresh coral-toned lips.Lancôme’s intense aqua green eyeliner alsolooks super-hot worn against a nude eyewith a sweep of coral across the mouth.Here’s to a colour-soaked summer.

WAKING UP YOUR SKIN

JUST because you’re young, it doesn’t nec-essarily follow that your skin is perfect. Butit does mean it only takes the tiniest effortto cover things up. Avoid the temptation towear a load of foundation if you’re wantingto hide blemishes and blackheads — thenew 17 Hide & Chic collection isdesigned to fake a fresh morningglow with a new Anti-FatigueFoundation and Concealer.The foundation is light, with

guarana berry giving skin a doseof antioxidants, while the conceal-er contains light-reflecting pearlsfor a wide-awake look. From8.79.

FABULOUS FLORALS

ENJOY the colours and scents of the sum-mer, with three floral-inspired beauty prod-ucts that make you feel pretty as can be.

L’Occitane Peony Illuminating Pow-der, 31.50. The peony has long been asymbol ofbeauty, andL’Occitane’snew collectionis housedwithin prettyand originalpackaging, in-spired by theworld of thenursery gar-den. This illu-minating pow-der has a pas-tel green to correct redness, a pale lilac tocorrect dullness and delicate pink and whiteto give radiance to the skin. Use a big brushto apply and swirl it around well.

Benefit Laugh with Me LeeLee eau detoilette, 43. This is a very light and sum-mery woody floral eau de toilette with acombination of citrus, jasmine and lily blos-soms. It’s flirty and young, and comes in adivine playful bottle.

The Body Shop Blushing Daisies,20.50. Simply adorable. These gorgeouslittle blush palettes incorporate a wonderfuldaisy design and give the cheeks a prettyiridescent glow. Lovely.

Chanel Le Vernis Nouvelle Vague, 21.The hottest nail colour of the summer.There may be lots of imitations along theway, but Chanel has set the bar high withhis super-cool turquoise shade that looksparticularly sexy worn with a very light tan.

Estee Lauder BronzeGoddess Exotic Lip Gloss inWild Coral, 21. This looksstartlingly bright in the tube, butit’s actually a fantasti-cally wearable lipgloss shade thatmakes coral orangevery wearable. Looksgreat worn with a slickof black eyeliner and

eau de toilette, 43. This is a very lightand summery woody floral eau de toilettewith a combination of citrus, jasmine andlily blossoms. It’s flirty and young, andcomes in a prettily packaged playful bottle.

Yves Saint Laurent Ombres Duolu-mieres in Turquoise Blueand Hazy Violet, 42. Alovely bright combo thatgives the eyes a dramatic, ex-otic look. Blend them togeth-er for maximum impact.

porcelain-toned skin.

Lancome Pop’n’Cheeks in Coral Flirt,45. While skin is pale and beautiful thissummer (to make the shades stand out allthe more), Lancome’s Coral Flirt blush isperfect for ensuring you don’t look washedout.To get a more sculpted look, use the light

shades on the cheekbones and the darkestshade in the hollow of the cheeks.

Mac Liberty of LondonLipstick in Petals &Peacocks, 17.50. Itdoesn’t get pinker thanthis. An awesome fuchsiashade that looks just gor-

geous on the lips. Wear it with a nude eyeto make it really stand out.It also comes encased in a limited-edition

glossy white case with an exclusive flowerand bird pattern designed by Liberty of Lon-don.

Essence Quattro Palette, 3.49 atPenneys, Dunnes and Heatons. Gar-ish? For sure, but you don’t have towear them all together and you don’thave to wear these shades over the en-tire lid.We like them smudged around the

lash line towards the outside of theeye.

Benefit Laugh with Me LeeLee

LIBERTY HUES: At Mac, a new collection called Give Me Liberty is a riotous celebration ofcolour and print thanks to a collaboration with Liberty of London department.

COLOUR

me beautiful


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Megan puts the spotlight on:

Megan Sheppard

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

FORBIDDEN FRUIT? Unless fruit is eatenon an empty stomach (preferably 30minutes either side of any other foods) it islikely to cause digestive issues. Picture: iStock

QALL day long I burp and passwind, which I find embarrass-ing. I am a female aged 50.Please help.

A. The symptoms you describe suggest yourdigestive system is particularly sensitive tofood combinations. This is a good thing,since people who are able to eat “anything”without experiencing bloating, wind, andchurning inside have got a greater problem— their systems have reached a point wherethe body is no longer giving clear feedback.Your body is clearly telling you that you

need to reconsider either the type of foodyou eat, or simply which foods you cannotput together.I often use the example of a wholesome,

but problematic combination — spinach,grilled skinless chicken breast and steamedbrown rice. While this appears to be veryhealthy, these foods eaten at the same mealmay provide as much trouble for your diges-tive system as a pint and a packet of crisps.The basic concept of food combining is

that each food group requires a different di-gestion time, and proper utilisation and as-similation of nutrients is achieved throughcombining foods with similar digestiontimes.Choose a meal which includes proteins

and vegetables, or carbohydrates and vegeta-bles — but avoid consuming proteins andcarbohydrates at the same time. Any foodswhich are obviously acid or alkaline shouldnot be eaten together since each of these re-quires very different processes.Fruit is a key factor in food combining as

it digests so quickly and if eaten immediatelybefore or immediately following other foodsit gets trapped and ferments — one of themost common causes for burping and flatu-lence. Unfortunately, innocent fruit oftencops the blame, with many people believingthey are unable to digest fruit. But when eat-en on an empty stomach (preferably 30 min-utes either side of any other foods) fruit isunlikely to cause any digestive issues at all.Melons are in a class of their own and shouldonly ever be eaten alone.Another useful tip to optimise digestion

and minimise wind is to eat a small salad atthe beginning of each meal (often with theexception of breakfast — which is the idealtime to eat fresh fruits). Since leafy greensstimulate the digestive process, this is a greatway to avoid indigestion, heartburn, andbloating. Sprouts are also a brilliant additionto your salad (or just skip the salad and havea handful of fresh sprouts).The mouth is considered as the place

where digestion begins — so take your timeto thoroughly chew each mouthful and tryto eat in a relaxed environment rather than

CHICKWEED, whose botanicalname (stellaria media) means lit-tle star, can often be found

thriving from spring onwards in gar-dens, roadsides, and parks. it is a deli-cate little spreading plant with smallsoft leaves and tiny white star-shapedflowers.Many traditional orchardists encour-

age the growth of chickweed undertheir trees as it is thought to encour-age larger fruit yields— it’s often planted invineyards on theRhine.The leaves of the

plant are delicious, andare a hugely nutritiousaddition to any salad.They have a mildflavour similar to let-tuce, but can tend to-wards being somewhat

stringy if too many stems are includ-ed.Chickweed is a great source of iron,

calcium, chromium, cobalt, molybde-num, magnesium, manganese, silicon,zinc, and vitamin C. It is rich inchlorophyll, which makes it ideal fornourishing and purifying the blood.Eat the leaves raw in salads, add tosandwiches, make a chickweed pesto,sprinkle over eggs or simply brew the

weed as a herbal in-fusion.Chickweed works

well internally anexternally. It is verysoothing for the di-gestive system, witha particular focus ontreating inflammato-ry conditions. Peoplewho have respiratoryissues can also bene-

fit from these soothing internal prop-erties, and they are also recommendedfor the relief of arthritis, rheumaticpain, constipation, diabetes, candida,fatigue, mouth ulcers, blood poison-ing, eyesight improvement, thyroidfunctioning, urinary system ailments,liver and gallbladder health, and aidingthe lymphatic system.A poultice or ointment made from

this plant can give great relief toeczema sufferers, along with manyother skin conditions, including burns,bites, and rashes. Chickweed in thebath can soothe the skin, and is alsouseful for haemorrhoids, joint pain,and over-worked muscles.Herbal folklore considers chickweed

to be valuable where dissolving is re-quired. Taken daily over manymonths, it has been shown to dissolvecysts, breast lumps, and lumps else-where in the body.

grabbing food on the run or eating at yourcomputer while working.

Q. In January, you wrote about thework of Prof Malcolm Peet who has re-searched natural treatments for depres-sion. I would be grateful if you could givefurther information on the link he has es-tablished between diet and mental health.A. For those who missed it, the article inquestion referred to the link between a highconsumption of refined sugar and the devel-opment of depression and schizophrenia asdiscovered and researched by Prof MalcolmPeet, a consultant psychiatrist with Doncast-er and South Humber NHS HealthcareTrust.Prof Peet has been studying the role of

nutrition in mental health for 20 years, par-ticularly looking into the role of omega-3fatty acids and mental, emotional and be-

havioural disorders. More recently, he haslooked at the role sugar has to play, findingthat depression and schizophrenia in particu-lar often occur in patients who have dietshigh in refined sugar and saturated fats, andlow in the “good” fats found in nuts, oilyfish and seafood.His research extends to the implications of

nutritional intervention, a subject which helectures on throughout Britain. Says ProfPeet: “It appears that the same dietary fac-tors which are associated with the metabolicsyndrome, including high saturated fat, highglycemic load, and low omega-3 PUFA,may also be detrimental to the symptoms ofschizophrenia, possibly through a commonmechanism involving brain-derived neu-rotrophic factor.”Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BD-

NF) is crucial to the formation of new neu-ral growths and synapses. The consumptionof high levels of refined sugars and fats lowerthe levels of BDNF produced in the brain.Research indicates that supplementation

with fish oil high in EPA is beneficial fromthose who have schizophrenia. The suggest-ed dosage is between 2g-4g daily(2000-4000mg). A research review articlefrom 2005 in the journal Drugs states: “Theevidence to date supports the adjunctive useof omega-3 fatty acids in the managementof treatment unresponsive depression andschizophrenia. As these conditions are asso-ciated with increased risk of coronary heartdisease and diabetes mellitus, omega-3 fattyacids should also benefit the physical state ofthese patients.” (Drugs, 2005; 65(8):1051-9).Professor Peet and colleagues performed a

study using patients with chronic, partiallytreatment-resistant schizophrenia. These pa-tients continued on their existing medica-tions. They were then randomised on adouble-blind basis to receive either a place-bo, or high EPA fish oil from sardines or an-chovies, or high DHA fish oil from tuna.The results showed that those taking theplacebo displayed a small improvement, andthose given DHA also displayed a small im-provement, while the individuals taking EPAshowed a significant improvement — con-sidered comparable to that seen with thenewer antipsychotic drugs, but without theside effects.There are also studies which show that

EPA is just as beneficial in improving thesymptoms and outcomes for individuals whohave a shorter history of schizophrenia. TheSchizophrenia Association of Britain recom-mends EPA fish oil along with other nutri-tional supplements on a daily basis to helptreat this condition. High-quality brands ofEPA supplements include Mind1st(www.mind1st.co.uk) and Healthy and Es-sential (www.healthyandessential.ie).

ONE TO WATCHBee colony collapse

MORE than a third of US bee coloniesdid not make it through last winter. Thereis a similar picture worldwide where thecrash of the honeybee population threat-ens commercial crops, which depend onthe winged insect for pollination. Expertsreckon that up to a third of all our food-stuffs depend on the honeybee, whichtranslated means a 30bn contribution tothe world economy.

US scientists have identified up to 121different types of pesticides in samples ofbees’ wax and pollen which suggests agri-cultural pesticides are to blame. However,according to the World Organisation forAnimal Health (OIE), there is no one cause,but it did suggest that over use of pesti-cides could undermine the health of bees,leaving them more susceptible to disease.

Honeybees play a vital role in our foodchain. “Their extinction would represent aterrible global disaster,” says Bernard OIEdirector general. Irene Feighan

Chickweed


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