life and fitness magazine issue 5

AVOIDWEIGHTGAIN

SWINE FLUProtect YourselfAlcohol EatsAway atMuscle Mass

Successand

Wordsof Fitness

Ways toKeep aGOOD

Work/LifeBalancethrough

Exercise

FitnessAND

MAG

AZIN

E IR

ELAN

D

NovemberDecember 2009

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2 - Life and Fitness Magazine - November/December 2009

It is the latest health sensationfrom Australia!

The Therapeutic Vibrosaun is a revolutionarybody-conditioning system invented in Australia.It provides vibration massage and warmth in asoothing and relaxing environment, simulatingthe effect of exercising.

The Therapeutic Vibrosaun is the result of a long and inten-sive study with a group of highly qualified people; a medicalpractitioner, a Chiropractor, an Osteopath, a Physiotherapistand a design engineer. It was the intent of this group to cre-ate a simple, economical and universal machine that would,as near as possible, simulate exercise without putting stresson the body. This has not only been achieved, but the bene-fits experienced by users of the Therapeutic Vibrosaun havebeen overwhelming.

How does it work?

Designed to be controlled from within by the user, the Ther-apeutic Vibrosaun provides massage vibration and warmthin a soothing and relaxing environment that includes appro-priate music and cool negative ion charged air to keep thehead cool. The vibration of the padded bed relaxes the mus-cles whilst the introduction of the dry heat dilutes the bloodvessels. This in turn, increases the blood flow to peripheralmuscles and soft tissues, improving the exchange of oxygenand other nutrients as well as improving the elimination ofbody wastes. The body cells also use oxygen to burn carbo-hydrates, and then burn up fat cells. A healthier body mustresult!

The Therapeutic Vibrosaun is designed to be used alone orin conjunction with existing hands on therapies. Therapistsusing this technology have found that after treatment withthe Therapeutic

Vibrosaun the muscles are relaxed and pliable. This allowsphysical treatments to produce better results in shorter times,improving the efficacy of treatment.

What are the benefits?Therapeutic Vibrosaun provides the benefits of asauna without the costly installation and runningcosts and with added therapeutic massage. Someof the many benefits experienced by users are:

matic pains

cellulite reduction

& promotes perspiration

lates kidney function

help relieve tension and stress

"Having suffered for 12 years with arthritis, Ifound the Vibrosaun a fantastic relief from therigours of everyday life."Mary from Kilkenny

What is a therapeutic vibrosaun?

BEAT the Recession blues- Relax while you exercise?

Miraculously slimming,toning and detoxifyingwhile your body is lulledinto relaxation by gen-tle waves of warm, dryheat and rhythmicmovement, more comfort-able than a sauna andwith personal privacy, theTherapeutic Vibrosauncombines the health ben-efits of massage and sau-na without the costlyinstallation and maintenance!

Invented in Australia and used in health and fitness clubs, weightloss clinics, chiropractors, physiotherapists, beauty salons, sportsclinics, hotels, spas and homes in several countries world wide –now also in Ireland and UK!

Therapeutic Vibrosaun is a self contained unit (no specialist instal-lation needed) with low running costs (runs from an ordinary sock-et). The unit is clean and hygienic requiring only disinfectionbetween clients. If you have 7ft X 6ft free space, you have space fora Vibrosaun!

Available for sale or rent.... Delivery, installation and full back upservice provided.

For viewing or appointment: call 052 6128657

For sales and further information: Call 086 6036995 or 0871317018Email [email protected]

www.vibrosaunireland.com www.vibrosaun.com.au

Editors Note Welcome to our November/December issue of Life andFitness Magazine. We’ve got loads of articles to help you achieveyour fitness goals and start the New Year more motivated thanever.

Christmas time is almost upon us and many of the bestplans for exercising and eating healthily are abandoned at thistime of year. You don’t have to be a complete ‘bah humbug’ tocontinue with your routine, or indeed begin a new one. We’ve gotsome useful articles inside which offer sound advice and easy toimplement strategies to ensure you don’t overdo it and undo allthe good work you’ve done throughout the year.

The H1N1 virus (swine flu) is now fairly widespread.Inside you will find an informative article with advice on how toprotect yourself from colds and flu and be better equipped to fightthe virus if you do become infected.

We have great pleasure in announcing the addition ofTed Vickey as a contributing editor to Life and Fitness. Ted is theformer Executive Director of The White House Athletic Centerunder the Bush, Clinton and Bush administrations. Ted brings awealth of knowledge and experience to the team.

A new newsletter is being launched by us and subscribershave a great chance to win some fantastic prizes. See page 34 formore details.

On behalf of the team here and all our contributors Iwould like to wish you all a fit and happy Christmas and a healthyNew Year.

Yours in Fitness,Derry O Donnell

Life and Fitness Magazine is published monthly by Life and Fitness Magazine Ltd.No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the permission of the publish-er. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher. Ad-vice is for information only and should not replace medical care. Check with yourGP before trying any remedies. While every effort has been made to ensure that allinformation contained in this publication is factual and correct at time of going topress, Life and Fitness Magazine cannot be held responsible for any inadvertenterrors or omissions contained herein.

Contact Details:Life and Fitness Magazine Ltd.,Curraghgraigue, Borrisoleigh, Co. Tipperary.Tel: 0504-51945Email: [email protected]: www.lifeandfitnessmag.com.

Life and Fitness Magazine - November/December 2009 - 3

FitnessAND

One of the America’s top fitness management consultants, TedVickey has joined the editorial team of Life and Fitness MagazineIreland. Ted is the former Executive Director of the White HouseAthletic Center under the Bush, Clinton and George W Bush admin-istrations. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for theAmerican Council on Exercise. He joins the team of Life and Fitnessas a contributing editor, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experi-ence to the magazine.

Life and Fitness is Ireland’s leading healthy lifestyle magazine andis the first in the country to be distributed free through gyms and lei-sure centres nationwide. It contains articles on fitness, health, weightloss, nutrition and wellness from some of the country’s leading ex-perts. The bi-monthly publication also offers regular email newslet-ters to subscribers, containing up to date news and developments inthe health and fitness industry.

Derry O Donnell, publisher and editor said “We are absolutely de-lighted to have someone with Ted’s credentials join the team. He isvery highly regarded in the fitness industry in the US. Ted has alsowritten a number of fitness related books along with articles for sev-eral US and International publications. His expertise will be a greataddition to us.”

Ted said “I am pleased to be part of the Life and Fitness magazineteam. Derry has some great things planned for the magazine and thereaders and I am happy to be part of his journey. Fitness is one ofmy passions, so this opportunity is a natural fit.”

Ted contributed to the magazine earlier this year with articles ongolf fitness. The upcoming November issue of Life and FitnessMagazine will include a number of articles written by him on fitnessand exercise.

Ted is President of FitWell LLC, a fitness consulting company tosmall businesses, corporations and the golf industry. Clients haveincluded the White House Athletic Center, The US Department ofCommerce, Osram Sylvania, Fruit of the Loom and Eastern Moun-tain Sports. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Amer-ican Council on Exercise and founder of myFitnessCaddy.comserving the fitness needs of golfers worldwide.

Ted received his Bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sport Sciencefrom Penn State, a Master’s degree in International EntrepreneurshipManagement from the University of Limerick and has been an ACEPersonal Trainer since 1992.

Over his career, Ted has helped thousands of people achieve theirgoal of better health through better fitness

The American Council on Exercise® (ACE) is a nonprofit organiza-tion committed to enriching quality of life through safe and effectiveexercise and physical activity. As America’s Authority on Fitness,ACE protects all segments of society against ineffective fitnessproducts, programs and trends through its ongoing public education,outreach and research. ACE further protects the public by settingcertification and continuing education standards for fitness profes-sionals.

Founded in 1985, today ACE is one of the largest fitness certifica-tion, education and training organizations in the world. They cur-rently have more than 55,000 certified fitness professionals in 107countries. ACE certification, continuing education and training areamong the most respected in the fitness industry.

For a copy of this press release email: [email protected]

White House Fitness ConsultantJoins Life and Fitness Magazine

Life and Fitness Magazine now available for digital download

go to www.mymagonline.com

Contents May 2009

Life and Fitness Magazine

4 - Life and Fitness Magazine -November/December 2009

“Have the dogged determination to followthrough to achieve your goal; regardlessof circumstances or whatever other peoplesay, think, or do.” - Paul J. Meyer

Super Foods - Super YouDreaming of a Light ChristmasBefore You Start an ExercisingMaking Time for ExerciseWhen is best time to exerciseAlcohol eats away at Muscle MassSelf Defense Reality Based TrainingA Walk a Day

Get ready for the slopesProtects yourself from Colds & Flu7 ways work/life balance exercise tipsThe words of fitness & successTravel - AustraliaChristmas survival tipsHealthy Recipe - Irish StewDealing with Bereavement

p. 6p. 8p. 10p. 11p. 12p. 13p. 14p. 16

p. 17p. 18p. 19p. 24p. 27p. 28p. 30p. 32

Your FitnessGoals don’thave to be

insurmountable

Get Ready to Hit The Slopesp 17

Win a years freemembership in a

gym of your choicesee p. 34 for details


Suzanne Laurie is a Nutritional Ther-apist and Director of Studies at theInstitute of Health Sciences (IHS).IHS run industry recognised and ac-credited nutrition training coursesfrom general interest to full practition-er training level.

www.instituteofhealthsciences.com

Meet someof our

Contributors

Chef Gavan Murphy began his culi-nary adventure at Ballymaloe CookerySchool in 1994. In 2000 his journeytook him to Los Angeles, where hisinterest in health and nutrition flour-ished, naturally merging with his cook-ing experience. Gavan has worked asa consulting chef for a multi-nationalsports nutrition company, as well as apersonal chef to the stars, often work-ing in conjunction with celebrity train-ers. He created The Healthy Irishmanwith the hope of educating the publicabout healthy eating

Jim O’Shea works as acounsellor from Furze,Thurles. Ph. 087 8211009www.jimoshea.net .JimO’Shea’s book ‘When achild dies. Footsteps of aGrieving Family’ is publishedby Veritas. The royalties fromthis book will go to theChildren’s Hospital in Crum-lin.

Catherine Connors-Bevalot hasbeen studying and practising ho-listic therapies and treatments forten years. She is a Stress Man-agement Consultant, Time-Man-agement consultant and HolisticTherapist, Trainer & Teacher. She is based in both Paris,France and Tipperary, Ireland.

Elaine Rogers BA, MLBCAI, MIITD, Dip ICT is a quali-fied Business Coach and Trainer. She works with SMEs,Multinationals and Government departments. Followingan early career in Finance and Credit Control, she stud-ied to become an IT Specialist. As well as her extensiveTraining and Development experience, Elaine holds a

BA in Computers and Mathematics from UCC and Diplo-ma in Training and Development from the IITD. She alsoholds the JEB Diploma in ICT Skills and is a qualifiedMicrosoft Train the Trainer. Elaine has recently under-taken a fitness regime and took on the challenge of inte-grating her new program into her day.

Dr. Muireann Cullen joined the Foodand Drink sector of the Irish Businessand Employer’s Confederation in Janu-ary 2008, to manage the Nutrition andHealth Foundation. She has a widerange of dietetic experience spanningresearch, clinical and private practice,regulatory, public health and industry.Muireann obtained a PhD in HumanNutrition and Dietetics from Trinity Col-lege Dublin in 2001. She is both amember of the Irish Nutrition and Die-tetic Institute and the Nutrition Society.

One of the America’s top fitnessmanagement consultants, Ted is the formerExecutive Director of the White HouseAthletic Center under the Bush, Clinton andBush administrations now living in Ireland.

He is President of FitWell LLC, a fitnessconsulting company to small businesses,corporations and the golf industry. Clientshave included the White House AthleticCenter, The US Department of Commerce,Osram Sylvania, Fruit of the Loom andEastern Mountain Sports. He is a memberof the Board of Director for the American

Council on Exercise and founder ofmyFitnessCaddy.com serving the fitnessneeds of golfers worldwide.

Ted received his Bachelor’s degree inExercise and Sport Science from PennState, a Master’s degree in InternationalEntrepreneurship Management from theUniversity of Limerick and has been an ACEPersonal Trainer since 1992.Over hiscareer, Ted has helped thousands of peopleachieve their goal of better health throughbetter fitness. Visit www.fitwellinc.com orwww.myFitnessCaddy for more information.


HEALTH

We all know that improving our diet can improve our health,helping us look and feel better. However an abundance ofnew research is demonstrating that with minimum effort wecan make a good diet ‘really’ good simply by munching onspecific ‘super foods’ on a daily basis. These foods arepacked with nutrients powerful enough to increase physicalperformance, lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heartdisease and cancer, and, for an added bonus, put you in abetter mood. Surprisingly, many of these foods are oldfavourites that are available right in your local supermarketand green grocers and are easily incorporated into deliciousmeals.

Energy Foods

To ensure a spring in your step from morning until eveningit is vital that your diet is packed with foods high in the Bvitamins, such as oats, brown rice, mushrooms, pulses, leanmeats, liver, sunflower seeds and Brewer’s yeast. That'sbecause compounds in B vitamins are vital for helping usrelease energy from our foods, by breaking down carbohy-drates, fats and protein into energy and other v ital chemi-cals to keep us going. They also help our nervous systemscope with stress, one of the major causes of fatigue. Manycommon problems such as fatigue, irritability and poorconcentration can be signs of a deficiency, as we cannotstore these vitamins in the body so they need constantlysupplying by our diet.

Fitness Foods

For those wishing to keep active it is vital that your musclescan keep up with your desire to stay fit. Magnesium is ahugely important nutrient for muscle function and for help-ing minimise and relieve painful and debilitating cramps.Tucking into green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, pulses andwhole grains both before and after exercise can minimisemuscle pain or cramping. Antioxidants are also vital to helpminimise the ageing effects of the free radicals generated byintense aerobic exercise

Your joints work hard duringexercise so it is no surprise thatthey can get creaky and stiff asyou age. However a diet rich inparticular fruits and vegetables can

help increase flexibility and prevent aching joints, as theirnatural plant compounds can protect against damage andreduce inflammation. Foods especially beneficial are thosecontaining nutrients called flavonoids, such as cherries,blackberries and strawberries. Also important are sulphur-containing foods, such as onions, Brussels sprouts, andcabbage. Ginger also contains anti-inflammatory com-pounds called gingerols. Ginger root can be chopped intostir-fries, porridge and stews to add a delicious zing, orsliced up and put in hot water to make a tea.

Brain Power Foods

Your brain is the greediest organ in your body. So it is notsurprising that what you eat can affect how you think.Brains are around 60 percent fat, so theessential omega-3 and 6 fats found inoily fish (such as salmon and macker-el), seeds, and vegetable cooking oilsare some of the best brain food. Unfor-tunately fats are easily damaged soyour brain needs constantly protectingby nutrients called antioxidants. Highlevels of some antioxidants are found inthe foods mentioned above but vitaminC, found in peppers, green leafy vege-tables, citrus fruits, strawberries andpapaya is particularly good at protect-ing the brain.

Feel good Foods

There are certain foods that can be termed 'feel good' foods(and we don't mean chocolate cake!). These contain asubstance called tryptophan, which produces the brainchemical serotonin. Serotonin levels have adirect effect on mood and behaviour. Iflevels get too low, the imbalance canresult in anxiety and depression. The bestway to keep that balance is to eattryptophan rich foods. Chicken, turkey,eggs, avocados, and soya all help to boostthe production of serotonin. And the greatnews? Chocolate also triggers the release of feel goodchemicals called endorphins – but keep it dark and eatsparingly to avoid post binge blues!

Super Foods – Super You!By Suzanne Laurie


HEALTH

Immune System foods

Garlic is one of the best known natural antibiotics and can beused for preventing everything from the common cold togastrointestinal infections. It is the compound called allicin itcontains that is thought to deliver its medicinal properties.Unfortunately it is also responsible for garlic’s characteristicodour! Allicin exhibits its strongest effects when eaten rawbut alternatively can be added to dishes towards the end ofcooking if preferred. Other great antibiotics include cloves,thyme and manuka honey.

When it comes to a diet rich in cancer-fighting substances,most experts agree that it should be predominantly plant-based. This is due to the high levels of cancer fightingphytonutrients found only in plants. These substances areantioxidants and help protect the body from potent freeradical toxins. Free radicals attack all cells of the body andcan cause them to mutate into cancer cells. The best sourcesinclude highly coloured fruits and vegetables particularlypomegranates, blueberries and goji berries. The ever populargreen tea is also an antioxidant powerhouse.

Suzanne Laurie is a Nutritional Therapist and Director of Studies at theInstitute of Health Sciences (IHS). IHS run industry recognised and ac-credited nutrition training courses from general interest to full practition-er training level.

www.instituteofhealthsciences.com

Tel: +353 (0) 90 974 9929

Email: [email protected]


WEIGHT LOSS

Then we have Christmas time. Per-sonally I used to dread it. It’s sicken-ing when you think about it! Youhave worked hard all year, lookedgreat on the beach during the Sum-mer, you resisted the ‘trick or treat-ing’ and wore that revealingHalloween outfit with pride and nowcomes Christmas!

Christmas is different! You areexpected to put on weight!‘Why?’ You ask; it is engineeredthat way! Gyms are closed, cakeand treats are available in abun-dance! You’re not working, yourkids have their selection boxes lyingaround just waiting to be stolen.

What do you do?

Give in and sit in the corner withyour cake and chocolate and biggluttonous Christmas dinners. That’snot a typo, I mean dinners; plural.You can’t just have ‘a’ dinner any-more on Christmas. No, you havedinner, then a big slab of ice cream,then some chocolates and then anhour later you make a turkey sand-wich out of the leftovers and followit up with some more chocolates.Come on, you couldn’t possibly still

be hungry! Below I have some nutri-tional strategies that will help youget through the Christmas withoutruining your progress. Whoknows…you might even get leanerthis Christmas!

Ok so you’re still wondering ‘Howdo I beat the Christmas bulge?’ Wellit really is simple! Write it all down!You see logging what you eat willmake you aware of the amount offood you are taking in! It’s ok to eatand forget but if you document whatyou are eating and write down thetime you last ate, when your nextmeal is due you will not eat nearly asmuch! Align your eating plansthrough the days that you are onlyallowed a meal every 3-4 hours! Iknow it’s not ideal but it’s realisticand you could save yourself 3-4

snacks through the day that may addup to 1000’s of calories!

Nutritional StrategiesFor The Festive Season!

Limit the amount of cheat mealfoods in your house overChristmas! If you are going tohave a cheat meal you shouldonly buy enough food for onecheat meal at a time. Try not to

keep cheat meal foods stockedat home. I know this is hard over

Christmas but be strong! At leastminimise the amount of junk youhave around the house. We all knowthere will be plenty of selectionboxes and chocolates around theplace to resist! Why make it hard-er!?

'Light' Christmas Tips

1) If you buy it you will eat it, soonly buy enough for the couple ofdays the shopping centres areclosed. People stock up on sweets

Dreaming Of A Light Christmas

The question I get asked most frequently on a yearlybasis is ‘How do I keep the weight off over the Christ-mas’. The truth of the matter and the answer peopledon’t like to hear is ‘don’t eat so much’.

That doesn’t usually go down too well. When I satdown and thought about it, the odds really are stackedagainst people over the holidays. Excess food and in-activity is everywhere to be seen and I soon realisedthat it really isn’t anybody’s fault. December is almostan excuse to gain a few pounds and go off the rails abit. I’ve decided to take a different approach and write

this article especially for those people who fall victimto the festive season.

The main purpose of this article is help people realisethat gaining weight and making a mess of themselvesevery Christmas is not a necessity. You can enjoy thefestive season and still lose weight/ maintain your cur-rent weight simultaneously. Other holidays are not asbad, you can avoid the Easter chocolate rush easilyand even if you don’t, it’s only one day and not thatmuch damage can be done in such a small timeframe.Halloween is also only one day and all you have to dois avoid the trick or treats!

Gainingthat extra holiday weight

leaves you at an immediate disad-vantage in the new year. There is a way

to enjoy the holidays and still stay in shapeand that is to start a fitness and nutrition

program before the holidays. Don’t makethe same mistake everybody does and

wait until January, then itstoo late.

By Bryan Kavanagh


Bryan Kavanagh is the owner ofbryankavanagh.com and ‘AthleticBody Personal Training’ in Tem-ple Bar, Dublin. Co author ofAthletic Body System and AthletePhysique. For more tips on howto stay fit during the holidays, vis-it Bryan’s websitewww.bryankavanagh.com todownload your free Meal Plannerand get access to his weeklynewsletter in which you will re-ceive the latest fitness and weightloss tips.

Lose that weight before Christ-mas, don’t add to it. For moreinformation call/text or emailBryan. His contact information isavailable on his website.www.bryankavanagh.com

Personal Training

€50 Voucher

To: From:Log on to:

www.bryankavanagh.comExpires

31/12/2009

and chocolate over the holiday peri-od and then feel obliged to eat them.“Once you pop you can’t stop”.

2) Help set the table and make yourself useful. That way you aren’t sit-ting at the table nibbling at every-thing as it gets put on front of you!

3) Skip the bread. Leave it there!You don’t need or want these ridicu-lously empty calories!

4) Eat Slowly! It takes 20 minutesfor your bodies satiety mechanism tokick in! let your body tell you that

you are full before you cram another500 kcals in your face!

5) Delay your dessert! If you delaydessert you give your bodies satietymechanism a chance to kick in! i.e.you feel too full to eat the dessert!Try it. . . it works!

6) Don’t drink wine with your meal.And if you do, have it halfwaythrough the meal, as you will notreally want it!

7) Make yourself the designateddriver at least once over the holi-

days. That way you have no choicebut not to drink alcohol.

Gaining that extra holiday weightleaves you at an immediate disad-vantage in the new year. There is away to enjoy the holidays and stillstay in shape and that is to start afitness and nutrition program beforethe holidays. Don’t make the samemistake everybody does and waituntil January, then its too late.

WEIGHT LOSS

If you delay dessert you give your bodiessatiety mechanism a chance to kick in!i.e. you feel too full to eat the dessert!


FITNESS

One of the many questions I amasked as a fitness professional is thebest way to start an exerciseprogram. You may be a beginner toexercise or a weekend athlete – theanswer to the question remains thesame.

Before you start an exerciseprogram, there are a few questionsto ask yourself to determine whetheryou should see your GP first.

Question Yourself

Your first step is to ask yourself howactive you want to be. This may sound likea silly question—you’re probably planningon doing whatever you’re capable of,whether that’s a slow walk around theblock or a vigorous step class. But ifyou’re of a certain age or have certaincardiovascular risk factors, you may needto see your physician before beginning aprogram that involves vigorous (asopposed to moderate) aerobic activity.

Here’s how exercise intensities aretypically defined:

Low-to-Moderate

This is an intensity that can be sustainedrelatively comfortably for a long period oftime (about 60 minutes). This type ofexercise typically begins slowly,progresses gradually and usually isn’tcompetitive in nature.

Vigorous

This is an intensity that is high enough tosignificantly raise both your heart andbreathing rates, and is usually performedfor about 20 minutes before fatigue sets in.

Are you planning to participate in vigorousactivities and are a man over 45 or awoman over 55? You should receive amedical exam first. The same is true forindividuals of any age with two or morecoronary artery disease risk factors. If

you’re unsure if this applies to you, checkwith your GP.

More Questions

Now that you’ve made it through the firstquestions, there are a few more to answer.A “yes” to any one of the followingquestions means you should talk with yourGP, by phone or in person, before you startan exercise program. Explain whichquestions you answered ‘’yes’’ to and theactivities you are planning to pursue.

• Have you been told that you have aheart condition and should only participatein physical activity recommended by adoctor? • Do you feel pain (or discomfort) inyour chest when you do physical activity?When you are not participating in physicalactivity? While at rest, do you frequentlyexperience fast, irregular heartbeats orvery slow beats? • Do you ever become dizzy and loseyour balance, or lose consciousness? Haveyou fallen more than twice in the past year(no matter what the reason)? • Do you have a bone or joint problemthat could worsen as a result of physicalactivity? • Do you have pain in your legs orbuttocks when you walk? • Do you take blood pressure or heartmedications? • Do you have any cuts or wounds onyour feet that don’t seem to heal? • Have you experienced unexplainedweight loss in the past six months? • Are you aware of any reason why youshould not participate in physical activity?

If you answered “no” to all of thesequestions, and you passed the first roundof questions, you can be reasonably surethat you can safely take part in at least amoderate-intensity physical-activityprogram.

But again, if you are a man over 45 or awoman over 55 and want to exercise morevigorously, you should check with yourphysician before getting started.

So, are you ready? If you are, but areunsure of how to get started, considercontacting a certified Personal Trainer orjoining a reputable fitness facility. Bytaking the time to evaluate if you areready to start exercising, you’ve plantedyourself firmly on the path to better healthand fitness.

________________________________

Additional Resource

American Heart Association’s ScientificPosition on Physical Activity: www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4563

American Council on Exercise:www.acefitness.org

myFitnessCaddy:www.myFitnessCaddy.com/blog

Parts of this article were reproduced with thepermission of the American Council onExercise.

Before You Start anExercise Program By Ted Vickey

One of the America’s top fitnessmanagement consultants, Ted is the formerExecutive Director of the White HouseAthletic Center under the Bush, Clinton andBush administrations now living in Ireland.

He is President of FitWell LLC, a fitnessconsulting company to small businesses,corporations and the golf industry. Clientshave included the White House AthleticCenter, The US Department of Commerce,Osram Sylvania, Fruit of the Loom andEastern Mountain Sports. He is a memberof the Board of Director for the AmericanCouncil on Exercise and founder ofmyFitnessCaddy.com serving the fitnessneeds of golfers worldwide.

Ted received his Bachelor’s degree inExercise and Sport Science from Penn State,a Master’s degree in InternationalEntrepreneurship Management from theUniversity of Limerick and has been anACE Personal Trainer since 1992.

Over his career, Ted has helped thousandsof people achieve their goal of better healththrough better fitness. Visitwww.fitwellinc.com orwww.myFitnessCaddy for moreinformation.


FITNESS

By now you know that exercise is good foryou, and that you should do something ona regular basis. What’s the best time foryou to exercise?

Any time. Honestly.

For example, when you’re sitting andwatching TV, stretch your muscles. Neverstretch so hard it hurts. Instead, stretch tothe point of mild tension and hold thestretch for 15 to 30 seconds.

A healthy exercise program includes threekinds of exercise:

1. Aerobic activity

2. Muscular conditioning

3. Flexibility exercise

You can start your exercise programwithout investing in any elaborateequipment. For example, you can dosimple body-weight exercises at home or atyour desk at work, including sit-ups, push-ups and pull-ups.

For basic strength-training exercises,expensive weight-lifting equipment isn’trequired. Instead, head for the kitchen andpick up the soup cans you have in thecupboard or the milk jug from the fridge.

Aerobic Activity Can Be Fun

Aerobic activity is defined as prolongedcontinuous movement of large musclegroups. Translated, that means “dosomething that keeps you moving.”Ideally, do it for 30 minutes straight. If youdon’t have that much time, three 10-minuteaerobic activity sessions will benefit youalmost as much.

The good thing about aerobic activity isthat it includes many of the sports youprobably already enjoy. Walking, biking,hiking, dancing, swimming and evensoccer are all examples of aerobic exercise.

Another good thing is that you can easilyaccomplish those three 10-minute sessionswith things like taking the stairs instead ofthe elevator, walking around theneighbourhood after work or parking yourcar farther away from your destination.

You could even turn shopping into anaerobic activity. Shopping involveswalking, so don’t stop for 10 minutesstraight and you’ve worked in one of yourdaily sessions!

Aerobic exercise is definitely good forcardiovascular health and fitness. Andhere’s something else you’ll like: Aerobicactivity can help you lose weight.

Plenty of Good Exercise All Around theHouse

If you do housework or yard work, you’redoing yourself a favour. The stretching andlifting that housework entails is goodexercise. So is work you do outside. Yardwork uses many muscle groups, especiallyactivities like planting and working in thegarden.

Raking uses your arm and back muscles.Digging gives your arms and legs aworkout. And gardening provides a bonus:You’ll have more fresh vegetables andfruits to add to your diet.

Is one time better than another toexercise?

It’s really up to you. You can exercise inthe morning, afternoon or evening. Lunchbreaks offer an excellent opportunity to getout of the office and exercise. Use yourcoffee break to take a short walk around

the office. Get rid of the day’s stress byfitting in an exercise session after work.

Whatever time you choose, make sure youstick with it, as establishing a routine willhelp you adhere to the program. For somepeople, it’s easier to stay with an exerciseprogram when you do it with a friend orcoworker.

Make Time to Stay Healthy

Exercise is one of the best things you cando for yourself. If you’re basically healthy,get going right now. If you’re a man 45 orolder, or a woman 55 or older, or have anyhealth problems, consult your GP first.

Additional Resource

American Heart Association’s Scientific Positionon Physical Activity: www.american

heart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4563

American Council on Exercise:www.acefitness.org

myFitnessCaddy:www.myFitnessCaddy.com/blog

Parts of this article were reproduced with thepermission of the American Council on Exercise.

Making Time for Exerciseis Easy By Ted Vickey


FITNESS

Contrary to popular belief, women aren’tthe only ones with biological clocks. Eve-ryone has them, and we all heed their tick-ing on a daily basis.

If you are a regular exerciser, you mayhave already determined your most pro-ductive time to exercise and follow a rou-tine that works best for you.On the other hand, if your exercise timevaries from day to day, and it’s wearingyou out instead of pumping you up, youmay be interested in the work of scientistswho are studying the proverbial internalclock and how to best determine what timeof day you should schedule your workouts.

Rhythm: It’s Not Just for Dancing

The secret appears to lie in circadianrhythms, the daily cycles that the humanbody follows. These rhythms originate inthe hypothalamus and regulate everythingfrom body temperature and metabolism toblood pressure.

The rhythms result from the firing rate ofneurons. They have conformed to the 24-hour light-to-dark cycle, and may be regu-lated and re-regulated each day accordingto the environment.

Warm Is Better

It is the influence of circadian rhythms onbody temperature that seems to yield themost control over the quality of a workout.When body temperature is at its highest,your workouts will likely be more produc-tive; when your temperature is low, chanc-es are your exercise session may be lessthan optimal.

Body temperature is at its lowest aboutone to three hours before most of us wakeup in the morning, in contrast to late after-noon when body temperature reaches itspeak.

Studies have consistently shown that exer-cise during these late-in-the-day hours pro-duces better performance and more power.Muscles are warm and more flexible, per-

ceived exertion is low, reaction time isquicker, strength is at its peak and restingheart rate and blood pressure are low.

Don’t Fix It If It’s Not Broken

First of all, don’t change your schedule ifyou feel good beginning your day withexercise. Everyone agrees that exercise atany time is better than no exercise at all. Infact, people who exercise in the morningare more successful at making it a habit.

And, though it has been suggested thatmorning exercise may put some people athigher risk for heart attack, further re-search indicates that there is simply a gen-eralized increased risk of heart attacks inthe morning. If your schedule favours anearly workout, emphasize stretching and agood warm-up to ensure that your body isready for action.

Other Considerations

If stress relief is your goal, exercise alwaysworks, all the time. And if you’re wonder-ing when it’s best to train for an upcomingevent, it all depends on what time you’llactually be competing. If an upcomingmarathon begins at 7:00 a.m., try trainingat that time of day.

Though training at any time of day willraise performance levels, research hasshown that the ability to maintain sus-tained exercise is adaptive to circadianrhythms. In other words, consistentlytraining in the morning will allow you tosustain exercise during a morning mara-thon longer than if you train in theevening.

Find Your Peak

To determine your own circadian peak inbody temperature, record your temperatureevery couple of hours for five to six con-secutive days. Body temperature usuallyfluctuates by plus or minus 1.5 degreesthroughout the day. Try exercising duringthe period three hours before and afteryour highest temperature. If you are anearly bird or a night owl, you may noticethat your temperature peaks one to twohours before or after the norm (between 4p.m. and 6 p.m.); you can adjust your ex-ercise time accordingly.

Additional Resources

WebMD: www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/whats-the-best-time-to-exerciseAbout.com:www.walking.about.com/od/fitness/a/besttimeex.htmAmerican Council on Exercise:www.acefitness.orgmyFitnessCaddy:www.myFitnessCaddy.com/blog

Parts of this article were reproduced with the per-mission of the American Council on Exercise

The Best Time to ExerciseBy Ted Vickey

Bodytemperature is at its low-

est about one to three hoursbefore most of us wake up in the

morning, in contrast to late after-noon when body temperature

reaches its peak.

Morning or Evening?


FITNESS

Bad news for fans of alcoholic beverages.If increasing muscle mass is one of yourgoals, then think twice before you go outfor a night of heavy drinking. Consumingalcohol in large quantities has a direct ef-fect on your metabolism, causing fat to bestored instead of being utilized as an ener-gy source.

Alcohol contains seven “empty” caloriesper gram, meaning that these caloriesdon’t provide you with any of the essen-tial nutrients you need to build that mus-cle mass you desire.

Effects of Excessive Alcohol Consump-tion on Your Body

Muscles—Reduces blood flow to themuscles, causing weakness and deteriora-tion

Hormones—Reduces testosterone in yourblood and increases conversion of testo-sterone to estrogen, causing increased fatdepositing and fluid retention

Liver—Creates imbalances that can causehypoglycemia (low blood sugar), fattyliver and hyperlipidemia (build-up of fatsin the bloodstream)

Brain—Cuts off the supply of oxygen tothe brain, resulting in a “blackout” causedby a lack of oxygen supply to the brainthat can kill tens of thousands of braincells

Effects of Excessive Alcohol Consump-tion on Physical Performance

Alcohol is a known depressant that sup-presses the brain’s ability to function.Even though you may feel a “high” afterseveral cocktails, the truth is that your re-action time, accuracy, balance, hand-eyecoordination and endurance all decreasedramatically. Furthermore, the after-ef-fects of a night of excessive drinking canbe detrimental to your fitness goals. Alco-hol is a diuretic that may result in dehy-dration. This dehydration is known to

decrease physical performance, so thatprevious night of drinking will continueto affect you the following day.

Alcohol and Sleep

Alcohol consumption can cause sleep dis-orders by disrupting the sequence and du-ration of sleep states and by altering totalsleep time and the time required to fallasleep. It is popularly believed that adrink before bedtime can help a personfall asleep. However, alcohol’s effect onsleep patterns results in increased fatigueand physical stress to the body. Therefore,alcohol consumption indirectly affects aperson’s strength-training ability due toincreased fatigue and a lack of healthyreparative sleep.

Alcohol and Nutrition

Alcohol inhibits the breakdown of nutri-ents into usable substances by decreasingthe secretion of digestive enzymes fromthe pancreas. Regular alcohol consump-tion also impairs nutrient absorption bydamaging the cells lining the stomach andintestines and disabling transport of somenutrients into the blood. In addition, nutri-tional deficiencies themselves may lead tofurther absorption problems. For example,folate deficiency alters the cells lining thesmall intestine, which in turn impairs theabsorption of water and nutrients, includ-ing glucose, sodium and additional folate.Such interference of nutrient breakdownand absorption may impair the physicalperformance and recovery required tobuild and maintain muscle mass.

Putting on the Stones

Many people under the influence experi-ence “drunk munchies” that can result inthe consumption of several hundred extracalories for the day. A study examininghow alcohol affects caloric intake foundthat subjects who drank wine with theirlunch consumed an additional 200 calo-ries and did not compensate for those cal-ories by cutting back at dinner.

Safe in Moderation

Now that you know some of the negativeeffects of excessive alcohol consumption,you might be scared to have that glass ofwine with dinner. Don’t be. When alcoholis consumed in moderation (no more thanone drink per day for women and no morethan two drinks per day for men), it hasbeen shown to have some positive effects:Increased HDL cholesterol (“good” cho-lesterol) within one to two weeksReduced stress levelsReduced insulin sensitivity

The Take-home Message

In conclusion, if you want to increasemuscle mass, decrease fat or improve gen-eral health, make sure alcohol is only con-sumed in moderation. Next time you areasked to go out socially, be the designateddriver. Not only will your friends appreci-ate it and be much safer, but you will beone step closer to your fitness goals.


National Institutes of Health—Alcohol Consump-tion: www.health.nih.gov/topic/AlcoholConsumptionNational Strength & Conditioning Association—Alcohol Consumption and its Effect on Perform-ance: www.nsca-lift.org/perform/article.asp?ArticleID=204

American Council on Exercise: www.acefitness.org

myFitnessCaddy: www.myFitnessCaddy.com/blog

Parts of this article were reproduced with the per-mission of the American Council on Exercise

Alcohol Eats Away at Muscle MassBy Ted Vickey

Calories Add Up Fast

12 ounces of beer = ~150 calories5 ounces of wine = ~100 calories1.5-ounces of distilled spirits = ~100calories


FITNESS

Tina:

The first time I was aware of him was whenhe smiled at me from the bar. It was a Fridaynight and myself and a few friends droppedinto our local for a few drinks.

I can initially remember thinking to myselfthat he looked very attractive. To be honest Iwas probably looking at him more than hewas looking at me. I approached the bar about15 minutes after our eyes first met. I wasstanding within arms length of him. Helooked at me again from the reflection in themirror over the bar; again we smiled at eachother. As I waited to be served he turned andasked how I was doing? “I am grand” I said,“and yourself?”. “I am doing great”, he said,“but your not having much luck ordering yourdrinks”. He offered to order them for me, andimmediately gestured to the barman to catchhis eye. I said no, I don’t mind waiting to beserved, but he insisted that he wanted to helpme get my order. It was as he gestured withhis hand to the barman that I first noticedwhat looked like DIY tattoos on the inside ofhis left forearm. Tina continues by telling methat she doesn’t have a problem with tattoos,but these tattoos didn’t seem right on such aclean cut man she explains.

I didn’t give it much thought, and we contin-ued with small talk for a minute or two. Iglanced over at my friends, who were gig-gling like school girls, believing that I mayhave found a man after 3 years of being sin-gle! As we conversed something told me thatI no longer wanted to be in this mans compa-ny. I thanked him, and he looked surprised butremained very calm as I made my way back tomy seat.

My friends looked even more surprised, butnot so calm when I told them that I wanted toleave and move onto another pub. What’s

wrong? Are you mad? He’s gorgeous! I don’tknow why, but I didn’t want to stay in thatpub any longer. The man was very polite, atno point did he make a pass at me or say or doanything inappropriate, I just wanted out. Tothis day I don’t know why, but I do know thatit was the right decision.

I reminded Tina that she called me, becauseshe believes that what she had experiencedwas gut feelings. I asked her to think aboutthat night in more detail, and when she did – itall became very clear to her.

As she thinks back she explains that she didnotice him looking at most of the other wom-en in the bar. In fact it was more like he wasleering, “but I guess I didn’t pay much atten-tion to it because he was so attractive. And itwas obvious that many women in the roomthought the same”.

But I am not sure why I reacted the way I did,she explains- Tina wants me to tell her whyher intuition made her leave that mans compa-ny, but I will not tell her, she will tell me. As Iwas leaving he offered his hand for me toshake, which I did. I can remember thinkinghow strong his grip was. “But that didn’tmake you leave his company” I tell her. “Youhad already decided that you wanted to getaway from this man within seconds of meet-ing him, so take me back again”. She pausesto think…”I don’t know she says, I reallydon’t”. “Yes you do”, I replied, “otherwiseyou wouldn’t be sitting in my office today”.

It is important in this situation that the clienttells me, I will give them the map (so tospeak) but they must tell me- so that they geta real understanding of these feelings.

Tina: The barman John

AC (Aidan Carroll): What about him?

Tina: Well, I know him well, and it was theway John looked at this man, he seemed both-ered by the way he beckoned him over to or-der drinks. In fact he was a little uneasy withthe guy. Its not like John, he is normally veryjovial. I suppose I was surprised to see howJohn reacted to this guy. In hindsight it wasbit domineering how he called John over.That’s when I noticed the DIY tattoos.

AC: Tell me about his body language?

Tina: What do mean?

AC: Tell me about his posture, how he sat,how close or how far away from you was he?Did he make any hand gestures that come tomind? Did he cover his mouth as you madesmall talk with him? Were his legs open orcrossed? Were his arms folded? Were thereany body language signals that you felt wereinappropriate?

Tina: I can’t believe you mentioned that.

AC: Why?

Tina: {Pause} because I distinctly rememberone of my friends saying that he looked verykeen to get to know me. My friends had no-ticed that when he turned to talk to me that hislegs were very wide apart, and that he shiftedhis bar stool to get closer to me. The otherthing I remember was his handshake- it wasvery powerful, and that it seemed differentthan a normal handshake.

AC: How do you mean- different?

Tina: Well I noticed that when he took myhand he turned his over so that his hand wasfacing palm down, which gave my wrist a lit-tle twist. It just seemed odd.

AC: Anything else you can recall?

Tina: Now that I think of it. I remember thathis leg, (I am not sure which one) was jump-

Self Defence Primary Survival signals - IntuitionBy Aidan Carroll

In this month’s self defence feature we will take acloser look at one of our primary survival signals-Intuition.

The following is a true story. Names have beenchanged for confidentiality. Tina is a 36 year oldsingle mother from Dublin. We first met two yearsago, when she contacted me by phone enquiring

about our self defence classes. She had being doingsome research on the Internet when she cameacross our website hardtargetselfdefence.com . Oneword on our class section prompted Tina to callme. The heading read “Understanding adrenalineand intuition our main survival signals”. It was theword intuition that was the link for myself and Tinato meet. The next day I invited her to drop by myoffice to discuss the matter in more detail.


FITNESS

ing up and down. He had his feet on a barthat sat near the base of his stool, and I re-member thinking he must be nervous, be-cause of his leg movement. I often get thesame feeling when waiting at the dentists fora filling (laughs).

Tina was experiencing the early warning sig-nals of sinister intention –namely (in thiscase) Intuition.

Over the past 20 years of teaching people selfdefence many people who have been attackedtell me that it happened “out of the blue” or“he came at me from out of nowhere”

This is often said to me during the part of myclass that deals with predicting human behav-iour. When it is said, it is done to give theperson some solace, by believing that the at-tack came out of the blue, the student doesn’tfeel so vulnerable.

But of course no attack occurs – out of theblue. Every day we predict human behaviour.

We unconsciously read untaught signals: theslight tilt of a person’s head in traffic will tellus it’s ok to pull out into traffic. We can pre-dict with great accuracy how someone willreact to a question, how a child will react to awarning, how an audience will react to a hor-ror movie. And yet predicting violent behav-iour is easier than all of these.

Tina’s friends tried (thankfully unsuccessful-ly) to convince her that she was just beingparanoid, and that he seemed like a reallynice guy. But Tina knew better. It is my be-lief that a woman’s intuition is stronger thana man’s. By this I mean that a woman willsee the dangers signs from a man, quickerthan a man will.

I always explain to my students we can learnso much about true self protection by study-ing animals.

No animal would react to adrenaline releaseor intuition in the same manner as the majori-ty of humans do. No animal (when facedwith fear) will waste time thinking… “It’sprobably nothing”, yet as humans we seekvalidity for those feelings. If someone walkspast us two or three times as we walk home,we tell ourselves – he must be lost, or if aguy at the bar insists on buying you a drink,even after you categorically told him youdidn’t want him to buy you drink, we contin-ue to convince ourselves they have no sinis-ter intention.

In contrast to every other creature on God’searth, we chose to ignore these survival sig-nals.

A victim can unknowingly fall into thepredator’s trap, by telling herself “But heseemed like such a lovely man” As much aswe don’t like to admit it – we do judge abook by the cover.

The marketing experts make us believe thatwe need their products by enticing us withdecorative packing and we fall for it hook,line and sinker! The same applies to preda-tors who will often wear many disguises. If aman approaches you at bus stop, and engagesyou in some small talk about bus time-tables,you may not feel uneasy if he is dressed in asharp suit and tie, if he is well spoken andcarrying a brief case- but how would you feelif the same questions were asked by the sameman wearing a tracksuit, and t-shirt(revealing his arms with DIY tattoos) sover-eign rings, and wearing a baseball cap? Different I bet.

Picture the scene: Your on your way back toyour car after some late night shopping, youare cautious because there is no one else inthe car park as you approach with your shop-ping. You have a quick look around beforeyou reach into your handbag for your keys.As you load your bags into the boot, you heara voice in the distance” Excuse me Miss, canI help you with them bags?” Immediatelyyour feel adrenaline hitting your stomach, asyou ask yourself….where the hell did hecome from?

In a second you assess him- well dressed,middle aged, smiling face, also carryingshopping bags. You tell yourself in an instantthat your initial feelings of fear were unwar-ranted.

You tell him you’re fine and that you canmanage, and thank him. But he persists as hesays those bags look quite heavy- be carefulyou don’t strain your back. As he speaks heis walking towards you, within seconds thisstranger is at the boot of your car helping youwith the bags. Now ask yourself a question -Do you think this man is a predator or justbeing a Good Samaritan? Of course some ofyou will argue that it’s impossible to say, butI disagree. What I can tell you is that there isdefinitely sinister intention in his behaviour.Like the guy at the bar with Tina, this mandisplayed some definite pre-cursors of badintention.

I often use this scenario in my self defenceclasses. When I ask the men in the group ifthey would offer to help a woman in the samesituation? -some say yes, others say no. Thisis not surprising, some men may just genu-inely want to help, but when the group ofmen are asked would they continue to offerhelp even after the woman has said ‘No I amfine thank you, I can manage’ all agree theywould walk away.

The lesson to be learnt here is that the manoffering help refused to hear the word NO.

We will all have experienced this at sometime in our lives, but hopefully with no sinis-ter intentions. You may have been asked outfor a drink at the end of the week with somework colleagues, but don’t feel up to it. Youpolitely decline his/her offer, but they refuseto hear it and insist that you must come. Ofcourse there may be no sinister intention withthe offer, but you can be sure there will be adominant personality.

The signals that Tina had noticed were deliv-ered by one of human natures primal in-stincts- Intuition. Unfortunately another ladyfailed to listen to her intuition and was vis-cously raped by the same man.

The Messengers of Intuition: Nagging feelings - Persistent thoughts -Wonder - Gut feelings - Anxiety - Curiosity -Doubt - Hesitation - Apprehension - Fear

The first messenger from Tina intuition wasgut feeling.

The majority of street crime is preceded by avictim selection process. More complicatedcrimes, such as a prolonged sexual assault,require that a series of specific conditions bemet. Our body language, the setting and cir-cumstance are all part of the victim selectionprocess- in other words you can influencethem.

In the next issue I will address simple meth-ods that can be used everyday to make your-self a Hard Target.

Aidan Carroll is the founder of Hard TargetSelf Defence Systems

For more information on upcoming self de-fence classes and courses visitwww.hardtargetselfdefence.com

The Messengers of Intuition: Nagging feelings - Persistent thoughts - Wonder - Gut feelings - Anxiety - Curiosity - Doubt - Hesitation - Apprehension - Fear


FITNESS

A Walk A DayThe popularity of walking as a fitnessactivity is growing by leaps and bounds.Low risk and easy to start, walking hasproved its health benefits in numerousstudies. A classic eight-year study of13,000 people conducted at the Institutefor Aerobics Research under the direc-tion of Dr. Steven Blair found that thosewho walked the equivalent of

30 minutes a day had a significantlylower risk of premature death than thosewho rarely exercised.

A regular walking program can help:

• Reduce blood cholesterol

• Lower blood pressure

• Increase cardiovascularendurance

• Boost bone strength

• Burn calories and keepweight down

A walking program is simple tostart. All you need are comfort-able clothes and shoes. It is agood idea to layer loose clothing, keep-ing in mind that exercise elevates thebody’s temperature. Shoes specificallydesigned for walking are your best op-tion.

Every workout should begin with a briefwarm-up and a few simple stretches.Walk around the house or in place for afew minutes to get the blood flowing tothe muscles before you attempt tostretch them. Although walking primari-ly works the major muscles of the legs,don’t forget to stretch your back, shoul-ders and arms. This will help to loosenup any tension you may be carrying andmake your walk more enjoyable, as wellas more effective.

Get Moving

Beginning walkers can make theirworkouts less strenuous by limiting howfast and far they walk. Keep the follow-ing in mind:

• Walk short distances—Begin with afive-minute stroll and gradually increaseyour distance.

• Forget about speed—Walk at acomfortable pace. Focus on good pos-ture, keeping your head lifted and shoul-ders relaxed.

• Swing your arms naturally—

Breathe deeply. If you can’t catch yourbreath, slow down or avoid hills.

• Be sure that you can talk whilewalking—If you can’t converse, you arewalking too fast.

Get Fit!

Walking is one fitness activity that al-lows you numerous options. Once youhave reached a point where you canwalk a few miles with relative ease, youcan start to vary the intensity.

Walking hills, in addition to increasingyour cardiovascular endurance, is a

great way to tone the legs. Concentrateon lengthening your stride or increasingyour speed. And don’t forget to rewardyourself after each workout with a fewminutes of relaxing stretches to helpprevent sore muscles.

Listening to lively music while youwalk is also a great way to energizeyour workout. But if you wear head-phones, keep the volume down andwatch out for traffic that you may nothear.

Keep track of your progress. Many ex-perts recommend that you walk a mini-mum of 30 minutes a day, but there are

no hard and fast rules. Fitwalking into your sched-ule whenever you can.That may mean three 10-minute walks each day,or even hour-long walkstwo to three times aweek. The best scheduleis one that keeps youwalking and keeps youfit!


American Heart Association:

www.americanheart.org

WebMD—The Basics: Walking for Fitnessand Fun: www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/walking-for-exercise

Mayo Clinic—Walking for Fitness:www.mayo

clinic.com/health/walking/HQ01612

Parts of this article were reproduced withthe permission of the American Council onExercise

By Ted Vickey


FITNESS

You don’t have to wait for the snowto start falling to get ready for skiseason. Start your training now andyou’ll be sailing past those other skibums on your way down the moun-tain.

Dusting the competition or showing offto friends are not the only reasons toget in shape before ski season. Skiing isan activity that involves a variety ofelements: strength, endurance, balanceand coordination. Hit the slopes with-out developing these components andyou may be in for more than a littleembarrassment—you might even hurtyourself.

Sport-specific Training

This is where sport-specific trainingcomes in. Generally speaking, sport-specific training programs involve fo-cusing on the various skills associatedwith a particular activity.

Depending on the sport, this may in-clude health-related fitness componentssuch as cardiorespiratory endurance,muscular strength and endurance, andflexibility.

A sport-specific program may also takeinto account skill-related measures offitness such as agility, balance, coordi-nation, power, speed and reaction time.Most sports require a mixture of thesecomponents.

Skiing is a sport that relies heavily onskill-related fitness. A traditional fit-ness program, which includes a combi-nation of weight training andcardiovascular exercise, will only takeyou so far.

A training program to develop specificskills for skiing will take you from thepeaks to the valleys in record time.

Get Ready to Ski

There are several ways to begin a sport-specific training program. The simplestway is to add several new exercises toyour regular workout schedule.

For example, performing wall sits thatrequire you to “sit” against a wall willhelp build up the isometric strengthneeded for the tuck position in skiing.Squats and lunges will build lower-body strength for skiing tough terrainlike moguls.

Exercises such as crunches to workyour abdominals are essential in creat-ing a solid “core” for balance and agili-ty.It is important to train your body towithstand and absorb the impact associ-ated with skiing. Plyometric move-ments, such as hopping from side toside, develop muscle power andstrength as well as improve agility.

Set Up Your Own Ski Circuit

A great way to integrate these elementsinto your existing routine is to create acircuit-training program, which in-volves rapidly moving from one exer-cise to the next. You can set up a circuitin any large room, or as part of a groupat your club’s aerobic studio.

Be sure and place all of your stationsbefore beginning your workout so youdon’t have to stop in the middle. Set aspecific time limit for each exercise, aswell as a set breakperiod between eachstation. Thirty sec-onds of work fol-lowed by 30 secondsof rest is a commoninterval period.

Then, simply turn upthe music and makeyour way around thecircuit. You mighteven want to createyour own music tapewith timed intervals

of music for exercise and silence forrest periods.

Try these stations to help you gear upfor the slopes. Use the slide for lateraltraining, perform one-legged squats todevelop balance and strength and use astep-bench platform to improve power.Try catching a bean bag as it drops offyour forearm to improve reaction timesor bounce two balls to improve coordi-nation.

To improve agility, create your ownslalom by running between cones. Insport-specific training, you are limitedonly by your imagination.


American Council on Exercise: ACE(Sep/Oct 2006). 3 moves to get you readyfor ski and snowboard season. ACE Fit-nessMatters, 12, 5, 6.American Council on Exercise: Notting-ham, S. (Oct/Nov 2004). Conditioning andinjury prevention for snowboarding. ACECertified News, 10, 6, 8–11.About.com:www.skiing.about.com/od/skifitness/Ski_Fitness.htm

Parts of this article were reproduced withthe permission of the American Council onExercise

Get Ready To Hit The SlopesBy Ted Vickey

HEALTH


We all know the feeling of catching a cold or flu; wehave all had one at some point. But then on June11th 2009 the World Health Organization signalledthat a global pandemic of a new influenza virus wasunderway by raising the worldwide pandemic alertlevel to ‘Level 6’. That new influenza is called theH1N1 Flu or more commonly called ‘Swine Flu’(also referred to as Hog flu or pig flu) and suddenlywe all had something new to worry about.

Swine flu is a new strand of flu virus that originated in Mexicoat the beginning of 2009, Swine flu is a respiratory disease ofpigs and like all flu viruses it changes constantly. Pigs can beinfected by Bird flu and human viruses as well as swine flu,when viruses from different species infect pigs, the virus canchange (for example swap genes) and ‘voila’ a brand new fluvirus that’s a mix of swine, human and/or bird can emerge.

When you read all that it sounds very scary but remember thatpigs have been getting sick as long as humans have been, theclassical swine flu virus (type A H1N1 virus) was first isolatedfrom a pig in 1930.

In fact there have been other outbreaks since that time; the mostwell-known was an outbreak of swine flu among soldiers inFort Dix, New Jersey in 1976. Five hundred soldiers caught theflu but only one soldier died; a young 19 year old recruit by thename of David Lewis. Because of close physical contactwithin a stressed human population in crowded facilities duringthe winter meant that the flu virus basically had a field daygoing from one to human to another.

Again in September 1988 having visited a pig exhibition at acountry fair a healthy 32 year old pregnant woman became sickand died 8 days in later in hospital, swine flu was detected.Even though others that visited the same fair also caught thevirus they all showed only mild symptoms.

Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans, however itdoes occur and mostly with those that are in direct contact withpigs such as those who raise pigs, workers in the swine industryor even people who make contact with pigs at an open fair ormarket. Once you catch the virus you spread it as you wouldany cold or flu virus, by coughing and sneezing for example or

by touching something with flu virus on it (like a door handle,telephone etc) then touching your mouth or nose.

Since the pandemic was declared the virus has continued tospread at an alarming rate and at this stage it’s wiser to assumethat ‘Swine Flu’ is here to stay, so what can we do to minimizeour risk of catching the virus and how do we keep our families’virus free this autumn and winter? Some of the followingsuggestions and advice will help to do just that, but please notethat this article should not replace medical attention, should youor someone in your family start feeling unwell please seek theadvice of a your GP or medical professional immediately.

The symptoms of Swine Flu are expected to be quite similar tothe symptoms of regular human seasonal flu. Although noteveryone gets all these symptoms and in many cases the virus isquite mild. Swine flu can include the following symptoms –

• Fever of 38 C or 100.4 F that begins very suddenly

• Lethargy / Severe tiredness

• Lack of appetite

• Coughing and sneezing

• Runny nose

• Sore throat

• Nausea

• Vomiting and Diarrhoea

• Headache

• Muscle aches and pains

On average 30% to 40% of us suffer from allergies, a lot of ushave very stressful lifestyles, poor dietary habits and even thenormal aging process can make it harder to fights off infectionsand viruses.

So what can we do to stay healthy? Well one area is to look atis boosting your immune systems strength and function. Yourimmune system is really the bodies defence against viruses and

HEALTH

Protect yourself fromColds and Flu

By Catherine Connors-Bevalot

HEALTH


invading pathogens. Your can boost your immune system in thefollowing way –

will be rich in fruits and vegetables (at least 7 servingsper day), try to get into the habit of eating as muchraw and unprocessed fruit and vegetables as possible.Instead of frying your food, grill it. Make an effort toeat one well prepared meal per day.

you can also buy filtering jugs now that are also good.(and note I said water, not tea, coffee, soft drinks orpints down the local) The body needs on average 8glasses of water a day, get in the habit of having asmall bottle of water with you all the time, once itsthere you’ll find yourself drinking it all the time.

wellbeing; adults should be aiming for 7 to 8 hours ofsleep at night. Depriving your body of sleep candeplete the immune system and also is one of thecauses of stress.

the gym, even by getting out and tackling the garden isa good form of exercise. The important thing is thatyour move your body; try to aim for 30 mins a day,

not counting all the benefits for your body, your heartand your lungs; exercise is a great stress buster.

– some key nutrients such as vitamin C and Zincsupport skin and health, Folic acid, vitamins B6 andB12 help the body produce huge amounts of immunesupport cells, and antioxidants such as vitamin E, betacarotene and selenium help keep the immune system’sdestructive by-products in check. You can buy theseat your local chemist, have a chat with yourpharmacist and he/she will recommend a goodmultivitamin suited for you. Also health shops nowhave a good range of herbal capsules that can help inboosting your health.

of the sun trigger your body’s production of vitaminD. The benefits of vitamin D include promoting theabsorption of calcium and phosphorus by your body,which is important to the development andmaintenance of strong bones and teeth. Otherimportant benefits include strengthening your immunesystem and even preventing some types of cancer.

Certain foods are considered great immune system boosters andsome of the best include the following –

continued overleaf

“Stay in good health so that your body is in the best possibleposition to fight off any virus, bacteria or any otherinvader that might comeyour way”


HEALTH

Beef – Lean beef is a good source of Zinc,which plays a role in the production of whiteblood cells and can spur rapid cell division.When I suggest beef for a meal, I’m nottalking about a 24oz beef steak completewith fat, fried to a charcoal finish and servedup with a plate of fries and a swimming poolamount of ketchup, but 3ozs of lean beefeaten with lightly steamed vegetables forexample.

Garlic – is a good source ofPhytochemicals, people who eat diets richin Phytochemicals have a lower incidenceof heart disease, diabetes and certain typesof cancer. Our body uses it as an antiviral,antifungal and antibacterial. It’s nowpossible to buy Garlic capsules from mostChemists and Health food shops if youcannot find a way to introduce garlic intoyour meals.

Spinach – a wonderful food source forfolate (and not just for the cartoon character‘Popeye’). Folate is important in theproduction of new cells, also includes aphytochemical called quercetin, that helpsprevent many viruses from multiplying.

Oranges – a good source of Vitamin Cwhich is a powerful antioxidant that canneutralize free radicals. Our body usesVitamin C to stimulate the growth ofantibodies to fight infections and thereforeVitamin C is one of the best vitamins in thefight against colds and flu.

Blueberries – a great source of Vitamin Cand E which produces a potent antioxidanteffects when working together. Blueberriesare the best friends for anyone who sufferswith urinary tract infections as blueberrieswill increase the acidity of the urine whichhelps to destroy bacteria.

Mushrooms – Shiitake mushrooms are thebest and are a great source of B vitaminsknown as Niacin and Riboflavin. Ourbody uses these vitamins to boostproduction of white blood cells. Whenpreparing mushrooms, try steaming them orlightly grilling them as opposed to fryingthem.

Green Tea – contains a Phytochemicalcalled Polyphenols which the body uses tohelp keep cells healthy. Green tea can alsohelp for anyone with a sore throat.

Yogurt – is a good source of Lactobacillusacidophilus, a healthy bacterial that fightsfungal infections. Our body uses it to buildprotein which helps to develop white bloodcells. It also is a great aid for anyonesuffering from a Yeast infection; eating‘live’ yogurt regularly will help to balancethe bacterial level of your body.

Ways to minimize your chances of pickingup the virus to passing the virus along –

tissue when you cough or sneeze.Throw the tissue in the rubbish binwhen you are finished using it, getchildren into this habit also. If youhave no tissue then sneeze intoyour elbow, don’t use your hands,everything you touch after willleave traces of the flu virus. Fluvirus can live up to two hours afterbeen left on a surface.

can with soap and water (and not ahalf hearted effort by just runningwater over your hands as I haveseen countless times), especiallyafter coming in from the outside,having used public transport orpublic bathrooms, after coughingand sneezing, wiping thechildren’s noses, after touchinganimals etc. Also Alcohol-basedhand cleaners are very effective.It’s always handy to have a bottleof hand cleaner or hand cleaningwipes in your handbag, car, byyour desk or in your pocket.

clean every once in a while usingsome anti-bacterial wipes, areas toconcentrate on are the keyboard ofyour computer, phone keypad andhandpiece, the general surface ofyour desk and door handle. Any

place where you touch a lotduring the day. This is especiallyimportant for those who shareoffice space, be sure to tell yourcolleagues and try to get everyoneto do this and create a saferenvironment for all.

or mouth, that’s a sure way tospread germs, although it’s muchharder to stop than you wouldthink. Hand-to-face movementsstart in the womb and arecontinued into adult life, either bynail-biting, lip pulling, nosepicking, hair twirling etc. Manyof these habits are preformed bothby children and adults alike, andthe solutions is either to becomevery aware of where you handsare or to wash your hands veryfrequently, and the hands of yourchildren plus their faces.

some flu like symptoms then youshould stay at home, contact yourdoctor and she or he will adviceyou on what to do. If you or afamily member is ill enough towarrant a visit to the emergencyroom try to call in advance toinform hospital staff of youremergency, especially if itincludes potential ‘Swine Flu’.

require a hospital stay, then itsbest to stay at home, keep warmand drink plenty of fluids. Bestsolution is to put yourself andyour family into a ‘quarantine’environment, avoid contact withothers, stay away from crowdedareas, out of public transport,keep children out of schools andplaygrounds. Be aware that ingeneral adults will ‘shed’ the fluvirus for about 5 days afterbecoming ill and children may‘shed’ the virus for up to 7 daysor even longer.

Protect yourself from Colds and Flu (continued)

(continued next page)

WEIGHT LOSS


HEALTH

Catherine Connors-Bevalot has been studyingand practicing holistic therapies and treat-ments for over ten years. She starting her ca-reer in massage therapy and reflexology, andthis began a decade of passion and future in-tensive study into other areas of Holistic ther-apies and Stress & Time management. Herworkshops and seminars are popular withbusinesses, health centres, adult learning cen-tres, schools and private clients. Catherine'spolicy is based on the belief that her custom-ers' needs are of the utmost importance. Herentire goal is committed to meeting thoseneeds. As a result, a high percentage of herbusiness is from repeat customers and refer-rals.

suffering from an illness orcondition that depletes the immunesystem should take particular carethis autumn and winter. Pay extraattention to those around you, forexample if the person beside youon the bus seems to have a snifflethen don’t be afraid to move seats.When you get home after beenoutside leave your shoes by thedoor so your ‘not walking germsall over the house’, wash yourhands immediately and insist thatothers sharing the house with youdo the same.

your family and community.Make sure they have everythingthey need, get them somemultivitamins supplements and

make sure they are eating healthyand well.

Taking care of your health and immunity isimportant all year long, but it is more criticalthrough the winter months, take the time toprepare your body and boost your immunesystem. Anyone who is concerned shouldgo and visit their GP who will advise themon what they should be doing, if your GPrecommends it you should get a flu shot.

Stay in good health so that your body is inthe best possible position to fight off anyvirus, bacteria or any other invader thatmight come your way. Often prevention isbetter than cure, by building up yourimmune system you are giving yourself thebest chance you can to minimize yourchances of catching a cold or flu. After all‘Your Health is Your Wealth’.

Catherine Connors-Bevalot

Corporate Stress Management Consultant,Time-Management consultant and HolisticTherapist, Trainer and Teacher.

www.catherine-connorsbevalot.com

The HSE would like to remind all pregnant women (from 14 weeks tosix weeks after giving birth) to get the Swine Flu vaccine from theirGP or from the HSE clinics nationwide. The HSE is encouragingpregnant women to avail of the vaccine to protect themselves and theirunborn baby during the pregnancy.

Pregnant women have a reduced immune system during pregnancywhich reduces further as the pregnancy progresses and are thereforemore at risk of developing complications from swine flu if they do notget the vaccine. They are four times more likely to be admitted to hos-pital with complications, including early labour or severe pneumonia,as a result The risk of these complications is higher after 14 weeks ofpregnancy. As of yesterday there were 45 pregnant women in hospitalbeing treated for swine flu which accounts for 6-8% of hospital admis-sions with swine flu. One pregnant woman has died from Pandemic(H1N1) in Ireland.

The vaccine is the only defence we have against the Pandemic (H1N1)2009 virus. It is important also to be protected from swine flu in theweeks after giving birth to ensure the mother is able to adequatelymind her baby. The newborn baby will have antibodies passed fromthe mother in the womb which will offer the infant protection from thevirus for up to six months.

The Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in Ireland, the Na-tional Immunisation Advisory Committee, the World Health Organi-sation and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control,the Irish College of General Practitioners and the Irish Medical Organ-isation recommend that pregnant women get the vaccine.

There are two H1N1 vaccines licensed for use in Ireland, Pandemrixand Celvapan. While there are differences between the vaccines as tohow they are manufactured and their ingredients, both have been li-censed for use by the European Medicines Agency and the Irish Medi-cines Board. Both are considered equally safe, based on availableevidence, for use in pregnancy, in the six weeks after delivery and forbreastfeeding mothers.

Pregnant women should contact their GP to make an appointment toreceive a Swine Flu vaccine. GPs are the best place for this at-riskgroup to get their vaccine and both the visit to the GP and the vaccineare free of charge. If your GP is not giving out the vaccine, they cangive you details of vaccine clinic locations or you will find them at theHSE website - www.hse.ie and www.swineflu.ie or from the HSE Fluline on 1800 94 11 00. Remember to bring your PPS number with youwhen attending for the vaccination.

You can book an appointment at one of the HSE's clinics onwww.swineflu.ie. The website also provides information on exact lo-cations, how and when the clinics operate, directions on a map, andlinks to online booking calendars for each clinic. Those in the at-riskgroups will also be accommodated on a walk-in basis although theHSE is advising pre-booking an appointment where possible.

Maternity Hospitals around the country are also offering the vaccina-tion to in-patients and women attending ante natal visits if they havenot already received it through their GP or HSE vaccination clinic.

Pregnant women should contact their GP by phone if they have flu-like symptoms. Their GP will assess them and prescribe anti-viraltreatment (Tamiflu) if required. It is also important to continue to fol-low the HSE public health advice - Catch It, Bin It, Kill It' - in order toslow down the spread of infection.

Remember, you can get information about the swine flu vaccine asfollows:

• From your GP• From the dedicated Swine Flu Vaccine section of the HSE Website www.hse.ie• From the automated HSE Flu line 1800 94 11 00• From the HSE infoline 1850 24 1850

HSE encourages pregnant women to avail of Swine Flu vaccine

(continued from previous page)

HEALTH


Stress is known to be one of the main causes of ill-health and frequently the reason for consistent ab-senteeism in employment. Since our lives can get sohectic and the pressures or work and of home lifecan take their toll, it is important to maintain somesort of balance in our lives. It can be difficult toknow exactly what to do about it since most of thetime it seems like we have little or no energy at theend of the day to do anything, but regular exercisebuilt into your daily routine can benefit you and pro-vide a good work-life balance to counteract the neg-ative effects of stress.

1. Stay Motivated

One of the most common complaints I notice within fitnesscentres from clients are “I don’t have enough time” or “I justdon’t have the energy to start”. These are fully understandablegiven these people have full time jobs and after a hard day atwork, it can seem daunting to even attempt a workout. Howev-er, the great thing about exercise is that rather than sappingyour energy and leaving you lethargic from the stresses ofwork, it gives you a great boost to your ability to do normaltasks and give you that extra bit of motivation to carry on.Make sure that you make out a timetable for yourself as youwould any other appointment and stick to it. You will be sur-prised with the real difference it has on your energy levels.

2. Make Exercise part of your Day

Another common misconception associated with exercise isthat you have to be super-fit and supremely thin to ever thinkabout exercising. This is untrue. No matter what shape, size,fitness level or physical abilities are, you can always find away to be more active in your daily life. If you live relativelyclose to work, you can always have a walk on a nice day. Ifyou’re workplace is based a long way from your home, youcould consider maybe getting off two or three stops earlier andwalk the rest of the way. Instead of taking the elevator, youcould choose to tackle the stairs to your office. There are anendless amount of ways you can achieve an active lifestyle andas a result, you may feel yourself becoming more motivatedand greater energy to give exercising a go.

3. Keep it Healthy

We all like to nibble on a few treats from time to time. Wheth-er it is the tin of biscuits in the cupboard you can’t resist or theextra chocolate treat at lunchtime, there is no harm in givingyourself the occasional treat. But if you have too many treatsand biscuits, it can become a drain on both your energy levelsand your motivation to stick with any sort of healthy actionplan. Instead of choosing the mars bar for your lunch timesnack, try out a nutri-grain bar. If you feel like have some bis-cuits, replace them with fruits such as grapes next time you’reout shopping. There are numerous ways you can swap thenaughty treat for a heavenly delight, but just make sure it’s theonce a week treat you enjoy rather than a daily munch on thechocolates.

4. Slow Down your Eating Rate

Working life can be a very rushed and fast-paced business andthe majority of people working in high-pressure office situa-tions tend to eat a great deal faster than they really should do.There are many difficulties to this, but the main affliction isnot being able to properly disgest and enjoy the food you areeating. Make sure that you set some time aside to enjoy thedelicacies you are consuming whether it is a sandwhich atlunch time, a piece of fruit on your morning break or yourevening dinner, eating slowly allows your stomach to recog-nise that food is on its way and that your body is easily able todigest the food that its being fed. Eating at a slower pace thannormal also satisfies your hunger more than eating an extra

7 Ways to Keep a GoodWork-Life Balance with Exercise

By Conor Jordan

HEALTH


snack, so you can finally avoid those extra snacks in the after-noon.

5. Put a Smile on your Face

The key to a healthy body, is a healthy mind and there is nothinghealthier to do than smile and enjoy yourself. You can maybemeet up with friends at the weekends, watch a funny dvd thatyou like, call someone you like to talk to and that makes youlaugh or just simply taking a step back from life to enjoy whatyou have. It can be very hard for any of us to fully realise thebeauty in our everyday lives. Whether it is the moments thatpass us by on our way into work, the beautiful weather just wait-ing to be appreciated by us all and the morning chat with yourco-workers. Having a good laugh or simply enjoying life can begreat ways to keep your mind and your body in great workingorder.6. Delegate your work

One of the most common complaints of office workers is stressfrom having too much work to do. It can be a great strain on themind and on the body when we have a great deal of tasks pilingup on our desks and most of the time it can seem to be an end-less, thankless chore. The best way to deal with these matters is

to delegate your work. Don’t be afraid to ask for help if you arefinding your tasks are building up, for all you know there couldbe someone else in the office with little to do and would be morethan happy to take on a bit of work to occupy themselves. A lit-tle bit of help or assistance from someone you work with cancertainly take the strain off and let you get on with your ownlife.

7. Make a Timetable

Setting out a schedule for yourself and keeping to it is one of thecentral aspects of time management. All of us at some time oranother have either missed appointments, forgot the things wewere meant to do or just simply cannot remember how manytasks are ahead of us for the coming day. This can all be reme-died by keeping a to-do list and a timed schedule of how you aregoing to follow through with all of these responsibilities. Listout the tasks that are most important at the top of your list, de-tailing how long they might take and when they have to be com-pleted by. Once you have all of your duties listed down on apiece of paper, it is one less thing to keep in your head allowingyourself to concentrate on what you are doing at the moment andnot what you will be doing later on.

-Stay Motivated-Make exercise a part of your day-Keep it healthy-Slow down your eating rate-Put a smile on your face-Delegate your work-Make a timetable

FITNESS


“Oh, I really need to go on a diet”“Oh, I’d love to lose weight”“Oh, I should join the gym”“Oh, I must start that new supplement diet”“Oh, I had better start my fitnessprogramme, only 4 weeks to the dinnerdance”“Oh, I’ll try and start losing weight nextweek”

Sound familiar? And then we wonder theday before “the big Do” why we just nevergot around to losing the pounds, joining thegym, cutting down on carbs, etc, etc…

Look back at the quotes above?Ask yourself: How would saying thesethings help me succeed?Then ask yourself: How would saying thesethings help me not to succeed?I invite you to really think about thefollowing words: Need to, love to, should,should have, must, try. Say them again, thistime out loud: Need to, love to, should,should have, must, try.

What resonates for you there? They areonly words, but they are the very words thatwe use to give oursleves the permissionneeded to not be successful or simply notachieve. When I say to someone “I’ll tryand make the gym tonight”, that means thatif I don’t make the gym, I have provided theescape route for the reason I didn’t make itto the gym. “I said I’d try, but [enter reasonhere]”

If I had said “I will go to the gym tonight”then I will feel more inclined to follow itthrough, because if I do not go, there is onlyone reason why… I did not follow throughwith my affirmation/promise. Humans donot like to fail, unless they have permission.So we provide that permission in the formof the words mentioned above.

“Self-sabotage is when we say we wantsomething and then go about making sure

it doesn't happen.” - Alyce P. Cornyn-Selby

Here are some examples:“I really need to go on a diet” – failureguaranteed“I will start a diet on Monday” – somesuccess expected“I’d love to lose weight” - failureguaranteed“I will lose weight for the wedding nextmonth, and begin tomorrow” – certainsuccess expected

“I should join the gym” - failure guaranteed“I sent the cheque in the post yesterday” –begin to succeed“I must start that new supplement diet” –failure guaranteed“I will go to the health store tomorrow andbuy my supplements” – success in view“I had better start my fitness programme,only 4 weeks to the dinner dance” – failureguaranteed“I have 4 weeks left, so I will go to the gymon Tuesdays and Thursdays after work, andwalk two miles the other days” – successexpected“I’ll try and start losing weight next week”– failure guaranteed“Next week is my starting point for my newweight-loss programme. I will begin onWednesday” – affirmation set, feeling thesuccess

So what are the reasons we fail before weeven begin?There are ideas racing around your mindright now, thinking of all the excuses,reasons and stoppers you have come upwith in the past to confine yourself andensure that success doesn’t happen. If afriend was to ask our advice – “Why do Ikeep messing it up?” I bet my mugcollection that you could come up with justthe perfect answer. So turn that right aroundnow and ask yourself “Why do I sabotagemy success?” – Now answer:Because…[your answer here].

There are many reasons for self-sabotage,such as procrastination, self-doubt, lowself-confidence, low self-esteem. It isingrained into us as a nation. The miraclethat is our ability to think things through,analyse and process information can oftenbe the very cause of our failure to followthrough with goals and plans. As Cornyn-Selby states: “Procrastination is, handsdown, our favorite form of self-sabotage.” Iask you: Why put off until tomorrow whatyou can do today?

All we need is vision, confidence andoutcome.Vision to allow ourselves sense, feel, dreamand fantasise about the end result.Confidence to go ahead and make the plansand set the goals. Outcome to followthrough to the end and REALLYexperience what was just a dream before.

From a personal point of view (if you areinterested), I have experienced this first

hand many times in my life, and mostrecently with my fitness programme. Iallowed myself have a vision, spent timethinking about it and imagining theoutcome, which was indeed very pleasing.It was irrelevant whether I believed Iwould succeed at this stage, I simplydreamed. With a realistic time scale putinto place, I began on the week that I haddecided. This was indeed half the battle,simply getting started. Once the first weekwas down, I really got a sense of success. Icould envisage how I would feel and lookafter 3 months.

However, this was the crucial moment –this is where the self-sabotage could kickin. I could think of 10 excuses not tocontinue (“What was I thinkinganyway?”). I could think of only tworeasons to continue, so I consciouslydecided to go with the two. They wereeasier to remember if nothing else. Andthat got me over the “hump” and mysuccess achieved higher odds immediately.I also worked into my plan the barriers thatwould appear before me throughout myprogramme. When these barriers came up– I had a plan to deal with them effectivelyand objectively.

So next time you make a plan of any kind,think of only the success and what youwould do when the obstacles come yourway. Decide consciously what you will dowhen the obstacles and barriers appear. Beready for them, preempt them so whenthey arrive, they will not hold you back,emotionally, mentally or physically.

But first ask yourself simply: “Do I reallyreally want this?” “For me?”Then visualise your success, set your goalswith confidence, and work towards theoutcome.

The words of Fitness and SuccessBy Elaine Rogers

Elaine Rogers ofwww.seefincoaching.com is a qualifiedBusiness Coach and Trainer. She worksclosely and empathetically with her cli-ents to help them develop and enhancecrucial aspects of their personal & busi-ness effectiveness. This ensures theyachieve their maximum potential, and bethe change they want to be. You cancontact Elaine on 086-1955660 if youhave any further questions. Furtherreading available at Elaines Bloghttp://seefincoaching.wordpress.com/

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Don’t be a couch potato!


FITNESS

A group from Kerlin Trekkers on a Scotish tripoutside Glen Nevis Visitor Centre at the start ofthe hike. Ben Nevis is 4408 feet (1344m) high.To find out about other treks visitwww.kerlintrekkers.com

First four home in the ladies race, from left; Ruth Wills (DSD, 3rd),winner Rosemary Ryan, (Bilboa AC) and twin sisters, Aoife (2nd)and Crona Brady, (4th), of Sportsworld AC, Dublin

Mickey McLoughlin, FUTUR€, sponsors of Streets of Galway 8k,presents the winner for the second year in succession, Kenyan JosphtBoit.(Clonliffe H.), with his prize.

72 years young, Mickey Kelly (Tuam AC), left a large section of thefield behind him

First lady home in Streets of Galway 8k., Rosemary Ryan, receives herprize from Breda Scully, FUTUR€, race sponsors

The Streets of Galway 8km Road Race

Fit PhotosHave you done something to be proud of

or know someone who has?

Send us photos of your feats of fantastic fitness and wewill try and reprint them here.

Email your photos (with caption) to:[email protected]


TRAVEL

Many people dream of takingan Australian Holiday. Afterall, Australia, with a popula-tion that speaks English andan area that’s roughly the sizeof the U.S. Yet it features somuch found nowhere else inthe world, including 80 per-cent of its plant and animalspecies, the Great BarrierReef, the vast Outback and itsancient Aboriginal culture.

Maybe the most daunting aspect ofan Australia is deciding where to go;the country is so large and variedthat many who travel to Australiastay for a matter of weeks, not days.First-time visitors will likely want a“Reef, Rock and Harbour” combina-tion. An Australia beach vacationwouldn’t be complete without a visitto the Great Barrier Reef, accessedfrom tropical north Queensland. Thearea abounds with kid-friendly re-sorts, making it ideal for an Austral-ia family vacation. Another topattraction is Uluru/Ayers Rock inthe Northern Territory, Australia’smost recognizable icon. Rising fromthe desert plain, this sandstone mon-olith is sacred to the Aboriginal peo-ple. Sydney, another must-see, isAustralia’s oldest and largest city.Its many attractions include theworld-famous harbor with a bridgethat visitors can climb up, fabulousbeaches, the architecturally distinc-tive Sydney Opera House and a so-phisticated vibe. The country’ssecond-largest city, stylish Mel-bourne, is also a popular destinationduring a visit in Australia, and isknown as Australia’s cultural andsports capital.

Visiting Australia must have a pass-port that’s valid for six months aftertheir scheduled return date. Theymust also have an Electronic TravelAuthority visa. To cover the vastdistances within the country, many

people fly or take the train. Rentalcars are also available; driving is onthe left. Australia features many cli-mates and types of terrain. Thewarmest time of year is the summer,from December through February.The currency is the Australian dol-lar.

Sydney

An Australia Holiday wouldn’t becomplete without a visit to Sydney,the country’s oldest, largest andmost exciting city. Consistentlyranked as one of the most popularcities in the world, Sydney offersbeautiful scenery, gorgeous beaches,an appealing outdoor lifestyle,friendly locals, cultural attractions,fine food and wine, and much more.

The most famous attraction during aSydney vacation is the city’s harbor.Visitors can climb to the top of theSydney Harbour Bridge for a trulybreathtaking view. The harborfrontSydney Opera House, an iconicbuilding, offers world-class per-

formances. Other popular activitiesduring a vacation in Sydney includedining at one of the many water-front restaurants, sunbathing atsuch beaches as Bondi and Palm,visiting the Royal Botanic Gardens,observing Australia’s unique ani-mals at Taronga Zoo or SydneyWildlife World, and just soaking upthe laid-back yet sophisticated vibeof the city.

With more than 340 days of sun-shine each year, Sydney has a tem-perate coastal climate. The warmesttime of year is the summer, fromDecember through February, whenthe average high temperature isabout 78°F.

For more information call TravelCounsellors 0504 33333or [email protected]

Holiday Down Under By Catherine Maguire

HEALTH


Author: Dr. Muireann Cullen

1Know your limits. If you’re physi-

cally and mentally exhausted,decline invitations to Christmasparties or holiday events by be-ing honest. Most people willunderstand if you just can’t faceanother Christmas party, espe-cially if you’re honest aboutfinding the holiday season toodemanding.

2Get enough sleep & have break-

fast - plan for as many earlynights as possible. A key bene-fit particularly at this time ofyear is that your emotions are

less fragile after a good sleep.Having a healthy breakfast (aglass of fruit juice, wholegraincereal or a couple of slices ofwholemeal toast) will also helpkeep you on track.

3Don’t skip your normal exercise

routine. The holiday seasoncan be busy and exhausting. Byall means take a few days tocosy up by the fire and watchTV but balance this some exer-cise. Ironically, one of the waysto fix flagging energy is byexercising. Don’t skip on yourregular exercise routine nomatter how busy you are. Even

if you only have 30 minutes,take those 30 minutes and getactive, 2 x 15 minutes slots aday are a great way to start!Walk around yourneighbourhood and look atChristmas lights. It doesn’thave to be formal exercise, aslong as you are moving.

4Know what your 'Christmas

weight maintenance' goal isover the next few weeks whichcan simply be maintainingweight. That way, you won't bedisappointed if you don't loseweight, while any loss will be abonus!

Christmas survival tipsfor a healthy New Year

The festive season is upon us once again and the parties are in full swing. Studiesshow that, on average, people can gain up to 2 kg (4.4lbs) in the Christmas period,which works out daily at an extra 550 kcal (2310 kJ). This results in the averageperson needing to put “lose some weight” on the top of their New Year’s resolutionlist. However, there is no reason why you should gain weight over the holidays nomatter how inevitable it seems.There are a number factors involved in the weight gain such as spending more timeinside, parties, family get-togethers and the stress you feel from everything youhave to do before the holidays, giving into the delights of the season, and the lefto-vers is all to easy. However, over indulgence and reduced levels of physical activi-ty are the main problems. Despite the temptation everywhere, Christmas doesn’thave to throw you off track.

10 top tips from the NHF to help satisfy your cravings and still have a weight gain-free holiday.


HEALTH

5Decide now to be more careful about what you eat,

but still enjoy yourself! Choose foods you particu-larly like and say no to any you are not reallybothered about. Enjoy the company of friends andfamily you don't see that often, dance at the workparty and play games with the children.

6Moderation is the key – don't go mad on food and drink

you wouldn't normally eat. Avoid eating absent-mindedly while visiting friends and family, out atparties or when preparing food. This is when it's mostdifficult to pay attention to how much you're eating.

7Choose low fat snacks/treats as alternatives If you want

a treat, low fat snacks include fruit, popcorn, watercrackers and low fat cheddar. Fruit based starters anddesserts are very tasty. Low-fat custard, low-fat yo-gurt and low-fat/light cream make healthy Christmastreats.

8Follow the Rainbow Rule – - ensure you pile your plate

with different coloured fruits and veg. Satsumas,Brussel sprouts, purple cabbage and cranberries areall classic Christmas foods that are colourful. Fruitand vegetables help increase your fibre intake whichcan help keep you fuller for longer.

9Try to limit alcohol consumption, especially early in the

day. Only fill your glass when it's empty, so you can

keep track of how many you've had. It’s okay toindulge but just not too much and it is important toknow your limit. Where you can, drink alcohol withfood. Switching to calorie free soft drinks or watercan help prevent dehydration and save calories.

10Watch your portions: Don’t deprive yourself of the

things you truly want - treat yourself without guilt,but focus on smaller portion sizes to help avoidingweight gain this season.

Remember Christmas is about celebration, not deprivation,but it is possible to make it into January without feeling likeyour clothing has shrunk in the wash. During this season, it'smore important than ever to make that extra effort and not lethealthy habits (like regular exercise) slip away.

Wishing every reader a fantastic Christmas wherever you areand whatever you are doing.

Dr. Muireann Cullen joined the Food and Drink sector of the IrishBusiness and Employer’s Confederation in January 2008, to man-age the Nutrition and Health Foundation. She has a wide range ofdietetic experience spanning research, clinical and private prac-tice, regulatory, public health and industry. Muireann obtained aPhD in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from Trinity College Dublinin 2001. She is both a member of the Irish Nutrition and DieteticInstitute and the Nutrition Society.

NUTRITION


Chef Gavan Murphy began his culinary adventure at Ballymaloe Cookery School in1994. In 2000 his journey took him to Los Angeles, where his interest in health andnutrition flourished, naturally merging with his cooking experience. Gavan has workedas a consulting chef for a multi-national sports nutrition company, as well as a personalchef to the stars, often working in conjunction with celebrity trainers. He created TheHealthy Irishman with the hope of educating the public about healthy eating.www.thehealthyirishman.com

Gavan Murphy

My philosophy for how one should achieve a healthy balanced diet is simply to fuelthe body with wholesome natural foods. Your body needs constant refueling to maintain ahigh metabolism thus enabling the body to burn any excess body fat. To achieve this, I notonly advocate but practice eating smaller portioned meals more frequently throughout theday. This keeps your energy levels at a constant and prevents cravings, which ultimatelyleads to over-indulgence. I don’t use the word “diet” in terms of losing weight; to me it’s alifestyle that involves making healthy choices based on eating whole foods that are nutri-tious and delicious.

His Philosophy

The Healthy Irishman

Peas are one of my favourite vegetables. Probably because Igrew up on mushy peas (an Irish delicacy). When in seasonfresh peas are a delight but in winter months dried split peascome in handy. They’re not only convenient since they don’trequire soaking, but they’re also high in nutrients and low in fatand calories.If you are concerned about coconut milk, turns out it’s gotten abad rap over the years. The saturated fat content in coconut milkhas been shown in independent studies to be an easily metabo-lized good saturated fat, which means it does not transform intobad cholesterol, clogging up arteries. Using light coconut milkcuts the calories and fat by more than half, paving the way to adelicious healthy meal.

RECIPE:7 cups low-sodium vegetable broth1 x 14 oz can light unsweetened coconut milk1 x 16 oz bag dried split peas1 bay leaf2 shallots – peeled, small dice2 cups sweet potato – diced1 cup red bell pepper – diced2 tsp curry powder1/4 tsp chili flakes2 tbsp olive oilGarnish: Fresh chopped chivesS&P to taste

DIRECTIONS:Preheat large soup pot on medium heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil.Saute shallots & red pepper for 1 minute, stirring. Add curry

powder and stir for 30 seconds. Add broth, coconut milk, peas,chili flakes and bay leaf and bring to a gentle boil. Once justboiling reduce heat to a simmer and partially cover with lid.Continue cooking for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.After 20 minutes add diced potatoes and continue simmeringsoup until potatoes are cooked.Once potatoes are cooked through, taste and season with S&P.Sprinkle fresh chopped chives to finish.

NOTE: It might look like a lot of broth but once the potatoesstart to cook the starch from them will help thicken the soup.

Curried Split Pea Soup

Photo: Gavan Murphywww.healthyirishman.com


NUTRITION

How brilliant does this look? In the States we spend most of Novembergearing up for the big Thanksgiving celebration at the end of the month.The food that's prepared is very similar to an Irish Christmas dinner.Turkey, gravy, stuffing and sides....it's a feast fit for kings. It's the oneday to blow your diet as most of the food is full of calories. But I've gotsome tricks up my sleeve, such as this recipe. Turkey breast is lean andwhen prepared this way it lends itself to a variety of stuffing. Be sure tocheck my website for other great festive ideas! Cooking healthy doesn’tmean your food has to lack imagination, presentation or taste. Nor doesit have to be hard to make. I know this looks difficult but all it takes is alittle practice and you’re on your way to rave reviews from the fambam.

Let’s talk turkey for a sec. Did you know that the skin contains the mostcalories and fat? You can save yourself calories and fat by simply re-moving the skin on any cut. Many lean proteins have a tendency to dryout easily so cooking with the skin on, such as cooking a whole turkeyor cooking a recipe such as this, will help the moisture stay in the bird.But removing the skin before eating will help cut the junk in the trunk.The breast is the healthiest cut of meat. A 3 1/2 oz portion of turkeybreast w/o skin (we’ve all heard this-it’s the size of a deck of cards) has161 calories, 4g total fat and 30g of protein. Compare that to with skinwhich has 194 calories, 8g total fat and 29g of protein. That’s doublethe fat so you see what I mean.

This recipe is all-in-one (you can thank me anytime now!) You’ve gotyour lean protein, carbs and leafy greens. Even the mushrooms are agood source of Vitamin D. We’re talking a healthy and delicious wellbalanced meal.

RECIPE:3 lb. Boneless turkey breast

Stuffing mix:4 Swiss chard leaves – blanched in boiling water for 20 secs. and re-freshed in ice water for 10 secs. Drain on a kitchen towel.

1/4 lb. button mushrooms – sliced1/4 lb. oyster mushrooms – sliced2 garlic cloves – minced1/2 cup uncooked rice (white or brown)1 1/2 cups chicken broth2 tbsp. fresh tarragon – chopped1 lemon – zested2 tbsp. olive oil1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. peppercooking twine

1 cup chicken broth for roasting turkey

DIRECTIONS:When you buy a boneless turkey breast in the supermarket it will usual-ly come trussed or tied together, as did the one I bought. If you have anice local butcher he may stuff the turkey for you if you bring him thefilling and tie the bird for you. Otherwise when you’ve put the stuffingin the breast get someone to help you tie it up.

Begin by preheating a large saute pan on medium heat. Once hot addolive oil and mushrooms along with a pinch of salt and cook for 3-4minutes tossing occasionally. The salt will help extract the water fromthe mushrooms as well as get a little flavor in them as they’re cooking.Add minced garlic and cook for another minute. Add in your uncookedrice to mushroom mixture and saute for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Ilike to cook the rice with the mushrooms to get some additional flavorinto the rice as opposed to just adding the cooked rice to the mushroommixture.Add in 1 1/2 cups of broth to rice and mushroom mixture. Cover panwith foil or lid and simmer until rice is cooked, stirring occasionally.Check rice after 10 minutes to see if it’s done. If not, continue to cookuntil ready. Once rice is cooked add fresh tarragon and lemon zest.Taste and season with S&P. Spread out on an oven tray to cool.

Photo: Gavan Murphywww.healthyirishman.com

To Assemble: Lay untied turkey breast on a clean surface, skin sidedown. Season with S&P. Lay blanched and cooled Swiss chard leaves oneach breast. (See photo above.)On top of the chard lay a nice layer of your stuffing (rice mixture) on theentire area on the breast. Lay 5 pieces of twine horizontally on your worksurface parallel with each other 2 inches apart. Very carefully fold thestuffed turkey breast in half and lift it onto the twine. This is where an ex-tra pair of hands is handy, so to speak. You can even get the kids in-

volved.TIP: Start tying at the ends firstworking your way towards the cent-er so you’ll keep the filling actuallyin the breast, otherwise as you keeptying the twine you’ll end up push-ing some of it out the other end. Notso good.Take the ends of one of the pieces oftwine in your left and right hands.Tie this sting like your tying shoe-

laces as tightly as you can, and knot it to keep it in place. While you tieeach piece of twine tightly around the breast have your assistant help.Continue until all strings are tied and knotted around the turkey. Cut alonger piece of twine and tie end to end to reinforce the roll.NOTE: This can be done ahead of time and refrigerated until ready tocook.

Stuffed Turkey

There you have it. Now pre-heat oven to 400F / 200C. Al-so preheat a large saute pan onhigh heat. Season the turkeywith S&P. Add 1 tbsp of oliveoil to pan and sear the turkeyon all sides, including top andbottom if possible, until gold-en brown, about 2-3 minuteseach side.Once all sides are brownedplace on a foiled roasting tray with 1 cup chicken broth. Pop in the ovenfor 1 1/4 hours or until internal temp. of 160F.NOTE: If you don’t have a thermometer pierce the center of the breastwith a small knife and touch yourtop lip when removed. If yourskin sizzles……you’re good togo (to hospital!)

Let rest for 10 minutes beforecarving so as to let the meat relaxand to retain the juices in themeat.

WELLNESS

Dealing withBereavement

(Part of a series, continued from last isssue)

In my contributions on grief so far Ihave been looking at what is callednormal grief. Now I would like tolook at anticipatory grief and com-plicated grief.

Anticipatory grief occurs when a per-son has advanced warning of death.Such warning can help the bereavedcope better with post-death grief, espe-cially if he or she has shared the antici-patory grief with the person who isgoing to die. But anticipatory grief doesnot necessarily reduce the amount ofgrieving the survivor has to do follow-ing the death. It really prepares the de-fences to cope better with the fullbereavement experience. It is importantto realise that anticipatory grief is nevercomplete and if post death grief is notfaced then the result can be complicat-ed grief.

Complicated grief is generally dealtwith in counselling, where the compli-cating factor is first resolved before thegrieving can take place. Complicatedgrief is sometimes called pathologicalgrief, unresolved grief, chronic grief,delayed grief or exaggerated grief. Ithas been described as too little grievingimmediately after the death or toomuch grieving long afterwards. It is asif the grief filters become clogged, pre-venting normal grieving. Some be-reavement writers see normal grievingas arriving from these three sources:- 1.A poor relationship with the deceased.2. the vulnerability of the survivor, 3.very difficult circumstances surround-ing the death. The crucial factors in de-ciding if grief is complicated areintensity and duration rather than thepainful symptoms of grief. These varyfrom mourner to mourner. We can look

at complicated grief as chronic, de-layed, exaggerated and masked. Chron-ic grief is one of excessive duration,which is never satisfactorily resolved.The bereaved is aware of the unfin-ished business, but cannot get back toliving.

Delayed grief reaction stems from aninsufficient emotional reaction at thetime of loss. It is a defence mechanismin the face of awful pain. How oftenhave we heard someone say ‘so and sois taking death really well’. Not so. Insuch cases the grief is carried over andresults in excessive reaction to somefuture loss. Exaggerated grief reactionsoccur when the the bereaved is over-whelmed with pain. Clinical depressionis one of the signs of exaggerated grief,and I suffered from this following thedeath of my child.

Masked grief reactions are those wherethe bereaved is unaware that they arerelated to the loss. Repressed grief willhowever, somehow express itself. Thiscan be a physical symptom, or sometype of maladaptive behaviour. Thisbehaviour may be delinquent behaviourin young people.

One type of death that invariably leadsto complicated grief is that of suicide.Bereavement writers hold that it evokesmore intense and longer lasting griefthan other losses. Suicide leaves thebereaved with a struggle to createmeaning from the loss. There was atime when suicides were not buried inconsecrated ground, but hopeful such acultural legacy has now faded from thepublic mind. It is held by bereavementwriters, too, that guilt and perhaps a

sense of punishment are felt by survi-vors following a suicide.

Some suicides occur in the context ofdifficult relationships, and this increas-es the guilt and anger. This can lead,also, to a feeling of rejection that maybe accompanied by anxiety and selfdestructive impulses. Other factors,which add to the pain of suicide be-reavement, are abuse and alcoholism.While I had complicated grief, I man-aged to get through it without counsel-ling; (My wife and I had two sessions).This is not always possible, and Iwould encourage anyone who feelsthat they are stuck in grief to get somecounselling. Such counselling may nottake very long, but will release the sur-vivor from being stuck, and allowthem to move to experiencing theirgrief. I will look at the death of a childin the next article.

Death of a Child (part 1)

The death of a child can lead to com-plicated grieving because it is a partic-ularly painful loss. It is not the naturalorder of things that a child should diebefore its parents. There are so manyhopes and dreams unfulfilled. Mychild,who was killed when he was thir-teen, would be thirty now. I oftenwonder what he would be like as anadult, how would I relate to him, whowould his wife have been, would hehave been a good and kind husband,would he have had children, what kindof parent would he have been. It isnatural to have such thoughts and

By Jim O Shea

WELLNESS


Jim O’Shea works as a counsellor fromFurze, Thurles, Co. Tipperary. Ph. 087-8211009 www.jimoshea.net. His book‘When a Child dies, Footsteps of a grievingfamily’ is published by Veritas. The royal-ties from this book will go to the Children’sHospital in Crumlin

(Part of a series, continued in next isssue)

memories, it does not mean living inthe past.

People say that the death of a child isthe saddest of all losses, but it is im-portant to remember that every personexperiences loss differently. I can cer-tainly say that the loss of my child wasimmensely more painful that the lossof my father. I can say no more thanthat and I cannot project this onto oth-er people. All people grieve different-ly. Sometimes the death of a child isso painful that some parents try to blotout the memory. I have met individu-als who lost their children, and theyseem to carry on normally in the veryearly stages of the bereavement, andshow good humour and a sense of op-timism about their lives. I am veryconscious of the terrible pain that theyhave buried. Sensitive and skilledcounselling is required to supportthem in bringing out this pain and insupporting them as they struggle withthe reality of the loss of their child.

What I can say, however, is that thedeath of a child is what bereavementwriters call an enfranchised loss. Thismeans that the survivors experiencewidespread sympathy following thedeath of a child. I remember the hugecrowds that thronged into the Cathe-dral in Thurles in February 1990 andthe great amount of support I receivedfrom so many.

People who lose children have particu-lar ways of expressing their thinking.

They may talk about how the childwas special, they try to make sense ofthe death, they have vivid memories ofthe death even after the passage ofyears and they use great pathos in de-scribing the moment of death. Theymay also explore the `what ifs’ of thetransition to being the parents of adead child. They describe premoni-tions they may have had before thedeath and the chasm that exists be-tween them and the rest of the world.These are very familiar to me. I wasin Dublin on the day before my childwas killed and I suffered from such asevere headache all of that day that Iwas unable to visit the shops and sim-ply sat in a café until it was time forthe bus to depart. I also have vividmemories of the death. I rememberexactly where I was when the accidentoccurred. That day is etched on mybrain and will never fade. I alwaysworried that I would forget the soundof my child’s voice and I often men-tally listen for it. I can still hear thatsoft voice and it, too, will never fade.

My surviving children, despite theirpain, always held that parental griefwas the most poignant within our fam-ily and, even now, they are extra con-scious of the preciousness of theirchildren. So the death of a child canarouse anxiety in the siblings whenthey too have children of their own.Look at the special relationship be-tween parent and child, a relationshipthat is forged in a biological and ge-netic way. Our role as parents is tokeep our children safe and accidental

death can give rise to complex guiltfeelings.

Because the death of a child is socomplex, I hope to explore it in a fur-ther contribution and I hope that thisexploration will be of some help toany reader who has lost a child.

WELLNESS

“The death of a child canlead to complicated grievingbecause it is a particularlypainful loss”


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COMPETITION

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“I’d tried lots of diets but all they did were make me ill and pile on the pounds. The healthaspect was something I had been seeing my doctor about because I’d not felt well for maybeeight years ever since I moved to Dublin in 2000.

My doctor put me on tablets and sent me for tests suggesting my condition was IBS. Atits worst I suffered from bloating to the extent where people would give up their seat for meon the bus because they thought I was pregnant. The constipation was very unpleasant forme because I would go weeks, sometimes a month, before I could go, and you can imaginewhat was going through my mind as the pain increased.

I was also becoming increasingly tired and my face was covered in terrible acne. Thespots on my forehead were really sore to touch and none of the creams ever helped. It alsodid nothing for my self-confidence and nights out were an ever-decreasing rarity. Nothingreally worked until my mum put me on to a food intolerance test called foodSCAN 113.

As the test I took was a blood test I thought it would be more accurate because it sound-ed more scientific so I gave it a go and what a decision that was. When the results came backI had to cut out wheat, gluten, dairy, egg and yeast and it was tough. The difference thoughhas been amazing. The acne and stomach pain have all cleared up but most amazing is theweight: I have lost 4 stone and gone from a dress size 16 to an 8. The only problem I havenow is my wardrobe. I had to buy a new dress recently when I went to Amsterdam and Imeasured a size 8.

Finding the right ingredients hasn’t always been easy but once I knew what I could andcouldn’t eat and found the right places to buy the food - life was much easier. I got somefood over the internet. It’s tough but with the right recipe books and of course the right test,I can live a normal live again. I’m not sure about Christmas yet but at least I know whatfoods trigger off the symptoms so as long as I stay away from those I should be fine.”

Emma’s partner Colin Cox says…

“It is amazing the change in Emma and even I have been feeling the benefit of a betterdiet. To go along with Emma’s new regime, I haven’t been drinking any milk and I’ve gotloads more energy too. How Emma managed to be so ill for so long is incredible.”

Emma Holland took a €30 first step food intolerance test from YORKTEST laborato-ries. The test offers a negative/positive result from a tiny amount of blood which the cus-tomer sends off to a laboratory in the UK. In Emma’s case, her results identified apositive so she then upgraded to the second step or a foodSCAN 113 (RRP €350). Usingthe same blood sample, this test will identify the actual foods causing the food intoler-ance and the degree of severity.

mma Holland, a legal secretary in Dublin, dropped 5 dress sizes from a16 to an 8 and experienced remarkable health benefits from takingYORKTEST’S foodSCAN food intolerance test. Emma suffered fromacne, bloating, tiredness and extreme constipation and despite being a

regular gym user Emma found

E

Before

After

To take a food intolerance test please call on 01 2022701or visit the website www.yorktest.ie

life and fitness magazine issue 5

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