Feelgood 27-08-2010

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FeelgoodFriday, August 27, 2010

STAR APPEALAmy Huberman shares herbeauty and fitness regime: 4, 5

QUICK FIXEight cereal bars putto the health test: 12

ANXIOUS TIMESWoman’s lifelong battlewith Tourette syndrome: 11

We meet three couples who beat theodds to find true love while on holidays: 8, 9

thebeatwhocouplesthreemeetWefitoodds holidays:onwhilelovetruend 98,

Love is in the air

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2010

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Feelgood

HEALTH NOTES

Arlene Harris

WHAT’S ON

News front

■ GUIDED TOURS: To mark Nation-al Heritage Week, the heritage coun-cil in Kilkenny is offering free guidedtours of Dunmore Caves and a me-dieval treasure hunt for children onthe grounds of the Jerpoint Abbey.Both events will take place this Sun-day (August 29) between 10am and5pm and are subject to availability.For more information call1850-200878 or visit www.heritage-week.ie.

■ CONVENTION TIME: The 7th Na-tional Convention of the PsoriasisAssociation of Ireland takes place inthe Ormonde Hotel, Kilkenny on Sat-urday September 4. The conventionwill run from 10am until 4pm andwill include key speakers and infor-mation aimed at the 100,000 psoria-sis patients in Ireland. For further in-formation call 086-3395308.

■ RIBBON WALKS: Action BreastCancer has announced the launch ofthe 2010 Pink Ribbon Walks and thePink Ribbon Walk websitewww.pinkribbonwalk.ie. Followingthe huge success of the first walk inKillaloe, Co Clare, where more than550 walkers got involved, the secondPink Ribbon Walk will take place inKells, Co Meath, on Saturday,September 11. Broadcaster BryanDobson, official ambassador for thePink Ribbon Walk, urges people toput on their walking shoes. “I wouldactively encourage people to sign upand get involved.”

■ DYSLEXIA WORKSHOP: TheCork branch of the Dyslexia Associa-tion of Ireland still has places left forthe dyslexia workshop which isaimed at children of eight years andupwards. The group tuition will takeplace in Scoil Mhuire Junior Schoolon Wellington Road in Cork fromSeptember 13 and will run for 28weeks. For more information call086-8064799.

■ CHALLENGING MEN: The Men’sHealth Forum in Ireland (MHFI) hasissued a challenge to all men andboys across Ireland to: “Run for yourLife”. It is doing so in partnershipwith the GAA, FAI, Irish Heart Foun-dation, Marie Keating Foundation,Ulster Cancer Foundation and IrishCancer Society in order to promotephysical activity amongst the malepopulation. Highlighting the promo-tion an event will take place in thegrounds of Ardgillan Castle, nearSkerries, in Co Dublin on Saturday,September 4. For more informationvisit www.mhfi.org/ardgillan.htm).

■ GET MOTIVATED: An adventurechallenge with a difference is set totake place on September 11 atPunchestown racecourse, the Avon-riLakeshore Resort and the WicklowHills.The event, entitled The Motivate

Challenge, is in aid of Barretstownchildren’s charity and will incorpo-rate three phases of running-walking,cycling and kayaking over a distanceof either 25km or 65km. For more in-formation visit: www.motivatechal-lenge.com or call Punchestown045-897704.

RIDE ON: The M&S charity cycle coversmore than 330 miles and aims to raise100,000 for the Marie Keating Foundation

and Action Cancer in the North. Picture: iStock

FORTY employees from Marks & SpencerIreland will get on their bikes for a charitycycle from Belfast to Cork on ThursdaySeptember 16. The four-day event coversover 330 miles and aims to raise 100,000for the Marie Keating Foundation and Ac-tion Cancer in Northern Ireland.The cyclists plan to stop at M&S stores

along the route, including Drogheda, Dun-drum, Liffey Valley, Newbridge, Clonmeland finally Cork. All M&S stores will besupporting the challenge with in-store dona-tion buckets and specially designed pens willbe on sale for 2.Watch out for in-store cyclethons while

the charity cyclists spin their way throughthe country. Celebrities Glenda Gilson,Mick Zinnane and Shane Byrne, amongothers, will be dropping into M&S stores ateach stop to help boost the fundraising.A main sponsor of the Marie Keating

Foundation, Marks & Spencer has so farraised over 750,000 for the charity.

The Minister for Communications, Energyand Natural Resources, Eamon Ryanlaunched the new Active Retirement Irelandwebsite this week. The website — www.ac-tiveirl.ie — is packed with information onevents and activities for ARI members.

The Samaritans is looking for men who’vecome through a crisis to pick up the phoneand talk to them — and the media. The ide-

al candidates for the new media campaignwill be between 35 and 55, and have alreadycome through a tough time with the help of

the Samaritans. Or maybe they’ve foundtalking to family, friends or GP made theworld of a difference. For details contact theSamaritans press team on 00 44 20 83948000 or email [email protected]

New drugs could help obese people to loseweight by resetting malfunctioning bodyclocks.It seems when our circadian rhythms are

not working properly not only is our sleepaffected but also our metabolism.By manipulating a key enzyme — casein

kinase 1 — a team of British and Americanscientists have devised a drug which cancontrol the body clocks of mice.The new drug was found to reset the

body clocks of the mice to the hour. Thiscould also lead to a pill that cancels out jetlag. And, crucially, for those with disturbedsleep patterns, it could pave the way to anew breed of sleeping tablets.According to Andrew Loudon, professor

of animal biology at Manchester University:”It may also be possible to use similardrugs to treat a whole range of healthproblems associated with disruptions ofcircadian rhythms. This might includesome psychiatric diseases and certain cir-cadian sleep disorders. It could also helppeople cope with jet lag and the impact ofshift work.”

Irene Feighan

Kathy Foley finds momentary peace in The Living Room, aserene space of contemplation in the midst of Dublin’s hubbub

TIME OUT:Christine Clearsays The LivingRoom is ‘anantidote to thebusyness of citylife’. Picture:

Oasis of calmI T’S RARE to find a peaceful, emp-

ty space in the centre of Dublin. ButThe Living Room, at the corner of

Clarendon Street and Coppinger Row, isjust that — a place to come and be silent,even if it’s just for five minutes.It’s a large, high-ceilinged room with in-

stitutional green carpet. Semi-opaque,white blinds shroud the four large win-dows. One of the cream walls features adramatic gold slash and gold circles.In the centre of the room, 20 or so low

stools, made from wooden pallets, form acircle around potted plants and small mir-rors on the floor. Each stool is toppedwith a cushion, and each cushion with abook. Titles include: Destructive Emo-tions: A Scientific Dialogue with the DalaiLama; The Mystic Heart: Discovering aUniversal Spirituality, and A Dewdrop inthe Ocean: Wisdom Stories for TurbulentTimes.Inside the circle, a man sits meditating

in the lotus position. A woman in a redcoat sits on a chair against the far wall, hereyes closed, her hands resting on herthighs, with palms facing upwards. Whenyou do the same, and close your eyes, youfeel cocooned in a bubble of safety amidthe hubbub of the city.The room is silent, but you can hear the

sounds of the street outside — footsteps,laughter, a baby crying, a motorbikerevving, the reedy notes of a buskingflautist, cutlery clinking in a café, and theever-present drone of cars rumbling by. At

this remove, each sound is distinct butslightly faraway. It’s quite comforting.“The sounds of the city are like an or-

chestra tuning up,” says Christine Clear, alecturer and expert on spirituality and med-itation, who runs The Living Room. Sheapproached the contemplative friars of theCarmelite order, who are based in Claren-don Street, and they offered funding andthe space, which was being used for storage,and as a practice spot in the evenings for theClarendon Street Choir.

All are welcome — those of any religiousfaith and those of none — and there is nocharge to go in, nor are visitors expected totake leaflets, or engage in any way other thanbeing quiet for a little while. At lunchtime,there are “accompanied silences.”“It’s an antidote to the busyness of city life.

We can be together, quietly and silently. It isbeautiful. You can see how the human spiritworks. It is very connecting. You sit therewith strangers, but there is a camaraderie thatevolves in the silence,” says Clear.

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

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FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2010Feelgood

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THE SHAPE I'M IN Marty Whelan

In profile

WAXING LYRICAL: MartyWhelan has never missed aday at work due to sickness.He hopes to enjoy a long lifelike his mother who is 91years old.

Winning formulaM ARTY WHELAN is set to return to our

TV screens on Saturday, September 4 whenhe presents the new season of RTE’s Win-

ning Streak. The 54-year-old, who presents Marty Whelanat Midday on RTÉ lyric fm (96-99fm), admits he shouldpay a bit more attention to looking after his health. “Ishould do better but I’ve got a good wife who minds it forme.”Along with wife Maria and children Jessica and Thomas,

Marty’s based in Malahide. “I love living by the sea,” hesays.

What shape are you in?I’m afraid to look down half of the time because I doneed to lose a bit of weight. Pat Henry is a very fine gyminstructor, who has made such a difference to me in thepast — I intend going back to him and signing up for a bitof a work-out in the gym.

Do you have any health concerns?I’ve never been in hospital in my life, never been sick,never missed a day of work due to illness. Because I’vebeen so lucky I should be minding myself. My mum’s mybarometer. She’s still alive at 91 — if she’s there, I might betoo.

What are your healthiest eating habits?I try to have a salad before eating dinner. I try to ensureI have a balanced diet and we always include vegetables.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?I like red meat a bit too much. Many years ago Ismoked but I stopped. I don’t have a sweet tooth,though I do love a bar of milk chocolate.

What would keep you awake at night?Nothing — I’m famous in my house for sleepingthrough thunderstorms. When I go to bed, I’mgone like a flash. Even if I have worries, it’s very rarethat they’d affect my sleep.

How do you relax?When I was younger, I’d get anxious about stuff. Theolder I got, the more I realised I can only be as good as Iam and there are certain things you can’t do anythingabout. There’s no point in getting yourself to apoint of anxiety where it causes ill-health —what you’ve got to do is deal with the prob-lem as it is.

Who would you invite to your dreamdinner party?Frank Sinatra — I’ve always adored him.

What would you change about your ap-pearance?I’d like some hair. When your hair beginsthinning, it’s always a worry.

When did you last cry?I cried a few months ago when a friend losthis son. Before that I cried over Gerry Ryan —we’d gone to primary school together.

What’s the best book you’ve read recently?I’m a great fan of US politics and I read a goodanalysis of what sort of president Bill Clinton wasrecently. I tend not to read novels, though I likedGarrison Keillor’s Lake Wobegon Days, which Iread on holiday.

What trait do you least like in others?Lack of sincerity is always a killer. I also dislikea lack of a sense of humour — people like thatare to be avoided.

What trait do you least like in yourself?I’d be better if I’d return more of my friends’phone-calls. I’m a very chatty, sociable animal,yet I’m terrible for returning calls.

Do you pray?I do, not often enough, but I do pray. I have a verystrong faith.

What would cheer up your day?A bar of chocolate for whatever it is that it releases.

Helen O’Callaghan

When I was younger,I’d get anxious about

stuff. The older I got, themore I realised I can onlybe as good as I am andthere are certain thingsyou can’t do anything

about

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Feelgood Feelgood

For almost a decade, the Dublin womanhas been in the public eye and, as her star isstill in ascent, it doesn’t look like she will beslowing down any time soon — so how doesshe handle the pressure to look good all thetime?“I’ve definitely had my wardrobe malfunc-

tion days, but I don’t agonise too much aboutit,” she explains. “I know what I like stylewise and I enjoy clothes and fashion. But I’mnot going to take it too seriously.”“It’s personal choice and expression, so I

don’t think anyone should get slated for whatthey wear,” she adds.This refreshing attitude extends to her

private life and Amy and her new husbandare keen to keep their home life tothemselves — to this end, she understandablydidn’t want to talk about her wedding ortheir plans for the future.“We want to try and keep our marriage for

ourselves,” she says. “But I am lookingforward to enjoying married life and in themeantime to keep on writing and acting foras long as possible.”

to make sure you’re not slacking off. Itmostly consists of core training, withsome light, high rep weight trainingtoo, with cardio on the treadmill orcross-trainer. They always mix thingsup to prevent it getting boring and youalways feel so virtuous for having been.I try to go twice a week.

■ On the days I don’t go tothe gym, I try and get outfor a little bit of exercise.Myself and a few of myfriends use it as a way tocatch up too and go forwalks together and exchangeall our gossip. If we’re feelingbrave we might actually runsome of it.

■ I go through phases oftaking supplements — at themoment I am taking amulti-vitamin, plus an

omega-3 fish oil supplement which isgreat for skin and hair and the oldjoints if you’re exercising. I also believein vitamin B complex if you’re feeling

a bit stretched or over-stressedwith work.

■ Rest is really important. Weall try to do too much and ourbodies can only sustain being

pushed to the limit for so long.

■ I am hugely into teeth and brushmine at least three times a day, floss atnight, as well as using a mouth wash atthe end. Even though I eat sweets Ihave never had a filling, but because Ido indulge my sweet tooth I make sureto brush as often as I can.

chapter for Amy

■ I TRY to get eight hours sleep, drinkplenty of water, eat right and exercise. ButI think laughter helps keep people youngand should be up there on any top healthand beauty list.

■ I’m very into skin care. Prevention isdefinitely better than cure. I use an SPFevery day, even in the winter.I use Clinique’s City Block,as it is also a great make-upprimer too. I cleanse andmoisturise every night. Inthe morning I give my face asplash of water and throw onsome more moisturiser. I’vealso recently gotten intoserums under moisturisers togive your skin an addedmoisture boost.

■ My daily diet is never thesame. I always start the daywith a cup of tea. NormallyI have a bowl of cereal with it, or a cerealbar if I’m running late. I might have asandwich or salad for lunch and then din-ner could be anything. I love Thai foodand adore any-thing spicy, orwith a kick ofchilli. I readsomewhere

that chill-ies aremeant to boostyour metabolism.I’ll try to get my five aday too, by making asmoothie, or makingsure to have some veg-gies with dinner.

■ I drink a lot of wa-ter and always havedone. I think it’sjust a habit youneed to get in toand then youdon’t even thinktwice about it.

■ I go to a fan-tastic gymcalled FitnessTogether inRathmineswhere theyhave amaz-ing trainers

bond together.“My mum is my best friend and I would

be completely lost without her,” says Amy.“She had two brothers, too, and we’ve alwaysbeenincredibly close.”Despite her hectic lifestyle Amy, who regu-

larly gives her time to charitable causes, isworking on her second novel and when sheis not acting or spending time with herhusband and family, the new bride managesto find time to keep fit and look after herhealth and fitness.“I try to get to the gym twice a week and

get out for a walk on the days in between,”she says. “And I do drink a lot of water andtry to eat my daily quota of fruit andvegetables.“I’m a ‘little and often’ person when it

comes to food — it’s supposed to be goodfor your metabolism — and a getting a goodnight’s sleep also helps,” she adds.Though she has an enviable figure, Amy

doesn’t adhere to a strict diet.“I think you have to allow yourself a treat,”

she says. “Life is far too short to punishyourself all the time. A little of what youwant is good for you and will probably sedatethe cravings for a bit too — it really is allabout quantity control.“But I have a major sweet tooth and my

biggest weakness is fizzy jellies. I sometimestry to trick myself by substituting sweets withdried apricots and natural licorice.”Amy is also conscious about the effects of

too much sun and took great care while onhoneymoon in Tanzania.“I’d say I have medium tanning skin, but I

always wear quite a high factor,” she says.“And in recent years I’ve started wearing ahat to protect my face in the strong middaysun.”

Another new

Picture:Nick

Bradshaw

Arlene Harris hears how the actress and celebrity, now as a new author, gives her voice to the main character of her debut novel

SHE may be famed for herrole as Daisy, the ditzyreceptionist in RTÉ’s

The Clinic, but the onlyresemblanceAmyHubermanshares withthe characteris her freshlooks andwarm smile.At just 31

years of age,the Dublinactress hashad an illus-trious

career to date anddespite beingcatapulted into thelimelight as the wifeof one of Ireland’sbiggest sporting stars(rugby captain, BrianO’Driscoll), shelooks set to continuemaking headlines ofher own accord.With eight yearsexperience in frontof the camera, Amy has turned her hand towriting and has just published her first nov-el — Hello Heartbreak.“I got the idea for the book from being a

spectator in day to day life,” she says.“There are enough things we come acrossin our ordinary little lives: people we meet,situations we hear of and events we findourselves in to inspire anyone to startwriting.”A graduate of UCD and DIT, Amy has

always had a love of reading but says herpassion for writing developed through herlove of acting.“I always loved English at school, but for

me it was probably more the time I spent inthe acting game that nurtured my love ofstorytelling. I love the process involved inacting out a character for film and television,but getting the opportunity to be master ofmy own characters in my writing was incred-ibly rewarding.”Her new book tracks the highs and lows of

Izzy Keegan — a 27-year-old singleton whofails spectacularly at love. And while thecharacter is far removed her own romanticlife, Huberman admits that she can see someelements of herself in the fictional heroine.“The character of Izzy does have a lot of

me in her,” she says. “The book is definitelya fictional piece and so are the events and cir-cumstances, but as this is my first novel, I dothink I used a lot of my own voice in Izzy.”A warm and friendly woman, Amy was

bound to succeed but she modestly attributes

a combination of good luck and the ability toburn the candle at both ends as thereason for her two successful careers.“I got into both by complete chance and I

do ap-preciatehow in-crediblyluckyI’ve beenon bothcounts,”she says.“I startedacting intheUCDDramaSocietyandwrote inbetweenactingjobs tokeepmyselfbusy.“But

now Ifind thecreative

juices flow a little easier at night. I know it’sa little anti-social to be nocturnally cre-ative but sadly my brain is often pathet-ically barren at 9am.“I find both jobs so challenging and

rewarding that I couldn’t imagine notdoing either one. Writing and actingexercise different creative faculties

HAPPY COUPLE: Amy kisses her new husband, IrishRugby captain Brian O'Driscoll during their weddinglast month at St Joseph's Church in Aughavas, CoLeitrim. Picture: Julien Behal/PA Wire

and I find it a real treat to be able to get timewith both.”The novice novelist says that most people

will have a story to tell if they just givethemselves the chance to put pen to paper(or finger to keyboard).“If you think you would like to start writ-

ing, just sit down and do it. You’ll surpriseyourself with what’s in your head. Even ifyou’re not sure where to start, just get someideas down on paper and allow it an oppor-tunity to evolve.“You really won’t get anywhere by saying

you ‘must start one of these fine days’. Evenif it doesn’t get published, so what — you’llgo on the best adventure ever and learn a lotabout yourself along the way.”As the wife of the Irish rugby captain, Amy

will be embarking on another new adventureset against the backdrop of a traditionallymale world.However having grown up with two

brothers, I have no doubt that she will bewell able to hold her own.“I’ve always really enjoyed my brothers

company and the three of us get on reallywell,” she says. “It’s nice to get a boy’sperspective on things sometimes.“And I have never really craved a sister be-

cause when it’s all you know you don’t reallycare for anything else,” she adds.

But her mother Sandra was also anonly girl and they have a great

FAMILY SUPPORT: Amy with her dad Harold and mumSandra at the recent launch of her book in Dublin.Picture: VIPIRELAND.COM

My health and fitness tips

Picture:RichieStokes

Full of life

I’vedefinitely hadmy wardrobemalfunction

days, but I don’tagonise too

much about it. Iknow what I likestyle wise and I

enjoy clothesand fashion. ButI’m not going to

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Feelgood

Pery hits the right spotName: No1 Pery Square, Hotel and SpaAddress: Pery Square, LimerickTelephone: 061 402402Email: [email protected]: www.oneperysquare.comSpa treatment: VoyaCost: Facials 85- 110

Reviewer: Caroline Delaney

Treatment: Revive and Alive Voya Facial.Irish seaweed features prominently in Voyaproducts and their silky, luxurious feeling isdistinctive and refreshing.There are no harsh chemicals and it feels

good to know that an organic Irish industryis involved. The unhurried treatment was apleasure and really hit the spot.Score: 9

Staff: From the moment we steppedthrough the door we were made feel likevery welcome friends. Tea and chocolatebrownies were served in a lovely drawingroom while our bags were brought to ourroom.Restaurant service was efficient and

pleasantly informal. Spa staff seemed to en-joy their work, which translates into goodservice.Score: 10

Hygiene: Spotless but not soulless. I es-pecially loved the foot soak and scrub area— lots of hot and cold water and softeningpotions and no need to worry about splash-ing and slopping water around. The layoutinvolves lots of little nooks and cosy spacesso you don’t even realise somebody must

be very busy tidying up.Score: 10

Spa quality: We felt like we were the on-ly ones in the spa, though staff mentionedthat they were fully booked. The relaxationroom lived up to its name with huge, softbeds and we could happily have spent awhole afternoon there. Stone corridors with

windows opening onto a lovely courtyardadded to the ‘getaway’ ambience.Score: 10

Food: Despite all our good resolutionsmade that morning in the spa we decidedto go all out and enjoy starters — eventhough we also had an eye on the dessertmenu before even ordering anything.

Healthy options made us feel less likegluttons — but there were plenty rich, com-plicated dishes too for foodies. My vegetari-an main course arrived a moment after myfriend’s — roasted heart of palm with gin-ger-poached cucumber and confit fennel —and I thought a prank was being played onme. It was tiny. The waitress saw my faceand quickly suggested some side dishes sowe ordered the creamed potatoes. Admit-tedly, the meal was delicious. My friend’shalibut dish was of a more standard sizeand she repeatedly said it was fantastic.Excellent service and the food was fresh

and beautifully prepared and presented.Score: 8

Accommodation: The comfiest bed shehad ever slept on was my friend’s summary— and I had to agree. The beds weren’toverdone with quilts, comforters, throwsand cushions like in some hotels. Crisp,white cotton sheets are far more appealingthan dozens of lumpy, velvet cushions. A‘sunflower head’ shower got my votestraight away and I loved the separate bath— cold drips from a shower can be very off-putting while you are trying to enjoy a bath.The toiletries in the bathroom were l’Occi-tane which we were more than happy touse. The room was equipped with a TV,hairdryer and iron and ironing board. Thewelcome notes in the room mentioned hairstraighteners or curling tongs as well ashot-water bottles available from receptionupon request.Score: 10

Total score: 57 out of 60

Just the place for wellbeingName: Caisleán Uí (Wellbeing Retreat)Address: Castlefreke, West CorkTelephone: Marie on 086-2699461Email: [email protected]: www.henrywellness.comCost: B&B 95 single room/ 150 doubleroom, weekend packages starting from170 per person/ 300 per couple

Reviewer: Deirdre Reynolds

The concept: Get in top shape or simplychill out at this stunning clifftop health re-sort. Celebrity personal trainer Pat Henryand son Karl (RTÉ’s Operation Transforma-tion) host wellbeing weekends for stars andZ-listers alike at the rural escape. But whileguests might recognise telly regulars Patand Karl, it’s mum Marie who’s at the heartof the healthy hideaway. With a combina-tion of home cooking, fresh air and exer-cise, it’s a sort of staycation for your wholesystem.Score: 8

Packages: Rest or reps — the choice isyours. Visitors have their pick of Do Noth-ing, Activity, Detox and Intensive Bootcampweekends — or a combination of all. Ibraved an outdoorsy Activity Weekend ofearly mornings, steaming porridge and surf-ing, kayaking and cycling. Whether you de-cide to camp out on the couch with a bookor work up a sweat by the sea, the Atlanticair is sure to blow away the cobwebs. I ar-rived a knot of road rage and left lookinglike a rosy-cheeked extra from Little Houseon the Prairie.

Score: 8

Accommodation: With massive, comfybeds, crisp snowy sheets and blackout cur-tains, beauty sleep is guaranteed — and af-ter all that exercise, you won’t need tocount sheep. Dripping with chandeliers, an-tique furniture and plush fabrics, thethemed bedrooms inject a little Hollywoodchic into your countryside stay. I embraced

my inner Madame Butterfly in the orientalcocoon of The Red Room. In the morning,throw back those curtains to reveal ravish-ing views of the ocean, before fresheningup with a monsoon-like shower topped offwith fat, snuggly towels.Score: 10

Staff: Marie has thought of literally ev-erything to make guests feel at home. Usu-

ally a hairdryer’s a bonus, but I pokedaround in my bedroom to find all kinds ofgirly provisions from a nightie to pink nailpolish. Attentive Marie encourages you totuck into seconds at the dinner table — butpersonal trainer Karl will make sure youburn it off afterwards.Score: 10

Hygiene: After its recent renovation,Caislean Ui still has that ‘new’ feel. Thefloors are spotless, paintwork pristine andthe bathroom tiles have never met mildewin their life. The no-shoe policy means youcan potter about barefoot without gatheringan inch of grime. The room is yours in pri-vacy for the weekend — so there’s nohousekeeping hammering down the door inthe morning. Instead you’ll find a stash offresh fluffy towels in the wardrobe.Score: 9

Food: What’s the point in working off allthose calories, if your only going to lumpthem back on at dinner? Luckily, mealtimesat Caiselan Ui were mouth-watering butlight on calories.Using local, organic goodies, Marie

whipped up a smorgasbord of fresh-fruitsmoothies and creamy porridge for break-fast, a spread of homemade bread, saladsand couscous for lunch and seasonal vegand fish for dinner. She didn’t grumble thatI forgot to forewarn her I’m vegetarian — in-stead producing a scrumptious veggie shep-herd’s pie for my delectation the next day.Score: 10Total score: 55 out of 60

Spa watch

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Tony Humphreys

Psychology

Early relationship withcarers key to health

Unconditional love in the home, at school andat work enables people to be their best self

LABOUR OF LOVE: Recognition is an essential requirementwithin the workplace for workers to be engaged, productiveand creative. Picture: Getty Images

WHEN children do not experience uncondi-tional love in the holding worlds of family,child-minding and pre-primary, primary

and post-primary schools, inevitably, they suffer loss of self-esteem. When their regular relationship experiences are of aconditional nature — “be good”, “be perfect”, “be quiet”,“be hardworking”, “be like me”, “be top of the class”, “be awinner” — they wisely conform or rebel or develop anavoidance strategy against these proscriptions.When they conform, they will do all in their power to

measure up to the unrealistic expectations because they knowthat to fall short is to risk the greatest blow of all — harshrejection or being a disappointment, with the consequence ofbeing ignored. Those children who rebel and act-out thehurt, equally, do all in their power to ensure they getattention, albeit for being difficult and troublesome.Some children attempt to go under the radar so that the

risk of rejection is reduced but, nonetheless, they cleverly getattention for being the “invisible” child — the one that causesno trouble — “you’d hardly know he’s there”. The wise ploybeing employed here is avoidance — “the less I do, the lesslikely that I’ll fail to meet the conditions for recognition” —thereby reducing the risks of being rejected.What has all the foregoing to do with unconditional love in

the workplace? Everything, since our childhood experiencesshape our adult lives. Employees are categorised under threemain headings: those who are Highly Engaged, those whoare Disengaged and those who are Cave Dwellers.

The highly engaged employees are the ones for whomorganisations develop all sorts of reward packages because oftheir dedication and productivity. When children, these em-ployees were the ones who conformed to parental unrealisticexpectations and their dependence continues to be reinforcedin the workplace. Their individuality and maturity have beenquietly suffocated by conditional recognition for theirachievements. The terror of failure continues to dominatetheir lives and the pressures they put on themselves to per-form, they also put on others — colleagues and their ownchildren. They are not happy and yet, to their own cost andto the cost of others, they often occupy the upperechelons of power — political, work organisational,educational, financial and social.Unless they come to an unconditional acceptance of them-

selves and separateness from the responses and expectations ofothers, they will continue to live lives of quiet desperation butalso be a threat to the well-being of others.

As children, the disengaged employees are the ones whodeveloped the avoidance strategy and they do the least for themost money in the workplace. These employeesare difficult to motivate as they tend to go for the average,avoid risk-taking, are passive and fight shy of responsibility —all ways of offsetting criticism and rejection. Unless they freethemselves from the fear of failure, of what others think ofthem and inhabit of their own individuality and take responsi-bility for self and their own actions, they will remain hiddenunder the blanket of avoidance.

The cave dwellers are the rebels, the troublemakers,the gossips who do little but protest loudly. Their fears ofrejection are hidden behind their aggressive and bullyingresponses. They too, hate responsibility and are expert at‘passing the buck’. Sadly, their behaviour alienates others(recognition in itself) and work organisations will do anythingto get them to move out — even paying them off. Redemp-tion for these unhappy individuals also lies in discovering thatthey are worthy of love for their unique self and that beingconfused with particular behaviours has been a painful jour-ney.Unconditional recognition is an essential requirement with-

in workplaces and, when it is present, a new category of em-ployees — ‘engaged’ workers — is more likely to emerge.These employees operate from a solid interiority of indepen-dence and deep regard for self and others and who view workas love made visible. These mature employees will integratework as an important part of their lives and they will bringthe fullness of their commitment, intelligence, creativity andaffectivity to the workplace.In the words of the late poet philosopher John O’Donohue:

“It is futile to weary your life with the politics of fashioning apersona in order to meet the expectations of other people.”Without unconditional love no safety to be self and no ma-

turity is present. Unconditional regard is not a ‘soft’ issue asmany managers who are in fearful places believe; indeed, it isthe ‘hardest’ challenge of all. The ‘success’ (highly engaged)culture that emerged in the last two decades has not served uswell — it was and still is characterised by depersonalisation,avarice, individualism, narcissism and a lack of accountabilityand authenticity.Individuality, authenticity and accountability are the essen-

tial bases for emotional, social, spiritual and economic pros-perity. However, these necessary qualities are only possible ina climate of unconditional love, in places where we live,learn, work, play and pray. In the presence of the current darkeconomic fallout and the denial evident in the Catholic hier-archy, the urgency to address unconditional love has beennever more pressing.

■ Dr Tony Humphreys is a clinical psychologist, author,national and international speaker. He is also director of threeUCC courses on interpersonal communication, parent men-toring and relationship studies. Details of these courses are onhis website: www.tonyhumphreys.ie or contact Margaret at021-4642394.

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Feelgood

Holiday romances aren’t always brief encounters. Arlene Harris meets three couples whose relationships went the distance

ACCORDING to Olivia New-ton John, summer loving hap-pens so fast. But while the sun,

sea and sangria may cause thousands of hol-idaymakers to swoon under the moonlight,the promise of undying love often fades asquickly as a suntan when lovestruck couplesface the harsh reality of everyday life.But some people refuse to give up on

their newfound love and despite the dis-tance between them will go out of theirway to ensure their summer dreams don’trip at the seams.

AUDREY GOODSTEIN met the loveof her life in 1993 while at a party inDublin. Having just come out of a long re-lationship, she had no intention of search-ing for a replacement but was wooed by adark-haired English man who was on holi-days in Ireland.“I was walking down the stairs when I

saw this good-looking guy at the bottom,”recalls the Galway woman. “I introducedmyself then went off to join some friends— but while I didn’t fall for him straightaway, I did think he was nice.”David, on the other hand, was smitten.“I was with my friend who is a beautiful

blonde and everywhere I went, Davidseemed to be following us — I was con-vinced he fancied her and was contemplat-ing telling him to just get on with it,”laughs Audrey.But he only had eyes for one girl and

when the other guests began to leave, thewould-be couple got talking.“We ended up chatting for most of the

night and decided to meet up the next day,”she recalls.“I called in sick the following morning

and we met up for lunch and then I wentwith him to the ferry port — after that Iwas completely hooked.”Despite their brief 24-hour meeting, both

parties knew that they wanted to see eachother again, so agreed to meet in Wales fiveweeks later.The couple met again on a Saturday

morning and the following day, the Londonlad proposed to his Irish rose.“It was such a whirlwind romance and

we actually tried to get married on the fer-ry between Ireland and England — but itwasn’t feasible,” says Audrey.Sensibly, they opted to sort out their liv-

ing and work arrangements and finally tiedthe knot three years later. And 17 years af-ter that fateful day in Dublin, they are hap-pily married with two children and are liv-ing in Clare.“I think we were very fortunate to find

each other like we did,” says the40-year-old mum. “The chance of meetingyour soulmate like that is like somethingout of a Mills and Boon book.“But if the feeling is there, you have to

go with the flow — if it is meant to bethen it will be worth it in the end.”David, 45, had no hesitation in wooing

the girl of his dreams — even if it meanttravelling across the Irish Sea on a regularbasis.“As soon as I saw Audrey, I knew that

she was the one I wanted to be with,” re-calls the project manager. “I fell for her im-mediately and although we lived in separatecountries, I didn’t mind because the excite-ment of seeing each other really kept therelationship alive.“And I know I’m not alone in this be-

cause while I was going over and back toIreland to visit her, I would regularly meetother people who were doing the samething.“I think people should stop worrying

about logistics because it all adds to thesense of adventure.”

AMANDA MCCABE also went to greatlengths to spend time with her future hus-band, Sean whom she met in an airport.The American woman was at a wedding

in Ireland in 2007 when she decided to takea break in Spain.“A few days after the wedding, my friends

and I decided to have a girls’ holiday beforeI went back to the US,” says the35-year-old. “We had a fantastic week inthe sun but had to endure an extended waitin the airport on our return to Ireland.”The waiting area was packed with weary

travellers, most of whom were catching afew minutes shut-eye as they prepared for

their journey home. But two passengerswere awake and got talking over the drearyselection of pastries in the airport café.“Because of the early hour, the daily bake

hadn’t been delivered and there was onlyone sorry-looking doughnut sweating underthe counter lights,” recalls the former chef.“I was grimacing at the paltry offering whena voice behind me said if I didn’t order thepastry fast, he was going to have it.“It was such a disgusting looking specimen

that I laughed out loud and immediately theice was broken.”Over coffee, the pair struck up conversa-

tion and even sat together on the flight backto Dublin.Once they arrived on Irish soil, the reali-

sation that Amanda was returning to the US

the following day began to sink in.“We spent the whole day together and be-

fore I went back to the States, made plans tosee each other again,” she says.Three weeks later, Sean — a roofing con-

tractor from Kildare — found himself inBoston as the couple started to get to knoweach other better.“Sean spent a week with me and by the

end of it, we knew that we wanted to tryand make a go of things,” says Amanda. “SoI gave him a speech about not wanting to getinto a pointless long-distance relationship andif we were going to continue, we had tomake some sort of commitment to each oth-er — I think it had an impact.”Having met in June, the couple continued

to fly across the Atlantic to see each other

and after a month-long visit to Ireland inSeptember, Amanda agreed to marry Sean,46.The couple, who married in 2008, are

now living in Kildare and are expectingtheir first child. And the bloomingmum-to-be doesn’t think there is anythingunusual about their courtship.“I hear stories like ours all the time,” she

says. “When people are away on vacation,they are more relaxed and open to changeso can end up falling for people that theywouldn’t meet at home.“Of course, not every holiday romance

works out — most of them last the dura-tion of the trip. But if you feel there issomething worth saving, don’t let it diewithout trying to make it work. I’m cer-tainly glad that we gave it our all.”

ANGELA VEALE met her soulmate JeffGonet while on a spiritual retreat in theBahamas in 2007. And fate obviously hada hand in their introduction as he literallyalmost missed the boat.“I was on a scholarship in New York

when my friend and I decided to go to ayoga retreat in the Bahamas,” she recalls.“We were going to spend a week withoutalcohol and meat so before we took theboat, we spent a happy afternoon drinkingmargaritas and eating ribs in the local HardRock Café — needless to say, I was feelingquite mellow.”Sitting back enjoying the ride, the Cork

psychologist noticed a figure on the beachwho was frantically trying to catch the at-tention of the boat’s captain — luckily theskipper had been notified and turnedaround to collect the late arrival.“I didn’t pay any attention to Jeff when

he climbed on board as I was more inter-ested in the scenery around me,” says the42-year-old. “But he did try to talk to meand over the course of the next few days Ibecame more aware of him.“We circled each other for a while and

ended up meeting for an early morningswim or an evening walk most days.”Despite the restrictive environment of

the ashram, the couple forged a friendshipwhich they felt had the potential to blos-som.“Initially I didn’t think there was much

point in pursuing the relationship as Jefflived in Boston where he worked as a fi-nancial controller and, while I was stayingin New York, I had every intention of re-turning to Ireland in June,” Angela says.But over the intervening weeks the cou-

ple made several trips up and down theeastern seaboard to visit each other and themore time they spent together, thestronger their feelings became.So Angela extended her visa by three

months to spend more time with Jeff andbefore she returned to Ireland in Septem-ber they vowed to make an effort to seeeach other regularly.“The long distance was very difficult and

while I couldn’t see a way forward, I didn’twant to finish things either — it felt likewe were in limbo,” says Angela. “So we satdown and worked out the pros and cons ofthe relationship and the logistics of gettingtogether.”Two years after their initial meeting, Jeff

proposed and the couple got married thissummer. They are currently living inCork, where Jeff runs a yoga centre andAngela lectures in UCC.“If you feel strongly enough about

something, you should really give it ashot,” Angela advises. “I knew that my re-lationship with Jeff was different than any Ihad before so I just trusted that it was rightfor me.”Husband Jeff, 55, knew the moment he

laid eyes on Angela that she was ‘the one’.“It was definitely love at first sight for

me,” admits Jeff. “I can picture the mo-ment so vividly and can even rememberexactly what she was wearing. But as wewere going to a yoga retreat, I had mixedfeelings about starting a relationship there.”But the attraction grew and the Boston

man got to know his would-be-wife slow-ly over the week — culminating in a kissthat sealed their future.“When we kissed on the beach, I knew

that I wasn’t going to let Angela go,” hesays.“Before I met her, I always ran away

from emotion, but I knew that I had tofollow my heart — and I’m so glad I did.“Love like this doesn’t come around very

often, so when it does, you have to reachout and grab it.”

Making it last in the real worldLIAM LALLY of Accord says

that while a romantic liaisonmay be part and parcel of agood holiday, the relationshipmust be tested in the realworld.

“If a person meets some-body on holiday, they shouldfind out whether the romancecan weather the challengesthat life throws up during therest of the year,” he says.

“They need to experienceeach other across a widerspectrum of environments —in a normal working week,

with family, colleagues and friends.“Then they will be better placed to

make the decision of whether or notthere is sufficient attraction and compati-bility between them to progress the rela-tionship,” he adds.

CONS:

■ Long-distance relationships can bedifficult to maintain.

■ The stresses of daily life can take itstoll.

■ Cultural differences can pose a prob-

lem for some couples.

PROS

■ Holiday romances are free from ev-eryday stress.

■ Both parties are usually more relaxedand open.

■ Relationships that start on holiday canhave the added value of a shared experi-ence.

● For relationship advice, visit www.ac-cord.ie or call 01-505 3112.

HAPPYEVERAFTER

CUPID’S WINGS: Sean and Amanda McCabe started talking at Dublin airport and didn’t wantto part when she had to return next day to the USA. Picture: Michael O'Rourke.

FUN ENCOUNTER: Audrey and David Goodstein met on the stairs at a party in Dublin andhave never looked back. Picture:Eamon Ward

RIGHT WAVELENGTH: Angela Veale and her husband Jeff Gonet met on a boat on way to a yoga retreat in the Bahamas. Picture: Dan Linehan

Cover story Summer lovin’


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Feelgood

CatherineShanahan

MUM’S WORLD

CatherineShanahan

MUM’S WORLD

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

Dr NiamhHouston

FAMILY

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

Medical matters

BANANA BOOST: Bananas are an excellent source of magnesium, which is vital for energyproduction, nerve function and maintaining strong bones. Picture: Getty Images

Q MY husband has Parkinson’sdisease and a friend has recom-mended magnesium supple-ments. Is there a test to checkmagnesium levels and would it

help his condition?

A. Magnesium is a mineral that is vital forenergy production, muscle contraction, nervefunction and maintaining strong bones. Lackof magnesium is rare, the symptoms includemuscle cramps, fatigue, loss of appetite, con-fusion, poor memory, apathy, numbness ortingling and seizures — these are featuresfound in many conditions including Parkin-son’s disease.A person with mild or moderate magne-

sium deficiency may have no or few symp-toms. Some studies have shown high concen-trations of aluminium and low levels of mag-nesium in the brains of people with Parkin-son’s diseaseLack of magnesium tends to occur in peo-

ple who abuse alcohol or absorb less magne-sium due to malabsorption, malnutrition, lowlevels of calcium, kidney problems, uncon-trolled diabetes, after surgery, severe burns oroveractive parathyroid gland.Unfortunately routine blood testing is of

limited value. Many people may have normalblood magnesium levels but have low intracel-lular levels of magnesium. The body attemptsto keep blood magnesium levels relatively sta-ble and will release magnesium from boneand tissues to do this. Tests using NMR spec-troscopy measuring the red blood cell magne-sium level are more reliable but are expensiveand not available routinely.Conventional medications for Parkinson’s

disease can help manage problems with walk-ing, movement and tremor.The supplement Coenzyme Q10 may be of

benefit as people with Parkinson’s disease canhave low levels of this. Regular physical activ-ity and exercise even 10-15 minutes a day willmaintain muscle strength and mobility. Tai chior yoga can help improve flexibility and bal-ance. Dietary sources of magnesium includedark green leafy vegetables, bananas, driedapricots, avocados, nuts such as almonds orcashews, brown rice, whole grains, as well aspeas and beans.The recommended daily requirements of

magnesium for adult males is 350-400mg —if taking magnesium supplements check this isthe dose of elemental magnesium.

Q. My eight year old had diarrhoea thatlasted for three to four weeks after return-ing from a camping trip. No one else wasaffected. We thought it was a touch of“gastro”, but when it continued for so longhis doctor did some tests and a parasite in-fection — giardiasis — was found. How doyou get this and does it have any long-termeffects?

A. Children are three times more likely to

have giardiasis than adults. This parasite isusually transmitted through contaminated wa-ter and can survive normal amounts of chlo-rine used to purify water supplies. It’s knownto cause “traveller’s diarrhoea” with symptomslasting more than 10 days, that begin after re-turn and there is also weight loss. Contami-nated food, swimming pools and direct con-tact with infected people or animals are othersources. Giardiasis affects the body’s ability toabsorb fats, so this means the diarrhoea is se-vere and watery, smells foul, floats and isshiny. Other symptoms include stomachcramps, wind, loss of appetite, sometimes alow-grade temperature.Doctors confirm the diagnosis of giardiasis

by taking stool samples, sometimes severalsamples may be needed before the parasitesare found. A more sensitive test called theELISA test can be used also. In most cases,treatment with five to seven days of antipara-sitic medication will help recovery within aweek. Take a dairy-free acidophilus also. If gi-ardiasis isn’t treated, symptoms can last up tosix week or longer. It’s contagious, so it’s im-

portant to protect the rest of your family. Itisn’t unusual for an entire family to have thisparasitic infection, with some family membershaving diarrhoea, crampy abdominal pain andothers with few or no symptoms.Most people recover well with treatment.

Possible complications include lactose intoler-ance. Occasionally infective gastroenteritis canunmask other conditions, such as coeliac dis-ease or inflammatory bowel disease, so ongo-ing symptoms should be investigated.To prevent infection wash raw fruits and

vegetables well before you eat them. Insteadof drinking water directly from mountainstreams boil for at least five minutes, purifyusing filtration or bring your own water.Have a strict “hand washing” policy in the

house. Encourage your children to wash theirhands after every trip to the bathroom and es-pecially before eating.Always have children wash their hands well

after handling animals including aquariums.An infected family dog or pet, livestock orwild animals may pass the parasite to childrenand other family members.

QUEUE jumpers are to me what defe-cating dogs are to flower-proud garden-ers — more maddening than a red rag

to abull. Those who ignore the code

when I have stood quietly in line fan an angerfew would suspect and none would care tounleash.There are two types of jumpers: those who

breeze by in the phony pretence of not havingnoticed the orderly row, and those whosebrass necks are a buttress to the barbed com-ments of other irate queuers.I encountered the first category while queu-

ing in a mobile phone shop. With me was onesmall girl, reluctantly buggy-bound and rattyfor want of a nap. Also in tow was one smallboy whose only escape from boredom was thein-shop display where each mobile phone wasrecklessly twinged and pinged by the stretch-able string holding it to the wall.

I stood there for half an hour as sales assis-tants put a slew of mobile phones throughtheir paces for other less-stressed shopperssearching for the perfect appliance to meettheir many needs. I waited grudgingly, be-cause I had to, because that is what people ina queue are supposed to do and, more press-ingly, because I needed someone to fix myoutmoded phone.I waited and waited and with each passing

minute the in-shop display came closer tocalamity, the small girl grew tetchier andtetchier and my forebearance dwindled,withered and died.Finally, three phone deals closed simulta-

neously and it was my well-deserved turn tobe served, when, out of the blue, and show-ing more flair for sidestep than Phil Bennett,two ladies of an age who ought to know bet-ter waved and smiled at the sales assistantwho was clearly unsure what position they

held in the queue. “Who’s next?” the flus-tered assistant asked. Flashing well-bleachedteeth and a clear belief in their divine rightnot to stand in line, the deceitful duo point-ed towards themselves.In that moment I understood the madness

of the Jet Blue flight attendant Steve Slaterwho dramatically quit his job when one rudepassenger too many blew his final fuse. If Icould, I would have shoved the two down achute to whatever fate awaited them.Instead, I grabbed the small boy, tightened

my grip on the buggy, and sped from theshop, seconds from pulling a Slater.The anger is still in my system. I wrote

about my experience in an effort to purgethe rage. Aggression levels per cubic foot areprobably higher than the ire of an averageRanger fan. Whoever said the greatest rem-edy for anger is delay surely never stood in aqueue.


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Well-knownpeople with TS■ Howard Hughes — famously rich eccen-tric

■ Dan Ackroyd — actor

■ Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — composer

■ Dr Samuel Johnson — writer

■ Tim Howard — goalkeeper (pictured)

■ Howie Mandel —comedian

■ Jim Eisenreich— basketball player

■ Tourette syndrome (TS) is an inher-ited neurological condition.

■ It affects one in every 100 children.

■ The key feature of TS is tics, invol-untary and uncontrollable sounds andmovements.

■ In most cases TS is also linked withother behaviours such as OCD andADD.

■ 90% of people with TS do notswear uncontrollably (coprolalia).

■ TS starts in childhood and aroundhalf of those affected will carry it onthrough adulthood.

Brush up onthe facts

Arlene Harris hears of one woman’s life-long battle with Tourette syndrome

TICKING ALLTHE BOXES:Despite livingwith Tourettesyndrome sincechildhood, it wasonly recentlyPamela Hackettwas diagnosedwith thecondition.

Breaking the tabooP AMELA HACKETT is a chatty,

youthful looking, grandmother ofthree. At 60 years of age, she has

seen and been through a lot but only beganto live life to the full when a few monthsago, she revealed a secret that has caused herstress for decades.For as long as she can remember the

Dublin woman has been battling with a con-dition that was only recently diagnosed asTourette syndrome (TS).“Ever since I was a child, I knew that there

was something wrong with me, I felt differ-ent to everyone else. I could never sit stilland was always doing strange things likeshrugging my shoulders, jigging about andblinking my eyes — people were always giv-ing me a hard time about it.”While Pamela sensed she was behaving dif-

ferently to her friends and family, she didn’trealise there was a name for her illness andspent five decades trying to mask the symp-toms which became more apparent when shewas under stress.“It has always been virtually impossible for

me to stay still — whether it was facial tics,shrugging, tummy tics or shaking my legs —I was constantly moving in some form orother,” she says. “And the more stressed out Igot, the worse I would become.”Over the years, the mother-of-two (who

also suffers from epilepsy) learnt how to maskher symptoms but the constant pressure oftrying to conceal her natural instinct left herpermanently tired which in turn made hermore stressed and so the condition contin-ued.“People put it down to my nerves, but I

knew that it was a way for me to alleviatetension,” she explains. “The more anxious Ifelt, the worse the tics would be. So I alwaystried to remain unnoticed by staying as farout of the limelight as possible — the fewerpeople that were aware of me, the less stress Iwould feel.“I worked for years as a secretary, managed

to hide the signs really well, but not knowingwhat was wrong with me on top of trying tohide my tics, was really taking its toll.”Then 10 years ago, Pamela was listening to

a radio programme and heard someone de-scribing the very same symptoms she has en-dured for a lifetime. She finally had a namefor her condition.“I knew as soon as I heard them talking

about TS that it was exactly the same as whatI was going through — I had all of the symp-toms apart from the swearing (coprolalia) so Iwas convinced I had found an answer andimmediately made an appointment to see adoctor about it.”“Within minutes of my consultation, the

doctor confirmed that I had TS (I was alsodiagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder)— I wish I had found out earlier, but it wassuch a relief to finally put a name to it andalso to get some help dealing with it.”Pamela was put on an antidepressant which

helped to ease the anxiety, which is at theforefront of TS, and was also given advice onhow to deal with the symptoms.“The medication has definitely helped and

I also know that I need to have a nap everyday to ease the tiredness that comes with theterritory,” says Pamela who currently cares forher 90-year mother who has Alzheimers.But despite having identified her condition,

she only began to open up about it earlierthis year.“When I first discovered I had TS, I was

delighted to have some help and finally knowhow to deal with it,” she says. “But I stillwasn’t happy talking about it, as there is ahuge stigma attached to it. Any problem re-lating to mental health seems to terrify peo-ple and they want to keep it quiet, so I alsokept it hidden for ages, but then I justthought — to hell with it.”By talking about her condition, Pamela re-

alised she would be breaking a taboo andhelping countless other people with TS andother similar illnesses. And tonight she willbe featured on an RTÉ programme about thecondition.“The more people talk about things, the

easier it is to deal with them,” she says. “No-body ever talks about mental illness and 50years ago, people would have been locked upfor having a condition like mine.”“But I do have Tourettes — so what — if I

can deal with it, then surely everyone elsecan.”Professor James Lucey is the medical direc-

tor for St Patrick’s University Hospital inDublin. He diagnosed Pamela’s condition adecade ago and says while TS can be treated,the degree of success lies heavily with thefamily and friends of the sufferer.“People with TS can learn how to suppress

their tics and keep them hidden until suchtime when they can be released in privacy,”he explains. “Medication also works well butdemystifying the condition is paramountwhen it comes to alleviating the stress of thesufferer.”The professor says if the person with TS

feels comfortable, they are less likely to bestressed and if their tics can be accepted aspart of their make-up, it will be much easierfor them to live a normal life.“Most people will have support from fami-

ly and close friends but if loved ones can

learn not to react to tics then it will do a lotto diminish stress.”Prof Lucey also says that breaking down the

stigma attached to TS and other mental con-ditions will help to make life easier for suffer-ers.“Tourettes has been stigmatised in comedy

broadcasts and people with the condition arebeing exploited by exposure to ridicule,” hesays.“Society has to take responsibility for the

fact that people with mental illness have be-come a source of entertainment — and this isa great pity.

“But this is born out of ignorance andfear so the most important way of helpingpeople with TS and similar conditions is totalk about it and make it acceptable.”

■ This is me: Me and my tics RTÉ One,tonight at 7.30pm.■ For information visit: Tourettes Associ-ation of Ireland — www.tsai.ie■ A new play about TS by award-winningYoughal playwright Elizabeth Moynihanentitled TIC will open at the Focus The-atre on August 30. For information visitwww.focustheatre.ie or call 087-274 4125.

Speaking up


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Feelgood

Roz Crowley

Food survey

Alpen Fruit & Nut, 2.18

Five 28g bars are high in puffed ricewhich, along with whole oats and wholewheat, amount to 36%. The texture ischewy. 4.5% chopped hazlenuts and al-monds are barely discernible, but 17%raisins are obvious providing most ofthe flavour. Skimmed milk powder addsto the nuts and oats to provide a good7.1% protein, but fibre is low at 2.4%.Sugars are a high 31.8%. A 109 calo-rie-count per bar is moderate but thebar is not as satisfying as others.

Score: 6

Weetabix Milk Chocolate Oaty Bars,1.99

Five 115g bars are high on Toy Storyimagery. The bars themselves have asquiggle of tasteless milk chocolate onone surface. Chewy in texture with a lit-tle soft crunch from puffed rice, there isalso 29% rolled oats. It is a little shorton flavour and oversweet, though sug-ar content is moderate at 13.5%. Fibreis surprisingly high at 26.9%. Saturatedfats are 2.1%, and there is good proteinat 6.9% from the oats and skimmedmilk powder.

Score: 6

Kellogg’s Elevenses Raisin Bakes,2.67

Six 45g bars have a heavy texturelike fruit cake. The aroma and taste isof cinnamon which is sweet. With a36% blend of wheat flour and rolledouts, quantities are not specified onthe label, but the floury texture domi-nates. 10% raisins and some apple area good idea, but there is also a lot ofsugar added bringing all sugars to ahigh 34%. There are added vitaminsand quite high salt at 0.5%. Texture isclammy and heavy in the mouth andnot preferred by any of the tasters. La-belling is confusing with too many lan-guages.

Score: 4

Flahavans Oaty Flapjacks,2.89

Six 40g squares have 37% porridgeoats and 5% oat flour with 11% choco-late chips. Despite the cane sugar andgolden syrup, the result is notover-sweet. There is a slight crunch, aslight chew and the chocolate meltsnicely in the mouth. Saturated fats aremoderately high at 12.1% and protein at5.7% decent enough. 0.15% salt is ac-ceptable. Fibre is reasonable at 4.4%and sugars high at 24.7%. 193 caloriesper bar is high, though these bars arebigger than many we tested. Best toavoid other treats when eating a wholeone. A goodall rounder asa temptingtreat forlunches.Testers likedthis one best.

Score: 8

Sirius Muesli Bars Lidl, 1.79

Eight 25g bars have 3.1% dried cran-berries which add to the flavour andprovide a nice fruitiness and added nu-trients. 18.9% roasted oatflakes, 5.2%wheat flakes, 5.2% spelt flakes, 2.1%barley flakes provide good substance,natural cereal flavours and texture.There are also lighter 11.3% wheat andrye flakes and cornflakes. While theydon’t taste oversweet there is a high24.2% of sugar, provided mainly byglucose syrup. Vegetable fat brings atotal high of saturated fats to 5.8%, butfibre is reasonable at 4.6%. Salt is a fair0.3% and proteingood at 6.4%.Calories are a low95.

Score: 6

Jordans Frusli, 2.39

Six 30g bars are chewy with a decent25% dried fruit and 33% wholegrain oat-flakes. Sugars at 30.2% seem high, butmuch of this comes from the fruit(strawberries, blueberries, cranberries,raisins) and honey. While there is someglucose syrup, there is also raw canesugar which is less refined. Somechopped almonds add to the bite. Satu-rated fats are commendably low at 1.7%,fibre is 4.5%.There is 5% pro-tein and a moder-ate 113 caloriesper bar. Overall, abar that is not toosweet with fairenough numberof wholefoods.Tasters liked thefruits.

Score: 7

Nature Valley Apple Crunch GranolaBar, 2.69

Six bars are packed in pairs whichweigh in at 42g. The calorie count ishigh at 185 calories, with fair 1.7% satu-rated fats, 0.8% salt. Compact andcrunchy, they have a good 53% wholegrain rolled oats, fairly high 27.9% sug-ars which includes 2% honey, dehydrat-ed apple and molasses. Nicely crisp andchunky with a fair 5.7% fibre from theoats. Calorie-wise best to take one fromthe twin pack at a time.

Score 7.5

Harvest Moon Fruit & Fibre CerealBars Aldi, 1.59

Six 28.5g bars are light compared toother samples. Soft and sweet, they arequite sugary with the hazelnuts (2%) of-fering a little relief. Coconut chips addextra bite, but the sweetened bananachips add to the over-sweetness withsugars high at 31%. Fibre is moderate at5.1%, protein is good at 7.2%. Overalltoo sweet and not enough bite.

Score: 4.5

C EREAL bars as snacks offerlimited nutritional value butare better than sugary, fatty

sweets and most biscuits. The best ofthem have good fibre content so theygenerate slow-release energy to sustain usat work and our children at school.

They should have some protein to keephunger away and decent amounts ofwhole, relatively unprocessed cereals tofight cholesterol and provide a good blendof soluble and insoluble fibre to keep the

gut working efficiently.The worst bars have too much sugar.

However, when reading labels take intoconsideration there is often natural sugarin the dried fruit. Watch salt amountstoo. Over half a percentage is too much.

The bars we tested had, thankfully, noadditives worth mentioning. Prices werealso quite even, taking weight into con-sideration. For those counting calories,remember just one bar could amount toa tenth of our daily allowance.

Called tothe bar

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Back To School Survivalwith Kate O’ReillyTAKE 4

Deirdre O'Flynn

MOSTLY MEN

Male health

Men are four timesmore likely thanwomen to phone insick due towork-related stress(Source: Medicash healthcare cash plan provider,Britain)

Left holding the babywhile mum goes to workYOU could be left holdingthe baby if Irish womenget their way. More thanhalf of Irish women (51%)would split their materni-ty leave with their partnerif they could, accordingto research byQUINN-healthcare.Three in five younger

women (61%) would behappy to split their ma-ternity leave with theirpartner if the option wasavailable, according to asurvey of 1,000 women commis-sioned by QUINN-healthcare. Justunder half (49%) of mothers over

35 years would also likethis opportunity.Mothers in Dublin were

among the least willing tosplit their maternity leave(49%) but more than half ofmothers in Ulster, Con-naught, and Munster felt itwas a good option.Sarah O’Neill, occupa-

tional health adviser withQUINN-healthcare, advisesmothers — and it’s goodadvice for men also — toensure that you both are

fully aware of maternity (and pa-ternity) entitlements before yougo on leave.

FIRST AID FOR FEELINGS: Combina-tions for Kids are part of the IndigoEssences range developed in Ireland byhomeopath Ann Callaghan. She says

one drop in a child’s lunchtime juice can make adifference. The following essences are particu-larly useful for children at school:Champion: For the child who is afraid of oth-er children and often gets picked on.Invisible friend: For the child who feels lone-ly in school and wants someone to bewith them all the time.Settle: Often children respond tostress by getting very jumpy. Settle helpsthem to feel calm.Shine: Some children change theirbehaviour to try and fit in with otherchildren. Shine helps children to knowthat the best thing you can do is beyourself.www.indigoessences.com

STAY WELL: Studies show childrencome down with bugs more fre-quently at the start of the school

year. Irish natural medicine company Natu-ralife is recommending three products tohelp keep your kids safe and well this win-ter:Udo’s Oil: This Omega 3-6-9 blend con-tains all the fatty acids to help with concen-tration in school. Try it blended intosmoothies and yoghurt, 25.99 for 500ml.Echinacea: It has been shown toboost the immune system and reducecolds. Naturalife Kids Echinacea is al-cohol free and naturally sweet tast-ing, 6.97 for 500ml.Probiotics: To help beat tummybugs and boost immunity, Naturaliferecommend Udo’s Choice Children’sBlend Probiotic, 15.99 for 60 tablets.

FLOWER POWER: The use of floweressences was developed in the 1930sby Dr Edward Bach.

Kids Rescue Remedy, 8.95 is an alco-hol-free version of his most famous combi-nation essence in a kid-safe plastic bottlewith dropper, created to help children dur-ing times of stress and anxiety. RescuePastilles also provide natural stress relief inan alcohol-free gummy lozenge. They comein a handy tin, 7.95, in origi-nal orange/elderflower andblackcurrant flavours fromchemists and health stores.See www.rescuereme-

dy.ie for more information.

INNER CALM: Naturopath Jande Vries has been using floweressences in his clinics for manyyears and has developed 12 spe-

cific blends including Child Essencewhich is designed to help a child feelcalmer and promote confidence. It in-cludes calming Cherry Plum Pink Cher-ry to promote feelings of be-ing loved and comforted,Walnut for adjusting tochanges, and Vervain to pro-mote relaxation. ChildEssence is 4.85 for 30mlfrom health stores.

Fears over failure tofind blackout causesGPs COULD be failing to spotserious underlying health is-sues which may cause somepeople to suffer blackouts, ahealth watchdog said today.A blackout, most common-

ly fainting, is a temporaryloss of consciousnessfollowed by complete recov-ery.The British National Insti-

tute for Health and ClinicalExcellence (Nice) has warnedthat family doctors could bemissing serious reasons whypeople suffer them, such asheart disease or epilepsy.It called for doctors to treat

all cases as serious unlessproven otherwise and to referto specialists if there aredoubts about the cause.An estimated 50% of peo-

ple will suffer blackouts atsome point in their lives, withmost being simple faints.Reasons for fainting can in-

clude standing for a longtime, feeling stressed or anx-ious, failing to eat properly ora sudden unpleasant sight orexperience.However, if there are uncer-

tainties, doctors should offera number of tests, includingan ECG.

Picture: Getty Images

Know thedanger signs

BODY SIGNALS: Pain ordiscomfort in the stomachcan often be a warningsign of bowel cancer.Picture: Getty Images

THE lifetime risk of being diagnosedwith bowel cancer is around one in25 for men, and yet there is a

growth in waiting lists in Ireland for bowelcancer screening colonoscopies. In fact, bow-el cancer is the second most common causeof cancer death in Ireland, after lung cancer.Not surprisingly, the Irish Cancer Society

is hugely concerned at the continuing growthin the lists of people waiting more than threemonths to undergo a colonoscopy, the mosteffective procedure for diagnosing bowelcancer.According to data provided by hospitals to

the National Treatment Purchase Fund(NTPF), which manages public hospital wait-ing lists, there are now 1,073 people waitingmore than three months for a colonoscopy,up 13% since last May.“We know that there is space for every

patient waiting to be treated immediately byreferring them to the NTPF,” says head ofadvocacy and communications KathleenO’Meara. “We don’t know why hospitals arenot using the resource that is available tothem to clear their backlog. It is importantthat hospitals, and indeed patients themselves,

are aware that the NTPF service is available.”Warning signs for bowel cancer include a

change in bowel habits lasting more than amonth, bleeding from the back passage,regular feeling of trapped wind or fullness inthe stomach area, feeling as though there issomething left to pass even after bowelmovement, pain or discomfort in stomacharea or back passage, weight loss for no ap-parent reason, ongoing tiredness or weakness.Risk factors for bowel cancer include age,

a family history of bowel cancer, a familyhistory of polyps (abnormal growths of tissuein the lining of the bowel), a diet high in fatand low in fruit, vegetables and fibre, lack ofphysical activity, obesity, alcohol, and smok-ing.“We understand that the NTPF has writ-

ten letters to patients currently waiting more

than three months to tell them they are enti-tled to a free colonoscopy. We do not knowwhy patients are not taking up the offers ingreater numbers, but the response rate tothese letters is surprisingly low, at less that20%,” said Ms O’Meara.If you have been waiting for longer than

three months, contact the NTPF (LoCall

1890 720 820) to discuss referral for acolonoscopy to a private hospital free ofcharge. If you are concerned about bowelcancer, call a specialist cancer nurse at theIrish Cancer Society’s National CancerHelpline on Freefone 1800 200 700 (openMonday to Thursday, 9am — 7pm and Fri-days 9am – 5pm) or visit www.cancer.ie

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Feelgood

STUFF WE LIKE

Emily O’Sullivan

Beauty

With autumn in theair, it’s time to dropthe fake tan andconsider a palershade of cool

I T’S AUGUST and I’m having a wintercoat crisis. This might seem a little pre-mature, but in my experience all the

good coats go fast. Also, this is Ireland, anddespite the fact that we have had a little blipof good weather over the past couple ofweeks, autumn seems to hit us quicker thanour European neighbours.

The impending change of season is thetime to update your beauty look, too. Justlike fashion, beauty doesn’t change immedi-ately — you don’t suddenly dump yourbronzer, frosted pink lipstick and turquoisenail polish and invest in a whole new set ofproducts — it’s more of a gradual thing. Youmight start wearing a plum eyeliner withyour bronzer, you might start mixing a littlelighter foundation with your darker summerone, you might invest in a new lash-length-ening mascara or a sexy eyeliner.

The number one move to make whentransitioning to autumn/winter is to bidfarewell to fake tan. The new autumn lookhas a very specific direction when it comes toskin and grubby, patchy fake tans need notapply. A artificial glow may have been usefulin summer (after all, no one wants to frolicaround with blue-looking legs all the time),but as we move into a new season the bottleof fake tan should be returned to the cup-board.

Beautiful, natural-looking skin is a keydirection now — it’s all about fresh, even,flawless complexions, that are delicate look-ing with a silky rather than a matte edge.Don’t be afraid to use pressed powder here,but make sure you choose wisely, it’s veryimportant not to make your skin look too set— go for as light and airy a formulation asyou can find.

Blush is another big look for autumn/win-ter (this is the kind of product we just can’t

get through a winter without), but don’t gofor big 1980s shades of fuchsia. While thetrend is towards a sculpted look on the face(highlighting the cheekbones as beautifully aspossible), the beautiful skindirection means that blush should be light,pretty and very natural. Try Clarins’s newInstant Blush. It’s become an instant make-upbag favourite for us.

Lancôme’s new collection also makes theskin a big focus with their new Rose Deco,a light pretty powder that’s designed to high-light and beautify the complexion with apretty rosy glow. You can use the darkershades as a blush, too.

The biggest change moving to the newseason is, naturally, colour. While summerwas awash with light nudes, pretty bronzesand shots of corals, autumn/winter reflects amore sultry direction with shades of khaki,plum, violet, tobacco, denim blue and darkred lips.

Yes, there’s the smokey eye thing going onagain (does it ever go away), but it has amore interesting edge this year with blackkohl eyeliners blended with the new eyeshad-ow colours. Or try a different look from thetraditional black eyeliner, with shades of blackcherry (more wearable than you’d think), sil-very-grey and dark autumnal green.

KOHL EYELINERSIF you buy one product this season…make it an eyeliner. It’s classic, versatile,sexy and never goes out of fashion.

Chanel Style Yeux Waterproof LongLasting Eyeliner in Cassis, 20. Aplum eyeliner doesn’t sound like some-thing you’d want to own, but this one isreally lovely. It has a nice, smooth texturethat glides onto the eyes and doesn’tpull or drag the skin. Best of all, it re-ally does last ages, so much so that itcan be a little hard to take off. Thetwist-up application is great too, es-pecially if you’re prone to losing pen-cil sharpeners.

Clarins Kohl Eye Pencil in Black,15.50. A good, classic black eyelin-er is an essential in most make-upbags, whatever the season, and thisis a good straightforward option thatgives a precise line and doesn’tsmudge. It can drag a little bit, so ifyou’ve sensitive eyes, go for a softerformulation.

Rimmel Soft Kohl Eye Pencil inStormy Grey, 4.53. Soft, well priced,easy to use and long-lasting — you don’thave to spend a fortune this season to getan effective eye pencil.

MOROCCANOIL

IF you haven’t tried Moroccanoil andyou’ve got frizzy hair to beat the band,then you might want to give it a go. Thislegendary cult product is excellent fortaming the wild bits of your barnet, andthe brand has just added to their range ofproducts, with the launch of Moisture Re-pair Shampoo 18, and Conditioner19.80.Enriched with argan oil from, well, Mo-

rocco, these products are excellent forhelping to rescue holiday-ravaged hair.For Irish stockists call: 00-44 800 310

1133.

Lancome Rose Deco, 39. In winter yourskin needs a lift and this product is a greatway to get it. It’s super-pretty and very flat-

tering. Dust it all over the facewith a big brush for a freshskin glow, or use the darkershades on the cheekbones fora more sculpted look.

Giorgio Armani EyePalette no 10, 58.50. Ex-pensive, but really verybeautiful — this is a crack-

ing collection of shades ar-ranged in a cool little bullseye shape.These “twilight” hues are really flatter-ing, with pure mauve and ink black in a

satin finish and aubergine purple in ametallic finish. Blend them together for asexy, sultry look or wear them on theirown.

Yves Saint Laurent Teint Radiance,42. The look for skin for autumn/winter isflawless and velvety and YSL’s new founda-tion is a good way to nail it. It diffuseslight to enhance the skin’s natural beautyand uses a hydrating complex that in-

cludes hyaluronic acid tokeep the skin fresh and ra-diant-looking.

Clarins Instant Blush,22. We included this a cou-

ple of weeks ago, but we like it so muchwe’re putting it in again. Despite the factthat it’s a garish looking bubblegum pinkshade, it is sweet as can be on the face andgives a youthful flush to the cheeks. You re-ally only need to use the tiniest amount,though, so don’t be tempted to put more

than a dot on or you’ll get instantAunt Sally cheeks.

Bobbi Brown Denim & RoseFace Palette, 52. Icy greys,shimmery blues, dusky pinks andfresh rose — this pretty little limit-ed-edition palette is a great prod-uct to entirely update your look.Go for a new-look smokey eye

with the dark pretty denim shades and perkup your collection with the rose.

No7 Exceptional Definition Mascara,16.50. A few of the catwalk make-upartists went for a “no mascara” look thisseason, but it’s not one we’re going to em-ulate. Instead, make the most of your lash-es with this little offering from No7 —it defines, separates and plumps upthe lashes effectively.

Estee Lauder Nail Varnish in BlueDahlia, 17. Yes, there’s a su-per-hot Chanel shade we have oureye on, but we’re quite taken bythis on-trend sexy blue shade.

TAKE THREE

The news on ...

Seasonaladjustment


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Megan Sheppard

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

Megan puts the spotlight on: Cancer Fighting Mushroom

Natural health

QI RECENTLY went for agastroscopy andcolonoscopy on the ad-vice of my GP. I had beensuffering from diarrhoea

and constipation on a regular basissince the birth of my second son byc-section almost two years ago. Ispoke to the consultant briefly after-wards who said there was some re-flux in the stomach and that mybowel was quite twisted. He said theonly solution to the problem was totake lots of fibre in the diet. Whatwould you advise and is there any al-ternative medicine you would recom-mend?

A. I am surprised your time with thespecialist consultant was so brief as atwisted bowel can present as a very se-rious condition, and certainly warrantssome clear information as to how youcan alleviate the symptoms and addressthe root cause.

The actual condition referred to astwisted bowel (volvulus) is typicallytreated with surgery, so we can assumethat while there is twisting in yourbowel, it is not severe enough to causegreat alarm. This is certainly a situationwhere a colon cleanse is warranted,since obstruction is typically an issue,and good overall health begins with ahealthy and clean bowel.

A fibre-rich diet will certainly helpwith colon health, in particular I wouldrecommend psyllium husks taken eachmorning upon rising and each eveningbefore bed. Use 1 tablespoon in a300ml glass of water, increasing or de-creasing the amount of psyllium de-pending on your symptoms. Psyllium iswonderful for treating constipation anddiarrhoea, which is why it is ideal formany gastrointestinal conditions.

Juicing fresh organic fruits and veg-etables will also help. Juicing is a won-derful way to deliver nutrients to a sys-tem where the digestive system is compro-mised. If you are concerned about the lackof fibre in fresh juices then simply stir someof the pulp back into the juice — most goodjuicers will leave a significant amount of fibrein the juice.

Finally, you might want to consider aherbal colon cleanse formulation. I like theUS Lower Bowel formula by Dr Christopheras it contains many herbs which help to sup-port and nourish the colon rather than justworking to clean it out. It also contains pureherbal ingredients with no fillers or additives.Dr Christopher’s formulations can be boughtfrom your local health store or online — Iusually purchase it from the US company

www.vitalerbs.com, where 100 capsules cost$9.43 ( 7.44).

Q. I have been diagnosed with sarcoido-sis and have started on steroid treatment. Ihave severe pains in my joints and do notwant to be take painkillers or anti-inflam-matory as well as the steroids. Could yousuggest any alternative treatment to easethese pains?

A. Sarcoidosis is one of those conditionswhich has medical professionals somewhatbaffled. Often discovered by accident duringan unrelated chest X-ray, doctors are unsureas to whether sarcoidosis is the result of an

infection or simply an inappropriateimmune system response. Groups ofinflammatory cells called granulomasform in the internal organs, particu-larly the lungs, and symptoms canvary from fever, weight loss, or jointpain.

It is common for the symptoms todisappear of their own accord withintwo years of developing this condi-tion, which is why many patientswho aren’t experiencing pain or dis-comfort are advised to do nothing.

Unfortunately you are experiencingthis severe joint pain as a side effect ofthe condition, so it makes sense to ac-tively seek relief rather than waiting itout.

Drinking aloe vera gel (40ml twicedaily, morning and evening) will helpto reduce inflammation in the system.

By far the most important measurethat you can take to minimise thejoint pain is to reduce your intake ofprotein-based foods since excess pro-tein aggravates musculoskeletal stiff-ness.

Q. I was very interested in yourrecent response to a question onhypothyroidism. You recommendedTCM and Qi gong. Where arethese treatments available? Also, isacupuncture a suitable treatment forthe condition?

A. Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM) — including Qi gong, herbs,nutrition and acupuncture, is wonder-ful for balancing and strengtheningthe energies of the body, working bytreating the ever-changing nature ofour bodily systems.

I thoroughly recommend DermotO’Connor, who not only specialises inMedical Qigong therapy, he also utilis-es acupuncture, Chinese herbs, andnutrition in his Haddington Roadpractice. Dermot can be contacted by

phoning 01-667 2222 or via email: [email protected].

As for recommending acupuncture, I amsure your practitioner will advise as to whichtreatments are appropriate for your specificsituation. I have seen marvellous results withacupuncture with all manner of conditions,including thyroid imbalance, so it is likelyacupuncture will at some point play a part inyour healing journey.

If you are unable to get to Dublin for anappointment with Dermot, then get intouch with Susan O’Toole, (028-28960),who is based in west Cork and also practicesand teaches Qi gong along with Chineseherbal medicine and acupuncture.

Unlikechemotherapy

drugs, which canalso be toxic to

healthy cells,herbal extracts

were found to bedeadly to cancercells rather than

normal cells

THE Red Reishi mushroom, (gano-derma lucidum), pictured here, hasbeen studied in the past due to its ef-

fect on various types of cancer, but recentresearch from the Beckman Research In-stitute in California, indicates that this un-usual mushroom may be useful in thetreatment of drug-resistant cancers.

Extracts of G. lucidum were tested onthree different types of cells:■ drug-sensitive small-cell lung cancer■ drug-resistant small-cell lung cancer■ normal lung cells.

The results showed that G. lucidumlung cancer cells responded to the herbmuch in the same way as they would reactto chemotherapy drugs. Yet, unlikechemotherapy drugs, which can also betoxic to healthy cells, herbal extracts weredeadly to cancer cells rather than normalcells, indicating they have some ability tospecifically target cancer.

This mushroom has been called “Mush-room of Immortality” and “God’s Herb”in Chinese medicine for centuries, and isconsidered to be one of the top herbalremedies used in TCM. It is believedreishi aids in health, youth and beauty —a supplement which we all could benefitfrom.

Studies on this magical mushroom haveuncovered an array of benefits — reducinginflammation, increas-ing energy levels, reg-ulating the immunesystem, protecting theliver, and improvingthe quality of sleep.

The immuno-mod-ulating effects of redreishi is of particularinterest in treatingcancer. After just 12weeks of orally ad-

ministered red reishi extract, immunefunction was significantly improved.

One of the particularly interesting re-sults is how quickly reishi acts withinthe body. It is thought that this may bedue to the fact that it is a powerfuladaptogen, with active substances suchas water-soluble polysaccharides andtriterpenes helping to rapidly normalisebody systems and processes.

Reishi is now becomingwidely available. Ask yourlocal herbalist or healthstore for the whole mush-room to prepare as a teaor grind into capsules, orbuy a supplement such asMikei Red Reishi Essencewhere you only need totake one capsule daily(available online fromwww.haeon.com).

LIQUID NOURISHMENT: Juicing is a wonderful way todeliver nutrients to a system where the digestive systemis compromised. Picture: iStock

TERAPROOF:User:GREGMCCANNDate:25/08/2010Time:14:45:53Edition:27/08/2010FeelgoodXH2708Page:16 Zone:XH

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Available at participating Lancôme pharmacies

from the 27th August to 10th September 2010.

*One gift per customer, subject to availability or while stocks last. Available at selected Ireland retailers only.

YOUR GIFTFree with the purchase of 2 or more Lancôme products,

1 to be skincare.

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Feelgood 27-08-2010