feelgood 20-11-2009

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GOOD FAITHBest-selling author Mitch Albomtackles the big questions in life: 4

TIME OUTSafe haven for familieswith sick children: 5

FRY UPEight brands of sausagesput to the test: 12

FeelgoodFriday, November 20, 2009

Feelgood

Cause CelebDoes the work of Angelina Jolie and the Irish starswho help people in need make a difference? 8,9

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009

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Feelgood

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

HEALTH NOTES

[email protected]

Kate O’Reilly

WHAT’S ON

DIABETES FUNDRAISER: In May2010, Charlotte Pearson will be takingpart in the joint Fighting Blindness andDiabetes Federation of Ireland Transyl-vania Trek. To raise funds there will aRat Pack Music Night at the CommonsInn, New Mallow Rd, Cork, tonight. Tick-ets are 10 at the door or by contactingCharlotte on 087-7705458 or021-4274229. All funds raised will beequally divided between both charities.

LUNG CANCER: Research to launchLung Cancer Awareness Month hasfound almost one in five Irish peopleare unable to name even one symptomof lung cancer, while 61% are unawarelung cancer is the leading cause of can-cer-related death in Ireland.One of the primary causes for the

high mortality rate is the relatively latestage at which the disease is diagnosed.Symptoms of lung cancer may include:a persistent cough that lasts more thantwo to three weeks, constant chest orshoulder pain, coughing up blood,shortness of breath, persistent chest in-fections, unexplained fatigue and unex-plained weight loss.For more information on lung cancer

call the Cancer Helpline 1 800 200 700or see www.cancer.ie.

HAEMOCHROMATOSIS EVENT:Haemochromatosis is a genetic condi-tion that causes people to absorb exces-sive amounts of dietary iron. This mayin time lead to serious organ damage.Haemochromatosis is especially

prevalent among the Irish and otherCeltic people. The Irish Haemochro-matosis Association is a support groupfor patients and their families. They areholding an information evening atMaryborough Hotel Cork on Tuesdaynext November 24 at 7.30pmThe speakers are Dr Orla Crosbie,

consultant gastroenterologist, and DrMary Cahill, consultant haematologist,Cork University Hospital. Seewww.haemochromatosis-ir.com

SING AGAIN: Members of The Na-tional Chamber Choir have been prepar-ing 28 local people from north-westDublin to perform alongside them in thefree Sing Again concert in Axis Bally-mun on Friday, November 27, at 8pm.For more information contact the Axisbox office on 01-883 2100.

BERE ISLAND: A Christmas Fair willbe held at Bere Island Heritage Centreon Sunday, December 6, from 12pm to3pm. Tables are 10 and need to bebooked in advance. Dancing and medi-tation classes are ongoing at the centre.Contact Theresa Hobbs, project officer,or Geraldine O’Sullivan project adminis-trator, on 027-75956 or email [email protected].

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

HEALTH FIRST: Aliesha Smith, left, with DaraO’Shaugnessy and Alannah Pugh, centre, allfrom Dublin at the launch of the annual Pfiz-er Health Index 2009.Picture: Robbie Reynolds/CPR

OVER 50% of adults can have diffi-culty understanding the medicalterms used when speaking to a doc-tor, nurse or pharmacist, according toa nationwide survey by Merck Sharp& Dohme (MSD) Ireland. MSD haslaunched the first in a series of PlainLanguage patient information book-lets, Arthritis — Key Words in PlainLanguage. The booklet, producedwith Arthritis Ireland support, ad-dresses the facts about arthritis, thecommon questions asked by peopleliving with the condition and alsopresents an A to Z guide to wordsoften found in patient leaflets. For afree copy, call 1890 252 846(10am-4pm Monday-Friday) ordownload from www.msd.ie/arthritisor www.arthritisireland.ie. The nextbooklet in the series will address asth-ma and allergies.

BIGGER efforts must be made to ed-ucate men about what constitutes ahealthy weight. This is the messagefrom the Nutrition & Health Founda-tion (NHF), with research showingonly 15% of men compared with31% of women would like to weigh ‘a lotless’. Yet two in three men are either over-weight or obese. The NHF says “men’s per-ception of their ideal weight is a matter ofconcern, with almost half believing they’reabout the right weight”.

CLOSE to three in 10 recently un-employed people are buying lessover-the-counter medication andone in five of them have cut downon prescription medicines.That’s according to the 2009 Pfiz-

er Health Index.But those still in jobs are also cut-

ting down on drug expenditure andalmost a quarter of people in jobsare reluctant to visit a health pro-fessional, with 10% thinking twicebefore bringing their child to a doc-tor.A total of 13 percent of the newly

unemployed hold off before bring-ing their child to the doctor. On theplus side, almost half of unem-ployed people say they plan to be-come more active, less stressed,give up smoking and cut down onalcohol.

NOT getting enough vitamin D maysignificantly increase your risk ofstroke or heart disease, according toresearch which followed up morethan 27,000 patients, aged 50 orover, who had no prior history of

cardiovascular disease. The study found pa-tients with low levels of vitamin D were 45%more likely to develop coronary artery dis-ease and 78% more likely to have a strokethan patients with normal levels.

Helen O’Callaghan

Breathlessness can be a sign of a serious condition and mustbe checked before it gets worse, says Arlene Harris

NO CHOICENOW: StanleyTrotter saysbeing out ofbreath isexhausting butit can beavoided bygiving upsmoking.Picture: Brian Farrell

Breath of lifeA LMOST half a million people

suffer from chronic obstructivepulmonary disease (COPD) in

Ireland. The most common forms of thisserious lung condition are emphysema andchronic bronchitis and many of the444,000 sufferers have smoked or workedwith materials which may have exacerbatedthe disease.Stanley Trotter is a 70-year-old retired

farmer from Leitrim. Although he is nolonger a smoker, he became addicted tocigarettes as a teenager and believes thiscombined with years of working in dustyconditions caused him to develop COPD.“I was diagnosed about six years ago,”

says the grandfather of seven. “A visitingdoctor asked me to come in for a check-upas he thought I sounded short of breathand sure enough, I was beginning to getemphysema.”As a young man he had worked on

building sites in England and later as afarmer, daily use of sawdust played havocwith his weakening lungs.“I gave up smoking over 10 years ago,

but the damage was already done,” he says.The COPD has taken its toll as Stanley

needs daily oxygen and is on a nebuliser sixtimes a day — he is also on regular medi-cation and gets exhausted easily.“If I could sit in a car all day, I would be

fine,” he admits. “But walking, stooping oreven going from room to room can be abig problem — being out of breath is a ter-

rible thing but it can be avoided it by giv-ing up smoking — throw the cigarettes inthe river, they will ruin your life,” he says.Dr Terry O’Connor, a consultant respira-

tory physician at Mercy University Hospitalin Cork, says COPD can be prevented bystopping smoking and getting medical helpas soon as possible.“Smokers and ex-smokers over 40 are the

most at risk from getting this condition,”he explains.“In its mildest form, many people are

unaware that they are suffering as it canstart off as a slight breathlessness — but ifleft untreated it will get worse.”

World COPD Awareness Day took placethis week and advances in medical sciencemeans treatment is improving all the time.“Apart from the obvious physical prob-

lems associated with COPD, the disease canalso bring about anxiety and depression,”says Dr O’Connor. “And the breathlessnesscaused by exertion can also cause people tobecome less active.“I would advise anyone who is suffering

from disproportionate breathlessness to visittheir GP as soon as possible.”■ For more information visitwww.copdsupport.ie or www.irishthoracic-society.com

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FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2009Feelgood

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THE SHAPE I'M IN Sybil Mulcahy

Morning glory

EARLY RISER:Sybil Mulcahyfrom TV3’sMorning Showis back to ahealthy size10 after thebirth of hersecond child.Picture: GerardBonus

I have zerowillpower ... peoplecan easily get me tostay out late whenreally I should be

going home

THE Morning Show with Sybil and Martin has been on airfor over six months now and former Xposé presenter SybilMulcahy says the time has flown.Sybil fronts the TV3 show with former weatherman Mar-

tin King. “It’s a good partnership. He’s so easy going. Wehave a bit of a laugh.”Looking back on her Xposé days, Sybil says she got “a

great buzz out of Jennifer Aniston” and was surprised byhow concerned Fleetwood Mac were about their appear-ance. “They’re the only people I had to bring along a mon-itor for so their minders could see what they looked like.”Mum to three-year-old Hugh and Genevieve, 17 months,

Sybil, 35 is married to John, who works with Bord Gáis.“He has no interest in media — we’re like chalk andcheese,” she says.

What shape are you in?I’m in alright shape. I’ve lost the baby weight. I’m a size 10at the moment and my latest trick is to avoid lunch andhave dinner at 6pm.

How else do you keep in shape?I work five days a week and run around after two children.Some evenings I go for a walk.

Do you have any health concerns?No, though I’ve had a stye removed from my eye and abirthmark from my forehead.

What are your healthiest eating habits?Having my dinner early is the healthiest thing — if you eatat 8pm, the food just sits in your stomach. Dinner would behealthy, with meat and veg.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?I drink a lot of coffee, have a chocolate bar for lunch andhave white wine at the weekend.

What would keep you awake at night?The kids are up three times a night but I’ve developed atrick of being able to go back to sleep. I go to bed early be-cause I’d be so wrecked — I was in bed at 8pm last night. IfI have an early flight or have to go to work early, I don’tsleep.

How do you relax?I like going shopping, meeting friends for coffee and ideallygoing for a spa treatment, which doesn’t happen too often. Ilike chilling out at home and watching TV.

What’s your favourite smell?I love the smell of Christmas trees.

What would you change about your appearance?I’d like skin that tans because I’m so freckled. I’d possiblylike liposuction on my stomach.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?Jennifer Aniston — she’s good craic and would keep youlaughing. Also Barack Obama and actor John Candy.

What trait do you least like in others?Lying and stinginess with money.

What trait do you least like in yourself?Lack of willpower — I have zero willpower. If I’m makingdinner I’ll have to pick at it before putting it on the plate.People can easily get me to stay out late when really Ishould be going home. And if I see an outfit I like, I’ll buyit when I should hold back.

Do you pray?In times of need, yes.

What cheers up your day?When we get good ratings on our show.

Helen O’Callaghan

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Feelgood

I looked at thebig hypocrisiesof faith — the

churchscandals, the

ethnic cleansingin the name of

religion. Butthen I looked onthe ground level

and I saw littleacts, illustrating

how faithshould bepractised

Restoring his faithAuthor Mitch Albom tells Helen O’Callaghan how he turned his life around

P EOPLE from Mitch Albom’spast have a habit of popping upunexpectedly and getting him

to turn his life around.It happened in 1995 when he

re-encountered his former college profes-sor, Morrie Schwartz. Albom’s visits withthe terminally-ill Schwartz led to thebest-selling book, Tuesdays With Morrie.“It was never meant to be a major book.

I wrote it to help pay Morrie’s medicalbills,” says Albom, 51, a sports journalist atthe Detroit Free Press.The book and the encounter with

Schwartz profoundly changed Albom who,at the time, lived a high-octane, fast-pacedlife as a journalist.“Before Morrie, I was working five jobs,

three of them full-time, doing 110 hours aweek. I had no sense of mortality — I be-lieved I was going to live forever. I hadvery low sensitivity to other people, verylittle community involvement, very littlespirituality in my life, very little sleep.”And after Morrie? “I don’t spend my

days sitting under a tree humming. I stilllive in Detroit and I still have jobs, thoughnothing to the degree I had. Certainly, I’vegot a sense of mortality now — that lifeisn’t promised to go on forever and couldend at any time.”Albom’s sense of the spiritual has grown

further since he received an unusual requestabout eight years ago — 82-year-old rabbiAlbert Lewis from Albom’s old New Jerseyhome town asked him to deliver his eulogy.Albom felt unworthy and insisted onknowing the man better, something thatthrew him back into a world of faith he’dleft years before. At the same time, Albomgot to know Henry Covington, a Detroitpastor — a reformed drug dealer and con-vict — who preaches to the poor andhomeless in a decaying church with a holein its roof.Albom’s interactions with the two men

led to his latest book, Have a Little Faith, atome about life’s purpose, about losing be-lief and finding it again. Already on theNew York Times bestseller list, it exploreswhat heaven and forgiveness are and looksat the importance of faith in trying times.All three of Albom’s mentors — Morrie,

the rabbi and the Detroit pastor — havehad long marriages to one woman. “Theyall said the same thing — you have to berealistic about your expectations in mar-riage. You can’t be taking the temperatureof your marriage every five minutes, askinghow come it’s one degree hotter or cold-er,” says Albom, who’s been married to Ja-nine Sabino since 1995.“Whenever the rabbi’s wife is asked for

the secret of a happy marriage (she marriedhim in 1944), she says: ‘We’ve had 30wonderful years together’. And whensomeone points out she’s been married alot longer than that, she says, ‘Yes, on aMonday I got 20 good minutes, on a Tues-day I got a good hour — it all adds up to30 years’.”When asked about children, Albom says

he and Janine “have not been blessed that

way”. That’s been hard, he admits, but hesees it as God’s will. And it’s not as if he andJanine don’t have children in their lives.“We have 15 nieces and nephews who are

constantly in our house. If you visited you’dwonder where we’d put children of our own.There’s been a lot of divorce in our family —the kids have been looking for help andguidance and we’ve been able to provide that.Not a day goes by that we don’t talk to kids— stuff like what college they should go to,what we think of the new girlfriend. That’show we spend our days.”Children are one way of soothing what Al-

bom, in a phrase borrowed from RabbiLewis, calls the second death — our fear ofbeing forgotten after we pass away.“With children, there’s a sense you go on.

You impact on them, you leave your mark.But that only lasts a few generations and yourname is forgotten. It was the rabbi whopointed out that the only other way to leaveyour mark is through faith. If you practisecertain rituals of faith and those are passed onto later generations, you’re connectedthrough that rope of faith, though your namemay not be remembered.”

A firm believer in “a force bigger than usbeyond this world” and in the “spark of di-vinity inside us”, Albom says he wouldn’thave wanted to talk about his faith 10 yearsago or hear about anybody else’s. And,though he empathises with the cynics (“I wasonce one of them”), he’s had the cynicismknocked out of him.“I looked at the big hypocrisies of faith —

the church scandals, the ethnic cleansing inthe name of religion. But then I looked onthe ground level and I saw little acts, illustrat-ing how faith should be practised.“I saw Henry Covington in a freezing cold

church with 100 homeless people, lying un-der wool blankets trying to sleep. He was ona balcony watching over them, not becausehe’d been asked to but because this was hischurch and he needed to look after them.”Taking his inspiration from the rabbi —

who raged at God after his four-year-olddaughter died — Albom says we’re nevercloser to God than when we’re angry. “That’swhen you get dialogue. It’s like when wewere teenagers. When did we deal most withour parents? When they said we couldn’t dosomething and we said: ‘Why can’t I?’. That’s

when our parents were really in ourworld, when we recognised their power.”Given the current turbulent economic

times, one of the most topical questionsexplored in Have a Little Faith is how toendure when difficult things happen.“Don’t just say to God, ‘Get me

through this’. As you’re trying to getthrough, help other people. It puts yourown issues in perspective,” says Albom,whose home city of Detroit has 30% un-employment.One of the best-known media figures

in the city — he has also worked in radioand TV and currently hosts a daily radiotalk show — Albom believes he’s beengiven the means and the voice to make adifference. He has founded three charitiesin the Detroit area — his most recent ef-fort an umbrella programme to fund shel-ters and care for the homeless. He alsoraises money for literacy projects. But it’snot enough, he says. “I’m happy I’ve hadsome effect in Detroit, but I need to domore.”■ Have a Little Faith, Mitch Albom,12.99 (hardback).

Picture:BILLY HIGGINS


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HOME FROM HOMEGEARING UP TO STAY

Maggie Carragher reports on the success of Ronald McDonald House

FAMILY TIES: Noleen andTrevor Whelan with theirchildren, from left, Billy, 15,Emily, 14, Tommy, 18months, and Joey, 9, at theirhome in Ballon, Co Carlow.Picture: Dylan Vaughan.

SAFE HAVEN: Diarmuid,Maria, Sam and Sarah. FromCork, the family have beenstaying in Ronald McDonaldHouse since Sarah was born13 months ago.

THIS month marks the fifth birth-day of Ireland’s Ronald McDon-ald House, which houses families

of sick children in the grounds of Our La-dy’s Hospital, Crumlin. Named after thefast food chain, the Ronald McDonaldHouse Charity (RMHC) was establishedin the US in the 1970s. Now almost 300of the houses worldwide offer the familiesof sick children a way to be together inproximity to their treatment hospital, tobe comfortable and cared for throughouttheir stay.In Ireland, the Ronald McDonald

House has helped over 1,150 familiessince its inception, including almost 300families in Cork (Cork being the countywith the highest number of families usingthe RMH services, followed by Donegaland Kerry).The facility is available to any family

who has to travel two hours or more toCrumlin Children’s Hospital, and whosechild is hospitalised or undergoing treat-ment as an outpatient for five days ormore. Family rooms with en suite, TVand telephone, are available for 20 pernight for the first seven nights and 10per night thereafter.The communal facilities include

car-parking, laundry, dining area, lounge,toddlers’ room, kitchen, library and asmall garden with play area.According to RMCH Ireland’s volun-

teer CEO Marian Carroll, the benefits ofsuch facilities cannot be overstated.“Parents of sick children can often feel

isolated,” she says. “The communal natureof the house facilities means that familiesin similar circumstances can come togeth-er and mix in comfort, all the whileknowing that their sick child is withineasy reach.”There is currently only one Ronald

McDonald House in Ireland.The board of the new children’s hospital

under construction in the grounds of theMater Hospital is currently in discussionwith RMHC regarding the provision of asimilar facility there.In Cork, Bru Columbanus provides free

accommodation to relatives of patients inlocal hospitals and the hospice.Diarmuid and Maria Dorney from Cork

have been staying in the Ronald McDon-ald House since the birth of their daugh-ter Sarah 13 months ago.Born with DiGeorge Syndrome, a rare

congenital disease whose symptoms varybut commonly include a history of recur-rent infection and heart defects, Sarah hasundergone open-heart surgery at Our La-dy’s Hospital, and needs ongoing treat-ment there.Maria credits the Ronald McDonald

House for providing support for her andher family, allowing them to stay close bythe hospital and be with their daughterduring this “incredibly stressful” time.“Being with other parents in similar cir-

cumstances has made the situation morebearable as there is always someone wecan open up to who understands exactlyhow we are feeling,” she says.For her husband Diarmuid, who visits

at weekends with the couple’s three-year-

old son Sam, the house has been a “life-saver”.“I can’t imagine how we’d manage without

it,” he says. “As well as providing us with abase where we can spend time as a family, italso gives us a break from the hospital envi-

ronment. Really, it’s a home from home, notleast because you’re with people who are inthe same boat as yourself, and who under-stand exactly what you’re going through.”Having a seriously ill child is, he says, a

life-changing experience for the entire family,

particularly when it involves hospitalisationa long way from home.“Suddenly you’re in unfamiliar territory

and it’s often the little things you usuallytake for granted that bring the most com-fort. Like being able to grab a shower be-tween hospital visits, or watch a film, orget up in the middle of the night for a cupof tea.”Like the Dorneys, mother-of-four

Noleen Whelan from Tullamore regardsthe Ronald McDonald house as a homefrom home since the birth of her sonTommy in 2008. Born with a heart condi-tion, Tommy spent his first three weeks inhospital, was admitted again for six weekslater that year, and will need ongoingtreatment. For Mary, the house provided ahaven for her other children, who rangein age from 14 to eight, while she caredfor her newborn. “Being so close to thehospital meant the kids could get to knowtheir new brother,” she says. Earlier thisyear Noreen’s 14-year-old daughter Emilyalso had heart surgery in Crumlin. “Beingable to move back to the house withoutthe worry of babysitters or long commuteswas such a comfort,” she says.

■ Until November 29, McDonald’s Storeswill be selling shopping trolley tokens( 2) and car stickers ( 1) in aid of theRonald McDonald House.

■ Tomorrow, all McDonald’s Stores willdonate 1 for every Big Mac sold.

SOME common questions aboutRonald McDonald House are:

■ What do we bring?Families should bring food, cloth-ing, toiletries etc. Linen and towelsare provided.

■ How long can we stay?There is no time limit — a familycan stay as long as their child is intreatment.

■ Are meals provided?No. However the house has alarge communal kitchen wherefamilies can cook meals and eattogether.

■ Is the House owned and oper-ated by McDonald’s?The Ronald McDonald House isowned and managed by RMHC Ire-land, an independent registeredcharity. All McDonald’s stores makean annual contribution to the ad-ministrative costs of RMHC Ireland.This allows the charity to use allmonies raised to help children andtheir families around the country.

■ See www.rmhc.ie.

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Feelgood

Tony Humphreys

Relax. Headstrong teenagers who insist they know it allwill in time appreciate the important role adults play

Waiting in the wings

MY WORLD:The illusion ofknowing it all sendsteens headlong intothe world, withoutfear. Picture: iStock

M ARK TWAIN’S wonderfulobservation “when I was 18 Ibelieved my parents knew

nothing and when I was 20 I couldn’t believehow much they had learned in two years”captures the often turbulent journeyteenagers make to adulthood.In their late teens young people are utterly

convinced they know it all and that they aregoing to save the world. Some authors be-lieve this is an idealistic phase young peopleon the brink of their adult years go through.However, I believe human behaviour alwaysmakes sense. So there has to be more to thisvery poignant illusion.What often strikes me when I speak to a

teenager or a group of teenagers is howill-prepared they are for the responsibilities,demands, upsets and roller-coaster rides thatcome with being an adult. It seems wise andclever of teenagers to unconsciously createthe illusion they know everything in the faceof what are overwhelming responsibilities.The illusion prevents them from runningaway and, indeed, sends them headlong intothe world where ‘angels would fear to tread’.This headlong plunge into various chal-

lenges makes it more likely the young illu-sionist will learn from his experiences and,like Mark Twain, eventually become a realist.When adolescents avoid the necessary

emotional, sexual, intellectual, occupational,social and spiritual challenges of becoming anadult, they can stay stuck in their fears anddependencies and life is a limited and fearfulphenomenon for them. The wisdom of theheadlong plunge is that it creates opportuni-ties for mature development.Those adolescents who travel the avoidance

path have been deeply hurt and they are noteven remotely psycho-socially ready foradulthood.Resolution of the persistent abandonments

from childhood to the present is required be-fore a readiness to proceed will emerge. Thearmoury of the illusion means the teenagersneither look for help nor do they welcomebeing advised what to do.Parents would do well to see the ‘vice’ in

the word ‘ad-vice’ and in their interactionswith teenagers show belief in their capacityto understand and encourage the young per-son to arrive at their own answers.Understandably, parents experience great

frustration at what they perceive as their sonor daughter being headstrong, arrogant andirrational. It helps when parents own theirown responses as being about themselvesrather than blaming their teenage offspring.Parents’ frustration is about their need for

their son or daughter to make the ‘right’ de-cisions, to be sensible and to listen and availof their life experiences. The saying ‘youcan’t put an old head on young shoulders’ isrelevant here and it is the mature parent thatallows the adolescent to learn from his or herown experiences. Teenagers are not here tolive their parents’ lives and some parents seri-ously struggle with accepting that reality.These parents may say: ‘We’re only saying

this for your own good’. But if truth be toldthey are saying it for their own good.Some parents will defend their intrusiveness

with: ‘We’re only trying to protect him frommaking the wrong decision’. But implicit inthis is the demand to see and do things theparents’ way. When parents view teenagers asbeing ‘arrogant’ and ‘irrational’ they are re-vealing their own arrogance of believing theyknow what is best for the teenager and their‘irrationality’ by not seeing that teenagersneed the space and the support to learn fromtheir lived experiences.Within the boundary of maintaining their

own dignity and responsibility for self, par-ents can best respond to teenagers’ illusion ofknowing it all with a silent understanding ofthe wisdom of the illusion, with a maintain-

ing of unconditional relating, with a waitingon the sideline for the teenager to come tothem for help and support and with a mani-fested believing that teenagers will comethrough this very challenging time of theirlives. The presence of unconditional love andbelief are the two critical supports that notonly teenagers need but parents and all otheradults as well.Parents may well ask: ‘How do I respond

when my teenage son asserts school is stupid,teachers are ancient and know nothing, poet-ry is useless’? What is crucial is that the par-ent does not get entrapped into conflict withthe teenager by attempting to argue howridiculous is what he’s saying.Maturity calls for an open response such as:

‘Given what you are saying, how is it for youin school?’ A likely response is: ‘I just hateschool and I want to be out working andmaking lots of money.’ The secret is to returnresponsibility to the young person for whatthey are saying. In this way, decision-makinglies with them.What may eventually emerge is the truth

behind the illusion: ‘I know nothing aboutlife.’ When this truth is present parents canthen affirm how much he knows, what it islike to be on the brink of adulthood andtheir willingness to offer support and re-sources for how to explore how he can bestnegotiate this particular time of his life.

Dr Tony Humphreys is a clinical psycholo-gist and author of several books on practicalpsychology including The Mature Manager

For a different view

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A driving force

Be an angel by buying an angel for charity

THE Irish Wheelchair Association’s an-nual Angel fund-raising campaign runs

through the month of November.Angel pins and pencils are on sale

throughout major supermarkets and fromvolunteers nationwide for 2. All moniesraised will help to fund services for thenext year.IWA chief executive, Kathleen

McLoughlin says the organisation onlyruns a national campaign once a year and

it is more in need of finance than ever thisyear to keep vital services going.“Our annual Angel campaign allows us

to generate much needed funds to provideessential resources and services to manypeople with disabilities.“Our members rely on us for vital ser-

vices, for instance personal assistants tosupport them in their daily living,” saysMcLoughlin.■ For further information or to donate

online please contact the Irish WheelchairAssociation on 01-8186400 or email [email protected] www.iwa.ie/

■ Pictured hereOisin Putt, 7, fromDublinand Darragh O Regan, 5, from Cork withfootball legend Niall Quinn as they helplaunch the Irish Wheelchair AssociationBe an Angel, Buy and Angel Campaign.Picture:Leon Farrell Photocall Ireland.

Getting behind the wheel of a car was a major step towards independence for a formeryoung jockey left paralysed after a riding accident. Michelle McDonagh reports

IN GEAR: SeanMcManus takes tothe open road inhis specially-adapted car.Picture: James Flynn/APX

S EAN MCMANUS enjoysnothing more than driving hisfriends around to race meet-

ings and football matches in his powerfulChrysler Grand Voyager.Being able to drive his own car has

made a massive difference to the qualityof life of the young man whose dream ofbecoming a professional jockey was shat-tered when a devastating accident lefthim paralysed from the neck down fouryears ago.Sean, 25, drives his electric wheelchair

into his specially adapted car and operatesthe controls from an overhead panelwhich he taps with his head. He has re-gained some power in his hands whichallows him to use the steering wheel anda joystick that operates the brakes.An inspirational young man, Sean, from

Rosemount, Moate, Co Westmeath has aremarkable positive attitude to life: “Iadapted quite quickly to my injuries.There was nothing else I could do butjust get on with it. I was only 21 when ithappened, it’s not as if my life was goingto just stop at that age.”From a young age, Sean knew he

wanted to work with horses and went toLimerick at the age of 16 to learn theracing trade from a trainer. He was thentaken on by a trainer close to home inTullamore and took out an amateur li-cence in 2003 with aspirations of becom-ing a professional jockey.However, on March 22, 2005 he was

riding in a point-to-point when his horsehit a fence and Sean fell off, sustainingsevere head injuries. He was rushed fromNenagh Hospital to the Mater in Dublinwhere he underwent an eight-hour oper-ation but, despite the expert intervention,was paralysed from the neck down.He recalls: “When I was in Nenagh I

asked the doctors after the X-ray howbad it was and would I ever walk again.One of them told me it was very bad,and he wasn’t really able to say but hedidn’t think so. I always knew ridinghorses that there was the risk of injury,particularly head or neck injury.”

Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Seanspent the next eight weeks regarding everynew day as a bonus and brought his can-doattitude with him to the National Rehabilita-tion Centre in Dun Laoghaire where hestayed for eight months.“In rehab, I got some movement back in

my left arm and I learnt to eat and drinkagain. I couldn’t even move my arms when Iwent in but after four weeks, they had meeating with a fork strapped to my hand witha feeding strap and drinking out of a cup.The staff there were unbelievable.”Although the prospect of returning home

after 10 months was a frightening one, Sean’sfamily and friends rallied around to make thetransition easier. With funds raised locally andthrough The Irish Turf Club, his parents’

home was adapted and a new car was boughtin 2007. “When they told me in rehab Iwould be able to drive a car, I didn’t under-stand how this could be possible because Ihad no upper mobility with my injuries, butthe Irish Wheelchair Association helped mepick the most suitable car which was sent toGermany for six months to be rebuilt for myneeds. Then they gave me eight weeks ofdriving lessons and I was back on the road.”As well as driving to races and football

matches with his mates, Sean enjoys a fewpints in the local pub at the weekend. Hesays the car has given him an independencehe never thought he would have again afterhis accident.Irish Wheelchair Association CEO Kath-

leen McLoughlin explains that thousands of

members have gone through the organi-sation’s driving school over the years andmany are driving custom-built cars.“If I were asked, I think getting back

driving is probably the single most im-portant thing for a lot of people with dis-abilities as it allows them to continue onwith life, whether it’s going to college,work or socialising,” she says.Founded in 1960, The Irish

Wheelchair Association today provides arange of national services to 20,000members throughout the country.These services include 60 resource and

outreach centres, personal assistant ser-vices, motoring advice, assessment andtuition, training and education, respiteand holidays.


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I have done a lot ofresearch and talkedwith many people inWashington, DC, atthe UNHCR. I haveread as much as Icould. I discovered

statistics thatshocked me and

stories that broke myheart. I also readmany things that

made me sick. I havehad nightmares —not many, but they

scared me— Angelina Jolie

It’s easy to be cynical about celebrities’ involvement with charitable causes, butClaire O’Sullivan points out how such work is hugely important for some organisations

CELEBRATIONINGHigh-profile Irish personalities offer their time and support forfree, discovers Sharon Ní Chonchúir

HEART FELT: MiriamO’ Callaghan recentlymarked the launch ofReindeer Food in allArgos and Homebasestores to raise funds forHeart Children Ireland.Picture: Collins Agency

TOY STORY: Gerry Ryan this month launched the Unicef Ireland and IKEA Christmas toyfundraising campaign with Dustin the Turkey and students from St. Joseph’s SeniorNational School Ballymun, Dublin. Picture: Jason Clarke Photography

HIGH JINKS:RyanTubridy twoweeks agojoinedFranklySinatrasinger SeanHession tolaunch theYoung atHeartChristmasconcert inaid of theIrish HeartFoundation.Picture: LeonFarrell PhotocallIreland.

IRISH charities are well aware of the val-ue of celebrity patrons. But is the transac-tion a financial or a purely altruistic one?

GOAL, which works with sports stars suchas Gordon D’Arcy and Eamonn Coughlan,as well as Mícheál Ó Muircheartaigh, neverpays for celebrity endorsement.“To really appreciate the value GOAL gets

out of every euro, you have to see the pro-jects in action,” says Ó Muircheartaigh. “Isaw them in Calcutta and it was a real eyeopener.”Nor is this unusual, according to Noel

Kelly of NK Management, an agency whichrepresents many of Ireland’s best-known per-sonalities such as Ryan Tubridy, Gerry Ryanand Gráinne and Síle Seoige. While thesecelebrities typically charge thousands of eurofor guest appearances, they forego their feesfor charity.“Most of my clients work with two chari-

ties every year,” says Kelly. “They choosetwo that are close to their hearts — one de-voted to children and one more. They don’tcharge a fee because they believe in thecauses involved. They are happy to be in aposition to be able to help.”Patrick Burke, CEO of the Simon Com-

munity, agrees. “All of the celebrities we’veworked with, without exception, offer theirservices for free,” he says. “I think they liketo do it. They help us by attracting publicinterest and support and they also gain fromthe association.”RTE’s Miriam O’Callaghan is frequently

asked to work on behalf of different charitiesand tries to help as many of them as shepossibly can, despite her work and familydemands. She has never received money forthese appearances and frequently gives upthe offer of a fee so that it can be directed toa particular charity.Since September, charities have been feel-

ing the pinch like everybody else so evenmore requests than usual have come in toO’Callaghan. Last Friday, for example, shewas MC for a fund-raising ball for the FrPeter MacVerry Trust and on Sunday after-noon she turned on the Christmas lights onHenry Street for the ISPCC. As she did thiswithout a fee, the local traders gave 5,000to the charity.Brian Crosby, formerly of Bell X1, admits

he gained from his involvement with Ox-fam. He persuaded musicians such as hisband mates, Glen Hansard and Damien Riceto contribute to The Cake Sale album, theproceeds of which went to the charity.“All the artists donated their time and

their songs for free,” says Brian. “It was a

great feel-good project for everyone in-volved.”Crosby believes the relationship between

celebrities and charities is a beneficial onefor both.“The charity world is competitive,” he

says. “It’s important for them to deliver theirmessage using a neutral spokesperson — beit a musician, actor or other well-known

person. It has a more genuine effect.”Celebrities are so influential it seems even

charities that have not yet worked withcelebrity patrons are keen to do so in future.“We haven’t come across anyone who sharesour objectives and would be willing to workwith us,” says Fionnuala Murphy of the Na-tional Council of the Blind. “But if we did,we would certainly work with them.”

W E ALL like to pour scorn upon the cultof celebrity that has spawned celebritymagazines, reality TV shows, the om-

nipresence of Jordan and Kerry Katona. But if you wantto ask questions about what really defines us as a genera-tion, just look at the symbiotic relationship betweencelebrity and charity.It’s something we take for granted these days. Irish

charities call on homegrown models and actors for theirubiquitous Grafton Street photoshoots while the big play-ers, such as Unicef have Hollywood A-listers on speed di-al. But are we fools for buying into the notion that thesestars really care or even understand what their chosencharity is seeking to achieve?British PR guru, Max Clifford admits he encourages

stars to do work for charities even if they don’t want to.“If they do it because they genuinely care, then that’s a

wonderful bonus, but sadly that’s not usually the case,”Clifford explains.While it’s always been easy to get celebrities to work

with animals or children, getting them to work withmore stigmatised social issues has proved problematic inthe past. Princess Diana has been lauded by those work-ing in the HIV/Aids field for breaking down huge barri-ers by being photographed hugging Aids victims in thelate 1980s and 1990s when a huge stigma still surroundedthe illness. Praise must also go to former Dublin GAAcaptain, Dessie Farrell and journalist Carol Hunt whohave also put their heads above the parapet by workingwith the HSE in recent years to improve awareness ofmental health.There is also good work being done by some genuinely

concerned actors and musicians. Angelina Jolie and herpartner Brad Pitt are Hollywood royalty and lauded fortheir humanitarian work. Earlier this year, Jolie was votedtop celebrity humanitarian for the third year running in aReuters AlertNet poll, receiving almost a third of all votescast. A United National High Commission on Refugees(UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador, both she and Brad Pittare reported to have donated up to $8 million to charityin 2006.UNHCR spokeswoman Marie-Noelle Little-Boyer says

she wasn’t surprised by Jolie being chosen once again.“She manages to raise the issues on the plight of

refugees and displaced peoples in ways that are very hu-man simple but poignant. She has a way of reaching peo-ple that is something particular to her. I think she is somoved by the situation herself that it really comes fromthe heart.”Jolie published Notes from My Travels, a collection of

journal entries from her early UNHCR field missions. Inone extract, she writes: “All I do know is that while I waslearning more and more every day about the world andabout other countries as well as my own, I realised howmuch I didn’t know. I have done a lot of research andtalked with many people in Washington, DC, at the UN-HCR, I have read as much as I could. I discovered statis-tics that shocked me and stories that broke my heart. I al-so read many things that made me sick. I have had night-mares — not many, but they scared me”.Few doubt the sincerity of Jolie and Pitt or others like

Bono, Mia Farrow or Liam Neeson. However, last year,in what has to be seen as the antithesis of theself-publicising Hollywood star, Neeson resigned as aUnicef ambassador citing the fact his image has beenoverused in charity campaigns and he was no longer serv-ing the cause. He has since returned to the fold aftermaking a film, Taken, which is based on child slavery.

The actor Ben Stiller flew into Uganda recently on be-half of Save the Children’s Rewrite the Future campaign,an initiative, supported by the Italian jewellery companyBulgari, to provide quality education to eight millionchildren by 2010. Hollywood celebrity flies in to meetimpoverished Africans on a trip funded by an Italian lux-ury jewellery company? It’s difficult not to be cynical.“As a person and seeing what’s going on in the world,

there’s only so much you can take before you go, ‘I’ve justgot to try to do something’, whether it seems cynical ornot,” Stiller told the Daily Telegraph.Unicef Ireland executive director, Melanie Verwoerd

says her organisation is “very selective” about whom theyapproach to work with them and that they “use the peo-ple carefully”. Unicef, she points, out has not jumped onthe celebrity bandwagon in recent years, but has a historyof high-profile supporters such as Audrey Hepburn,Roger Moore and Peter Ustinov since the 1960s. In Ire-land, they are helped by the likes of Munster rugby star,Donnchadh O’Callaghan, actor Stephen Rea, RTÉ’sRyan Tubridy and even Dustin the Turkey.“There is no doubt that high-profile names will drive

awareness of particular campaigns. We use them carefullyas we believe that, with the right message, they can drawattention to issues. The bottom line is that when they

speak, people listen. There are people who will listen toissues when they hear David Beckham speak and likewiseothers will listen when Dustin the Turkey speaks. Thesepeople won’t listen to us”.Verwoerd says, for the most part, Unicef directly ap-

proaches celebrities to come on board and they never paythem for their services. “There are strict criteria in place.They must have an interest in the charity or a backgroundin the area. There is also a pre-condition that they will goto Africa or the developing world before they begin me-dia work. They do this at their cost,” she says.Verwoerd admits it’s not easy to test the benefits of a

celebrity endorsement but says they can test “awareness ofan issue” by distributing questionnaires and holding focusgroups before and after a campaign is launched. Thesetests will show whether a particular celebrity can come upwith the goods. “We also hear a lot from word of mouth.We immediately get feedback from people. People willtell us they saw David Beckham for instance and whatthey thought of him. People will also tell us why theychose to donate to our charity and often it’s due to a par-ticular advertisement,” she says.Niamh Mullins of Trócaire echoes Verwoerd’s thoughts.

“There is a much better chance of media pick up whenthere is a well-known personality on board”. In recent

years Trócaire have collaborated with comedian ColinMurphy and X Factor finalist Eoghan Quigg — both per-sonalities that appeal to the under 30s.They also brought author and former Irish Tatler editor

Morag Prunty to Central America where she learnt howGuatemalan women were benefiting from the midwifepacks being provided by the charity as part their GlobalGifts initiative.“Morag was able to talk firsthand. She appeared in

print, TV and radio and there was a real deeper sense ofengagement with the issue as she had seen what differ-ence these projects make to people’s lives,” she says.TV’s Lorraine Keane has also come on board with thecharity as she has “a real interest in the third world andthis was something she had always wanted to do”.While celebrity endorsement isn’t without self-interest,

we must also remember charities did not forge the cult ofthe celebrity. Marketeers have gorged upon and madehuge profits from the glamour, escape and drama thatthese stars represent — simultaneously feeding the insa-tiable appetite for more.So, whether a star’s charitable intentions are entirely

genuine or not, who really cares? If David Beckham canmake a 19-year-old boy think about the Aids epidemic inSouth Africa for even a minute, that is a success.

REAL ROLE: Angelina Jolie, in her capacity as Goodwill Ambassador, talks with women who survived the 2005earthquake in Pakistan and who were sheltered in this camp erected by the United Nations HumanitarianCommittee of Refugees (UNHRC). Picture: J Redden/UNHCR/Getty Images.


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CatherineShanahan

MUM’S WORLD

CatherineShanahan

MUM’S WORLD

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

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

Dr NiamhHouston

FAMILY

SMALL boys, like small toys, are com-posed of parts that represent a chokinghazard.Indeed, the small boy comes equipped

with a whole range of dangers — none ofthem apparent to his parents.Take toy letters of the alphabet, made

out of fabric, specially designed for chil-dren. No parent could conceive of a less in-nocuous tool once removed from its plasticpackaging. To use it destructively would re-quire a level of inventiveness you’d hopenot to find in a playroom.Enter Lughaidh centre stage and sudden-

ly the playroom is the scene of an execu-tion. He plucks a giant O from the jumbleon the floor and approaches his sister res-olutely. Quicker than a shout of “OFF WITHHER HEAD” he pulls it down over her fore-head. She sits with the alphabet noose ather neck, a whimper gaining momentum.He follows up swiftly with two giant Ds,

spelling out his unnerving behaviour.Then a tight-fitting R is rammed aroundher crown, then another, and another andanother. With no respect for his Ps or hisQs, he piles them on with reckless aban-don. The whimper, by now, has morphedinto a roar and Mammy is suddenly run-ning.She enters the playroom in search of

her daughter and sees only an uprighttorso. Where once was a head stands alarge stack of letters dwarfing a tinybody. Shrieks of distress pierce the alpha-bet fortress and little hands tear at thefabric. The room is rent by an angry roaras Mammy digests the destruction.She dives towards the victim and be-

gins the tough task of springing the headfrom the letters — first the Qs, then thePs, then the Rs and the Ds and finally, theO at the bottom. She cannot decipher herson’s grand designs but doubts they in-

cluded murder. If Death by Letter was agame, he would not be playing again,with its potential for suffocation or stran-gulation. Mammy decides to kiss the al-phabet goodbye until her daughter canassure her own safety.She retrieves the plastic packaging the

alphabet arrived in and readies it forrepacking the letters. She lays it out in theplayroom before returning to the kitchenin search of a scissors and some cel-lotape. The packaging is wound like acape around his sister’s neck and faceupon Mammy’s return to the playroom.By now it’s quite clear a laboratory rat

has more chance of escape than the sis-ter. He sees her little frame as a conduit tocarry out a variety of unscientific experi-ments.Small boys, like some toys, should not

be unleashed without carrying a warningof “explosive”.

EAT WELL: A healthy diet usually removes the need for any dietary supplements duringpregnancy, except for folic acid in the early stages. Picture: iStock

Q I USED to regularly takevitamin C, multivitamins, codliver oil and garlic capsules,mainly to prevent mecatching cold and flu. I just

found out I am pregnant, and havestopped taking all supplements as I amunsure of the good or harm they are do-ing. I’ve read about the dangers of takingvitamin A while pregnant. I didn’t realisethe cod liver oil I was taking containedextra vitamin A. Will this have harmedmy baby? I take folic acid, are there anyother supplements I need to take?A. You don’t need to worry about anyproblems caused by taking cod liver oil andthe extra vitamin A it contained. Youwould have to take a very high dose toharm your baby. Once your diet is well bal-anced and healthy, the only supplementrecommended in pregnancy is folic acid —400 mcg daily in the first 12 weeks. If youare well with no other medical problems,that is all that you need to take. It is best totake folic acid in the months before con-ception also.

Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate— a B vitamin that helps prevent neuraltube defects or serious abnormalities of thebrain and spinal cord. Lack of folate in apregnancy diet may also increase the risk ofpre-term delivery. Fortified cereals, leafygreen vegetables, citrus fruits, dried beansand peas are good sources of folic acid.

The routine blood tests done as part ofyour antenatal care will show if you areanaemic to any significant degree, and ifyou need additional iron supplements. It isbest to boost your intake of iron and calci-um through diet as your body absorbs thisform more easily.

Your body uses iron to makehaemoglobin, a protein in the red bloodcells that carries oxygen to your tissues.During pregnancy, your blood volume ex-pands to accommodate changes in yourbody and helps your baby make his or herentire blood supply. As a result, your needfor iron nearly doubles. If you don’t getenough iron, you can become tired easilyand more prone to infections. Also the riskof pre-term delivery and low birth weightmay also be higher. Lean red meat, poultryand fish are good sources of iron.

You and your baby need calcium forstrong bones and teeth. Calcium also helpsyour circulatory, muscular and nervous sys-tem run smoothly. If there’s not enoughcalcium in your pregnancy diet, the calciumyour baby needs will be taken from yourbones. Include calcium-rich foods such asdairy products, salmon and spinach in yourdiet too.

Q. I suspect my son has food allergies.What kind of tests should we get done?Is a blood test better than a skin test, andwhat is the difference?

A. The two main types of allergy testsare, as you’ve mentioned, skin tests andblood tests. It depends on what you thinkyour son is allergic to. A skin prick orscratch test involves placing liquid extractsof allergen such as pollen or food on theforearm or back, then pricking the skin atiny bit. After 15 minutes or so if reddishraised spots develop, this can indicate an al-lergy to that substance.

Doctors usually use skin tests to diagnoseenvironmental allergies. But it is differentwith food allergies. When a skin test showsup as positive with a certain food, thismeans a person might be allergic to thatfood. To diagnose a food allergy for cer-tain, a blood test (sometimes called aRAST test) is done in addition to skin test-ing.

A RAST test measures your immune sys-tem’s response to a specific allergen bymeasuring the amount of allergy-producingantibodies known as IgE antibodies presentin your blood-stream. A sample of blood istaken and checked for IgE antibodies tospecific foods (for example, cows milk, eggsand nuts). If there are enough IgE antibod-ies to a particular food in the blood, it’s

very likely that person has an allergy. Doc-tors often use a combination of skin testingand blood testing to diagnose a food aller-gy.

This blood test is also used if there is ahistory of extreme sensitivity to certain al-lergens, uncontrolled asthma, or if there isa skin condition present that does not allowa skin test to be performed. Even if a skintest and/or blood test shows an allergy, achild must also have symptoms to be diag-nosed with an allergy.

A RAST test can also be used to test in-creased sensitivity to other allergens such ashouse dust mite and animal dander. It is es-pecially useful for children under five yearswhere there is a history of intolerance tocertain foods, which may be worsen an un-derlying skin condition such as eczema.

Skin prick testing is a specialist test usedfor the investigation of immediate (Type 1)sensitivity to things which come into con-tact with the skin such as latex allergy. Thistype of sensitivity usually appears as a sud-den onset of itchy hives, sometimes withswelling around the mouth and wheeziness.

Talk to your son’s doctor, and he will beable to steer you in the right direction.


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If they cut myallowance, I will

be in severepoverty and inthe long run itwill cost them

more as they willhave to fund

specialised carefor Zach

Devoted to her son

TENDER LOVING CARE:Zach McKim and his motherAlison who takes care of him24/7. Picture: Nick Bradshaw

Alison McKim tells Arlene Harris why she invited TDs to her home towitness the devastating effects cuts in the carers’ allowance would have on Zach

A LISON MCKIM invitedpoliticians to her house lastweek. She didn’t do this be-

cause she wanted to discuss the state ofthe nation. The reason this single motheropened her home to party membersacross the board was because she wantedthem to see how the proposed budgetwould affect her and her son.The 39-year-old Dublin woman has

one son called Zach. And like most17-year-olds, he loves music and is a quitea handful. But instead of worrying aboutmood swings, exam results and relation-ship problems, Alison’s concerns are morebasic — how will she manage to keep herson alive and well? Born at just 24 weeks,Zach has had serious problems sincebirth. Doctors didn’t believe the prema-ture boy would survive but despite havingepilepsy, cerebral palsy, hydrocephalus(water on the brain), severe asthma andblindness, he is now nearing his 18thbirthday.This ‘miracle’ is down to the loving

care and attention from his mother.Alison is able to devote her life to car-

ing for her son because she receives thehalf payment carers’ allowance (and thelone parent allowance). But the Govern-ment is planning to cut this weekly pay-ment in order to help restore the econo-my — if this happens, this small familyunit will struggle to survive.“I look after Zach 24 hours a day — he

can’t do anything at all for himself,” saysAlison. I have to spoon feed him and givehim drinks every two hours, he has tohave daily chest physio and suctioningand is on nebulisers for his breathing —and on top of that, I have no idea whenhe might have an epileptic seizure. It’s afull-time job.”Alison has had an extension built onto

her two-storey terrace to facilitate hergrowing son. “I can’t manage the stairswith him as he is too big for me to carryon my own, but I have installed a camerain his room which is connected to a TVin my room, so I can keep an eye on himat night,” she says.But despite the mammoth daily task she

endures, Alison is devoted to her son anddoes all of this single handedly, as mostpeople are too nervous to help out andshe doesn’t want him to have to go hospi-tal or into care.“Zach is non-verbal and, while I can

read his expression, most people wouldstruggle to understand what he needs,”she says.“My son is my responsibility and I look

after him gladly, but I will not be able tocope if my allowance is cut. I don’t un-derstand why they have to take moneyfrom the people who need it most . Howwill I survive on less than 110, especial-ly as they are now talking about chargingfor medical card prescriptions?“I would like to see the politicians try-

ing to live like I do — if they cut my al-lowance, I will be in severe poverty and,in the long run, it will cost them more as

they will have to fund specialised care forZach.”Caroline Cox of the Carers Association says

there are over 160,000 carers in Ireland whoare looking after a loved-one at home. Mostof these depend heavily on governmentalsupport.“Carers use this money to pay their elec-

tricity and heating bills as well as additionalmedical expenses,” she says. “Some peoplemay be forced to abandon their caring rolesand have their loved ones put into institu-tional care if they lose this valuable income.”Less than 30% of carers in Ireland are cur-

rently in receipt of a carers’ allowance. Ofthis figure, 64% receive the full rate which is

between 214 and 232 per week. This al-lowance is means tested and based on certaincriteria such as the number of hours caring inthe home.Carers’ like Alison McKim who receive an-

other social welfare payment (such as statepension or the lone parent allowance) receivea ‘half payment’ and these are the most likelyto be affected by the upcoming budget.“We are pleading with the Government

not to cut carers’ payments — most arestruggling financially and any reductionscould have major affect,” says Cox. “Carersare already suffering from cutbacks withhome help-hours reduced and services beingwithdrawn due to the economic downturn.

“Carers save the state over 2.5 billioneach year providing over 3.7 million hoursof care in the home each week — weneed to look after them.”The Carers’ Association and Alison

McKim hoped to show TDs and ministershow time consuming the role of a carer isand how difficult life would be if theirbenefit was cut. The association providedtransport from the Dáil to Ms Kim’s homein Terenure, and they had expected up to20 politicians to take part in the exercise.But only five people turned up to see thereality of life for Alison and Zach.“I was disappointed that so few came

out on the day,” says Alison. “But theone’s that did come [Róisín Shorthall, JanO’Sullivan and Mary Upton (Labour), JoeBehan (Ind) and John McGuiness (FF)]were surprised by how hard everythingwas for us and could understand howworried I am. But I don’t know if theycan or will do anything about it.”Caroline Cox urges the public to take a

stand and help fight the carers’ cause.“Contact your local TDs and political

representatives and ask them to ensure thatthere are no cuts for carers in the budget,”she says. “And join us in our march onDecember 1 outside Dáil Éireann.”

■ For more information visit www.car-ersireland.com or call 1800-240724.


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Roz Crowley

Tesco Finest Irish Pork Sausages, 205g,1.89.

With a substantial 70% pork count, thesesausages contain rusk, potato starch andpork fat. The seasoning includes preserva-tive sodium sulphite (E221) and stabliserdisodium disphophate (E450). A very high10% salt comes from additives and addedsalt, with 14% saturatedfats. Clear nutrition-al information iscommendable.Texture is good

with spices notoverdone.Score: 6.5

Simply Better 12 pork sausages, DunnesStores, 480g 3.59 (640g this special offerpack for 3.59)

80% pork provides good, meaty texture inthis sausage, which is quite spicy.Added pork fat makes up the difference,

along with rusk, which has the anti-cakingagent, E503, the commercial salt ammoni-um carbonate. E221 sodium sulphite is theadditive here to watch, for those who areasthmatic and may be sensitive to it, butno MSG. Allergeninfo, which in-cludes gluten,wheat and sulphurdioxide, is clearlymarked.Score: 7

Hodgins Craft Butchers 8 Pork SausagesSupervalu 454g, 2.75.

A good 75% pork here with water, ruskand spices. Carmine is colouring which isa red food dye from a natural source. Theflavour enhancer is E621 or monosodiumglutamate so watch for sensitivity. Saturat-ed fats are not listed separately, but fat is27.5% and we can expect saturated fats tobe less than half.With salt content at 2%, this chunky

sausage has mild spices and tastesmeatier than many samples.Score 7.75

Olhausen’s 16 pork sausages, Supervalu,454g, 2

A relatively low 57% of pork meat, so ahigher proportion of water, salt and rusk,which contains wheat flour. Also hasE503, which is ammonium carbonate: thishas little known side effects, except forcausing a little digestive gas. Monosodi-um glutamate, E621, is the flavour en-hancer, and sodium sulphite, E221, is oneof the preservatives. The stabilisers, E450and E451, are disodium diphophates: eat-en in excess they have associations withkidney problems. No nutritional informa-tion, but a packnote warns ofgluten andsulphite. Thesausages have afatty texture.Score: 4

Aldi Specially Selected 9 Butcher’s ChoicePork Sausages, 370g 1.99

22% saturated fats is high so don’t betempted to eat more than two at a time.2.5% salt is on the high side yet the flavourenhancer monosodium glutamate, E621 isadded, along with the stabilisers diphos-phates and triphosphates E450 and E451.Ammonium carbonate is another e-number(E503) and E221 is sodium sulphite, so a lotof chemicals to deal with here. Thesausages contain gluten and sulphite. 9.1%saturated fats is relatively low.Good meaty tex-

ture with 80%pork. Medium tohot spices makethis a good allrounder at a rea-sonable price.Score 7.5

Glenview Farm 16 Irish Pork Sausages Lidl,454g 1.59

57% pork meat is quite low and the re-mainder includes water, rusk which con-tains ammonium carbonate, and E503which may cause a little digestive gas.Added too is pork rind, mustard, dex-

trose (a form of sugar). The stablisers arediphosphates, the preservative is sodiummetabisulphite E223. 9.1% saturated fats isreasonable and 2.2%salt isaverage. Withmedium spices,the taste is quitefatty, but en-joyed by sometasters. Price isfair.Score: 4

Marks & Spencer organic pork sausages,340g 4.29 (two for 6)

With a high 88% pork in these sausages,the texture is substantial and the taste ofpork discernible, unlike many other sam-ples. Seasoning includes sea salt, blackpepper, ginger, pimento, mace, nutmegand sage. The flavouring is more herbalthan spicy and not what we expect in aregular sausage.Tasters were not sure if they liked the

overall flavour, but loved the texture. Noartificial colourings, flavourings, orpreservatives means salt for flavour andto preserve has tobe high, at 10%.Saturated fats, at19%, are highenough.Score: 7

W ARM and spicy, sausagesmake good comfort food atthis time of year. Paired with

lots of vegetables one or two can make a bal-anced, easy meal.

An estimated 60% of the population eatsausages and I expect this will increase as therecession bites further. Sausages are not badvalue and are versatile if used imaginatively.Since our last survey of sausages four yearsago, prices in general have come down andpork content has gone up.

Consumers have demanded less fat andfiller and less salt, and in some cases we havegot them, though salt is still high in mostsamples, and some even have salt andmonosodium glutamate, another form of salt.Unfortunately our interest in less chemicaladditives has gone unheeded. They are allpermitted additives, chosen to preserve andsometimes to enhance flavour. However, theycan trigger effects in sensitive individuals.

If suspecting a link between asthma attacksand consumption of sausages, it’s worthwhilelooking at sausages which contain E220,E221, E222 and E223 which are sodium saltsof sulphites and dioxides.

These additives are often added in smalldoses and usually don’t affect people, but forthose who are sensitive to the additives, theycould affect conjunctivitis, bronchitis, em-physema, bronchial asthma or cardiovasculardisease. Thy could also possibly increase theeffects of a hangover, so beware of someproducts in a heavy fry-up to cure it.

To be fair to manufacturers, sulphites areoften well signalled on packaging which alsomay state the presence of E621 monosodiumglutamate (MSG), which in some individualswith particular sensitivity is implicated inheadaches, nausea and chest pain. E450 andE451 potassium and sodium di-phosphates inexcess have been associated with kidneyproblems and appear in some sausages.

The problem with these additives is thatthey appear in many foods which may beconsumed in the same day, so it’s easy tooverdose.

Sausages are often quite fatty so accompanywith stewed apple or chutneys to cut throughthe fat and help with its digestion. Add themchopped to a tomato-based sauce for pasta,grill and serve with mashed potatoes cookedwith chopped leeks or onion (this will helpdigest the fats too).

Saturated fats in sausages are quite high, upto 22%, so beware of having too many at atime.

We surveyed brands in supermarkets thistime, but there are also top-class samples inlocal butchers which add excellent flavoursfor variety.

Sausages are the ultimate recession food

Picture: iStock

Clonakilty sausages, gluten-free,Dunnes Stores, 227g 1.79

Relatively low 57% pork, with water, porkfat, soya protein and potato starch. E221sodium sulphite is here, so watch sensi-tivity. E120 is Carmine, to add red colourand is not of concern.Saturated fats, of 7%, are relatively low

and salt is a fair at 1.75%. Whilegluten-free, these sausages taste of a reg-ular type and lose nothing in the taste ortexture. Spices are hotand texture is quitesubstantial. A sat-isfying, gluten-freeproduct. Clonakiltyalso produce regu-lar sausages.Score: 8

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Deirdre O'Flynn

MOSTLY MEN

DId you know...

DENTAL CARETAKE4

RIGHT STUFF:Increasing theintensity ofshorter gymsessions deliversbetter results,says fitnessinstructor MickKelly.Picture:Patrick Browne

YOU may think that going tothe gym is going to transformyour life, giving you abs and

pecs where you never had them before.“If you do decide to start training, youshould do it properly,” says fitness in-structor Mick Kelly, who runs Total Fit-ness Systems in Clonard, Wexford.Running for miles on end or training

for hours at a time may burn fat whileyou’re exercising, but as soon as you stop,you stop burning fat. “If you increase theintensity of shorter sessions, you’ll get a

better result,” says Mick, who’s also a ket-tlebell instructor and a boxing coach.Research backs him up, with a 2007study published in the US Journal of Ap-plied Physiology showing that doingbursts of hard exercise not only improvescardiovascular fitness but also the body’sability to burn fat, even during low- ormoderate-intensity workouts.That health maintenance is vital con-

sidering Ireland’s obesity rates — morethan one in five of us are obese and overone-third of Ireland’s population is over-weight. Indeed, in a recent Irish MedicalTimes survey, two-thirds of GPs surveyednamed obesity as the main threat to peo-ple’s health.The best case scenario is to restructure

your training session and learn new tech-niques so that you’re getting the most outof each session. “You can train all yourmuscle groups by doing five types of ex-ercise: pushing, pulling, quad, hamstringand core work,” says Mick.“You can do all those in one longer

Byrne joins awarenesscampaign for Irish menAS the Irish rugby team prepares forthe visit of the Springboks, formerplayer Shane Byrne has called on Irishmen to stay healthy and tackle medicalproblems head on.The legendary lineout thrower, pic-

tured left, launched the Irish Men –Defend Your Health campaign spon-sored by pharmaceutical company Lilly.“Now it’s time the men of Ireland

made the same commitment to defend-ing their health as they doto their team,” says Byrne.“Many Irish men whoexperience erectile diffi-culties or ED do not re-alise how common it isand are too embarrassed

to do anything about it. The goodnews is there is help out there and that’swhy I’m urging men to tackle theproblem. Take action, talk to your GP— and get any problems sorted.”For more information on the Irish

Men — Defend Your Health campaign,visit www.defendingyourhealth.com.Talk to a specialist nurse if you are con-cerned about cancer. Call the NationalCancer Helpline on Freefone

1800-200700 (Mondayto Thursday 9am-7pmand Friday 9am-5pm).Go to www.manmat-ters.ie for informationand advice about erec-tile difficulties.

Shoe mixes dressstyle with sportsIF YOU saw men running the Dublin CityMarathon recently in dress shoes, you weren’t dream-ing. This was a team from shoe company Rockportwho were promoting the re-launch of the new men’sDresSports footwear collection for autumn/winter.According to the manufacturer, Rockport’s DresS-

port is a “classic silhouette dress shoe for men engi-neered with athletic soles”. The shoes arelightweight, with cush-ioning and support.Strobel construction —where the uppers arestitched to the insole —provides flexibility to aidthe walking motion,while a lightweight EVAoutsole providesshock-absorption.

Heat fromlaptops maydamage men’sfertility

Source: Loyola University Health System(LUHS), Chicago

session or in split sessions where you do thepulling and pushing sessions one day and the legexercises another day.”It’s also vital to do exercises tailored to your

body and fitness levels. “A lot of men come tosessions and want to start lifting the sameweights, say 100 kilos, as their friends. But youcan do a lot of damage that way. I get guys tocome back down in terms of the weights theylift, show them the right techniques and thenthey can increase the weights safely.”Equally, it’s not all about exercising in isola-

tion. “According to the World Health Organi-

sation, a healthy person is one who exercisesregularly, who has good balanced nutrition andwho socialises,” says Mick.“Our total fitness solution involves group ses-

sions with an instructor, where we chat whilewe’re warming up, train hard, and chat whilewe’re cooling down and give advice on nutri-tion. So you’re getting the benefit of having aninstructor, you’re meeting others and getting ad-vice on diet.”

■ The Total Fitness Systems website is atwww.totalfitnesssystems.ie

ACID EROSION: WHILE the nutritional balance of today’sdiet may benefit our overall health, dentists have becomeincreasingly worried about the acids found in many foodswhich can do irreparable damage to teeth. Foods to beaware of include fruit especially citrus fruits, fruit juicesfrom concentrate, fruit tea, balsamic vinegar, white wine,tea, coffee and some vegetables. The following oral hy-

giene tips from Sensodynewill help min-imise acid damage.■ Don’t brush teeth immediately after foodas this will only brush acid into teeth. Waitat least wait one hour.■ Brush teeth gently but thoroughly with asoft brush.■ Don’t swish soft or fizzy drinks around themouth. Use drinking straws deliver theliquid past the teeth into the palette. Drinkwater (alkaline), or chew on sugar freelozenges / gum to increase saliva produc-tion.

SENSITIVE TEETH: Dentin hyper-sensitivity, or tooth sensitivity, is acondition affecting 57% of patients,and triggered by hot or cold food ordrinks. Colgate Sensitive Pro Relieftoothpaste, 2.29 for 35ml, or 4.49for 75ml, is a new treatment provento deliver sensitivity relief.

It contains Colgate’s Pro-Argin for-mula, which uses an amino acid,arginine, and an insoluble calciumcompound, calcium carbonate, totreat and prevent sensitivity symp-toms.

TOOTY FRUITY: Halos ‘n’ Hornsis an affordable range of funshampoos, body washes, andtoothpastes developed by mum,Leila Wilcox, which are free fromthe chemicals — sodium laurylsuflate (SLS), parabens, triclosanand propylene glycol —often found in children’sbathing products. Halos‘n’ Horns Toothy Fruitytoothpaste, 4.01, avail-able from pharmacies, isa pink gel formulationthat tastes of strawberriesand bananas, with a gen-tle cleaning action andlow-foaming paste. Thefluoride content is 0.32%,with 1450ppmf.

START EARLY: Beechwood Dental inRanelagh, Dublin, is owned by brothersPeter and David Casey. They have the fol-lowing tips for the care of children’s teeth:■ Use a soft brush and water to cleanyour child’s teeth as soon as they appear.■ From the age of two, brush your child’steeth twice a day with toothpaste in themorning and at bedtime. Continue to su-pervise their brushing up to age seven.■ A pea-sized amount of toothpasteshould be used up to the age of seven.Toothpaste containing fluoride is recom-mended from the age of two to seven.■ Bring your child to the dentist beforethey start school and from then on ar-range a check up at least once a year.■ Beechwood Dental, 9 Dunville Avenue,Ranelagh, Dublin 6, 01-4967526;www.beechwooddental.ie

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Feelgood

The news on ...

STUFF WE LIKE

Emily O’Sullivan

All that glittersis not BOLD

Give yourself thatcertain sparkle toget the most out ofthe party season

W E’RE trying to be restrainedabout this whole Christmasmalarky, what with it still be-

ing November and all, but if you’re going toinvest in new make-up for the party seasonthen getting it early means you’re going toget maximum value from it.Beauty looks this season are saturated with

sophistication, as wearability and elegance arethe big looks being touted by the majorbeauty brands (after all, wearable make-upsells the most), but blowing good taste out ofthe water comes a look that refuses to takethings lying down — glitter.Glitter and good taste are not two words

that go together. In the realm of beauty, glit-ter is anarchic, trashy and raucous — a bitlike a friend you bring to a grandparent’s par-ty who drinks all the crème de menthe andspends the night dancing on the table in vari-ous states of undress. Glitter has a rebelliousside — it’s cheeky and daring but it’s down-right good fun and absolutely perfect for theparty season.But glitter can be a nightmare to apply. Lit-

tle pots of loose glitter look like great fun,but it’s not so amusing when half your face iscovered in turquoise sparkles. If you’re usinga loose shadow (MAC do super-pretty glitterpots), then dab it on gently with your finger-tips so you can control the amount going onto your eye. Otherwise, you’re going to havemajor fallout. If you’re feeling less thanskilled, then put a little bit of tissue paper di-rectly beneath your lower eyelashes to catchany falling shimmer.Little liquid eyeliners with glitter are a

good option too and there are lots of themaround, especially in the younger and morebudget-friendly make-up ranges. While youwon’t get a precision line (largely becausethey come in a light gel base), you do needto apply a decent amount of product — goover the line several times to get a good satu-ration of colour.One of our favourite — and more

grown-up — ways of getting the glitter lookthis season is to opt for a darker black eyelin-er shot through with touches of sparkle. Itgives a very subtle glittery sheen to the eye

and can be used to pep up an existing eye-shadow. Glitter on the lips is also one of themore acceptable ways of carrying off thetrend. Bobbi Brown’s Glitter Eye Palette,45, contains four gorgeously wearable glit-tery shades that can be mixed and matchedwith more subtle eyeshadows. Or try MAC’svery fabulous Dazzleglass lip gloss, 20,which has a gorgeous crystalline iridescencethat makes the lips shimmer and glisten beau-tifully. Our favourite shade is Smile, a peachypink that looks beautiful with dark, smoul-dering eyes. Perfect.

MINERAL COLOUR

IF YOU’RE prone to sensitivity, and throw-ing a whole host of chemical-laden productsat your face leads to itchy eyes and dry,blotchy skin, then look to bareMinerals forthe upcoming party season.The new Surprise Collectionis a limited-edition kit in-fused with hematite, whichis supposed to strengthenand increase the body’s re-sistance to stress. All prod-ucts are 100% pure minerals— free of preservative, talc,waxes, binders and fra-grance, and the kit is alsosurprisingly good value, too, with two eye-colours, a liner shadow, a blush, Secret Ra-diance, a double-ended lip gloss, a creasedefining brush, line diffuser brush and soft,sweep cheek brush, all for 45. For stockistlists log onto: bareescentuals.co.uk.

WATERPROOF MASCARASLONG-LASTING mascara is essential oncethe party season hits — these little water-proof babies aren’t just good for bouts ofsobbing or swimming, they’re great forlasting the pace all day and withoutbudging an inch.

Bag Gal Waterproof Mascara,21.50. This is one of our recent findsand it’s an absolute gem. It has a verylong and lean applicator that sweepslashes to exceptional lengths and, bestof all, it stays on really well throughoutthe day with not even a hint of flakingand smudging.Score: 10

L’Oreal Lash Architect Water-proof Mascara, 14.05. This has arich dark glossy colour that gives lash-es a dramatic look and is very easy to ap-ply. There were no clumps, and even afterwatching Atonement on DVD, it still stayedput. Not a bad price point ei-ther.Score: 8

Too Faced Lash Injection,18.50. The total opposite interms of size of brush — LashInjection’s famous big fatbrush is great for really gettingat the roots and bigging uplashes. It’s waterproof side iscompletely solid, too — thisbaby won’t shift.Score: 8

Cream Shadow, 24. It’s not quite glitter,but these metallic eyeshadows are highshine and super-sparkly and make a greatalternative to disco-ball glitz. Opt for An-tique Gold or Chrome Patina for super-coolChristmas shimmer.

Giorgio Armani Gold Top Mascara,25.50. If you’re looking for a directionallook this Christmas, then look no furtherthan Armani’s gold-top mascara. It’s de-signed to be worn on top of darker masar-cas to give lashes a dose of glittery goldsparkle.

Boots Party Eyes Collection, 20.Great value and perfect for young glitter en-thusiasts, Boots’s Party Eyes might look likea Christmas gift but don’t let that put you

off buying it as a treat. There are three glit-tery Eye Dazzles; two metallic eye pencils;three sparkly liquid eyeliners and two dou-ble-ended applicators.

Urban Decay Heavy MetalGlitter Eyeliner,

17.50. Urban De-cay’s Heavy Metalshave been around fora while now, but ifyou’re after a goodliquid glitter eyelinerthen these are theones to go for.They’re easy to applyand stay on well —try Stagedive, a boldbright turquoise.

17 Glitter Eyeshadow, 5.29. Glitter isundoubtedly a passing trend — and onethat only really comes around once a year,

so don’t be wor-ried about splash-ing out lots ofmoney. These littleeyeshadows areperfectly pricedand give a gooddose of glitterwithout being OTT.

Mac SoftSparkle Eye

Pencil, 17.50. This is a great eye-liner for the Christmas season, especially ifyou’re going for a more rock chick look.Perfect for using with darker smokey eye-

shadows, it gives a very subtle glitteryshimmer, is soft and easy to apply, andlasts for ages.

Mac 5 Haute High Jinks, 37. If youcan’t decide what glitter tones to go forthen save the agonisingand get a selection.MAC’s mini pigmentscome in five shades —three with a metallicbase: tan with gold, richcopper sparkle, olivegreen with gold pearl;and two with glitter: taupe with gold pearland a very fine white glitter that flashesgold.

Bobbi Brown Metallic Long-Wear

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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 : Getting your 40 winks

MADE TO MEASURE: You need to eat more in order to lose weight so that your metabolism isable to function efficiently. Picture: iStock

Q I AM feeling lethargic andtire very easily, I go to thegym in the morning for 45minutes, my diet is usuallylemon in hot water for break-

fast, perhaps a tablespoon of cereal withno milk. At work I have herbal teas andan apple at break time. For lunch I havetwo to three Ryvita, and an apple andsometimes a banana. In between, I havesome polo mints and chewing gum. Forsupper I have scrambled egg, or twoRyvita with tomato and ham or chicken,followed by a diet yoghurt, or more fruit.The odd time I will have a square ofchocolate, polo mint, plain biscuit, orliquorice sweet. Should I check my thy-roid as I find it so hard to lose a stone inweight? I am 8 stone and 5ft 2in tall. I feelsluggish, lack stamina at the gym andwhen I was lighter I felt great. I am in myearly 40s. Do you think it is too late toconsider another baby?

A. The solution here is quite simple. Youare not eating nearly enough to sustain yourbody. The amount of food you have listed asdaily intake is closer to the amount I wouldexpect for a single meal and a snack. Whathappens when we don’t provide enough fuelis that our body goes into starvation mode,and holds on to every available nutrient —certainly not conducive to weight-loss orstamina.As surprising as it sounds, you need to eat

more in order to lose weight so that yourmetabolism is able to function efficiently. Atpresent, it is likely your metabolism hasslowed down in order to glean as much aspossible from your diet, which is why youfeel so sluggish and have difficulty losing anyextra weight.Your food choices appear to be very

healthy, it is just the portion sizes whichneed addressing. Try eating five to six smallmeals a day rather than three regular sizedmeals.Be kind to yourself. Your weight in rela-

tion to your height is actually well withinthe healthy and normal range, so it may notbe that you need to lose any weight at all.If you are feeling “flabby” then perhaps

ensuring that you are eating enough to sus-tain yourself while continuing your daily ex-ercise (which will be a lot more fun onceyou regain your energy) will help tone yourbody. Getting plenty of water and qualitysleep is also crucial to weight maintenanceand normal immune functioning.About another child. Yes, it can be more

difficult to fall pregnant, as the hormoneshave already begun to change in preparationfor perimenopause and menopause itself. Butis certainly not out of the question. Onceyou have been eating enough food and

keeping well hydrated for a couple ofmonths, it would be worth looking intosupporting your body with herbs to opti-mise your chances. For more informationon fertility, contact the Cork Natural Fertil-ity Clinic on 021-4812222.

My four-year-old boy has ringworm onhis right lower cheek. The doctor pre-scribed a liquid antibiotic. He said it wasrare for a child so young to get it on hisface. It’s now the size of a cent coin — itbegan at the size of a pea over two weeksago. Will the mark go from his face?Thankfully, it’s not on any other part ofhis body and he is not itching it.A. I am surprised your doctor has pre-scribed antibiotics for ringworm, since notonly are antibiotics ineffective at treatingnon-bacterial infections, they typically trig-ger or exacerbate fungal growth — andringworm is a fungal infection.I am also confused by the comment

about it being unusual for a young child toget this on their face — ringworm can ap-pear anywhere on the body — even on thescalp or nails, and since children are morelikely to have contact with animals andthen put their hands near their face withoutwashing first, it is more unusual we don’thave a higher incidence of ringworm onchildren’s faces.Ringworm is caused by the presence of

dermatophytes on the skin, hair, or nails.All they need to survive is living tissue.

Dermatophytes not only survive well on peopleand animals, they can also live in towels, flan-nels, combs, and soil. There is no need to gettoo concerned though, since basic hygiene isenough to keep on top of these microscopicspores.Pet dogs, rabbits and cats are common carri-

ers, as are other humans — particularly chil-dren. The reason why ringworm is commonlyseen in children but not as often in adults whomay not exhibit symptoms even if they are in-fected. This is simply a sign that the immunesystem has matured and is functioning well.It’s good to hear he is not scratching the area,

as ringworm spreads readily through touch —meaning that he could spread the infection toother areas or people if he were to touch orscratch the affected skin.Make sure his flannels, towels, hairbrush,

comb and the like are washed after one use,and that his nails are kept short and clean justin case he scratches in his sleep. I have neverseen ringworm leave a mark or scar, so long asit is not picked or heavily scratched.My recommendation would be to start your

son on a course of probiotics to restore his in-testinal balance, and to apply either manuka ortea tree essential oil to the rash. Simply putone-two drops of essential oil in an eggcup fullof base oil (olive oil is fine — coconut will addextra fungal fighting properties if you have ithandy) and apply directly.If you have any pets, it’s important to get

them checked by a vet for ringworm and treat-ed accordingly.

WORK WIPEOUT: Boost your efficiencyand immune system by getting a goodnight’s sleep. Getty Images

AT A time when most of society re-volves around maximising hours andburning the candle at both ends, it’stime to stop and consider that efficiencymay in fact be increased if we were sim-ply to spend more time sleeping.People who continually get less than

enough sleep feel lethargic, don’t per-form as well, and find their digestionand general health suffering. Sleep is es-sential for brain health too. While ourbodies rest, the brain takes the opportu-nity to repair the neurons so that we arementally sharp the following day.Insufficient sleep leads to neurons

which are depleted and malfunctioning.Long term, this impacts on mood, be-haviour, and physical co-ordination.So how much is enough? You will

need to factor in diet, stress levels andenergy output (exercise) to get an ideaof how much sleep is right for you. Par-

ents of infants and toddlers are the ex-ception — in this case, aim to sleep andnap whenever the opportunity arises.Most primates in the wild get a

stretch of about 10-14 hours per night,which indicates that humans should aimfor around 10-12 continuous hours —probably closer to what we would natu-rally achieve if it weren’t for artificiallighting, television, computers and soforth.When we sleep, the body produces

HGH (Human Growth Hormone). Thishormone is crucial for skin cell renewal— sufficient sleep is the ultimate in an-ti-ageing treatments.If you retire to bed by 9pm, your im-

mune system has the chance to functionoptimally, with physical repair takingplace within our body between thehours of 10pm-2am. Between 2am-6amthe brain releases chemicals which en-

hance the immune system, which iswhy lack of sleep leads to an increasedsusceptibility to illness.The two main processes in our bod-

ies are anabolism and catabolism.Catabolism (breaking down of sub-stances into energy and waste products)occurs mainly during active periods,and anabolism (regeneration, growthand repair) is largely occurring duringrest. Both are ongoing, and togetherthey equate to metabolism.If one or both are out of balance, so

too will be our immune functioning,hormone levels, mental state, ageingprocess, energy levels, and emotionalwellbeing.The hours before midnight are most

important to the rest and rejuvenationprocess, so even if you are unable to geta full 10-12 hours, make sure that youget to bed before the witching hour.

TERAPROOF:User:GREGMCCANNDate:18/11/2009Time:11:05:14Edition:20/11/2009FeelgoodXH2011Page:16 Zone:XH

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Feelgood

Bouncing back from hair loss

WHEN 61-year-old Kerrygrandmother-of-six VivienO’Sullivan noticed that herhair was falling out more thannormal she assumed that it wasdue to stress caused by a recentfamily bereavement.“I noticed it mainly when Iwashed it, the plughole in theshower used to clog up withhair,” said Vivien. “I started toreally worry though when Iwoke up one morning and no-ticed several hairs on the pillow,I have always had really thickhair and my hair was definitelystarting to thin out.

“I was so worried about itthat I went to see my GP,” saysVivien. “He said it could bea lack of iron in my diet soI started taking iron tablets.“Over the next six months Itook lots of different supple-ments, as well as iron tablets,but the thinning seemed to begetting worse.”

Vivien went back to see herGP who this time advised herthat she should seek advice

from a hair loss specialist.Vivien visited several hair loss

specialists and was advised byone clinic that her best optionwas a wig and by another thatFUE transplant surgery was herbest option.

“I didn’t like the sound ofeither option to be honest,”says Vivien. “I was worried andunhappy with my hair loss butI didn’t feel as though it haddeteriorated enough to weara hairpiece! I basically justwanted to stop it from fallingout and thicken it up.”

Vivien considered the optionof surgery but again decidedthis was too radical and ex-treme. “The most importantthing to me was to stop it fromfalling out and to hopefullythicken it up,” said Vivien. “Iwas told that surgery wouldreplace the hairs that had beenlost but would not stop anyfurther hair loss, I was at a totalloss as to know what to do.

“Then one day my husbandcalled to say he was reading an

article in the newspaper about alaser that can help to stop hairloss and to thicken existing thinhair without the need for anysurgery, I researched into it onthe internet and I found thatit was clinically proven to stophair loss in 94% of patients aftersix months of treatment andwas suitable for both men andwomen, it was also totally pain-free with no side-effects.

“I then found there was aclinic in Cork offering thistreatment, so I contacted them

and went for a free consultation,I discovered I was sufferingfrom a condition called CTE(Chronic Telogen Effluvium). Iwas told this causes excessivethinning down the centre ofthe scalp and affects the hair’sgrowth cycles. It can also leadto androgenic alopecia, whichcan cause the hairs to get thin-ner and thinner until they stopgrowing altogether.”

Vivien was informed thatsurgery was inappropriate asshe was still losing hair, and was

also unnecessary as she still hadthe majority of her hair whichcould be saved and thickenedusing a combination of lasertreatment and medication.

“I completed my course oftreatment just over nine monthsago and I can’t believe thedifference in my hair. It hasstopped falling out and it hasthickened up massively. I amdelighted. I would recommendanyone who is worried aboutthinning hair to do somethingabout it before it’s too late!”

No 2 Camden Place,St Patricks Bridge, Cork

t: (021) 4552424

OPENINGTIMES: Monday to Friday 8am-9.30pmPlease log on to www.thehairclinichlcc.com

“I found that it was clinicallyproven to stop hair loss in 94%

of patients after six months of

treatment and was suitable for

both men and women, it was

also totally pain-free with no

side-effects.”

Vivien O’Sullivan.

feelgood 20-11-2009

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