Feelgood - Irish Examiner

TERAPROOF:User:jaycarcioneDate:27/10/2010Time:16:58:20Edition:29/10/2010FeelgoodXH2910Page:1 

Zone:XH 

XH - V1 

Feelgood 

Friday, October 29, 2010 

DADDY DAYCARE 

Why former GAA star Ray Silke took unpaid 

leave to stay home with the kids: 8, 9 

ON THE BALL 

Football champ Masterson 

on the shape she’s in: 2 

POWER PLAY 

The his and her take onthe 

self-help programme : 4, 5 

HALLOWEEN TREAT 

It’s the perfect time of year to 

enjoy the versatile pumpkin: 12


Zone:XH 

2 

News front 

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Kate O’Reilly 

WHAT’S ON 

■ COOK WITH RACHEL: Get cooking 

tips from Rachel Allen while supporting 

Concern Worldwide, at the Metropole 

Hotel, Cork next Thursday. Rachel Allen 

and TV3’s Andrew Rudd will give a 

cookery demonstration in aid of Concern’s 

‘Women of Concern’ group which 

supports vulnerable children and women 

in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Haiti, at 

7pm. Tickets can be purchased at 

www.tickets.ie/concern and cost 40. 

For more information, see www.concern.net/womenofconcern 

■ STROKE SUPPORT: The Irish Heart 

Foundation will launch a Stroke Support 

Group next Wednesday at the Clarion 

Hotel, Cork. All are welcome. For more 

information, call the Irish Heart Foundation 

on 021-4505822. 

■ TB LECTURE: ‘TB: A re-emerging 

problem?’ is the subject of an Alimentary 

Pharmabiotic Centre (APC) Public Forum 

on Tuesday, November 9 at UCC. 

Admission is free to the forum which 

will be chaired by Dr Mary Horgan, Consultant 

Physician in Infectious Diseases, 

CUH. It will run from 7.30 to 9pm at Lecture 

Theatre G01, Brookfield Health Science 

Building on College Road. The 

APC is a research centre focusing on 

gastrointestinal health and the development 

of therapies for debilitating disorders 

such as IBS. For more information 

visit www.ucc.ie/research/apc 

■ REMEMBERANCE SERVICE: To honour 

organ donors and their families, 

President Mary McAleese, along with a 

congregation of more than 2,000 people 

will attend the 25th Annual Service of 

Remembrance and Thanksgiving next 

Saturday, November 6. The service, 

which is co-ordinated by the Irish Kidney 

Association, will take place at Corpus 

Christi Church, Home Farm Road, 

Drumcondra, Dublin 9 at 11.30am. It is 

an opportunity for donor families and 

organ recipients to remember and honour 

the special people who have donated 

their organs. See www.ika.ie or contact 

1890-543639. 

■ MALLOW AWARE: Mallow Aware 

Support group meets every Thursday 

night at 8pm in Le Cheile Family Resource 

Centre (next to Gilbert Centre), 

Fair Street, Mallow. The group welcomes 

anyone who suffers from depression 

or an anxiety disorder and 

feels in need of support. See 

www.aware.ie for further information. 

■ SAI MAA: Sai Maa is a spiritual teacher 

dedicated to eliminating the pain and 

suffering of humanity. She will speak in 

Cork tomorrow night at the Ambassador 

Hotel, Military Hill from 7pm to 

9pm. There is no charge and further information 

is available from Lisa on 

087-2244429 or at www.hiu.ie 

■ ANGEL HEALING: Joan Buckley of 

Lily Holistic Centre in Passage West, Co 

Cork gives a free distance Angel healing 

session on the first Tuesday of the 

month. Sign up for the next healing 

next Tuesday, visit http://www.lilyholistic.com/freeHealing.html 

or contact 

Joan at 087-6749221. 

Items for inclusion in this column can be sent to 

koreilly8@gmail.com 

The early onset of puberty could be a factor in childhood 

eating disorders, like anorexia, finds Arlene Harris 

Pre-teen pressure 

PEER pressure and a weight 

obsessed media have long been 

blamed for the increasing 

number of teenagers suffering from eating 

disorders. But a new study from Overeaters 

Anonymous has discovered that many 

dietary problems manifest themselves in 

children as young as ten. 

The survey revealed that thousands of 

young girls are affected by eating disorders 

such as anorexia and bulimia with more 

than 50% of sufferers claiming to have 

started their troubled relationship with food 

before their 10th birthday. 

Ruth Ni Eidin of Bodywhys says the 

early onset of puberty could be a factor in 

childhood eating disorders. 

“Generally eating disorders are seen to 

emerge during the adolescent years when 

issues like bodily changes, the influence of 

a peer group and the media all come 

together along with other pressures in 

terms of school and social groups,” she 

explains. 

“But puberty is occurring at a younger 

age so body awareness combined with 

potential pressures around how their body 

‘should’ be is likely to create what would 

previously have been considered a ‘teenage’ 

experience at that younger age.” 

Parents are advised to pay close attention 

to their children to determine whether 

their child is a fussy eater or on the brink 

of something more damaging. 

HEALTH NOTES 

THE fact that almost 300 Irish women a year 

die from ovarian and cervical cancers combined 

is the motivation behind a fashion 

show, which will be held in Cork next week. 

In a bid to raise vital funds for research into 

these gynaecological cancers, surgeons and 

nurses at the South Infirmary, St Finbarr’s 

and Cork University Hospitals are teaming 

up with Cork Cancer Research Centre 

(CCRC) to host Runway For Research on 

Thursday, November 4. The fashion night 

also features two patients who have won 

their personal battle with cancer and who 

will be “made over” to walk the runway and 

close the show. The event takes place in the 

Radisson Blu Hotel, Little Island, Cork, with 

proceedings kicking off at 7pm. Tickets cost 

30. For more info, call Cork Cancer Research 

Centre on 021-4901437 or visit 

www.ccrc.ie. 

BACK pain and stress are the most likely 

problems to turn up on medical certs after 

employees have been absent from work, according 

to a new report by the Small Firms 

Association (SFA). With the national workforce 

missing an average eight workdays a 

year, the SFA has pointed out that the economic 

recession has impacted on stress levels 

— because of the contracting labour market, 

some employees are being placed under extra 

pressure due to new/different responsibilities. 

WOMEN at risk of breast cancer miss out on 

tests and early diagnosis because a history 

BODY CLOCK: Dietary problems occur in 

children as young as 10. Picture: Getty Images 

“In the case of an eating disorder there 

will usually be changes beyond the person’s 

behaviour around food,” Ruth says. “There 

may be issues in terms of mood and evidence 

LAID UP: Back pain in a major cause of 

absenteeism in Ireland. Picture: iStock 

of the disease in their father’s family is often 

ignored, say Canadian researchers. With 

between 5% and 10% of breast and ovarian 

cancers believed to be genetically linked, 

the research team found that women with a 

maternal cancer history were five times 

of low self-image which they may be linking 

to how they perceive their bodies.” 

Suzanne Horgan of the Eating Disorders 

Resource Centre says that certain factors can 

influence a child’s likelihood to developing 

an eating disorder and there are signs that 

parents can look out for. 

“A huge trigger for a propensity to eating 

disorders is bullying in school or any 

pressure which makes the child feel they 

can’t cope in their environment,” she says. 

“Other examples would be neglect, 

attachment issues, witnessing violence, 

weight gain due to early puberty and general 

anxiety.” 

Warning signs include: 

■ Significant weight loss or fluctuation 

■ Cessation or delayed onset of 

menstruation 

■ Excessive exercise 

■ Moodiness/impatience/secrecy/anxiety 

■ Wearing baggy clothes 

■ Skipping meals 

■ Change in school performance 

■ Permanently cold 

■ Overeating without gaining weight 

■ Swollen neck or face, or recurring sore 

throats 

■ Increased number of cavities or 

discolouration of teeth due to stomach acid 

from vomiting. 

For more information visit www.bodywhys.ie or call 1890 

200 444 and www.eatingdiorders.ie or 01-4953577 

more likely to be referred to specialists by 

their doctor. The researchers pointed out 

that women themselves often don’t realise 

that having an unusually high number of 

close relatives with breast cancer on the father’s 

side of the family is just as significant 

as having them on the mother’s side. 

HOW a baby grows at vital stages in the 

womb may impact on whether the child later 

develops allergies. Researchers from the 

University of Southampton looked at 1,500 

three-year-olds and found that more than 

one in four children who developed quickly 

in early pregnancy but faltered later in the 

pregnancy showed a sensitivity to common 

allergens. On the other hand, only four percent 

of children who developed slowly in 

early pregnancy — but who made greater 

strides later in pregnancy — were sensitive 

to the allergens. The researchers believe 

this is due to changes in how the baby’s immune 

system and lungs develop before 

birth. 

THE Irish Massage Therapists Association 

(IMTA) has teamed up with the Carers Association 

for a nationwide campaign titled 

Caring for the Carers, which will run during 

Massage Awareness Week (November 1-7). 

Carers are invited for a 30-minute massage 

provided by IMTA volunteers for a nominal 

fee of 10. This will then be donated to the 

Carers Association. For more info, visit 

www.carersireland.com. 

FeelgoodMag FeelgoodMag www.irishexaminer.com www.irishexaminer.com 

feelgood@examiner.ie Editorial: 021 4802 292 Advertising: 021 4802 215 


FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010

TERAPROOF:User:PAULOKEEFFEDate:27/10/2010Time:17:31:23Edition:29/10/2010FeelgoodXH2910Page:3 

Zone:XH 

XH - V1 

In profile 

3 

THE SHAPE I'M IN 

Denise Masterson 

FEELGOOD 

On the ball 

BRINGING home the Brendan Martin Cup 

after winning their first ever Senior All-Ireland 

Ladies Football Championship last month was 

“very overwhelming”, says captain and mid-fielder Denise 

Masterson. “It’s a great privilege when it’s the first time it 

has been won but it’s a bit humbling as well.” 

A German and maths teacher at St Michael’s Secondary 

School for girls in Finglas, the 31-year-old was touched by 

the reaction of students and colleagues. “Two days after 

we won, I dropped in to see the students. They had a little 

presentation for me — the whole school and staff was 

at it. It’s amazing how touching it is when people show 

that kind of support.” 

Denise, who has been nominated for an All Star, says 

her boyfriend, Joey, who plays football with Glasnevin-based 

Na Fianna, is “over the moon” at the 

Dublin girls’ success. 

What shape are you in? 

I’m in pretty good shape. I follow a strict training 

regime through the year but I took a month off after 

the All-Ireland. Not long into it, though, I started 

thinking I’d better pencil in a day at the gym, just 

to clear my system again. 

Do you have any health concerns? 

Not that I’m aware of. I’ve never been in hospital 

apart from the odd trip to A&E with a broken finger. 

What are your healthiest eating habits? 

I start the day with porridge and I eat regularly 

through the day. I’ve cut out a lot of the white 

products. I stick to wholegrain foods, chicken and 

fish. I also drink lots of water. 

What’s your guiltiest pleasure? 

A piece of chocolate and a glass of red wine, 

which I’ve been thoroughly enjoying over the 

past month. 

What would keep you awake at night? 

I’m very lucky — I find it quite easy to fall 

asleep. It can be a bit stressful, re-adjusting to 

being back at school after having all the summer 

off but it’s nice to get back too — the kids 

take everything in their stride, which kind of 

rubs off on you. 

How do you relax? 

I like listening to music. I also find cleaning the 

house very therapeutic, especially when I’m by 

myself and not being disturbed. 

Who would you invite to your dream dinner 

party? 

My entire All-Ireland winning team. 

When did you last cry? 

On All-Ireland Sunday — when the final 

whistle blew. 

What’s your favourite smell? 

I love the smell of toast. 

What would you change about your 

appearance? 

Numerous things, but I get a lot of slagging 

about the colour of my legs — they’re very 

pale, almost translucent, and ridiculously 

white. 

What trait do you least like in others? 

Cowardice — I like people to have the 

strength to stand up, be honest and stick by 

their beliefs. 

What trait do you least like in 

yourself? 


I can have quite high expectations — sometimes I need to 

be a little more accepting. 

Do you pray? 

Not so much. 

What would cheer up your day? 

My niece and nephew, Holly and Josh, who are aged four 

and two — no matter what mood I’m in, they’re guaranteed 

to make me feel better. 

MATCH FIT: Denise 

Masterson follows 

a strict training 

regime throughout 

the year but took a 

month off after 

winning the 

All-Ireland. Picture: 

Billy Higgins 

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010 

Helen O’Callaghan 

THE FEELGOOD PERSONALS 

FOR COST EFFECTIVE ADVERTISING 

Phone: LORI FRASER 

Tel. 021-4802265 Fax 021-4273846 

lori.fraser@examiner.ie 

Every Friday.


Zone:XH 

4 

Self-help 

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Her book, The Secret, was swept off the shelves. Now Rhonda Byrne has another self-help guide. We get a woman’s and man’s perspective on The Power 

What’s new? All you need is love... 

Get fit 

for autumn: 

Week 5 

5 

BANK BALANCE: 

Deirdre Reynolds 

tried to think 

positively about her 

finances. 

HANDS up — I am not Rhonda 

Byrne’s usual audience. My idea 

of self-help is pouring myself another 

glass of wine. And when a friend lent 

me a copy of Byrne’s hit book The Secret after 

I spied it on her coffee table, I only borrowed 

it to be polite — which reminds me, I 

really should give it back. 

I’m embarrassed by women who need a 

book to be told that if a man treats you like 

muck He’s Just Not That Into You. If someone 

Moved My Cheese, I’d be fairly ticked 

off. I can’t stand Chicken Soup (for the 

Soul or otherwise). And self-discovery 

chick flick du jour Eat, Pray, Love? It 

leaves me cold. 

All of which make me a perfect if improbable 

guinea pig for Byrne’s newest 

can-do handbook, The Power. 

After all, cynicism is practically in my 

job description — but The Power 

promises to transform even the 

most bah-humbuging moaner into 

a shiny happy person in the 

space of 250 compact pages. 

Shuffling embarrassedly 

up to the counter at Eason’s, 

I’m terrified that 

the cashier will 

think I’m one of 

those girls, 

y’know, the kind 

who thinks there 

is a God — and her 

name is Oprah. But in 

for a cent... 

Then after some bedtime 

brainwashing, sorry, I 

mean reading, it was time to 

unleash my inner Popeye and 

put The Power into action. 

So, what is The Power 

about? About a dozen pages 

in, Byrne explains that The 

Power is love — which is all 

you need to transform everything 

from your finances to 

your love life. 

Wait, didn’t I hear this in religion 

class and from the Beatles 

yonks ago? While the power of 

love is a line long trotted out by everyone 

from peacemakers to composers, 

Byrne actually offers a formula 

for bottling the force. 

By becoming 49% less cranky, she 

suggests, karma will kick in to magnet 

men, money or whatever it is 

you’re after into your life. 

So that’s the science bit, but does 

it actually work? I hate to admit it, 

but kinda. 

Rather than bemoaning being in 

the red, I took her advice and tried to 

think positively about my piggy bank 

— and suddenly a response to an ad I 

had posted online nine months ago 

flogging my pre-loved backpack pinged 

into my inbox. 

Whether coincidence or karma, a 

long-awaited cheque also arrived in the 

post and the interest on my savings account 

materialised. Ker-ching! 

Instead of focusing on endless deadlines, 

I got my work/life balance back in 

check by reconnecting with an old school 

friend, booking an overdue holiday to New 

York and saying yes to a spontaneous night 

on the tiles with pals which I’d normally decline. 

Work was forthcoming — and one of the 

companies I work for issued me with a new 

laptop as an incentive to keep up the good 

work. Peeking out of my laptop bag, my 

copy of The Power even unexpectedly 

helped to break the ice with a complete 

stranger in a café — either proving it works 

or that we nutters stick together. 

Elsewhere, I invoked The Power to stop 

feeling sorry for myself over a recent car accident 

that killed my trusty Toyota Yaris, and 

got back on the road by trading up a few 

years. Meanwhile, my man asked me to move 

in with him. 

Of course, there were setbacks and my 

rose-tinted glasses occasionally fogged up. 

In the book, readers are warned against a 

vicious cycle of anger, irritation and disappointment 

which stops The Power from 

working. But when a jaywalking pedestrian 

gives me the finger — well, it’s a bit like 

waving a red rag in front of a bull and expecting 

them not to charge. 

Then I take a deep breath and remember 

— to very loosely paraphrase Byrne — I 

can’t stop other people from being muppets, 

so why let my blood pressure suffer? 

So do I feel anymore powerful having read 

The Power? 

Well, I still struggle to open the marmalade 

jar in the morning — but at least now I try 

to imagine that it’s half full rather than half 

empty. Self-fulfilling prophecy or marketing 

ploy — you decide. 

■ The Power, Rhonda Byrne, 12.99 

DEIRDRE REYNOLDS 

KARMA TIME: 

Rhonda Byrne 

suggests in her 

latest book that by 

becoming 49% 

less cranky, karma 

will kick in to 

magnet men, 

money or 

whatever it is 

you're after into 

your life. Picture: 

GettyImages 

ITRIED. Honestly, I did. But no 

matter how much I deployed positive 

thinking, or tried to visualise myself 

completing it, I just could not finish reading 

The Secret, Rhonda Byrne’s staggeringly 

successful (19m copies) self-help juggernaut. 

Struggling through The Secret, it 

brought to mind Dorothy Parker’s legendary 

line, “This is not a book to be 

tossed aside lightly; it should be thrown 

with great force.” 

Suffice to say, I considered it a major 

challenge to get through Byrne’s follow-up 

The Power, but, by gum, I persevered, in 

the name of research, to apply its lessons to 

my own life, and see what change, if any, 

this produced. 

So what is The Power? In a nutshell, The 

Power boils down to two song titles: All 

You Need is Love and You Get What You 

Give. Yes, love is “the positive force of 

life”. Everything you want to be be, to do, 

or to have comes from love. If you approach 

everything in life from a place of 

love — replacing all negative thoughts and 

feelings with loving ones — then an 

“amazing life” awaits you. 

I might be deeply cynical when it comes 

to self-help tomes, but I do believe that 

even the genre’s most unutterable garbage 

can contain a pearl or two of wisdom. 

I like The Power’s underlying ideas of 

thinking positively and trying to find the 

best in any given situation. I firmly believe 

that such people are good examples to live 

by 

Ḃut, try as I might, I can’t help but fall 

down in my quest to co-opt the tenets of 

The Power. I don’t think there’s enough 

love in the universe to make me feel good 

about getting my ESB and phone bills 

(Byrne urges readers to be thankful for the 

electricity, rather than focusing on the negative 

aspects of paying for it). 

Indeed, I’m sure the chapters in the book 

concerning money, and how to make more 

of it, will be the most thumbed. After all, 

Rhonda Byrne has made NAMA-amounts 

of cash on the back of these projects. 

Alas, the only revelation is to feel good 

about money, even if you don’t have it. 

Those who feel good about money “magnetise 

it back to them.” Believe me, I’ve 

been feeling good, and having loving 

thoughts about money for a long time 

now, all to no avail. 

It didn’t work, either, when I tried to 

follow her theories about the placebo effect 

in the section entitled The Power and 

Health. Have you ever tried to think/love 

away a hangover? Even worse, Byrne suggests 

I should be thankful for the hangover, 

because “the waters of the body receive all 

your feelings,” so they should be positive 

feelings, if possible. 

Byrne also wags her finger at readers for 

gossiping because “it’s giving negativity, 

and that’s what you receive back.” I figured 

this would be the easiest habit to change, 

but, alas, within hours, I’m on IM exchanging 

rumours about an Irish celebrity 

with a friend. But I did it with love, I assure 

you. 

My main beef with The Power, and The 

Secret, before it, is that a huge amount of 

its lessons encourage, if not outright de- 

pend, on imagining what you want. I’m all 

for positive thinking, but there’s a danger that 

vulnerable people could get trapped in a second 

fantasy life that doesn’t, and might not 

ever, exist. 

Won’t that just lead to further unhappiness 

or discontentment? Of course, there probably 

isn’t much of a market for the one important 

idea that Byrne doesn’t articulate in The 

Power: that the larger your fantasy life is, the 

smaller your real one will be. 

DECLAN CASHIN 

I don't think 

there's 

enough love 

in the 

universe to 

make me feel 

good about 

getting my 

ESB and 

phone bills 

(Byrne urges 

readers to be 

thankful for 

the 

electricity 

rather than 

focusing on 

the negative 

aspects of 

paying for it). 

HARD TO SWALLOW: 

Declan Cashin is sceptical 

of Rhonda Byrne’s 

suggestion that he try to 

think/love away a hangover 

or that he should be 

thankful for the hangover, 

because “the waters of the 

body receive all your 

feelings” . 

Trainer Gillian O’Sullivan, right, 

comments on Edel O’Sullivan’s progress in 

the fifth of her eight-week programme 

WITH the end result in sight, Edel 

is definitely feeling the benefits of 

her tough training regime. She 

reported a good week in the run-up to the 

long weekend and she is elated to be seeing 

an improvement all round. 

Fifteen minutes of full running is tough, 

admittedly, but it is one of the best feelings 

in the world. “I actually feel like going for 

a run now!” she says. 

Remember, Edel never ran, so there is a 

great sense of satisfaction in what she says 

there and in what she has achieved during 

her weekly sessions. 

The weights have tightened her up too. 

Gillian isn’t sparing her either, having increased 

her routine to three sets of 15. 

Edel thinks, “maybe, just maybe, the worst 

is over!” But, yes, she feels more toned 

and the motivation of upping the training 

every week inspires her to greater things. 

Edel is thrilled that she has put in the effort 

and that the hard work is beginning to 

pay off. 

“Definitely there were days that I just 

felt like it was too much pressure with the 

wedding preparations and so forth, but 

definitely it has been worth every ounce 

of sweat.” 

Therese O’Callaghan 

For exercise routines with 

Gillian O’Sullivan, visit: 

irishexaminer.com/feelgood/autumnworkout 





TERAPROOF:User:gregmccannDate:27/10/2010Time:16:34:48Edition:29/10/2010FeelgoodXH2910Page:6 

Zone:XH 

6 

Psychology 

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Management training literature omits any 

reference to emotions and the unconscious 

FEELGOOD 

From the heart 

Tony Humphreys 

RECENTLY I was involved with working with female 

managers of banks and I also gave a presentation 

at a Human Resources International Conference 

in Cologne. In preparing for these events I examined 

the literature on training for managers and discovered an 

emphasis on proscriptions, coaching, employee engagement, 

talent mentoring and e-learning. What was glaringly absent 

in my search was the acknowledgment that we have an unconscious 

and also that leaders and managers, like the rest of 

us, carry considerable emotional baggage into their roles, 

which, inevitably, interrupts their effectiveness. 

Another missing link was a focus on ‘affectiveness’ and the 

reality that mature governorship is both a head and heart 

phenomenon. 

We have seen in all the economic, political, social and 

health service crises besetting us here in Ireland and some 

other westernised countries, that is was predominantly men 

who largely occupied positions of power, and, sadly, with 

devastating results. 

Notoriously, men operate from a ‘head’ space and ignore, 

dismiss or ridicule a ‘heart’ space. But good leadership and 

management need to affect (influence) employees and customers 

in order to effect (bring about) progressive results. Indeed, 

being affective and effective are inseparable partners 

when it comes to mature management — wherever we live, 

learn, pray, work and play. 

If the men on top had been operating from heart places 

then the greed, narcissism, avarice, depersonalisation of employees 

and customers, bullying, arrogance, superiority, corruption 

and cover-ups that are now so evident in Ireland 

would not have happened. However, even though accountability, 

responsibility and authenticity need to be forthcoming 

from those leaders and managers, compassion is also required. 

Witch-hunts and blaming only serve to push them further 

into hiding. I do believe that those in power operated unconsciously 

— were driven by hidden fears, vulnerabilities, addictions 

to success, power, ‘being right’ and wealth. Unconsciously, 

there had to be present within them the goodness of 

their nature, hungry and thirsty for love and recognition. 

When the latter is the case substitutes are unconsciously 

sought and this process would have begun in their childhood 

years in their homes, classrooms and community. 

When any child is mis-taken by his parent or teacher or 

significant person for academic achievements, for success, for 

‘being the best’, for ‘being a star’, for ‘being good’ or 

ridiculed for ‘being bold’, ‘for failure’, for ‘making a mess’, 

then a darkness descends on the person and the drive to 

maintain the token recognition becomes overwhelming. 

These children ingeniously conform to the unrealistic expectations 

or the ‘put down’ labels, to the mistaking of their precious 

worth and presence, with what they do. They creatively 

devise powerful ways of staying on the pedestal or keeping 

their heads below the parapet. All their intelligence and creativity 

goes into sanctifying the mistake and, repeatedly, this 

sanctification is often reinforced by teachers, lecturers and 

employers. 

What is even sadder is that these men will unwittingly repeat 

the mistake with their own children and when they are 

in positions of power they repeat it with employees and customers, 

and woe betide those who rebel. Incidentally, it was 

the ‘highly engaged’ managers and leaders who collected the 

huge monetary bonuses and misspent public monies. What is 


CHILD’S PLAY: When any child is mis-taken by his parent or 

significant person for success, or ridiculed ‘for failure’, for 

‘making a mess’, then a darkness descends on the child and 

the drive to maintain the token recognition becomes 

overwhelming. Picture: Getty Images 

emerging now is that these rewards were a redundant exercise 

and only added to the mess we are experiencing. In any case 

work is intrinsic to our nature; to over-extrinsically reward 

work destroys the true nature of work — this is true of learning 

as well. 

The absence of any reference to the unconscious in the 

management training literature makes defensive sense, because 

who in a work (or other) organisation is in a consciously mature 

and solid place to challenge immature management? One 

of the most common phenomena at staff meetings is silence 

— passivity, often of a passive-aggressive nature — where 

what needs to be challenged goes unchallenged, where what 

needs to be brought to consciousness, stays in the unconscious. 

Whether you occupy the lower, middle or higher echelons 

of power and you turn a blind eye to what is threatening 

to people’s emotional, social, spiritual and economic wellbeing, 

and, ultimately, an organisation’s progress, you require 

as much help as those who are perpetrating the neglect. 

How then can organisations create the emotional and social 

safety for ‘highly engaged’ managers to allow to come to 

consciousness what has lain hidden for decades? No change is 

possible without such consciousness — consciousness of fears, 

insecurities and confused identities — the mistakes. 

A determined effort is required to create the relationship 

environment that will lead to an increase in managers’ consciousness, 

so that the genius they have employed unconsciously 

in developing and reinforcing their defensive strategies 

can be unleashed into their consciousness for the good of 

all, mostly themselves. Some of these individuals who occupy 

top political, religious, corporate and educational positions 

and who are deeply defensively entrenched require 

one-to-one psychodynamic help. 

The conscious manager operates from the fullness and 

goodness of his awesome nature and creates a work environment 

where it is a joy to come to work; neither will he stand 

idly by when dark and defensive practices are present — oh if 

it were only so. 

Dr Tony Humphreys is a clinical psychologist, author, national and international 

speaker. His books, the Mature Manager and Relationship, Relationship, Relationship, 

Heart of a Mature Society, are relevant to today’s column. 


ADIFFERENT 

VIEW 

ON LIFESTYLE 

Your guide to fitness, health, 

happiness and lifestyle. 

Great writers and mentors. 

Where you come first. 

Every Friday 

Phone: LORI FRASER 

Tel. 021-4802265 Fax 021-4273846 

lori.fraser@examiner.ie


Zone:XH 

XH - V1 

Stretching out 

Olivia Kelleher on dealing with the challenge of her son’s developmental disorder 

Learning curve 

7 

GETTING your child ready 

for his first day of junior 

infants is a milestone for 

any parent. Uniforms are examined, 

book lists are double-checked. The 

days of sleepless nights and nappies are 

behind you and there is an expectation 

that your little one will breeze through 

the school system. 

Complete with glasses and unruly 

hair my son Alex, now six, resembled a 

junior Harry Potter as he made his way 

in to his class in the first week of 

school in September 2008. 

The first few days centred around 

play and getting to know the other 

pupils. Then week two came and the 

children were assigned homework. The 

class quickly moved on from using 

crayons to pencils and inexplicably my 

son started to struggle with colouring 

in pictures or tracing a line. 

Alex couldn’t hold his pencil with 

ease. Homework 

became stressful. I 

scanned his homework 

sheet in the 

car every day after 

school to see if it 

involved penmanship. 

If it didn’t we 

rejoiced and a trip 

out of the house 

was on the agenda. 

If there was so 

much as a line involving 

penmanship 

we trudged home 

and the crying began. 

Mainly the 

crying involved me 

having a quiet 

weeping session 

when Alex went off 

to watch television 

after completing the 

horrors of homework. 

But on a few 

occasions, my 

bright and cheerful 

little man ended up 

in tears because he 

couldn’t write the 

letter B or colour within the lines. 

In early 2009 we approached his class 

teacher who agreed Alex needed to be 

assessed by a registered occupational 

therapist. He attended the Sunflower 

Clinic in Cork and following a comprehensive 

and sensitively carried out 

assessment, was diagnosed with developmental 

co-ordination disorder 

(DCD). Over the years, DCD and dyspraxia 

have been used to describe the 

same condition, which was previously 

termed “clumsy child syndrome”. 

DCD affects a child’s performance of 

everyday tasks. A difficulty in motor 

planning makes new movements and 

actions harder to do. 

Children with the condition are often 

highly intelligent. The challenge 

lies in overcoming difficulties relating 

to penmanship, concentration and organisation. 

My son is a capable child in many 

ways. It just takes him a little longer to 


do activities which other children take 

for granted. Dressing himself for 

school, which was once a mind-boggling 

task, has now become easier, give 

or take the odd top button in a shirt. 

Using cutlery and cutting food is another 

uphill struggle and general organisation 

can be challenging. 

Alex is now in first class and with resource 

hours from his school and the 

benefits of occupational therapy his 

handwriting has improved immensely. 

His handwriting can be devoid of 

proper spacing at times but that doesn’t 

stop him from getting full marks in 

spelling in his weekly handwritten test. 

Alex has to work that little bit harder 

than other children to produce the 

same results on the page. A bundle of 

happiness, self-esteem could become 

more of an issue in his teenage years. 

Skills such as driving a car can be difficult 

for people with dyspraxia. However, 

it is possible 

with 

patience and 

perseverance. 

As a parent 

I am 

torn when it 

comes to 

sporting activities. 

It is 

vital that 

Alex stay 

physically 

active. 

However, 

no mother 

wants to see 

their child 

get upset 

when they 

are the last 

to be picked 

for teams. 

Alex’s occupational 

therapist, 

Juanita Galloway 

O’Regan, 

says it is important to get a child with 

my son’s condition involved in multiple 

activities to find out what he excels in. 

“We have had children come in with 

black belts. It can be done,” she says. 

Harry Conway, development officer 

at the Dyspraxia Association of Ireland, 

currently organises activities for children 

with the condition. A 

Dublin-based football camp has been 

particularly successful. 

Mr Conway says the camp is not 

about developing a sense of otherness 

but instead allows children to develop 

their skills surrounded by their peers. 

“It started off with five kids but we 

now have 32. It gives them confidence 

to go out and play with other children. 

It is heartbreaking when a child isn’t 

being picked for a team or is finding it 

hard to keep up. Kids with dyspraxia 

need a bit of accommodation. These 

kids can be so bright. They just need a 

little bit of extra help.” 

SYMPTOMS of DCD and dyspraxia 

include: 

■ Poor balance 

■ Poor fine and gross motor co-ordination 

■ Poor posture 

■ Difficulty with 

throwing and catching 

a ball 

■ Poor awareness 

of body position in 

space 

■ Poor sense of direction 

■ Difficulty in hopping, 

skipping or 

riding a bike 

■ Slow to learn to 

dress or feed themselves 

■ Difficulty with writing 

■ About 5 to 7% of the population is affected 

with DCD or dyspraxia and it affects 

males at least three to four times 

more than females. 


BRIGHT SPARK: Occupational therapy has 

helped Alex, whose handwriting has 

improved; left, Alex at the Sunflower 

Clinic. Picture: Cillian Kelly


Zone:XH 

8 

xxxxxxxx Cover story 

XH - V1 

Makingxxxxxxxx 

choices 

9 

Teacher and former captain of the All-Ireland winning Galway football team Ray Silke recounts his experience of eight weeks unpaid parental leave with his children 

The highs and lows of my SAHD spell 

THE question I have been asked 

more than any other is what 

made you think of taking 

parental leave? Are you mad? (Men asked 

that one mainly). 

Deciding to voluntarily stay at home 

from work, mind four children, change 

nappies, get puked on, do the school run, 

make dinners, play house, and to cap it all 

off, not get paid. When I told one of my 

best friends that I would be down about 

400, so I could stay at home with the 

twins, he drank deeply on his pint and retorted: 

“I’d pay 400 a week not to be at 

home with the kids”. 

The first time I heard someone mention 

the term SAHD, I thought 

they meant SAD (seasonal 

affective disorder) 

and had 

slipped in an 

extra “H” by 

accident, as 

the constant 

Irish cloud 

cover was 

having a 

strange effect 

on 

them. 

But no, 

SAHD is 

becoming a 

well-established 

acronym. It has 

made it into 

Wikipedia and according 

to that font of information, 

some correct, and some inaccurate, 

a SAHD (stay-at-home dad) is: “the 

term used to describe a father who is the 

main caregiver of the children and is the 

homemaker of the household”. 

With the massive unemployment problem 

and the cost of childcare being a 

SAHD in Ireland is becoming much more 

common. Just check out how many dads 

are collecting their offspring from the 

gates of your local national school every 

day. Research backs this up. There are 

more than 7,000 men in Ireland staying at 

home to look after their children, according 

to the Central Statistics Office (2009). 

Being a typical Irish male, I just threw 

myself into the role of being at home with 

the children full-time. Survival was the 

short-term objective and it did not occur 

to me to do any research or get any tips or 

hints until writing this piece. 

And there is lots of support out there on 

the web for Irish men who are full time 

home-makers or about to become one. 

Check out www.dad.ie or www.diyfather.com, 

and if you fancy a laugh, check 

out the rap “I’m a stay-at-home dad” on 

YouTube. 

So I became a STSAHD (Short-term 

stay-at-home dad) and these are my findings….. 

Why go on parental leave? 

The genesis of my (and it was mine, despite 

what a lot of narrow-minded, sexist alpha 

male friends have suggested subsequently) decision 

to take parental leave was a regular conversation 

that is had by every parent of young 

children when they meet people who have 

walked the path previously. 

You know the natter: “Enjoy them while 

you can. They grow up sooooooo fast. You 

will look at them in their school uniform in a 

few short years, and say; where did those years 

go?” 

The decision was taken primarily to spend 

time with the children, especially the two babies. 

This was probably my last chance to have 

a full-time parenting opportunity with babies, 

so I wanted to take it. 

The second pull-factor was a 

brief conversation with the 

owner of the terrific 

I wonder how single 

parents families cope? 

Knowing no one is 

going to come through 

the door sometime 

soon, to give you a 

hand must be a tough 

station 

crèche which our two 

girls have attended 

for the past few 

years. 

I was told the 

cost of placing 

the twins and 

Neasa there 

full-time (she 

starts school 

next September), 

and Fáinse 

for after school, 

would be 450 

per week or about 

1,750 per month. 

So, with all the children 

using the crèche facilities, 

I will be working for very 

little from next Monday — under 200 a 

week (less after December’s Budget cuts, no 

doubt). 

The differential between take-home pay and 

the cost of childcare in Ireland if you have a 

few children is extremely small and is a distinct 

disincentive to full-time work. 

Tough early weeks 

Anyone who says staying at home full-time 

with children is easy is a clown. 

It has its good points, but compared to driving 

out the door and heading to work (conversations 

with adults — yippee), staying at home 

is mentally tough, until you adjust. If you ever 

fully do. 

I found it really difficult for the first few 

weeks being at home as a lone adult and it 

does change the way you think about yourself 

in many ways. 

You are a bit disorientated from what has 

been the norm for many years. It can be quite 

lonely – apart from the “1,2,3,4,5, once I 

caught a fish alive..” stuff, and the novelty goes 

out of that fairly quickly too. 

After the first two weeks, I decided on a 

golden rule: get out and about. Every day. 

Staying indoors all day with the kids is a 

hardship and would do your head in. You have 

to get out. Go for a walk. A coffee. Shopping 

even — anywhere, but break the monotony of 

the day. 

To be honest, I found the hardest part of the 

day was just after breakfast. My wife (Sonya) 

● More than 7,000 men in Ireland are SAHDs (Stay At Home Dads) 

A HANDFUL: Ray Silke at home with his children, one year old twins Oisín and Fiach, Neasa (4) and Fainse (7). 

would head off with Fáinse to work and 

school respectively. The twins would be 

mooching around the floor and Neasa might 

be doing some colouring or a jigsaw, or continuing 

her growing love affair with Michael 

Bublé, and you realise that in the main, they’re 

it. For the next nine or ten hours you’re on 

your own. Apart from Ronan Collins on RTÉ 

Radio 1 from noon to 1pm. (Has that man got 

the best job in Ireland, or what? I reckon he 

works about a 45-minute day). Sonya was usually 

gone by 8.15am and was rarely home before 

5.30pm/5.45pm. If it went after that time, 

5.46pm was my cut-off point, my happiness 

Picture: Ray Ryan 

index decreased rapidly. It went through the 

floor. In fact, I became a right crank. 

“For God’s sake, how hard is it to leave work 

on time? Collect Fáinse and be home in 30 

minutes.” 

Funny how before this experience, being a 

half-an-hour either side of when I should be 

home never really bothered me. 

Being on the other side of a long day at 

home with the “squealers” clarifies things for 

you. I have learnt that nine hours at home 

with your kids is plenty. You want to hear the 

bugle and see the cavalry arrive after that. 

Highs and lows 

There were plenty of highs in the eight 

weeks with the children. Lovely long walks on 

the promenade in Salthill fielding the compliments 

and the admiring glances of the passing 

female walkers: “Ah, look at the daddy, with 

the two gorgeous twins. They’re so cute.” 

Yes I know, I know. Just the babies are. 

However, there were some awful times too: 

one of the most unpleasant things that happened 

and which has left a scar on my subconscious, 

happened so simply. I had the two lads 

sitting in their high chairs, having just changed 

their wet nappies, and they were just in their 

all-in-ones, watching me as I blended up the 

carrots and parsnips etc for their dinner. They 

love their food. 

They had been given nothing to eat or chew 

as my ceremonial dinner was en-route. Out of 

the corner of my eye I noticed that one of 

them was eating something off his fingers and I 

could not figure out where he had gotten anything 

to chew. Then it hit. 

He was sampling some of his own poo that 

had sneakily leaked out from his under his 

nappy. I was mortified. 

I told no-one, until now. Even now, a few 

weeks later, the thought of it makes me feel 

physically ill. From that day on, they never sat 

in the high chair again without a pair 

of pants over their nappy. Once 

bitten, twice shy. 

The other real low and 

one which left me gutted 

was Neasa breaking 

her ankle. I felt 

miserable and very 

guilty for my stupidity. 

If you learn only 

one thing from 

this feature, it is 

not to put young 

children on the 

crossbar or handlebars 

of your bike. 

Ironically, it was the only 

time that I had ever 

taken my bike out with the 

two girls. 

Fáinse bombed off and Neasa was 

not able to keep up with her stabilisers, so I 

uttered the foolish words: “Climb up here.” 

All was well for ten or 15 minutes and then 

she forgot about my grave warnings to keep 

her tiny feet out from the spokes and down we 

went. Thankfully we both had helmets. 

Boy, did I feel like an idiot in A & E when 

they took the X-ray and said: “It’s broken”. 

On the other side, the highs would be seeing 

the lads developing so rapidly. New teeth. 

Crawling. Almost walking. Laughing. Personalities 

developing. 

Having that time at home with your own 

children is worth an awful lot and is time that 

can never be replaced. 

The two lads have benefited enormously too, 

as I would spend about two hours a day every 

day on the floor with them, rolling, fighting, 

messing, talking, reading and interacting with 

them. 

The more interaction they receive the more 

they advance and seeing their progress, day by 

day and week by week has been very gratifying. 

It has been very positive for them, and 

me. 

The time with Neasa, a lot of it exclusive, 

when the twins slept in the morning, has been 

fantastic and has brought us really close. She is 

great craic. 

Her ankle is now fully healed and watching 

her walk back into the crèche two weeks ago 

was a great feeling. 

Stressful times 

No matter how organised you try to be, being 

at home with four children can be very stressful 

at times. When everything is going according 

to plan, it is idyllic, but with strong-willed 

and very different youngsters around the 

house, even the best-laid plans can go awry. 

One of the biggest problems I faced is that 

Neasa, who is only four, loves picking up the 

twins. 

Even when she was in the cast, if you turned 

your back, she’d be there half-lifting, half-dragging, 

half-choking one of them down the corridor. 

We have a “Halla Dána” where she has to go 

for a time-out if she constantly refuses to be 

reasonable. However, no matter how much 

she agrees not to lift them, she 

finds the temptation impossible 

to resist. 

She reminds me of 

a cat playing 

with two mice. 

And the constant 

fear of 

hearing the 

thud of a 

child’s head 

off tile is 

stressful. 

The faction 

fighting 

between the 

seven year old 

and the four 

year old is an ongoing 

stressor and 

would make you lose the 

rag sometimes but when they 

are playing together, it is bliss. 

Being of the fairer sex though, open, and 

more often then not, guerrilla, warfare can 

blaze in an instant and is not easily quelled. 

When you have two adults on site, such 

tit-for-tat antagonism is no real problem as you 

can easily isolate them and take the heat out of 

the situation. But when you might be feeding 

the two babies, trying to get dinner ready for 

When childcare is 

costing almost as much 

as you are getting to go 

to work, then I think 

most people would 

consider being at home 

with their children the 

preferred option 

the others and sorting a few loads of 

washing, clinical psychologist David 

Coleman’s soothing words and coping 

strategies can be easily forgotten. 

It is at times like those that I wonder 

how single-parent families cope. 

Being a full-time mum or dad to children 

and knowing that no-one is going 

to come through the door sometime 

soon, to give you a hand must be a 

tough, tough station. 

Impact on relationship with wife 

It did feel a bit weird at first, being at 

home all day and having Sonya coming 

home in the evening, but you adapt to 

the role and adjust. 

Some evenings I would feel like saying 

(and did say) “feck this for a game of soldiers,” 

and head out the door for a good 

walk to clear the head. The squabbling 

with the older girls some afternoons 

would really wreck my head: “Daddy, 

she took my... etc etc”. 

It has brought us closer and I’d say in 

some ways she is pleased with how I 

coped at home. 

There is still a lot of scope for improvement 

in the culinary department, 

but nobody has starved. Pasta is a great 

product. 

The one time I did use a few expletives 

about my changed role in our relationship 

was when my current account needed 

a cash injection, as the mortgage, Visa 

bill payments and most other direct debits 

were taking their toll, with nothing 

coming in. 

I mentioned it to Sonya and left her 

cheque book on the counter. Before she 

left for work, she rose the pen with a 

flourish, smiled at me and said in what I 

determined was a derogatory tone: “How 

much do you need?”. 

My reply was along the lines of – “if I 

was not at *#*#ing home minding these 

kids, with no income, I would not need 

your *#*#ing charity”. Irrational, I 

know. 

Back to the future 

I know what we will do in the next 

few years for childcare, but the crèche is 

the preferred option for now. Expensive, 

I know. 

Perhaps one of us will job-share or we 

could get an au-pair when the lads are a 

bit older. Like most people we will probably 

just juggle the best we can. 

I will definitely go on parental leave 

again though. You get 18 weeks per child 

up to age eight, so I have lots of time to 

play with. 

When childcare is costing almost as 

much as you are getting to go to work, 

then I think most people would consider 

being at home with their children the 

preferred option. 

I enjoyed it, but to say I loved it and 

would love to be a full-time dad would 

be a bit of a stretch. 




Zone:XH 

10 

Medical matters 

XH - V1 

Dr Niamh Houston 

FAMILY 

Dr Niamh Houston is a 

GP with a special 

interest in integrative 

medicine. If you have a 

question about your child’s 

health email it to 

feelgood@examiner.ie 

or send a letter to 


Irish Examiner 

City Quarter 

Lapps Quay 

Cork 

QMY partner is having 

difficulty keeping 

an erection. It’s 

now become an 

issue for him and 

we haven’t had sex in a long 

time. He doesn’t want to see 

his doctor and says it’s only a 

phase. Are there any natural 

treatments that you recommend? 

A. Having erection trouble 

from time to time isn’t necessarily 

a cause for concern. But if 

erectile dysfunction (ED) is an 

ongoing problem, it may cause 

stress, affect self-confidence or 

cause relationship problems as is 

happening in your case. It can be 

awkward for men to talk about 

erectile dysfunction, but a good 

place to start is with his family 

doctor. Difficulty getting or 

keeping an erection can be a sign 

of a health condition such as 

heart disease, diabetes, high 

blood pressure, low testosterone, 

anxiety or depression. 

Male sexual arousal is a complex 

process that involves the 

brain, hormones, emotions, 

nerves, muscles, and blood vessels. 

Erectile dysfunction can result 

from a problem with any of 

these. Sometimes a combination 

of physical and psychological issues 

are the root of the problem 

eg a minor physical problem that 

slows a man’s sexual response can 

cause anxiety about maintaining 

an erection. This resulting anxiety 

can lead to or worsen erectile 

dysfunction. Most men have 

erections during sleep without 

remembering them. A simple test involves 

him wrapping tape around his penis before 

going to bed. If the tape is separated in the 

morning, the penis was erect at some time 

during the night indicating the cause is most 

likely psychological and not physical. A few 

counselling sessions may be all that is needed 

to address this. Your family doctor will 

be able to refer your to someone who specialises 

in this area. 

Has your partner recently started on treatment? 

Medications including antidepressants, 

antihistamines, pain relievers, high 

blood pressure also can contribute to ED. 

Being overweight, drinking too much or 

taking illicit drugs can worsen ED. 

The most important thing is to make sure 

your partner is getting the right treatment 

for any health problems that could be causing 

or worsening his ED. Oral medications 

such as Cialis or Viagra are successful treatments 

for many men. These are not suitable 

if there is a history of angina, heart disease 

TURNED OFF: Difficulty getting or keeping an erection can be a 

sign of a health condition, diabetes, anxiety or depression. 

or heart failure, uncontrolled diabetes, very 

low blood pressure or very high blood pressure. 

Other medications include self-injection 

with alprostadil, penile implants/pumps 

or testosterone replacement therapy. 

While some of these alternative treatments 

for ED appear to be relatively safe, others 

are more risky and can interact with medications 

or cause other health problems, 

DHEA is a building block for sex hormones. 

It can cause acne and lower the 

“good” HDL cholesterol. Horny goat weed 

is a Chinese herb — it may cause blood 

thinning and lower blood pressure. Yohimbine 

is derived from the bark of the African 

yohimbe tree. It may help with ED especially 

if it’s due to psychological causes, but 

has been linked to increased blood pressure, 

fast or irregular heartbeat and anxiety. The 

herb Ginseng (Panax) is generally considered 

safe. But it may lower blood sugar levels. 

Gingko another herbal remedy may help 

ED by increasing the blood flow to the penis, 

but do not take if you’re going to 

have surgery of take a blood-thinning 

medication. 

Always talk to your doctor before 

you try any herbal treatments — especially 

if you’re taking medications 

or you have a chronic health problem 

such as heart disease or diabetes. 

Q. Is kombucha tea good for you? 

Someone recommended to take it, 

but I don’t know anything about its 

origin or what it contains? 

A. Kombucha tea also known as 

Manchurian or Kargasok tea has been 

popular for a long time in other 

countries, and is now gaining popularity 

in Europe. It is frequently referred 

to as a mushroom, which it 

looks like, but it’s a colony of bacteria 

and yeast, commonly called SCOBY 

(symbiotic colony of bacteria and 

yeast). Kombucha tea is made by 

adding the colony to sugar and black 

or green tea and allowing the mix to 

ferment for a few weeks. The liquid 

contains vinegar, B vitamins and a 

number of other chemical compounds. 

The fermentation process is 

said to produce electronic acid, 

hyaluronic acid, and other compounds 

which are normally produced 

by the body. It claims to have many 

type of health benefits such as stimulating 

the immune system , improving 

digestion, eliminating toxins, improving 

eyesight, skin conditions, 

arthritis and even preventing cancer, 

but none of these benefits have been 

proven. This doesn’t mean that 

kombucha tea can’t have any benefits 

for your health; it just means that 

there is no direct evidence that it 

provides the benefits it claims to have. 

Different kombucha teas may contain 

moulds and fungi, some of which can cause 

illness. After the tea is fermented, it is highly 

acidic and contains alcohol and other compounds. 

In order to maintain its possible 

health benefits, kombucha tea is left unpasteurised 

or raw. One of the concerns with 

raw kombucha is that it may continue to 

ferment and carry harmful bacteria as a result 

unless it is refrigerated. There is a high 

risk of contamination because kombucha tea 

is often brewed in homes under non-sterile 

conditions. Lead poisoning is a risk of ceramic 

or lead crystal or painted pots are used 

for brewing -the acids in the tea may leach 

lead from its container. 

There have been several reports that kombucha 

tea can cause stomach upset, and allergic 

reactions. More toxic reactions include 

metabolic acidosis — an abnormal increase 

of acid levels in body fluids, as well as 

yellowing of the skin from liver damage. 

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

Catherine 

Shanahan 

MUM’S WORLD 

IUSED to shop for the sake of it or to 

solve through retail therapy what real life 

could not resolve. 

I am the first to admit there are some 

things only money can buy and a cashmere 

coat with fox fur trim is one of them. The 

emotional uplift from a well-cut blouse is 

worth an hour on the therapist’s couch. 

The scene of purchase was important. Department 

stores overwhelmed me and chain 

store wares do not make statements. Any 

woman who shops in one will spot her outfit 

on the high street more often than she 

cares to shake a stick at. 

Shopping malls were like human zoos, 

crammed with hormonal teens and 

breast-feeding mums. The food hall was my 

version of hell: a smorgasbord of conflicting 

and unpalatable aromas where defeated parents 

watched their young devour mounds of 

untraceable meat masquerading as burgers. 

Browsing in back street boutiques, pre-offspring, 

was a reasonably enjoyable experience, 

an opportunity for instant gratification, 

a prelude to lunch with the girls or a 

curtain-raiser for cocktails. 

Nowadays, it’s a circus without a ringmaster, 

at the discretion of clowns. 

It is a feat of considerable achievement to 

load up the car. The exercise begins with 

gentle persuasion and quickly builds to 

bribery. 

When the demands become too outrageous, 

inducements give way to threats. 

The final straw is a rigid two-year-old, 

locked into a posture that makes it impossible 

to sit her into a car seat without use of 

physical force. We take off to the din of defeat 

as a irate child out-shouts the radio for 

the best part of half an hour. 

When we arrive at the supermarket, neither 

she nor the four-year-old brother will 

sit in the trolley. Instead they dive behind 

stock on floor-level shelves, out of arm’s 

reach but well within range to send boxes 

of whatnots flying. By the time I am 

through, not even the next ruler of Asia 

could undo the Gordian knot at the back 

of my neck. 

The same rigmarole is played out in the 

aftermath of shopping except this time I 

must stop the trolley spinning across the 

carpark while simultaneously fastening 

straps in the back of the car. I am almost 

done when I spot a pair of children’s character 

pyjamas I definitely did not pay for. A 

return to the checkout is out of the question 

and I head for the open road. 

Shopping has descended into the kind of 

farce where I feel the fear, but do it anyway, 

because my family would otherwise 

starve. 

It’s a world away from backstreet boutiques 

where the only distraction was the 

sound of the till ringing with the weight of 

expectation. 




Zone:XH 

XH - V1 

Life’s challenges 

Noelle Morrison tells Colette Sheridan how her cancer diagnosis changed her life 

Recipe for recovery 

11 

WHEN mother-of-two young 

children, Noelle Morrison, 

was diagnosed with breast 

cancer a year and a half ago at the age of 48, 

she reacted by “kicking every door in the 

house for a long time. I was so cross. I wondered 

how this could happen to me. I exercise 

and eat very well, growing my own fruit 

and vegetables and only eating organic meat 

and chicken. I drink in moderation and I 

gave up cigarettes 20 years ago. I felt it was 

very unfair. But life is unfair. I used to say 

‘why me?’ But you know what, that doesn’t 

get you anywhere because you can equally 

say, ‘why not me?’” 

Morrison, who underwent a life-changing 

mastectomy, had always been vigilant about 

her breast check-ups. She had lumpy breasts 

indicating thickening of her breast tissue. 

Over the last six years, she had a number of 

needle biopsies. A lump was removed from 

her breast two years prior to her mastectomy. 

It was benign. 

However, a later ultrasound check-up 

showed up another lump. A sample was taken 

and it proved to be malignant. 

“When I got the diagnosis, it was like being 

hit by a double-decker bus and being 

blind-sided in the process. I didn’t see it 

coming. I had to make a decision very quickly. 

I was diagnosed on a Monday and had my 

breast removed on the Thursday. The tumour 

was of such a size that the doctors had to 

make sure they removed its margins. I was 

better off having the mastectomy. Luckily, I 

hadn’t any lymph node involvement which 

was fantastic news.” 

Describing herself as “pretty shook” for a 

good few months after the operation, Morrison, 

however, was fortunate in not having to 

undergo chemotherapy. She took part in a 

trial conducted by an American oncologist 

who recommended that she didn’t need 

chemotherapy. Morrison’s only post-operation 

treatment involves taking a hormone 

tablet for five years to reduce the risk of a recurrence 

of cancer. 

Looking back on the last tumultuous 18 

months during which she closed down her 

auctioneering business, Morrison says her 

main fear was for her children. 

“They were aged ten and 12 when I was 

diagnosed. I was horrified that I mightn’t see 

my children grow up. I was more concerned 

about them than about myself. My initial 

thought was: ‘How do I bargain ten years out 

of this?’ I thought that if I could get them to 

20 and 22, they’d have some chance. For that 

reason, I decided I had better get my ass in 

gear and get out of bed. I felt like staying in 

bed with the duvet over my head for a good 

few weeks. There were days when I did stay 

in bed.” 

Morrison has had a prosthesis fitted. “Reconstruction 

is something I’d definitely be 

thinking about. I’m not 50 yet so I reckon it’s 

too soon to give up on myself.” 

Morrison says her body image has been affected 

by the removal of her breast. “I hate 

the lack of freedom that I have now. Before, 

I’d quite happily have gone out to the garden 

in my bikini. I was never a gym bunny but I 

always felt comfortable with my body and 

love the sun and sea. I feel that has been 

robbed from me.” 

But she says that she doesn’t really feel that 

her femininity has been affected. “That’s 

down to having a fantastic husband. Adrian 

(Sheedy) has been incredibly supportive. I 


CAREER CHANGE: Noelle Morrison with some of her homemade raspberry muffins. 

Picture: Denis Minihane 

BE BREAST AWARE 

EARLY diagnosis is a key to surviving 

breast cancer. 

■ More than 1,700 new cases of breast 

cancer are diagnosed in Ireland each year. 

■ Irish women have a one in 12 chance 

of developing breast cancer in their life 

time. 

■ 74% of Irish women with breast cancer 

discovered the lump themselves. 

■ Only about 5% to 10% of breast cancers 

are believed to have a family link. 

■ The risk of developing breast cancer increases 

with age. Approximately 80% of 

breast cancers occur in women over 50 

years. 

■ Around 14 men develop breast cancer 

in Ireland each year. 

For further information on early detection 

and prevention, call the National Cancer 

Helpline Freefone at 1800 200 700. 


don’t feel that he sees me any differently. If 

I have a problem, it’s my own problem. It 

hasn’t changed our relationship. If anything, 

it has made it better.” 

Morrison says her children were old 

enough to know what was going on when 

she was diagnosed. “I had to let them 

know in suitable language what was happening. 

I also feel that maybe a blow like 

this is a good lesson for my children in 

how to cope with what life throws you.” 

These days, thanks to cancer support organisation, 

Arc House, Morrison has 

learned how to meditate and does it every 

day for half an hour. 

A critical illness insurance policy allowed 

her to ‘gift’ herself the Ballymaloe cookery 

course which she thoroughly enjoyed having 

always loved cooking. Importantly, it 

led to a new career giving wholefood 

cookery classes. 

“I’m looking at the next phase in my life. 

I never saw myself as being a one-career 

person. I was always the type of person 

looking out for the next new thing.” 

I was horrified 

that I mightn’t see 

my children grow 

up. I was more 

concerned about 

them than about 

myself. I thought 

‘How do I bargain 

ten years out of 

this?’ For that 

reason, I decided I 

had better get my 

ass in gear and 

get out of bed. I 

felt like staying in 

bed with the 

duvet over my 

head for a good 

few weeks. There 

were days when I 

did stay in bed 

Morrison says that in a strange way, the 

timing of her diagnosis was good. Her auctioneering 

business was suffering as a result of 

the recession. “I closed it after I was diagnosed. 

I didn’t actually wind it up. It’s still 

there but not trading at the moment.” 

Morrison gives her cookery classes in the 

kitchen of the family’s four-star guesthouse, 

Glenwood House, in Carrigaline, Co Cork. 

Sitting in her living room, she points proudly 

to the garden where she grows everything 

from spinach to strawberries. 

“I teach people to cook with the seasons 

using locally-grown ingredients. I’m very enthusiastic 

about it. It’s only now that my energy 

levels are coming back to what they 

used to be like. I’m allowing myself to take 

breaks which I never did while I was in the 

auctioneering business.” 

There is no history of breast cancer in 

Morrison’s family. “All I can say to women is 

to keep getting check-ups.” 

■ To enrol on Noelle Morrison’s cookery courses at Glenwood 

House in Carrigaline, Co Cork, phone 021-4373878.


Zone:XH 

12 

Healthy food 

XH - V2 

Pumpkin up the volume 

HALLOWEEN IS AN EXCUSE FOR CELEBRATING THIS FRUIT 

BURSTING with vitamins, 

mineral and trace elements, the 

pumpkin is a seasonal health 

boost. By eating the vast amounts of 

beta-carotene in the orange flesh we can 

expect to slightly lower our risk of getting 

lung cancer, and this goes for other respiratory 

diseases and heart problems. 

We cannot expect complete immunity 

just from a few bowls of 

soup, but in the 

scheme of 

things, 

they 

add 

to 

our chances. 

Pumpkin seeds are full of zinc which is 

good for healthy sex organs and reproduction. 

Dry them out in the oven or dry fry so they 

crisp up a bit. They can be a little leathery so 

I like to grind them in a coffee grinder and 

add them to soups and sprinkle on vegetable 

or chicken dishes or add to smoothies. 

Bought whole pumpkin seeds are easier to 

digest. They are also a good source of protein 

and a few will stave off hunger. 

Pumpkin flesh is versatile as it suits both 

sweet and savoury dishes. In the USA pumpkin 

pie is traditional, but it can have quite a 

lot of calories and is a heavy dessert dish. I 

favour savoury ideas such as the soup recipe 

here and the new cookbook below has 

plenty too. 

I also like to cube and 

steam it for about 20 

minutes, then toss in 

grated Parmesan 

while still hot. 

Roz Crowley 

Boiling it is less successful as the flesh itself is 

watery, but slicing it for stir-fries works well. 

Pumpkin makes a good side vegetable and 

goes well with just about any meat or fish. 

Steamed as above and mashed or pureed with 

the Parmesan or a little oil, butter or 

cream, it can look quite stylish for dinner 

parties with a fillet of fish on top. It can 

also be put into ramekins and turned out 

on the plate at the last minute. The vivid 

colour livens up the dullest of plates. If 

you have the oven on for anything else and 

are watching fuel consumption, place 

chunks on a baking tray, drizzle with olive 

oil and some crushed red peppercorns and 

roast for about an hour until soft inside. 

Temperatures from 170c to 200c (gas 3 to 

6) will work well. Wrap in foil if cooking 

at high temperature. Pumpkin keeps well, 

so if buying weekly at markets is the ideal 

vegetable to keep for the end of the week 

(or even the next one) and will lose the 

minimum of nutrients in its protective 

casing. 

Resist buying huge pumpkins if you 

don’t have an army to feed as, without 

huge hands and a sturdy knife, they are 

difficult to slice. 

Thai Pumpkin Soup 

1 onion, peeled and chopped 

2 sticks celery, diced 

1 carrot, peeled and chopped 

About 500g pumpkin, peeled and cut into 

chunks 

1 litre vegetable stock 

75g red lentils 

1 level tsp Thai curry paste — red or 

green 

2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 

2-3 lime leaves 

1 tbs nam pla/Thai fish sauce 

sachet of creamed coconut, about 

100g 

Oil 

Fresh coriander 

Heat a little oil in a saucepan and 

add the onion and celery, cook for 

a couple of minutes then add the 

garlic and ginger followed by the 

carrots and pumpkin. Cook everything 

together for a few minutes 

until the vegetables soften, then 

add the stock, lentils, lime leaves, 

coconut and fish sauce. 

Bring to the boil then simmer for 

15-20 minutes, until the vegetables 

are tender. Buzz until smooth then stir 

in the chopped coriander and check the 

seasoning, Add more fish sauce or salt if 

necessary. 

■ This recipe comes from Karen Austin of 

Lettercollum Kitchen Project shop at 22, 

Connolly Street Clonakilty. She has a gift 

with vegetables and runs cookery classes 

which are worth a look for Christmas gifts. 

www.Lettercollum.ie. 

WANT to turn your 

pumpkin into a ghoulish 

creature of the night? Then 

here’s how to go about it ... 

Slice off the top and reach inside 

with an ice-cream scoop, tablespoon 

or a curved grapefruit knife to dislodge 

the flesh. 

Then access your inner sculptor to 

first draw incision locations with a felt 

pen, then cut triangles for eyes and a 

nose. 

Give the mouth a generous smile. It 

will let more light out from the candle 

you insert later. 

You can also turn the pumpkin on its 

side and use the stem for a readymade 

long nose. 

India Cookbook by the catchily 

named Pushpesh Pant is a doorstopper 

of a book with a couple of good 

recipes using pumpkin. The book covers 

all kinds of Indian dishes from 

breads (flat, puffed, lentil, millet, 

stuffed, sweet) to delicious 

curries. The 1,000 recipes 

will keep us going for 

a few years. Clear layout, 

some good photographs 

and lots of 

information make this a 

warm treat for those 

who enjoy a little spice 

in their life. Published 

by Phaidon in hardback 

39.95. 




Zone:XH 

XH - V1 

Knowledge 

is power 

Male health 

13 

HALF of Irish men would not 

recognise or be able to identify 

symptoms of testicular or of 

prostate cancer, according to new research by 

QUINN-healthcare. Older men were more 

likely to be aware of how to identify 

symptoms but only 45% of men aged 25-44 

felt they would recognise the symptoms and 

this number dropped to 38% amongst men 

aged 16-24. 

Men in Leinster were the least likely to be 

able to identify symptoms (46%) with the 

number rising to 50% in Munster and 

Connaught, and 55% in Dublin. 

“Testicular Cancer is the most common 

form of cancer in men aged between 15 and 

34 years in Ireland,” says Sarah O’Neill, 

occupational health advisor with 

QUINN-healthcare. 

“It is crucial that young men in particular 

are aware of the signs and symptoms of this 

disease as it is very treatable if reported early. 

Carrying out monthly self examinations to 

detect any changes and attending their GP 

early if they notice any abnormalities is vital.” 

The research, which tested Irish men’s 

Help may be at hand for 

tennis elbow sufferers 

IF YOU suffer from tennis elbow, 

you’ll be interested to hear of a 

new player on the market. 

Sportvis is a fast-acting treatment 

to relieve 

pain and shorten 

recovery time for 

sufferers of chronic 

tennis elbow. 

Composed of 

biocompatible 

hyaluronic acid 

(HA), an essential 

and naturally occurring 

substance 

in our bodies, 

Sportvis comes in the form of 

two injections. 

GHOULISH GOODIES: M&S offers 

a wicked choice of Halloween 

goodies that are free from artificial 

colours and flavours and will charm 

children of all ages. 

Try their devilishly delicious Ghostly 

Cupcakes (5.99 for nine) Eerie Eyeballs, 

2.99, Witches Fingers, 2.25, Jelly Bulging 

Brains. There are costumes for all ages 

including Two Pack Baby Bibs, 5.50 for 

your littlest monster, and fun 

decorations. Everything 

in Halloween range is 

now “3 for 2”. 

Deirdre O'Flynn 

MOSTLY MEN 

attitudes to their health and wellbeing, found 

that more than half of all Irish men (60%) 

would be more likely to have an annual 

health check if it was organised by their 

employer. 

Almost half of all Irish men (49%) refer 

to the internet to diagnose their symptoms 

before visiting a doctor. Men aged 25-34 

were most likely to use the internet to 

self-diagnose (60%). This number was highest 

amongst men in Dublin (53%) and the 

rest of Leinster (55%) and lower in Munster, 

Connaught, and Ulster (45%). Men over 55% 

were the least likely to use the internet to 

find out what symptoms could mean (36%). 

The survey also revealed that a third of 

Irish men feel uncomfortable discussing their 

health with their family, GP or consultant. 

When injected into the injury 

site, the hyaluronic acid reacts 

with the torn tendon, forming a 

“gel-like” fibrin complex which 

provides structural 

support to the soft 

tissue. It also aids 

by lubricating the 

injury site for the 

realignment of the 

injured tissue to its 

ideal position for 

increased tensile 

strength. 

To find a 

Sportvis-trained 

doctor or for further information, 

visit www.sportvis.ie. 

HAUNTED HOUSE: If your children 

are at the age when they prefer 

Halloween to be spooky, Partymor at 

Heatons has lots of stuff to create a 

haunted house. 

With prices starting from 1, the creepy 

critters partyware collection is perfect for a 

Halloween party. Create some 

spooky drinks with skull cocktail 

shaker 2.75, and bones and 

skull ice tray 3.50, while 

this skull candle is 4. 

Support and information at 

prostate cancer seminar 

ARE you concerned or have 

you been affected by prostate 

cancer? 

Action Prostate Cancer (APC), 

a programme of the Irish 

Cancer Society, incorporates 

the Prostate Cancer Information 

Service which is staffed by 

specialist cancer nurses and 

provides expert information, 

support and advice to those 

affected by prostate cancer and 

those who care for them. 

Call the National Cancer 

Helpline on Freefone 1800 

200700 (Monday — Thursday, 

9am-7pm, Friday, 9am-5pm) 

if you are concerned by any 

HEALTH HIGHLIGHT: Soccer legend Niall Quinn and his wife Gillian in Dublin at the launch 

of What You Don’t Know public awareness campaign for prostate cancer which highlights 

the ‘what you don’t know won’t hurt you’ men’s attitude to their health. 

Picture: Billy Higgins 

Men in Munster and Connaught were 

more likely to feel uncomfortable (34% and 

35%) than men in Dublin or the rest of Leinster 

(29% and 32%). Young men between 

the ages of 16-24 were the most likely 

age-group to find it uncomfortable (38%). 

“It is also worrying that 38% of younger 

issue with any cancer, or to order 

any information booklet. 

APC’s first annual Prostate 

Cancer Seminar takes place on 

Saturday, November 6, at 9am 

in the O’Callaghan Alexander 

Hotel, Dublin 2. There will be 

talks by leading experts and 

the aim is to provide you with 

information and support. This 

seminar is free to attend but 

pre-registration is necessary. 

All men who have had 

prostate cancer and anyone 

with an interest in prostate 

cancer are welcome. Contact 

Eleanor Hughes on 01 2310518 

or ehughes@irishcancer.ie. 

TAKE 4 

1 2 3 4 

LITTLE DEVILS: The cost of 

Halloween can be a little scary for 

parents but take the hubble, 

bubble, toil and trouble out of trick or 

treat by stocking 

up on some 

budget goodies. 

At Tesco, there 

are now half 

price offers on a 

range of spooky 

sweets and you 

can dress the 

kids to chill with 

outfits like this 

Girls Little Devil 

costume, 11.50 

or Spooky 

Skeleton costume, 

7.50. 

men find it difficult to discuss health 

concerns with a family member or GP,” says 

O’Neill. “As so many men use the internet 

to self diagnose, I would recommend viewing 

reputable websites such as the Irish Cancer 

Foundation and the Marie Keating Foundation 

for any cancer related concerns.” 

DId you know... 

Men are more 

susceptible than 

women to memory 

problems in old 

age 

(Mayo Clinic, Minnesota, US) 

Trick or treat 

PERFECT PUMPKINS: While for 

many it’s the annual celebration of 

ghosts and ghoulishness NEXT has 

stocked up with fun things to take 

some of the fright-factor out of October 31 

for the little ones. There’s sweet pumpkin 

tops for tots 7.50, a 

pumpkin costume 

17 and a 

sweet-filled pumpkin 

which doubles as 

a handy trick or 

treating bucket 5.50. 




Zone:XH 

14 

Beauty 

These days natural ‘goes beyond’ the product ingredients 

Emily O’Sullivan 

XH - V1 

The news on ... 

SPARKLING STUFF 

RIGHT, so we’re not big fans of sparkle 

and glitter, but that’s just us and we’ve 

a feeling that teenage girls are probably 

going to absolutely love this new product 

from The Body Shop. 

Decked out, boudoir-style in a pink 

bottle, the new Sparkler, 19.95, is 

filled with sparkle dust complete with an 

atomiser that will poof it all wherever 

you want it. 

It’s glittery, it’s sparkly, it’s completely 

over the top, but if nothing else, it’s good 

fun. 

STUFF WE LIKE 

Jurlique is one of the oldest natural companies 

around. For the last 25 years, they 

have used hand-grown botanicals grown on 

their own farm in Australia. Now the brand 

covers skincare, bath and body, hand, aromatherapy, 

hair and baby. Try the 

Moisture Replenishing Day 

Cream, 30.70, one of the bestsellers, 

which uses calendula, 

chamomile as well as rosehip and 

avocado oils. 

Launched in 1995, Korres has 

slowly increased its presence 

worldwide and is now one of 

the leading natural and organic 

skincare brands. Its star 

products include White Tea 

Fluid Gel, 17.60, 

Pomegranate Cream, 


A FRESH 

OUTLOOK 

IT SAYS a lot about the changing 

nature of the beauty industry that the 

Sustainable Cosmetics Summit is now 

in its second year. Things are happening 

quickly on the beauty front. Consumers are 

getting savvier. And companies are having to 

respond to a market that demands a “kinder” 

approach, in terms of ingredients and the 

environment. 

Whereas once upon a time, most people 

wouldn’t have the first idea what parabens 

were, now people are familiar with the 

potentially harmful chemicals that are put 

into the majority of beauty products. And 

companies that are taking a more natural 

approach are going from strength to strength 

— green means business, it can mean 

increased profitability and increased success 

and brands that are tapping into the zeitgeist 

are reaping the rewards. It’s all about making 

money at the end of the day, after all. 

Yes To is one company that has had a 

meteoric rise to prominence over the last 

four years from a tiny clutch of products to a 

globally recognised brand that is sold in 29 

countries, with sales of nearly $50m 

(35.8m). Chief executive Ido Leffler was in 

Dublin last week before delivering a key note 

address at the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit 

in Paris. And Leffler is in no doubt about 

what sustainable and natural means for cosmetics 

brands today. “Natural these days goes 

beyond the ingredients,” he notes. “It also 

means being ethical and sustainable, it means 

being a company with strong corporate governance 

— you need to be a good corporate 

citizen and give back to the community.” 

For consumers, wading through the mound 

of “natural” beauty companies to find out 

which ones have the right ethic is the kind of 

research that few of us are prepared to do. 

Looking up a beauty brand to check whether 

they have “good corporate governance” is 

unlikely to happen. Furthermore, with such 

confusing messages about packaging, organic 

and natural ingredients and potentially 

damaging chemicals, it can begin to look like 

something of a quagmire. 

I put it to Leffler that while an “ethical” 

company such as Yes To might use recycled 

and recyclable packaging and use natural ingredients, 

they are still flying ingredients from 

around the world to put in their products. 

“I think you’ve got to pick your battles as a 

company,” Leffler explains, “With us we’ve 

set up our three pillars of sustainability — 

people, product and company success, it’s 

what we put in our product and it’s how we 

treat our people and how we treat our consumers, 

it’s important that we give back and 

we’re not just a greedy entity. We source 

our ingredients as much as possible from 

sustainable sources, or fair trade suppliers.” 

It’s quite clear that beauty companies are 

not perfect, but in a world that is far from 

ideal, companies that are trying to promote 

responsibility and sustainability are starting to 

get themselves heard in a competitive market. 

Yes To might use Dead Sea mud in their 

23.20, Fig Showergel, 9.80 and 

Evening Primrose Eye Cream, 32.70. 

Products are free from parabens, minerals 

and silicone. We are also slightly in love 

with the Almond Proteins Leave-On Conditioner, 

13. 

Many “natural” companies aren’t too 

upfront about their environmental policies, 

but Lush isn’t one of them. Creative 

in its approach (it was the first to 

come up with a solid shampoo bar), 

the company is fastidious about reducing 

packaging and about 

half their products can be taken 

home with no packaging at 

all. It also aims for all their 

packaging to be recyclable or 

compostable. Try the famous 

Bath Ballistics. 


products (which has to be flown to the States 

where it is manufactured), but they also use 

FSC certified paper, recycled and recyclable 

packaging and biodegradable wipes. Most 

of the products in the range are over 95% 

natural, and a full list of the ingredients in 

each product is available on their website. 

“At some point we do have to transport 

something, we do have some kind of 

environmental impact but it’s all about how 

we offset that, how we deal with it, how we 

behave,” Leffler explains. 

If you simply prefer natural ingredients, 

you’re worried about the environment but 

like using beauty products or you’re after a 

product suitable for a vegetarian lifestyle, 

then the new breed of “natural” cosmetics 

companies could be the way to go. 

Under the umbrella of Carrots, Yes To 

are Yes To Cucumbers, Yes To Tomatoes, 

Yes to Blueberries and the soon to be 

launched Yes To Baby Carrots for little 

ones. We’re very partial to the excellent 

Yes To Carrots C Me Smile Lip Butters, 

which are 100% organic, excellent 

at keeping lips supple and cost just 

3.50. 

Aveda is a pioneer, a product of the 

hippy ’70s that has gone on to be one 

of the world’s biggest selling beauty 

brands. Deeply committed to the use 

of botanical ingredients, they are the 

first beauty company to receive a Cradle 

to Cradle Certified sustainability 

endorsement. They have a strict approach 

to packaging and are also the 

first beauty company manufacturing 

TAKE THREE 

BLONDE BOOSTING PRODUCTS 

IF YOU’RE looking a little dull, but you 

seriously can’t afford a trip to the salon 

right now, don’t panic. There are ways of 

giving your highlights a bit of a boost 

without spending a fortune. But don’t 

expect miracles — these products will 

help a little … but not a lot. 

John Frieda Sheer Blonde Blonde 

Hair Repair, 5.99. 

Blonde hair can go a 

bit ratty and raggedy 

especially if it’s been 

highlighted repeatedly, so 

make sure you keep your 

locks looking sleek and 

luscious with a good 

conditioning treatment. 

This one is a great bet, 

and needs to be left on for only 

two to three minutes. 

Botanics Shimmering Blonde 

Shampoo, 3.49. It’s not going to work 

any wonders, this one, but it has a lovely 

scent and it does seem to make blonde 

highlights a little more shiny and radiant. 

Redken Blonde Glam Dream Whip 

Protective Softening Mousse, 

23.80. Mousse feels really 80s, but this 

one doesn’t leave your hair in any way 

crunchy (although resist any urge you 

might have to scrunch dry into an 

enormous diffuser). Light and bright, it 

helps to eliminate brassiness and 

strengthen hair. 

with 10% certified windpower. Bestsellers 

include their Rosemary Mint 

Shampoo, 28, but we’re quite partial to 

their Caribbean Therapy Bath Soak, 

32. 

REN outline their five guiding principles 

on their website: right ingredients, 

right science, right attitude, right product 

experience, right environmental impact. 

The products contain no petrochemicals, 

sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrances 

or colours. They’re really 

a delight to use, although 

they can be expensive, 

but it’s definitely 

worth it for a 

treat. We like the 

Guerande Salt Exfoliating 

Body Balm, 

33. Yum.


Zone:XH 

XH - V1 

Natural health 

15 

Megan Sheppard 

Do you have a question 

for Megan Sheppard? 

Email it to 

feelgood@examiner.ie 

or send a letter to 


Irish Examiner 

City Quarter 

Lapps Quay 

Cork 

QMY hair, skin, and scalp are all 

very dry. I was wondering if 

this is a sign of a certain deficiency, 

or if there is something 

topical which will help. 

A. I believe that you are on the right track in 

looking first towards your internal health. 

Often this can be as simple as a few dietary 

changes — both the inclusion and exclusion 

of certain foods and habits. Getting enough 

of the essential fatty acids (EFAs) is crucial 

when it comes to treating dryness, and we 

can only source these from the diet since the 

body cannot manufacture EFAs. 

If you eat fish, then be sure to include tuna, 

salmon, sardines, mackerel, and trout in 

your diet at least 2-3 times weekly. Otherwise 

sea vegetables (seaweeds), algae supplements 

(spirulina etc.), nuts, and seeds are 

great sources. Other options include taking a 

supplement, such as those made by Healthy 

and Essential (www.healthyandessential.ie; 

045 892267). 

The other important consideration when it 

comes to nutrient deficiency is digestive 

health. You can eat a wonderful diet that is 

rich in nutrients, but if your digestive health 

isn’t up to par then your body cannot effectively 

unlock the health benefits from your 

food. 

Digestive enzymes are a brilliant way to 

kickstart your system back into health and 

ensure that you are absorbing all of the nutrients 

from your food — I really like products 

which utilise serrapeptase, but there are 

many great combinations of enzymes available. 

Both Solgar and Udo’s Choice have digestive 

enzyme combinations, and Serra Enzyme 

have an enteric coated serrapeptase 

supplement. All of the above products are 

available from Here’s Health 

(www.hereshealth.ie; 021-4278101) who offer 

free shipping throughout Ireland with no 

minimum order. 

The other important factor in gut health is 

of course, beneficial bacteria. Once again, 

there are many great probiotic products available 

— in your case I would go for Threelac 

(also available from Here’s Health), which has 

proven very useful in situations where the 

bacterial balance is seriously compromised. 

Q. I understand acupressure can help 

with painful periods — is this something I 

can do myself, or should I visit a qualified 

practitioner for effective pain relief? 

A. Acupressure, and indeed acupuncture, can 

make all the difference when it comes to period 

pain and other symptoms such as fatigue, 

mood swings, and bloating. This system 

of healing utilises certain points on the 

body which help to rebalance the flow of 

energy (referred to as “Qi” or “Chi” in Traditional 

Chinese Medicine). 

You can certainly treat yourself effectively 

using acupressure; the point you are looking 

HEAD START: Fish, nuts and seeds are a good source of essential fatty acids, which are 

crucial to maintaining ahealthy scalp, hair and skin. 

Picture: Getty Images 

for is located on the ankle and is known as 

SP6, or Sanyinjiao. SP6, or Spleen 6, is located 

at a point where the three Yin channels 

of the leg meet — about a hand breadth 

above the ankle bone prominence on the inside 

of the leg. 

Use a firm pressure and apply for six seconds, 

then release for two for a duration of 

five minutes on each ankle, then repeat (a 

total of ten minutes on each side). You need 

not press so hard that it causes pain, but you 

do need to press firmly enough to stimulate 

the Qi. 

Sanyinjiao, being the intersection of three 

channels, is important in balancing energies. 

As well as regulating menstruation and relieving 

pain, it helps with digestion, elimination, 

bloodflow, liver function, urination, 

and induces a state of calmness. This point is 

also used to bring on labour, so should not 

be used during pregnancy without professional 

advice! 

Q. I would like to avoid getting the flu 

at all costs, but I am not interested in getting 

the flu shots. There must be a natural 

remedy which is effective in boosting my 

defences? 

A. Tried and true, vitamin C is a great way 

to ward off colds and flu naturally. The important 

thing to get right is which type of 

vitamin C you choose. I am a big fan of 

plant-based nutrition, so I recommend the 

Amazonian fruit, camu camu, which is the 

second highest source of natural vitamin C. 

It is about 8% by weight — 30 times that of 

oranges — and it is easily absorbed and assimilated 

by the body. Rio Health, the specialist 

supplier of Amazonian plant foods 

have a camu camu supplement, where 60 

vegecaps (500mg) cost 12.20. The highest 

plant source of vitamin C is a native bush 

fruit of Western Australia, known as Gubinge, 

which is 13% by weight. 

Studies have shown that supporting nutrients 

are also important for immune health, in 

particular vitamin E, selenium, and zinc. So 

get plenty of nuts and seeds in your diet, and 

include foods such as leafy greens, avocado, 

and broccoli. Wheatgerm is a good oil to use 

as a dressing for salads as it assists with the 

uptake of fat-soluble nutrients and is a good 

source of vitamins E, A, and D — all beneficial 

for immune health. 

While we are on the subject, vitamin D is 

crucial to immune functioning — and this 

sunshine nutrient is lacking in most people 

living in Ireland. A study from Finland in July 

of this year showed that vitamin D helps 

to ward off respiratory infections, and a recent 

Japanese study in schoolchildren showed 

that children taking 1200IU of vitamin D3 

daily had a significantly lower chance of getting 

the flu. So you will need to take a decent 

dose of this supplement (far higher than 

the recommended daily dose of 400IU, currently 

under revision), around 3000IU daily 

for a healthy adult, more if you are diagnosed 

deficient, or significantly overweight. 

Rio Health’s Camu Camu and a range of 

vitamin D3 supplements are available from 

Here’s Health. 

Megan puts the spotlight on: 

LAST week we looked at the healing 

benefits of some common 

vegetables found in most gardens. 

This was only scratching the surface of 

the health goldmine available to us all, 

so this week we continue to uncover 

ordinary heroes on our dinner plates. 

Butternut 

Contains: vitamins B1, B3, B5, B6, C, 

K, E, betacarotene, folate, calcium, copper, 

iron, magnesium, phosphorus, 

potassium, selenium, zinc, fibre and protein. 

You just need to look at the 

glowing colour of butternut 

squash to know that it is rich 

in betacarotene, which the 

body uses to produce vitamin 

A. It contains additional 

carotenoids, which is why it is 

considered by many nutritionists to 

be one of the useful foods in reducing 

the risk of certain types of cancer. It is 

also a good vegetable to eat in protecting 

the prostate (as are pumpkin seeds), 

and is particularly useful to help reduce 

the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia 

(BPH). 

Broccoli 


K, E, betacarotene, biotin, folate, calcium, 

iodine, iron, magnesium, manganese, 

phosphorus, potassium, zinc and 

fibre. We have all heard about how 

powerful broccoli is with regards 

to inhibiting the growth of 

cancer cells, due to the 

compounds, diindolylmethane 

(DIM) and sulforaphane. 

It is also a great 

vegetable to choose when you are 

dealing with infection of any type as 

it has antibacterial and antiviral 

More value from your veg 

properties. It provides nutrients for the 

health and repair of bones and eyes, plus 

it strengthens and supports the immune 

system. Broccoli is well known as a super 

vegetable, and it certainly lives up to 

the hype. 

Carrot 


K , E, betacarotene, biotin, folate, 

calcium, iodine, iron, magnesium, 

manganese, phosphorus, potassium, 

selenium, zinc and fibre. Another 

popular vegetable when it 

comes to health benefits — particularly 

for eyesight, since it has a 

long-standing reputation for aiding 

night vision. As with butternuts, 

the betacarotene is converted to 

vitamin A, which is important in 

eyesight, skin health, reproductive 

health, and immune support. Carrots 

are also a great way to help reduce 

cholesterol levels — you only need to 

eat two a day to improve your arterial 

health. 

Asparagus 

Contains: vitamins B1, B3, B5, C, K, E, 

betacarotene, biotin, folate, calcium, 

iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, 

potassium, selenium, zinc and 

fibre. Asparagus is used in 

Ayurvedic medicine for many 

health reasons, particularly in addressing 

female reproductive 

health. It is rich in folic acid, so it 

certainly will help during pregnancy 

to prevent neural tube defects, 

and it works as a mild diuretic. 

High in antioxidants, the 

only reason not to include this 

valuable vegetable in your diet is if 

you have an aversion to the taste. 



TERAPROOF:User:gregmccannDate:27/10/2010Time:14:52:56Edition:29/10/2010FeelgoodXH2910Page:16 

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