Feelgood 07-01-2011

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Superman syndrome

Friday, January 7, 2011

LOVE BITESFoods to put you inthe mood for sex: 11

TAKEAWAY LUNCHEight quiches put to thetaste and quality test: 12

IN SHAPEKathryn Thomas gears up forOperation Transformation: 4, 5

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Expected to be a fat-burning machine, money magnet and terrific loverall at once, it’s no wonder men are feeling the pressure: 8, 9

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2011

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Feelgood

HEALTH NOTES

Kate O’Reilly

WHAT’S ON

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

News front

Many man have erectile dysfunction but are reluctant to talkabout the problem. Arlene Harris says help is at hand

Ending the silenceWAITING GAME: Mostmen will wait at leasta year before seekinghelp for ED.H ALF of the men in Ireland

aged 40 and above have suf-fered with it at some point in

their lives — so you would be forgiven forthinking that it’s the hottest topic in thepub. But most males are keeping thisparticular ailment to themselves.Erectile dysfunction (ED) affects one out

of every two middle-aged men, but thenature of the condition (the inability toinitiate or maintain an erection) means thatthey are reluctant to talk about it. A newtelevision advert addresses the problem andencourages men to open up to their part-ner and more importantly, their GP.Their reticence to discuss the issue is not

only detrimental to psychological well-be-ing, but it may also contribute to problemswith long-term physical health.former Irish rugby union hooker Shane

Byrne says it’s vital to deal with the issue.“Many Irish men who experience erec-

tile difficulties or ED do not realise howcommon it is and are too embarrassed todo anything about it,” says Bryne. “Thegood news is, there is help out there andthat’s why I’d urge men to tackle the prob-lem and speak to their partner and theirGP, and get any problems sorted.”Dr Justin Smyth specialises in men’s

health and he says this common problemcould be a sign of health issues somewhereelse in the body.

“There are many different causes of ED butmost men will wait at least a year beforeseeking help,” he says.“Many men are reluctant to talk about the

problem because they are embarrassed aboutthe sexual nature of the complaint, but it islikely to have another root cause which canbe dealt with by a doctor.”

Possible causes include:■ Stress■ Depression■ Medication■ Diabetes■ High blood pressure■ Excess weight

The Dublin GP says it is important toaddress the problem of ED as quickly as pos-sible to rule out any serious conditions andembark on a course of action. “If you aresuffering from ED, don’t ignore it as it isn’tlikely to go away and a quick visit to thedoctor will soon reveal what the problem is,”he advises.“A medical check up followed by either a

lifestyle change or a course of medicationcould sort it all out in no time.”

■ For more information on ED and how tobroach the subject with your doctor visitwww.manmatters.ie

NEW mum Laura Woods and Baz Ashmawy,right, teamed up to launch the Aviva Get FitAction Plan, a national health campaigncalling on men and women to take positiveaction to be healthier in 2011. The plan wasdeveloped in response to new researchfrom Aviva health insurance that showsalmost 25% of those who completed anonline health check do not exercise at all.The research also highlighted that nearlyhalf (48%) of respondents are overweight.52% of respondents in Limerick are over-weight, with the same number in Louth,Wexford, Kildare and Mayo. They all trailTipperary, however, with 59% overweight.Dublin respondents are mid-table, with 22%not exercising at all and 46% overweight.Aviva’s campaign challenges the nation to

take their online health check and tackletheir fitness goals, as well as arming themwith the advice to be healthier in 2011. Theycan follow Laura and Baz’s progress atwww.avivahealth.ie or on Facebook overthe next six weeks.

More than half of Irish adults (57%) do notfeel optimistic about the coming year accord-ing to a survey commissioned byQUINN-healthcare. Men (61%) and those inthe 35-44 year old age bracket (66%) werethe most likely to feel pessimistic about 2011.And almost a quarter of Irish people (22%)are considering emigration in 2011.The majority of Irish adults were alsopessimistic about the prospects for the health

service in Ireland next year. Three quarters(74%) of all adults said they did not believethat 2011 would bring about any improve-ments in the health service in Ireland.

The Irish Heart Foundation is urging every-one to get the new year off to a feelgoodstart by volunteering. The charity relies onpublic and corporate donations for morethan 90% of its income and depends hugely

on volunteers. If you wish to volunteer con-tact the Irish Heart Foundation FundraisingDepartment on 01 6685001 (from 8.30am to5pm). or email [email protected].

Did Santa leave any unwanted gifts under theChristmas tree? Age Action is asking us toturn unwanted festive gifts into funds to helpsome of our most needy older people.“Instead of leaving them in a drawer, donatethem to Age Action and let us sell them inour charity shops,” Age Action’s head ofbusiness development Daragh Matthews said.Unwanted gifts can be brought to Age Ac-

tion shops in Camden Street, Dublin, Dun-laoighre, and Monaghan.

Splitting tablets is potentially dangerousand could lead to people taking the wrongdose, researchers have warned.Researchers writing in the Journal of Ad-vanced Nursing found 31% of tablets thatwere split deviated from the recommendeddose by at least 15% and sometimes morethan 25%.The experts warned that “thetablet parts obtained are often not equal insize and a substantial amount of tablet canbe lost during splitting”. The study involvedsplitting eight tablets by hand or using atablet-splitting device, a knife or scissors.The authors, from Ghent University in Bel-gium, called on pharmaceutical companiesto produce a range of options to preventtablet-splitting, including smaller or biggerdose tablets and liquid alternatives.

■ WALK TO HEALTH: The Leeside Walk-ers meet every Tuesday and Friday at10.30am at the Lee Fields’ car park onthe Straight Road in Cork, before strik-ing off into the Lee Fields. New walkersare always welcome and there is no fee.The walk is led at an easy pace and af-terwards there’s coffee and a chat inMcCarthy’s Bar on the Model FarmRoad. Contact Anne Donaldson, groupleader, on 021-4871899 or e-mail Anneat [email protected]

■ BREASTFEEDING MEETING: Friendsof Breastfeeding are hosting an openmeeting in the Vienna Woods Hotel,Glanmire, Co Cork tomorrow at 1pm. Allare welcome. Visit www.friendsof-breastfeeding.ie for more information.

■ DALKEY HEALTH FAIR: The seventhannual Dalkey Good Health Fair will beheld in Dalkey Town Hall & HeritageCentre on Saturday and Sunday, Jan-uary 15 and 16. Workshops includePilates and yoga and there will be freeblood pressure and cholesterol testing,etc. Doors open 11am to 5pm and ad-mission is free. Contact Aoife on086-2257531

■ AWARE MEETING: The first weeklymeeting of the Mallow Aware supportgroup in 2011 will be held next Thurs-day in Le Cheile Family Resource Cen-tre, Fair Street, at 8pm. This is an opengroup and all who live with depressionor anxiety are welcome to attend. TheAware loCall Helpline (1890 303 302) of-fers a listening service for people whoexperience depression and concernedfamily and friends. Log on towww.aware.ie or email [email protected]

■ EVEREST CHALLENGE: Ireland toEverest, 32 Steps for Cystic Fibrosis willsee a team of climbers scale the highestpoints in each of the 32 counties andsome other parts of the world, beforetackling Everest. Members of the publiccan join the team at the various loca-tions throughout Ireland and can partici-pate in the easier climbs. The aim ofthis fundraising drive is to establish aNational Double Lung Transplant Sup-port Fund for Ireland. The next climbbegins at 12 noon this Sunday at Mul-laghmeen in Co Westmeath. For full de-tails see www.IrelandtoEverest.com.

■ OPEN EVENING: Are you interested ina career in natural health? The Collegeof Naturopathic Medicine (CNM) willhold an open evening next Tuesday atthe Rochestown Park Hotel from 7-9pm.To reserve a place call 01-2353094;www.naturopathy.ie

■ HEART CLINIC: The Irish Heart Foun-dation will hold a free Blood Pressureand Cholesterol testing clinic at theCommunity Centre, Ballinlough onWednesday next from 10.30am to12pm.For further details call the founda-

tion’s Cork office on 021-4505822. If youhave questions about stroke or heartdisease you can contact the helpline1890 432787; www.irishheart.ie

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

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FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 2011Feelgood

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THE SHAPE I'M IN Tony Kenny

I’m about sevenpounds overweight. Ilive in Portmarnockand there are somegreat walks over thesand dunes. I go for

four-mile walksabout four times a

week

In profile

SHUT EYE: Tony Kenny drops off to sleepeasily and takes a daily nap.

Way we wereH E has had two hit records in the British and

European charts, released 24 albums and per-formed at Boyzone’s Stephen Gately’s funeral.

This weekend Tony Kenny joins other veterans of theshowband era for the last in a series of concerts that hasbeen running successfully for 15 years.Ireland’s Showbands — Do You Come Here Often plays

tonight and tomorrow at the Helix, Dublin, in a grandfinale celebration of the Irish showband and dance hall era.“I’m absolutely looking forward to it,” says Tony.

“There’s a great market out there for nostalgia. So manypeopleremember the showbands and what they were doing inthat era.”Tony appeared on Top Of The Pops in the early 1970s

but left the pop scene to focus on theatre. He got the leadrole in the first Irish production of Jesus Christ Superstar.Career highlights include an invitation to perform at theWhite House for then President Bill Clinton on StPatrick’s Day, 1995, and singing the American NationalAnthem at the Buffalo Bills/Miami Dolphins game in2001.Brought up in Dublin’s Liberties, Tony spends four

months a year in the US, but enjoyed Christmas 2010 athome in Portmarnock. Married to Joan, he’s dad to Victo-ria and Christopher. He admits to having the same NewYear resolution every year: “Don’t eat as much, exercise alot more and pay as much attention as possible to my mu-sic.”

What shape are you in?Pretty good, though I’m probably about seven poundsoverweight. I live in Portmarnock, right on the sea, andthere are some great walks over the sand dunes. I go forfour-mile walks about four times a week. I’m also amember of a local gym and go there a few times a week.

Do you have any health concerns?I’m very lucky. There’s a history of high blood pressurein my family that has not visited me to date. My grand-mother on my mum’s side had it. It’s something I have towatch.

What are your healthiest eating habits?I love fresh vegetables — it’s not for health reasons, I justlove them. I’m not a big fan of fruit but I do eat a little.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?I’m a martyr for Indian food. I’d have it once a week,maybe more.

What would keep you awake at night?Luckily, I’m a great sleeper. I go to bed and in five min-utes I’m gone. I also like to take a nap for 20 minutes intheafternoon.

How do you relax?I get a great kick out of music even though it’s my workas well. There’s music going in my house all the time,whether classical, trad or swing. It’s my big way of relax-ing.

Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?Brendan and Eileen Grace, who have been friends foryears and are fantastic company, and also Ronan andWoody Collins — they’d certainly be on my party guestlist.

What would you change about your appearance?I still have all my hair so I can’t complain about that, butI’d like to be seven pounds lighter.

What’s your favourite smell?I don’t have a very keen sense of smell. Unless it’s verystrong, I don’t get it. My favourite would probably bea perfume worn by my wife.

When did you last cry?I cry every day. Someone once said about me: ‘Tonycries at card tricks’. If I hear a sad story or sing a sad song,I would certainly well up.

What trait do you least like in others?I don’t like people with a short fuse. If I’ve previouslyseen it in the person, so I know it’s there, it makes me un-comfortable to be around them.

What trait do you least like in yourself?In terms of work, I’m a stickler for making sure every-thing’s right. I sometimes go to extremes with that.

Do you pray?All the time. I’m not overtly religious, but I believethere is something up there.

What would cheer up your day?An unexpected visit from a friend or member of myfamily.

Helen O’Callaghan

The perfect gift

‘RememberWhen’ is a wonderful snapshot of times past,mostly of ordinary people doing ordinary things

- frozen forever in time by Irish Examiner photographers.

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Feelgood Feelgood

for the salad bar instead. It’s tough, but onceI have ordered it’s always lovely.

“Then when I’m at home, I make hugebowls of delicious salads for lunch, and eithermeat or fish with vegetables for dinner. Thatkeeps me going during the week, then atweekends I will let go — out with friends, aChinese takeaway or a few glasses of wine —you have to have some fun time.”

Kathryn’s dietary schedule also applies toher fitness regime.

“I have to keep myself fairly active becauseI can’t afford to put on a few pounds any-more,” she admits. “In your 30s it’s muchharder to shift the weight than it is in your20s, so I try to do as much exercise as I canwithout it taking over my life.”

Early morning power walks and resistancetraining sessions in the evening are responsi-ble for keeping Kathryn’s beach-body inshape. And access to a personal trainer hasmade slacking off very difficult.

“I had to get fit to undertake the Kiliman-jaro climb last year so I started going to thegym twice a week where Paul Byrne helpedme to prepare for the challenge. Since then, I

Kathryn Thomas will be on call forcontestants in RTÉ’s OperationTransformation as they battle to get intoshape. She talks to Arlene Harrisabout her hopes for the series

“Having a trainer, or booking an exerciseclass, really helps to keep me in line. BecauseI have signed up for something, I can’t justbunk off if I don’t feel like it — their time isjust as important as mine, so I need to have areally good excuse not to go and this helpsme to stay on track.”

The seasoned presenter believes that pro-grammes like OT are just what we all needto help us get into shape and change our livesfor the better.

“The combination of bad weather andfrozen pipes has meant we were houseboundfor a longer Christmas period than usual,”she says. “And that meant a lot more timeeating mince pies and chocolates.

“I, for one, am totally over the indulgenceand am ready to start the new year with ahealthy lifestyle-changing challenge and Ithink most of the country will be with meon this one.”

Without the presence of the late GerryRyan, the new series of OT will be apoignant reminder of the importance of stay-ing fit and healthy, but Kathryn Thomashopes to put her own mark on the

Taking off on a new

have kept up the schedule, which involvestwo gruelling hourly sessions each week. Thishas helped strengthen my legs and muscles ingeneral and after each work-out, I really feelthe effort — I can hardly move for the first20 minutes.

SHE’S brought us to the ends ofthe earth and back and now she’staken on the arduous task of try-

ing to get us into shape.Kathryn Thomas — the nation’s favourite

travel guide — is presenting the new series ofRTE’s Operation Transformation (OT) andhopes to keep up with the contestants as wellas helping them stay on the straight and nar-row.

“I’m in quite good shape and keep myselffairly fit, but like most of the population Ihave to keep an eye on my weight,” admitsthe Carlow woman. “I have an athletic frame,but am not naturally slim, so it takes a lot ofwill power to stay away from the chocolatebiscuits or refuse that extra glass of wine.

“I can appreciate how hard the next fewweeks will be for our five leaders (the mainOT participants) and everyone else who willbe keeping up at home and online — so Iwill be leading by example.”

The 31-year-old plans to be there for thecontestants to help them to reach their goalas she believes they deserve all the encour-agement they can get.

“Although I am only presenting the show, Ihope to be a mentor to the leaders,” she says.“This will not be an easy ride for them andthey have all shown immense bravery byrevealing themselves both physically andemotionally to the nation.

“Suffering from weight-related problems,not liking your body and hiding yourself inbaggy clothes must be a very unhappy placeto be. Everyone who put pen to paper to ap-ply for a place on the show was so coura-geous and deserves to be helped every step ofthe way.

“I will do everything I can to help theleaders stay on the wagon — they all havemy number and can contact me wheneverthey are having a weak moment.”

Kathryn is no stranger to weak momentsand has learned to curb her sweet tooth bystocking up on healthy alternatives.

“Like most women I love chocolate, butinstead of telling myself that I am never al-lowed to eat anything sweet, I have devised aplan where I eat really healthily for five daysof the week, then have a break at weekends,”she says. “I adore berries of all shapes andsizes and have discovered a place where I canget them delivered fresh to my door for thesame price as the supermarket version. Iorder them online (fruitfellas.ie) then I haveno choice but to eat them.”

After a healthy breakfast of berries withnatural yoghurt, the presenter tries to stayaway from carbohydrate lunches and eats lotsof salads instead.

“I’m often on the go with work and thereis nothing more tempting than the deliciousdeli sandwiches, oozing with mayonnaise andladen with fillings, but I force myself to head

programme, which will be followed up onRadio 1 by John Murray.

“I felt very privileged to be offered the jobon OT, but was very mindful of the manwho had made it what it is today,” she says.“I thought long and hard about it, and evensought advice from Gerry’s brother, Mick,before making the decision: I wanted tomake sure that everyone was okay with it.

“After that everything has been easybecause Gerry did such a good job of makingit a success and it really is a well-oiled

children and lives with partner Shane.

Emily Piggott from Kerry lives in Corkwhere she is a student at UCC. Everyweekend she heads home to her parentsin Killarney. The 21-year-old is 5ft 5 inch-es and weighs 19 stone.

Ronan Scully, 43, lives in Galway andis a regional manager for GOAL. At 5ft 8inches, he hopes to lose four of his 16stone. His wife Jacqui and their twoadopted daughters are the motivation.

■ Operation Transformation is onWednesdays at 8pm on RTE One

Rachel Walker, 36, has just recoveredfrom cervical cancer. The stay-at-home-mum lives in Dublin with her husbandKarl and three children. She is 5ft 4 inchesand weighs 13 stone. Her target weight is10 stone.

Sinead Heffernan has four sons andfive bakeries. The 37-year-old lives inMeath with her husband Stephen andtheir children. She is 5ft 6 inches andweighs 16 stone. Her target is 12 stone.

Jayne Glavin from Kildare is a studentin NUIM. At 5ft 7inches, her weight is 15st 13 lbs (target 10 stone). She has two

STAYING FIT: Kathryn Thomas leads from thefront in esnuring contestants don’t stray inOperation Transformation.

Operation Transformation leaders

HELPING HANDS: L-r, Jayne Glavin, Emily Piggott, Ronan Scully, Rachel Walker andSinead Heffernan.

Operation Transformation health experts

Good health is vital to our longevity andfitness expert Karl Henry has devised anew exercise regime which promises toget the nation on its toes.“We are facing an obesity epidemic,

so it is vital that everyone takes anhonest look at themselves. Anyone witha waist bigger than 40 inches could beheading for trouble and is at high risk ofcardiac problems and cancer.“I will be working with a new exercise

technique this year which involvesperipheral heart rate training. This iswhere the heart works more efficientlyto achieve better results in less time. Itis really easy to follow and can be usedby anyone from 15 to 75.”

Weight loss expert Dr EvaOrsmonde says changing your eatinghabits and developing an exerciseregime will ensure you stay healthier forlonger.“Obesity is becoming a worrying

problem, especially amongst children,so it is up to parents to make thechange so their children have the

TOP TIPS: From left to right, the Operation Transformation experts, Karl Henry, Dr EvaOrsmond and Dr Eddie Murphy.

Suffering from weight-relatedproblems, not liking your body and

hiding yourself in baggy clothesmust be a very unhappy place to beand everyone who put pen to paper

to apply for a place on the showwas so courageous and deserves to

be helped every step of the way

machine. I will take up the reins but will alsobe bringing my own style of presenting.”

While she is looking after her hopefultransformers, does she have any goals of herown? “2010 was not a good year for us as acountry — I have friends and family mem-bers who have been affected by unemploy-ment, and while I am blessed to have a goodjob I will be thanking my lucky stars forwhat I have, keeping focused for thefuture and trying to keep as healthy as possi-ble.”

chance of a healthy future. The smokingban in Ireland was a really radicalchange, so if we can do that, we canmake this work too.“Planning is very important and the

place to start is the shopping basket.Write a list of what you want and stickwith it — then when the craving starts,there won’t be anything there to satisfyit, so you will have to go for a healthieroption. “But it’s also important not to deny

yourself everything or you will neverstick to your new diet, cutting down orallowing occasional treats is much morereasonable. “Once you have boughtyour shopping, preparation is also es-sential. Make soups and sauces andhave supplies of vegetables in the freez-er so there is always something healthyto eat. Also, it is a good idea to get thewhole family involved.”

Also featuring in the series is Dr EddieMurphy, HSE clinical psychologist, whooffers emotional support and helps con-testants stay on track.

adventure

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Feelgood

Mind works

Take five steps to a brighter, stress-free new year, says Colette Sheridan

Banish those bluesA NEW year means a fresh start.

Dealing with the January blues,exacerbated by Christmas debt,

overindulgence and changeable weather,involves being pro-active and trying to staypositive. With the right attitude and habits,you can beat this most depressing month ofthe year.

EXERCISEPersonal trainer, Darren O’Leary, says that

people can gain anything from seven poundsto one stone over the Christmas period.“Over consumption of sugary food likechocolate and cakes, along with potatoes andalcohol will pack a gut on almost anybody,”he says.Being back at work is no excuse for not

taking exercise. “There are 168 hours in theweek. Find four 30-minute blocks everyweek when you can exercise. Resistancetraining (using weights) is the best option asit helps to build muscle. The more muscleyou have, the more calories you can burn.”You can ease your way into improving your

physical well-being by, if possible, walking towork. If that is not an option, always use thestairs instead of lifts.The holiday season often makes people

tired and sluggish and lacking in energy. “Todeal with this, supplement your diet withOmega 3 fish oil — preferably in liquidform.” As well as reducing the risk of heartdisease and cancer, “it helps to burn body fateven if you’re not exercising.”Why not: Introduce a walking club atwork and take lunch-time walks.

BILLSThe cost of Christmas is driving more than

half of us into debt, according to a surveycarried out on behalf of the Irish League ofCredit Unions.It’s crucially important that low and mid-

dle-paid workers and those on social welfaretake into account the reductions in their paypackets and reflect this in their financial plan-ning for 2011, says spokesman for MABS(Money and Budget Service), MichaelCulloty.Culloty advises people to look at their in-

come and their outgoings and to see whatcutbacks can be made.It’s important to shop around for things like

health insurance and your telephone serviceprovider.Culloty says that people in trouble with

their mortgages should arrange to meet theirmortgage provider. He says that if someone ispaying high rent, they should consider mov-ing to a cheaper apartment.Why not: Pick up the phone for help indealing your finances. MABS can be contact-ed at 1890 283438.

DECLUTTERINGA great way to start the New Year is to de-

clutter your home. As Albert Einstein said:“Out of clutter, find simplicity...”Decluttering a whole house may seem

overwhelming. But the trick is to start on asmall area. As self-improvement writer, PennyScott, says: “Start with decluttering for 15minutes a day. It’s short enough that we canall fit it into our busy schedules. If you do

this one thing, it becomes a good habit.”Scott advises people to declutter storage

space first. “Once you get control of drawers,cabinets and closets, it will be so much easierto find a home for everything.”To declutter successfully, you need to be

ruthless, deciding on what has to go.Why not: Designate space for items you

want to sell, donate to charity, recycle or bin.

MIND SETCoaching psychologist, Sophie Rowan, says

the third Monday of January is “anecdotallythe most depressing day of the year.” Thisyear, it falls on January 17. The low moodcan be caused by seasonal affective disorder(SAD) which affects one in 15 people in Ire-land who react badly to the absence of natu-ral daylight while going to and coming fromwork.“In January, people take stock of their lives

and often feel they’re not living the life theywant to lead. I look at the dialogue peoplehave with themselves about their situation. Abit like NLP (Neuro Linguistic Program-ming), I talk about using a strength based vo-cabulary.”Rowan says that dissatisfaction with work is

an issue that often arises in January. “I askpeople to use a strength-based approach inhow they view their work. It’s not alwayspossible to find another job, but it’s alwayspossible to make a job better and to focus onthe positive. For example, you couldacknowledge that you’re good at helping theinterns, or that you made a great friend atwork.”Why not: Count your blessings at the end

of each day by reflecting on at least fivethings you’re grateful for.

Start withdecluttering for

15 minutes aday. It’s short

enough that wecan all fit it into

our busyschedules. If

you do thisone thing, itbecomes agood habit

MOOD FOODToo much alcohol, carbohydrates and sugarduring Christmas makes people feel sluggish,says nutritionist Robyn Smith. “What thebody needs after the excesses of the festiveseason is mood boosting food. Serotonin liftsthe mood. Certain foods actually containsome serotonin. These include avocado, largemature bananas, fresh pineapple or pineapple

canned in its own juice, plums, tomato andcocoa.”Rowan also praises herbal teas. “Mint

flavoured tea is very uplifting. Ginger andmelissa (or lemon balm) are mood enhancersand they will keep the bugs at bay.”Why not: Have a healthy breakfast, such asporridge and berries, or a free range egg withparsley and wholemeal, rye or spelt bread.

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Tony Humphreys

No child comes out ofthe womb wanting to bully,

harass, intimidate orviolently threaten. When

these behaviours doemerge, they need to bespeedily identified and

resolved

Psychology

Tell-tale signs include glaring eye contact,sneering, hostility and being demanding

Bully-boy tactics

W HAT I find when examining the literatureon bullying are lists of ‘signs to look out for’in children and teenagers who are being bul-

lied. These signs are important indicators for those at the re-ceiving end of bullying. However, what I don’t come acrossare lists of ‘signs to look out for’ to identify those young peo-ple, and, indeed, older people, who engage in the multipleways one can bully others.Surely, the sooner these signs are spotted by parents, teach-

ers and workplace managers, the more likely it is to ‘nip inthe bud’ the bullying behaviour.In identifying bullying behaviour, here are some of the

signs to watch for:■ Glaring eye contact■ Intimidating gait■ Smart-alec remarks■ Sneering■ Under-breath mutterings■ Lack of cooperation■ Hostile presence■ Glowering presence■ Swaggering■ Always in a group■ Loud guffaws of laughter■ Loitering with a group■ Taking things by force■ Over-bearing■ Demanding■ Show-off, bragging, macho behaviour■ Hates schoolWhen those in charge miss out on these signs, or turn a blindeye when they do spot them, is it their inaction, arising froma fear of their own bullying behaviour being identified, or theopposite — defensive passivity that protects them fromputting their heads above the parapet? Whatever the situationor source of their denial, there need to be other adults in thehome or school or workplace who are in a mature and solidplace to name, understand, be compassionate and take firmaction in resolving the bullying. When there are not, thereare great dangers.Too often, a deeper question is not being asked: why does

this person inhabit a dark place where he does not affirm,celebrate and enjoy the individuality of a peer? What is in theindividual’s story — and the answer always lies therein — thathe holds little significance for self and has found a way to getsubstitute recognition by being the ‘bully’, the ‘cynic’, the‘tormentor’, the ‘tough one’.Being seen, and having a sense of real belonging, is essential

to our progress toward maturity. When a child is not cher-ished, he unconsciously finds an alternative way of belonging,and when this is of a bullying nature, woe betide the parent,peer or teacher who crosses his or her path.Dr Brendan Byrne, a Dublin-based guidance counsellor, re-

searcher and author, has contributed much to the debate onbullying. He says the best definition of bullying is ‘the break-ing down of the person’. What is missing in this definition isthat if you systematically set out to ‘break somebody down’,it is because you are an ‘emotional wreck’ within.Bullying is a relationship issue and all relationships are cou-

ple relationships. In any bullying situation, the perpetratorsneed the most help, and those at the receiving end deserve tohave their person and dignity affirmed, championed and up-held, whatever the cost.While my heart goes out to the deep, inner turmoil that

lies within the individual who bullies, my head is very clearthat ‘two wrongs do not make a right’, and, until the youngperson begins to get the help required to resolve his innerpain, then definite and clear boundaries around safeguardingthe dignity of those he or she encounters will be monitoredand maintained. This needs to be done in a way that isnon-threatening (otherwise it becomes bullying), uncondi-tionally loving, and with a compassionate understanding forhis or her sad plight.No child comes out of the womb wanting to bully, harass,

intimidate or violently threaten. When these behaviours doemerge, they need to be speedily identified, and, critically,the lack of loving that has been inevitably present needs to beresolved.Often it is the parents and, sometimes, teachers who re-

quire the greater help. As healthcare professionals, we need todo whatever it takes to help those who are bullied, those whobully, and those adults whose own inner issues resulted in thepresent, often chaotic situation. There is no room for blamehere — that is bullying — but there is room for a return toloving relationships for all concerned.

Dr Tony Humphreys is a clinical psychologist, author and in-ternational speaker. His recent book with co-author HelenRuddle, Relationship, Relationship, Relationship: The Heart ofa Mature Society is relevant to today’s topic.

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Feelgood

Mary Byrne wowed X-Factor audiences with her version of It’s a Man’s World. If only, writes Pól Ó Conghaile. In truth, fathers, husbands and earners are mostly exhausted

It’s tough being all manIRISH men seem to have many reasons

to be happy. We are well-educated,have a spectacular choice of lifestyles

and consumer goods, are closer to our chil-dren, are well-travelled and we live in an out-ward-looking, hyper-connected, modern na-tion. So why are we more likely to commitsuicide, and suffer alcoholism, than Irishwomen? Why do we live shorter lives? Iknow dozens of men who are burning thecandle at both ends, juggling work, father-hood, relationships, health and friends. Withthe recession, jobs have become insecure.Most of us are in negative equity, with inter-est rate rises on the horizon. Our bodies arein mutiny, expanding, shedding hair, punish-ing us for staying up after 11pm.The idea is that Irish men should be solid

earners, hands-on dads, active citizens and in-volved friends. The reality is that we are con-fused, over-stretched, exhausted and fed up.Superman is being killed by the combinedkryptonite of debt, baby powder, stressfulwork and high expectations.Are we whingers, or is the fact that men

can’t articulate their anxieties without beingtold to buck up, soldier on and well, be aman ... part of the problem?Consider the conflicting messages. Society

still wants us to be masculine. But not, like,too masculine. We must be emotionallytuned-in, but also stoical and unflinching. Weshould be physical and vigorous, as well asgentle and caring. We must be strong, silenttypes, but also sensitive communicators. Wemust hunt and gather for our families, yet behands-on at home, too. We should be expertbaby-whisperers and masseurs, but equallycapable of unblocking drains.Is it any wonder we’re stressed out? Some

years ago, Tim Cantopher, of the PrioryClinic, in Surrey, came up with a name forthe condition, Atlas syndrome, which afflictsthose who “try to do too much for too manypeople for too long.” Anyone who considersthe end of the working day as a half-timewhistle will know what he means — andwhy the Greek titan eventually collapsed un-der the weight.Of course, the last thing I feel like is a

Greek god. And it goes without saying thatAtlas syndrome affects women, too. But thepoint is that these competing expectations arenew to men, just as our culture has startedfishing about for an understanding of men’srole in the 21st century.I’m a father of two young children (aged

four and nine months). As a freelance writer,my hours are flexible, which is great when itcomes to significant dates like ballet shows orfirst days at school, but not so great whenwork spills over into the wee hours. I aim toexercise a couple of times a week, and largelysucceed in keeping weekends free for family.I can’t fit everything in, but I try, and hopethat the kids will grow up without seeing thestrings that hold it all together.When it’s good, it’s very good. But when

it’s bad, it’s horrid. All it takes is for someoneto get sick, for extreme weather to hem usin, or for the household to need a big outlay(why do motor and home insurance bills al-ways arrive in the middle of Christmas?) forthings to go nuts.At these times, trying to be a dad, a hus-

band, a writer and a bread-winner sucks thelife out of me. Parenting has become morecomplex for both men and women, and menare not alone in feeling the effects of thiseconomic meltdown. But the difference isthat while expectations of men’s roles havechanged, expectations of how we shouldcope have not. Society coaxes us to emote,but brands us failures if we admit fatigue orhave feelings we don’t understand.In his book, The Myth of Male Power, Dr

Warren Farrell says that male and femaleroles, “functional for the species for millionsof years,” became dysfunctional in an evolu-tionary instant. For millennia, men did theheavy lifting. They died in wars and theypaid for dinner. Then, suddenly, they wereasked (and wanted) to be both providers andfull-time fathers, both strong characters andgentle souls.Are we living through a male crisis? Cer-

tainly, the alpha male has transformed from a

societal norm into a widely-lampooned,macho male. Connectivity, openness andflexibility are key virtues now. And they seembetter suited to women, who network andmulti-task intuitively.Females outnumber males by 57% to 43%

in Ireland’s seven universities, according tothe Higher Education Authority. They alsooutperform males in most Leaving Certificatesubjects. Seventy five percent of the peopleplanning to use the services of MircoSort, a

pre-conception, sperm-sorting technique de-signed to increase the likelihood of conceiv-ing a child of a particular gender, want girls.In a recent article in The Times, William

Leith noted that women are better at invest-ing money (in the recent crash female-runhedge funds dipped by 9.6%; male-run fundsby 19%). Male attributes likestrength, silence, aggression andthe propensity to take risks“look increasingly like arro-gance, touchiness, criminali-ty and greed,” he said.“Think about it: for thewhole of human history,people have wanted sons ...And now, that’s all gone.”Any notion that men are

no longer the dominant sexwill rightly be ridiculed bywomen earning less thantheir male equals, objectifiedin impromptu PricewaterhouseC-oopers beauty pageants, or pregnantand facing childbirth. Wealth andpower remain in male hands.But behind the huffing and

puffing of Farrell and Leith aresome salient points. Stay-at-homedads grab lots of media attention,but they remain a minority.

MR FIX IT: Pól Ó Conghaile gets upclose and personal with his car engine— one of the many areas he isexpected to be an expert in.Picture: Nick Bradshaw

1. Get your boots on: The old-school way toclear your head. Whether it’s a forest,mountain or beach, there’s just somethingabout fresh air and freedom that lifts themood.

2. Make something: Think of the thrill inmaking a sled, a go-kart or even a castlefrom an old cardboard box.

3. Grooveshark.com: This freemusic-streaming service will rekindle yourlove of music. Plug the laptop into thekitchen stereo and off you go.

4. Go for a pint: A tonic since Noah was aboy, it remains the touchstone formale-on-male bonding.

5. Get fit: Once you motivate yourself to getoff the couch, a good work-out is themental equivalent of a sauna or hot show-er. You’ll feel better. Trust us.

6. Date night: Scheduling regular datenights with your partner may sound crum-my and contrived, but make the effort tostir things up, and they can be surprisinglysexy.

Ten guy things to enjoy...Men’s Sheds: Based on an Australianmodel, Men’s Sheds works with men incommunity settings in Ireland. The volun-tary group literally revolves around an up-dated version of the backyard shed, wheremen can convene to work on projects andshare time together. See menssheds.ie.

MALE’s (Ireland): Founded in 2004 tohelp men reawaken to their own masculin-ity and spirituality, based on the thinkingof Fr Richard Rohr’s vision. He maintainsthat our current social issues won’t change“until the ordinary male matures spiritual-ly”. See malesireland.com.

Men’s Development Project: Based inWaterford, it promotes men’s health, pro-

Support groups lend males a helping hand

Men are still largely expected (and expectthemselves) to bring home the bacon. Andthat expectation is so ingrained in our culturethat many men who lose their jobs, or whosuffer poorly understood conditions likechronic pain, feel emasculated. If they can’tearn money or lift the shopping, they don’tfeel like real men.At their most extreme, the pressures men

deal with can lead to mental health issues,and may even be a contributing factor to sui-cide. In Ireland, where up to 80% of suicidesare carried out by men, 527 people died bytheir own hand in 2009, as compared with424 in 2008, according to the National Of-fice for Suicide Prevention. Recession is amajor factor in the increase.The death last year of Gerry Ryan evokes

similar pressures. Here was a man, in his early50s, who was stressed at work, under hugepersonal pressure and facing financial difficul-ties (Ryan’s inquest heard of the broadcasterturning grey at aggressive text messages). Yet,as men are supposed to do, he put a braveface on things, pushed on through and liter-ally ate, drank and drugged himself to death.“We all encounter stress in our daily lives,

particularly nowadays with the economic sit-uation,” says Brian Howard, of the MentalHealth Association of Ireland.“The vast majority of people can cope

with stress by taking some sort of correctiveactions — knowing when and how to relax,engaging in sporting activities, and so on.But where people don’t learn the skills tocope, it can lead on to mental ill health, andserious difficulties at that end.”Howard is making a general point and not

talking about men in particular but you cansee the progression. Most men can controltheir stress. But how many are irritable? Howmany might pull through a busy day’s work,but snap at the baby who tugs at the fire-guard? How many stress factors and conflict-ing expectations does it take to put someoneover the edge? Yes, women face many of thesame pressures. And men still hold most ofthe senior positions in society. That’s whythis is such a vexed topic. Even writing aboutit, I feel like apologising, like men should justbe thankful for their lot and get on with it.

But what happens when we just get onwith things? A 2009 survey by the Ev-eryman Male Cancer Campaignfound nearly twice as many men aswomen had not visited their GP inthe past year. Think of formerWest Ham and Celtic footballer,John Hartson, who left it so longbefore visiting hospital that his tes-ticular cancer had spread, necessi-tating emergency brain surgery.One reason for this reluctance is

that men are primed to put up withthings, to ignore pain until it becomes so

threatening that action is unavoidable. Bythen, it may already be too late.Nor are men as social as women. We havean instinctive capacity for aloneness, be itmonkish tinkering in the shed or hiding be-hind a pint and the paper. Even when mendo go out, it’s usually with old schoolfriends, a crew they are comfortable withand have known for decades. Womenreach out and stay engaged — a key

7. Take a class: There are more men’s class-es in cookery, pilates, survival skills thanever before. Get out of your comfort zone.

8. Light a fire: In the fireplace, or better still,the garden. Think of the awed look on yourkids’ faces. You know you want to.

9. On the ropes: Xtreme Adventure is a newaerial trekking course in Courtown, Co.Wexford. 200m zip-line — enough said.

10. Rekindle your bro-mance: Take a testdrive or shoot some golf together.

attribute, as it’s widely accepted that socialinteraction helps mental health.Where does all of this leave us?In most cases, a harmless heap on the

couch. But it’s also true that the life ex-pectancy of an Irish man is 76.8 years — al-most five years shorter than the 81.6 yearsexpected of Irish women. In any other con-

text, this would be seen as an indicator of avulnerable group — but because men stilldominate power and wealth, it goes withoutcomment.Yes, we can get on with things. Yes, we can

cope. But this idea of a bloke who can have itall, and give it all, has to go. New Man is amirage.

vides counselling and support and re-searches men’s issues, as well as main-taining men’s development through anational network. See mens-network.net.

Men’s Action Network: MAN came intobeing in 1994 through the efforts of agroup of local men seeking to provide asafe space for men to find support withthe crises and life issues they were experi-encing. Based in Derry. See man-ni.org.

AnamAire: A non-profit partnership ofindividuals, psychotherapists, counsellors,trainers and group facilitators who servelocal communities in the west throughlow-cost personal development and emo-tional support services. See AnamAire.org.

We must beemotionally

tuned-in, but alsostoical and un-

flinching. Weshould be physical

and vigorous aswell as gentle and

caring. We musthunt and gatherfor our families,

yet be hands-on athome, too. We

should be expertbaby-whisperers

and masseurs, butequally capable ofunblocking drains


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Feelgood

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

Dr NiamhHouston

FAMILY

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

CatherineShanahan

MUM’S WORLD

CatherineShanahan

MUM’S WORLD

We regularlyarrive slide-side to afresh coat of spray

paint and the kind ofbiology lesson no

child should witness.For those whose

artistic bent does notextend to human

anatomy, there’s theoption of arson.Setting fire to asitting duck is as

academic as it getsfor the mindless

Medical matters

WE live near a lovely park wheremood swings pollute the atmo-sphere and toxic teens compete at

graffiti with images their mothers wouldwilt at.

We regularly arrive slide-side to a freshcoat of spray paint and the kind of biologylesson no child should witness. For thosewhose artistic bent does not extend to hu-man anatomy, there’s the option of arson.Any fool can fan a flame in a playgroundand setting fire to a sitting duck is as aca-demic as it gets for the mindless.

Last week they broke an unbreakableswing. Made of fire-proof material, stub-bornly robust and easily wiped clean ofgraffiti, it seemed invincible. My daughterloved its familiarity and its entertainmentvalue. I enjoyed its inexpensive outdoorsynature. “Higher”, she would cry in delightas she swang towards the heavens. It wasone of those swings where a child has nofear of falling; strapped, booted and quiltedfor comfort, it was the perfect piece of play-ground equipment for anyone under three.

Where once there were two, there is nowone. Two was already too few for a parkbound on one side by a naionra and on theother, by a primary school. Children clam-oured to climb aboard and the slightly more

sensible queued. A slide is all very well, buta swing has more possibilities. It can unravelat speed if the chain is tightly twisted, it canbe sat upon, stood upon or jumped from. Italso promotes competition. For a flavour ofplayground rivalry, sit two children onneighbouring swings and learn, early on, ifyour child has the killer instinct.

My daughter watched in distress as thepark superintendent unscrewed the wound-ed seat from the crossbar. “Why is the mantaking my swing?” she cried. The bars werehacked apart, a task that took time and ef-fort. The superintendent shook his head indisgust. He was plagued by repairs, he said.

He had written more incident reportsabout our park than any pilot had ever writ-ten about an aircraft. And yet, city officialswould not agree to fence it off.

“Cost too much,” the official said with thelogic we associate with local authorities.The city could not afford to preserve a parkfor its kids, but spared no expense on petroland premium payments for the park atten-dant.

The swing went off in a van with theman. My daughter wept. I did my best toconsole her. “That’s life,” I said wiping awayher tears. “What you lose on the swings,you win on the roundabouts.”

BE GENTLE:Time andpatience arekey toovercomingdepression.Picture: GettyImages

QI AM on treatment for de-pression and am very frustrat-ed at how slow my recoveryis. I would like to know abouttrans-cranial magnetic stimu-

lation. Is this a form of ECT, and does itcure depression?

A. I can understand your frustration, depres-sion affects people in many different ways. Itis associated with feelings of sadness, despair,helplessness, hopelessness and lack of interestin life. People with severe depression maybe unable to eat, sleep or take part in socialactivities.

Unlike some other illnesses, recovery fromdepression can be unpredictable. You aremaking progress one day, only to feel likeyou have taken two steps back the next. Butyou must be gentle with yourself at thistime. If you’re struggling with depression, itis part of the illness to be self-critical andperhaps place unnecessary pressure on your-self to “get better”. Time, patience and be-lief that you are recovering are key to over-coming depression.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)is still quite a new treatment. It works bestfor patients with moderate depression whodon’t tolerate antidepressant medication. Ex-perience to date with TMS makes it clearthat some but not all patients respond to thetreatment. It works by using magnetic fieldsto stimulate nerve cells in the brain. A largeelectromagnetic coil is placed against yourscalp near your forehead. Magnetic pulsescreate painless electric currents which stim-ulate nerve cells in the region of your braininvolved in mood control and depression.

How TMS may help relieve depression isnot completely understood. It’s thought thatstimulating the brain changes how the brainworks, leading to improved mood. UnlikeECT, it is non-invasive, and doesn’t requirethe use of an anaesthetic or induce seizures.Little preparation is needed, and it is usuallydone on an outpatient basis. It is usuallycarried out daily, five times a week for fourto six weeks. The treatment itself lasts about40 minutes and you are able to return tonormal activities afterwards.

TCM is unlikely to work if you’ve re-ceived ECT and weren’t helped by it. It alsomay be less likely to work if your illnesscauses detachment from reality or psychosis,or your depression has lasted for four ormore years. Like any procedure there is arisk of side-effects, but these are minor andshort-term — they typically improve after

the first week or two of treatment. Com-mon side effects include headache, tingling,spasms or twitching of facial muscles, light-headedness or scalp discomfort at the site ofstimulation. More serious side effects arerare, they can include seizures, or mania (es-pecially in people with bipolar disorder).

It is not yet known if TMS can be used totreat depression for the long term, orwhether you can have periodic maintenancetreatments to prevent depression symptomsfrom returning.

A decision to undertake any new treat-ment should be made on the basis of a dis-cussion between an experienced specialistand an informed patient — with a full un-derstanding of the potential benefits andrisks involved.

Q. I am in my early 40s and am in goodhealth. When should I start going to mydoctor for regular check-ups, and arethere certain tests recommended forwomen of my age?

A. As well as treating you when sick, yourdoctor can follow a programme designed tohelp you stay healthy. Preventive care caninclude the following; screening tests as wellas regular measurements of weight, choles-terol levels and blood pressure. Your doctorcan advise you about healthy lifestyle choic-es such as a well-balanced diet, regular exer-cise, avoiding smoking/alcohol, as well asstress management.

There are different tests for different stagesin life. Which ones you need depends on

your age, your sex, your family history orwhether you have risk factors for certaindiseases.

From the age of 21, women should have acervical smear every three years. After 40,you should have your weight, blood pressureand cholesterol checked regularly. Whenwomen reach 50, they should have a mam-mogram every two years to screen for breastcancer. Women who have risk factors forbreast cancer, such as a family history, mayneed to have mammograms more often orstart having them sooner.

From the age of 50 everyone should bescreened for colorectal cancer. Colonoscopyis one method your doctor can use to testfor this. Symptoms of colorectal cancer caninclude blood in the stool, narrower stoolsthan usual, change in bowel habit or generalabdominal discomfort. While the risk in-creases with age, you are also more likely toget colorectal cancer if you have: polyps(growths inside the colon that may becomecancerous), a diet high in fat, a family histo-ry of colon cancer or a personal history ofinflammatory bowel disease.

Anyone can develop osteoporosis, but it ismore common in post-menopausal women.As many as half of all women and a quarterof all men over 50 will break a bone due toosteoporosis. A bone density scan will detectif you are at risk of this.

Do not be alarmed if your doctor ordersthese tests for you, it does not mean he orshe thinks you have cancer or a specific ill-ness. These are routine tests that everyoneshould have.


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Ravishing food

Want to perk up your sex life? Then loadyour plate with libido-boosting ingredients.Christine Bailey suggests ways to eat

your way to better sex

I F YOUR sex drive and libido havetaken a dive recently, it’s time to look atyour lifestyle and diet. Poor eating

habits, stress and hormone imbalances are justa few of the factors that can affect our sexualhealth. In addition, fluctuations in brainchemicals, like serotonin and dopamine, candirectly affect our levels of desire, stimulationand arousal.But it’s not pills you need to re-ignite that

spark, it’s good nutrition. So add some ofthese foods and nutrients to your diet and getin the mood to make the most of your timebetween the sheets…

LIBIDO NUTRIENTS

Essentially, what is good for your heart andcirculation will also help your sex life. If yourheart is pumping and blood is circulating,you’ll improve blood flow and experiencegreater sensation downbelow.The amino acid

L-arginine is particu-larly important. L-argi-nine stimulates the re-lease of nitric oxidefrom the walls of bloodvessels, helping themexpand and, therefore,promoting healthy cir-culation.Although available as

a supplement, you canalso find it naturally infoods such as meat,fish, nuts and corn.Antioxidant vitamins

A, C and E, and phy-tonutrients found inbrightly-colouredfruits and vegetables,are libido boosters.Vitamin C boosts circulation and strength-

ens the sex organs, while vitamins A and Eare involved in the production of sex hor-mones.For improving energy levels and stamina,

you need to have sufficient iron, B vitaminsand chromium. B vitamins are important fortackling stress and lifting mood, too. Goodsources include green, leafy vegetables, as-paragus, wholegrains, avocados, nuts andpulses. Boron is a trace mineral found in fruitand vegetables that is known to help boostlevels of oestrogen and testosterone, whilezinc is particularly important for the man inyour life.Not only is zinc vital for sperm produc-

tion, but it’s also needed for taste and smell,both important for sexual arousal. Make sureyour partner loads up on zinc-rich foods,such as shellfish and seafood (particularly oys-ters and sardines), and eggs, chicken andlamb, plus seeds such as pumpkin and sesame.

SEXY FOODS

While there are a range of foods rich inthese libido-boosting nutrients, try addingthe following sexy foods to your basket,too…

Chocolate: Not only a very sensual food,chocolate also contains phenylalanine, anamino acid that affects arousal and enhancesmood.Stick to a couple of squares of dark choco-

late, or raw cacao, for maximum health bene-fits.

Chilli: Spicy foods get the heart pumping.Chillies contain capsaicin, which can enhancethe production of endorphins, giving us anatural lift as well as supporting circulation.

Ginger: This is one of the oldest knownaphrodisiacs, shown to help thin the blood,which may encourage increased erectile func-tion.

Honey, bee pollen and royal jelly: Allthese products from the hive are known toboost your sex drive. Honey contains boron,

while bee pollen androyal jelly are regardedas tonics for boostingenergy and stamina.

Bananas: A moodbooster rich in theamino acid trypto-phan that the bodyconverts to serotonin(the happy chemical),plus potassium to helpmuscle function andantioxidants vitaminC and beta-carotene.

Maca: This superfoodpowder has long beenused to increasestrength, energy andlibido.Excellent for balanc-

ing hormones, it canbe used in desserts and smoothies. Blend twotablespoons with a chopped banana and milk,then add one tablespoon of raw cacao pow-der for a delicious, creamy smoothie.

Eggs: A great, protein-rich food providingplenty of iron, zinc, B vitamins and calciumneeded for sexual health.

Shellfish and seafood: Oysters, prawns andother shellfish and seafood are loaded withzinc, protein and omega-3s, which are allwell-known libido-boosting nutrients.

Soya: Tofu, soya yoghurt, miso, soy milkand tempeh are good sources of phytoestro-gens — substances that help balance femalehormones and help keep the vagina lubricat-ed. Experiment by replacing dairy productswith soya and enjoy the benefits. Look fortasty soya products in your local health store.

Avocado: A good source of nutrients forsexual performance, including B vitamins,folic acid, beta-carotene and vitamin E.

Nuts: Grab a handful of nuts and boostyour intake of the amino acid arginine, plusessential fats, B vitamins, calcium and zinc.

RUSH OF BLOOD: Nutscontain the amino acidL-arginine, whichpromotes healthy bloodcirculation and helps toincrease libido. Picture:Istock

SWEET DESIRE: Not only a very sensualfood, chocolate also containsphenylalanine, an amino acid that affectsarousal and enhances mood. Picture: iStock

Perking up

TERAPROOF:User:irenefeighanDate:05/01/2011Time:13:24:34Edition:07/01/2011FeelgoodXH0701Page:12 Zone:XH

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Food survey

Kelly’s Quiche Lorraine, 400g 1.85,Aldi

Made from ‘reformed ham’ including12% pork, lots of additives and 7% ched-dar, the result is a pastry which is light,but too thick. This is topped with a fluffyfilling, which has little flavour. Still, quitepleasant.

Score: 5

Quiche On the Pig’s Back, 3.95per 200g slice. Cork’s English Mar-ket and Douglas Woolen Mills

Pastry comes in almost two separate lay-ers, a good crisp base and a slightlyheavier middle bit which absorbs thefilling. Lots of good filling with generousham. A good egg and creammixture is in moreof a traditional, solidstyle than fluffy. Nicetaste of nutmeg. Ev-eryone liked this one.

Score: 7.5

Bernadette’s Pantry Quiche Lorraine,400g 5.99, Martin Carey ButchersBandon

Tomato is not typical of a traditionalQuiche Lorraine, and while listed, onlyappeared in the pastry which was quiteorange. We expected strong flavours,but they did not match upin a fairly subtlequiche of ham andonion flavourswhich was en-joyed by mosttasters.

Score: 6

‘Homemade’ ham quiche Ó CrualaoíCarrigaline and Ballincollig, 600g 6

This quiche has sweetcorn and greenpeppers which dominate the taste. Thereis also ham, cheese and onions mixedwith eggs, milk and cream. The pastry istoo thick and took along time for it tocrisp up in theoven.

Score: 5

Dunnes Quiche Lorraine, 400g 1.99

Light pastry holds a light filling which,with 1g salt per 100g, tastes over-salted.15% smoked ham and 9% mature ched-dar cheese is generous and providesplenty of protein.

Score: 4.5

Coquette Quiche Lorraine, 400g 1.85,Lidl

A strong mature cheddar flavour withnutmeg divided tasters’ opinions. Onehalf thought the flavour overdone, espe-cially as traditional Quiche Lorrainewould have adelicate, moreblended taste.But the otherhalf liked thedepth offlavour.

Score: 6.75

SuperValu Merchants Quay Cheese &Onion Quiche, 400g 2.19

Heating as instructed doesn’t make thepastry casing crisp enough, so it feelsquite heavy. Onion is the dominantflavour, which is fair enough for a cheeseand onion quiche.

Score: 4.5

Marks & Spencer Quiche Lorraine, 400g2.99

Good, light, crisp pastry holds a gener-ous amount of smoky ham. The egg tex-ture is traditional, not over-fluffed, withjust the right amount of Gruyere cheese.A genuineQuicheLorraine.

Score: 7

Roz Crowley

Real peopleeat quiche

THE Alsace-Lorraine region, fought for bythe German and French empires and nowin French hands, produced a dish that has

endured — classic quiche — which makes a satisfy-ing meal.

Quiche Lorraine was originally a pastry case filledwith an egg and cream mixture. Today a little hamis acceptable, but the general term quiche can meanany kind of open tart with an egg and cream (ormilk) filling spiked with all sorts of additions —vegetables, meat, fish.

Health-wise, quiche has a decent amount of pro-tein, usually about 10% due to the egg and cheesecontent, so 100g (a quarter of many medium 400gsized quiches) gives us abut 10g of protein. Thereare usually saturated fats of about 8%, so make sureto have a salad or hot vegetables with it to help di-gest them.

Salt can be quite high at just under a gram in a100g slice, so be careful about salt consumption atother meals.

There is usually a small amount of fibre — usuallyabout 4% and some sugars, especially in long-lifeproducts where dextrose is used. A 100g slice clocksup about 250 calories, so don’t be tempted to havemore than one.

To get the best from a quiche, don’t warm in amicrowave. Pastry doesn’t respond well and goessoggy. Instead warm in a low oven, or even by thefire. Some manufacturer’s instructions recommend170C for 10 minutes.


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Deirdre O'Flynn

MOSTLY MEN

DId you know...

New year detoxwith Kate O’ReillyTAKE 4

Male health

Rugby helps toopen up world

RIGHT SPORT: Alan Lynch has represented Ireland in Wheelchair Rugby since 2001. “Itdoesn’t get much better than that,” he says. Picture: Barry Cronin

A LAN Lynch has represented hiscountry at European and Worldlevel, which is a considerable

achievement for the 26-year-old who was leftan incomplete quadriplegic after a fall from atree when he was 14.“When I fell, I damaged the C5 and C6

bones in my neck which bruised my spinalcord, but I still have a lot of function andfeeling in my body, ” says Alan, who lives inTallanstown, Co Louth. “Because I was soyoung, I didn’t fully understand what hadhappened to me, I thought I would be okayagain in a few months, so that by the time Iunderstood, I had become used to my limita-tions.”In rehab for 13 months, he was exposed to

a wide range of sports to build and maintainhis body function. “Physio feels like work,but sport feels different. Basketball wasn’tsuitable for me because I had lost a lot ofupper body strength, but wheelchair rugbyhas been designed for quadriplegic injuries. Iloved it and asked if there was a team in Ire-land.”He was put in touch with the Irish

Wheelchair Rugby team, the Gaelic War-

riors, and has never looked back.Alan has been playing for the Gaelic War-

riors since 1998 and was first selected to rep-resent Ireland in Wheelchair Rugby in 2001and has been a member of the national teamat every major tournament since then. Aswell as representing Ireland at the Europeanlevel, he was the only Irish player selected toplay on the 2002 British and Irish LionsWheelchair Rugby World Tour.“We played in San Diego, Sydney, Singa-

pore and Cape Town over three weeks,” re-calls Alan, who manages the office of his fa-ther’s joinery business.Irish Wheelchair Association Sport

(IWA-Sport) is an integral part of the IrishWheelchair Association and encourages peo-

ple with physical disabilities to get involvedin sport regardless of age, ability or disability.It offers sports ranging from athletics to bad-minton, swimming to archery and basketballto orienteering.Aside from the obvious health benefits of

participating in a sport, wheelchair rugby in-troduced Alan to people with a similar dis-ability across the globe. “When I got my firstwheelchair at 15, I didn’t have a clue aboutposture or how to sit in my everyday

wheelchair. Then I met guys who had beenin chairs for years and they have great tips ongetting the right chair, how to sit in differentways and how to get around different house-hold chores. I’ve made friends around theworld through the sport. And I’ve represent-ed my country at international level — itdoesn’t get much better than that.”■ To find out more about what sports arefacilitated through the Irish Wheelchair Asso-ciation, log on to www.iwa.ie/sport

Online sessions fordepression explored Men with lower

levels of antisocialbehaviour at ages17-20 are morelikely to havemarried by age 29(Source: Michigan State University, US)

Men more likely to diefrom sedative misuse

LIVER SUPPORT: As part of a newyear detox programme HigherNature advise including plenty ofcleansing foods in your diet, includ-

ing fruits, vegetables and low allergengrains like rice, quinoa and buckwheat. Cutout salty foods which may aggravate fluidretention and avoid saturated fatty foods —red meats and processed meat products,dairy foods and trans fats found in manyconvenience foods. Higher Na-ture recommend Smart LiverSupport, 13.70 for 30 tablets— a blend of amino acids, B vi-tamins, antioxidants and min-erals — as a good all roundproduct to optimise yourdetox. Available from healthstores and pharmacies; seewww.highernature.co.uk

PRE-BIOTIC DRINK: A.Vo-gel Molkosan Vitality, 17, isa powdered pre-biotic drink

designed to give your digestivesystem a good spring cleaning.Molkosan Vitality contains lacticacid, soluble fibre and green tea ex-tract to improve your digestivefunction. Lactic acid creates aslightly acidic environment inwhich friendly bacteriathrive. It promotes the se-cretion of digestive en-zymes, which help yourdigestive system workmore effectively, reducingbloating, constipation,etc. From health storesand pharmacies. See avo-gel.ie for details.

WELLNESS PRO-GRAMME: Flor Essencecontains a blend of eightherbs to cleanse, detoxi-

fy and strengthen the body. Tak-en before bed it is a soothingnatural tonic which helps to re-juvenate your system in just 10days. Flor Essence, 25.99, isavailable from Nelsonsand other healthstores and pharma-cies nationwide.For more informa-tion on Chi Patch-es or Flor Essencevisit distributorswww.naturalife.ieor phone0404-62444.

TWICE as many men died as a re-sult of misuse of benzodiazepines— sedatives — than women be-tween 1998 and 2007, according toresearch carried out by the HealthResearch Board thatalso found that theproportion of maledeaths was highestin age groupsyounger than 40.“An overdose of

benzodiazepinescan cause respirato-ry depression, comaand death,” says Dr Suzi Lyons, se-nior researcher at the HRB. “How-ever, very few deaths are reported

from taking this drug on its own.Benzodiazepines are known toamplify the depressant effects ofother drugs, which increases therisk of overdose when using

more than one drug.”The figures indicate

that the number ofcases treated forproblem benzodi-azepine use has in-creased from 1,054 in2003 to 1,719 in 2008.These prescriptiondrugs were also im-

plicated in nearly one third of alldeaths by drug poisoning be-tween 1998 and 2007.

DO you support someonewho lives with depression?Aware has run a number ofpilot online support groupsand feedback has beenvery positiveso far.It is explor-

ing onlinesessions forrelatives andloved onesof those suf-fering fromdepression.To express an interest,email [email protected] information on signing

up to the service. Please in-clude a brief description ofyour current situation in yourmessage (e.g. “My wife suf-fers from depression and has

done for severalyears. She is onmedication but Ifind it verytough to supporther at times”),along with an-swers to: (1) Doyou have a reli-able broadband

connection? (2) Are you aregular user of email and/oronline message boards?

2 3 4DETOX TIPS: Most ofus have overdone thefestivities in some form

and start the New Year feelingsluggish. The advice from thehomeopaths at Nelsons Dis-pensary in Dublin is keep itsimple:■ Lighten your toxic load:Eliminate alcohol, caffeine,saturated fats and refined sug-ars. Replace with lotsof fibre, fruit and veg.■ Drink plenty of wa-ter: two litres a day.■ Exercise: a20-minute brisk strollgets blood flowing.■ De stress: do onething a week that

makes you happyIf you feel your detox needs

more help, products they rec-ommend include: NHP TotalDetox, 12.95 — a blend ofhomeopathic remedies to helpthe body gently detox andMilk Thistle Tincture, 10.50 tosupport the liver.Chi Detox Patches, 24.99

are an ancient Japanese reme-dy which contain Bam-boo and vitamin C. Formore information ondetoxing, contact Nel-sons Homeopathic Dis-pensary at 15 Duke St,Dublin 2 or call01-6790451 to mailorder products.

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Feelgood

STUFF WE LIKE

Beauty

The news on ...

Emily O’Sullivan

TAKE THREE

CHANEL BRIDAL

OKAY, so you can’t afford the Chanel wed-ding dress, but you can still get the look ofthe iconic French designhouse with a Chanel ForBrides service availableat Chanel beauty coun-ters.The new service

allows you and a guestto enjoy two relaxingand pampering consul-tations as you are guid-ed through skincare,make-up and fragranceoptions for your bigday.It’s a good chance to get insider tips on

application, as well as getting advice onthe latest make-up looks that can betailored to suit you on your big day.

EYE TREATMENTS

ONE thing is for sure — if your eyes feeltired and weary, the rest of you does, too.Eye creams can be a mixed bunch, so ifyou find one that works for you then stickwith it. Here are three we rate.

Garnier Caffeine Anti-Dark Circles2-in-1 Roll On, 14.99. This is one ofthe better ones with a verylight tint to give your eyes arefreshing pep-up and a bit ofdark-circle cover up. It comesin a slim tube, so you can car-ry it around and give youreyes a bit of TLC throughoutthe day.

This Works Tired EyeSerum, 35.40. If you likeyour beauty products a littlemore natural in tone then thisis a good choice. Aloe vera,cucumber and marine extractshelp reduce puffiness and have a refresh-ing effect on the eye area. This one worksparticularly well if you leave it in thefridge for maximum effect.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Re-pair Eye, 49. An eye treat if ever therewas one. This eye cream is more like abalmy gel, which gives an immediatesoothing effect to the eye area. It’s de-signed to tackle the lot — fine lines, wrin-kles, puffiness, dark circles, dryness anduneven skintone.

Guerlain Midnight Secret, 95.50. Ouch— a hefty price tag if ever therewas one, but the good thingabout Guerlain’s bestselling andmuch loved Midnight Secret isthat you only need to use itwhen you are feeling particularlyexhausted. It’s a super-concen-trated treatment designed toperk up tired and stressed skin,giving you the look of a goodnight’s sleep.

Soap & Glory No Clogs Al-lowed Deep Pore Detox Mask,11.80. If you like a bit of bells

and whistles action with your facemasks, then this is the perfect

choice. Not only is it designed to detox your

skin, it’s also self-heating, colourchanging and only needs to beon for five minutes. Convenientand entertaining — what’s not tolike about this product?

Clinique Superdefense AgeDefence Moisturiser, 38. Clin-ique’s thrown everything it’s got atthis heavyweight moisturiser,which has been one of theirbiggest launches of the last fewyears.It’s a good one for getting your skin back

on track and fights against internal and ex-ternal stresses with ingredients such as red“microalgae extract” which apparentlyhelps to neutralise the appearance of lines,wrinkles and uneven skin tone.

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, 30. It’shard to believe Clarins’s award-winningBeauty Flash Balm is 30 already, but onething is sure, its place on beauty’s list ofclassics is assured. This is a great one forusing through January, when your skinjust isn’t at its best. It imparts an immedi-ate radiance that helps you look more re-freshed and brighter. No wonder it’s abestseller.

Chanel Eclat Original Serum, 66.50.We love this little apricot-tinted gel — it’s areal radiance booster andlooks great beneath atinted moisturiser to givethe skin a sheen thatshouts healthy living andearly nights.

Origins Modern Friction, 43.50. It’sgot a slightly sludgy, gluey texture butdon’t be put off because this is an excel-lent little product that incorporates keyelements of microdermabrasion. It’s veryeffective and leaves skin super-smooth andbursting with radiance.

Aromatherapy Associates OvernightRepair Mask, 47.54. This intense treat-ment is designed to tight-en and smooth skin —exactly what your wintercomplexion needs.Leave it on overnightand let the frankincense,rose and strawberryseed extracts get towork while you sleep.

Face the damagePost-party overindulgence shows first on your weary skin

CLASSYCLOTHS:Exfoliators aregreat forperking up dullskin but if youare watchingpennies thentry a muslincloth or just aface cloth.Picture: Getty Images

W E know all about hungoverskin. January hits and sud-denly those seven nights out

in a row with rubbish amounts of sleep, toomuch mulled wine, and dodgy looking cock-tail sausages don’t seem like such a hot idea.Not only that, but the Arctic weather condi-tions have taken a toll on our complexionthat has left us looking like a ruddy bucolicwench.Thankfully, while hungover skin is a pretty

unpleasant to live with, it isn’t difficult to getrid of it. The beauty industry works mightyhard to create products that clear up the messyou have made of your skin — and after alittle while it’ll be like those 14 BacardiBreezers never even happened.The key product to have is an exfoliator.

It’s a simple but highly effective little tool inthe fight against Edward Scissorhands-styleskin. Exfoliators come in a multitude offorms, too — you get little grainy scrubs,powders and masks, but if you want to takethe low-fi route then just invest in a fewmuslin cloths or even just a face cloth.Using something even just a tiny bit tex-

tured will help take off the dead skin cells, soif don’t fancy buying a specific product thenjust incorporate it into your cleansing rou-tine.There are some great products out there,

though, our favourite being Origins ModernFriction, 43.50.While some exfoliators are hit and miss

(often the particles are so small and so inof-fensive you may as well not bother), thisaward-winner uses rice starch to kick startthe complexion and smooth away the roughstuff. We are also a bit partial to Never a DullMoment from Origins, 28, which has aslightly less refined texture thanks to ground

apricot and mango seeds.As far as moisturisers are concerned, boost-

ing your skin with antioxidants is a good wayto inject a little life back into your skin cells.No, not everything with antioxidants in themworks, and yes, the whole antioxidant skin-care thing does have an element of hype butthere are some fantastic little products outthere. Clinique’s Superdefense, 38, ispacked with antioxidants and is a great one ifyou want your skin to become better hydrat-ed, as well as protecting it against the verythings that are trying to make you look notso great, such as cigarettes, pollution and UVrays.Day creams are pretty important when

you’re trying to get your skin back on track,but if you want to get more of an instant ef-fect then there are three products that weswear by: Guerlain’s Midnight Secret,95.50, Chanel’s Eclat Originel Serum,

66.50, and Clarins’s Beauty Flash Balm,30. Use one of these and you’ll look awhole lot more refreshed, use them all andpeople will probably stop you in the street.But a three-pronged attack isn’t necessary,

one of these babies is enough to put a smileon our face and a spring back into our skin.Finally, probably one of the biggest mis-

takes most of us make is trying to overcom-pensate bad skin with lots of make-up. Forgetit. If you’re hungover and recovering from abig party session, then your skin needs wayless make up than you think. Keep it simplewith a deeply hydrating tinted moisturisersuch as Bobbi Browns Extra SPF 25 TintedMoisturising Balm, 50 (or add alittle face oil to your existing foundation togive it a more luxurious effect), go for anatural sweep of mascara and tint your lipswith a little Rimmel Royal Gloss DeliciousLipgloss in Candy Rush, 4.72.


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

Megan puts the spotlight on: Resolve To Swim

Natural health

Megan Sheppard

QI AM six months preg-nant and suffer from irri-table bowel syndrome. Itseems to have reallyflared up in the last two

weeks. Is there anything safe and nat-ural that I can take during pregnancyto help treat this condition and pre-vent further flare ups?

A. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) isbecoming increasingly more common.Presenting with a combination ofstomach cramps, constipation and diar-rhoea, this condition can make lifemiserable — not to mention uncom-fortable. You are doing the right thingby addressing the main issue. The ten-dency to use medication, or even natu-ral products to simply mask the symp-toms, can place great strain on the oth-er organs of elimination.

The traditional Indian system ofhealing, Ayurveda, is focused oncleansing and healing the intestine andbowel. During pregnancy, tumeric, thecommon curry spice, is often the pre-scription of choice to treat commonpregnancy-related digestive disorders.Turmeric has what is known as a bitterprinciple. This means that it stimulatesbile flow, in turn encouraging the pro-duction of digestive juices, making ituseful in treating irritable bowel syn-drome (IBS), indigestion, appetite loss,liver problems, and intestinal inflamma-tion. It also supports the growth ofbeneficial intestinal flora.

Aloe vera juice is another herbalremedy which has been used success-fully in medical trials to treat IBS, andis worth its weight in gold for any in-testinal disorders as it helps to sootheand heal the mucous membranes in thegut. There are some practitioners whodeem the juice to be safe in smallamounts in the third trimester of preg-nancy, while others say not to use it at allwhile pregnant — perhaps a good one tokeep in mind for preventative healing in afew months time.

A good quality probiotic supplement to re-balance the intestinal flora is safe and highlybeneficial for you at this stage.

Since you are pregnant, Seven Seas’ Multi-bionta (www.sevenseas.ie; 1850 681012)is worth considering because it also includesmultivitamins, minerals and micronutrients.

If you are unable to swallow supplements,as can happen to some women during preg-nancy, then opt for a powder that you canadd to smoothies and drinks.

MiVitality’s Inliven probiotic powder notonly contains 13 lactobacillus bacteria, butalso has a base of 26 certified organic livingwholefoods. Contact your local Miessencerepresentative to order or visit www.mione-group.com online.

Simple dietary changes are also usefulwhen dealing with this condition. Eliminat-

ing wheat and dairy brings relief for many suf-ferers, while diets high in refined and processedfoods, sugar, and unhealthy fats can exacerbateor even cause IBS — as can antibiotics.

You will already be very conscious of every-thing you eat since you are growing a new lifewithin you. However, busy mothers tend tohave less time to stop and prepare nutritiousfoods for themselves. Fresh fruit smoothies andvegetable juices (cucumber, celery, beetroot areall great choices to soothe and nourish) are afabulous way to increase your nutrient intakeand boost energy levels while you are on thego.

Q. Following a bad cold and a very stress-ful period in my life, I now have severe ver-tigo on a constant basis. My GP prescribedtwo different types of antihistamines, both ofwhich did not work, and then referred meto an ENT specialist. I had an MRI scan,

which was normal. My balance is a lit-tle off due to the vertigo.I am experiencing panic attacks,migraines and palpitations due to theoverproduction of adrenalin, which myGP is helping me with. I also hadblood tests done on numerous occa-sions which at first showed that mythyroid (both T4 and TSH) wasabnormal, but the most recent resultswere normal. I also attended a special-ist for this.Is there anything I can take to aid ortake away the vertigo? I am finding itincreasingly difficult to deal with — Iam unable to go to work or lead anormal life. I would be very gratefulfor any advice that you can give me.

A. This is one of the conditions whereI feel that TCM (Traditional ChineseMedicine) works very well. While verti-go is commonly seen as a sign of defi-ciency in the liver blood flow, each caseis treated on an individual basis.

Through tongue and pulse diagnosis,along with a personal history, TCMpractitioners will typically work toestablish systemic balance using herbs,acupuncture/acupressure, nutritional rec-ommendations, and sometimes indicatemovement or breathing techniqueswhich can be useful — particularly in asituation such as yours where adrenalinlevels are causing additional issues.

Vertigo certainly does prevent youfrom functioning in a regular daily fash-ion, as it impacts on most basic tasks thatwe all take for granted.

The constant sensation of movement,often causing over-balancing and nausea,severely limits the ability to carry on asusual.

There are a couple of common issuesin people who develop vertigo withoutit being a side-effect of medication or apre-existing condition (such asLabyrinthitis or Ménière’s).

The first is dehydration. Try increasingyour water intake, and adding a tiny pinch ofsea salt or a squeeze of citrus juice for each300ml glass to maximise absorption. If youfind that this makes no difference after a fewdays, then there could be an issue with yourinner ear.

More than 80% of all people with vertigoare also found to have either high cholesterolor high blood sugar levels. If you are at riskof being in either of these categories, thensome simple dietary changes can make awhole world of difference.

Taking a high potency vitamin B-complexcould also help, since this nutrient group isvital for the health of the central nervoussystem, improves blood flow to the brain,and lowers cholesterol levels.

Dermot O’Connor runs an established TCM practice inHaddington Road, Dublin, incorporating acupuncture, Qigong, Chinese herbal medicine, and nutritional therapy.Dermot can be contacted at 01-667 2222 or emailing [email protected].

BENEFICIAL EFFECTS: A good quality probioticsupplement has beneficial effects for pregnant women.

Picture: Getty Images

GOODEXERCISE:Swimming is agreat workoutfor the bodyand mind,since justbeing in thewater isrelaxing formost people.Picture: GettyImages

HERE we are at the beginningof 2011 — no doubt many ofus with written or unwritten

resolutions in mind. Good intentionsaside, I love the fact that the herald-ing of a new year affords us the op-portunity to take stock of where weare at, where we are going, and whowe want to be.

Making exercise, weight loss, andfitness a priority are some of themost common resolutions for menand women. These are also the plansthat tend to fall by the wayside thefastest. Often this is the result ofplanning too much, too soon —forgetting that much can be doneover the course of a year, simply by

taking small actions consistently. It’sall about breaking goals down.

This is why I love swimming. It isa great workout for the body andmind, since just being in the water isrelaxing for most people. You cantailor it to your abilities, and thewater provides gentle benefits re-gardless of your age and whether ornot you have injuries to consider. Itis also a brilliant way to keep fit andactive during pregnancy.

Swimming is a wonderful way toincrease flexibility, recover from in-juries, de-stress the mind, strengthenyour joints, relieve musculoskeletalpain, and increase stamina. It can bethe main event, or simply a way to

warm up or cool down after doingother sports or exercise — it also de-creases the risk of injury during oth-er physical activities since it gentlyand powerfully works every muscle.

If you swim on a regular basis —even once a week — you reduceyour risk of heart attack, stroke anddiabetes. A great cardio workout,swimming helps to lower cholesterollevels and regulate blood pressure.The conscious breathing required toswim is fantastic for both lung healthand circulation, therefore improvingthe functioning of all of your bodilysystems.

Best of all, you can find some-where to swim all year round.

TERAPROOF:User:GREGMCCANNDate:05/01/2011Time:12:56:31Edition:07/01/2011FeelgoodXH0701Page:16 Zone:XH

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Feelgood

Aimee who

lost 2.5 stone

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