How to get a Do you have a - The Northern Echoclients.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/ne_health/pdfs/neh052005.pdf · How did you score? All a: You probably only did this quiz in order to

MAY 2005

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

How to get aHollywood smile

Do you have adrink problem?

‘How JamieOliver savedmy son’

10 ways to slim forsummer

The Northern Echo

2 May 2005 Online: www.healthspectrum.co.ukNEHEALTH

contents3 FITNESSTennis: serving up someexercise this summer4 NUTRITION20 foods your heart would like you to eat6 FAMILY‘How Jamie Oliversaved my son’s life’9 SUMMER LIVINGDon’t forget to keep hydrated10 DENTISTRYThe white stuff12 SLIMMING10 ways to get trim

14 ME & MY HEALTHRugby star Mathew Tait16 PRIMARY CARE TRUSTIf it’s serious, head for hospital20 FITNESSDiana Moran: the lean, green machine22 ALTERNATIVESLife at the sharp end23 CELEBRITY HEALTHAuthor Michelle Paver26 WORK LIFEThe desk de-stresser

Front page picture:Britesmile

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1 In an average week, do you drink:a never;b once or twice;c most evenings;d every evening and a few lunch times too.

2 If you find you have no drink in thehouse, do you:a shrug and put the kettle on;b swear and put the kettle on;c go down to the off licence;d go down to the bar.

3 Do people you know – work colleagues,family, friends – comment on yourdrinking:a never;b occasionally;c the morning after functions;d frequently.

4 You are at a very good party/function, doyou stay until:a the time you agreed to leave;b the last train;c the conversation runs out;d the bar runs out.

5 You are at a function with a well stockedbar, but also in attendance are people youought to be impressing – the future in-laws,your kids’ head teacher, the boss – do you:a stick to soft drinks;b drink in moderation;c set out to do b but end up somehowdoing d;d get legless.

6 Do you drink wine with a meal:a never;b on special occasions;c only when out at dinner;d whenever it is available.

7 If you’ve had a particularly stressful day,do you:a go for a run;b have a glass of wine and talk it throughwith your partner;c go down to the bar with your best mate;d polish off a bottle of vodka by yourself.

8 If, at a party, the bar has got down tosome very suspect-looking liqueur andsuper strength lager, do you:a not really notice because they’ve still gotplenty of Evian;b opt for a soft drink;c go home;d mix the two together and wonder whynobody else wants to sample your newcocktail.

9 You’ve woken up next to somebody youdon’t recognise how often:a several times, but all of them were ontransatlantic flights;b not since university;c not since you were last on holiday;d sometimes you don’t recognise yourpartner.

10 How would you describe yourrelationship with drink:a non-existent;b a mild flirtation;c like having a mistress;d lurrrve.

How did you score?All a: You probably only did this quiz in orderto show off how clean living you are.Mostly a: It is unlike you will ever have a prob-lem with alcohol as you don’t seem to need itand are able to control your approach to it withadmirable discipline.Mostly b: If your Bs are mixed with As then youtoo have very little to worry about as you arethe perfect social drinker. If they’re mixed withCs though (especially on questions 3,5 and 7),you should keep an eye on yourself.Mostly c: You could have a problem or the mak-ings of one. You don’t seem to be able to con-trol your drinking too well and you may be kid-ding yourself that everything is okay – denialis a common attribute of the people that drinkat this level.Mostly d: You are in serious trouble. Yourdrinking seem to be out of control, it is start-ing to have an impact on every aspect of yourlife and is doubtless affecting your health bynow. You need to seek help asap.

� From Not Rocket Science (CassellIllustrated, £12.99), a fascinating book fullof advice, horror stories and life-savingwisdom aimed at getting men to take bettercare of themselves.

Most of us enjoy a drink and it doesn’t usualy do us any harm, butif it gets our of control, alcohol can destroy your life. Do you knowthe difference between moderate and excessive drinking?

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3May 2005 Online: www.healthspectrum.co.uk NEHEALTH

EXERCISETENNIS

Serving up fitness... and a social life

NOW that the fine days are upon us(well, almost) thoughts turn to theoutdoors and that perennial sum-mer pastime – tennis. With courtsscattered throughout the region,

including many in local parks, all you need isa racquet and you’re ready to go.

But what if you’ve never played before, orworry that your backhand will make youblush? Never fear, as you can always call on acoach.

Derek Edwards, 43, is a professional tennisand squash coach and head coach at NewBlackwell Lawn Tennis Club, in Darlington. Hesays you’re never too old – or too young – tomaster the game. “I currently have people fromfive to six-year-olds to people well over 60, so it’sall age groups. Basically, people tend to want toplay in the clubs socially and maybe some ofthem competitively, and they soon find out thatthey need a little bit of help,” he says.

Derek started playing as a youngster and gotinto part-time coaching when he was just 16.When he finished university, he was asked tofill in as a club coach in Hull and 22 years on,it’s still his full-time job. He moved in 1985, withfellow coach Stuart Gaydon, to teach at thenow-defunct North-East Regional Tennis Cen-tre, at Teesside Airport. In 1990, the pair trans-ferred to New Blackwell.

Derek says he’s seen the game evolve over theyears. “When Stuart and I came up here, wewere the only full-time coaches in the area.There are more now with the advent of indoorcourts,” he says.

While they’ve taught at regional and countylevel, most of their trade now stems from ten-nis as recreation. “Since moving to Blackwell,we’ve done more of the social players. It’s a verysocial game,” says Derek.

Of course, the game is never more popularthan in the two weeks of Wimbledon, when theworld converges on the hallowed All Englandcourts. Derek admits it does boost business.“That’s obviously the peak time of year. We geta lot of inquiries, and from those inquiries weget a new influx for the next year,” he says.

Despite this, tennis, like other sports, is nowless popular than in the past, which Derek

blames on the rise of other, more sedentaryhobbies like the Playstation. However, he saysthere are signs of a revival. “Tennis participa-tion is on the way up again for some reason.”

Far from being just a summer sport, Dereksays it can be played throughout the seasons.“The indoor centres are busy all year round. AtBlackwell, we’ve got floodlights and we’re justas busy in the winter as in the summer. Sur-faces are normally all-weather now, so they’remuch more geared to winter play,” he says.

Nowadays, most people recognise the needfor regular exercise, and for many of Derek’sclients, this is of major concern. He says ten-nis is excellent for keeping fit. “A good game ofsingles is a very good aerobic workout. I readrecently that the serving action is supposed touse more muscles than any other action exceptswimming,” says Derek.

“You are running around a lot and there area lot of footwork and skipping movements.There’s also a lot of rotation, stretching, bend-ing and jumping. It’s great for flexibility, espe-cially as you get older.”� For details of your nearest club or coach,or how to enter competitions, ring theDurham and Cleveland Lawn TennisAssociation at the Puma Centre, Sunderland,on 0191-522 5005, or visit www.lta.org.

TENNIS of one kind or another was playedin France as far back as the 12th century. Itwas not until the late 19th century that thegame, in a somewhat different form, beganto rise in popularity in Britain with theadvent of lawn tennis. The first Wimbledonwas held in 1877. Over the years, the gamehas changed dramatically – for example, thecourt used to be hourglass-shaped. Duringthe past few decades, wooden and metalracquets have gradually been replaced bythose made from graphite and othercompounds. In the 1930s, tennis becameAustralia’s most popular recreational sportand the nation went on to dominate it as nonation ever has, or most likely, ever will.

Derek’s top five tennis tips:1. Watch the ball right onto your racquet.(Don’t look where you’re going to hit it, look atthe ball as you hit it.) 2. Always have a good athletic ready position.3. Try to keep on your toes, not your heels.4. Try to keep the ball deep to the back of thecourt.5. Attack when your opponent gives you ashort ball.� For more tips, visitwww.tennisandsquash.co.uk

Tennis is not just forWimbledon – it’sideal for everyoneall year round, professional coachDerek Edwards tellsSARAH FOSTER

A BRIEF HISTORY

Game, set and match... tennis coaches Stuart Gaydon and Derek Edwards say the sport is great for all-round fitness


20foods your he

ALMONDSLike so many nuts, theseare a good source ofprotein. As a bonus,almonds containcirculation-boosting fibreand vitamin E, which

helps to combat heart disease.

APPLE JUICEThe natural antioxidants in apple juicedrastically slow down the effects of harmfulcholesterol in the bloodstream.

ASPARAGUSThis is rich in folic acid, avitamin that helps toprevent narrowing ofblood vessels in the legs(which is a particular riskto smokers).

BANANASThe yellow fruit is a rich source of

potassium, which is essential formaintaining a regular cardiac rhythm.

BLACK PEPPERBlack pepper purifies the blood by filteringout a large amount of potential toxins.

BLUEBERRIESRich in antioxidants,reliable blood thinnersand cholesterol blasters,blueberries should be avital part of your diet.

BREAKFASTA healthy breakfast, that is. Americanresearch has shown that people who eatbreakfast are almost 50 per cent less likely tosuffer heart attacks than those who skip it.The reason? It keeps their metabolismworking far more efficiently and thereforeable to cope with food during the rest of theday with relative ease.

CRANBERRIESResearch at the University of Massachusettshas revealed that cranberries guard againstthe effects of a stroke. A daily serving of theberries provided enough protection to keepbrain cells from dying during a simulatedstroke.

While exercise isvital tomaintaining ahappy, healthyheart, so is whatyou eat. Luckily,this does notmean a diet oflentils and brownrice – althoughthat would not doyou any harm –as many of thefoods that arebest for yourheart and bloodpressure aresome of the mostinteresting you’llfind on anymenu...


eart would like you to eatGARLICThe words “too”, “much” and “garlic” arecontradictions in terms and should never beseen in the same sentence. Garlic doesn’tjust ward off vampires, it wards ofpractically everything else that could do youharm. The magic bulb protects your pumpby lowering artery-clogging cholesterollevels and reduces your blood pressure bythinning the blood. Shame something sogood for your heart can be so bad for yourlove life – best get your partner to eat asmuch of it as you do.

MARGARINEThis can be a valuable source ofpolyunsaturated fat, which lowerscholesterol levels across the board. Checkthe label though, as brands vary.

OLIVE OILA monounsaturated fat that is much kinderto your heart than dairy fats, as it works tolower harmful cholesterol. It is a fat, though,so treat it with respect.

RED CHILLIPEPPERSThese thin the blood tokeep circulation movingand reduce cholesterollevels.

RED WINEOne glass a day can be a valuable source ofchromium, a mineral that works to regulatecholesterol levels in the bloodstream.

ROOT GINGERMore than just atraditional stomachmedicine, root gingerhas a powerful effect onthe circulatory system,reducing the likelihoodof blood clots andkeeping the blood

flowing easily by reducing any stickiness.

SALMONAny oily fish – including mackerel orsardines, for instance – is rich in theessential fatty acid omega 3 which givesprotection against heart disease and raisesyour circulatory efficiency by thinning theblood, but salmon has more of it than theothers.

SKINLESS CHICKENChicken breasts are a useful source ofprotein; however, there is a layer of artery-endangering fat just below the skin. Lose theskin, lose the fat.

SPINACHA bit of a superstar,spinach is incrediblyrich in iron, which isneeded for theproduction of red bloodcells and the preventionof anaemia. This veg is also a vital source offolic acid, a vitamin that works hard to keepyour blood free flowing.

TEAGreen or black, regular tea drinking – whichmeans several cups a day – cuts cholesterolby up to 15 per cent.

WHOLE GRAINSA very good source of insoluble fibre, wholegrains can actually help you cut down onovereating. They need to be chewed for along time and as the action of chewingtriggers sensors in the brain that tell youyour stomach is full, whole grains fool youinto thinking you have had more to eat thanis the case.

YOGHURTThis is a good source of calcium and calciumintake is inversely proportioned to bloodpressure – the lower the calciumconsumption, the higher the blood pressure.Also, if you are looking to lose weightcalcium helps you to burn fat faster andinhibits the amount you’ll put back on.

ALL full fat dairy foods are rich insaturated fats, which increase the levelsof harmful cholesterol and do yourarteries no good at all. Avoid butter byusing a substitute containingmonounsaturated fat (olive oil spread) orpolyunsaturated fat (sunflower oilspread) and switch to non-fat cheese andmilk.

SALTThe regular amount of salt most of ussprinkle on our food is fine, but too muchis bad for the heart because it increasethe volume of blood and so raises yourblood pressure – just as if you put toomuch oil in your car. People of African-Caribbean descent are far more likely tobe affected by excess salt than those ofthe Caucasian persuasion. Asians alsotend to have too much salt in their diet.

ALCOHOLWhereas drinking in moderation –especially red wine – is proven to have abeneficial effect on the heart, sinking askinful on a regular basis can be verydangerous. Alcohol weakens the actionof the heart muscle, so to compensate,the heart speeds up, raising bloodpressure. Continued heavy drinking

produces a build-up of fat in the liverwhich then cannot process toxins out ofthe blood with its usual efficiency; inturn, this impairs the blood’s ability todeliver oxygen to the body’s tissues. Theheart then has to work even harder.

CAFFEINEIf drunk in moderation by reasonablyhealthy people, coffee is of no dangerwhatsoever. In fact, the pulse-quickeningjolt from a decent caffeine shot is whatmost of us need to get going in themorning. In providing this lift though,caffeine causes the heart to pump fasterby a couple of beats per minute, raisingblood pressure by up to five points. Afterone cup of coffee, the heart rate falls backto normal pretty soon, but constantcaffeine hits throughout the day keep therate – and blood pressure – raised for toolong to be entirely safe. As caffeinetolerance is easily acquired – people tendto drink more and more to get the sameinvigorating experience – and bloodpressure can soon creep into the dangerlevels. Anybody with existing high bloodpressure should be very careful aboutcaffeine intake.� More information in Not RocketScience (Cassell Illustrated, £12.99)

... and the food your heart hates

652434


‘How Jamie gavemy son a future’

STEPHEN Measor has arrived at ourinterview clutching a white plasticcarrier bag containing the ingredi-ents for his dinner. At one time, thebag would have contained chips and

sausages and other processed foods. But sincea visit from celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, it is fullof fresh vegetables and bit of steak he’s fancy-ing cooking with some herbs and garlic.

Stephen is diabetic and had been hospitalisedsix times because of his poor diet and fluctuat-ing insulin levels. He’d had talks from Newcas-tle United football players about his eatinghabits, and from his parents, Janice and Les atthe family home in Eden Hill, Peterlee, but no-one could get through to the 18-year-old. Untilthe day Jamie came.

“He told me that you could do anything withfood,” recalls Stephen. “And that you could cookit from scratch to make it the best meal in theworld, and he was right.”

Jamie had been filming at Eden CommunityPrimary School, in Peterlee, where Janice is aschool governor, as part of his much-publicisedJamie’s School Dinners programme. The starwas then asked to help Janice, Les and their ninechildren – Stephen, Julie, 27, Danielle, 17,Samantha, 14, Jamie, 12, Liam, nine, Connor,seven, Sophie, seven, and Sydney-Marie, three –as part of his Feed Me Better campaign.

He was staggered to hear Janice, 45, talkingof their eating habits, as much for the hours shespent cooking the meals as for their content.

Their average weekly shopping bill was £220.Breakfast was a choice of six sugar-fuelledbreakfast cereals with milk. They then hadschool dinners for lunch before the Measor caféopened after school.

“Straight after school they would have a snackat about 3.10pm of yoghurts, crisps and ham

sandwiches in white bread,” says Janice. “To me,that was fairly normal for them to come in andsnack.

“By 5 to 6pm I would be making all sorts. Noneof them liked the same kind of foods so I gavethem options, I didn’t agree with the school giv-ing them options and yet I was. I’d make a bowlof rice, a bowl of pasta, and a bowl of chips.There would be beef burgers, sausages, spaghet-ti sauce, fish fingers, then the options of thesauces – salad creams, tomato sauce.”

Janice would then go on to cook the familysupper at various times throughout the eveningbefore the children went to bed.

“If one of them wanted a bowl of chips, Iwould cook them one,” she says. “I didn’t wantthem to go to bed hungry. By the time I’d gotthem off to bed, I would make Les and me andthe eldest ones rump steak, salad and chips orsomething at 11 and 12 o’clock at night. It wasunreal.”

She shakes her head and starts to laugh.“When I look back, I can’t help wondering whatwas I thinking. There was always food on thego. When Jamie came in he couldn’t believe howmuch time I was spending in the kitchen.”

Jamie spent three days a week with the Mea-sors throughout June last year. The first thinghe did was empty their cupboards into the bin.He then set them daily menus and got one of hisstaff to supply the ingredients and explain whatto do with them. On some days he would cookfor the family.

With the junk food dumped, breakfast becamea diet of mixed fruit, boiled eggs and wholemealbread. The children snacked on yoghurts andfruits after school and they changed dinner timeto 7pm so that they would not need supper. Moreimportantly, Janice cooked one meal, such ascurry or sausage casserole.

He may be on a mission to transform the lunchtime menusof thousands of schoolchildren, but celebrity chef JamieOliver also had a profound effect on a family of 11 when heoverhauled their diet as part of his television show.Women’s Editor LINDSAY JENNINGS reports

Jamie Oliver serving up “good grub” to schoolchildren in Peterlee; right: Janice Measor

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“At first they wouldn’t eat what was on thetable because they didn’t like it,” recalls Janice.“So I was getting upset because they were goinghungry and Jamie was saying ‘be tough, they’llstart eating if they know you won’t give in’. Butby the third day they were tucking in.”

For some of the children who didn’t like veg-etables, Janice would puree the food and mix itinto their gravy, so they received the vitaminswithout realising they were eating them. The ef-fects were startling, and none more so than inthe hyperactive Connor, who hated school… andhis mother.

“After a day and a half, he was getting quieter,but by the third day he got up, put his uniformon, gave me and cuddle and told me he loved meand said ‘come on, I’m going to be late forschool’. He’s been brilliant every day since,” she says, still sounding amazed at the trans-formation.

Liam found that the eczema on his facecleared up and the girls discovered their hairturned glossy. In the meantime, Janice lost morethan a stone and Les, 47, lost two stone.

The couple have also been pleasantly sur-prised at the extra time it has given them; pre-viously, Janice went to bed at 2am and got up at6am to feed her army. “It’s been bliss, we’ve evenhad time to watch a film,” she laughs.

She says the children are allowed foods suchas pizzas, but only as treats. They lapsed backto their old ways only once, she says, over a half-term holiday, but the children ended up “bounc-ing off the walls”. “I’ll never go back to that wayagain,” shudders Janice.

She blames the products that are given awaywith many fast food meals for enticing youngchildren. “They don’t necessarily want the food,they want the freebies,” she says.

She also wants to see the Government im-prove school dinners at secondary schools aswell as primary and for awareness to continueto be raised. “I never used to look at the pack-ets, I’d just throw them in the trolley,” she says.“But now, because I’ve been made aware, I’llstand and read it. If I can’t pronounce it, I don’tbuy it – that’s my motto.”

Before Jamie’s arrival, Stephen had been toldby one consultant that he would be dead by the

age of 21 unless he stopped his bad eating habits.But rather then frighten him into looking afterhimself, it only served to give him a complex.Thinking that he would be dead by 21 anyway,he made no plans for the future and carried oneating junk – until the one-to-one with Jamie.

“Whatever he said, he did something no-oneelse has been able to achieve and when Jamieleft, Stephen wanted everything to be right. Hesaid ‘I’m not going to let him down Mam,” saysJanice.

Stephen is even thinking of moving out of thefamily home, which would have been not havebeen possible before with his unstable diabetes.“He’s even written a list, he wants a kitchen justlike Jamie’s,” smiles Janice.

Stephen says he feels 100 per cent better sincehe changed his eating. “Before, I would havewoken up in the morning with a dry mouth andI would feel down,” he says. “But since I’ve start-ed healthy eating I feel as if I have more energy.I feel happy.”

He proceeds to chat animatedly about how hecooked last night’s dinner for himself and sis-ter Samantha and adapted one of Jamie’srecipes using gammon because he didn’t haveany liver. “I used herbs and onions and red winevinegar. It was gorgeous,” he grins, clutching hiswhite carrier bag. “I haven’t decided what I’mdoing tonight yet.”

� Before Jamie’sarrival, Stephen

had been told by oneconsultant that hewould be dead by theage of 21 unless hestopped his badeating habits

The Measors of Peterlee – their diet has changed radically since Jamie Oliver came to town... and so has the behaviour of hyperactive tearaway Connor Pictures: DAVID WOODS

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W HEN you come across Bachflower remedies in shops,there is usually an ex-planatory list of uses be-side them. You choose

your emotion – anger, shyness, anxiety –then the appropriate remedy.

On a good day you realise you’re doingokay; on a bad “Bridget Jones” day, you thinkyou need the whole lot and give up on theminefield of flower remedies. It’s also hardto analyse exactly how you’re feeling whenyou are in a crowded shop, being pushedaround by busy shoppers.

But there are now Bach flower practition-ers throughout the country, who take the hit-or-miss out of choosing a remedy. They dothe hard work for you. All you, as a patient,have to do is be completely honest with themabout your life and your emotions.

The 38 remedies were created in the 1930sby Harley Street doctor Edward Bach, ahomeopath, bacteriologist and immunolo-gist. Dr Bach believed a healthy mind is thekey to recovery from ill health, and the reme-dies are said to help manage emotions,restoring balance and emotional well-being.Most of the remedies are made from Britishflowers or plants and can be combined tomake a treatment so a whole range of emo-tions are treated together, not just one byone.

The best-known is the Rescue Remedy,which I was introduced to on my weddingday eight years ago. It transformed me froma neurotic bag of nerves with an upset stom-

ach into a confident, healthy bride, a changethat has never failed to astonish me.

Yet if I was already a convert when I wentalong to Clare Midgley’s practice in NewtonAycliffe, I was barking up the wrong tree. AsI stood on her doorstep, with a streamingcold, I was convinced Clare, a Bach Founda-tion registered practitioner, would take myheadache and earache away. I also hopedshe’d cure my poor sleeping patterns.

I was way off. Clare began by explainingthat Bach remedies don’t treat a condition,but they can help you control the way you’refeeling and get more out of life. Then, thehappier you become, the healthier you are.Clare starts by checking any medication pa-tients are taking, and takes a short medicalhistory. Then she asks the big question thatI was totally unprepared for: “How do youfeel emotionally?”

My frustration about the lingering headcold led to a discussion about my work pat-terns, my broken sleep, my refusal to ask forhelp…even my chore-filled weekends cameunder scrutiny. It’s only when you sit downand analyse your lifestyle that you can seethe patterns for yourself. Clare pointed out Iwas running on adrenaline, and my life wasrush, rush, rush. Yet I wasn’t thriving on it– I was a coughing, sneezing, sniffing wreck,

stumbling from one virus to another.There’s a Bach remedy for most feelings. If

moving house is making you feel frustratedand impatient, try Impatiens. Walnut is goodif you are trying to adapt to a new neigh-bourhood. Star of Bethlehem is good forgrief.

There are seven major groups of emotions– fearful, uncertainty, a lack of interest in theworld around you, lonely, over-sensitive, de-spondent and over-concern for others.

“No two people react in the same way,” ex-plains Clare. “We choose remedies by howyou are reacting to your own life. If two peo-ple were told they had severe arthritis, onemight go home, feeling miserable and just goto bed, while the other might go and help dighis neighbour’s garden, making his condi-tion worse. Both are different.

“We can’t treat specific medical condi-tions, but we can help support the emotions.These remedies are totally safe, and can begiven to people who have undergone a be-reavement or a marriage break-up, as well asbabies or chemotherapy patients, for example.”

Once Clare had questioned me, she wasable to choose six remedies for my personalblend. I was given Centaury for being anx-ious to please, Impatiens for my well-known

impatience, Oak for the strong sense of dutywhich makes me struggle on even when I’mexhausted and Rock Water for setting myselfhigh standards. My final two remedies wereVervain for being over-enthusiastic, withfixed principles and ideas, and Willow forfeeling resentful. It was a very impressiveanalysis for a comparatively short consultation.

The remedies are blended in a pipette-topped bottle and I was prescribed four dropson the tongue at least four times a day, anddefinitely first and last thing daily.

That was a week ago. I have used theremedies as prescribed and I’m already treat-ing myself with more respect. My life hasslowed down considerably and I am takingregular breaks from work. I have also sleptthrough the night for the first time inmonths.

Sitting down and analysing my lifestylewith Clare was the start. Now the remediesseem to be working their magic too, makingme more content, less frazzled and, amaz-ingly, more patient.� Clare Midgley can be contacted at herbusiness, Balance Holistic Healthcare inNewton Aycliffe, on (01325) 308283. ABach flower consultation lasts an hourand costs £30. Clare is also a qualifiedteacher of Bach flower remedies. Emailher at [email protected] � The Edward Bach Centre can becontacted on (01491) 834678, or visitwww.bachcentre.com

Claire MIdgley: says while Bach remedies can’t treat specific conditions, they can help support the emotions Picture: SARAH NICHOLSON

The mysteriouspower of flowers

The way you feel can make you ill, but how do you control your emotions? If you’re constantly anxious or too eager to please, Bach flowerremedies could be the answer. CHRISTINE FIELDHOUSE tries them out

�Walnut is good if you aretrying to adapt to a new

neighbourhood. Star ofBethlehem is good for grief


AS temperatures creep up and withsummer just ahead of us, it’s impor-tant to be aware of the increasedneed to take in adequate amounts ofwater. This is particularly true if you

are physically active.Northumbrian Water experts point out that

our bodies lose up to two litres of water everyday, even when it’s cool, through sweating, uri-nating and just breathing out.

“When it is warm, it is particularly importantfor people who are vulnerable to dehydration todrink enough water. Young children, the old,even teenagers, all need to top up their waterlevels,” says Dr John Woodhouse, deputy re-gional director for public health.

“We are encouraging people to walk, cycle,run and swim more but you need to think aboutmaking sure you are hydrated. You might endup feeling unwell if you don’t.”

And you don’t have to spend anything to topup. We are very lucky in the North-East withthe excellent quality of our drinking water, saysDr Woodhouse, and while bottled water is allvery well, we are talking about the stuff thatcomes out when you turn on your tap at home.

“The quality of drinking water in our regionis very good indeed. It has a good taste, whichcan’t be said in some other parts of the coun-try,” says Dr Woodhouse, who is based in Newcastle.

“In some parts of Britain the tap water ishighly chlorinated but in the North-East it isonly slightly chlorinated. It doesn’t surprise methat Northumbrian Water is proud that theirwater is good to drink,” he adds.

Supplying more than 2.6m people from theScottish border down to North Yorkshire, thecompany is currently investing millions in awater improvement programme to further en-hance the quality of its drinking water.

Most people are aware of the need to drink acertain amount of water every day to ensurethat we feel at our best. Northumbrian Waterrecommends that everyone should drink eighttall glasses of water every day to stay healthy,not so surprising when you consider that bloodis 92 per cent water and that our brains are 75per cent water.

Dr Woodhouse certainly believes water – andtap water in particular – is a very good thing,particularly when the alternative might con-tain stimulants or preservatives.

“In our modern, consumer society we tend toconsume a lot of processed drinks but there isgood reason to think that drinking water is thebest way to keep yourself topped up,” says DrWoodhouse, who is involved in planning im-provements to public health throughout theNorth-East.

“Some processed drinks are either verycalorific or they rot your teeth, so if you justwant to get yourself properly hydrated in orderto function well then water is the best way todo it.”

While it is true that people of all ages wouldbenefit from drinking more water, there is quitea lot of evidence that schoolchildren are ableto learn more easily if they are adequately hydrated.

Earlier this year a Government-backed ini-tiative was launched as part of efforts to en-courage youngsters to drink more water, for thesake of their health and in a bid to improve con-centration and behaviour in the classroom.

Instead of fizzy, sugary drinks filled withpreservatives, children at 20 schools in CountyDurham, Teesside, Tyne and Wear andNorthumberland have been equipped with at-tractive water coolers.

A total of 12,000 youngsters will be given im-proved access to drinking water at their schoolsas part of a wider programme designed to re-duce obesity, improve long-term health and es-tablish healthy eating habits.

DID YOU KNOW?OIL-based sunscreens interfere withsweating, so choose a water-basedproduct; it will let your sweat glands dotheir work as well as decreasing yourrisk of skin cancer.

When the heat is onIn a cool environment, a normal person loses about half a litre of sweat in a day. In the heat it’s much more, so it’s important to keep taking in fluids

Dehydration can make you feel quite ill. It can even be dangerous. But it is easy to avoid if you just makesure you drink enough water this summer. Health Correspondent BARRY NELSON reports DEHYDRATION:

THE SYMPTOMS� The early signs of dehydrationare thirst; low urine output;concentrated, dark urine; dry,flushed skin; dry eyes; dry mouth;furry tongue; headache; clammyhands and feet; sunken eyes;dizziness, confusion and irritability. � A dehydrated baby may bepale and depressed withsunken eyes. You may alsonotice a decrease in urineoutput. If the “soft spot” onyour baby’s head is sunken,this may be an indication that itis dehydrated. � Chronic (long term) dehydrationis bad for skin, kidneys, liver, jointsand muscles and can causecholesterol problems, headaches,reduced blood pressure(hypotension), fatigue andconstipation.� It is particularly important totake in fluids if you catch atummy bug on holiday as thiscan lead swiftly to severedehydration.

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ASMILE is one of the first thingsthat strikes us about a person. Itspeaks volumes, putting us at ourease, telling us that there’s reallynothing to worry about, that

we’re in for a friendly reception… and, some-times, it tells us that the person who’s smil-ing is in sore need of a dentist.

Not so long ago, we all put up with theteeth we grew up with, however wonky, un-even or discoloured. But now that dentalclinics offering implants and whitening havecome to the high street, we no longer needto.

The services are not cheap – around £500for tooth whitening – but they can reallytransform your looks. In the recent series ofthe television programme Ten YearsYounger, the guinea pigs were nearly alwayswhisked off to the dentist for some cosmet-ic dentistry, which knocked years off them.

Sometimes they needed veneers and im-plants to straighten the tooth line; other sub-jects just needed tooth whitening to turnback the years. Fruit juices and sugar aretwo of the culprits which ruin healthy teeth,but smoking is probably the biggest villainwhen it comes to turning your pearly whiteteeth into grubby little pegs.

Many people, smokers and otherwise, haveturned to whitening toothpastes, but the bigquestion is: do they work?

Cosmetic dentist Ian Wintrip, of OasisDental Care, says: “Some toothpastes claimto whiten and they may clean more effec-tively, but, in my opinion, the only way toturn back the clock is to have professionaltooth whitening.

“There has been an upsurge in the num-ber of people wanting whitening and farfrom being the preserve of Harley Street andthe luxury end of the dental market, it’s nowavailable on high streets everywhere,” saysIan.

Ian uses a tooth whitening process calledBritesmile, and his own dental nurse NicolaFleming, one of his first guinea pigs, is agreat advert for it. “I’m really pleased withmy teeth,” she says, flashing a smile which

could blind in sunlight. “Everyone noticesthem. I could tell straight away that theywere lighter, but they seemed to lookbrighter and brighter for a couple of daysafterwards.”

Britesmile combines a gentle, whiteninggel with a new “blue light”. “We have triedother processes, but this has by far the bestresults and we’ve had excellent patient feed-back,” says Ian. “The only side-effects havebeen short-term sensitivity.”

Crowns don’t change colour, so can be aproblem if they’re at the front of the mouth,but otherwise the procedure is quick andstraightforward.

Fortunately, I hardly ever smoke, but teaand red wine had left my teeth looking yel-lower than I’d like. After an initial consul-tation the week before the whitening treat-ment, I went back, fingers crossed, to claimmy very own Hollywood smile.

“Some practitioners make inflated claimsfor the whitening, but you can realisticallyexpect to go up about three shades,” Ian tellsme.

First I brush my teeth, then my mouth isclamped open (not very attractive!). Paddingis put in to better expose the gums and teethand the gums are painted with an isolatingsolution to protect them from the blue light.The Britesmile whitening gel is applied andthe light source is positioned over the mouthto activate the gel and to lighten the teeth bya process of oxidation. After three 20 minuteapplications, the whitening is complete.

I had before and after pictures taken andwas hugely impressed by the results. Thetreatment is painless, but some might find ita little claustrophobic, and jaw and neckache had set in by the final session. It wasworth it, though. I had my Hollywood smile.The only problem now will be laying off thered wine…� Oasis Dental Care, 69 Cockton Hill Road,Bishop Auckland (01388) 603164; email:[email protected] andLime Tree House, St Johns Road, Shildon(01388) 772678; email:[email protected].

The white stuff

BEFORE AFTER

Whichsmilewould youratherhave?Beforeand aftertheBritesmiletreatment

Bishop Auckland dental surgeon Ian Wintrip with his dentalnurse Nicola Fleming and her bright new smile

If youweren’tluckyenough tobe born witha set ofCalifornianbabe pearlywhites,there’s noneed todespair.Practicallyany problemcan beremedied bya cosmeticdentist.JENNYNEEDHAMreports

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What your dentist can do for youSCALING AND POLISHING: make a regularsix-monthly appointment with the dentalhygienist to remove plaque and surface stainsand give teeth a brightening polish. Ultrasonicscalers are generally available; the latesttechnology is the air-abrade – an “airgun”which fires high speed abrasive powder at theteeth, giving excellent results in stainremoval.CROWNS: the traditional way to repair abroken or unsightly tooth is by grinding thetooth down to a peg and fitting a replica overthe top. Leading dentists are now working inporcelains which are so hard that metalreinforcement is unnecessary – so crowns lookbetter, last longer and never have a black linearound the margin. With healthy gums, aporcelain crown will last 20 years.BONDING: sticking tooth-coloured material toan existing tooth is an alternative to crowning.The tooth is etched using a weak acid, whichcreates a rough surface on the tooth to whichcomposite or porcelain in-lays or on-lays areattached, depending on the problem. Bondingis far easier than other means of fixing. It isparticularly helpful for filling gaps betweenwidely-spaced front teeth. Expect to needreplacements every five years or so.VENEERS: a popular solution for badlydiscoloured or misshapen teeth – a very thinlayer of porcelain, rather like a falsefingernail, is bonded to the tooth. Increasingly,veneers are so super-thin that they can beapplied without removing any of the tooth.Disadvantages are that veneers can chip and,in rare cases, they may fall off, usuallybecause of poor technique. Since teeth darkenwith age, veneers will need to be redone atintervals to match other teeth.IMPLANTS: titanium screw implants haverevolutionised the replacement of lost teeth;until recently their use was limited to placeswhere there was sufficient bone to screw inthe implants – otherwise false teeth were theonly option. Now, however, advanced surgicalprocedures mean that surgeons can graft thepatient’s own bone from another part of the

body into the mouth as a “bed” for theimplant.AMALGAMS: removing amalgam (mercury)fillings and substituting composite (plasticand ceramic) or porcelain fillings will give youan all-white yawn instead of a mouth like theinside of an ironmongers. For larger fillings,where shrinkage is a big problem, the dentisttakes an impression and the filling is made inthe laboratory and pre-shrunk before use.These fillings are also stronger and can beexcellently colour-matched, but they are moreexpensive. (Taking out amalgam fillings mayhelp your general health too; there isconsiderable evidence that the neurotoxicmercury continuously released fromamalgams can lead to a wide range of illness,including allergies, headaches, fatiguesyndromes and skin conditions.ORTHODONTICS: using fixed braces, atrained orthodontist can correct the alignmentof teeth, adjust the relationship of teeth andjaw to give a better bite, improve the shape ofa sticking out or receding jaw and correctcongenital anomalies such as cleft lip andpalate. In extreme cases, the upper and lowerjaws are so poorly aligned that surgery is alsonecessary. Adult orthodontic work, mainlyprivate, is becoming more common. The latestceramic technology means that fixed bracescan be tooth-coloured rather than silver.Treatment may take 18 months to two years.

CASE STUDY

Stephen Hopper, 39, an engineer fromTow Law, had implants in his front teethand whitening done by Ian Wintrip.“I HAD a denture in for a couple of yearsand previously, to replace it, I would havehad to have surgery. The implants procedure was much more straightforward– you just drill them straight in.”

Stephen is over the moon with his newlook. “I smile at girls now and you can seeme in the dark,” he laughs. “It’s definitelybeen worth it. I’m taking good care of mynew teeth – I’m determined to keep theshine.

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1. DRAIN THOSE TOXINSTREAT yourself to a manual lymphaticdrainage and chill out while this hands-ontreatment clears away congestion in the body.Complementary practitioner Sue Mellish, whois based in Richmond, North Yorkshire, says:“People report a real energy boost and a feel-ing of relaxation after this treatment. Once thetoxins are cleared from the body, the internalsystem will work much more efficiently. Themetabolic rate will improve and calories willbe used more quickly, leading to weight loss.”

Manual lymphatic drainage costs £35 for anhour. Telephone Sue for an appointment on01748 850471.

2. JUMP TO ITGET a skippingrope and get out inthe fresh air.Athletes andfitness prosconsider skipping aperfect exercise asit tones the wholebody while strengthening the cardiovascularsystem. It also develops co-ordination, speed,balance and flexibility while burningcalories.

Tanita have brought out the perfect skippingrope for slimmers. The CalorieJump tracks thenumber of jumps and calculates the caloriesburned. It costs £14.99 and can be ordered on0800 7316994.

3. TRY HYPNOTHERAPYHYPNOTHERAPIST Simon Alexander has thequick fix technique we’re all looking for. Calledthe Emotional Freedom Technique, he asksclients to taste and hold the food they crave.Then he taps on a succession of acupressurepoints. Afterwards, he says, people find theirfavourite food smells offensive or tastes toosweet. Simon also uses visualisation to get peo-ple to improve their self image.

“Rather than feeling deprived, visualisingthemselves much slimmer stops people from

comfort eating and makes them feel betterabout themselves,” says Simon, based in Dar-lington and Bishop Auckland. One-hour ses-sions start from £35. Telephone (01325) 316700,or visit www.simon-alexander.co.uk

4. DRINK SOUP ANDHOT CHOCOLATECARBOLITE has launched anew range of low-carbohy-drate soups and hot chocolatedrinks, perfect for on-the-golifestyles.

The soups come in French Onion, Chickenand Herb, and Tomato, and have under 2g ofcarbohydrate per serving, compared with mostsoups which average 15g. The chocolate drinksare available in milk and mint. If that’s notenough, there are also seven chocolate bars.

Visit www.carbolitefoods.co.uk

5. CHANGEYOUR MINDSETP E R F O R M A N C Ecoach Phil Olley, left,encourages would-beslimmers to focus onthe extra energy andvitality being slimwould give them. “Ifyou think and act en-ergetic, you will startdoing energetic thingsand you will train yourbody to think energet-

ically,” says Phil. “Your mind will automati-cally reject the foods that aren’t good for youand send you over to the fruit bowl instead ofthe biscuit barrel.”

Phil also recommends writing down how youwill feel when you’re slim on an index card, andreading it every day. It could be something like:“Wow, I feel totally energised and full of vital-ity now that I am fuelling my body with theright food and fresh water.” Phil runs successcourses; contact 01592 563393, or visitwww.philolley.com

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6. FOCUS ON THE POSITIVEIF you groan every time you step onthe bathroom scales, there are somenew scales just right for you! TheWeigh to Go Scale is digital and does-n’t tell you how heavy you are – in-stead, it tells you how much weightyou have to lose until you are at yourtarget weight.

These white and satin chromescales have two memory keys and areavailable from Argos and Boots at£29.99.

7. NEUTRALISE THOSECARBSCOPY Bad Girls actress Claire King,formerly Kim Tate in Emmerdale,and try the new, natural slimmingaid, Phase 2. Claire, pictured below,lost eight pounds in the first two

months of taking Phase 2. You takeone tablet before each meal, and car-bohydrates such as bread, pasta, pota-toes and rice, will pass through yoursystem undigested, reducing yourcalorie intake. Phase 2 is derived fromthe white bean and is neither a stim-ulant nor a laxative. It also increasesthe body’s ability to burn fat throughexercise.

You can obtain Phase 2 from mosthealth food stores and pharmacies,with prices ranging from £9.99 to£24.95 for 60 capsules. Or you can visitthe web at www.phase2info.com

8. SAY ADIOS TO EXTRAPOUNDSTRY this natural remedy to speed upyour metabolic rate, and thereby therate at which the body converts foodstores. Adios contains a mild thyroidstimulant, thought to speed up thebody’s metabolic rate, and thereby ac-celerate the rate at which the bodyconverts food stores. Adios works bestwhen it is used with a calorie-con-trolled diet.

Adios is available from most healthand beauty stores, as well as phar-macies and supermarkets.

9. HAVE A MASSAGEBEAUTY therapist Donna Pipe rec-ommends massage to stimulate thecirculation and drain away the toxins.

“A good massage can refine the fig-ure, get rid of those ugly bumps andgive you a more slender look,” saysDonna, a mobile therapist, based nearNorthallerton. “If you eat healthily,take just a little bit more exercise,even if it’s just walking the dog, andhave a course of massages, you willdefinitely see a difference very soon.”

A full body massage costs £25. Tele-phone Donna on 07818 871199.

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10. IF ALL THISFAILS, CHEATELIZABETH Gange, above,of Gange Beauty, at TracyChipperfield Salon inDarlington, says: “A faketan can make you look halfa stone lighterimmediately; besides,brown flab is always moreattractive than white flab.The St Tropez tan I usewon’t turn you orange andit’s much healthier thanusing a sunbed.”

The treatment startswith an exfoliation, thenthe “mud” is applied, andleft for five hours beforeyou shower it off at home.It lasts for up to a week andcosts £22 for a half bodytan, and £31 for a full bodytan. Telephone Elizabethon (01325) 369797. Alsoavailable at the BeautyOasis on NorthumberlandStreet, Darlington (01325)489970

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T WENTY minutes into the New Year’sDay clash between Newcastle Falconsand Sale and Mathew Tait catches along pass from teammate JonnyWilkinson. Charging forward, the 18-

year-old dummies a switch in direction aroundone opponent, skirts around another, thenbarges England captain Jason Robinson out ofhis way to score.

“It was my favourite game of the season andmy favourite try,” says Mathew. “The crowdhere were brilliant, as they have been all year,and the try was one of those things that justcame together.”

It was also a perfect demonstration of why,five weeks later, the former Barnard CastleSchool pupil would be selected to play for hiscountry in the RBS Six Nations.

“He just bumped me off that day,” admittedRobinson afterwards. “He showed me howstrong he is and bundled me out of the way. He’sgot a lot of pace, he’s confident and he’s astrong lad.”

He may not be the biggest or the tallest play-er – “I’d like to say I’m 6ft but really I’m 5ft11ins,” he admits – but what Mathew lacks instature, he makes up for in pace, skill andstrength.

Nevertheless, things haven’t always gone hisway. During England’s Six Nations opener ob-servers pointed out that in comparison withother internationals, he was at a pound forpound disadvantage when facing the likes ofWales’s Gavin Henson, who picked him up andtucked him under his arm.

It’s something Mathew’s working on. Heweighed in at 12½ stone at the start of the year;but he’s already increased that to 13st 11lbs.Give him another six months and he’s sure tohave piled on the muscle. “I am trying to putsome beef on. I just need to bulk up generally,”he admits.

The centre position he usually plays is a bal-ancing act between being fast to outrun youropponents but also being strong enough tobring down other players and brush off theirtackles. “I need to be strong enough withoutbeing too big,” he explains.

Striking the right balance is something heleaves in the capable hands of Falcons’ fitnesscoaches Steve Black and Bob Morton. “Bob, in

particular, has been a massive help on theweights side since I arrived,” says Mathew, whowas still at school when he kicked off his pro-fessional career with a try in his first game ayear ago.

Young players at Barnard Castle are givenpre-season training programmes by rugby mas-ter Martin Pepper but it’s a long way from thecommitment required at professional level.

“During my free periods at school I would gorunning, practise kicking and do weights,” saysMathew. “But when I got here and did pre-sea-son training, it was very different toanything I’d done before. Youwere doing something everyday. It’s your job and you’vegot that responsibility to bestrong and fit.”

The Falcons’ week aftera Sunday game beginswith recovery work andweights in the gym onMonday. Tuesdaymorning is anotherweights session, thenthere’s training in the after-noon. On Wednesday mornings the squadmeets for a major defence session then the af-ternoon is given over to separate training forthe backs and forwards.

Thursday is Mathew’s day off but he stillspends at least part of it practising kicking,passing and tackling and usually doing someweights. Friday is a team run and Saturday isa day off to relax before the game on Sunday.

Injury-wise, he’s managed to escape in his ca-reer with just a broken nose – well, he would-n’t be a rugby player without one – and a fewhamstring problems.

But, by March this year, a physically de-manding first season which included HeinekenCup games, the emotional rollercoaster of theSix Nations and playing for the Northern Hemi-sphere at Twickenham in the Tsunami Appealmatch, was taking its toll. He was forced to pullout of the England squad for the Hong KongSevens World Cup with a hamstring injuryand an eye infection. Sadly, his Sevens ap-pearances this year seem fated, and he re-cently had to forgo the chance to play in Sin-gapore after picking up an ankle injury.

Fast and fearless, Mathew Tait isone of the most exciting youngplayers to mature from schoolrugby to the professional game inrecent years. He tells SARAHFRENCH about how he has copedphysically and mentally with hismeteoric rise

Reflecting on the future, right, and up against Gavin Henson ofWales, which ultimately won the tournament, in the RBS SixNations match at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff


With high-profile players like Jonny Wilkin-son being forced out of the game for long pe-riods because of injuries, there’s a school ofthought that says players need to wear moreprotection or learn to look after themselvesbetter on the pitch.

Mathew thinks neither isrealistic. “I don’t know

whether a small bit of foamwould make much differ-

ence. People are going to getinjured, it comes with theterritory. You have to put

everything into tack-ling and running;

you wouldn’t beplaying the

game if youshied awayfrom that.”

Part ofstaying fit is

a diet that’s high inprotein and low in fat

with slow release carbohy-drates and lots of fresh fruit and

vegetables.High protein levels, vital for

building and repairing muscle,come from chicken and

eggs, though mention ofthe C-word sends

Mathew into despair. “Ihate chicken. There are

only so many saucesyou can put with it,” he

moans.Mathew moved out of

the family home in Wols-ingham last year andnow shares a flat inNewcastle with Falconsteammate Geoff Par-

ling. So is he a dabhand in the

kitchen? “I don’tthink my flatmate would say

so. I tried makinga cold, sweet and sour egg white omeletteonce. He wasn’t convinced.”

Luckily, a Newcastle restaurant comes tothe rescue several times a week – young play-ers get to fill up for free on pasta and steaks atDa Vinci’s in Jesmond.

Is there anything that’s a definite no-no inthe rugby player’s diet? “As long as you eat sen-sibly enough and you’re not eating fried foodall the time, grilling everything and generallyeating healthily, you’re pretty much fine,”says Mathew.

Dr Adam Carey, the doctor from CelebrityFit Club and nutritional director of the Eng-land RFU, provides protein power shakes andvitamins to maintain players’ general healthand recovery from training.

But being physically fit isn’t enough forMathew, he needs a mental challenge too. Hav-ing achieved a full set of As in his biology, ge-ography and sports studies A levels, he decid-ed to defer his place at Durham University lastyear to focus on rugby but is now thinkingabout studying again.

“Coming here was new for me and with uni-versity also being a new environment it couldhave been too much and both could have gonebadly. Now I know that if the game goes badlyat the weekend, you are cheesed off all weekif you’ve got nothing else to take your mind offit,” he says.

MATHEW comes from a sporty family.His maternal grandfather played forSheffield Wednesday and mother,

Julie, was a Midlands county hockey playerand a sprinter. His dad, Alasdair, played rugbyat university and younger brother, Alex, is alsodoing well with the England Under-18s.

When it comes to relaxing away from thegame, Mathew spends his time watchingDVDs with mates and reading, and he’s think-ing of taking up the piano. He headed to Scot-land recently to do some fishing and walkingto recover from his injuries.

His first premiership season now over, thereis still the prestigious Churchill Cup tourna-ment in Canada to look forward to next monthbefore pre-season training for the premiershipkicks off again.

He is also planning a quick break beforethen, but one thing is guaranteed – it won’tmean a holiday away from the gym.

‘I need to beef up a bit, put on

some bulk’

NewcastleFalcons vGloucesterback inFebruary andMathew isheading for asecond halftry

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PEOPLE have been urgednot to use a new walk-inmedical centre in Dar-lington as a hospital aftera number of seriously ill

patients turned up seeking help. Am-bulances had to be called to take thepatients to Accident and Emergencyas the nurse-led clinic is only de-signed for minor injuries and ailments.

In just ten weeks, more than 6,000people have been treated in the Dar-lington Primary Care Trust nurse-led clinic, on the ground floor of Doc-tor Piper House, in King Street.

But among these patients havebeen many cases too severe to bedealt with which have had to berushed to hospital by ambulance.

More than 70 asked for help afterexperiencing chest pain and weresent to hospital with suspected heartattacks. Another case was a suspect-ed stroke, while others have turnedup with notifiable diseases such asmeasles. Staff treated two peoplewho had been in a car accident whoshould have gone straight to hospi-tal, and patients have also asked formedication reviews which cannot bedone at the walk-in centre becausestaff do not have access to medicalrecords. Others have sought a secondopinion after visiting their GPs,while some have turned up expectingto see the dermatologists, who sharethe building, when this service is bydoctor’s referral only.

Modern matron Nicola Whartonsaid: “The medical centre is staffedby highly skilled nurses and emer-gency care practitioners but we arenot doctors and we don’t have the fullrange of hospital equipment such asx-ray and scanning machines. We arehere to handle minor ailments andinjuries.

“If people are having severe symp-toms, such as chest pain, they should

really contact the hospital. Thatsaid, we are here to handle manyminor cases that currently go toA&E unnecessarily when we couldhelp.”

She also asked the public to be pa-tient if people who came in after theydid were dealt with first becausetheir condition was more serious.“We have to give the urgent cases ahigher priority,” she said.

“We are pleased with the way thenew centre has operated and are de-lighted it is proving so popular with

residents. With a little carefulthought by patients about their ail-ments and injuries, it will be betterstill.”

The doors opened to the public onJanuary 22 to provide an innovativeapproach to servicing the healthneeds of Darlington’s 102,000 popu-lation on a walk-in, walk-out basis.By April 1 it had seen 6,050 peopleand it now averages more than 100 aday. Over the Easter holidays, 500people sought help there.

The walk-in centre treats patientsfrom 7am to 10pm during the weekand 9am to 10pm at weekends and isstaffed by a modern matron, seniorsister, six nurses, three healthcareassistants, nine emergency carepractitioners and 15 reception staffon a shift basis.

It is designed to work alongsideDarlington’s 11 GP practices, the newOut of Hours service and the hospi-tal’s Accident and Emergency unit.

Complementary therapiesare working side by sidewith mainstream medicineat Doctor Piper House

PATIENTS will be able toease the pain anddiscomfort of their

ailments thanks to a range ofcomplementary therapies to beoffered in Darlington.

Darlington Primary CareTrust is hoping to set up acomplementary therapiesservice at Doctor Piper Housein King Street.

These include chiropractic,aromatherapy, osteopathy,reflexology, homoeopathy,acupuncture, massage andnutritional therapy.

PCT service developmentfacilitator Sue Lawrence said:“We are a 21st centuryorganisation and are lookingabove and beyond theconventional. Used alongsideconventional healthcare,complementary therapies canprove to be extremelyeffective.”

Therapies are already widelyused in palliative care to helprelieve some of the symptomsof serious conditions. They canalso help with back, neck andshoulder pain, indigestion and

heartburn, insomnia, hay fever,headaches and pre-menstrualtension.

Patients have also hadsuccess with therapiessupporting more orthodoxtreatments when trying to giveup smoking, or with anxietyand panic attacks, chronicfatigue syndrome anddepression.

“Complementary therapieswill never be a replacement forconventional medicine but areimportant in that they take aholistic approach totreatment,” said the PCT’sPatient Advice and LiaisonService manager, Clare Hinton.“They also consider thephysical, emotional,psychological and spiritualfactors and tailor treatments tosuit the individual.

“Many treatments simplyoffer patients the chance torelax, which in itself can bebeneficial. They also encouragepatients to take control of theirillness and offer a proactiveapproach to healing.”

� For more informationcontact Sue Lawrence on(01325) 746248 or for a servicespecification, head of primarycare Lorraine Tostevin on(01325) 746249.

Darlington’swalk-inmedical centreis provinghugelysuccessful…and perhaps alittle toopopular. IANLAMMINGexplains whocan be treatedthere, and whoshould beheading forhospital

If it’s serious, headfor hospital

WHAT THE WALK-IN CENTRE TREATSThe walk-in centre concentrateson minor ailments and injuriesincluding the following:Sore throats, coughs, colds, fevers,flu-like symptoms, impetigo, rashes,skin infections, insect bites,allergies, conjunctivitis, earinfections, diarrhoea and vomiting,headaches, sinus problems, urineinfections, mouth ulcers, sprainsand strains, superficial burns, minorhead injuries, lacerations requiringclosure with glue, cuts and bruises,emergency hormonal contraceptionand tetanus.

Health promotion and publichealth activities include:Healthy living advice, flu

vaccinations, mental healthpromotion, health checks forvulnerable patients and phlebotomy(blood taking). Also by appointment,stop smoking services, retinal andfoot screening, screening forhypertension and diabetes.

Darlington Memorial Hospital’sAccident and Emergency Unitprovides care for any injury orailment that needs urgentattention.

Medical advice can also be givenover the phone through NHS Directon 0845 4647 and the Out of HoursService is available on 08456033131.

Acupuncturist Jong Baik practises in Darlington

Healing the holistic way

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A new scheme has been setup to spare patients the needto answer the same ques-tions again and again

THOUSANDS of people areto benefit from a major ini-tiative designed to im-prove health and socialcare. The scheme was

launched in Darlington today inthe middle of April and aims to tar-get the town’s most needy residents.

Called the Single AssessmentProcess, it will bring together Dar-lington Primary Care Trust andDarlington Borough Council in ajoint approach to care.

Community nurses, therapists,support staff, doctors and hospitalstaff will work with social workersand housing officials to ensure res-idents’ needs are met in full.

And instead of enduring count-less rounds of questioning, peoplewill be asked just once for person-al and medical information. Theywill undergo a comprehensive as-sessment of their health and socialcare needs, leading to an individualcare plan which, with their per-mission, will be shared by all theprofessionals with whom theycome into contact.

Darlington PCT’s nurse develop-ment facilitator Win Suggett said:“We think the new system will beexcellent. It will improve access tohealth and social care and provideseamless partnership working forpeople within the Borough ofDarlington.”

Lynn Walker, manager of inter-mediate care services at Darling-ton Social Services, added: “Thisfollows a pilot project which provedvery successful because people nolonger have to be asked the samequestions by every agency theycome into contact with. This willprovide a more effective, efficientservice to the public and ensurehealth and social care resourcesare used efficiently.”

The new system will be used forpeople aged 18 and over with aphysical or sensory impairment,and elderly people. After the initialcontact, where the basic informa-tion is obtained, people will under-go a comprehensive assessment oftheir needs.

The key details will be fed into acomputer so the records can be ac-cessed by health and social careprofessionals and patients don’thave to repeat the information.

An individual care plan will bedeveloped which the various pro-fessionals will share and follow.

This also takes into account theneeds and wishes of carers and isreviewed on a regular basis.

“People’s views and wishes willbe a central part of the assess-ment,” said Mrs Suggett. “It willidentify strengths and weaknesses,abilities and needs and will max-imise people’s independence.”

Ms Walker added: “This is aboutworking more efficiently and in asmarter way so people receive thebest possible care.”

So far, 125 people have undergonetraining, including care managers,intermediate care staff, adminis-trative and clerical staff and dis-trict nurses.

New IT systems have been in-stalled and the whole process con-forms to strict guidelines and pro-tocols surrounding data protectionand confidentiality.

� More information on thescheme is available by contactingSocial Services on (01325) 346200or the PCT’s district nursingservices on (01325) 746222.

HIGH risk groups are tobe targeted in a majorcampaign designed to

cut the number of suicides inDarlington. Rates have begunto fall in the town thanks tomeasures aimed at tacklingits unenviable record assuicide capital of the country.But Darlington Primary CareTrust is reinforcing its effortsby launching a postercampaign directed at themost vulnerable groups.

The move follows an auditof suicides in the town andthe implementation of asuicide strategy. Thisincluded staging a multi-agency conference andworkshops, increasing crisisintervention services,working closely with thehousing department, thepolice, the Samaritans andthe town’s drug and alcoholaddiction service, issuingonly prescribed drugs, suchas anti-depressants andpainkillers, which cannot beused to overdose and thedrawing up of an action planto tackle the issue.

Darlington PCT’s mentalhealth improvementspecialist Vicky Watersonsaid four posters had nowbeen produced for varioustarget groups, including men,stressed workers, olderpeople and youngsters.

“We have chosen theimages carefully in order torelate to the various groupsand green was selectedbecause it is a calmingcolour,” she said.

“Young men are still themost at risk group and

suicide remains the singlelargest cause of death in menunder the age of 35.“Employment does helpbolster self-esteem andcounters depression. Butsome jobs can cause stressand many deaths involveemployed people.

“Elderly people can decideto take their own livesbecause they, or their carers,feel isolated. The campaign isdesigned to let everyone knowthere is support out there forthem.”

Until recently, Darlingtonhad one of the worst suiciderecords in the country, withrates well above the nationalaverage. From 2001 to 2003,53 people took their ownlives, mainly young men inwork. The rate of 14 suicidesper 100,000 people comparedwith a national average of10/100,000. In some parts oftown the figure was as highas 45/100,000.

But overall the rate hasnow fallen to 10.2/100,000,much closer to the currentnational figure of 9.5.

The latest figures now putDarlington in line to meetGovernment targets ofreducing the number ofsuicides by 20 per cent by theyear 2010 compared with1999.

The new posters, featuringthe slogan “death leaves nooption – life does”, will beappearing all over town in avariety of public settings,pointing people in thedirection of helplinenumbers, support and advice.

Darlington PCT’s mental health improvement specialist Vicky Waterson

‘Death leaves nooption – life does’An end to

all thosequestions

PCT district nurse Trish Parkes,left, and Social Services caremanager Alexandra Manning withdetails of a new care scheme tohelp thousands of residents inDarlington

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HEALTH staff in Darlington havebeen rewarded for their efforts atan OSCARS ceremony to be re-membered. Darlington PrimaryCare Trust launched the Out-

standing Service Contribution and Recogni-tion Awards 2005 to complement its annuallong service ceremony. Each marks the hardwork and dedication shown by many staffover decades with the NHS.

Darlington PCT chief executive Colin Mor-ris and chairman Sandra Pollard performedthe honours at a special ceremony staged atDarlington Football Club.

Mr Morris said: “We are operating in an everchanging world in the NHS and in many waysthings will never be the same again. But whatremains constant is the undying commitmentof the people that work in the health service.These awards recognise their spirit andcourage.”

Mrs Pollard added: “The tensions and chal-lenges within the NHS are huge and the factthat so many of our staff are so loyal has to beapplauded. The OSCARS are one way we canshow we really do appreciate their efforts.”

Nominees were put forward by staff at thePCT in 11 categories, reflecting the diverse na-ture of the organisation. The LifetimeAchievement Award went to Macmillan NurseTerri Ricci, who also collected a long serviceaward for working in health for 40 years.

Her nomination read: “She has demon-strated tireless dedication and commitment tocountless patients, their families and her col-leagues during what is often a very distress-

ing and difficult time. She has been a fantas-tic source of support to all throughout her ca-reer and is worthy of this award.”

Mrs Ricci, of Spennymoor, said she was sur-prised to win the award. “I thought I was thereto get a long service award and was reallyshocked when they called my name out again.Now it has sunk in, I’m really pleased as it isnice to be acknowledged having worked forso many years in nursing.”

Shotton Colliery-born, she trained as anurse at Sunderland Royal Infirmary andworked in hospitals in the region and Ameri-ca and as a district nursing sister, before be-coming a Macmillan nurse 16 years ago.

She is now managed by Darlington PCT butalso works with Durham Dales and SedgefieldPCTs.

The Light Bulb Award recognised staff whowere ‘switched on’ to new developments andinnovations. This was awarded to districtnursing sister Elaine Shaw for her idea to pro-vide a mobile clinic in the form of the Flu Bus.

Her nomination read: “Achieving targets forflu is not only essential for the health of ourmost vulnerable residents but is also crucialfor the Trust to achieve its star status. Againsta difficult backdrop of flu vaccine shortagesand the negative publicity that followed, heridea was as inspired as it was effective.”

The Bureaucracy Buster Award for cuttingthrough red tape went to the Sure Start Wave3 team based at McNay Street.

Their nomination said: “A variety of thingshave come under their spotlight, from domes-tic violence, breastfeeding support, childrenin need and empowering parents. And theyhave shown great creativity to see beyond thejargon, paperwork and form-filling and stillfulfil their duties.”

TEAM of the Year went to the PalliativeCare Inpatient Team at St Teresa’s Hos-pice for showing dedication and commit-

ment well beyond the call of duty to their pa-tients and their families.

A new team of staff, they came together lastyear in an innovative partnership betweenDarlington PCT, Marie Curie Cancer Care andSt Teresa’s Hospice to provide 24-hour cover365 days a year.

The nomination said: “Our winning teamis passionate about the care of their patientsand thoroughly deserve this recognition forall their hard work and dedication.”

Director of primary care Carole Harder wasawarded the innovative contribution to worklife balance accolade.

The nomination said: “We’re all looking forways to balance our work and home lives andthis award is designed to recognise someonewho has come up with a creative solution. Itis more remarkable still that she has achievedthis while working at an executive levelputting in place ways of working that haveproved it is possible and setting a positive ex-ample to us all.”

Primary care and clinical governance facil-

National Recognition Award: the Cardiac Rehabilitation Service

Staying power: health workers with their 15-year long service certificates

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Tireless dedication: Macmillan nurse Terri Ricci won the Lifetime Achievement Award


itator Marilyn Abbott was recognised for her in-novative contribution to improving recruitmentand retaining staff. The awards ceremony heardthe lengths she had gone to in order to attractdoctors from Europe.

The nomination said: “Her support has rangedfrom meeting head teachers to get doctors’ chil-dren into school, organising mortgages and carinsurance and even taking control of roofrepairs.”

Publication of the Year was awarded to Bar-bara Conway for her published work Communi-ty Angina Rehabilitation: the case for a new paradigm.

As clinical team leader for Coronary Heart Dis-ease Services Mrs Conway has been at the fore-front of pioneering work that has helped to in-crease dramatically the fitness of patients andreduce hospital admissions in Darlington.

The work has been recognised nationally andis used as a model by other rehabilitation unitsacross the country. She also recently stepped onto the international stage to present her work ata major conference in Switzerland.

The nomination said: “She is a fantastic am-bassador for Darlington and we are extremelyproud to call her one of ours.”

The National Recognition Award went to Dar-lington’s Cardiac Rehabilitation Service, whichis led by Mrs Conway and includes the heart fail-ure service run by Victoria Duffy, Jill Drinkall,Jenny Altimes, Alison Billau and Claire Redpath.

The nomination said: “Their achievementshave put Darlington on the map.”

Best Supporting Colleague went to perfor-mance officer Jonathan Slee for “his tireless ef-

forts in helping others” while the Best Support-ing Manager accolade went to workforce mod-ernisation lead Barbara Bright for her willing-ness to lend a helping hand and her loyalty andcommitment to her team.

Two Unsung Hero Awards were handed out,one for clinical and the other non-clinical staff.The award recognised the achievements of indi-viduals who weren’t usually in the spotlight, butwho worked behind the scenes to help the Trustdeliver its objectives.

The winner of the clinical staff category wasintegrated teams facilitator Christine Kelly whowas described in her nomination as being a goodlistener, professional in her approach and an ex-cellent ambassador for nursing.

The non-clinical category attracted more nom-inations than any other. The winner was Mau-reen Wallace for providing exceptional support,exceeding what was normally expected.

The nomination read: “She is never without asmile or a word of encouragement and has beendescribed as an indispensable star.”

LONG SERVICEAWARDSLong service awards totalled835 years with certificatesbeing presented for 15, 25 and40 years.In the 15 years section werethe following: MargaretBuckman, Julie Wolstenholme,Jean Firth, Lyn Hunter,Kathleen Whitfield, CatherineWojcik, Jayne Ralphs, ChrisAllison, Linda Oliver, SarahTully, Kim Robinson, MargaretCollinson, Sylvia Rycoft, SallyBell, Barbara Nimmo, AnneArcher, Jayne Unwin, PatrickHenry, Nicola Fletcher, MarieKerridge, Chris Allison, KarenWatson, Gail Cook, MichelleWolstenholme, Carolyn Bruce,Kate Robertson, KathrynSaunders, Helena Tait andTricia Parkes.The 25 years section featuredElaine Shaw, Bill Spencer,Vanessa Marwood, JoanRoberts, Patricia Robson,Angela Perry, Kath Lane, SusanGodfrey, Carol Zarwi, RuthTaylor, Linda Bailes, ChristineKelly, Karen Robinson,Christine Clark, Jane Hall, GillAngus and Margaret Bennett.

And the winner is...The 25-year long service award winners. Right: Marilyn Abbott, who won an award for recruitment and retraining

Sure Start health visitors Kath Lane andJayne Ralphs

Team of the Year: the palliative careinpatient team at St Teresa’s –CatherineWojcik, Janet Walker and Carmen Gilsenan

Barbara Bright: Best SupportingManager

Carole Harder: award forreassessing the work/life balance

Jonathan Slee: Best SupportingColleague

Barbara Conway: award forPublication of the Year

Nursing sister Elaine Shaw: theLight Bulb Award for innovation

� Her support has rangedfrom meeting head

teachers to get doctors’children into school,organising mortgages and carinsurance and even takingcontrol of roof repairs

ADVERTISING FEATURE


IF EVER a woman was walking con-firmation of practising what shepreaches, then that woman is DianaMoran, formerly and perhaps foreverknown as the Green Goddess. Diana is

tall, blonde, strikingly beautiful and per-fectly poised, with the firmest female hand-shake I have ever encountered.

She looks like a very well-preservedwoman in her mid to late 40s. But Diana is64. Now, all the secrets of how she can lookso gorgeous while managing a hectic careeras well as being a pensionable mother of twoand grandmother of four are in her newbook Fresh Face, subtitled “the easy way tolook 10 years younger”.

Diana’s suggested combination of home-made cosmetics – the concoction usingrunny honey, Greek yoghurt and mashed av-ocado sounds good enough to eat – facialstretches, healthy diet and positive thinkingclearly works.

I don’t really need to ask her, as I do later,whether younger men find her attractive –because I am one, and I do. But I also want-ed to ask her about a darker secret, a secretdepression which hit her as a direct, thoughlong-delayed, reaction to the breast cancer,the double mastectomy and the simultane-ous reconstructive surgery she had enduredin the 1980s.

“Ah, I was a bit wary of saying anythingabout that, but you’ve caught me out,” saysDiana. “It happened two-and-a-half years orso ago and I didn’t know who I could go to. I

just knew that I need help to get through it.” Breast cancer had threatened her life and

her career and she had beaten it. Yet 15 yearslater there was a backlash which almostfloored this glamorous woman with a seem-ingly unquenchable thirst for life.

“The break-up of a relationship was thecatalyst,” says twice-married Diana. “I did-n’t want to talk to my family and friendsabout it… We’d done all that cancer businessand I didn’t want to go through it all again.I just needed somebody new to unburdento.”

Just as she had done her utmost to keepher cancer secret all those years earlier,Diana gave nothing away to her friends andloved ones about what she was goingthrough: “I got really depressed, but it wasa secret heartache, a secret depression. I’ma great one for putting a smiley face on andgetting on with life.”

That was the root of the problem, in a way.Diana has always been the one who coped,the one who advised others how to keepsmiling and stay positive, so the moment sherecovered from cancer she was back in herfamiliar role, personally and professionally,showing daytime TV viewers how to keep fit.

“I had pushed aside my personal feelingsof grief at the loss of my breasts, and of myperceived diminished femininity. My emo-tions were compounded by a sense of sexu-al rejection and, for the first time in 15 years,I found myself blaming cancer for my inse-curity and depression.”

Diana’s salvation came via a course ofeight sessions with the Cancer CounsellingTrust, a small London-based charity whichshe now wholeheartedly supports.

So was it a complete novelty to be the onein need this time? “It was. I was embarrassedat first, and the whole thing was very up-setting, because you don’t hold anythingback. If you do, it’s not worth botheringwith. The first session is an assessment foryou and for them, but if you decide to goback, you have to commit to eight sessions;you see the same person at the same mutu-ally convenient time each week. And you’renot burdening them, because that’s whatthey’re there for, but you feel unburdened.They’re such clever people – just a couple ofwords can give you a different spin on howyou think about things…

“It’s not a comfortable experience, not atall. It raised all these other issues and itwent through its peaks and its troughs, butat the end of it, phew,what a relief!”

Diana’s 40-year career, on the other hand,seems mostly peaks. It has taken in model-

Stepping out fora fitter future

THE Chance To Live partnershipprovides a range of physicalactivity-based activities in Wear

Valley which are targeted at specificgroups. This includes the Walking theWay to Health programme, a year-roundschedule of walks taken by a speciallytrained walk leader.

Apart from a variety of communitygroups at different venues around WearValley the scheme also worksspecifically with schools in the district.

This programme of walks is also usedby the local Cardiac Rehabilitation andExercise Referral programmes as analternative to gym or swimming pool-based activity for people who arerecovering from cardiac or other healthproblems identified by their GP.

Another long-running programmewhich targets the over 50s is the PALSgroup, which stands for Physically Activefor Life Seniors. Apart from regularorganised walks, this programme alsoincludes a range of activities includingTai Chi, fencing, badminton and yoga.

Many of these PALS groups will beencouraged to take part in the GreatNorth Walk on Sunday July 10. Thisyear’s walk, which will start and finish inWolsingham, Weardale, will be used byliterally thousands of people of all agesas a focus for getting fitter.

The great majority of those who willtake part this summer will preparethemselves for the eight-mile course bygradually building up their stamina andstrength so they can meet the challengeof the walk.

The organisers of the Great NorthWalk say there is strong evidence thatthe majority continue with some walkingactivity after the event.� Great North Walk entry forms areavailable by ringing (01388) 761558.The closing date for entries isMonday, June 20, or earlier shouldthe entry limit be reached.� For more information on yourlocal walking group, contact eitherLorraine Honeybell or Jane Eddy on0191-269 1600 or visitwww.whi.org.uk

A weapon in the bad breath battleUNSWEETENED yoghurt is the latestweapon against the socialembarrassment of bad breath,according to a new Japanese study.A serving a day for six weeks reducedthe level of hydrogen sulphide – a majorcause of bad breath – in 80 per cent ofvolunteers. Yoghurt was also found to bea deterrent to tooth decay and gumdisease, contributing factors in badbreath which affects one in four people.

The research was welcomed by BritishDental Foundation chief executive, NigelCarter who said: ‘‘It’s pleasing to hearthat this healthy snack may have oralhealth benefits.’’

Mole warningA REMINDER to people with lots ofmoles: keep an eye on them.Remember to look for new moles,moles with ragged edges, moles thatchange shape or colour and molesthat weep, itch, become inflamed orgrow bigger. If any of these apply,get them checked out immediately.

The lean Green fitness machine

� I had pushed asidemy personal feelings

of grief at the loss of mybreasts, and of myperceived diminishedfemininity

INBRIEF


ling, writing, TV presenting and her stint asone of the most famous TV exercise gurus,though the Green Goddess tag came aboutquite by accident.

She now has a home by the Thames, whichshe shares with her eight-month-old catMaisie, but back in the late 1970s, Somerset-born Diana was living in Bristol and workingfor HTV on a daytime show for women calledHere Today. She combined that with work as acontinuity announcer in HTV’s Cardiff studioand haring off to Butlin’s Barry Island campto teach weekend fitness classes. She wore ared leotard for Butlin’s and a blue one at Pon-tin’s. Then HTV asked her to incorporate work-outs in the TV show. “I said ‘What do you wantme to wear?’ They said ‘Go to London and seewhat the latest things are there’. I bought abright golden yellow leotard and tights. Ithought they were gorgeous but after I cameoff they told me I looked like a canary.’” Diana’s“sophisticated” coffee-coloured substitute wasreceived with even less enthusiasm (“Whoa,no! You look nude!”) and she then resorted to“this awful bright green” outfit, which theyliked.

Three years later she was headhunted byBBC1 for their new Breakfast Time show front-ed by Frank Bough and Co. After her firstwork-out at Waterloo Station, Fleet Streetstarted sniffing around. “Journalists wereringing HTV saying ‘Who’s this bird?’ andsomeone said ‘Ah, that’s Diana, our Goddess…Our Green Goddess’. And the papers justpicked up on it. It was never planned at all.”

Five years later, Diana tried in vain to dropthe tag but now she is happy to have it. “I feelnow that I owe a debt to the Green Goddess,because she opened doors for me. The publicfeel comfortable with her and seem to want tokeep her around.”

Hence the latest book, a distillation of all thetips about maintaining and restoring goodlooks and good habits which it has taken Dianaa lifetime to amass. Her clear, smooth com-plexion and bright-eyed vivacity owe every-thing to the methods she outlines, not to thesurgeon’s knife.

“Cosmetic surgery is not for me. As well asthe cancer operation I had a partial thyroidec-tomy when I was 29, so I’ve had my share ofsurgery and I don’t want to go under the knifeunnecessarily. When I see someone on televi-sion having a face operation I get frightenedto death at the thought of something goingwrong.”

Cosmetic surgeon fans who are out for aquick fix might be surprised at how quicklyDiana’s gentler alternatives can work. “I knowpeople can see and feel a lot of difference with-in 28 days because people from my classes havetold me it works, but your new routine has tobe habitual, it has to be repeated to make a dif-ference.

“I dislike all this media pressure to look 20years younger, but I just want to motivate peo-ple to make the most of themselves. When youget to this sort of age, it’s about maintainingwhat you’ve got.” � Fresh Face (Hamlyn, £12.99)

Diana Moran at the height of her TV fame as the Green Goddess, and far left, today

GreenGoddess,Diana Moranspent most ofthe 1980stelling peoplehow to stay fitand healthy,only tosuccumb tobreast cancerherself. As shebrings out anew book onhow to staylooking youngand radiant,Diana tellsGRAHAM KEALhow suddendepressionnearly undidall the goodwork

� Wake up tired-looking skin bymassaging it with moisturiser,morning or night, for five minutes� Give tired-looking skin aninstant bloom by usingmoisturisers, foundations andbalms that contain light-diffusingproperties� For special occasions, paintegg white over lined areas ondroopy faces. It temporarilytightens and lifts the face. Allowit to dry completely beforeapplying any make-up � Lighten age spots on handsand face with lemon juice,though note that this treatmentis not suitable for sensitive skin.

SUGAR may be sweet but ithastens the ageing process.Sugar attaches to your body’sproteins in a process calledglycosylation. It transforms

the protein, making themunable to repair the skin andadversely affecting thecollagen and elastinstructures deep down.

CALM red and itchy eyes withcotton wool pads soaked in coldmilk. Leave over eyes for tenminutes.

WHETHER they are due topoor circulation or anaccumulation of toxins underthe thin surface skin, you canremedy dark circles in twoways. Place two thin slices ofraw potato on top of closedeyes for ten minutes andrelax. Alternatively, becomemore active – take a briskwalk, do facial exercises andget your lymphatic drainagesystem working.

DIANA’S TOP TIPS

DIANA Moran is not the only celebrity to havesuffered from severe depression. Actor Stephen

Fry is just one of a host of celebrities including filmstar Winona Ryder, and TV gardener Monty Don whohave publicly admitted suffering from depression. In1995 Fry was so depressed he walked out of a WestEnd play and considered suicide. He has nowrecovered. He describes his feelings as: “Somehow

the future looks an impossible place to be, and the direction you aregoing seems to have no purpose. There is this word despair, which is avery awful thing to feel.

‘‘There is never any logical reason for despair. Reason has absolutelynothing to do with it. You can’t reason yourself back into cheerfulnessany more than you can reason yourself into an extra 6in in height.”


EVEN if we don’t know much about it,most of us have a mental image ofacupuncture – usually a human pincushion. Yet while it was once fairly

marginal, regarded with a degree of scepticism,its reputation as a viable form of medicine is nowfirmly established. But what really is acupunc-ture (aside from sticking in needles) and how –and who – does it help?

Traditional acupuncturist Emma Robinsonexplains that it’s an ancient form of medicinehanded down from the Chinese. “It’s the ideathat our bodies naturally maintain our healthbut for various reasons, can get out of balance.What we have is Qi, pronounced ‘Chee’, andthat’s everywhere. It flows within us in meridi-ans, which are channels throughout the body.Whenever there’s ill-health, whether that’s phys-ical or spiritual, we see it as coming from dishar-mony in the flow of the Qi,” she says.

Of the different forms of acupuncture, thatwhich Emma practises is known as Five Ele-ment, based on the natural elements of wood,fire, earth, metal and water. Exponents believethat these correspond with the body’s makeup,with each person having the characteristics ofone more strongly than the rest. When some-thing goes wrong, it is likely to be linked to thiselement.

Emma, who grew up in Hamsterley, CountyDurham, says the key to treatment is to look atthe whole person. “It’s the person as an individ-ual and what’s going on with them. We startworking with that person and trying to help thatweakness that we see as the cause of the prob-lem,” she says.

In the initial consultation, lasting about anhour-and-a-half, Emma starts by getting to knowthe patient. “I have a very in-depth discussionwith them, including their full medical historyand details of medication, but also their emo-tional state, family situation and lifestyle. ThenI look at the body systems, such as bowel move-ments, urination and sleep patterns,” she says.“What I’m really looking for is not only thesymptoms of the problem but what the cause is.I very much concentrate on trying to treat thecause.”

During the session, Emma also takes the pa-tient’s pulses, of which there are six on eachwrist, connected to 12 main meridians. Treat-ment starts tentatively, with the insertion and

quick withdrawal of needles. Even in subse-quent consultations, Emma says that more oftenthan not, she won’t leave the needles in. “A lot ofthe time I won’t leave them in at all – I’ll just putthem in and take them out,” she says.

The needles are stainless steel, of varyinglengths and not much more than the width of ahair. Emma uses the least amount possible – usu-ally four to ten – and places them in mirror imageon both sides of the body. She says there’s nopain involved. “Often you don’t even feel the nee-dle going through the skin. You can feel the en-ergy moving. Some people describe it as like sta-tic.”

Sometimes, Emma will burn a herb calledMoxa over the acupuncture point, warming itand helping the energy flow.

After one to two sessions, she says the patientshould start to feel better, although she stressesthat there’s no instant cure. “It isn’t somethingthat you have once and the problem’s sorted.People should be willing to give it at least sixtreatments,” she says.

The range of conditions shown to benefit fromacupuncture is diverse, taking in the whole spec-trum from stress and allergies to back pain andinfertility. Emma says that not only does it treatthe problem, but patients often report other im-provements. “It can be quite intangible things. Ithink one of the key areas is mental health,” shesays.

Evidence that doctors are looking more andmore to acupuncture is provided by Emma’s ap-pointment to the NHS-run Bishopgate MedicalCentre, in Bishop Auckland. She sees private pa-tients at the Durham Complementary HealthCentre and Middlesbrough’s Acupuncture andOriental Medicine Centre.

For Emma, acupuncture is a way of life – notonly does she practise it, she has it herself to pre-vent illness. Yet despite her years of training,and her experience of treating patients, she ad-mits that part of it remains a mystery. “You getto the point where you can’t really understand.There’s a little bit of magic in there,” she says.� To book an appointment or a free 15-minuteconsultation, contact Emma on 07739 557316,Durham Complementary Health Centre on0191-375 7507 or The Acupuncture and OrientalMedicine Centre on (01642) 246385. � For more information, visitwww.traditional-acupuncture.co.uk

Life at the sharp end

AcupuncturistEmmaRobinson isofferingtreatmentsfor a range ofproblems atNorth-Eastclinics.SARAHFOSTER findsout more

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AUTHOR Michelle Paver had a huge hit with herfirst children’s story, which is still at the top ofthe best seller lists. She landed a £2.8mpublishing deal for Wolf Brother, the first ofher Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series,which is set amongst nomadic tribes in anorthern forest 6,000 years ago. The filmrights for Wolf Brother have already beensnapped up by North-East film director RidleyScott.

Paver was born in Malawi on September 7,1960, and has lived most of her life inWimbledon. She gained a first in biochemistryat Oxford and then became a high-flying Citylawyer. Plagued by colds and headaches, andsurviving on coffee, Paver gave up the fast-paced lifestyle to become a writer.

‘‘Let’s face it,’’ she says, ‘‘I was only earningmoney I’d never have the time or energy toenjoy. I was a mug. Now I have about 10million times more fun, and time to do thethings I really love.’’

How much sleep do you need?‘‘These days a good eight hours, nine if I can get it.When I worked in the City, I used to get by on five.Writing is surprisingly tiring. I try to do about sevenhours a day and by the time I’ve done that I feellike I’ve been hit with a truck. I tried cat napping aswell, but couldn’t get the knack of waking up so Igave up.’’

How do you feel first thing in the morning?‘‘Providing I get my eight hours, I feel sharpest in amorning.’’

What exercise do you take?‘‘I don’t have a car, so I walk a lot and that does itfor me.’’

Are you careful about what you eat?‘‘Yes I am. I usually get the five portions of fruitand veg. That sort of thing. But I’m also a firmbeliever in food in moderation, so I don’t haveanything that’s forbidden. That works for mebecause if nothing’s forbidden I don’t feeldesperate for any particular food.’’

Are you or have you ever been overweight?‘‘In my teens I was a couple of stone overweight,which made me utterly miserable. I tried every dietknown to woman but none of them worked. Thenin my twenties I got busy at work and forgot aboutdieting, and it all just fell off.’’

Do you take vitamin and mineral pills?‘‘I take calcium, a vitamin pill and usually someother fad pill – for a while, then I’ll lose interest init.’’

What foods can’t you bear to eat?‘‘I can’t really think of anything. I’ll eat anything. Ionce ate fried piranha eyes for a dare on holiday.They’re quite nice – crispy. But if it was alive andactually squirming, I’d have a problem.’’

Do you drink or smoke too much?‘‘I’ve never smoked. I’m pretty sure I did drink toomuch when I was in the City, and I’d love to drinktoo much now, but I have been cutting down andthese days I limit myself to one glass of wine anight.’’

Have you ever been in hospital?‘‘I’ve never been in hospital for an illness orbreakage, but when my father was dying I spentdays and nights there, so the answer is yes.’’

Does your job affect your health?‘‘Only in the sense that I’m a lot healthier now inthis job than I was before. But I have found thatwhen I’m working on a really emotional theme, forsix or seven hours, I tend to tense up a lot and endup with backache at the top of the shoulders. Theysay you should roll your shoulders, get up andmove around, but that doesn’t seem to help. Itwould be great to have a personal masseur.’’

How often do you consult your doctor?‘‘Only when I’m ill. I’ve never actually met my

current doctor even though I’ve been on his booksfor several years.’’

Do you catch a cold most winters?‘‘I think I do, about once a year. It’s about aquarter of the number of colds I used to get.’’

Do you think you suffer from stress?‘‘I don’t now, but I used to a lot. Every single casewas important, and they were all clashing with theothers. These days, I’m working for myself and onone book at a time. There’s pressure when itcomes to meeting deadlines but not stress.’’

Do you look after your skin?‘‘I wash it and I slap on cheap moisturiser, and, forme, that’s looking after my skin. I don’t believe inspending money on a lot of expensive stuff.’’

Are you happy with your body?‘‘Aesthetically, yes. I’ve learnt to live with the flaws.I’m the same weight as I was 20 years ago. Inpractical terms, it doesn’t yet seize up when I ridea horse or walk ten miles. So, yes, I’m reasonablyhappy.’’

Do you take more care of yourself as theyears go by?‘‘Because of my father I’m pretty cancer aware, soI don’t get those sorts of problems you get withsmoking. But I don’t think I really take more care,generally.’’� Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver (Orion, £8.99)

ME&MYHEALTHMICHELLE PAVER

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MANY people like the idea ofgoing for a walk or jog in thecountry but are put off be-

cause they are unsure where theycan and can’t walk. If you don’t wantto learn to read a map or join a ram-blers’ club, you might consider head-ing for one of the North-East’s reser-voirs for a spot of healthy outdoorexercise in stunning surroundings.

Paul Russell, local operationalmanager with Northumbrian Water,is proud of the fact that most of theregion’s reservoirs have welcomingcar parks, information boards andclearly marked out paths for walkers.

Some have wheelchair andpushchair-friendly routes and thereare plans to install more around theregion.

“We like to encourage people tokeep fit and we actively promote

walking as a healthy way of takingexercise,” says Paul.

Northumbrian Water have an openaccess policy to reservoirs, whichmeans the public are free to walkaround them. “The only restrictionsare for safety or operational reasons,”says Paul. In this part of the regionthe undoubted ‘jewel in the crown’ isCow Green Reservoir, an immenseexpanse of water surrounded by fellsand moorland but which is easily ac-cessible along a metalled road.

“Most visitors walk along the pathto the dam but experienced walkersare welcome to walk around the re-mainder of the reservoir,” says Paul.

Further down Teesdale there areGrassholme and Hury reservoirs.Hury has an easy 3m walk with nosteep gradients. Grassholme is a lit-tle more strenuous but still do-ablefor most people.

A booklet giving details of six cir-cular walks around Baldersdale andLunedale reservoirs is available fromTeesdale District Council.

Tunstall reservoir in the Wear Val-ley provides beautiful views and hasancient oak woodland and work isgoing on at nearby Burnhope reser-voir to create a circular walk.

Derwent reservoir, further north,is very popular with walkers whileScaling reservoir on the North YorkMoors has a beautiful circular walkwith wheelchair access.

Left: Hury reservoir in Teesdale

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The School of Health & Social Care at the University of Teesside has nearly 7,000 students (a mixture offull and part-time) studying on a range of courses at all levels, from national vocational qualificationsto doctoral degrees. Health and social care students benefit from state-of-the-art facilities in theCenturia Building, which is one of a small number of purpose-built university health and social carecentres in the country. An outstanding feature of our courses is the successful collaboration withNHS/Primary Care Trusts and Social Services, which ensures that our students receive the widestpossible range of hands-on practical experience and, on qualifying, are in demand from potentialemployers. We have a number of courses and modules suited to everyone’s tastes and encourage you to contact us for more information or visit our website at www.tees.ac.uk.

Foundation DegreesFoundation Degrees offer a flexible way to gain aprofessional qualification while you work and can help to improve your career prospects.

The School of Health & Social Care Foundation Degreeshave been developed directly with employers and trainingagencies in the health, social care and education sectors.Some degrees are delivered by further education collegesin the Tees Valley.

Foundation Degrees normally last two years and onsuccessful completion you can progress to a full honoursdegree at the University.

� FdA Complementary Therapies

This Foundation Degree is ideal for those who wish to practisearomatherapy interventions within integrated health settings inorder to enhance the client’s health and well-being. Students willdevelop advanced aromatherapy techniques and learn the skillsnecessary to become a safe and effective practitioner.

� FdSc Healthcare Practice

This two-year programme is aimed at those currently working as assistants or support workers within the health and social care sector.

The programme is a combination of academic and practical modulesenabling students to improve and enhance their understanding of their role within the workplace. Subjects covered includeanatomy and physiology, IT skills, communication, skills for practice,introduction to evidence-based practice and specialist modulesrelevant to the student’s area of work.

Routes available within the programme are – diagnostic radiography,occupational therapy, physiotherapy, radiotherapy and oncology,maternal and child health, nursing, medical laboratory practice,nutrition and the vulnerable adult.

� FdA Early Years Sector Endorsed

This highly successful vocational degree has been developed incollaboration with employers, further education colleges, Local

Education Authorities and SureStart. It is specifically designed toallow students to work through the modules whilst staying inemployment with young children. Designed to meet the growingneed for skilled staff who have an in-depth knowledge of theirsubject as well as the relevant practical skills, this course is ideal for classroom assistants, nursery nurses and assistants and managersin childcare settings. Students have the opportunity to turn theirFoundation Degree into an Honours Degree with further study.

� BSc (Hons) Social Work/Learning Disablities Nursing

� BSc (Hons) Social Work/Mental Health Nursing

These degrees, recruiting for September 2005, are designed forthose students who are particularly interested in integrating socialwork and nursing practice. They offer a unique opportunity to gain knowledge and experience of two professions as well as dualqualifications. Students are normally expected to have at least 12 months prior experience in a health or social care setting.

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Lifelong LearningAre you interested in undertaking a programme of studyrelevant to your professional practice but also enablingyou to achieve a recognised academic qualification? Why not take a taster module at diploma or degree levelin your chosen area of interest in September 2005?Applicants can take a number of modules on a stand-alone basis and then have these credited towards a rangeof contemporary and innovative diploma and degreeprogrammes. A wide range of modules are available,which enables students to tailor their programme toreflect their personal interest and work setting.

The BSc (Hons) Promoting Practice Effectivenessdegree is aimed at health and social care professionalswho wish to undertake a degree relevant to their work.The programme can be taken on a part-time or full-timebasis and is currently recruiting for September 2005.A generic pathway is available along with numerousroutes which reflect a specialist practice focus e.g.Cancer & Palliative Care, Leadership & Management,Complementary Therapies, Care of Older People andNurse Practitioner.

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� BSc (Hons) Public Health & Well-being

An innovative degree that will give graduates the knowledge andskills to bring about positive change in the policies and practices that influence the public’s health. Students will be actively engagedin work experience in areas such as community development.Applications are welcome for September 2005.

� Nursing Studies

We have vacancies available for the Diploma in Nursing Studies(Mental Health) and BSc (Hons) Nursing Studies (Mental Health)starting in September 2005. These programmes enable you to spend 50 per cent of your time in a mental health practice setting,giving you valuable hands-on experience.

For more information on any of the above call 01642 384110 or email [email protected].

The School of Health & Social Care offers a number of programmesat Masters level for those who wish to undertake ContinuingProfessional Development.

The programmes recruiting in September 2005 include:

� MSc Evidence-based Anaesthesia

� MSc Evidence-based Orthopaedic Studies

� MSc Evidence-based Practice (Online)

� MSc Evidence-based Public Health

These programmes are intended for professionals who are activelyengaged in health and social care related work within a variety ofsettings. Students will develop a lifelong ability to understand howevidence is generated, retrieved, appraised and applied in practice.

� MSc Health Sciences

This programme promotes academic study and the development ofanalytical skills in a variety of disciplines relevant to health and socialcare. It is suitable for graduates in health and social care relatedsubjects seeking personal development in their professional roles.Pathways include Cancer Care, Public Health or the more flexibleGeneric Pathway.

� MA Advancing Practice

This programme provides the opportunity for professionals working within the health and social care environment to developtheir ability to implement and evaluate evidence-based change.The multidisciplinary nature of the programme enables studentsto explore areas of practice across a wide spectrum of careenvironments.

� DProf Advancing Practice

Recruiting for September 2005, this programme is aimed at healthand social care professionals who wish to make an independent and original contribution to knowledge at doctoral level. This isachieved through the systematic advancement and evaluation ofpersonal and professional practice, which is supported through acombination of taught modules and a large-scale independentresearch dissertation.

� PgCert Musculoskeletal Studies

This programme recruits at various points throughout the year andprovides the opportunity for registered health care professionals todevelop advanced clinical skills in joint examination, assessment andclinical management of patients with musculoskeletal conditions at postgraduate level. It is a collaborative venture between theUniversity of Teesside and the Society of Orthopaedic Medicine.On successful completion of this programme relevant students willbe eligible to apply for membership of the Society of OrthopaedicMedicine via a written multiple choice examination and additionalpractical examination (currently open to medical practitioners andphysiotherapists).

� BA (Hons) Evidence-based Interventions in Mental Health Care

This new two year part-time degree, recruiting for September 2005,is aimed at qualified health care professionals. It focuses ontherapeutic mental health interventions and offers an introductionto the principles and practice of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy(CBT) with the option of another CBT module on common mentalhealth problems. There is also a Psycho-social Interventionsmodule, with an emphasis on evidence-based interventions.

University Certificate inProfessional Development(UCPD)� Screening and Supporting Post-16 learners

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These courses lead to a certificate and are designed for anyone whosupports adults and young adults with dyslexia or other specificlearning problems and who are learning in the workplace, voluntarysettings or further education. Recruiting for September 2005.

For an information pack on any of the above call 01642 384176 or email [email protected].

ADVERTISING FEATURE

All details correct at time of publishing

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Y OUR heart is racing, you don’twhether to stand up, sit down,take that phone call, send that e-mail and when you look at your“to do” list you just can’t decide

where to begin. You set off on one task,then get distracted by something else, thenthe phone rings. And so on…

For many people this is a typical snap-shot of their working day – too much to do,too little time and all the while finding noteven a minute to stop and relax. Insteadwe’re storing up tension, both physical andmental, to the point where eventually wesnap.

Michelle Gaff, branch manager of NRGCity in Stockton, has researched the issueof work-induced stress. “Up to half a mil-lion people in the UK are extremely ill be-cause of stress and a further five millionfeel unwell because of feeling stressed atwork,” she says.

“Added to the demands of work are thedemands of home, children and dependentrelatives. It leaves very little space for usto take any time out and when we do we’reoften too tired to know where to begin.”

The answer is to learn a few de-stressingtechniques to do at your desk or in a quietmoment at lunchtime.

According to Brenda Jones, who runsLothlann Complementary Therapies andlectures in the subject, just a two minutetime-out can add 30 minutes in productiv-ity. She recently gave a presentation to PAsand secretaries – members of the NRG CityPA Forum – on how they could reduce theirstress with a few simple techniques.

Here are some of her ideas:

1Take off your shoes and put your feetflat on the floor. Rest your hands in

your lap. Shut your eyes and begin tobreathe deeply. Concentrate on breathingin through your nose and out through yourmouth. As you breathe out, visualise all thetension leaving your body. Work your wayaround your body, releasing the tension inyour shoulders, your arms, your back, yourlegs and so on.

2 If your neck is aching and tense, moveyour chin down towards your chest

then slowly pull your head back. Thencarefully do full orbit head rolls in bothdirections.

3Warm up your trapezius muscles (theones which run across the top of your

shoulders down your arms and down yourupper back) by reaching across to your leftshoulder with your right and squeeze themuscles from your neck and out acrossyour shoulders.

4Rub the tops of your arms to warm upyour deltoid muscles then using your

fingers and heel of your palm ‘pull’ themuscles from the bones.

5 If your head is aching, use your fingersto clasp pieces of hair and do little tugs

across your head. Then rest your elbows onthe desk and use both hands to move yourscalp.

6 If you suffer from eye strain or sinuscongestion, put a finger in the corner of

each eye under your eyebrow then pressand release, working your way along thebone to the outside of your eye. Do thesame thing along the edge of the boneunder your eye. Then put your first fingerson your top lip, the second finger on yourbottom lip and your third finger on yourjawline. Walk your fingers outwards alongyour jaw. End by giving your earlobes alittle tug.

7For your legs, rotate your ankles inboth directions. Lift your lower leg and

push out keeping your foot flexed. Wiggleyour toes together, then try to wiggle eachone separately. Every night, raise your feetabove your hips for 20 minutes.

� NRG City PA Forum holds regularevents to help PAs and secretaries in theTees Valley meet up and get to know eachother. Membership is free. For moreinformation, call Michelle Gaff on (01642)626350.

The deskde-stresser

If you can’t getaway from yourdesk for a properbreak during theday, it’s even moreimportant that youcan take a littletime out to de-stress. TherapistBrenda Jones hassome tips

Complementary therapistBrenda Jones demonstratesto Michelle Gaff howworkers can givethemselves a soothinghead massage at their desk

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Mob. 07788 983962

TRY

BEFORE

YOU BUY

The Focal Point for Voluntary Activities If you are a registered Charity or Voluntary

Organisation and need a base for meetings,

conferences or training sessions, then why not contact Eileen at the

centre on:

(01642) 249456 82-90 Corporation

Road, Middlesbrough


Qualityhydration

“The quality of tapwater in our region isvery good indeed andgood value for money -more reason for us all tokeep hydrated,especially as the warmweather approaches.”Dr John Woodhouse,Deputy RegionalDirector for PublicHealth.

www.nwl.co.uk

Documents

How to get a Do you have a - The Northern Echoclients.thisisthenortheast.co.uk/ne_health/pdfs/neh052005.pdf · How did you score? All a: You probably only did this quiz in order to