Waterford Today | Waterford's free weekly newspaper

The link between your beliefs and your immune system

Scientific studies are starting to prove that what we think may affect our bodies. Our own thoughts can either boost or deplete our immune system. When we are negative and worry about our health and well-being, it can deplete our energy. I demonstrate this to people who attend my clinics by using muscle testing. I get them to say a simple "Yes!" and their arm will remain strong as I try to push it down. I then ask them to say something negative like "No!" or "I fear" and their arm will then become weak and go down easily, no matter how hard they try to push it up.

Recently I used this simple energy test on a guy who came to see me suffering from constant fatigue and low energy. I muscle-tested

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In the coming days boxes of chocolate Easter eggs will begin to stack up in living rooms across the country but, for half a million people in Ireland, Easter can become one big headache É or migraine. Migraine can be set in motion by factors known as triggers. These can include stress, hormonal fluctuations, changes in routine and certain environmental factors. However, diet - and most commonly chocolate - is one of the most frequently cited migraine triggers.

"Over 20% of sufferers cite dietary factors as triggers," says Donna Ryan, Information Officer at the Migraine Association of Ireland (MAI). "Chocolate always ranks highly on this list but it's often too tempting to say no, especially around Easter when chocolate is everywhere. Our advice is to try organic or darker versions as it is often the additives in cheaper alternatives that trigger

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Question: I'm getting married in May and am keen to look my best for my big day, which includes making sure I'm spot-free and shedding a few last stubborn pounds! What do you recommend?

Answer: A healthy diet and exercise are essential for anyone wanting to lose weight; substitute white for brown, ditch the white bread, white pasta and opt instead for healthy wholegrains.

Plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables will also help, and not just your waist, they're great for skin too. And chicken and fish are good substitutes for fatty meats. If you want a helping hand, you could try a Hydroxycitric Acid (HCA) supplement.

HCA is derived from malabar tamarind, a native fruit of southern India and scientists believe it can help with weight loss by blocking the enzyme responsible for converting excess carbohydrates and protein into fat.

Take one 500mg

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Low Back Pain (LBP) is a huge cause of disability worldwide.

The best approaches to managing LBP often contrast with the beliefs of the public and

international research has shown that educating people about LBP can be very effective in reducing LBP and the related costs on society.

To challenge some of the common myths and to give the public a greater understanding of how to manage LBP, the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP) have published Challenging Back Pain Myths as part of their annual Move4Health campaign during April and May.

LBP is a common problem which affects the quality of life of many people. It is now clear that the beliefs of people with LBP can have a major effect on their prognosis.

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The Parkinson's Association of Ireland has launched its first Parkinson's Awareness Week from the 26th of April - 30th of April. Throughout the country there will be awareness and fundraising activities being hosted by Branches of the Association.

Speaking at the launch, Mrs. Una Anderson Ryan, Vice Chairperson of the Parkinson's Association of Ireland said that "We have a particular focus on the provision of healthcare supports, advocacy, information and advice to people with Parkinson's, their families and carers in Ireland. This awareness week will help the organisation to become stronger, more effective and efficient in ensuring that the quality of life issues for people with Parkinson's and their families will be highlighted in the media".

Also speaking at the launch the association's CEO, Joe Lynch said, "Our soon to be published annual report shows the heavy reliance of people with Parkinson's

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Alcohol Action Ireland, the national charity for alcohol-related issues, has launched a new national on-line guide to alcohol services around the country which is searchable by age of the person seeking help and location using Google mapping technology.

Alcohol Action Ireland Director Fiona Ryan said: "We developed the Alcohol Service Finder in response to the calls and emails we receive. Sometimes, the contact is from people seeking help with their own drinking but more frequently, however, it is a family member at the end of their tether, desperate to find help for their loved one.

"We considered how we could best support people in this situation, we consulted and found what people wanted was access to targeted, relevant information as quickly as possible. So we contacted alcohol services across the country and asked if they would be included in the guide and

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SOS seeks women to join them to raise funds for suicide prevention

Are you one of those people who likes to say . . . "One year I'm going to run and enter into the Women's Mini Marathon" . . . usually after just having watched that year's event on TV! For most people that ambition falls away as normal life intrudes on their daydreaming and somehow a whole year has passed and they find themselves once more watching the whole spectacle from the comfort of their sofa!

But not everyone! There are some people for whom the dream becomes a reality! Mix this with the support for a charity that is fighting hard to challenge the stigma of mental health issues in Ireland - this can give you a sense of achievement that will be with you for the rest of

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Lawlors Hotel, Dungarvan - 5th May, 2011

'"Wellness Workshop" - tackles mental health issues in the community

Suicide or Survive (SOS), a charitable organisation that provides services and supports aimed at suicide prevention in Ireland, is running a series of free support workshops aimed at raising awareness of mental health issues and supporting those affected. Places at the "Wellness Workshops" are normally €200 per delegate but they are being offered free of charge thanks to the support of Vodafone Ireland Foundation. The next "Wellness Workshop" will take place on the 5th May, 2011 at Lawlors Hotel in Dungarvan, Co Waterford.

Caroline McGuigan, CEO, SOS said, "Being able to offer help and support to people in Waterford with the "Wellness Workshop" will help SOS to make a real difference. It will also help to raise awareness of mental health issues. The difficult economic climate

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Major awareness day for mental health issues

April, 2011. FeelGood Friday is on the way and to mark this special day and to raise awareness of the challenges of mental health issues in Ireland today, Suicide or Survive (SOS) are urging people across Ireland to stop, look around us and consider our mental health. The organisation has published some helpful tips* on things that we can all do to make ourselves Feel Good!

Caroline McGuigan, CEO of Suicide or Survive (SOS), said "We are urging the people of Ireland to take just a few minutes on Friday 22nd April to do one small thing to make yourself feel good. Of course, "FeelGood Friday" is much more than feeling good - it's about raising awareness of an issue that is growing across Ireland. An astonishing €3 billion was lost to the Irish economy

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Waterford Today recently spoke to Trevor Eivers, Hypnotist with Waterford Hypnosis to gain an insight into how an altered state of consciousness can help people in their 'waking' day.

Hi Trevor so, how did you get to be a Certified Consulting Hypnotist? I am a Longford native and moved to the sunny south east about seven years ago to work for a corporation here, but in February 2010 I was caught up in the economic downturn and was made redundant. The next few months proved difficult to get back into employment in what I was qualified at (Quality Engineer/ Systems Analyst), so I decided to do something I always wanted to do - hypnosis - this way I could provide a service to people rather than depend on depend on corporations to employ me.

What course did you do? I

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WATERFORD CHILDREN

GROWISELY THIS SPRING!

Children from 27 primary schools across County Waterford will join with over 200,000 children across the country to make the most of the Spring sunshine by growing their own fruit and vegetables as part of Agriaware's "Incredible Edibles" School Growing Challenge which is supported by Bord Bia, the Horticultural Industry and Growise; a range of sustainable green compost products from Bord na Mona.

Bord na Mona have supplied 1,000 primary schools throughout Ireland with bags of their Growise compost as part of the co funded initiative and are urging children, teachers and parents across Waterford to get involved and create their own veggie patch at school.

Students will be encouraged to sow and grow five different varieties of vegetable and fruit as part of the Incredible Edibles project. Children across the country

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Rte Announces Search For Ireland's First Masterchef

RTE have announced that the iconic MasterChef will be coming to Ireland for the first time and we are calling on all the passionate amateur cooks in Waterford to apply to take part in the first-ever series of MasterChef Ireland. RTE has also revealed that the judges for MasterChef Ireland will be Michelin-starred chef Dylan McGrath and top restaurateur Nick Munier.

Dylan McGrath is one of Ireland's top chefs who won his first Michelin star at the age of just 30. Nick Munier is a Dublin restaurateur and Maitre d', who has been in the industry for 22 years working for some of the world's best chefs, including Marco Pierre White and the Roux brothers.

Applicants will have just two weeks to apply to take part. Successful applicants for MasterChef Ireland will go through a number

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Children nationwide invited to put the new recipe to the test via a 'Licked Plates' initiative

Dolmio have unveiled its new 100% Natural recipe across its Bolognese sauce range. The new recipe uses the finest 100% natural ingredients that you will recognise and find in your own kitchen cupboards and is free from all possible hidden nasties such as artificial colours, flavours and preservatives.

Papa Dolmio believes this is his best recipe yet but does not want families to take his word on how good it is. He's inviting children nationwide to put the recipe to the ultimate taste test through a 'Licked Plate' initiative. For Papa Dolmio nothing could be more natural than a licked clean plate after a great family dinner. That's why over the coming weeks he

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New website gives Ireland's best connection to gluten-free living

It's not easy getting gluten-free food in Ireland, especially when Irish people are amongst the most "gluten sensitive" people in the western world, but now one website will give you, all you need to know and all in one place. Glutenzone.ie is Ireland's leading directory for living a gluten free lifestyle. It includes restaurants, cafes, retail, farmers markets and cooking schools This website has been developed by gluten free people for gluten free living.

"We believe in this website and know that it will save the gluten-free community in several important ways, it'll save their time, money and health by getting easier and quicker access," said Heidi Grimwood. "People with restrictive diets often struggle to find good stores who can serve this community; Glutenzone.ie will give information to a strong consumer base: gluten-free

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Avonmore, Ireland's favourite milk, has reduced the fat content in its low fat milk with the introduction of Avonmore Light 1%. This represents a fat reduction of 33% (1.5% to 1%) compared with regular low fat milk and comes with the Avonmore promise of no compromise on the nutritional goodness and great taste of low fat milk. The innovation is a direct result of Avonmore's ongoing commitment to deliver healthier products to consumers and the move is expected to significantly grow the low fat milk category. Simply by switching from drinking a glass of regular low fat milk (1.5%) a day to Avonmore Light (1%) consumers can take out a total of 73 teaspoons of fat from their diet in one year. It's an easy change to make with no taste compromise.

Irish people have long enjoyed a love affair with

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