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Launch of ACT for Meningitis at the House Hotel

Jo Lavelle — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 09:56:26 +0000

Photography by Boyd Challenger.

the baby issue

Jo Lavelle — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:08:43 +0000

By Carmel Dooley

Having a baby is the most natural thing in the world…or is it? As Ireland’s baby boomers reach child-bearing age, one couple in six is seeking help to have a baby, making infertility a very widespread problem. Doctors estimate that in the next 20 years, infertility will affect one person out of five – an increase of 15 per cent.

One reason for this growth in infertility is that Irish couples are now starting families older than in previous generations, a trend which is set to continue. Long working hours and financial and career aspirations mean that many women are putting off having a family until their late 30s/early 40s. According to the CSO figures, the average age of women giving birth for the first time increased from 29 years of age in 1980 to 31 years of age in 2009.

While Western medicine has been slow to embrace the benefits of traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine has a long and successful history in reproductive medicine. Recent studies reveal that traditional Chinese medicine, specifically acupuncture, can improve blood flow, enhance the immune system, and boost male and female fertility. Acupuncture has also been shown to be a valuable complement to Advanced Reproductive Technologies (ART) such as IVF, helping to substantially improve the chances of success.

Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can also help treat underlying conditions such as PCOS, endometriosis and irregular cycles. They are also good for relieving stress and for treating hormonal imbalances, both of which are frequent contributors to fertility problems.

A growing number of acupuncturists now specialise in fertility acupuncture, which has the advantage of ensuring they are up to date with drug regimes used by fertility doctors, as well as their specialised experience in this area. Acupuncture practitioners offer a holistic approach to infertility treatment where the emotional needs of a couple are supported in a trusting and caring environment.

An experienced nurse and midwife, Maura Farragher is an acupuncturist and Chinese Herbal Medicine Practitioner based in Galway. She has a herbal pharmacy in her clinic on the Tuam Road, from where she prescribes a tailor made formula of tablets, powders, loose herbs and tinctures for each individual condition. “Chinese herbal medicine is a gentle, more organic response to fertility problems. It affects many different parts of the reproductive cycle by triggering the body’s own natural processes and rhythms,” says Maura. Infertility rates are lower in China than in the Western world and Maura, who is a member of the Zita West Network, puts this down to the types of food that Chinese people eat.

“Because fertility and pregnancy are whole-body events and not just something limited to the reproductive organs, good nutrition is important. For many couples, correcting underlying nutritional deficiencies, improving digestion and balancing the diet, perhaps with the inclusion of nutritional supplements, can bring significant health benefits,” she adds. With the right nutrition, suggests Maura, hormonal problems can be stablised and menstruation can be regularised. It can also have an impact on problems such as polycystic ovary disease. And it’s not just important for women, utritional therapy can be an effective way of improving male fertility, too.

Maura recommends that a couple trying to conceive should start making dietary changes about three months before they start trying. She advises that couples cut down on alcohol, spicy foods, meat and dairy during this time and recommends that women avoid alcohol from day 10 to day 21 of their cycles when trying to conceive, as this is the crucial stage for ovulation for most women. For the best results, she suggests a combination of Chinese health medicine with a course of acupuncture treatment.

Fertility Acupuncturist and qualified nurse, Brenda Dooley’s own personal and successful experience of using acupuncture to improve fertility provided her with the inspiration to specialise in this area. Having spent over 15 years working in the Pharmaceutical sector alongside the medical community, Brenda believes that traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture should be closely integrated with conventional western treatments to achieve the best results.

She recommends acupuncture to support infertility treatment programmes such as naprotechnology, as well as assisted reproductive techniques (ART), where various medications are used to improve follicular development and help ovulation to occur.

“By improving blood flow to the reproductive organs and balancing key hormones such as progesterone and oestrogen, acupuncture can help the treatment to be successful and lead to a pregnancy,” says Brenda who has recently opened Genesis Acupuncture at the Elmtree Clinic in Oranmore. She recommends weekly treatments whereby different acupuncture points will be used for each week of the women’s monthly cycle to work in tandem with the body’s natural changes.

Fertility acupuncture before and after IVF treatments has also been shown to have a beneficial effect on pregnancy rates in clinical trials.

My kids eat everything and yours will too

Jo Lavelle — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:26:41 +0000

Words and Photography by Mona Wise

Start them young, I say!

Admittedly, we were at a small advantage because we lived above our own restaurant when the babies came along. It wasn’t en-vogue to be feeding one’s children homemade baby food. It was way more fashionable to be out buying the most expensive organic baby-goop from the latest and greatest health food store. We, as small business owners, did not have a budget that would stretch that far and there is no way in heck the chef would have ever fed his kids something that tasted so terrible. I mean seriously, have you ever tried baby food out of a jar?

Now, a chef’s wife I may be, but my skills in the kitchen are limited to mostly the dishwashing end of business. Learning how to make ‘good-tasting’ baby food was a learning experience that I had not really signed up for.

Teething on lamb bones

Our daughter started to get her first taste of real food at the age of four months old. She was able to hold a lamb bone and it became her favorite teething toy. I started feeding her solid food shortly after that but only food from my plate. From the start, the Chef & I decided that we would not be the kind of parents that cooked one meal for adults and another for the children. By the time she was fourteen months old there was only one food item she did not like. Blueberries. Go figure.

Twelve to seventeen times

This is how many times it takes to introduce a new food to a child and to get them to actually like it. I can attest to the fact, now that we are foster parents, it feels like it takes twelve to seventeen thousand tries with some children. Keep the portions small. Remember the size of a toddler’s stomach is similar in size to their fist. Only give them a very small bite-size taste of the new food item and encourage them to eat it first. Then allow your child to eat a healthy amount of the other food items. Remember it is always best to put a smaller amount of each food item on the plate and wait to see if your child is hungry enough to have seconds.

Lead by example

If you are one of those parents who like to say ‘my kid won’t eat anything but chicken nuggets’ then I have only one thing to say to you. Stop buying chicken nuggets. Great, they like chicken. Buy a whole chicken and give them a piece on the bone. Teach them how to chew real meat, not processed pieces. Now, take a look at your own plate and eating habits. Do you load up your plate with salad and vegetables or are you piling on the pasta and the meatballs? If you have a long list of items you do not ‘like’ then sort out your own eating habits first before you start to teach or preach better eating habits to your offspring.

Oh yeah, and get outside. If meal times are making you crazy, go to the park and have a picnic. This takes the pressure off you and changes the dynamics entirely for the child. Be consistent with your child and talk to them about what it is you are eating and where it has come from.

A few easy tips

Cook with colour. Children love food to look vibrant and appetising. If making a pasta dish, throw in a handful of spinach leaves and some cherry tomatoes to give it a lift. Do not start doing this when they are five. Start now when they are infants so they are accustomed to seeing (and wanting) all that colour on their plate.

A little bit goes a very long way. Start small. If you have a toddler that is very fussy at the table then start with baby steps. If having pizza, then top it with rocket or fresh spinach leaves and drizzle with balsamic vinegar and a bit of freshly grated parmesan. If you do this every time you have pizza, sooner or later the child will eat the greens.

Sometimes, raw is better than cooked. Throw a few peas in the pod into your next bowl of soup. They are sweeter when uncooked and add a great green boost to a bowl of oxtail soup. Carrots are another item that can be eaten raw. Include this in your toddler’s diet, grated on their plate, at every meal. That way, you never worry about them choking!

Hunger is the best sauce

I used to think they would die of starvation but the truth is, they won’t. Kids are way more stubborn than adults. When our firstborn was just learning how to talk, we made a very conscious effort not to allow her to say ‘I do not like’ when she was referring to food. I taught her to say ‘I do not care for that’ if she discovered a food item that did not appeal to her young palate. She was typically too lazy to get that whole sentence out, and just ended up eating what she was presented with. Except for blueberries, of course.

Sometimes it is best to get out of the house at mealtimes; pack up a few sandwiches and head to the park. Try to focus less on the eating, and more on the enjoyment of the afternoon. I find that the harder they run and play outdoors, the hungrier they get. When presented with a healthy sandwich they are normally so hungry, noses are rarely turned up at the fare offered.

Talk to your children

Eat dinner together. Get them involved in the preparing and cooking process. Tell them where the food comes from. Explaining the circle of life – from farm to fork – to a young child is easy. They are fascinated with stories like this. You can show them a cow out in a field and then draw a picture of the cow showing all the things that come from it like milk, cheese, butter, beef. The next time you prepare beef for dinner, show your children what it looks like raw so they grasp the cooking concept.

Cut out the snacks…offer fruit all day

With a revolving door of foster kids coming through our house during the summer, you can be pretty certain that someone is always hungry. We have a large, and well stocked, fruit bowl that is kept at eye-level for the kids. They are allowed to eat as much fruit as they want all day long. Once it gets within an hour of supper time, we lift the fruit bowl out of reach and offer a glass of water to whomever is looking for an apple. This ensures that they get some of their five-a-day and it relieves us of the pressure of trying to get them to eat more fruit.

Feeding toddlers and fussy eaters of any age can be stressful. Teach your children about food from an early age and eat dinner with them every night. You will gain so much insight into their day-to-day lives and become tuned into their eating habits. Help build their memories around the dinner table. It will be something they will treasure for the rest of their lives.

HOW TO BAG YOUR IDEAL MAN

Jo Lavelle — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:04:37 +0000

Single and on the look-out for a new fella? Connacht Rugby’s Mike McCarthy chats to his team mates for tips on how bag your man.

“My view is that the old school method of waiting for the male to approach the female is a thing of the past and my panel of three lads are in full agreement. After witnessing how Brett Wilkinson, Frank Murphy and Michael Swift operated during their single days, I chose these guys to divulge a little on their experience of speaking the language of love.

“In this modern day and age, everything is about equality and our first bit of advice to you is if a guy catches your eye, don’t just sit back and let this beautiful moment pass you by. Get pro active by getting up, walking over and introducing yourself. Brett really admires this technique and walked right into this trap when his girlfriend saw him from across a bar. She confidently walked straight up to him and commented on his muscles. Brett was taken aback by this and fell in love instantly. “I am a big fan of the lady initiating the first move and the compliment about my big muscles really made me feel at ease,” says Brett.

“Our second piece of advice? Always ensure you’ve moisturised when approaching a gentleman. Now, I know this may seem a strange one to all you ladies out there, but nice soft skin is a real turn on to us men. Franky says, “When I met my wife, I was blown away by her complexion and warm, glowing skin”. So after speaking with the panel, we concluded that attention to detail is vital – it’s not just about hair and make-up.

“Enter Michael Swift who recently turned 35 years of age. Now, here’s a guy with an abundance of experience, who not only delivers on the field, but also in the clubs! Big Swifty says, “I hate it when girls are false and try to impress you; they should just be themselves”. Swifty said when he was 19, he will never forget the time a beautiful girl was chatting him up. At first, his first impressions were all very positive, but as time went on, she wouldn’t stop telling jokes and doing impressions of farm yard animals. Swifty decided enough was enough and made up an excuse to leave because – he could take no more as he knew she was not being herself. So we say – don’t try too hard – just be yourself. Have confidence that the man you have on your radar will like you for the person you are.

“I also spoke to a few of the younger, single members of the squad, with Tiernan O’Halloran leading the charge with this one. Tiernan said there is nothing you can do to impress him. He feels he can make a decision in a split second as to whether he would like to pursue anything with you and that he strongly dislikes all the polite chit chat. He calls himself ‘Split’, as he makes his decision on you in a split second. So, we the panel were unsure what advice he was actually offering here, but I felt it necessary to share the perspective of the youth of today compared to the panel, all of whom are in our older years and have, shall we say, a more romantic view on these things.

“Anyway, I hope this advice will take you forward into a new world. Remember, this is a progression so don’t try all these tips at once and good luck…YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!”

If you have any questions for me or this month’s panel, please contact us on Twitter:

Mike McCarthy @mikemccarthy6

Brett Wilkinson @brettwilko

Frank Murphy @frankymurph

Michael Swift @galwayshopping

@connachtrugby

‘Keep up to date with news, fixtures and results from Connacht Rugby on

www.facebook.com/connachtrugby or www.connachtrugby.ie’

The Perfect Gift – A GALWAYnow subscription

Jo Lavelle — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:14:19 +0000

No more scratching your head for the perfect gift this Christmas. With 6 issues of GALWAYnow for €25 we have the answer!

Simply click here to use paypal for safe and convenient online payment.

Subscribe and win afternoon tea for two at the Meyrick.

Ten lucky subscribers will win a delicious afternoon tea for two in the sumptuous surrounds the Hotel Meyrick. Kick back and relax with your guest in the luxurious parlour lounge where you’ll be pampered and treated to the hotel’s tastiest deilghts.
One of the leading Galway hotels, the Hotel Meyrick combines a stunning Victorian hotel with a superb convenient location ~ the delights of GalwayCity are right on your doorstep.

Fashion Innovation Awards 2012

Jo Lavelle — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 13:07:57 +0000

The Fashion Innovation Awards, proudly presented by ourselves Goldenegg Productions, is in its third year taking place 05 April 2012.

It is a contest for fashion designers and fashion students from fashion colleges throughout Ireland, showcasing the highest expression of creativity from the most innovative designers in Ireland.

Finalists from each category will be selected to come to Galway on 05 april 2012 for the Golden Egg Fashion Innovation Awards in the Radisson Blu Hotel.
As the publishers of the monthly glossy magazine GALWAYnow, Goldenegg Productions are continually aspiring to showcase the most cutting-edge designers, giving young, up and coming designers an invaluable connection to the public.

For full information and entry details please click here.

Anthony Ryan Best Dressed Lady Competition at the Galway Races

Jo Lavelle — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:14:27 +0000

Off to the ballet

Jo Lavelle — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:49:08 +0000

What better way to kick-start the festive season than with the enchanting classic Christmas ballet, The Nutcracker? Appearing in Galway’s Town Hall Theatre this November 4and 5, with a special matinee screening at 2.30pm on the 5November, ballet students from the East and West of Ireland will join forces with the Monica Loughman Ballet Company to deliver a powerful, talented performance of the magical fairytale. Two dancers from the Bolshoi Ballet Theatre will dance the lead roles.
Hot on the tail of last year’s sold out production “Giselle”, “The Nutcracker” promises to be ‘the’ dance event of the year. This will be a night to remember!
Bookings can be made through the Town Hall Theatre on 091 569777 with tickets priced at €25 and €20 concession.

www.tht.ie

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua

Jo Lavelle — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 07:30:37 +0000

For the most natural looking skin, with a radiant glow, our choice of the month is this make-up. Ultra Light ultra radiant, with the best shades on the market, the perfect foundation for spring.

€38

Estee Lauder Double Wear Mineral Rich Loose Powder Make-up SPF 12

Jo Lavelle — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 07:30:39 +0000

Light and comfortable, the long-wearing powder gives flawless looking skin that won’t fade or settle into fine lines.

€34