Health & Wellbeing

The Real Health Podcast: Five tips to healthier eating with Catherine Fulvio

On this week’s show is all about getting out of the food rut you’re stuck in and giving you some inspiration to cook delicious, healthy meals.

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Great outdoors: The gyms moving classes outside this summer — and why it’s more fun that way

It’s Monday evening and I’m in a tent in a suburban Dublin car park, wearing headphones and spinning my heart out on an exercise bike. It’s not quite the traditional gym class that we’re used to — this is Dartry Health Club’s inaugural ‘silent disco’ spinning class, held outdoors to comply with Covid regulations.

Is there anything I can do to stop spider/varicose veins?

Q I have always had great legs, but recently I have noticed some broken threads and what looks like the beginning of a varicose vein. I am in my late 40s, so is this age related? Will I just have to manage it or perhaps have surgery at some point? Also, are there cosmetic procedures that you recommend?

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Cheap, yummy and easy to make: why our brain is hooked on processed food

We all know that processed food is both tasty and bad for us. Whatever you want to call it — fast food, junk food, packet food, factory food — processed foods often contain a carefully calibrated combination of fat, sugar and salt that makes us want more, more, more.

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Living with ME: ‘My world has become so small. Constantly managing chronic pain and dealing with brain fog and memory loss is my normal’

At 20 years of age, Gavin Connolly had his whole life ahead of him. He was studying engineering at NUIG and the world, after graduation, was his to explore. But, due to contracting a debilitating condition, seven years later, he is living at home with his parents and needs round-the-clock care after being diagnosed with a rare condition, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME). May 12 is ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia International Awareness Day and the Galway man is keen to share his story so others can learn what the early symptoms look like.

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Ask Allison: ‘I’m a working single-mum with my own home. I met a guy I really like – the sex is great – but he has no career and lives with his parents. Should I end it?’

I am a single mum with a seven-year old daughter. I have been dating a man that I really like for two years — the sex is great, we have such a laugh and I really enjoy his company. The thing is, I earn a high salary and have managed to buy and run a house on my own. He lives with his parents and doesn’t have a job to speak of. We are both in our late 30s. It sounds to me like he never took off after college. I am thinking of ending the relationship as I don’t want to have to keep him, but I really enjoy our time. Am I being too materialistic?

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Our adoption story: ‘I feel so grateful for what I have – there are lots of different ways to make up a family’

Primary school is only around the corner and Tina Tully’s daughter Kathleena (4) is full of questions about her life and why she has a rare skin condition that others don’t. Kathleena suffers from a mild version of epidermolysis bullosa (EB), a rare and painful genetic skin condition also known as butterfly skin.

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’I feel like I had my pandemic in 2017’- Daniella Moyles on surviving burnout

The weather hasn’t been great all week, says Daniella Moyles, and, luckily, she doesn’t expect any sympathy.  

Davina McCall says symptoms of menopause remind her of when she was a drug addict

Davina McCall has said the symptoms of menopause reminded her of when she was an addict.

Having ‘one or two alcoholic drinks’ a day may prevent heart disease, scientists say

Drinking moderate amounts of alcohol may help protect the heart by dampening stress-related signals in the brain, research suggests.

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‘I went to a fertility clinic hoping to start my family and learned I had metastatic ovarian cancer’

Like many newlyweds, when Serena Whelan got married, she and her husband Fergus dreamed of having a family. But a year later, they were no closer to becoming parents and decided to visit a fertility clinic. This decision proved to be a double-edged sword as they discovered that she would not become pregnant and, even more shockingly, actually had ovarian cancer and would need treatment and surgery as a matter of urgency.

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Has your child developed a lockdown eating disorder?

Last year saw a dramatic increase in the number of children presenting with eating disorders (ED). Up to four times as many young people presented at the children’s hospital in Crumlin with ED in 2020, compared to 2019. There has been a 40pc increase across Sligo/Leitrim Mental Health Services and admissions for eating disorders in the Galway region rose from two to nine cases after February 2020.

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Cian’s legacy: ‘Cian and Cooper were inseparable. Having his pet nearby brought us all joy on the most difficult days’

The comfort brought by his canine companion to a 15-year-old Longford boy during his treatment for a rare form of cancer will be replicated for other sick children thanks to a facility being developed by his parents and a newly established board of directors/trustees.

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Ask Allison: My sister asked me to be guardian for her kids but got mad when I asked if she had also made financial provision. Was I wrong?

I am married with two small children and we both work full time. My sister is a single mother and has asked me if she could put my husband and I down as guardians in her will. This would mean that we would be responsible for her three children — who are younger than ours — should she die. I don’t have a problem in principle, but when I asked her if she had life insurance and other financial provisions in place, she went off on one and called me all sorts of things. I only asked as we are barely scraping by financially ourselves and would have to move to a bigger house to accommodate her kids. I am so cross that she has made me feel bad for asking a reasonable question. Am I wrong?

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‘As a severe asthma sufferer I was used to being cooped up, but then Covid hit and things got a lot worse’

If you think the past year of lockdowns has been tough, for asthma sufferers like 20-year-old Rebecca Houlihan, who has a severe form of the condition, Covid-19 has been like living her own pandemic within a pandemic. The student from Portarlington, Co Laois, was studying social studies before Covid hit. But as news of a pandemic sweeping China reached this country, her doctor advised her to stay home even before the schools closed due to the severity of her condition.

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I set up a platform to connect people with disabilities to employers. If you want diversity in your workforce – come to me

Cora Kearney was driving to work one day in 2007 when she began to lose feeling on her left side. She had been experiencing symptoms for some time by this stage. “It started off with monthly colds and flus. Spikey headaches, losing words. I’d pick something up, a spoon — but couldn’t find the word to explain what it was.”

Ask the doctor: Should I be concerned about the Covid vaccine due to a past blood issue when pregnant?

I was on blood thinners for my last pregnancy as I had antiphospholipid syndrome in a previous pregnancy that resulted in miscarriage. I was tested subsequently and told that the issue was pregnancy-related and nothing to worry about outside that. With all the talk of blood clots and the vaccine, should I be concerned about getting it? I am now in my mid 40s.

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‘It’s very important that people suffering from cancer have someone to talk to... the emotional side is as big as the physical’

Everyone knows that it’s good to talk but sometimes when you are overwhelmed by something, sharing the details can be almost too painful. However, Roxana Nicoleta Dumitru knows the true meaning of ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’, as the 23-year-old has just been through a very gruelling few years after being diagnosed out of the blue with leukaemia and enduring a long treatment programme. The experience made her realise that she wants to devote her future career to listening to others who are going through something similar.

Morning commute can ruin productivity – research reveals 

As the rollout of the vaccine continues and the rate of Covid-19 infections drops, many employees are set to return to their offices by September under plans being developed by the government.

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An alcoholic in a pandemic: How I fought the anxiety, the lack of routine - and stayed sober throughout

I’ll always be an alcoholic. The drinks cabinet in my Waterford home has earned my gaze more than it did prior to the unwelcome arrival of Covid-19. How could it not? And I will always know my triggers. Thankfully, vodka remains nothing more than a concept for me, as does the prospect of sipping a tangy limoncello on a lounger in Capri on a scorching day, loaded with the promise of the next sip.

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Ask Allison: My husband and I argue a lot because I feel he is controlling and finds fault with everything I do – am I over-reacting?

My husband and I get along pretty well, but if ever there is a disagreement, I get so confused about whether or not I am at fault. I’m no angel, but I have a deep resentment towards my husband for a couple of things, such as his controlling attitude. I also get very triggered when he says things like, ‘why don’t you do it this way?’ or ‘you would be better off doing that’. He also does this to the kids and he would re-do the dishwasher after I have done it. I react by calling him a bully and then we have an argument. How can I get some clarity on what is going on with us? Am I over-reacting?

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If you have a child between four and eight with an unexplained limp, or a limp with no pain – go see your GP

Oisín Moore is 11 and a devoted follower of his local GAA club. His growing collection of hurls is his pride and joy. Each hurl represents a surgery that he has had in his young life as a result of Perthes’ disease — a rare condition that many have not even heard about. After a limp was mentioned in a routine appointment, Oisín’s GP suggested to his mum, Lillian, that the family go to the local A&E, the first of what were to become many visits in a long journey towards answers.

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Want a happier, calmer and more fulfilled life? Then try a six-minute daily diary habit

The word ‘routine’ might sound a lot like ‘rut’ in two syllables — boring, repetitive, samey, dull — but the reality is that our bodies love a bit of routine. Particularly in the morning, where established habits and rhythms can help set us up for the day, aiding mood, sleep, and overall well-being. Ayurveda — Sanskrit for ‘life science’ and developed in India around 3,000 years ago in conjunction with yoga — has always known the benefits of a repeated morning ritual.

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The heart condition that is often misdiagnosed as panic attacks: ‘My racing heart was annoying and inconvenient – but I didn’t know it could be dangerous’

The sensation of your heart racing is familiar to many people. Usually it’s nothing to get concerned about and quite often can be attributed to stress, those ill-advised extra cups of coffee or even a heavy meal and certain medications. But this was the not case for Sinead Laird, who was experiencing episodes where her heart would beat rapidly for hours.

Try vitamin C-packed dandelions in tea, stir-fries and fritters – and you can forage them for free

Is the long lockdown bringing out our inner bohemian? The longer we have to sit and be where we are, the more we see the things on our doorsteps. This is the time to get out foraging for the free, wild herbs pushing through the soil, full of living nutrients and minerals, and totally yummy too.

The Real Health Podcast: Simple and easy guided meditation with Today FM's Dermot Whelan

In 2007 Dermot Whelan, arrived at a comedy festival in an ambulance after having a panic attack en route. Realising this was not a sustainable way to travel to future gigs, he decided to become a meditation teacher and learn how to de-stress without annoying the emergency services.

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‘Women are going through fear and trauma alone in maternity hospitals. You need the support of your partner’

“I think it’s very welcome that they’re reviewing their policy,” reflects Yvonne Tchrakian, who gave birth to daughter Penelope earlier this month. This was in response to comments earlier this week from Dr Peter McKenna, the clinical director of the HSE Women and Infant’s Health Programme, that maternity hospitals can now consider easing their visitor policies.

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Anxiety, bad sleep and painful sex are just some of the menopause symptoms women put up with – but there is help at hand 

Many women will remember sitting through the ‘period’ talk at school. But when it comes to navigating the menopause and the perimenopause years preceding it, women are in uncharted territory and often feel alone.

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‘I’ve given up smoking so many times, but every time I had a drink I would have a cigarette again – this time is different’

According to The Healthy Ireland Survey in 2019, 17pc of Irish people aged 15 and over are current smokers. And while this equates to 665,000 smokers in that age bracket, the numbers are actually going down — in 2007, 29pc of Irish people over the age of 15 were smokers.

‘Laying people off is the hardest’ – The Happy Pear on business struggles, big egos and going back to basics

Want to know what the opposite of social distancing is? The Happy Pear twins Stephen and David Flynn, 41, are sitting out the back of their vegan shop in Greystones, Co Wicklow, on a glorious spring morning, eating the same wholemeal falafel pitta. Not a pitta cut in half, you understand, but the same pitta, with its scalloped hem of sibling-bites.