16 May 2020
Over the last few weeks, whilst working in the local ED department and UCC, I have been reflecting on the clap for the NHS.
As much as the weekly clap has shown how much the NHS is appreciated, it also seems to reflect a need that a lot of people have to be able to be proactive at a time when a lot of people feel impotent in their ability to ‘fight’ this infectious disease.
I would like to think that we can all do something to Help the NHS, and that can be something that will benefit not only us as individuals, but society and ultimately the precious health service that has survived from its inception, free at the point of service.
12 June 2019
Within society we often vilify fat and its contents, we get a lot of conflicting advice and misinformation about the types of fat that we eat, what we should and shouldn’t eat. We also ignore the fact that we are consuming a huge quantity of sugar on an individual and societal basis. This has hit the headlines recently with the sugar tax, and a number of articles I’ve read in the national press regarding the increase in obesity, dental decay and general ill health in children. We do have a responsibility as parents to make ourselves aware of the amount of sugar that our children consume, but it’s often very difficult to do that as a lot of the added sugar is hidden in the foods that we buy on a daily basis.
My challenge for you in June is to think about the sugar that is added to your food, and consider that we should be consuming sugar this much sugar;
14 June 2018 
Diabetes is becoming an increasing health problem within the UK population and it’s developing in younger and younger individuals, as a result mainly of the way we live our lives today.
Diabetes is a significant diagnosis for the people that get it, and can affect many systems within the body. This can result in blindness, cardiovascular disease and in some cases amputation, as a result of vascular problems.
My take on diabetes is that prevention and the correct advice being given is all important.
- Risk - I think recognising if you have a high risk of developing diabetes is the first thing that you can do. So those people that have a family history of diabetes, a family history of high blood pressure, of cardio vascular disease, should potentially be looking at their lifestyle in relation to this.
31 January 2019
I’ve been in the midst of my first cold of 2019 so have been thinking about all the things I can do to help myself feel better. I thought I’d share my 3 top tips to help you feel well during these cold days;
1. Hydration
It’s really important in the winter that we stay hydrated. It can be very hard to keep up our water intake, especially drinking cold water in this cold weather (up to two litres for adults is recommended). However, a top tip I was exposed to in China is the art of drinking hot water. Having run out of fruit tea bags and not wanting to consume caffeine I started drinking hot water about 6 months ago. Just use boiled water from the kettle, it warms you up, keeps you hydrated and there’s nothing in it so it can’t be bad!
22 May 2018
I started my Dementia Action week by attending a conference with Dr Dale Bredesen talk about his ReCODE protocol, which is an innovative programme using lifestyle measures to help reverse memory decline. So far there has been some hundreds of cases where memory loss has been reversed. With some further training I will be offering this in the near future. If you’d like to know more please do feel free to contact me; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
When I think of people living with dementia, I am reminded of a conversation that I had with my 7-year-old daughter last week. She asked me “Mummy why do you talk to strangers?”.