Marianne Heron

Look out behind you! It’s Panto time!

AS I SEE IT

MARIANNE HERON

THERE was an awful moment of doubt in the’ Oh no you can’t, oh yes you can’ dilemma about whether or not it was all right to go to the Pantomime in these Covid curtailed times. But thankfully Panto tradition has survived given the reassurance from on high that we can still enjoy one of the treats of the year.

Growing up in Belfast the highlight of the festive season, after the day itself, was the Christmas pantomime. Performed in the gilt and plush of the 1895 Grand Opera House. Whatever happened to be on, from Aladdin to Puss ‘N Boots, would be a brilliant mix of familiar and surprise in a tradition which has its roots in the masques and gender bending casting of the 17th century.

As a kid I didn’t bother my barney about why the principal boy was a girl with fantastic legs on show or why the Pantomime dame was a guy. e gold elephants decorating the auditorium were a worry though. Wouldn’t they get tired holding up those pillars? Like my brother and sister, I would be on the edge of my seat waiting for the transformation scene where Aladdin’s jewelled cave, Cinderella’s ball scene or the world Jack found when he climbed the beanstalk would be revealed as if by magic.

en there was the sheer glee of watching actors sling custard pies at each other or the audience participation and being able to roar out, “Look out he’s behind you” when the ghost or monster loomed behind an unsuspecting leading character. On one occasion the monster was a terrifying King Rat and it all got too much for my brother who howled and su ered nightmares afterwards. He was only four at the time but he was back again the following year for another show.

Our parents enjoyed the shows too, I guess on di erent levels revisiting their own childhoods, laughing at the double meanings and political jokes children didn’t get. But most of all for the way kids believe what they see and are enchanted by the magic created by the Panto cast.

In towns and cities all around Ireland as Covid gures soared and there were rumours of another lockdown casts of the current pantomimes and theatre management must have been heaving a collective sigh of relief. e show will go on whether it’s Cinderella at the Watergate eatre in Kilkenny, Aladdin at the national Stadium in Dublin, Pinocchio e Greatest Wonder Of e Age at the Lyric eatre in Belfast or Red Riding Hood at the Helix.

All those incredible costumes, the gorgeous scenery and stories where children know that no matter how bad the baddies (and you get to boo them) the goodies always win in the end, won’t go to waste. Who knows if those seasonal shows with huge casts and costs, which rely on audience takings might not be back again next year and Covid would have claimed another victory.

In this situation it’s been left to us to use our common sense and make our own decisions about whether or not it’s a good idea to go rather than being dictated to by the experts. Hopefully by the time the Panto season is in full swing the Covid numbers will have declined further, children will be getting vaccinated and more of us will have had our booster jabs.

We all need some magic and enchantment in our lives especially right now. It’s good to know that need is recognised and that the child still survives in some of our decision makers. I hope they get a chance to go to the Panto too.

Psoriasis

CLAIR WHITTY

LET’S talk about psoriasis. is is a chronic autoimmune skin condition where the skin can be in amed, with red and scaly patches, these patches can be itchy, and can crack and bleed. e skin cells are producing faster than in healthy skin causing this build-up of scales. for example, on the elbows and knees but it can develop on any part of the body. ere are many contributing factors including hormonal imbalance, stress, and digestive problems. You may be intolerant to certain foods and these are best avoided. Foods that can aggravate include: alcohol, chocolate, dairy, sugar, yeast, gluten, or wheat especially during a are-up. Keep an eye on the products you put on your skin, they can have nasty ingredients that can cause problems too. ere are many supplements that you could consider. e main ones I would recommend would a probiotic, Vitamin D, an Omega 3 sh oil supplement to help reduce in ammation, with Milk istle to support liver health.

You will need a cream to keep the skin hydrated. Take a look at Holos - is is More, Get Better Butter. It can be used on the face, hands, body, and feet, and is suitable for eczema, psoriasis, or any dry irritation of the skin. It’s a deeply hydrating creamy butter, suitable for sensitive skin. e product is a blend of Organic Shea Butter, Organic Cocoa butter & Jojoba oil with essential oils of juniper and lime. It’s vegan and cruelty-free. It can be used as a treatment and a maintenance cream. Holos creator Niamh Hogan says “Users are seeing improvements in their skin after a couple of days. It cleared up my own dermatitis which I had for 4 years”.

Nutritional practitioners and Functional Medicine practitioners take an individual approach to your health. ey look at your diet and lifestyle and help you to make the changes needed. You might be interested to take a look at Dr Hyman.com and see his 8 Strategies to Eliminate Psoriasis, I think you’ll nd it an interesting read; I know I did, there is some useful information in there.

Psoriasis can be complex, we don’t have a quick x, but we are happy to chat with you to help guide you in the right direction.

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MOST of us will be familiar with that feeling right after Christmas dinner, and you slouch on the couch, and you just feel like sleeping. It might be just the afternoon, but there is a science behind that nap.

Consultant Gastroenterologist Dr Deirdre O’Donovan saays our energy levels are profoundly a ected by our gut health. “ is can be through several mechanisms. We are all familiar with that desire to have a nap after Christmas dinner, and that is because a high-calorie meal requires an increase in blood ow to the gut as part of the digestive process with an associated drop in blood pressure systemically and particularly to our brains, hence that sleepy feeling.

“I think there is a growing awareness that what we eat/ the gut health has a direct bearing on our energy levels. I guess what I would be more worried about is people not spotting an underlying condition. If symptoms are not improving it may be a sign of a more signi cant process going on that needs medical input.” e festive period tends to be a time for all the wrong foods, and while it’s nice to treat ourselves. GP Phillip Kieran says that our guts simply don’t like sugary, fatty or processed foods and be more mindful of what we consume.

Dr O’Donovan says that meal composition is critical, and we want to aim for a nice balance of macronutrients to allow an easier digestive process.

“In some cases, people will drop their blood pressure signi cantly after a carbohydraterich period. is applies particularly to people with diabetes and older patients who may feel tired after a meal or infants run the risk of fainting, and that’s caused by a problem of the autonomic nervous system.

“In many cases, conditions like coeliac disease when untreated causes fatigue because patients do not absorb necessary nutrients, especially iron from their diet. Other gutrelated diseases which cause bleeding from the bowel can also result in anemia, and lack of energy may be the only sign to alert someone that something is wrong. For others, dysbiosis/alterations in the natural gut ora can contribute to what many refer to as ‘brain fog’ and profound lassitude, and this can be helped by introducing a good probiotic. Al orex is one I generally recommend”.

When we do feel run down or tired, a lot is happening in our gut. Depending on the cause, feeling run down can re ect underlying anemia, ie. low iron, or vitamin B12.

“In those cases, your gut ‘villi’ the nger-like projections that absorb iron may be faltered as in the case of coeliac disease, or there may be antibodies oating around in the blood preventing the absorption of B12 as in the case of Pernicious anemia,” says Dr O’Donovan.

“Interestingly, a large proportion of our immune system is based in our gut, and our resident gut ora likely interacts with this daily. is can potentially switch on and o speci c immune responses. is is an area where a lot of research is happening, so we await the outcome of those investigations and whether is some way we might be able to pro le in detail what’s happening to our gut ora during periods of stress in our lives and how our immune systems respond to this changes; more importantly how we might in uence them positively,” says Dr.O’Donovan.

Dr O’Donovan says people often ask if there is anything they can do to help, but at the start, it’s simple supportive management. She does recommend getting a good night’s sleep, reducing alcohol and ca eine.

She says getting regular exercise and eating a balanced diet also helps. Dr O’Donovan also says people should consider taking a probiotic like Al orex.

Maybe 2022 should be less about the ‘To Do’ lists and more about the ‘To Be’ lists? at sleep issue and your ability to fall asleep could be underpinned by the ruminating regrets of all the things you didn’t tick o the former list.

Dr O’Donovan says: “It’s been a tough year for everyone. Be aware of how stress a ects you as an individual as we are not designed to cope with stress 24/7. Practice ‘self-care’ whether it’s learning to say no/ mindfulness/meditation/ complementary therapies such as acupuncture as they can all play a role.

“Also, there’s always the debate of ‘nature vs nurture’, but we can’t blame genetics for everything. We see certain conditions a ecting the bowel like in ammatory bowel disease where genetics is important, but often the timing of the disease presenting itself is in uenced by a stressful period in one’s life, a ecting immune responses.

“It sounds corny, but we all need to listen to our bodies. Try and respect them, take the simple steps outlined here, and if symptoms persist or if it’s not improving it may be a sign of a more signi cant process going on that needs medical input, and you need to contact your GP.”

Dr. Phillip Kiernan advises people to drink ample water, reduce alcohol consumption and keep up the exercise.

“Water is the healthiest thing to drink and is particularly important for gut health. It’s easy to drink too much alcohol over Christmas, which can harm the lining of the gut and the balance of bacteria. Staying well hydrated with water can reduce some of this negative e ect.

“Although we might enjoy having a few beers or a few glasses of wine to relax, our guts too often pay the price. Flatulence, bloating, and belching are all common e ects of booze on the gut. One of the best things you can do is to instead hydrate with water. Exercise is that magic medicine that positively a ects every aspect of our health, and our gut is no exception,” he says.

“In fact, there is evidence that exercise changes the bacteria in our guts for the better. It also helps prevent constipation and moves along with unwanted gas which can be an issue around Christmas time”.

His advice is to reduce junk food and try a probiotic.

“Try to avoid junk foods like soft drinks, biscuits, and chips. Also, make sure to get some bre in the diet, this is so hard to do when we are surrounded with our usual Christmas fare. Instead, try to plan ahead and keep healthy snacks at hand,” he says.

SPECIAL REPORT The science behind the festive ‘food

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How to eat well when gluten is your Grinch

WHO wants to be ill at Christmas? e answer, of course, is no one. But for the more than 50,000 people with coeliac disease and 450,000 people who are gluten in- tolerant, spending time with family and friends during the festive season can be full of risk as they try to avoid becoming ‘glutened’ and sick as a result.

To help those who need to live gluten free, and those who might be hosting them, the Coeliac Society of Ire- land, in association with Tesco Ireland, has created a comprehensive Gluten Free Christmas Survival Hub on- line. e hub is packed full of information and practical advice from health and nutrition experts, as well as im- portant tips, tasty recipes, and cook-along videos from top chefs, and helpful hints about staying healthy over the festive season. Most importantly, there is clear information on how to pre- pare food in a safe manner to avoid cross-contamination of food with gluten – allowing everyone to cater for guests who have to live gluten free.

Coeliac Society of Ireland chief executive Gill Brennan said: “Christmas is a time of celebration and indulgence, and it should be no di erent for those who cannot eat anything containing gluten. Even a tiny amount of it in someone’s Christmas dinner can make someone with coeliac disease very ill.

“ at’s why we developed the Gluten Free Christmas Survival Hub as a one-stop shop for not only the esti- mated 50,000 coeliac su erers and 450,000 who are gluten intolerant in Ireland, but for family and friends who might be cooking for them over the festive season.

“Living with a lifelong autoimmune condition like co- eliac disease or being severely gluten intolerant can be stressful at the best of times. Around Christmas it can be worse as su erers try to navigate various social occasions where they could accidentally be fed something that will make them ill.

“For those hosting coeliacs, the last thing they want to do is cause one of their guests to su er unnecessarily. e good news is that with the right information and advice, all of this can be avoided, and we would encourage everyone to visit the Gluten Free Christmas Survival Hub on the Coeliac Society website to nd out more.”