Archive

  • How to give cellulite the bum's rush

    Dear Martina, I am in my twenties and although healthy, have a sluggish circulation with advanced cellulite covering my thighs and bottom. I used to be overweight but now eat a balanced diet and exercise consistently every day. I am trying to get rid

  • Weight watching with Judy Citron

    Those of you who are struggling to lose weight will understand exactly what I mean when I say you have a love-hate relationship with food. Your attraction to it is so strong you can't do without it and, at the same time, when you do over-indulge, you

  • Changing role of pharmacists

    It takes five years of training to become a fully-qualified pharmacist so there is clearly much more to the job than dishing out paracetomol and plasters. In fact, they can offer essential advice, information and support about a wide range of minor illnesses

  • Support in the battle to quit smoking

    When trying to give up smoking, there are several factors to take into account. It is not just about deciding one day not to have a cigarette, getting help and support as you battle the cravings can make all the difference. National Stop-Smoking Centres

  • An Ofsted childcare inspector calls

    Imagine a situation where there were no national standards.Where, for instance, no one agreed about the weight of a kilo. You could have Lewes insisting it was 1,000 grammes, while Manchester defined it as 1,200, or vice versa. Unthinkable. But there

  • Adur Council

    Elections in Adur are always interesting, with nobody quite sure who will hold the balance of power after the ballot papers have been counted. In recent years it has swung from the Liberal Democrats to no overall control and currently to the Conservatives

  • Working out: Kick-start reluctant teens

    "My 15-year-old son is a bit reluctant to shape up. He needs to get more active and lose a bit of weight. "How can I persuade him to do this, even though he hates sport at school?" - Mrs D Turner, Arundel Some kids are superfit and active with endless

  • How Sarah's killer was caught

    Sarah Payne placed a tiny milk tooth under her pillow on the evening before she was kidnapped and murdered. It was meant for the tooth fairy. Instead, detectives came to take it. They used DNA extracted from the root to obtain a genetic profile of the

  • Fit ball can be a barrel of laughs

    The fit ball is a great aid to developing your overall training regime in many ways. It will give you a real challenge in the gym or at home and help you to develop you balance, awareness in space, muscle co-ordination and core postural strength. It will

  • Weight watching with Judy Citron

    "Comfort eating" is a phrase (and activity) you may be quite familiar with. It is widespread and a common cause of being overweight. By definition, when we comfort eat we are not physically hungry. Instead, we are eating to bury our feelings and unmet

  • Shopping can be a learning curve

    Your temperature's rising. You're starting to get edgy. Then, the fear that someone might approach with: Can't you keep that child under control? But what can you do when you have no option but to take an unwilling four-year-old to the supermarket? First

  • 'A cunning and glib liar'

    A menace to children and every parent's and grandparent's nightmare come true: The judge's own verdict on Roy Whiting. Mr Justice Curtis told the paedophile he would be kept in prison for the rest of his life. The judge told Whiting, who was jailed for

  • Weight Watching with Judy Cirton

    Do I have the true secret of weight loss? Yes and no. I have but you probably won't want to hear it because it's not what you're hoping for. I'm going to ask you to stop seeking the big secret and ask you to pay attention to a smaller secret that you

  • Foresight's better than hindsight

    Is it just me or has the world gone completely mad? We hear of parents having genetically modified, designer babies. One with a talent for strumming the balalaika perhaps, or one with multicoloured stripes who blends in beautifully with the furniture.

  • Give blood and save more lives

    Giving blood is a way of life for Mark Allwright. He has recently donated his 200th pint of blood and has encouraged his wife and children to become donors as well. Mr Allwright, from Worthing, is carrying on the traditions passed down to him from his

  • Weight Watching with Judy Citron

    I'd like to recommend the following attitude to life: "Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly at first". That may surprise you but it is very relevant to dieting. It's at about this time of the year - a few weeks into a new year - that so many people

  • Is our daily bread making us ill?

    Our eating habits have always been inextricably linked to the state of our health. Take bread, which used to be regarded as the staff of life. About 9,000 years ago in the Middle East, Stone Age man began mixing wild grains with water into thick paste

  • In at the deep end for fitness

    The most common image of hydrotherapy is doing exercises in a swimming pool but there are other types of treatments that can be used as well. Hydrotherapy is the use of water to treat disease or illness and has been around since ancient times. Many conditions

  • Weight loss as a creative challenge

    One of the funniest articles I ever read about dieting was written some years ago, yet I remember it to this day. I apologise for not being able to give credit to the writer because I don't remember who it was or even in which newspaper I saw it. Even

  • How to cope with high pollen counts

    About 15 million people in Britain suffer from hay fever, an oversensitivity to pollen, spores and moulds. Symptoms range from violent sneezing, stuffy, itchy, runny noses and sometimes sore throat, ears, eyes and head. The culprit is histamine, a natural

  • Exercise can help beat osteoporosis

    In recent articles, I have been covering prevention and managementof osteoporosis, which you may know as brittle-bone condition. This week, I have included a set of exercises that can be used individually or as agroup of exercises in a circuit format.

  • Grapefruit seeds wage germ warfare

    The next time you eat a grapefruit, treat it with added respect. I bet you didn't know that the extract from its seeds, pulp and inner rind form a potent antimicrobial which cleans and disinfects virtually everything. Grapefruit seed extract was discovered

  • Identifying the role of diet in autism

    Hippocrates (460-370 BC), the father of medicine, maintained that all diseases begin in the gut. The gut is the gateway to your body, the place where food is broken down into molecules, absorbed into the bloodstream and distributed to cells after waste

  • Drawing on ancient tribal wisdom

    IN 1838, the Cherokee Indians were forcibly evicted from their homeland in Georgia after gold was discovered there. They undertook, on foot, an arduous 800-mile journey westwards to Oklahoma. During the six-month ordeal, thousands of Cherokees died, yet

  • Quality people need quality foods

    Despite all the resolutions, do you lose out in the power struggle with the wrong kind of food? Our bodies are made from molecules derived from what we eat so, of course, we need food. But why is it that when I reach for an apple, I choose chocolate instead

  • ME finally recognised as a disease

    Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) has finally been given disease status in government report this month. It is a great vindication for sufferers of ME (also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome) who have been consistently ridiculed and labelled hypochondriacs

  • Never let it happen again

    The parents of murdered Sarah Payne have called on the Government to ensure other families do not suffer their tragedy. Speaking as their daughter's killer Roy Whiting began a life sentence for murder and kidnap yesterday, Sara and Michael Payne said

  • 'Evil' Whiting caged for Sarah killing

    Roy Whiting was today found guilty of the abduction and murder of eight-year-old Sarah Payne and sentenced to life. The 42-year-old killer, who had a previous child sex conviction, was told by trial judge Mr Justice Richard Curtis that he was "every parent's

  • A resolution that's easy to swallow

    Symbolically, the New Year signifies a renewal life, hence our desire for regeneration and celebration. Modern-day festivities encourage unbridled drinking and eating and are geared less towards restoring health and sanity. By sampling some healthy New

  • Weight watching, with Judy Citron

    Maybe I'll never convince you but I'll have a jolly good try: It isn't a forgone conclusion you put on weight over the holiday season. Train yourself to eat slowly and more slowly again. Of course, that will only help if you eat less as a result. It's

  • How to let your children play to learn

    A happy childhood is the best present parents can give a child, but that depends on more than any one or even two individuals. As social animals, we thrive on the whole "busyness" of being, learning and sharing with others. This is even more true of three

  • Starting the countdown to Christmas

    Now is the time to start your Christmas prepar-ations in earnest. Tell everyone their Christmas cards must have been lost in the post and don't even think about hunting for presents until the day before the event. It is pointless getting worried in advance

  • How not to overdo the festive spirit

    The simple way to avoid a hangover is not to drink. While that method is fine for some, for many others it's missing the point. Perhaps a more realistic option is to find ways of enjoying a few drinks and having a good time without facing the full repercussions

  • Weight watching, with Judy Citron

    Many people struggling to lose weight say: "I'm just not motivated, I can't do it." Today, I'd like to muse with you on this issue of motivation. What is it? How can you acquire some? The American motivation guru Anthony Robbins suggests we are all motivated

  • Take children to a world of good food

    Hassocks is definitely the place to be. A few weeks ago, went to an open morning at Hassocks Health Centre. It was organised by the local Patient Participation Group, charitable organisation which encourages health education, held in a GP's surgery. The

  • Standing up for your right to choose

    Momentous world events have a habit of dragging us away, kicking and screaming, from the relentless preoccupation with ourselves. Suddenly, liberty and freedom of choice become important concepts which need to be defended against narrow-mindedness and

  • Time to learn your abc of nutrition

    Light relief this week with another quiz to catch you out. No prizes for guessing the most sensible answer. 1. Apart from cranberries, which berries help to prevent cystitis? a) Eric Clapton and The Travelling Wilburys. b) Blueberries. c) Beri-beri. 2

  • The fun to be had teaching your child

    "My child can count up to 20 and write her name and she's only three." Does this sound familiar? But for all you competitive parents, there are many more important lessons to be learned in the early years. Just as children learn to crawl before they can

  • On the alert for aluminium intake

    Seeing is not necessarily believing in Camelford in Cornwall. Twenty tons of aluminium sulphate were accidentally tipped into the wrong tank in 1988, contaminating the water supply. When people complained of green hair, joint pain, sickness and memory

  • The Eskimo way to treat joint pain

    Over the past few years, I have enjoyed many a fine mackerel caught by a generous neighbour who fishes along the Sussex coast. Fish is good for us, we have known it since the Seventies when scientists discovered Eskimos had a far lower rate of heart disease

  • Balancing the mind and body

    Elaine Gibbons has been working as an acupuncturist for nearly ten years. During that time she has seen her clientele grow until now she is dealing with about 30 patients a week. The use of acupuncture has increased in popularity so much that some GPs

  • The deadly bacteria

    An outbreak of meningitis in East Sussex last month led to thousands of people being given antibiotics as a protection against infection. However, health experts are urging people to keep calm and reminding them the number of cases reported every year

  • Coping badly with overwork

    With overwork, redundancy and the current economic downturn exposing employees to unhealthy levels of stress, many people are turning to drugs and alcohol as a means of escape. Up to 14 million working days are lost annually because of alcohol-related

  • The minefield of choosing childcare

    "What's in a name? that which we call a rose/ By any other name would smell as sweet," said Juliet to Romeo. Well names mean plenty in the bewildering range of care options for the under-fives. There's day nurseries, play-groups and pre-schools, parent

  • A treatment for every condition

    When a person suffers from conditions such as back pain, sciatica due to a slipped disc or hip and knee disorders, it can sometimes take a while for recovery. There is a wide variety of available treatments ranging from conventional physiotherapy to shiatsu

  • A pain in the back

    Whether it's a tweak as you turn your head to talk to a colleague or a more serious injury such as a slipped disc, most people have experienced some sort of back pain. Roughly two out of every five adults will experience such discomfort during the next

  • Get the flu jab while shopping

    The annual UK campaign to urge people to take advantage of an offer of a free flu jab has been launched with the help of former boxer Sir Henry Cooper. GP practices across Sussex will be spending the next couple of months vaccinating thousands of people

  • Calcium intake for healthy bones

    Clients often ask whether their intake of calcium is adequate. Their concern is justified since calcium losses are associated with osteoporosis in one-in-three women and one-in-12 men. Other symptoms include muscle cramps, insomnia, tremors or spasms,

  • New treatment eases migraine

    Migraine is a debilitating condition that can have a big impact on work, education and social lives. The most common symptoms experienced at the onset of an attack are partial sight loss, bright flashing lights or stars, difficulty speaking and numbness

  • Heart of the matter

    Learning he had a serious heart condition had a fundamental effect on Neil Critchlow. Just a few months after having a pacemaker fitted to control the abnormally slow and unsteady beating of his heart, the 43-year-old is still coming to terms with the

  • Put your best foot forward

    The most important piece of advice offered by Kirt Strasburg is to wear the right shoes. Badly-fitting shoes are the cause of the vast majority of problems he deals with at his Worthing-based clinic. He said: "One of the main concerns is the shoes some

  • When drinking gets dangerous

    Alcohol abuse has a devastating effect on the drinker, their friends, family and employers. Alcohol often plays an invisible role in crime, domestic and street violence, car accidents and fatal illness. For every person who dies of illicit drug use, ten

  • City GP shortage: It's official

    Brighton and Hove is officially in the grip of a GP recruitment crisis, the Government admitted for the first time today. The city has been added to a list of "under-doctored" areas drawn up by the Department of Health. The list also makes grim reading

  • Be a healthier couch potato

    The Commonwealth Games may be over but watching the event on TV may have prompted some to start on a campaign of healthy eating and exercise. ATHLETICS fans have enjoyed a bumper few weeks this summer with, first, the Commonwealth Games and, more recently

  • A guide to effective training

    Training the right way is not always easy. It can be hard to make a start then maintain or increase the amount of training you do. Another, equally hard, area to consider is how you are training. This week I have included some important dos and don'ts

  • Rother District Council: Con hold

    Conservatives kept their grip in the heart of Rother District Council, winning 13 of the 18 seats in Bexhill. It was as-you-were for the sedate seaside town, which has seen slight ward changes since the last district council election in 1999, as Conservative

  • Make sure of a healthy holiday

    Thousands of people in Sussex are heading for the summer sunshine. Here we consider advice from experts on making your holiday safe. Whether you are planning to soak up the sun in Spain, go for a trek in the Himalayas or spend a week closer to home in

  • Straight to the point of piercing

    The number of people having their navels, eyebrows and other body parts pierced has soared in recent years. Once reserved for the young and rebellious, the practice has been adopted by trendy teens everywhere and even professionals are sporting studs

  • Strip for the latest workouts

    Strip, gyrate and lose weight all at the same time. It sounds more like a scene from a movie than an aerobics workout. But cardio striptease is fast becoming the trendiest way to keep fit. Jennifer Aniston has taken up the hobby and has signed up for

  • A sure sign of development

    Most parents can generally guess by a baby's gurgle, laugh or tone of cry whether their nappy needs changing or whether they are thirsty. But Sasha Felix from Brighton has taken this a step further by organising a series of special classes which combine

  • No morals without sufficient fibre

    In 1972, anthropologist Colin Turnbull wrote an interesting book about an African tribe called the Ik. Originally nomadic hunters, the Ik were forcibly evacuated from their native hunting grounds in Uganda and driven en masse to barren, mountainous areas

  • Early warning on osteoporosis

    About one in three women and one in 12 men over the age of 50 will develop osteoporosis. The condition can cause crippling problems but, for many people, the first time they find out something wrong is after they break bone. The National Osteoporosis

  • Preparing for The Change

    There is really only one thing you can be sure of in life and that is death, so the saying goes. However, for women, there's something else - the menopause. Whoever you are or whatever you do, you will at some stage in your life (usually between the ages

  • There are lies, damned lies and surveys

    For those working parents who have emerged, heads reeling from the latest survey into childcare; there must be as many nurseries and playgroups asking themselves: "What sort of places did the researchers visit?" It follows a survey conducted by the University

  • How to avoid the big sneeze

    Some 12 million people in the UK suffer from hay fever. In more extreme cases this can cause huge disruption, with many having to take time off work and avoid the countryside. As tree pollen concentrations start to rise in early March, sufferers start

  • Put your best foot forward

    Our feet carry us the equivalent of five times round the Earth in an average lifetime. In return, we hide them away in shoes and forget about them - until problems develop. Feet problems affect more than a third of the population and when your feet hurt

  • Ancient therapy warms the body

    Alexandra Schunemann says she may be able to ease modern stress-related problems by using ancient therapy techniques. Many people are now turning to alternative forms of therapy to help them cope with the stresses and strains of daily life. One practice

  • Exercises to put your back into

    Dewi Richards knows first hand the pain and difficulty involved in recovering from a broken back. The keen sportsman was involved in a motorbike accident several years ago and was told by doctors he would never be able to exercise properly again. Mr Richards

  • Green-fingered way to fitness

    There is a lot of pride in producing the best plants and flowers possible and turning your garden into contender for the local Town or Village-In-Bloom competition. But experts say there are plenty of health benefits as well. Mention the word fitness

  • Getting kids to eat their greens

    At work, the last thing any parent wants is a battle with their child about what they are going to eat. When it comes to a choice between spaghetti hoops greens, it is not difficult guess which one most children will go for. Trying to balance what child

  • Fat Club takes the pain out of dieting

    With at least another three months before the height of summer, there is still time to shed the extra pounds that have built up over the winter. Experts helping people to lose weight say it is not enough just to suddenly stop eating things that are bad

  • North Portslade

    Only one seat in Brighton and Hove has remained consistently Labour during the last 25 years. North Portslade, an isolated area of the city, has always been rather fond of its local councillors. First, there were the Hamiltons, father and son. Now there

  • Have a say in your child's education

    Do you want the best for your child? Of course you do. Yet, it seems once you set foot outside the front door, your influence ceases. But there's a group of individuals and organisations, all with different experiences and knowledge, who want your contribution

  • Moulsecoomb and Bevendean

    The combined ward of Moulsecoomb and Bevendean covers several of Brighton's biggest council estates. It ought to be safe for Labour. Indeed, if the party lost this ward, it would be down to just a handful of seats on an authority it has dominated for

  • Hanover and Elm Grove

    Greens are fighting hard to win the new seat of Hanover and Elm Grove but they have a big problem. How do they out-green Labour councillor Joyce Edmond-Smith, who chairs the Sustainability Commission, rides a bike and has solar panels on her Hanover house

  • Creative play can be key to learning

    Does your heart sink when you come across otherwise normal adults who claim never to read novels, preferring some thing factual? Can you contemplate a life in which we all respond like Mr Spock from the Starship Enterprise, who has no imagination and,

  • Hangleton and Knoll

    Young political enthusiasts are rubbing their eyes with wonder as veteran campaigner Brian Fitch takes up every issue and goes to every doorstep in this large, new ward. Coun Fitch has moved over from Hollingbury ward now he lives in Hove. He has been

  • Physical activities for mind and body

    Remember the cinema stereotype of the child genius clumsy, lacking in confidence and isolated? Yes, it's ridiculous, but there's more than a grain of truth in it. Ask most parents what they really want for their children and they'll say to be happy, healthy

  • Vote for the D.I.N.N.E.R. Party

    And now for another Party Political Broadcast on behalf of the D.I.N.N.E.R. Party ... Don't know who to vote for? The D.I.N.N.E.R.(Dishy Ingredients, No Nagging, Eat to Repair) Party is here to give you straight- forward, no-nonsense answers and pull

  • Arun Council

    It is highly unlikely the Tories in Arun will be knocked from power on May 1. But that does not mean the other parties are not ready to do battle. For the Liberal Democrats and Labour are both hoping to capitalise on what they see as a series of recent

  • East Brighton

    The new East Brighton seat should be one of the safest in the city for the ruling Labour Party. As such you might have expected it to field some of its longest-serving figures, such as Councillor Mo Marsh, who now represents Marine ward. But Coun Marsh

  • Why modern humans are puny and ill

    Every so often I need a good moan, so here goes. A young woman came to see me the other day. One of her symptoms was severe, chronic constipation which had eventually resulted in surgery to her back passage. As she was anaemic due to the loss of blood

  • Subsidised sessions for three-year-olds

    Your schooldays are the best days of your life, they say. But surely the reality is that the best days and the truly formative years are those from birth to four, when the foundations are laid for the rest of your life. That's when a love of learning

  • Meagre banquet

    I feel sorry for the local Conservatives in their search for a new leader. They must feel like someone who has been invited to a restaurant, only to find the only item on the menu is a 20-year-old piece of ham. Take it or leave it - and do the washing

  • Nutritional aid for ugly ducklings

    If Hans Christian Andersen had not been dyslexic, he may never have created the tale of The Ugly Duckling. It is a classic story of the outsider 's struggle for acceptance, of an individual who doesn't quite fit in try as he might. Similar setbacks are

  • Wok Wok

    Reviewed: 17th May, 2000 Duke Street, Brighton Tel: 01273 735712 After a weekend of lager and late nights my body was craving a large dose of wholesome and healthy food. I suspect the nine pints of Stella I'd gulped the night before had stripped my system

  • Central Hove

    Jenny Barnard-Langston is one of the best known public figures in Brighton and Hove. She cut a dash as mayor and only two years ago she was Tory candidate standing against Ivor Caplin in the general election for Hove. Then she made a well publicised switch

  • Thinking small can make a big difference

    I have fallen in love with the concept of downsizing! Trade your Merc in for a Mini and think of the savings in terms of petrol and pollution. Trade your mobile phone for a notepad and enjoy the mystery and suspense of waiting for snail mail. Swap your

  • Change your food for a better mood

    As silly adverts go, the one I heard on the radio the other day takes the oatcake. It ridicules people who eat healthy snacks and tells them to swallow a multi-vitamin instead. Pill popping, after all, has been the preferred medical treatment since pills

  • En route for travel demands

    Major improvements to public transport and a clear strategy on the roads are being demanded by candidates for Sussex seats. David Lepper, who is defending his Brighton Pavilion seat for Labour, does not drive and so travels everywhere using public transport

  • Hague swoops in to say how he sees it

    William Hague did his best to avoid Brighton and Hove's acute traffic congestion when he arrived in the city for last night's headline Tory rally. The Tory leader flew in by helicopter to Roedean and his three-car motorcade, complete with security, spin

  • Labour's bid to build on achievements

    Home Office minister Lord Bassam yesterday praised Hove's high-profile policing initiative. He said it was one of the things the Government had been pleased to see. The former leader of Brighton Council said: "It is true we have had a lot of success with

  • Stop moaning and try a tasty alternative

    Is it just me or have I been exposed to a lot of whingeing recently? People moaning about their state of health whilst exposing their bodies to hazardous material such as pesticides, excess sugar and hydrogenated fats. Worrying about their children's

  • When life gets to be a strain

    Family doctors across Sussex are seeing a growing number of people in their surgeries suffering from a range of symptoms and onditions commonly known as Repetitive Strain Injusry (RSI). RSI does not only affect working adults. Children who spend hours

  • Chick out the healthy living pea

    On my recent excursion to Israel, I frequently came across a relation of the green pea called the chickpea (or garbanzo). Chickpeas originated in the Middle East around 7,000 years ago and were one of the first legumes to be cultivated by man. Properly

  • Ancient art that applies pressure

    As a practitioner of Shiatsu in the House of Commons, Andrew Staib is used to helping people who are stressed and under a lot of pressure. Now he has extended his practice to treat patients in Sussex. The ancient art of Shiatsu helps people suffering

  • Worthing Council

    The elections in Worthing this year are generally regarded as a skirmish before the major campaign scheduled for next spring. On May 1, only one third of the council seats are up for grabs and the Liberal Democrats are confident of holding on to their

  • Feature: Making each vote count

    Campaigners for proportional representation claim the voting system makes Parliament unrepresentative. Chris baker reports on the calls for voting reform. It may be another American idea doing rather well over here but vote swapping by email, in a less

  • Knowing how to spot meningitis

    Following the death of her boyfriend from meningitis, Sarah Jones has been campaigning to raise awareness of the dangers of the disease. Miss Jones, from Burgess Hill, did not have time to see Noel Davies before his death because the infection developed

  • Be a role model: Be a sport

    TO succeed in a competitive world, it is increasingly important for children to learn how to set and attain their goals and where better to learn those skills than on the sports field? Of course, top athletes can earn millions from their sport but lessons

  • Explore the natural alternatives to HRT

    According to many experts, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is God's gift to woman kind. As it replaces the levels of oestrogen and progesterone that naturally decline in a woman during and after the menopause, causing trouble-some symptoms such as hot

  • Green hopeful gets on his battle bike

    The Green Party has taken to the streets in traffic-choked Brighton Pavilion with zero emission electioneering. Its candidate Keith Taylor has abandoned the traditional campaign minibus and is using an electric-powered tricycle as his official campaign

  • Fall in to get fit and healthy

    When it comes to fighting the flab, Gaynor Rose is a real success story. She recently managed to lose more than five stones to reach a target weight of 10st 3lb after attending a slimming club in Portslade. Months of healthy and careful eating mean she

  • Therapy in the computer age

    As the the internet and email continues to be a daily part of people's lives, another idea has been developed which may help the health of many. The phrases email and ecommerce are well known but, now, Steven Lee, from Hove, has come up with the idea

  • Tories pledge cash for ailing tourist industry

    Interest-free loans would be made available under a Tory government for businesses hit by disasters such as foot-and-mouth, shadow cabinet member Peter Ainsworth pledged. Mr Ainsworth criticised the Government's response to the epidemic, saying it led

  • Machine eases sufferer's pain

    English literature student and parttime model Alice Friedl has been having pains in her joints since she was ten years old. She was subsequently diagnosed with having rheumatoid arthritis. Now 27, she uses wheelchair but has not let the condition ruin

  • Look the New Year in the eye

    The best way to avoid a hangover is to avoid alcohol altogether but that's no good on New Year's Eve. In an ideal world, everyone has incredible will power and everyone knows when to stop. But this is not an ideal world so the other option is to listen

  • Illness that can leave you low on sympathy

    Tammy Cottingham has a passion for books but has been unable to read for the past two years. Since being diagnosed with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) in 1998, she been unable to pick up her favourites for fear of the pain she might suffer. She said:

  • Help save a life this Christmas

    As people are busy racing around getting ready for Christmas, the last thing to come to mind is the thought of giving blood. But the demand is always there. The National Blood Service (NBS) says the more people who come forward, the more lives can be

  • Doctor who prefers a holistic approach

    For John McKenna, becoming a doctor was never going to just be about prescribing basic pharmaceutical medicines. After first training as a scientist, he worked in Africa for four years. Following his subsequent medical degree, he was eager to learn about

  • Chichester Council

    Most voters in Chichester district have backed the Tories since the mid-Seventies but the other parties are intent on making ground throughout the area. Aside from four years between 1995 and 1999, the Tories have dominated the district council and currently

  • Stop the parade of the pink elephants

    Russians open another bottle of vodka and start again, the Chinese eat oats and peaches and the Scots swear by Irn-Bru. But by far the majority of people across the globe rely on a cup of coffee and the "plink-plink fizz" of products such as Alka Seltzer

  • Getting to the heart of things

    1.4 million people in England suffer from angina, 300,000 have heart attacks and more than 110,000 die as a result of heart problems every year. Several organisations in Sussex exist to help people reduce the risk of developing heart disease and another

  • Natural creams to heal the skin

    Hundreds of people in Sussex suffer from the misery of sensitive skin, eczema and psoriasis which, in some cases, can be difficult to control. Martin James, from Eastbourne, suffered chronic asthma and very sensitive skin when he was a child. He eventually

  • What goes in comes out - eventually

    Lately, I seem to have been rather bogged down with rear-ends. Judging by readership response, it may be a good idea to go into more detail about how to make the digestive machinery function like clockwork or, at least, as regularly. In the world of nutrition

  • 'Natural' way to control weight

    For many people, trying to lose weight and keep it off is the main focus of their lives. Apart from affecting such people's health, weight problems can also have an impact on their self-esteem and social life as they become lethargic and depressed. In

  • Tapping into hidden depths

    Sarah Saunders (not her real name) was devastated when her brother died during an asthma attack nearly a year ago. Miss Saunders, from Brighton, had suffered from asthma herself for nearly 30 years and was desperate for help. She approached her doctor

  • Get to the point of acupuncture

    Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of treatment for pain. In the past 20 years, acupuncture has grown in stature from a rarely-used method viewed with deep suspicion to an accepted alternative treatment used by thousands of people in the UK every

  • What is nutritional therapy?

    This week, you may be delighted to hear that you won't be regaled with what to eat and what not to eat. Hey, let's all relax, take a step back and chill out. Perhaps we are getting a tad obsessive we shop to drop, work-out to burn out and compete to defeat

  • It's time to get back in shape

    Statistics show four in five people experience back pain during their lifetime and the problem is on the increase. The pain ranges from a nagging ache in the lower back to a crippling, stabbing pain that leaves the sufferer unable to do anything but lie

  • Fast track to an emotional cure

    Paul and Val Lynch say they have the p e r f e c t way o f helping people beat their anxieties, phobias and guilt. They both practice the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), described as a psychological version of acupressure, without the needles. It incorporates

  • Don't fear the nit inspection

    One of the most irritating problems for parents as the new school year kicks off is the appearance of head lice in their offspring. The main difficulty with a condition such as head lice is that, in most cases, by the time a parent notices their child

  • Put your feet first for health

    During National Foot Care Week, Siobhan Ryan looks at what steps need to be taken to give feet a clean bill of health In an average lifetime, most people's feet carry them the equivalent of five times around the earth. That's not bad going considering

  • Doctors gave me weeks to live

    After a lifetime of trusting old-fashioned remedies to ward off illnesses, aches and pains, Audrey Parcell thought her body had the healing power to cope with almost any disease. When she started to lose her appetite and feel exhausted all the time she

  • Learning maths can be a fun game

    Mention maths to most adults, and the chances are they'll smile and say, "Not one of my strengths." And the really alarming thing about that sort of defeatism, particularly if it's a parent speaking, is that it fosters the idea that maths is boring and

  • Get smart about fats for kids

    Not for one moment do I imagine that life is easy for our kids. Just consider the stress of being driven to school when you'd far rather walk, or having to put up with politically correct parenting and endless bewildering choices. Do I take up hula hoop

  • Crawley Council

    A vicar who lost faith in New Labour is to stand against the party in Crawley's local elections. The Reverend Malcolm Liles will face a tough battle in Southgate ward, which is a Labour stronghold. Indeed, anyone not flying the red flag in Crawley faces

  • Discover virtues of soya - the golden bean

    An increasing number of people are favouring vegetable protein in their diets rather than relying solely on animal protein (meat, fish, eggs). You can find vegetable protein in whole grains, beans, pulses, seeds and nuts. Vegetarians should eat a mixture

  • Warning on fizzy drinks

    A recent clinical study looked at the damaging effect of fizzy drinks on the bones of teenage girls. Dr Claire McGartland and her team observed that among secondary school children "a high consumption of fizzy drinks by girls during adolescence may lead

  • The herbal alternatives

    Herbal Medicine Awareness Week, organised by The National Institute of Medical Herbalists, runs until September 13. Members of the public will be able to join qualified herbalists on a nationwide series of herb walks this weekend. Our own Brighton expert

  • Council leader targeted by bogus report

    Police have given security advice to the leader of West Sussex County Council after a bogus report made damaging accusations about him. The document on Councillor Henry Smith, leader of the council since October 3, is being investigated by the council's

  • Re-balancing remedies

    Continuing with last week's theme of HRT (hormone replacement therapy), shall mention some more natural ways of dealing with the symptoms of menopause. The fact that HRT with its synthetic oestrogens and progesterones can triple the risk of getting breast

  • Cleopatra's little beauty tip

    Latter-day historians will tell you that I, Cleopatra, am no oil painting. And what do they expect from a mother of four with a busy career? It's hard enough fending off challenges to my throne and overseeing lazy Nubian slaves without having to be a

  • Dealing with the change

    Menopause can be a distressing time for some women while others sail through it. In many cultures, women regard it as a natural process to which the mind and body gradually adapt. As oestrogen and progesterone are the active female hormones which affect

  • How to heal yourself

    Why are we miserable? The key factor we all have as human beings is love for others. Most of us are carers of one sort or another and, as the burden becomes heavier, we crumble under the pressure. This is because we do not recharge our own spiritual batteries

  • Healing with autogenics

    One of the ways in which we can take control of our health in mind, body and spirit is to learn self-help techniques which we can practise easily and which are proven to work. There is a number of powerful techniques such as yogic breathing, meditation

  • Recovering from ME

    Last week, I met up with the ME Society to talk about the holistic management of ME - Myalgic Encephalomyelitis or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). This is now recognised by the Department of Health as a medical condition. ME or CFS can be extremely debilitating

  • Getting kids into sports

    Last weekend, I participated in the Sports Show 2003 at Earl's Court, London (www.liquidexhibitions.co.uk), a new event encouraging children to take up different sports. What a lovely idea to get some of Britain's top athletes and world champions to mingle

  • Firework clues to blaze at shop

    More than 50 firefighters were last night called to a blaze at a disused shop which may have been started by a firework. They went to the property in New Road, Littlehampton, shortly before 6:30pm to find the fire had already spread to the first and second

  • Police station blaze damages patrol cars

    A man has been arrested over a fire which damaged several patrol cars at Chichester police station. Details of the suspected arsonist have not been released. Fire crews from Chichester were alerted at about 3.30am today and went to the Kingsham Road station

  • The power of herbs

    Continuing the theme from last week, let us look at some more rejuvenating herbs everyone can use regularly. Lord Charaka says herbs from the country in which you are born will be in greater in harmony with your body and may work better for you although

  • Detoxing needs care

    Living under the constant mental, physical and emotional pressures of life today coupled with pollution is causing disease in more people at an earlier age. An increasing number of men in their early 40s are suffering from stress-related heart disease

  • 300 hospital jobs still in balance

    The future of King Edward VII hospital in Midhurst remains in the balance today, despite approval for an £18 million development project. Thousands of campaigners were given hope last night as Chichester District Council voted by 22 votes to 19 in favour

  • Rother Council

    Rother is the eastern point of Sussex and includes much of the countryside one associates with the county's picture postcard image. Elections are fought quietly in towns and villages without the passion of big city campaigns. But the electors care fiercely

  • Spring fever is in the air

    Spring is in the air, the sun is shining and the pollen from grass and flowers of trees are being wafted on the breeze. But while the warmer weather and sunshine cheers everyone up, it also brings tears to the eyes of those who suffer from hay fever.

  • The valuable gift of peace

    Body, mind and soul. Freedom, peace and love. Satyam (truthfulness), ahimsa (non-violence), brahmacharya (self restraint). These have been an intertwined trilogy of human existence from time immemorial. Great civilisations flourished on these lofty principles

  • Obesity and the mind

    Since 1980, the number of obese adults and children has doubled in UK. I believe obesity is a result of an imbalanced body, mind and spirit. A number of factors are influential - dietary habits, exercise, mental state, emotional turmoil and spiritual

  • Spotlight returns to Blackpool

    Brighton was putting on a brave face today after losing the lucrative 2002 Labour Party conference to Blackpool. Labour stopped using the Lancashire resort several years ago because of dissatisfaction with its ageing conference centre and the hotels.

  • Mid Sussex Council

    Father and son candidates, the Raving Loonies and a change in boundaries are all ingredients in what could be one of Mid Sussex's most exciting council elections. Unlike councils such as Crawley, which has been Labour since it became a borough in 1974

  • The threat of a heart attack

    The focus of the medical and pharmaceutical industry is currently levelled at high cholesterol levels in the blood as one of the main causes of coronary heart disease. It is recognised that one cannot predict the risk of coronary heart disease or heart

  • The way to a healthy heart

    Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the largest killer in UK, according to the latest statistics published by the British Heart Foundation. It accounts for around 125,000 deaths a year; approximately one-in-four deaths in men and one-in-six deaths in women

  • Remedies to beat the cold

    The sudden change in the weather - with snow, ice and cold winds - looks lovely from indoors when the sun shines on the snow. But it is bad news for people suffering from asthma, chest problems, sinusitis, arthritis and heart disease. Small children get

  • Fully-trained in ayurveda

    Shirodhara is an ayurvedic treatment which has become fashionable among therapists in the UK and the West. It is a soothing and appealing therapy in which warm oil or other medicated fluid is allowed to flow on the forehead from a certain height. This

  • Tasty foods for detoxing

    Since the detox season is in full swing and so much is being said about the subject, I thought it would be the right time to put things into perspective. Today, a 24-year-old lady came to see me feeling tired all the time, low in energy and suffering

  • Detox for a lighter liver

    After the Christmas season's indulgence, with all that alcohol and chocolate, many of us may be feeling quite heavy in the liver. Charak, the ayurvedic physician, says: "A happy soul is a healthy body" and it certainly is lovely, sometimes, to unwind

  • Labour liner idea floated

    Labour Party bosses could moor a huge cruise liner in the sea off Brighton to house delegates at this year's conference. Up to 25,000 delegates are expected to flood into the city for the annual event but there are fears there might not be enough room

  • Easing the menopause

    Concerns over an increased risk of cancer when taking hormone replacement therapy have worried many women. Technically speaking, if you are only replacing what your body is not producing, there should not be any increased risk. However, if we believe

  • Sensible weight loss

    Products that claim to bring about rapid weight loss within days have hit the headlines again. In desperation, people will try anything to lose weight quickly. Being obese can make people feel embarrassed about their looks and can prevent them from enjoying

  • Point of principle

    Diane Abbott has gone down in my estimation for deciding to send her son to a private school. I am an avid listener to the House of Commons when it is sitting and I distinctly remember hearing Ms Abbott criticise Harriet Harman a while ago for doing exactly

  • Keep smiling, stay healthy

    "Body, mind and spirit is the tripod of life," says Charak in his ancient Ayurvedic medicine text. We need to nurture and nourish each component of our being if we wish to keep a happy, healthy balance of energy and fitness. One common example is back

  • Supplements for the brain

    Our desired assets in old age are lucid brain function, memory, alertness of mind, healthy use of muscles and joints and a healthy heart and lungs. Is it not worth looking after them from a young age? Dementia, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease are

  • When my adorable baby died inside me

    For nearly nine months, Catherine Harwood's pulse beat to the rhythm of her baby daughter's tiny heart. She felt every move her daughter made and did everything she could to nurture her little body inside. Catherine fell in love with the baby girl's perfectly-formed

  • Living to a fine old age

    Governments around the world are worried about the problems of looking after our ageing population. Old age has its own unique needs for care. Will we be able to maintain a quality of life and independent living for older people? In September, government

  • Learning should be child's play

    For far too many years childcare has been right at the bottom of the pile. This goes back as far as the 17th Century, when wealthy women farmed their children out to wet nurses rather than ruin their social lives and their bodies. Times have changed,

  • Preventing early ageing

    What is the link between your actual age and the inner ageing process? For example, why do some of us look young and others old for their years? Why do some people get early wrinkling of the skin, memory loss or high blood pressure, which are all part

  • No room at the inns for delegates

    Many Labour Party delegates face staying outside Brighton and Hove during their conference this year because every hotel room is booked. All delegates were able to stay in the city last year despite the event being a sell-out. But Brighton and Hove City

  • Brave drivers

    It's a braver soul than I who can brace himself against gusting autumn winds and torrential rains protected only by a flat cap and waterproofs. So my congratulations to those 500 plus intrepid motorists who weathered their way from London to Brighton

  • Warm up those muscles first

    As Wimbledon draws to a close this weekend, tennis courts mostly abandoned for much of the year fill up. Those inspired by the game want to get in to shape for the summer. But any type of exercise, especially if you are not used to it, can lead to injuries

  • Bin the Prozac, it's chocolate time

    Let me tell you, the quickest route to a girl's heart is through her stomach! Forget looks, fame and fortune, a man has to be able to cook. Or willing to go out at strange hours to buy chocolate, the ultimate in sugar replacement therapy. Easter is my

  • Protesters target Labour conference

    Anti-capitalism protesters are planning a major demonstration on the first day of this year's Labour Party conference in Brighton. Organisers claim they expect 10,000 demonstrators and say they have not ruled out "direct action" on the day. A similar

  • The burdens of anxiety

    The upward trend in stress-related conditions such as depression, anxiety, worry and nervous breakdown among our young and middle-aged population is very worrying. A recent report in the media stated that there was a rise in suicide rates among young

  • Cycling is so good for us

    The one thing that strikes you as you walk around Amsterdam is everybody cycles, walks or takes the tram. Men in suits, women wearing hipsters and mums with their little ones in the front seat. And there is hardly a car in sight - except taxis which are

  • Healing powers of the Dead sea

    The skin disease psoriasis is not contagious, yet it feels like the social equivalent of leprosy. It is a common disorder characterised by unsightly, red, scaly patches produced by a pile-up of skin cells that have replicated too quickly. Little is known

  • Think again

    It seems the plan to impose a bus lane on the A259 between Ovingdean and Peacehaven has been resurrected yet again. Allegedly, this will be achieved without reducing the available road space for other traffic. One wonders how, especially if it is to be

  • Holy herb in the garden

    Tulsi, or holy basil (ocimum sanctum), is considered to be a spiritual herb bestowed with great healing powers. It holds a position of sanctitity and importance in the Hindu religion and tradition. In every home in India, Hindus grow tulsi in the front

  • Cycling: Matt climbs to more glory

    South London rider Matt Goodes stormed up the one-and-a-half mile climb of Chantry Lane at Storrington to win the Sussex CA's open hill climb. Goodes finished in a fast time of 6mins 2.6secs ahead of Tim Mardall (VC Etoile) in second in 6:9.6 to win the

  • Addressing cancer fears

    The incidence of cancer continues to rise, in spite of our highly sophisticated health-care system. Some commendable breakthroughs have been achieved in the treatment of some cancers, such as hormone therapy using tamoxifen for breast cancer, Zoladex

  • Don't be a mad dog in the sun

    The promise of more hot weather to come means thousands of families will flock to the South Coast this summer. With less than month to go before the summer holidays start, Siobhan Ryan looks at how parents can ensure their children and themselves don't

  • Exposing a menace in your mouth

    Why was the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland mad? Probably a victim of mercury poisoning because felt hatters used mercury to polish their top hats. You and your dentist could also be at risk, as mercury is one of the most toxic poisons known to man.

  • Listening to your instinct

    Did you hear on the television how working for more than 40 hours a week can cause heart attacks? Last week, a cousin of mine died from a heart attack at the age of 37 years. When people live under constant pressure, they have to find some way of relieving

  • Woodingdean

    Woodingdean has been Tory for most of the time since it was split from the unwieldy old Warren ward, which used to contain much of Whitehawk as well. But Labour has been represented too over the years, notably by former councillor Joan Moorhouse. The

  • Problems of clean living

    Recent research claims frequent bathing can lead to increased incidences of asthma in babies and young children. From my own experience, I believe we are also seeing more skin problems such as eczema in babies and children. The need to survive requires

  • Hot stuff for pain relief

    Cayeene pepper and chillies, dried ripe fruits of Capsicum Minimum, are a native of South America, Africa and India. Capsicum contains a pungent crystalline principle called Capsaicin, which has been recently introduced in modern medicine as a pain-relieving

  • Making the most of life

    Where is the benefit to our quality of life? This statement, written by Richard White, editor of Southern Business Times, struck me as I opened the page. Nowadays, human values are measured in the value of the stock market and family values on the size

  • Self knowledge for well being

    "The only learning that significantly influences human behaviour is self knowledge." This powerful statement by Carl Rogers was sent to me on the internet by my revered friend and colleague Tony Betts, an international business consultant who has transformed

  • The way to a healthy mind

    The philosophy of ayurveda states that, at any given time, human behaviour reflects and depends on the state of our mind. Ayurveda categorises the state of our minds into three energy types or gunas. Satva guna is the state of purity and clarity of thought

  • Back Technique

    Siobhan Ryan speaks to a woman who is using an old technique to help solve a modern problem. The number of people who spend a lot of their leisure time sitting in front of a computer playing games or surfing the Internet has rapidly increased in the last

  • A rash of skin complaints

    Severe eczema in infants and children can be quite distressing for parents. One mum brought her toddler with severe cradle cap and red, itchy, flaky skin on the face to see me. Initially, this needed treatment with mild steroid cream for a few days, which

  • Attention to detail needed

    BBC Southern Counties Radio programme about children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) highlighted the serious problem such children and their families have with schooling. Children can be labelled as disruptive and non-achievers by heads, teachers

  • Lib Dems to return

    The Liberal Democrats are to stage their annual conference in Brighton next autumn after a gap of four years. The party has booked the Brighton Centre between September 22 and 26 2002. The last time the party met in the city it was under the leadership

  • How to clear a blockage

    With ten per cent of Britain's population regular sufferers and the NHS spending £45m annually on laxatives, I am sure constipation demands serious consideration. The Victorians blamed it for most problems, including sexually deviant behaviour. Constant

  • Just take a deep breath

    Aromatherapy is one of the most pleasant therapies which can help in a number of ways in one's daily life. In its pure definition, aromatherapy relates to the use of various types of aroma to influence certain areas of the brain in order to produce various

  • How to cope with colitis

    Colitis is a serious bowel problem which can cause diarrhoea, stomach pains or cramps, bleeding and the passage of slime from the rectum. People often lose a lot of weight due to vitamin, protein and other nutritional deficiencies. An acute flare-up with

  • Solving gut problems

    Doctor, do you think I have candida? asked 26-year-old Mary when she came to see me. She had been suffering bloating, bowel upsets, food intolerances and a general feeling of tiredness for two years. She also suffered from recurrent vaginal thrush. The

  • Rejuvenation of immunity

    The bounty of nature never ceases to fascinate me. Again and again I return to nature's herbs for answers to illness. While many modern medicines are essential for serious illnesses, there is often no treatment for things like flu, colds, tiredness, ME

  • Basketball: Duck fires warning

    Randy Duck has warned his Brighton Bears colleagues of the pitfalls of Europe. The Bears skipper and point guard knows all about the top flight of the continental game. He played five times in the Euroleague for Nick Nurse's London Towers three seasons

  • On the spot help for acne

    Acne is quite a distressing problem for teenagers which, in severe cases, can be very embarrassing and badly affects their social lives. But acne is not restricted to teenagers. Some women get acne before and during their periods and people under stress

  • Overcoming a fear to speak

    Thousands of people in the UK are forced to radically change their lifestyles and behaviour to cope with the fact they have a stammer. But having the problem does not always mean people have to restrict their lives. Siobhan Ryan speaks to a woman who

  • Healing your inner heart

    Heart disease is the leading cause of mortality in Britain today, accounting for some 235,000 deaths a year. More importantly, angina and shortness of breath relating to heart disease can severely limit the sufferer's physical activities, making life

  • Prevention is the key

    The BBC's Your NHS day on Wednesday sparked a great debate about poor funding and the enormous demands placed on hospital services, GPs, nurses and all primary-care teams. We need more doctors and nurses, more hospital beds and adequate care for the elderly

  • Socialist call to protest

    Socialist Alliance activists are delivering 6,000 leaflets encouraging people to attend a protest during the Labour Party conference in Brighton on September 30. The protest has been called by the Socialist Alliance, the Green Party and Globalise Resistance

  • Restore your self-esteem

    In some cultures, being fat is taken as a a sign of health and beauty but obesity is fast becoming a major problem in Britain. Ayurveda recommends each individual should maintain his or her own healthy weight balance according to his or her body type.

  • The benefits of milk

    Recent scientific research has shown that milk is a healthy drink which could prevent certain illnesses, including cancer. Milk contains many valuable nutrients including essential proteins and amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, essential fatty acids and

  • Choosing the right diet

    Here are some practical hints on choosing the right diet and management of eating habits. If we could learn some things about food energies, if we knew how to eat and drink healthily according to our constitution and our mental, emotional and physical

  • Life-savers

    Your article "Amateurs go on 999 calls" (The Argus, November 1) correctly identified the support the Red Cross gives the Sussex Ambulance Service. This is part of a formal agreement with the NHS in Sussex to provide a pool of ambulance reservists who

  • Healing spirit of Christmas

    Christmas is an auspicious time for reflection and healing, for praying for oneself and for others. The festivities, the partying, the alcohol, the gifts and the frenzy of Christmas shopping bring cheer and a positive feeling to the heart after a long

  • Approaches to cancer

    New Approaches to Cancer is a charity that was set up some 30 years ago to offer support to cancer patients, carers and healthcare workers. Since then, several charities have been established in the UK to work together on this task. One of the important

  • The cancers in society

    Travelling in India is always a fascinating, eye-opening experience. The noisy activities of an affluent, modern society which lives in harmony with traditional India in a symbiosis that baffles logic, is overwhelming. The magnificent bungalows, cars

  • Walkway will keep city moving

    A bridge linking two Brighton hotels to keep the city moving during the Labour party conference. The 18ft-high walkway will allow delegates to safely walk from the Metropole Hotel to the Grand Hotel. It will enable Cannon Place to remain open to traffic

  • The healing power of art

    Last Saturday, I heard about the work being done by the Arts For Health centre which is based at Manchester Metropolitan University. Peter Senior, the pioneer of an international movement bringing the services of artists and designers to the world of

  • In Brighton

    Mrs Gobey is puzzled as to why some people living outside the City of Brighton and Hove give their postal address as Brighton. If she looks at the postcode directory, she will see the correct post town for Portslade, Fishersgate, Poynings and Southwick

  • Massage and migraines

    Migraines are quite common and debilitating. They can be caused by a variety of situations; where intense concentration is required, where there is a lot of strain on the eyes, where a lot of talking is involved, as a result of hightension scenarios and

  • FA Cup: Reds striker agrees new deal

    Carl Wilson-Denis has given Crawley Town a massive boost ahead of their FA Cup first round clash with Telford by promising to commit his future to the Reds. The striker has delayed making a decision on whether to sign permanently since being released

  • Looking after your prostate

    Men are poor at looking after themselves. They often postpone seeking medical help until things are quite bad. Problems with enlarged prostate and poor urinary flow are quite common. Frequency, urgency and incontinence of urine can make life very miserable

  • Exams can be a killer

    This is the time to support teenagers who have just had the results of their A Levels or college courses and are in a dilemma over their future careers. Quite often we, as parents, are unable to judge the hidden anxieties, fears and moods which our children

  • Herbs to remember

    There is so much to do and remember these days, it is little wonder premature memory loss is not uncommon. Many of us find prolonged stress and too much work causing lack of concentration, memory loss and even personality changes. Dramatic alterations

  • Labour vows conference goes ahead

    The Labour party said today it had no plans to cancel its party conference in Brighton. Party officials were responding to speculation the event would be abandoned in the wake of the US terror attacks. Downing Street also insisted the conference, which

  • Westbourne

    Westbourne is the only urban seafront ward which has not been represented by Labour councillors. It is not that different from neighbouring wards in its composition so one reason for Tory success must be the rapport between residents and their councillors

  • Still Sussex

    Mrs JM Gobey criticises residents of Southwick and Shoreham for using Brighton as their address, saying that they should use West Sussex instead (Letters, November 3). That's okay as far as it goes but the proper county name we should all be using is

  • Hinsh hails Wilkins

    Dean Wilkins has been hailed as "one of the best youth coaches in the country." The accolade comes from Martin Hinshelwood, Albion's director of football. On Tuesday night Adam El-Abd became the latest of Wilkins' graduates to play for the first team

  • Miracle Magnet

    The arrival of summer conjures up images of long evenings and sunshine. But for thousands of allergy sufferers, it can be an annual nightmare. Siobhan Ryan looks at what can be done to relieve the problem. Wasps and bees, nettle rash, prickly heat and

  • Help me fight this parking extortion

    The other night I narrowly avoided becoming yet another victim of Brighton and Hove City Council's parking policy. Having returned home at 7pm, during controlled hours, to find no residents' spaces available in zone N, I parked on double yellow lines

  • Albion duo in shop window

    Two fringe members of Albion's squad have been given permission by Mark McGhee to play in the first round of the FA Cup for other clubs. David Lee is on loan to Thurrock, who entertain Luton tomorrow night. Dean Hammond lines up for Leyton Orient at Grantham

  • Anger can make you ill

    An interesting phenomenon in the cause of disease has caught my attention recently. Over the past few months, five patients with heavy, irregular bleeding, all having fibroids, have consulted me for holistic treatment. Heavy, irregular bleeding in younger

  • St Peter's and North Laine

    Brighton and Hove is one of the few major councils which has strong representation from four parties. The Greens are determined to keep it that way, which is why so much effort is being put into the St Peter's and North Laine ward. Seven years ago in

  • Coping with daily stress

    Once the clubbing teenage years are over, younger men and women are becoming more eager to adopt a healthier lifestyle. And to use natural ways to treat conditions such as stress, depression, premenstrual tension and acne. These are common conditions

  • South Portslade

    Look at South Portslade and you are normally looking at a safe Labour seat but this time there is a complicating factor. His name is Steve Collier, a sitting councillor, who left the Labour Party in September last year. Councillor Collier is standing

  • Cartoonist on trail of odd sock mystery

    Anyone who has ever done regular loads of laundry will have at some point wondered about the whereabouts of a mysterious missing sock. Now a cartoonist and an author are attempting to solve one of life's most perplexing riddles. Alex Hallatt, former cartoonist

  • Choosing a true therapy

    The City of Brighton and Hove probably has the largest number of complementary therapists in the country. That poses a number of problems Which therapist should you see for treatment of your condition? Who will advise you as to which therapy is suitable

  • Rottingdean Coastal

    Two of Brighton's most intractable problems are big issues in the new ward of Rottingdean Coastal. It stretches from Saltdean to the fringes of East Brighton, taking in Rottingdean and Ovingdean. There has been great controversy over the possible use

  • Kids give racism the red card

    Football stars teamed up with education leaders to launch a campaign to stamp out racism in schools. Brighton and Hove Albion players helped mark the start of the Show Racism The Red Card campaign, which uses footballers as anti-racism role models, in

  • Back to nature

    The use of herbs and vitamins to boost health and offer an alternative treatment for illness has always been popular and is continuing to rise. More and more herbal treatment are becoming available. Siobhan Ryan looks at the growing popularity of natural

  • Play your role on life's stage

    Relaxing after my first American experience of a most exciting baseball match I found myself reading the book Just A Moment. Relaxing after my first American experience of a most exciting baseball match at the famous Fenway Park; Boston I found myself

  • Pavilion gets popular vote

    The Royal Pavilion in Brighton has been named as one of the finest houses in England in a new book - beating Buckingham Palace. Architectural expert Simon Jenkins places George IV's royal residence in the top 20 in his list of England's Thousand Best

  • Mid Sussex District Council - Con hold

    The Liberal Democrats had the last laugh after a marathon count when Ian Dixon was finally declared the winner of East Grinstead Herontye - after the drawing of lots. After an astonishing six recounts he tied with Conservative Edward Belsey on 626 votes

  • A Tooth for an eye

    Five years ago a pioneering eye operation which used a patient's tooth to help restore their sight took place at the Sussex Eye Hospital. Since then, the Brighton medical team responsible has carried out the same technique on 15 more patients in the UK

  • Queens Park

    City council leader Ken Bodfish, who lives opposite Queen's Park itself, will be among those aiming to stay on the authority after the election. Normally he would be accompanied by near neighbour Jackie Lythell but she is retiring after many years' service

  • Natural ways to ease skin trouble

    Nearly 2.5 million people in the UK have psoriasis and one-in-eight suffers from eczema. A rise in the number of cases has led to a search for a natural way to treat these painful conditions. Siobhan Ryan speaks to those who think they may have found

  • City on security alert

    Massive security measures are in place to protect the Labour Party conference from the dual threats of international terrorism and anarchist demonstrators. In a police operation codenamed Operation Otter a security cordon was thrown around the Brighton

  • Two-minute silence opens conference

    The Labour Party conference opened with a two-minute silence in memory of the thousands killed in last month's US terrorist attacks. In his welcoming speech, city council leader Ken Bodfish told the 3,000 delegates that life must go on as normal despite

  • Taking the strain out of your life

    Hundreds of people throughout Sussex are suffering from long-term niggling injuries that are not life threatening but severely curtail their quality of life. Siobhan Ryan speaks to one such person about the operation that helped to change his life. For

  • A sombre affair

    There has never been a Labour Party conference like this one and there never will be again. It should have been a celebration of Labour's emphatic General Election victory in June, which gave Tony Blair and his Government an unprecedented second term.

  • Fishing for complements

    Is taking pills the answer to illness? Is that the best we can do to look after ourselves? For most people suffering from common illness or pain, conventional pills are an essential quick fix. Where is the time to take some exercise, or adopt a few yoga

  • Labour tightens net on terror

    Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived in wind-swept Brighton this morning, stern-faced and hand in hand with his wife Cherie. He made no comment ahead of his speech to the Labour Party Conference tomorrow afternoon as he walked in to The Metropole Hotel.

  • Don't back Afghan rebels, says Glenys

    Backing the opposition Northern Alliance in Afghanistan would be "a grave mistake", MEP Glenys Kinnock has warned. Mrs Kinnock, wife of former Labour leader Neil, issued the warning at a fringe meeting at the party's annual conference in Brighton. Mrs

  • Is Cherie getting the needle?

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