Archive

  • Letter: Eastwood just made my day

    I was pleased to see Clint Eastwood and Steven Spielberg were considering making a film of James Bradley's book Flags Of Our Fathers by James Bradley (The Argus, July 13). James's father was one of three survivors of the six men who raised the second

  • August 3: McGhee says no to Kerekes

    Albion manager Mark McGhee today revealed he will "go with what we've got" up front at Reading on Saturday after abandoning his interest in Serbian trialist Zsombor Kerekes. New signing Maheta Molango is now likely to be partnered by Gary Hart or David

  • Letter: Support new Iraq

    Despite the fact that the Prime Minister has been cleared of any "wrongdoing", the publication of the Butler Report has triggered an even more intense level of "Blair-bashing" from both columnists and correspondents of The Argus. Jean Calder states (The

  • Letter: Adam was proud of our heritage

    Whenever I am passing through Brighton, I like to drop in to The Argus office in Dyke Road to have a chat with Adam Trimingham. We have a talk about what goes on in the world that day. I was 13 in the May of 1960, I hit the streets running, well it was

  • Letter: The Sage of Sussex has been a winner for years

    Like many readers, I shall miss Adam Trimingham's work greatly. I have grown up reading his articles but have not always agreed with his views. Reg Jenkins states "he must be a model of self-discipline" to avoid any accusations of party politics (Letters

  • Letter: Argument has come off the rails

    In response to Alex Chatterton (Letters, July 14), Brighton and Hove City Council is not connected with the monorail proposals. The Brighton Bullet is a private venture and, as such, would need to be privately funded. The council is working towards submitting

  • Letter: We missed the boat with this world famous event

    The weekend before last, a unique event took place in Brighton - not that many people were aware of it. The P1 powerboat championships had a Grand Prix event on our seafront. Not only was it a first for Brighton but also for England. During the preceding

  • Cricket: Davis KO'd by freak injury

    A freak fielding injury has robbed Sussex of one of their key players for today's crucial Championship match against Kent at Canterbury. Off-spinner Mark Davis, who returned his best match figures for the county when Sussex beat Kent at Hove last week

  • McGhee says no to Kerekes

    Albion manager Mark McGhee today revealed he will "go with what we've got" up front at Reading on Saturday after abandoning his interest in Serbian trialist Zsombor Kerekes. New signing Maheta Molango is now likely to be partnered by Gary Hart or David

  • Black Widow spider found in shed

    Ron Ockwell expected to come across a spider or two while rummaging around the shed in his back garden. But he did not expect to find what he believes to be a member of the infamous Black Widow family. Mr Ockwell spotted the arachnid in his tool box in

  • Fire pay deal talks collapse

    Talks to finalise a deal to end the long-running firefighters' pay dispute appeared to have broken up without agreement and raised the prospect of fresh strikes. Leaders of the Fire Brigades' Union held discussions with local authority employers yesterday

  • Bank posts record profits

    Banking giant HSBC set a new European record for half-year earnings after profits rose 53 per cent to £5.14 billion in the first six months of 2004. The improvement, which was ahead of market expectations, reflects a full contribution from Household,

  • Price-cutting hits airline income

    No-frills airline Ryanair today provided further evidence of the cut-throat conditions in the low fares market by reporting a 6% fall in income per passenger despite record profits. The Dublin-based carrier blamed price-cutting to counter the challenge

  • Consortium bids to save West Pier

    Ambitious plans to restore the derelict West Pier have been put forward by a new consortium. The scheme is being suggested at a meeting with Brighton and Hove City Council today. Last week, English Heritage pulled the plug on a proposal to restore the

  • Water bills threat to small firms

    Small business leaders in Sussex have urged an industry watchdog to stop water companies imposing excessive increases in bills. Southern Water wants to increase its bills by 45 per cent, more than any other company in the UK while South East Water is

  • Why drinking urine can be good for you

    Drinking or applying your own urine to the skin may seem like a disgusting and smelly prospect but during the last 20 years there has been a revival of the ancient medical treatment. Our waste fluid has been used to treat or even cure conditions from

  • Chemists battle heart disease

    Phamacists have long had a tradition of providing help and advice to people looking for relief from minor illnesses and injuries. But in the past few years, their role has expanded rapidly. Instead of simply doling out pills, pharmacists now offer a range

  • Weight watching with Judy Citron

    Are you on automatic pilot? It's my guess that by ten o'clock in the morning, you've already made 100 choices. Do I surprise you? Here are just some examples: To go back to sleep after the alarm rings or to get up. To exercise or not. To put the cap on

  • The way to a grumble-free stomach

    Dear Martina, I think I'm suffering from hyperacidity. I was a cola drinker but stopped when I felt pain in my upper stomach. It has been two months now since I have had any. I also like eating fat from fried pork chops but suffer when I eat it. What

  • Green-fingered way to health

    Whether it is tending a window box, digging in the back garden or helping to manage woodland, many people get a great deal of pleasure out of gardening. But there is more to it than the satisfaction of watching things grow and develop. Gardening is increasingly

  • Open your heart to kundalini yoga

    If you live in Brighton and Hove, you will probably have noticed a hitherto little-known style of yoga class appearing on fitness club and health centre timetables around the city. Julie Cuddihy moved to Brighton in February last year and brought with

  • Health-giving properties of grapes

    Grapes have been treasured since the Bronze Age and especially once the ancient Egyptians and Romans realised they could produce excellent wines from fermented grape juice. It has been said that wine can only be as good as the grape from which it is made

  • Killer had kidnapped before

    Sarah Payne was not the first schoolgirl whom paedophile Roy Whiting abducted and sexually assaulted. However, the nine-year-old he bundled into the back of his car in 1995 was lucky enough to escape with her life. Roy William Whiting, born on January

  • Weight watching with Judy Citron

    People who want to lose weight come up with lots of excuses. Two completely contradictory ones come to mind. There are those who say they can't lose weight because they've got no time and others whose excuse is they've got too much time. I'd like to explore

  • Healing properties of ginger spice

    Confucius, born in China in 551BC, was one of the most respected philosophers in Chinese history, shaping political and moral thinking for centuries to come. In the time of Confucius, success in life was measured in terms of an individual's inner development

  • Turning kids on to good food

    The number of children classed as obese is continuing to rise. This has been partly blamed on sedentary lifestyles but poor diet is an important factor, with many young people living on fast food and ready meals and not eating enough fruit and vegetables

  • Learning how to run for your life

    This year's London Marathon may have been run but the running bug has been caught by many people keen to get fit. Two courses offering running training with a difference will be taking place at the end of the month. People know how to run. They say it

  • Role play is a good learning tool

    Have you heard about the four-year-old who came home from playgroup, saying, "We had television time this afternoon?" The appalled mother rang up the manager and asked why she was paying good money to have her child parked in front of the television.

  • Weight watching: Take out fast food

    Sometimes we get stuck in a rut with our diet. And, here, I mean diet as in your food intake - the true meaning of the word. If you're a regular reader of this column, you'll know I tend not to focus on the nitty-gritty of what you eat but, rather, on

  • Aromatic herb promotes wellbeing

    A lady called Janet has asked me about "natural" antibacterials now the sneezing season is in full swing. One of my favourites is oregano, the herb more commonly known as an aromatic flavouring for Mediterranean dishes. Through the ages it has been found

  • Beat fat the holistic way

    Obesity or weight gain is becoming an increasingly common health problem. This is as a result of modern lavish living with high consumption of fatty foods and alcohol. Many of us are born with a genetic tendency to weight gain. Ayurvedic medicine attributes

  • Weight Watching with Judy Citron

    When new clients join my telephone weight-loss classes, we often discuss the most common anxieties about dieting. Many people worry about feeling weak, others fear deprivation and some are unhappy about the loss of comfort food. Yet there is one fear

  • The right diet for sparkling teeth

    Some old discoveries are as relevant today as they ever were. Dr Weston Price was a dentist in Cleveland, Ohio in the Thirties, who observed a large number of his patients were suffering from chronic degenerative ill health. He also noticed an increasing

  • Bread for us, not fungal organisms

    Dear Martina, I am 29 years-old and suffer from recurring bouts of thrush infections and tiredness. I buy over-the-counter creams but have found they only work as long as I keep using them. A friend told me I should stop eating sugar and bread. I am reluctant

  • Is your body crying out for water?

    Reports that children are drinking more than 30 times as many soft drinks than in the Fifties come as no surprise to health care professionals. They witness the fall-out in terms of obesity, lowered immunity, diabetes, fragile bones and mental health

  • Apples: Just wash and go for health

    There are plenty of different ways to eat your apple. Some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it peeled and sliced. Personally, I eat the whole fruit, core and all, until I'm left with nothing but a little brown stalk. This has less to do with

  • Case prompted changes in the law

    A wave of anti-paedophile vigilante action swept Britain in the weeks following Sarah's murder. Crowds of angry protesters gathered outside the homes of convicted paedophiles - and, in one case, an unfortunate paediatrician. Police condemned the action

  • Make a marathon effort to get fit

    In the many articles I have written over the past two-and-half-years, I have neglected to point out the benefits of running. For this reason, I hope to inspire you to put on your running shoes and take up a pursuit which, for many people, has become a

  • Test yourself with our brain food quiz

    Last week's column was about improving memory and concentration. This week, readers can check out whether they still require a little extra brain food. Just by taking part in the following quiz: 1 What is Nigella Sativa? a) a new Bollywood dance craze

  • The real risks of skin cancer

    As the weather gets hotter, the lure of the beach is strong but before getting ready to bask in the sun, health experts are warning people to stop, think and take care. The Government and Cancer Research UK have launched a nationwide SunSmart campaign

  • The ocean's rich bounty

    Only Neptune himself could have come up with the names dulse, whistle wrack, carragheen, dabberlocks, murlin, thongweed and seatangle. Seaweed has always been used as a valued food source and medicine and there are hundreds of different species in varying

  • Weight watching with Judy Citron

    Those of you who have access to the internet will know it is full of excellent and often free information and ideas. There is an upside and a downside to this: There is so much material, it's hard to know what's genuine and what isn't. If you don't quite

  • Tasty challenge for office caterers>

    Is it possible to have a healthy office lunch? I visited Maria and her colleagues at their games and media company in Hove to find out more. They told me most of the choices offered in the average sandwich man's tray are consistently wheat-based and somewhat

  • Weight-watching with Judy Citron

    When you think about it, it's really strange so many people desperately want to lose weight yet those same people find it so hard to do. Most people with a modicum of motivation manage to move forward on a whole range of projects quite successfully. People

  • Workout: Get your home gym kitted out

    As this is my last column, I would like to give you a few points to think about regarding the big issue: Should you train at home or in a gym? Of course, being a personal trainer, I would point you in the direction of home training but to help you make

  • 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

  • The heart of the matter

    "I retired after 27 years of service as a senior cardiologist because I wanted to do something about the nutrition of children in America,". said Dr Harvey Zarren, talking to our group of doctors and therapists. The noble work of this eminent cardiologist

  • McGhee says no to Kerekes

    Albion manager Mark McGhee today revealed he will "go with what we've got" up front at Reading on Saturday after abandoning his interest in Serbian trialist Zsombor Kerekes. New signing Maheta Molango is now likely to be partnered by Gary Hart or David

  • 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

  • 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

  • Regency

    Labour will be looking to retain its hold on this ward, which is right at the centre of the city. Regency has been reduced from three seats to two in a reorganisation of Brighton and Hove's wards. Roy Pennington, who chairs the planning committee, will

  • Black Widow spider found in shed

    Ron Ockwell expected to come across a spider or two while rummaging around the shed in his back garden. But he did not expect to find what he believes to be a member of the infamous Black Widow family. Mr Ockwell spotted the arachnid in his tool box in

  • 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

  • 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

  • How to enjoy safe sunshine

    Basking in the glorious sun on the beach in Florida with clear skies and temperatures soaring to 91 degrees is what we all desire as a fantastic holiday experience. Hundreds of holiday-makers from Britain will soon be heading off for sunny destinations

  • Pru to hold on to Egg

    Online bank Egg is to remain under the control of the Prudential after the insurer today called a halt to its seven-month search for a buyer. Prudential received interest from a number of parties for its 79% Egg stake but has now decided it could gain

  • Thousands work overtime for free

    Almost three-quarters of people claim they work more than their contracted hours, according to a survey by internet bank Intelligent Finance. Seventy-three per cent said they worked longer hours than they were supposed to, with half claiming they regularly

  • Fire pay deal talks collapse

    Talks to finalise a deal to end the long-running firefighters' pay dispute appeared to have broken up without agreement and raised the prospect of fresh strikes. Leaders of the Fire Brigades' Union held discussions with local authority employers yesterday

  • Bank posts record profits

    Banking giant HSBC set a new European record for half-year earnings after profits rose 53 per cent to £5.14 billion in the first six months of 2004. The improvement, which was ahead of market expectations, reflects a full contribution from Household,

  • Price-cutting hits airline income

    No-frills airline Ryanair today provided further evidence of the cut-throat conditions in the low fares market by reporting a 6% fall in income per passenger despite record profits. The Dublin-based carrier blamed price-cutting to counter the challenge

  • Top tips for travelling

    With summer in full swing, and elections out of the way, people are off on holiday ! Some will be travelling by car, some by rail, and some flying! Having a break and a great holiday is vital for sanity these days. But travelling in itself can be a bit

  • Patcham

    Patcham is one of those suburban seats which has always seemed safe for the Conservatives in Brighton and Hove. With boundary alterations, it has been greatly extended but should still be a safe bet for the party. The husband-and-wife team of Geoffrey

  • Lewes District Council - Lib Dem hold

    It was a night of ups and downs for the two main parties in the Lewes district but the overall political landscape remained unchanged. With ward boundary changes slashing the number of seats available and almost half the sitting candidates stepping down

  • 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

  • Attacking the fat, freeing the mind

    Obesity is costing the NHS at least £2.6 billion a year. Being overweight leads to increased health problems and social isolation. Siobhan Ryan looks at how a change in lifestyle and attitude can help someone lose weight and keep the pounds off. One-in-five

  • Why bears don't get coronaries

    Dr Mathias Rath reveals his pioneering work on the vital function of nutrients and antioxidants. Dr Mathias Rath, in his book Why Animals Do Not Get Heart Attacks..People Do. Reveals his pioneering work on the vital function of nutrients and antioxidants

  • Food for thought

    Foods as obscure as garlic or mushrooms could be stopping you losing weight or fighting off skin or sinus problems. Linsey Wynton tries out a new food intolerance test and wonders whether it is worthwhile. Have you ever wondered if the foods and drinks

  • Learning the art of living

    Do you feel stuck in life? Do you feel unable to untangle yourself from the clutches of work or mental, physical and emotional tensions? Do you suffer from illness which requires more than just prescription of pills? The Art Of Living Foundation is a

  • Not on your knife

    Many people spend hours looking in the mirror worrying about frown or laughter lines appearing on their face. The usual reaction is to use face creams in a bid to get rid of them but there is a simpler and more effective solution available. Siobhan Ryan

  • SINGLE BASKET

    'What I hate most about being single again after 3 years is shopping. Instead of the dulex shopping trolley model, I am back to carrying the sad, single basket. Panic sets in. Everyone will know that I am single. I hide and scurry through the aisles keeping

  • Brittle matters

    People assume that the brittle bone disease osteoporosis only affects elderly people. But signs can show as early as in one's 20s. Siobhan Ryan looks at how tests for the condition are carried out and how people can stop it from developing further. Osteoporosis

  • SINGLE BASKET

    'What I hate most about being single again after 3 years is shopping. Instead of the dulex shopping trolley model, I am back to carrying the sad, single basket. Panic sets in. Everyone will know that I am single. I hide and scurry through the aisles keeping

  • Consortium bids to save West Pier

    Ambitious plans to restore the derelict West Pier have been put forward by a new consortium. The scheme is being suggested at a meeting with Brighton and Hove City Council today. Last week, English Heritage pulled the plug on a proposal to restore the

  • Brighton & Hove: No overall control

    Labour lost control of Brighton and Hove City Council in a night of high drama at the Brighton Centre. When all the votes were counted they were a tantalising four seats away from a majority on the new 54-seat council. The state of the parties is now

  • Reducing the risk factors

    Irregular, heavy, painful or multiple periods are not uncommon in women in England. In India, many young and old women in semi-rural and urban areas prefer to treat any problems of uterine bleeding naturally with Ayurvedic medicine and Yoga. Teenagers

  • Seagulls fans anger at Tory's 'lout' jibe

    A Parliamentary hopeful has offended Albion fans by suggesting Falmer was the best site for a new stadium because it would keep "louts" away from Brighton city centre. The furore over Mike Weatherley's comments came as it emerged police did not make a

  • Keep illness at bay the simple way

    The science of stress management and harnessing the life force of our natural health is called Pranayama. This literally means "to master or control the life force Prana". Ayurvedic medicine and yoga is the science of different forms of breathing exercises

  • Let Zippers show the way

    People recovering from major heart surgery are usually advised to watch their diet and not to overdo things but the benefits of support from others can be limited. Siobhan Ryan speaks to a man who has had surgery and now spends his time helping others

  • Arun District Council: Con hold

    Tories in Arun retained their grip on power as the leaders of the three main opposition parties were toppled in a night of high drama. The Conservatives tightened their grip and stood firm but there was chaos all around. Lib Dem leader John Richards,

  • Adur District Council: Con hold

    The Conservatives are celebrating in Adur after snatching four seats from their rivals. Three of the gains were made at the expense of Labour and one of the council's five Independent seats also fell to the Tories. The biggest blow of the night was the

  • Success out of suffering

    Thousands of people in Sussex are affected by ME or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Siobhan Ryan speaks to an organisation that is dedicated to providing support for sufferers and raising awareness of the condition. About 900 adults and children in the county

  • How to model your self-belief

    Many of you may have watched and heard actress Tracey Shaw; who spoke on TV about her agonising experience with anorexia or eating disorder - and more importantly how she got over it. We also saw how young girls of school age are affected by the body

  • Convict tried to offload blame

    Child sex fiend Russell Bishop tried to blame Roy Whiting for crimes he committed. The Brighton roofer contacted the Sarah Payne inquiry team from prison saying: "I told you I'm innocent." The 35-year-old paedophile was cleared of murdering nine-year-olds

  • Victory in the bulge battle

    A new Department of Health report says that 24 per cent of women in the country will be obese by 2005. Siobhan Ryan speaks to a woman who is about to hold regular counselling and support sessions to help people lose weight. It's the start of another New

  • LCPs are necessary for brain power

    Children have never had it this good. Anything a child could ever want has been extensively researched and catered for. So why are many children not "performing" as well as adults expect them to? Learning disorders such as ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia

  • How to reduce cholesterol fat

    Cholesterol is a type of fat in he body. It deposits itself with other tissue on to he inner lining of our blood vessels and clogs them up, causing heart disease, angina, high blood pressure and stroke. Diet, stress and lack of exercise are the main causes

  • Emotional wellbeing and health

    A woman aged 52 came to see me for a holistic opinion after having suffered from stomach pains for more than a year. She had some heart burn, but her main pain was in the lower stomach. After medical investigations, she had been told she had diverticulitis

  • Dealing with the fall-out

    The break up of a relationship is a traumatic time for the couple involved but the strains and stresses can also have an impact on the health and well-being of any children involved. Siobhan Ryan speaks to a team of workers who help young people get through

  • Ten rules for contentment

    Physical health depends primarily on air, water and diet. Add to this a cheerful heart and a happy mind, and a discipline in life and you have a bouncing radiant health. Professor G T Gursahani has laid out very simple rules of a happy healthy life in

  • Sarah trial: Accused in court

    The man accused of killing eight-year-old Sarah Payne appeared in the dock at Lewes Crown Court today. Mechanic Roy Whiting, 41, formerly of St Augustine Road, Littlehampton, is charged with kidnapping Sarah from a country lane in July last year. Whiting

  • Sarah trial starts again

    A new jury in the Sarah Payne murder case was today sworn in, hours after the trial was halted and the first jury discharged. The hearing was stopped at 11.10am, a day and a half into the prosecution opening of the case against the defendant Roy Whiting

  • Relatives relive Sarah's last moments

    Sarah Payne's family today relived the last moments of their daughter's life, for the second time. Prosecution barrister Timothy Langdale QC outlined details of the kidnap and murder of the eight-year-old schoolgirl to a new jury. Sarah's father, Michael

  • The complexity of depression

    Many of you may have watched the documentary on the television where Fredie Starr, the comedian, and other people talked about their depression. It was commented that 18 million prescriptions for antidepressants are written every year and that the rate

  • Hair led to killer, jury told

    A single blonde hair from Sarah Payne's head proves Roy Whiting was her killer, a court heard. The hair was found on a red sweatshirt seized from Whiting's Fiat Ducato van when he was arrested the day after eight-year-old Sarah disappeared on July 1 last

  • Face of the accused

    This is the man accused of kidnapping eight-year-old Sarah Payne from a Sussex field and murdering her. Mr Justice Curtis made a ruling at Lewes Crown Court allowing the media to show the image of Roy Whiting, 42, formerly of St Augustine Road, Littlehampton

  • Poll shock for ruling parties

    The ruling parties on three Sussex councils have tumbled from power in a night of mixed fortunes and big-name casualties at the polls. Labour lost control of Brighton and Hove, the Tories lost their grip on Horsham and the Lib Dems no longer have a majority

  • Agony that won't go away

    From the day their daughter went missing Sarah's family have rarely been out of the media spotlight. They have had two specially-trained officers assigned to support them and their family. When the blaze of publicity following Whiting's conviction dies

  • Something to keep that system in tune

    Every other person will probably suffer from piles (haemorrhoids) at some point in their lives. Piles are dilated veins just inside the back passage. They are harmless in themselves mostly you don't get any symptoms, but sometimes they can cause irritation

  • Accused 'refused to give answers'

    The man accused of murdering Sarah Payne repeatedly refused to answer detectives' questions after her disappearance and death, a court heard. Roy Whiting, 42, answered "no comment" to almost every question during a series of taped interviews held at Bognor

  • Clothes provide crucial link, jury hears

    Items of clothing alleged to link defendant Roy Whiting to eight-year-old Sarah Payne were identified in court today. Shane Gething told Lewes Crown Court that a red sweatshirt, checked padded shirt and a clown-patterned curtain were in a white van sold

  • Timeline: Roy Whiting on trial

    A day-by-day round-up of the case at Lewes Crown Court. NOVEMBER 13 2001: Sara and Michael Payne pose briefly together for massed ranks of photographers on the court steps, both wearing For Sarah campaign badges, before stepping inside. The day is taken

  • Expert confident of clues

    An independent forensic report reinforced crucial links between schoolgirl Sarah Payne and her alleged killer, a court heard today. Scientist Roger Robson, a forensic specialist since 1978, was asked by the police to compare fibres found in Roy Whiting's

  • Sarah jury will not visit abduction scene

    The jury in the trial of Roy Whiting will not visit the scene where Sarah Payne was abducted. Mr Justice Richard Curtis refused an application by the jury to visit the spot in Kingston Gorse, near Littlehampton, where Sarah was abducted on July 1 last

  • Sarah's last steps watched on video

    Sarah Payne's mother and father watched in silence as videos retracing their daughter's last known movements were played in court yesterday. In the days after eight-year-old Sarah went missing, detectives took her two older brothers back to the cornfield

  • Thief put trial at risk

    Roy Whiting's trial was put in jeopardy before it began when a drug addict stole his defence papers and sold them for £5,000. Cocaine user Christopher Branscombe, 20, of Milton Road, Haywards Heath, pinched the documents while working on a computer programme

  • Alexander can help solve your back problems

    Last Saturday, a very special young patient introduced me to the Alexander technique. I watched her expert Alexander teacher give her training and treatment, which has helped her almost cure her chronic back pain from a curvature in the spine. This gentle

  • Child's play is really about learning

    "It's child's play" is a frequently-used expression, relegating an activity to a level children would refer to as "easy peasy". But is that valid? For children, what we call play, can be a very demanding and significant activity, requiring the mastery

  • Getting your child ready for school

    School. You can't get away from it. It's not just the advertising. It's the school run, the traffic jams and the streams of five-year-olds in oversized clothes approaching the school gates with trepidation. If you have a three-yearold, all this probably

  • Vegans shouldn't be seen as wacky

    Vegan mum Sarah Spence has re-written the words to a well-known nursery rhyme for the benefit of her son Maximillian. "I don't sing three little piggies go to market," says Sarah. "I sing three little piggies go to Brighton." At five months, Max is too

  • Overcoming the pain of miscarriage

    Sandra Cooper, a former midwife, has great sympathy for Cherie Blair, who suffered a much-publicised miscarriage two weeks ago. "People tend to think you'll get over it in a couple of weeks," says Ms Cooper. "They can't relate to the fact it's a baby

  • Look at toys through a child's eyes

    What makes a child happy? As any parent will tell you, the plastic toys that are hyped on television do have their place. After all, who hasn't given in to the temptation of buying a toy as a quick fix in times of stress? But, in some cases, they can

  • Alternative attitudes

    A new organisation has been set up to research complementary therapies. The Foundation for Integrated Medicine will look into the integration of other medical systems such as Ayurvedic,Chinese and Western herbal medicine and complementary therapies like

  • Pivotal evidence questioned

    "Hopeless and incompetent" detective work has thrown a huge question mark over the case against Sarah Payne's alleged killer, a court heard. Roy Whiting's barrister, Sally O'Neill, made the accusation in the final minutes of her defence closing speech

  • Sarah jury retires

    The jury in the Sarah Payne murder trial retired today to consider its verdict. Mr Justice Richard Curtis took a little over four hours to sum up the case against Roy Whiting at Lewes Crown Court. The jurors were told to consider their verdicts until

  • This little piggy had nut cutlets

    Vegan mum Sarah Spence has re-written the words to well-known nursery rhyme for the benefit of her son, Maximillian. "I don't sing three little piggies go market," says Sarah, of Crawley. "I sing three little piggies go to Brighton." At five months, Max

  • Becoming a better person with play

    The theory of the super baby first emerged way back in the Sixties. Poor baby might be more appropriate. Babies barely able to sit up were pestered with flash cards on the basis that, if they saw the same word often enough, they would recognise it and

  • Is this a fair test for our children?

    When the first youngsters sat their AS-Level papers last summer, the Government trumpeted that the exams would broaden the post-16 curriculum. Instead of narrowing their options at 16, most would now go on to take four or five subjects at AS-Level, rather

  • Getting the lowdown on childminders

    A childminder is someone registered with OFSTED to care for children under the age of eight in their own home for more than two hours per day. The law does not require them to register if they care only for children aged eight or over. Childminders may

  • Case put police under pressure

    The policeman said to Sarah Payne's parents: "I'm sorry to have to tell we have found a body. We believe it is Sarah." At that moment Sarah's brothers and sisters Lee, 13, Luke, 11, and five-year-old Charlotte came running in from the lounge in floods

  • MMR: What is best for our children?

    Sooner or later, Jane O'Byrne is going to have to make her mind up about the MMR triple vaccine. Like many parents of young children, Jane, from East Sussex, has strong doubts about the three-inone measles, mumps and rubella jab. After reading stories

  • Unborn babies' battle for survival

    Losing a child is a devastating experience which few people can imagine. Yet for those working in specialist baby units, it is a common occurrence as they battle to help unborn babies and those born prematurely or with serious health problems. The Scottish

  • Bringing up baby can break the bank

    Raising a child is an expensive business and seems to get more so by the minute. The cost of school uniforms, holiday activities and the latest mobile phones and designer gear not to mention growing appetites will take its toll on a parent's wallet. According

  • Exercising minds as well as muscles

    Still reeling from your child's rejection of those well-researched Christmas presents? Well, you're not alone. Nationwide, there are parents calculating the cost per hour of the limited interest shown by their children in hyped-up pogo sticks, newfangled

  • Follow the recipe for calm children.

    Children get revved up during the festive season, and calming them down for bed can be hard work. The Children's Clinic at Dolphin House specialises in improving the well-being of children and suggests a range of natural ways to help exhausted parents

  • Agonising wait as jury talks continue

    Sarah Payne's parents today faced a further tense wait as the jury in their daughter's murder trial continued its deliberations. The jury was sent to a hotel for a second night yesterday after failing to reach a verdict following more than five hours

  • Double trouble with child Number

    A second child can scupper your career hopes. While three-quarters of women return to at least part-time work after their first baby, half give up completely once they have two young children. They lack the energy to cope with a job and often don't have

  • Taking the good work to the people

    New complementary health clinics specialising in the treatment of babies and young children are now available in Whitehawk, Hollingdean, and at the Phoenix Community Centre. The good news is more are in the pipeline. These outreach clinics are organised

  • Learning to read between the lines

    Reading a story is an opportunity for parent and child to snuggle up together and share an imaginary world. Ask any parent currently taking their child through the trials and tribulations of Rosie in Rosie's Walk, perhaps, or Harry Potter in The Philosopher's

  • Teaching children to embrace change

    Why is it we are so afraid of change? Is it inborn or do we learn it at our parents' knee? Think small and there's the sudden change from a sunny autumn day to unexpected snow. Oh, the threat of cold, the risk of slipping, the bother of wet mittens. Think

  • Time to share cares with the boss

    Have you ever taken a sickie when things have got on top of you? I'm not talking about single people taking Monday off after a weekend of partying but ringing in to say you're sick rather than admit your childcare has broken down or you have a hospital

  • Education helps children blossom

    Perhaps it is the word, education, that causes problems with those who persist in wilfully misunderstanding what happens in playgroups, nurseries and pre-schools. There is no doubt that, for some people including the writer of a recent article in one

  • Helping your child get ready to learn

    September is fast approaching and, for many parents, that means your three or four-year-old may be having his or her first taste of what some call pre-school and others early education. For working parents, this could mean your child continuing at the

  • Wrap-around care for a better life

    It's 8.15am, already the sun is pouring into the car and you are stuck in a traffic jam with two children under six squabbling in the back. One question is dominating your mind: how are you going to get Phoebe to the playgroup, six-year-old Thomas to

  • Heavy metal is corrupting the young

    Few would deny human behaviour is influenced by diet and the environment. We know alcohol, for example, can cause anti-social behaviour and it is ultimately our own choice whether we experiment with it. In the case of other hazards affecting our brain

  • Getting a taste for our own medicine

    Food shopping is such a complicated business when you want to ensure each item is infused with political correctness. Is it, for instance, fair trade? Does it own food miles? Has it been genetically or artificially challenged? I'm sure Stone Age man didn't

  • Fats that make you smart, stupid

    Dear Gary Lineker, Congratulations on winning the Food Commission's Greedy Star award after earning more than £5 million from the Walkers Crisps adverts. Much deserved, I'm sure, as your two-year ad campaign has helped "sell enough crisps to cover the

  • Foresight is about forward thinking

    Producing a healthy baby is about to go hi-tech with reports that IVF treatment may soon be available on the NHS. I'm not in the business of knocking fertility treatment because I depended on a dose of fertility tablets myself before my first pregnancy

  • Apples changed my teacher's life

    Inspirational teachers are a gift. I recently met up with one of my previous tutors, Breda Gajsek. Some years ago, she drummed home the basic nutritional principles and their importance for good health. Breda now runs her own training school for nutritional

  • Holistic cures for smokers

    Smoking is probably one of the oldest recreational rituals. We all know by now that tobacco is a powerful drug, which weakens the nerves and the brain in the long run. It clogs up the small blood vessels in the brain, heart and other organs and causes

  • Stoned on wheat and dairy foods

    Wheat and dairy products are consumed daily by most people and are thought to be nourishing foods. Although we've eaten them for thousands of years, we have never consumed them in such quantities and it is becoming apparent they may cause problems for

  • Right to buy essential supplements

    Totalitarian regimes rely on people who are conditioned to be compliant and will do what they are told without regard to the consequences of their actions. Ethical considerations are abandoned precisely because they are protected from their deeds or rewarded

  • This modification is not required

    Scientific knowledge is not an absolute. It is almost certain that what is known now, will be modified by scientists of the future. Scientific knowledge, then, is no more than an interpretation of facts assembled at any one time. It is applied and, naturally

  • Do you know how to take a stand?

    A new food scare story seems to appear in the media every week. So, without expert knowledge, how does the average person respond? Take our quiz to see if you can separate fact from fiction. 1 There have been reports that farmed salmon contains radioactive

  • Weight watching with Judy Citron

    Nobody can deny many people have lost weight on the Atkins Diet so you can call me a pessimist if you like but let me know how many have kept the weight off in a year's time. But while the debate has raged over the safety of the Atkins diet, let me get

  • In search of a fully balanced diet

    What is a balanced diet? In a climate of controversial views and misinformation, Kate Neil, a leading nutritionist, believes many people have no idea what a balanced diet consists of. For thousands of years, the wise have known about the benefits of eating

  • Is it now time ladies, please?

    After a week at work, people like to let their hair down and have a few drinks at the weekend but there are some who can let it down a bit too much. Binge drinking is on the increase and new research shows the number of women developing problems is rising

  • Making sure you get enough calcium

    Dear Martina, What can I do to boost my calcium intake? I am 16 years old and a vegetarian and my mother is worried I might get osteoporosis later in life if I don't drink milk. Emily P, Hove Dear Emily, There is more to calcium than most of us think.

  • Botox jabs help control my pain

    Carole Blackmore has botox injections regularly but it is nothing to do with vanity. Although often associated with cosmetic surgery, the injections also help to relieve the painful and crippling effects of Mrs Blackmore's dystonia. The condition forces

  • Sight and sore eyes

    Long and short sightedness are caused by aberrations of the lens of the eye and its muscles. Too much straining of eyes at minute objects and computer screens or fast-moving objects can cause fatigue of eye muscles, causing pain, headaches, redness of

  • Let's all go fruity and have a banana

    Whenever the world goes completely bananas, as it does on occasion, try going fruity yourself. Have you ever admired the shape, colour and taste of a banana? Let us consider the virtues of one of our oldest and most popular fruits. Alexander the Great

  • Homeopathy with Elizabeth Whitney

    A large, long-term study on HRT was halted because the women taking part had a clear increase in the incidence of breast cancer. There was also an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and endometrial and uterine cancer. Another study

  • Take a stand in the vitamin debate

    Nutritionists have been telling people for years to take vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids but, according to the Food Standards Agency, we've got it all wrong. They tell us vitamins and minerals may have irreversible harmful effects. As I am

  • Unable to cope with toxic overload

    A survey recently commissioned by a health authority found that one in 69 boys in Surrey under the age of three suffers from Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Other health authorities in the UK and abroad also report sharp increases. Autism is a complex

  • The perfect balance

    For most people, particularly residents of Brighton and Hove, tai chi chuan conjures up images of strange figures in the park at dawn making graceful hand gestures. Though these handforms are the popular "face" of tai chi, the form is first and foremost

  • Pesticides linked to breast cancer

    Each year, more than 39,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK. It is estimated that one in nine will develop breast cancer in their lifetime. The disease is now the most common form of cancer in women worldwide and while the exact cause

  • Weight Watching with Judy Citron

    Everyone wants to look and feel their best on holiday. Whether it's to appear slimmer on the beach or enjoy country walking without puffing, we usually wish we'd taken action earlier. At the same time, we also like to take advantage of the good food and

  • Life and times of a serial defiler

    Police have been able to find little in the family life of Whiting to explain his horrific actions. He grew up in a three-bed end-of-terrace house in Martyrs Avenue in Langley Green, Crawley. His mother Pamela left the family home when he was in his teens

  • Rays of hope for sun lovers

    Sussex pharmacists and GPs are warning people to take precautions and make sure their holiday is memorable for all the right reasons. One of the first things to check before going abroad is whether any vaccinations are needed. Simon Fisher, a pharmacist

  • No need to die for colourful hair

    Hair dye has been around for a long time - historians believe henna has been used for at least 5,000 years in India, the Middle East and North Africa. The Queen of Sheba is said to have been decorated with henna, which is made from the dried leaves of

  • Homeopathic healing on your holiday

    The summer holidays are here and a lot of us will be getting away from it all. Regardless of the destination, a little precaution taken before leaving the home shores may save you from having a holiday from hell. All the preparations even before setting

  • Helping food on its long journey

    Have you ever given a thought to what happens to your food once you've eaten it? Before food can be absorbed into the blood, it must be changed into smaller molecules in order to build and nourish cells and provide us with energy. Let's accompany our

  • What to do in the summer holidays

    The excitement of anticipating the summer holidays can only be matched, and all too often exceeded, by excruciating boredom once they arrive. And while some might say children these days are overorganised and miss the luxury of boredom, my response is

  • How to be fit for everything

    Hardly a day goes by without another worrying report on the growing numbers of obese people in the UK today. As many as two thirds of British men and more than half of all British women are now overweight and one in five is obese. This indicates most

  • Eating your way to a healthy mind

    When I first met Ollie, he wasn't hearing voices in his head but ethereal music. He had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and regularly consumed alcohol, cigarettes and recreational drugs. Within six months, he had weaned himself off stimulants, started

  • Check out your blood pressure

    Thousands of people in the South- East suffer from hypertension, or high blood pressure, with many not even knowing they have a problem. But the condition is serious and medical experts are urging people who believe they might be at risk to get checked

  • Stick to drinking pure, still water

    "Dear Martina: I am a dad and coach football at my son's school. The boys are active and get very thirsty. Should they avoid sugary drinks? " - Peter Arnold, Patcham Dear Peter: This is a common dilemma faced by parents and teachers. Ideally, children

  • Men suffer from osteoporosis, too

    Mention osteoporosis and most people automatically assume it is something from which women suffer. But although one in three women are generally affected by the condition, there are still two million men in Britain with the disease. Osteoporosis can lead

  • Chill-out pill acts as a stress-buster

    I'm having a bad day. I'm late for the office and the traffic lights always work against me. At last - get off your mobile phone and make a move please, madam, the lights won't get any greener. Oh no, not more road works. Let's take a short cut and zip

  • Weight Watching with Judy Citron

    How many times a week you give up? How often does it just feel too hard to lose weight and keep it off? Each time you get that sinking feeling, you let go and tuck in. Of course, you'll start again tomorrow. Blame doesn't help anyone but it certainly

  • A monster who would kill again

    Retired detective Peter Kennett prays Roy Whiting remains behind bars and never sees the light of day again. The ex-superintendent, who co-led the Sarah Payne inquiry, said: "Whiting is a disgusting, psychopathic monster, an evil, evil man who should

  • Taking care in the summer sun

    Almost 90 per cent of respondents to a survey had never heard of the common skin disease solar keratosis, despite the fact it can affect up to a third of older people. About 1,800 cases of keratosis are diagnosed in the South East every month and a fifth

  • Ensuring we all have enough water

    Be a child for a moment:take a dry sponge and weigh it; then, dip it in water and weigh it again. You will find it is now at least five times heavier. A small child's brain responds to stimulus in the same way a sponge reacts when placed in water. But

  • Vitamins protect against Alzheimer's

    Most people expect to suffer a degree of decline as they age. Noel Coward said it's "foolish to think that one can ever slam the door in the face of age. Much wiser to be polite and gracious and ask him to lunch in advance". True, there is no point in

  • 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

  • Workout: Tone deltoids for shapely shoulders

    "I would like to develop my shoulders a little to get a more toned look without too much bulk. Any tips?" - Ms Donnelly, Storrington We need to focus in on your deltoids, especially the side deltoids. To work these, which will add shoulder width and give

  • 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

  • Sneeze into an early summer

    As the days gradually get longer and the weather warmer, the traditional spring sounds are being drowned out by unseasonal sneezing and sniffing. The early arrival of hay fever each year is one of the unforeseen effects of global warming. This is because

  • Weight-watching: Change the tone of your 'self-talk'

    Today, I'd like to share a personal insight with you. Many of you will know what I'm talking about. For this, I need to remind you that for many years I was a yo-yo dieter - I was good at dieting and just as good at bingeing. I'd lose 30lbs then put 35lbs

  • Lewes Council

    It will be all change at Lewes District Council on May 1 with almost half the sitting councillors standing down. The Liberal Democrats have been firmly in control since 1991 but are being pushed hard by the Conservatives in an area where Labour have found

  • 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

  • Living each day in severe pain

    A campaign has been launched to raise awareness about the little-known condition cluster headache. Every two years or so, Tom Nash's life becomes a living nightmare. Over a period of about six weeks, the 29-year-old develops excruciatingly-painful headaches

  • Weight watching: Remind yourself of your successes

    So you've slipped up. Picture the scenario: You're on a diet, trying to lose weight slowly but surely, and all was going well until that moment when you just couldn't resist any longer. So you had one biscuit (or whatever is your downfall) and then another

  • 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

  • Turning over a new leaf with neem

    The neem tree is a tropical evergreen, related to mahogany. You can tell this tree has a bit of class. In India, neem has been used for more than 4,000 years as a medicine and as a health and beauty aid. The astonishing healing qualities of its seeds,

  • 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

  • Try loving care for tender skin

    When a child is suffering from severe eczema, parents often have to treat them with steroid creams. One woman decided to look for something different. Bedtime used to be a painful and stressful experience for Natalie Balmond and her daughter Lula. The

  • Weight-watching: Take your time to go without seconds

    One of the key tools that helps people lose weight and keep it off for good is slow eating. You've probably heard it before but it's worth repeating because we forget to do it a lot of the time. The main purpose of slow eating is to help you to eat less

  • Sweeteners that leave a sour taste

    You cannot beat a canned diet drink for marketability. An ultrathin body, neverending popularity and material success will supposedly be all yours if you drink cans of diet fizz. It doesn't work like that, of course. In reality, the sweet taste stimulates

  • 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

  • Coping with life after a stroke

    Recovering from the effects of a stroke can be a long and difficult process so practical support, medical help and advice is vital. It can take months to regain speech and some form of mobility, with each person affected in a different way. Brighton and

  • Are you paying a high price for salt?

    Salt used to be a prized commodity, especially in hot and humid climates where people sweat a lot and have higher requirement. In India, nearly a century ago, people were forced to pay high prices for the mineral they could easily have collected themselves

  • 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.

  • Marvellous medleys of crushed fruit

    Ever tried a Liquid Purple Dream or a Sweet Neon Doom? If not, you simply haven't lived. Frothy fruit and vegetable concoctions with elaborate names are becoming increasingly popular as we seek healthy alternatives to canned fizzy drinks and sugary fruit

  • Should you scrub up fruit and veg?

    A few weeks ago, the Food Standards Agency announced it was no longer necessary to wash fruit and vegetables in order to remove pesticides when preparing them for small children. The Pesticide Residues Committee, however, has stated that at least 30 per

  • 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

  • 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.

  • Extracting the truth about mercury

    In 1989, Professor Murray Vimy from the University of Calgary in Canada studied the effects of mercury fillings on sheep. His research team used radioactively-labelled mercury for ease of tracking and found substantial quantities of the element in all

  • 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

  • Weight watching with Judy Citron

    It's January. Here we go again. For how many years now has losing weight been on your list of New Year resolutions? Every year, I expect the process goes something like this: You successfully lose weight for a few days, even a few weeks and then, suddenly

  • Suggesting ways to lead a healthier life

    Anthony Asquith and Mark Tyrell are practising hypnotherapists who have organised a seminar to help people meet their New Year's resolutions. The idea is to provide the help and support the public needs to lose weight and get fit in the months ahead.

  • 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

  • Weight Watching with Judy Citron

    I'm often asked whether it's better to tell friends and family that you're trying to lose weight or not to tell them. On one hand, if you tell them, they may help you. They may not put the dish of nuts right under your nose or offer to clear the dishes

  • 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

  • Stay warm and cosy this winter

    According to the results of the recent census, Worthing has the highest proportion of people aged 85 and over in England. There are also high elderly populations in Eastbourne, parts of Brighton and Hove and throughout the county. This means there is

  • 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

  • The humble spud is full of goodness

    National Chip Week will soon be upon us, providing kids with ample excuse to drag their parents into every known junk-food outlet. However, the potato itself, minus excess salt and fat, is a most useful and nutritious vegetable worthy of a closer look

  • Drunkeness cure has roots in China

    There is, I am told, a sure fire way of driving mice to drink. If mice are fed on junk food and subsequently given the choice between drinking water or alcohol, the majority will choose alcohol. If, on the other hand, mice are fed healthy, unprocessed

  • Healing hands that can touch the soul

    Many people suffer from stiff and painful joints but are unhappy about taking too many painkillers to treat it. There is nothing worse than aches and pains that refuse to go away no matter what treatments are tried. More and more people are turning to

  • Are you ready to change?

    As you read this, the festive season should be progressing well with the alcohol flowing and food available in abundance. Many of you may have forgotten about those extra calories or it may be that your subconscious is nagging you into feeling guilty

  • Nothing magical about a good diet

    The magic of entertainment does a wonderful job of transporting us into the world of illusion. Magicians and spin doctors are frequently observed in the medical domain, too. We are told emphatically time and again diet has absolutely nothing to do with

  • 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

  • News from a friendly bug on patrol

    I have decided the survival of the fittest is not a very fair concept. Whoever dreamt that one up should try surviving in the human gut. I am one of around 400 species of tiny microorganisms living inside the human gastro-intestinal tract. In healthy

  • 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

  • Getting the lowdown on selenium

    I blame Marco Polo for importing fireworks from the Far East. The Chinese invented fireworks by filling bamboo shoots with gunpowder and exploding them in the New Year to ward off evil spirits. Judging by the number of fireworks let off this year, we

  • Garlic: As good as ten mothers

    Garlic, one of the best-known cure-alls, is, according to an old Indian proverb, "as good as ten mothers". But we tend to avoid it in large doses because of the unpleasant odour we emit after eating it. "A nickel will get you on the subway but garlic

  • Juicy fruit for healing and health

    Hurray for good old Christopher Columbus, who discovered and introduced us to a variety of curious fruit and vegetables. In 1493, Columbus stumbled upon a spiky-looking plant on the tropical island of Guadeloupe. One of his crew described it as being

  • Spoonfuls of sugar lead to medicine

    A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. But does the sugar we eat also contribute to our requirement for medication? The sugar industry would have us believe sugar does not contribute to diabetes, heart disease, obesity, hypoglycaemia or nutrient

  • A design for a healthy teenager

    Designer labels do nothing for me, unfortunately. I have yet to discover how wearing a particular brand name can make me a better person. In fact, considering the prices of designer gear, I hope to pass this little foible on to my offspring before they

  • 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

  • Having his crisps and eating them

    Sir Steven Redgrave is our greatest Olympic hero and I am amazed to see him sharing his glory with Walkers crisps in their latest promotional blitz. After years of living on a shoestring, athletes deserve to cash in. But as the most bankable of them all

  • Summer salads and junk food fixes

    It may be summer time but staying away from junk food isnt easy. Fast food outlets specialise in catering for eyes, nose and taste buds. Therein lies the fastest route to your wallet. Fast food does not cater for your future well-being, say an hour after

  • 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

  • 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,

  • Going with the flow of shiatsu

    The only constant in life is change and Sally Goodwin has experienced many over the past few years. When she left her job as communications manager at the Body Shop three years ago, following voluntary redundancy, it was clear some major changes were

  • Yoga can help children relax

    Children today can find themselves under a lot of pressure. Homework, competition with other children, exams, endless after-school activities and over-scheduling all add up. But a possible solution is growing in popularity across Sussex and helping children

  • 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

  • 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

  • The right time for a little light exercise

    The combination of more leisure time and an emphasis on keeping fit has brought a huge increase in outdoor activities. You only have to look at any green area outside the city and you will find people hang-gliding, orienteering, riding, biking or even

  • 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

  • Stretch to stay supple

    As you are training this week, think about how often, when and why you perform stretches. Flexibility training should not just be a minor part of your training, it should be well planned and thought through. As you may know or realise, you will become

  • Play safe with a proper warm-up

    After two weeks of watching Wimbledon and a month of World Cup football, it is no surprise people are being inspired to get fit. Long summer days and the prospect of holidays on the horizon are also making people think about losing weight before relaxing

  • 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

  • Get your teeth into early care

    For many people, the idea of a trip to the dentist stirs up disturbing images of drills and fillings. But preventative steps can make the visit less of a traumatic experience. THE message being sent out by dental nurses and dentists in Sussex is: Start

  • 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

  • Helping people stay fit for life

    Now June has arrived, a lot of people's thoughts will be turning to getting fit and healthy for the long summer days. For those who want to cover up as little as possible and sun themselves on the beach, it is time to get in a little exercise and watch

  • New test checks hearing earlier

    A new test is being piloted in Sussex which can check a child's hearing at just ten days old. Little Oscar Kirkman-Horne is only a month old but his parents already know his hearing is fine. Ordinarily, they would have had to wait until he was eight months

  • 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

  • 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