Archive

  • 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

  • Weight watching: Shed pounds without dieting

    As a sweeping generalisation, we seek pleasure and avoid pain. In other words, we tend to make life choices that will bring us satisfaction and we don't knowingly put ourselves in danger. Each of us defines pain and pleasure differently but that doesn't

  • 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

  • Workout: Ring the changes with a fit ball

    Hopefully you will have enjoyed the benefits of working out with a fit ball following the exercises I gave you a fortnight ago. The variety of exercises you can perform with a fit ball are unlimited, bringing a breath of fresh air to your training. The

  • Tragedy that touched Britain

    The Payne family's trip to the seaside was made on the spur of the moment and ended in unthinkable tragedy. On Saturday July 1, 2000, a hot summer's day, Sara and Michael Payne rounded up their four children and dog Fifa and bundled them into the car.

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • The compound problems of fluoride

    Erupting volcanoes are an impressive but deadly force. Apart from blasting out tonnes of ash, rock and lava, volcanoes release clouds of poisonous gases into the atmosphere. One of the most dangerous is hydrogen fluoride. It promotes acid rain and attaches

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Message of hate as killer caged

    Evil Roy Whiting was told to rot in hell after he was jailed for life for kidnapping and murdering Sarah Payne. As Whiting was led to the cells, Sarah's grandfather leaned towards him and shouted: "I hope you rot in hell." The 42-year-old painter and

  • 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

  • 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.

  • The importance of zinc is elemental

    Take a moment to look at your fingernails. Are they brittle and do they peel easily? Are they so thin you are inclined to bite them? Perhaps they grow very slowly, are opaquely white or splattered with white dots. Any one of these symptoms could indicate

  • Act now for positive change

    As an actress, Britt Forsberg knows the importance of confidence, breathing properly and being able to project your voice. She is also aware of the need to stay relaxed but also be warmed up and fit enough to cope with an audience. As she developed her

  • Government resists Sarah's Law

    The Government today continued to resist calls to give the public access to a paedophiles' register after the Sarah Payne case. Home Office minister Keith Bradley insisted the move would drive offenders underground. The renewed calls for the register

  • 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

  • Ban on supplements 'a health risk'

    An Open Letter to Health Minister Alan Milburn: You will be aware the European Union is currently planning to ban many dietary supplements. In two years' time, it may be illegal to sell products containing more than the recommended daily amounts (RDAs

  • 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

  • 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

  • '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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Give Mother Nature a hand

    Increasingly, complementary approaches are being incorporated into orthodox medicine. The success of using both at the same time was recently brought home when Kate and her husband came to see me with fertility problems. They had tried unsuccessfully

  • Can you be happy in an instant?

    How does one get happy? Is happiness an event, an occasional fleeting blip, an illusion? Does wealth or celebrity status contribute to feeling joyful rather than the absence of pain or loneliness? Perhaps it's a matter of saving souls or scoring goals

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Eastbourne Borough Council: Lib Dem hold

    The Liberal Democrats retained control in Eastbourne but saw their majority cut to just one seat as the Tories capitalised on this year's huge council tax rise. Having lost a seat in Old Town to Tory challenger Ian Lucas, the balance of power is now on

  • 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

  • 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

  • Seeing your way to being a donor

    Corneal graft operations have revolutionised the lives of many people with eye problems but more could be helped if more donors came forward. Staff at a major donor centre in Sussex are trying to raise awareness of the need for further help. Margaret

  • 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

  • The challenge of the sweet potato

    My other half informs me there is nothing remotely interesting to be said about the sweet potato. We'll see about that, shall we? Let me take you on a culinary journey. Prepare yourself for a fanfare of a feast, a celebration of the delicacies of er,

  • 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

  • Rediscover your creative spark

    A series of courses is being set up to help people achieve the right balance of work and play to improve their health and quality of life. The scene is an all too familiar one: A person works long hours in a busy and stressful job and when they get home

  • A modern approach to special needs

    We all want our children to be perfect: beautiful, loving and intelligent. Only the lucky few achieve all three but what if your much loved baby has special needs? What can you do? At one time,the only answer was a special school but then what happens

  • 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

  • Try affordable alternatives

    When Dinah Morgan, Sarah Dennis and Pat Eynon decided to set up clinics specialising in homeopathy and yoga, they had one overriding aim. Their aim was to keep the cost of the sessions as low as possible so people who would not normally be able to afford

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • The case for meningitis jabs

    Kim Galvin remembers the moment, ten years ago, when she thought she was coming down with flu. She had the classic symptoms - aching neck and shoulders and a throbbing headache - but within a few hours, she realised it was something far more serious.

  • 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

  • Disease that hits the young and old

    Parkinson's disease afflicts tens of thousands of people in the UK. It is no respecter of age and, at present, there is no cure. It has had its share of celebrity sufferers: former boxer Muhammad Ali is a sufferer and Canadian actor Michael J Fox has

  • 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

  • Taking steps to improve health

    There are many ways to keep a person's heart healthy and strong but a new campaign has a simple message: Go out and take a walk. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) and the Countryside Agency are working together to get more people on their feet and out

  • 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

  • Keyworkers can be a parent's lifeline

    Imagine yourself in the position of Alice in Wonderland; reduced in size so all the everyday objects tables, chairs, cup - boards and most of all, people suddenly loom over you in a vast and frightening world. That's the experience of every little three

  • 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,

  • The way forward for Parkinson's

    When the boxer Muhammed Ali lit the Olympic flame in 1996, he proved to the world that you don't need to be perfect in order to be great. For some people, the sight of a champion ravaged by may have been disturbing but, for many, his courage and patience

  • Quality care for children of all ages

    Quality is a word that has been hijacked by the marketing industry - to the point where the only meaning we can safely attribute to it is one of vague approval on the part of the company selling us something. But quality, as it impinges on our children

  • And all because we love chocolate

    I have finally found the man of my dreams and the fact that he owns a chocolate factory has everything to do with it. Chocolate factories, unlike cocoa beans, don't grow on trees and let's face it a girl needs to be practical about her obsessions. Chocolate

  • 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

  • The world is now our children's oyster

    Geography for four-year-olds? If that's what's meant by the Early Learning Goal relating to understanding of the world, then what are we coming to? But, of course, what's now going on in our nurseries and playgroups is almost literally worlds away (excuse

  • Brunswick & Adelaide

    There is probably no such thing as a safe Liberal Democrat seat in the city but Brunswick and Adelaide is the nearest thing to it. The Lib Dems have made it their base for the past 20 years and they do not intend to let it go. Brunswick and Adelaide has

  • How to tell your body you want to lose weight

    Officially, the number of obese people has more than doubled in a decade and is on the increase. 17 per cent of males and 20 percent of females in the UK are obese and 50 per cent are overweight, subjecting themselves to huge health risks including heart

  • Milk implicated in Crohn's Disease

    Crohn's Disease is a chronic inflammatory and painful bowel condition. Sufferers tend to go through periods of remission in which there are no symptoms and relapses in which symptoms flare up. The symptoms of Crohn's Disease vary according to whether

  • 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

  • Headache that can ruin lives

    Frequent migraine attacks have made Geraldine van Buren's life a misery. The debilitating condition, which she has suffered for many years, has caused her to lose jobs and miss out on family get-togethers. She has also had to stop eating certain foods

  • 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

  • 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

  • Dyslexics helped by space science

    Rupa Anandakumar is one of many people to have a form of dyslexia but she has not let it get in the way of what she wants to do. She is now a therapist working with autistic children. Nicky Woodward is also dyslexic. Having dealt with the condition from

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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:

  • 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

  • Time to consider the alternatives

    Kathy Chapman believes it is important people open their minds to alternative therapy. A growing number of residents across the county are becoming increasingly aware of words such as homeopathy, feng shui, reiki and reflexology but are not 100 per cent

  • A spine-tingling new treatment

    Chiropractor Paula Moore is great believer in prevention being better than cure. But the nature of her job means most of the people she sees are already suffering problems and need help. She is now working to try and encourage people to have regular checks

  • Cuddling my son helps me to say goodbye

    Rose Hill rarely suffered morning sickness, passed all her ante-natal checks and was looking forward to becoming a new mum. In a check-up, little more than three weeks before her due date, Rose's GP sent her home, happy with her progress. Within a few

  • 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

  • When nature is no longer natural

    Dear Martina, I was most interested in the recent letter to you from Doug Streeter with information about essential nutrients required for a healthy lifestyle. I am particularly keen to find natural ways of gaining minerals and vitamins, without resorting

  • Say goodbye to the demon weed

    Thirty years ago, smoking was seen as a social thing to do and there weren't many places where it was frowned upon to light up. But information about the health risks involved, not just for the smoker but for the people immediately around them, has led

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Saints' guide to happiness

    The teenage years require direction and support from caring adults. I see many young people who are suffering from anorexia, depression or have been victims of abuse and I wonder where the values of our modern society are leading us. Our children are

  • How to still your mind

    In this day and age, with the many pressures and demands of society, a happy balance of our mind, emotions and senses is difficult to maintain. Many young people, in particular, seem to be under enormous pressure and there are high expectations of them

  • Cure your pain with magnets

    A growing number of people with near constant aches and pains are turning to a new type of alternative therapy to help them. Magnotherapy involves using a simple magnetic device which is believed to improve the bloodflow and relieve symptoms. Siobhan

  • The problem with alcohol

    Recent reports in the media reveal that some four million people suffer from alcohol dependence and 4,000 people die of alcohol-related deaths in the UK every year. Throughout the world and since time immemorial, alcohol has held a special position in

  • 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

  • The wonderful world of flax

    Flaxseed (also called linseed) is one of the oldest cultivated plants on the planet and extremely versatile. Linen woven from the fibrous stalks of flax have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs and at sites in Switzerland dating back to 4000 BC. Its

  • 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

  • Behavioural problems

    This week we are continuing with the theme of personality types and patterns of behaviour. When dealing with a stressful or demanding situation, we become more vulnerable to other minor or major irritations. Problems tend not to come one at a time: When

  • 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

  • Natural way to holistic health

    The demand for trained medical herbalists has increased sharply in the past five years. There are now at least 15 in practice in Sussex, treating people who prefer to take natural remedies instead of conventional medicine. Siobhan Ryan looks at the growing

  • A message of love to all

    On my 50th birthday, I want to send a message of love and compassion and prayers and condolences to those suffering the effects of war. Life ends for those families who have lost love ones. It does not matter what else happens in the world, they have

  • 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

  • Reducing cholesterol

    Last week, I promised I would tell you how to lower your cholesterol naturally. Recently, two of my patients have succeeded in reducing their cholesterol levels by natural means. A 32-year-old woman whose cholesterol was around 7mmols, which is quite

  • 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

  • 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

  • Advice from the experts

    After the cold, depressing winter months, one way to boost your mood and stimulate your energy is to attend the Good Health Show at Birmingham NEC next month. I was invited to give lectures and demonstrations on holistic health and ayurvedic medicine

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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,

  • How to stay feeling young

    Recent trends suggest that even people as young as 20 are worried about ageing and, therefore, the use of anti-ageing creams and beauty treatments is on the increase. Everyone wants to look and feel young right into old age and carry on enjoying the things

  • The brighter side of life

    Antidepressants are gaining bad press at the moment because of the undesirable side effects they cause. One of my patients brought me a list of side effects she had suffered, including sweats, bad dreams, a fuzzy head and a difficulty with making decisions

  • 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

  • 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

  • Eating your way to health

    We are what we eat. In recent years, I have seen a growing trend in patient awareness regarding diet. In the past, people used to believe diet did not matter. Now, an increasing number of patients ask me what they should eat for certain conditions. For

  • 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

  • Keep young and beautiful

    Our body is constantly producing free radicals, supercharged chemicals formed when oxygen and nitric oxide react with our tissue to form unwanted charged molecules. These free radicals cause a chain reaction with our cells and DNA and damage our tissues

  • 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.

  • It's time to think again

    Who doesn't want to live a long, happy and healthy life? There is so much to enjoy and experience on this physical plane of life on earth. Caraka, the ancient Ayurvedic physician wrote that the span of life is variable in different ages of time (called

  • 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

  • How to get the right vibe

    Have you ever felt the vibes in your office are unhealthy? That the arrangement of furniture, the direction your windows face, the amount of air, light and space, and the people you come across on a regular basis cause tension, stress and ill health rather

  • 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

  • Quinoa a 'new' food for the future?

    It is about time I give my favourite food a plug as clients often ask for an alternative to gluten-containing grains. Wheat, oats, rye and barley are the most common food allergens in this country. Gluten contains a protein called gliadin, a common intestinal

  • 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

  • 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

  • Cope with PMS and save your crockery

    What can men do about PMS? "Frailty, thy name is woman!" said Shakespeare but I'm sure he had no idea what it is like to suffer from Premenstrual Syndrome. My spouse used to joke that he had a full six-minute window of opportunity to talk to me between

  • Call in the fat-busters

    My programme for losing and maintaining weight is based on Ayurvedic Panchakarma detoxification of the body. This includes Ayurvedic deep-tissue massage and herbal steam treatment followed by a herbal enema. It also features Ayurvedic herbal formulations

  • 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.

  • 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

  • Healthy food from India

    Several people have inquired about ayurvedic foods following the recent Radio 4 programme on ayurveda. Indian curries have now become a part of British culture and ayurvedic foods are just around the corner in the natural health market. Few people realise

  • Breathing more easily

    As the temperature of the atmosphere falls, the cold air we breathe has a direct effect on our nasal passages, sinuses and lungs. The body reacts by producing more catarrh and congestion and causes spasm and contraction of the tubules the lungs, resulting

  • A New Year, a new you

    Every New Year brings with it new hope, a new ambition, a new vision for another achievement in life. Perhaps it the curiosity of what the future holds in store for us that becomes the inspiration for new resolution each year. But what is it that makes

  • Homoeopathic tendencies

    The healing art of homoeopathy is not normally associated with sophisticated equipment or computer wizardry. But practitioners like Sussex-based Miranda Kingsley-Holt are now using cutting-edge technology to treat their patients in a natural way. Thanks

  • 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

  • Isolated in a scary world of their own

    Locked into a place of meaningless noises, incomprehensible shapes and colours; exaggerated perceptions of touch, taste and smell, the world becomes a scary place to be. Children and adults suffering from autism can make little sense of normal codes of

  • Coping with cancer dread

    The National Conference on Cancer 2001 will take place on November 30 at RegentsCollege in London. This unique conference is held every year to bring together leading experts in cancer care, cancer care professionals, patients and carers to share the

  • 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

  • Stay calm to have a heart

    High cholesterol and heart disease are closely linked. When this combines with obesity and diabetes, the risk of getting strokes or heart attacks is greatly increased. Recent guidelines for doctors suggest anyone with high cholesterol and related heart

  • 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

  • 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

  • Healthier health-care

    The training of doctors in modern medicine gives them a solid foundation. This makes them unique in their understanding of the structure and functions of the human body. Doctors learn to treat their patients with medicines or surgery. The treatment of

  • 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

  • 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

  • Stanford

    Stanfor should be one of the safest seats in the city for the Tories but there is a cloud in the blue sky. It comes in the shape of former Conservative councillor Jayne Bennett, who is standing as an Independent. Stanford is being reduced from three seats

  • Fitness Guru's

    As summer finally begins to kick in and the shorts and T-shirts come out; there are many people looking at themselves in the mirror and deciding to get into shape but who don't have the necessary willpower to get going. Siobhan Ryan looks at one option

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Preston Park

    On the former Brighton Borough Council, there was a Preston Park ward which almost invariably voted Conservative. But the newly-created Preston Park ward is far bigger and different. It is one of the few wards where all four parties are fighting hard.

  • 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

  • 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

  • Make hay while the sun shines

    With the glorious sunshine,the sneezing, the stuffy, runny noses, runny eyes and muzzy heads have also arrived. The pollen count has been high and a lot of people have been suffering from their seasonal hay fever. The runny and congested nose and sinuses

  • 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

  • In search of divine light

    With Easter having arrived and spring in the air, a sense of good feeling seems to have crept in, alleviating stress, worry and regrets. This is the time to re-visit the spirituality within us. What does Easter mean to you? How can it relate to your good

  • Broader look at problems of obesity

    Sarah Ferguson's recent documentary on the television made us all aware of the growing problem of obesity and weight gain in the UK; particularly among children. The dangers to health and well-being and the physical, mental and emotional disorders that

  • 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

  • Crawley Borough Council: Lab hold

    A vicar who quit Labour over the war with Iraq cost the party a seat by standing against them in Crawley's local elections. It was no surprise that Labour kept its strong grip on the town last night. But there were also red faces in the Labour camp when

  • Horsham District Council: No overall control

    The Liberal Democrats are celebrating a shock result in Horsham which has left the town with a hung council. The ruling Conservatives - who went into the election with a clear majority and 24 councillors - were expected to romp home. But at the death,

  • Pinning hopes on acupuncture

    Spring still seems to be a long way off as people try and shake off the winter blues. Siobhan Ryan looks at how therapies such as acupuncture and shiatsu can help them stop feeling flat, burnt out and run down. At the moment there are many people who

  • Fighting the unseen illness

    One of the most difficult aspects of dealing with mental illness is coping with the stigma attached to the condition. Siobhan Ryan speaks to a group which works to overcome preconceptions and assumptions to help improve the health and wellbeing of the

  • Beauty that's just skin deep

    Natural skin beauty can be affected by exposure to weather, pollution, direct sunlight, chemical sprays and repeated washing with soap and detergents. The vitality and suppleness of the skin depends on its ability to retain oil and moisture and over-exposure

  • Take a deep breath to reduce stress

    The ancient Yogis lay great emphasis on the central role which proper breathing plays in our health. We all know that we cannot live without breathing. Our breathing and circulation of blood in the body are intimately connected and interactive. You will

  • 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

  • Special report from India

    Coimbatore in the south of India is a unique place renowned for its authentic traditional ayurvedic medicine. The Arya Vaidya Hospital is particularly famous for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and chronic back problems with sciatica. The World Health

  • 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,

  • How we can stop feeling so miserable

    One of the most common complaints I hear these days is: "Doctor, I cannot sleep. Can you give me something to help me sleep". Over recent years,the use of tranquillisers has shot up as doctors may not have anything else to offer. It is not easy to live

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • How to beat the effects of dizziness

    With the recent spate of virus infections, a lot of people have suffered from dizziness and vertigo and often buzzing in the ears. There are several causes of dizziness and vertigo. One of the common causes is infection of the inner ear by a virus called

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Some personal advice to hold your breath for

    Bad odour in the breath (halitosis) is a common, unpleasant complaint and often makes one self-conscious. But can also cause significant social disability in middle age, according to Professor Crispian Scully from the International Centre for Excellence

  • Curtains led to Sarah accused

    A novelty curtain stolen from a store's mother-and-baby room provided one of the strongest links to Sarah Payne's alleged killer, a court heard. The trail began when a pair of the drapes, featuring a clown motif, were taken from a storage cupboard at

  • 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

  • No comment on murder charge, court told

    The man accused of killing Sarah Payne remained silent when he was formally charged with her murder, a court heard. Roy Whiting was arrested for the third time during the investigation into the eight-year-old schoolgirl's death on February 6, more than

  • 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

  • Sarah accused: I wasn't there

    Roy Whiting was sitting in a park watching the sun set at the time Sarah Payne was abducted, he said today. Whiting, who denies kidnapping and murdering the schoolgirl, spoke for the first time in public today about his movements on the day she was snatched

  • 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

  • Sarah accused blames 'coincidence'

    Roy Whiting was either the victim of an "extraordinary accident" or Sarah Payne's killer, a court was told. Drawing his cross-examination of Whiting to a close at Lewes Crown Court, Timothy Langdale QC, focused on a single strand of blonde hair which

  • Timeline: The search for Sarah

    For two weeks, the hunt for missing Sarah Payne dominated the national news. JULY 1, 2000: Sarah vanishes after leaving a field in Kingston Gorse, East Preston, where she has been playing with her brothers and sister. She was last seen at 7.45pm, 150

  • Sarah accused was "on the prowl"

    Roy Whiting was "on the prowl" hunting for children on the night Sarah Payne vanished, a court heard. Summing up the prosecution's case at Lewes Crown Court today, Timothy Langdale, QC, said evidence had built a jigsaw which provided a "compelling picture

  • 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

  • Blonde hair key to murder charge

    Fragments of evidence against Sarah Payne's alleged killer Roy Whiting build up a picture of "unmistakable clarity", a court heard. In the closing minutes of his prosecution speech at Lewes Crown Court yesterday, Mr Timothy Langdale said the forensic

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • Fun and fitness for all the family

    If exercise is part of your life, chances are, it is part of your children's lives too. Active parents often produce active children for whom going for walks, swimming and playing football is the norm. With warnings that the computer age could be damaging

  • Recognising the role of childminders

    What do you do if you are a working parent who doesnt have a conventional nine-to-five job? The answer for many shift workers, including doctors and nurses who work antisocial hours in order to keep the country running, is to find a good childminder and

  • Change as a learning experience

    It is a truism that most people resist change. Think of how you felt the last time you changed jobs, moved house or even walked into a room full of strangers. Think, then, how much more intimidating change can be for children who are swept up in situations

  • 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

  • Dr Apple's daily fix for mental health

    The old male attitude to health of "it'll sort itself out" may have largely disappeared, but the same can't be said for mental health. While few men develop the severe mental health problems experienced by Brookside's Jimmy Corkhill, stress and depression

  • Cost remains a barrier to working

    Which of us do not have friends or relatives who are working mothers? And how many more parents are there out there who would like to return to work but are prevented by childcare issues? These were some of the questions prompting the recent survey of

  • Nature's gift for hormone replacement

    I was delighted to attend a lecture on Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) recently given by a GP colleague who works in gynaecology. It was refreshing to hear the clinical evidence and feedback from women taking natural products containing phytoestrogens

  • Deciding on the best type of care

    Finding good childcare can be one of the biggest decisions parents have to make. The fact that more women are returning to work after having children has led to a greater demand for quality childcare. There are many day nurseries and registered childminders

  • 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

  • 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

  • Nature's way to treat winter bugs.

    Young children are very prone to picking up infections at school because their immune systems are immature. It's quite normal to get every bug going. Even so, every parent wants to help their child get up and about quickly. There are many natural ways

  • A young life cruelly snuffed out

    If Sarah had lived to realise her dream of becoming a teacher, the first lesson she taught would have been: "How to laugh." A "little princess with a smile that could melt ice", Sarah will be remembered for her infectious happiness and the joy she brought

  • Building a future for our children

    A unique children's health charity is set to bring an innovative eco-friendly project to Brighton and Hove. It will benefit the local community and serve as a model for the rest of Britain and Europe to follow. The Children's Clinic at Dolphin House has

  • 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

  • Have your say on childcare provision

    Unless you are stuck on a train or bus with nothing else to read, the chances are you are reading this because you are a parent. And if you are a working parent, you are probably feeling frazzled. There is the race against time. There is the matter of

  • 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

  • Helping children make discoveries

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