EM - April/May 2012 - (Page 33)

www.esb.ie/em April/May 2012 HEAltH&HABitAt 33 wEllBEing – Building MEnTal, PhySiCal and EMoTion RESiliEnCE of services from its headquarters in Dublin and from regional offices in Cork, Dundalk, galway, kerry, kilkenny, Letterkenny, Limerick, Sligo and tullamore. Brainwave provides a comprehensive information service for people with epilepsy, their families, health professionals, teachers, schools, employers and the general public. this service includes: • regular regional information meetings, providing an opportunity for people to discuss difficulties and explore issues around epilepsy. • Specialist nurse helpline * • an information Officer • information of specific issues such as Driving and epilepsy, epilepsy and pregnancy, Children and epilepsy • a parents guide (book + video) • training for trainers pack • an employers Manual • a teachers information pack • Quarterly newsletter for members • Full-time pre-employment training programme training for Success (Sligo). n Further information and contact details: Website: www.epilepsy.ie Email: info@epilepsy.ie Telephone: 01 4557500* Nurse Helpline: 01 4554133 (Monday/Wednesday mornings). Training for Success Course: www.itsligo and 071.9155303 The Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) is a confidential service provides to ESB Staff and Pensioners. For further information on this or any related matter contact your local EAP Officer ESB Chief Executive, Pat O’Doherty, Executive Director Services and Electric ireland, Brid Horan and Employee Wellbeing Manager, Dave Dowling at the launch of the wellbeing booklet. HEAltH SERViCES uPDAtE the eSB heaLth Services theme for this year is wellbeing. the term wellbeing refers to your mental, physical and emotional health. if all three are in sync you will be better able to manage everything life throws at you - at home, at work and in your social sphere. eSB health Services has just launched a new booklet called Wellbeing – Building Mental, Physical and Emotional Wellbeing which you will receive shortly. this booklet has some valuable information and coping strategies to help protect your mental, physical and emotional health. Often by adopting minor changes in lifestyle and seeking timely information and help you can be more in control of your life, reduce your stress and achieve greater levels of happiness. Mental Health the downturn in the economy has caused greater uncertainty around jobs and the future. people have greater financial worries which in turn can put increasing pressures on relationships. this has contributed to an increase in mental health difficulties. five out of 10 leading causes of disability worldwide are due to mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression. One in four irish people will experience mental health difficulties at least once in their lives. By 2020 the World health Organisation (WhO) estimates that the global burden of mental health will be heavier than heart disease. Physical Health poor diet, lack of exercise and inadequate sleep have a negative impact on your health. Being active, eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep to rechange your batteries can help you maintain a healthy body weight, improve your fitness levels, strengthen your muscles which improves joint mobility and helps to prevent osteoporosis. a healthy diet and regular exercise also helps lower your cholesterol, blood pressure and improve your cardiovascular health. it is advisable that you get an annual check up (especially if you are over 40). your blood can be tested for a number of conditions depending on what your gp recommends and your family history. eSB provides Cardiovascular health Screening to all staff on a three yearly basis which checks your cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugars and other lifestyle issues. a bowel screening kit is available to all staff over 40 on a yearly basis because early detection of bowel cancer is imperative to successful treatment. Emotional Health emotional health refers to your overall psychological wellbeing. it includes the way you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships and your ability to manage your feelings and deal with difficulties. it is about learning to share your feelings or concerns and about being able to ask for help if you need it. people who are emotionally healthy are able to handle life’s inevitable challenges, build strong relationships and lead productive fulfilling lives. When bad things happen, they are resilient and better able to bounce back and move on. Building resilience does not stop challenging things happening to us in life but it can reduce the impact and time taken to recover from such events. it is about experiencing grief, sadness, disappointment or anger whilst maintaining perspective and continuing on with life with a sense of hope. Mind power is immensely valuable and can help you to reach the goals you set for yourself. n BrainwaVE EAP NOtiCEBOARD epiLepSy iS a brain-related neurological condition that describes the tendency to have seizures. Seizures are brief and temporary disruptions to normal electrical function in the brain. in simple terms, a seizure happens when ordinary brain activity is suddenly disrupted. a seizure can be described as an internal electrical storm. Seizures can be either generalised or partial. the type of seizure a person has will depend of where in the brain the malfunction occurs. the seizure may take the form of a loss of consciousness, involuntary movements, a change in behaviour – Shedding a light on epilepsy or a combination of all these. Causes of epilepsy can include brain trauma following head injury, strokes, haemorrhages, infections such as meningitis and encephalitis, or genetic and metabolic causes. Often no cause is identified, but ongoing research is revealing more about the genetics of epilepsy. epilepsy is treated by neurologists and, in up to 70% of cases, can be controlled with medication. For others there may be further options such as a pacemaker-type device (VnS) or epilepsy surgery. Brainwave services there are nearly 37,000 people with epilepsy in ireland. Brainwave was established in 1966 and, in the 45 years since it’s inception, the association has grown and expanded and now provides a range nothing like a cuppa for lifting the spirits MiRiAM McDONAlD Each tea has its own unique nutrients and thereapeutic uses. Take our traditional brown tea, which is high in tannins and you will notice these particularly if you drink very strong black tea. Tannins are drying – so black tea may leave you with a feeling of dryness in your mouth. This can be useful if you have excess mucus in your stomach as it will help to dry the stomach lining. One word of caution, because of these tannins, drinking black tea with your meal can block the absorption of nutrients, especially iron. Adding milk to your tea stops this effect, but it is still best to separate your cup of tea from your meal. There are numerous teas on the market with different health benefits. Green tea is very popular as it is high in antioxidants, in other words helps the body’s immune system. Chamomile tea is a gentle tea, very good for any stomach ailments. It is also a good childrens’ tea to give if they have stomach problems. Peppermint tea is very popular after meals and rightly so. Peppermint is a herb that helps with all types of stomach ailments and digestion. Fennel is another digestive, said to help with heartburn, and Ginger aids digestion, specifically where there is nausea. There are so many things that different teas and infusions can do: from calming the mind, to bolstering immunity, helping skin complaints and arresting diarorhea or bleeding. The right selection of these,however,requires a more detailed analysis of the condition and may need stronger or more frequent teas. So next time you are having your cup of tea, take time to let the leaves infuse and then sit back and enjoy. One word of caution, some teas contain caffeine and act as stimulants. So, if you have trouble sleeping, have that cup of tea at least two hours before going to bed. n Miriam McDonald is a Nutritional Consultant & Practitioner (CANNP). For any queries on nutrition please email her at miriam.mcdonald@ freshperceptions.com NATURAL HEALTH There’s nothing quite like a cup of tea, or so the saying goes. Tea is part of our culture: we use it to welcome, to calm, to console and to finish a meal. The choice is endless, from Darjeeling to raspberry, chamomile, peppermint or even nettle. Nowadays teabags are the norm, although for many there’s nothing like tea leaves. Regardless of how we take it, the principle is the same – soak the tea in hot water for a few minutes before drinking. This soaking is essential to allow the nutrients in the tea leaves to be released. http://www.esb.ie/em http://www.epilepsy.ie http://www.itsligo

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of EM - April/May 2012

EM - April/May 2012
Contents
News
Services & Electric Ireland
ESB Networks Ltd
ESB Energy International
Health & Habitat
Life

EM - April/May 2012