Rude Health News & Events

The latest news, research and events from the world of natural health

Celebrating excellence in customer service

The 2024 Pat Curran Award for Excellence in Service was presented to Christine McGuinness, owner of Back to Nature in Cavan. The prestigious award, voted for by readers of Rude Health magazine, celebrates exceptional service in independent health stores across Ireland.

The award, presented by Olive Curran and Michael Donnellan from PPC, the brand holders for Eskimo-3, ZinuFlex, and Zerochol in Ireland, was established in memory of Olive’s late father, Pat Curran. Pat was widely respected in the Irish natural health world for his dedication to customer service, always prioritising the needs of others with generosity and respect.

Olive Curran said: “Christine has been a long-term supporter and friend of the brand for many years. This award is particularly apt as Christine and Pat were very close friends. Back to Nature provides a warm, welcoming, friendly space where a fountain of knowledge awaits from Christine and her team. Well done to all!”

Christine McGuinness commented: “Thank you to our customers and Rude Health magazine readers for voting for us. We are so grateful and so happy. Delighted to donate €500 to Cavan Autism Centre, to celebrate this award in conjunction with PPC Galway Ltd. We just love what we do!”

Readers who voted were entered into a special prize draw. The lucky winner was Sharon O’Reilly from Co. Cavan, who received a €300 hotel break gift card from irelandhotels.com and a hamper of Eskimo-3 products. Sharon said of Christine: “All staff are very knowledgeable but for me it’s Christine who is also very friendly and has a caring nature. Her advice on her products have helped me so many times. I love the holistic area of the shop and again the staff are always there to help and advise.”

The three runners-up, who each received a hamper of Eskimo-3 products, were Moira Flavin, Helen Mullane and Gabriella Mastromatteo. Moira praised Joan Fahy from Horan’s Health Food Store in Newcastle West, Co. Limerick, saying: “Joan is such a breath of fresh air, a beautiful soul, always very friendly and chatty and very helpful! This is why I will shop in this store all the time! Also love to support a small business in the town of Newcastle West.”

Helen commended Siobhán Hennessy from Goodness Me in Co. Cork, saying: “Siobhán is always so attentive and Informative on any given subject. Even if she hasn’t an item in store, she’ll always order it in and let you know when it’s available.”

Gabriella recommended Cian Philpott from Here’s Health in Co. Cork, adding: “I love this shop. They always have great deals on my favourite products and the staff are so friendly, helpful but most importantly, knowledgeable.”

A revolution in bioavailability

Poor nutrient bioavailability has been a long-standing problem in the supplement industry. But a new form of technology has been developed to overcome this issue.

“Bioavailability refers to how much of a nutrient or plant compound is absorbed into your bloodstream and made available for your body to use,” explains Stephen Terrass, founder and CEO of supplement brand Terranova Nutrition. “Many supplements contain high amounts of nutrients or bioactive compounds, but if these aren’t well absorbed, only a small fraction can be used by the body, while the rest is simply excreted.

“This is especially common with natural compounds like curcumin, resveratrol and CoQ10. They may be powerful in theory, but in reality, they’re often poorly absorbed, unstable in the gut, or quickly broken down by the liver.”

In response to this issue, Terranova has partnered with Verdant Nature to bring BioSNEDS™ – a pioneering delivery technology developed by Verdant Nature – to the supplement market. With this process, natural compounds are fermented with probiotics and nutritional yeasts to prepare them for better use by the body. They are then encapsulated in glucan particles during fermentation, which protect them from early breakdown and help keep them stable during digestion.

A second lipid-based layer is added, allowing the nutrients to disperse more effectively in the digestive system and improving absorption. This ‘double bubble’ structure enables the nutrients to travel through the lymphatic system instead of going straight to the liver, where they might otherwise be broken down before the body can use them. The result is greater availability of the nutrient or compound for use throughout the body.

Nutrients are not only better absorbed but also more effectively utilised, showing up to 44 times the bioavailability of standard forms. Stephen comments: “This is a game-changing leap in supplement science, transforming how effectively nutrients are absorbed, delivered and used by the body.”

What’s in season?

Asparagus, aubergines, butterhead lettuce, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, courgettes, mushrooms, peppers, runner beans, tomatoes, basil, mint, parsley, sage, thyme, strawberries and rhubarb.

Art can boost wellbeing, study shows

Simply looking at a piece of art can boost your wellbeing, researchers from Trinity College Dublin have discovered.

The review of 38 previously published studies covered a total of 6,805 participants, and showed that viewing art can improve eudemonic wellbeing, which is associated with meaning in life and personal growth. These benefits were observed in a variety of locations – in museums and galleries as well as clinics and hospital settings and also through virtual reality. Artworks that were included in the review included The Scream by Edvard Munch, The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh, and other pieces of modern and contemporary art.

Claire Howlin, Assistant Professor, School of Psychology, Trinity, said: “Art can satisfy people’s need to search for meaning in life, build self-esteem, and develop positive identities which are important factors for coping with the chaos of life. Departments of health and arts councils across Europe are looking for high-quality evidence to identify which types of arts can be used for each type of medical outcome. This review will help to plan larger-scale studies in the future.”

The Trinity College team were joined in the project by researchers from the University of Vienna and Humboldt University of Berlin.

The study was published in the Journal of Positive Psychology.

Marathon effort

Rude Health editor Liz Parry provides an update on how her training is going for the Dublin marathon

Welcome back to instalment three of my marathon training diary. With the Dublin Marathon inching closer, I’ve moved from base-building into the next phase of my plan – slowly ramping up mileage and introducing more structured runs.

I’m now adding a weekly long run and incorporating some intervals and hill repeats to build speed and stamina. It’s definitely a shift from my heart rate Zone 2 shuffle – my legs are certainly feeling the difference! I’ve also had my first brush with injury, which has been a little nerve-wracking. As my mileage increased, I started experiencing some nagging tendonitis in my foot. Thankfully, my physio has been brilliant and I’m hoping that I’ll be back on track soon. But it’s been a real wake-up call about the importance of injury prevention. I’ve promised myself I’ll start taking strength training more seriously – no more skipping it on busy days!

Sleep has become a huge priority. I’ve learned that skimping on rest really impacts performance and recovery, so I’m making a conscious effort to wind down in the evenings. Hydration is another area I’ve had to up my game in. I’m sweating more as my runs get longer, so electrolytes have become part of my post-run routine. I’m still working on fuelling during runs and I’m finding that energy gels are a bit hit and miss. I’d love to hear if any Rude Health readers have tips for some healthier options.

Till next time,
Liz

May events

Dublin Mind Body Experience
2–4 May, RDS Hall 1, Merrion Road, Dublin
www.dublinmindbodyexperience.ie

WellFest Ireland
10–11 May, Royal Hospital Kilmainham, Dublin
www.wellfest.ie

Find more natural health events here...