The Sunshine Vitamin By Abbigail Langstone – Wring

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Margaret Graham

A COMPLEMENTARY PRACTICE

with Abbigail Langstone – Wring. BSc SBRCP MAR.

THE SUNSHINE VITAMIN.
Why is it that people feel happier and appear healthier in the summer ?

Could it be due to the fact that people feel more physically able to get outdoors in the fresh air when the weather is more clement and the days are longer ? Could it be the infectious high spirits of involving oneself in events such as Glastonbury, Ascot or Wimbledon ? ( to avoid raising blood pressure I have omitted football or politics) OR Could it be due to an unconscious change in diet. Common sense supported by evidence shows us that people are more likely to eat differently in the summer months. Replacing a “winter warmers” recipe with lighter salads, increasing fish consumption veering more towards a “mediterranean diet”
Linking all of my thoughts above, I would like to tentatively suggest that the singular most likely answer to the question posed is sunlight.( Not rocket science really )

I have previously written about SAD ( seasonal affected disorder) and how research has proved the negative impact of deprivation of daylight on mood. As a holistic practitioner I believe that emotional wellbeing has a positive effect on physical health. Therefore improving mood is going to improve energy and motivate us into action, creating a cycle of general wellbeing
To support and enable healthy functioning of our mind and body we require a balanced diet that contains a full range of vitamins and minerals. As we age are digestive systems can become less effective at producing enzymes needed to aid digestion, especially if other health issues exist. This may lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

One vitamin that has caused a flurry of media interest in recent research is Vitamin D.A BMJ clinical review (2010) found that 50% of the adult population have insufficient levels of vitamin D and that 16% have severe deficiency during winter and spring. Vitamin D deficiency is characterized by an inability to calcify the bone matrix (Osteomalacia) Resulting in softening of the skull bones, bowing of legs, spinal curvature and increased joint size. Once common these diseases are now rare. Although according to recent press information the diagnosis of rickets in children within certain communities in the UK is on the increase. More generally recognised is the rise in tooth decay in children and osteoporosis in adults. Once thought as only affecting females, osteoporosis can in fact affect both genders. Vitamin D deficiency ( NHS Choices ) may also increase the risk of developing heart disease, bowel cancer, breast cancer, diabetes, MS and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. People who are at a greater risk of developing Vitamin D deficiency fall into the older age group, but also individuals who have limited access to sunlight e.g. night workers and people living in highly polluted areas.

There are two types of vitamin D. D2 is made by plants and D3 is created by the action of sunlight on the skin. As we age we become less able to synthesize Vitamin D.The process of synthesizing Vitamin Dis complex, involving the skin, liver, kidney and intestines. In the skin, sunlight changes the precursor of Vitamin D into vitamin D3. It is then transported to the liver and converted by an enzyme into a substance five times more potent than D3. This in turn is then converted by an enzyme in the kidneys into the most potent form of vitamin D3. This simplified illustration highlights the vital role that the liver, kidney and intestines have in the process. Therefore any disorders of these organs will inhibit the process.Resulting in a deficiency of Vitamin D.

Poor diet has of course a role in any disease development and surprisingly, malnutrition is an issue of rising concern in the very young and elderly. Natural sources of vitamin D include cod-liver oil, cold water fish such as mackerel, salmon and herring. Egg yolks. Vegetables are low in vitamin D, but best sources include dark green leafy vegetables. Vitamin D is best known for it’s ability to stimulate the absorption of calcium. It is added to milk and other foods, such as breakfast cereals.

Note of caution. Vitamin D has the greatest potential to cause toxicity in comparison to other fat soluble vitamins.

For more information on how nutrition may play a role in your personal health & wellbeing, consider a peek into my “Holistic Health Tips” book. £9.00 incl P+P available from Buena Vista, Gypsy Lane. Weymouth DT4 0BZ. Tel 01305784986.

The Art Conference (TAC) – a new festival this July which sounds interesting

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Margaret Graham

The Art Conference will bring together international speakers from the worlds of technology and art. It sounds suitably hectic and stimulating with Bermondsey’s The Ugly Duck, a three-storey 19th century warehouse,filled with film screenings, panel discussions, digital art installations and an outdoor food court.

The entire ground-floor will play host to a free exhibition which will be open to the general public and it is hoped that pairing the works of local creators alongside internationally-acclaimed visionaries will allow the conference to evoke achievable aspiration in attendees.

Exhibiting artists include Will Vibes, Dan Witz, Tinsel Edwards, Maser, Colin McMaster, Jose Montemayor and Robert Montgomery.

Visitors will also be treated to food and drink from local chefs in the outdoor food court, while networking breakfasts and afternoon teas will be provided by Unity Kitchen, a social enterprise that helps to create jobs and apprenticeships for people with disabilities.

TAC aims to create valuable digital content and interaction with the art and creative community through digital sharing. Using platforms like Facebook and YouTube, TAC will generate an online following and create a digital version of its conference.

Just to round it off, Maser will create a light construction which will be built across the length of a tunnel in the warehouses and Jose Montemayor will present virtual reality booths using the latest technology to take visitors to an alternative dream world.

Why not give it a go?

The Art Conference.
Saturday 23rd – Sunday 24th July 2016.

11am – 8 pm. The Ugly Duck, 47-49 Tanner Street, London SE1 3PL

Gransthread on Kenneth Clarke’s overheard opinion on Theresa May.

Posted on July 21, 2016 by Margaret Graham

A ‘bloody difficult woman’. Compliment or Insult?

Recently Kenneth Clarke was overheard calling Theresa May a ‘bloody difficult woman’. So – insult, or a compliment?

I can’t claim to see inside anyone else’s head, but it was reported as an insult or if one is kind, an observation.

This is a label that has been directed towards me rather often, sometimes behind my back. Well usually, but I have ears like a bat, or a witch as some might say.

Without a doubt I take it as a compliment, because I feel I have earned such an accolade.

Why? A sense of self is hard fought for, and the confidence to stand one’s ground, when societal or peer pressure is urging one to shut up, and go with the flow, is a precious commodity.

It doesn’t make for an easy life, though, because it equates to putting one’s head above the parapet, but I thought I’d ask around for the opinion of other women across the generations.

Tracy Baines, one of our most successful short story writers, who has three grandchildren, and looks ridiculously young, or is it that she knows some magic elixir says:

‘Depends who is calling me difficult. I think older women are called difficult and younger women are labelled Prima Donnas or drama queens. When I was younger I would have seen it as detrimental but now I think it’s an asset. It’s said by men and women who don’t like it when you are not a pushover. Bring it on I say.

So today I asked a girl who is quite the other end of the spectrum, a mere fourteen. Meg said:

I would take it as a compliment. I have a right to an opinion, and though I listen to the opinions of others, if I disagree I will say so. I know I need to make sure I have a reason for the way I think, but in the end, I have a right to transfer my thought into words, even if others don’t like it.

Another, a mother, said:

I do think men and women have different attitudes. Women are more used to placating others, so tend to keep their opinions to themselves, or subsume their actions into those which will make few ripples. I think they then feel increasingly frustrated by this and as they get older they realize that they have earned their place in the world, and increasingly will not necessarily toe the line just because it is inconvenient for someone else.

So, where are we with this? Perhaps being what is classed as difficult disturbs the status quo? If so, let it. Change is usually good except for the lazy, the scared or the narrow minded.

So, a firm decision from across the generations that to be called bloody difficult is a compliment. As Tracy Baines says: bring it on and more power to our elbows.
Any opinions amongst our Frost Magazine readers?
Would love to hear them at frost@margaret-graham.com

Learning to Speak American by Colette Dartford Reviewed by Frances Colville

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Learning to Speak American is Colette Dartford’s first novel and is based on her own experience of renovating and living in a derelict house in California’s Napa Valley.

Lola and Duncan Drummond are struggling to cope with life in their Somerset village home after the tragic death of their only child Clarissa. An attempt, initiated by Duncan, to improve the situation by taking a holiday in California results in a sudden decision to buy a holiday home there. The ramifications of this trip combined with the continued unraveling of their lives in the UK take them on an emotional and sometimes heartrending journey. But for the first time since Clarissa died, Lola feels able to let go off her depression and consider a future.

A moving story, sensitively handled, which draws you in and keeps you reading. It’s a little bit predictable, but sometimes you just want a book which doesn’t require too much thought or analysis, which you can enjoy for its engaging characters and beautiful setting. and which tells a story you can involve yourself in. This does the job well.

Learning to Speak American is published by Twenty7 – the new digital-first fiction imprint of Bonnier Publishing – and will be available as a Paperback Original, priced at £7.99, from July 14^th2016.

Overdone The Sun? Soleve Sunburn Relief Review by Margaret Graham

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Margaret Graham

With summer, perhaps at last here, Frost is interested in Soleve Sunburn Relief. This means, that if the worst happens, and you sit out in the sun for too long you can make sure you have some help.Not only is Soleve Sunburn Relief licenced but it combines ibuprofen with a soothing emollient, isopropyl myristate. It is available without prescription, and not only relieves pain but rehydrates the skin.

New research by Soleve™ Sunburn Relief, has revealed that 60 per cent Brits have had a holiday ruined because of sunburn and three out of five have suffered from sunburn in the past five years. The research, which surveyed 1000 women aged 25-50, also found that amongst other surprising facts, three out of four women do not know which sun factor they should use, and half did not pack any protection at all which seems extraordinary with all the warning constantly being published.

Shoulders seem to be the most common hotspot for burning, followed by face and chest. So maybe the answer is – protect, but take something like Soleve just in case you forget to re-apply your sun protection after swimming. Better than ruining your holiday, I would think.

So on that note, with the school holidays here, may the Frost Magazine team wish you all wonderful holidays.
Soleve Sunburn Relief can be found in Boots.com and independent pharmacies at £9.95 for 100ml.

Chains of Sand by Jemma Wayne Reviewed by Frances Colville

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Margaret Graham

Chains of Sand by Jemma Wayne will haunt you long after you have reached the last page. It’s a wonderful story, which draws you in from the very beginning and grips you until the final reveal. And it’s well written too.

This is a book about identity, about what it means to be Jewish in London and in Israel, about what life is like for Israeli citizens, and for Palestinians living in Gaza. It explores religious beliefs, racism and anti-semitism, and looks at the strength of family ties and the power of relationships. There is also a strong thread of feminism, cleverly worked into the story given that the two main characters (both of whom we can empathise wholeheartedly with) are male.

And for me, showing us more than one side of the debate is perhaps the main strength of this book; as we follow the lives of the two men, one of whom is desperate to leave Israel and the other to move there permanently, and also dip into the lives of several other characters, both male and female, we are made aware that of course there is no easy answer to any of the huge questions which the author raises.

But above all, this is a book about people, not facts or philosophies or doctrines. And those people have lodged themselves firmly in my head.

Chains of Sand by Jemma Wayne is published by Legend Press and available as a Paperback Original priced £9.99 from 7 July 2016.

A Launch at Breakfast by Kathleen Thompson: The Santiago Sisters – Victoria Fox

Posted on July 15, 2016 by Margaret Graham

The Ivy Kensington Brasserie was the perfect venue for the launch of The Santiago Sisters – Victoria Fox’s latest novel, due for release on 28th July.

Victoria explained the plot and inspiration over a fantastic breakfast, and quite frankly what could be better than hearing about the background to a novel in the company of interesting people and great food.

It transpired that a few years ago, Victoria spent an exciting time in Argentina and Patagonia, herding cattle with gauchos, watching tango in street cafes and sleeping at least partly under the stars (their tent had a few poles missing) and so she chose Argentina as the background for her story.

What story? An exploration of ‘sister’ relationships through the two main characters – Calida and Teresita Santiago.

Victoria and Tory

As she talked to us, she brought the whole Argentinian and Patagonian experience to life in such a way that clearly the book is going to be unputdownable.

She and Cleo, editor from HQ, (a new imprint being launched by Harper Collins this month) discussed how they had worked together to produce the final product. Besides Alice and Tory from Midas PR, there were representatives from various magazines, including our own Frost magazine and also Claire from Fabulous Magazine.

Next week, Frost Magazine will be publishing a review of The Santiago Sisters published by Mira on 28th July. pb original £7.99.

All is not Forgotten by Wendy Walker Book Review

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Margaret Graham

All is not Forgotten landed on my desk along with others. Flipping through the pile this debut psychological thriller intrigued me. It’s not usually a book I would read. I can’t bear violence towards children, for Jenny is one, though I suppose in fact she is a youth. She is 15, so a youth, but really as are they all, a vulnerable child.

I couldn’t put it down.

Wendy Walker has created a fascinating concept that explores memory and what you would be willing to do to protect your child.

Jenny is attacked, raped, horribly. Her parents agree to an experimental treatment that wipes the mind, enabling her to move on with her life. But does she? Can this really work?

She has a scar on her back, and instead of being haunted by the memory of an event, she is instead tormented by an unknown fear.

This is perhaps why it intrigued me. One of my own children had to undergo massive painful surgery at the age of one. The consultant said that because of his age my son had no understanding of the pain and distress of the event, and would forget the actual incident. But for many years, his dominant emotion to any situation would be an intense fear. And so it was. It breaks my heart even now to think of it.

The unknown for Jenny is worsened by the knowledge of a violation. But what?

And where is justice? Her father is obsessed with finding her attacker and her mother is in denial.

The decision is made to take Jenny back into her memories. But even if it can be done, will pulling at the threads of her suppressed experience reveal more than intended. Where is the healing then?

Well written, thought provoking at a profound level. A triumph, but it won’t be a novel that you can forget, so be prepared. And to try and decide what decision you would make.

The only problem for Wendy Walker is what to write now.

Let me know your thoughts on the book at frost@margaret-graham.com

Film rights have been pre-empted by Warner Bros, with Reese Witherspoon set to produce.

Published by Harlequin on 14th July. £12.99