Recent health scares over E. Coli, salmonella, BSE and genetically modified foods have made front-page news over the last few years. And it was just 10 years ago that Tory minister Edwina Curry lost her job in the Cabinet after telling the media that most eggs in this country are unfit to eat.
For people with weakened immune systems, and particularly those living with HIV, extra care needs to be taken in the preparation, cooking and storage of food to avoid infections which could potentially become very dangerous. With the end of spring, and summer approaching, we may be tempted to eat and drink fresh foods which could land us in hospital with severe food poisoning. For people with HIV this can be potentially deadly.
After outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis in the water supply in the Thames and the Yorkshire and Scottish Water areas in recent years, many people with HIV have taken to boiling all drinking water. Despite assurances from the water companies that tap water in Britain is perfectly safe, many of us continue to boil our water and then cool it in the fridge before drinking it. People with low CD4 counts (below 200) need to be particularly careful of this.
It is also important to remember the potential risk from ice and to boil and chill water before putting it into ice trays in the freezer.
Many people swear by the efficiency of water filters and many more regularly buy bottled water but there are lots of bugs that are not filtered out if they are smaller than 1 micron in size.
Basic food hygiene tips may seem common sense but they are worth repeating, as prevention is the best policy:
Thanks to NAM and the dietitians at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital for help with producing this article.
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Shiatsu
is the Oriental art of acupressure. Sian Howard
explains how this kind of massage can unblock the vital channels of the 'bodymind'
This was the response I received recently from one of my HIV clients after his first experience of Shiatsu. This response is common among people receiving Shiatsu for the first time. They come with little or no knowledge of Shiatsu and, therefore, come with no preconceptions. They experience sensations, which may feel "strange". After all, Shiatsu is not quite the "massage" they may have imagined or anticipated but it elicits a response in the bodymind of a 'nice' and beneficial experience.
"The bodymind?" I hear you say - well, that's the beauty of Shiatsu, it works on a physical and psychological/emotional level to promote feelings of wellbeing both in the body and the psyche.
Shiatsu
is the Oriental art of acupressure that was developed in Japan. Although it is
compared to acupuncture, and I myself often make the same analogy (but stress
the absence of needles!), Shiatsu probably predates it and focuses on the channels
or meridians linking the points rather than on the points themselves. These channels
contain the vital life force, or energy, or in Oriental medicine terms, Qi. Think
of a river flowing down a mountain; when flow is unimpeded, water flows freely,
life in the river is sustained on all levels and harmony exists. When a fallen
tree blocks the river, however, free flow of water is impeded and all levels of
life in the river are affected. So it is with the meridians in the body. When
Qi flows freely, the bodymind is in harmony and all levels of daily life can be
sustained. When there is a blockage in the Qi flow, all levels of daily life are
affected and ill health can manifest in a series of symptoms, which we know as
disease. Only when this blockage is removed can your Qi flow resume and symptoms
of ill health be reduced and diminished.
Shiatsu takes place on a futon, or thin mattress, on the floor and the recipient is fully-clothed. After initial discussion, the first step is to check the abdomen. The Shiatsu practitioner decides which meridians to focus on and aims to work these channels throughout the body in order to balance the Qi, move any blockages, and support any weakness. Each meridian is named after an organ in the body. If, for example, the client suffers from diarrhoea the large intestine channel may present discomfort, and the pracitioner concentrates on this meridian. At its most simplistic level, Shiatsu will enable the receiver to feel relaxed and experience an overall sensation of wellbeing. But it goes deeper than that. On a physical level, it helps relieve the symptoms of any dis-ease. It can also relieve the symptomatic reactions to any severe drug regimes that clients may have to endure.
Shiatsu can relieve many conditions like constipation, diarrhoea, nausea, anorexia, neuropathy, lipodystrophy, tinnitus, joint and muscle pain, headaches and dizziness. It can also help support the lymphatic and immune system generally and the practitioner makes every treatment individual to each client. Whether the energetic system is weak or strong, the focus of the treatment can be adjusted accordingly to best suit the individual client.
A client with HIV who suffered a combination of hearing problems including tinnitus and balance difficulties, with subsequent feelings of vulnerability, found that Shiatsu helped reduce the tinnitus and balance problems and, hence, felt less vulnerable when in crowded situations.
Another client found that the severe back pain, caused by arthritis and exacerbated by HIV, which had rescricted his movements eased considerably.
Several clients with lupus and multiple sclerosis found that their recurrent headaches and consistent joint pains were much reduced with regular Shiatsu treatment.
How does it affect your state of mind?
Sian Howard works for the Complementary Health Trust. Sessions are offered to registered users at low-cost donations to people with HIV & immune-related conditions. Tel 020 7704 1777 or visit: www.comphealth.org.uk |
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Wine
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