How to beat the bloat
One in five people report suffering from symptoms of cow's milk intolerance. Of those 20 per cent, only six per cent are intolerant to lactose, a sugar in milk, leaving 14 per cent unaccounted for. New research in humans confirms animal studies suggesting the culprit may be A1 beta-casein, one form of the major protein in milk. According to associate professor Sebely Pal of Curtin University in Western Australia, the study shows that people drinking milk containing A2 beta-casein – the earliest evolutionary form of casein, which is still found in breast milk, and also brown cow, sheep and goat’s milk – suffered significantly less inflammation, pain and discomfort.
She recommends that anyone suffering symptoms of intolerance, or those with Irritable Bowel Syndrome, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease, should try A2 milk rather than giving up this important food group. For more information, visit www.a2milk.co.uk. (NB This advice does not apply to infants with cow’s milk allergy.)
HELP FOR STAMMERERS
Sara Wilson , 25, from Glasgow, has stammered since she was little. ‘My stammer would rear up when I was asked to read aloud in school, or order something on the phone,’ she says. ‘Doctors had no clue (how to help).’ At 16, she was referred to an NHS speech therapist who asked her to spend the weekly session reciting the alphabet slowly. Her stammer did not improve. According to the British Stammering Association (www.stammering.org), one per cent of the adult population has a stammer, which typically means a tense struggle to get words out, usually at the beginning of a sentence. It may be due to faulty wiring in the brain and there is often a family tendency. While the exact cause is uncertain, the psychological impact is distressing.
Last year, Sara determined to research her options in the hope of fulfilling her dream of becoming a primary schoolteacher. The not-for-profit Starfish Project in East Sussex, founded by speech trainer Anne Blight in 1998, stood out. While emphasising that there is no cure, Starfish offers people the tools and confidence to control their stammer in day-to-day situations. Training is given over three days, and combines individual support with proven methods including costal breathing and therapy to help clients develop a more positive attitude. ‘The £250 fee includes free refresher courses and lifetime support,’ adds Sara.
Sara found ‘lots of encouragement. It was a great comfort to meet people who understood what I was going through.’ She still has days when she revisits ‘bad habits’,but her four-page list of Starfish friends who she can phone 24/7 helps her take one day at a time. ‘I learned that doing little things such as asking for my train ticket instead of using a machine is the key to building confidence and a successful recovery from stammering.’ Sara is now a qualified primary schoolteacher.
• www.starfishproject.co.uk,/01825-767268.
NB International Stammering Awareness Day is on Wednesday 22nd October 2014
THREE OF THE BEST TIME-KEEPERS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
Lifemax Talking Atomic Watch/£38.99,www.goodlifeguide.co.uk
Our partially sighted 80-something tester reports, ‘The dial is easy to read and the controls simple to use. The speaking clock is very clear and keeps perfect time.’
Under Pillow Vibration Alarm Clock/£15.49, www.goodlifeguide.co.uk
This buzzing beastie is suitable for anyone with impaired hearing and will wake even the deepest sleeper but leave your spouse slumbering, according to our tester.
Dayclox International Digital Calendar Day Clock/£75, www.amazon.co.uk
A colleague whose mother has significant memory loss and was often confused about the day of the week found this so successful he bought two so she has them in key places.