Organico Bantry

Organico Cafe is delighted to welcome a new exhibition of illustrations from a children’s book called ‘Into The Serpent’s Jaws’ by Spark Deeley.

Spark Deeley was born in Birmingham in 1961. She studied in Cardiff, South Wales, graduating with an honours degree in Fine Art. After much travelling, she is now settled in Cork, Ireland, and divides her time between illustration, fine art, mural art and community art projects.

Her career has been a broad one. She has held one woman shows, taken part in a number of selected group shows, established a community print training centre, as well as instigating and contributing to a variety of artistic projects throughout Ireland, the U.K., Spain and the U.S.A.

‘Into The Serpents Jaws’ is Spark Deeley’s first illustrated book for older children and adults. Part fable, part art book, it symbolically tells the story of a woman who has the courage to embrace her fears, allowing them to become her allies. As the woman crawls with trepidation through a glowering jungle, she meets the face of her own fear in the guise of a serpent and a jaguar. Her fear becomes reality when the serpent consumes her, beginning a journey of transformation within the protection of its jewelled skin.

Richly illustrated with exquisite ink paintings throughout, the images perfectly compliment the theme by slowly transitioning from black and white into full colour.

An unusual book full of mystery and depth, which speaks to all ages of our potential to grow stronger through challenging times.

‘Into the Serpent’s Jaws’ was launched at Tigh Fili, Cork Arts Theatre, Carroll’s Quay, Cork,
on Friday 9th November 2007.

The book, as well as prints of the art works, will be available to buy in Organico Cafe from the 10th of May.

To find out more about Spark Deeley’s work, visit her website: www.sparkdeeley.com

Well, from our years of both taking and recommending various vitamin and mineral supplements, we would, as Healthfood Shop owners, say ”No”. And certainly not under normal circumstances. Water, salt, aspirin, the sun… all these can kill, if you drink/eat/swallow/bathe too much. If a person attempted to live on vitamins alone, they would not live very long. That is why all vitamin supplements carry a warning that they are not to be used in place of a varied diet. But when they are used as ‘’supplements”, which they are sold as, and taken in the correct dosage, there is no risk to human life.

Recent news coverage would suggest otherwise. The most recent controversy surrounds a recent “study” led by Serbian scientist and “visiting researcher” at Copenhagen University Hospital, Goran Bjelakovic. His name is now synonymous with vitamin meta-analyses (studies of other studies) which appear to show that vitamin supplements either don’t work or end up increasing your risk of death. Two recent bursts of negative international headlines on vitamins supplements (1 October 2004 and 28 February 2007) followed releases of previous research papers (see asterisked articles in Reference list below).

So how did the researchers come to their conclusion, which was that anti-oxidents increase the risk of heart attacks? how did the Cochrane Library arrive at such a conclusion? According to http://www.laleva.org ”it’s easy: The researchers considered 452 studies on these vitamins, and they threw out the 405 studies where nobody died! That left just 47 studies where subjects died from various causes (one study was conducted on terminal heart patients, for example). From this hand-picked selection of studies, these researchers concluded that antioxidants increase mortality ”.

How does this kind of ‘’science” make it to the front pages, one might ask? 

In the UK there is a groups called The Alliance for Natural Health. Their response to this study can be found on their home page.

I have taken several points of interest from their argument:

1. This is not a new study - it is a rehash of the very same data sets that led to the previous negative studies – and these methodologies tell us nothing about the way in which high quality combinations of nutrient supplements work. This is a re-analysis of studies that have been conducted and reported on previously, by a man at a computer. In this case a group of men with a known axe to grind, who have never produced a study favourable to supplements, which is itself statistically unlikely unless you have a bias.  
 
2. This isn’t meaningful. When you select or reject studies on criteria that only mean something to statisticians, and ignore important things like duration, how long the study ran for — which ranged from 28 days to 14 years — your findings are immediately meaningless. Even the huge difference in dose of supplements between different studies — Vitamin E ranging from 10 to 5000 units daily, for instance — they didn’t deem important.  

3. These studies apply only to synthetic forms of vitamins (as produced by the pharmaceutical industry). The authors of this latest Cochrane review state: “The present review does not assess antioxidant supplements for treatment of specific diseases (tertiary prevention), antioxidant supplements for patients with demonstrated specific needs of antioxidants, or the effects of antioxidants contained in fruits or vegetables.” This shows that the study has no relevance to natural sources of vitamins and minerals or antioxidants sourced from plants (e.g. flavanoids, anthocyanins, sulforaphanes,  salvestrols/resveratrol, etc.), which are included in many of the leading-edge natural health supplements claiming potent antioxidant activity.

As the ANH states, it has to be asked what the Cochrane Collaboration is doing, allowing, endorsing and indeed promoting unscientific, invalid rehashes such as this. Cochrane were supposed to be the only guys you really could trust.

REFERENCES (from the ANH Article):
 
**Bjelakovic G, Nikolova D, Gluud LL, Simonetti RG, Gluud C. Mortality in randomized trials of antioxidant supplements for primary and secondary prevention: systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2007 Feb 28; 297(8):842-57. Review. 
 
Bjelakovic G, Nagorni A, Nikolova D, Simonetti RG, Bjelakovic M, Gluud C. Meta-analysis: antioxidant supplements for primary and secondary prevention of colorectal adenoma. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2006 Jul 15;24(2):281-91. Review.
 
Bjelakovic G, Nikolova D, Simonetti RG, Gluud C. Antioxidant supplements for preventing gastrointestinal cancers. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2004 Oct 18;(4):CD004183. Review.
 
*Bjelakovic G, Nikolova D, Simonetti RG, Gluud C. Antioxidant supplements for prevention of gastrointestinal cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet. 2004 Oct 2-8;364(9441):1219-28. Review.

** Paper on which latest Cochrane review is based; negative findings created wide media interest
 
* Paper which created extensive media interest and formed basis of Cochrane review published in the same month.

Please leave your responses below and I will publish them. Hannah Dare.

Ingredients

1 red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 leek, finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped into small lengths
1 medium sized sweet potato, peeled and chopped into roughly 3cm cubes
300-400g butternut squash, peeled and chopped to roughly the same size as the sweet potato
350g Passata
100 ml water
1 organic stock cube (Kallo are good)
10-12 dates, chopped
small handful of cashew nuts
1 can chick peas
handful of parsley chopped
1 tbsp olive oil

spices
Cinnamon 1tsp
Cumin ”
Corriander ”
Sweet Paprika ”
Smoked paprika ”
chilli flakes 1/2 tsp

Lightly fry the onion in the olive oil for a few minutes on a low heat till it begins to soften. Then add the garlic, leeks, peppers and spices and sautee unitl the leeks soften. then mix in the sweet potato and butternut squash, stirring for a few minutes to coat in the spices. Add the passata, water, stock, dates and cashew nuts. Bring to the boil then reduce to simmer, put a lid on the pot and leave on a low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionaly - until the sweet potato and squash are soft. Now add the can of chick peas, lemon juice and parsley and set the pot aside with the lid on for at least an hour to let the flavours infuse.
When you are ready to serve reheat for a few minutes.

I like to serve this with a mixture of brown rice and quinoa. Cook 3 cups of brown rice with 2 cups of quinoa. Soak in water then drain, add 8 cups of boiling water and cook on a low heat with a lid on, watching it doesnt stick.

Thanks again Jess!

In season, gluten and dairy free!

250g Wild garlic - mix of leaves and flowers
50g toasted sunflower seeds
50g cashew nuts
3 generous tsps of miso
Olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to season

Toast the sunflower seeds and leave to cool. Roughly chop the wild garlic. put all the ingredients in a blender, starting with 4 tbsps of olive oil and adding further depending on consistency, blend till a dark paste is formed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Put into a container and cover with a thin layer of ollive oil to preserve.

Pesto tip - If when making pesto it turns out really bitter and you cant seem to right it add a small bit of boiled potato. It can often be the quality of olive oil, or the nuts being slightly rancid, but the potato rights all!!

Recipe Thanks to Jessica Mason - Cheers Jess!

A new Irish Slow Food Convivium has been set up in Bantry, West Cork. The committee is made up of Anne O’Brien, from O’Connor’s Seafood restaurant, Eileen O’Shea, from The West Lodge Hotel, Val Manning from Manning’s Emporium Ballylickey, Cathleen Carter from Bantry House, Hannah Dare from Organico Bantry and Letty Baker, former Mayor and Convivium Leader.

The first event planned for the Bantry Bay Convivium is being held here in Organico Cafe on Sunday the 20th of April. The theme is a Spring Tea Party and we are delighted to have Myrtle Allen, the Eurotocque Chair, and Giana Ferguson from Gubeen to assist us to launch Slow Food in Bantry. Artist Martha Cashman (currently showing in Organico Cafe) will also talk about her work.

Organico Cafe will serve a menu crammed with delicious tea-time treats (we’re currently getting very excited aboutclotted cream…mmm…) and, of course, organic fair trade tea!

Tickets are priced at €10 and will very shortly be availabel from Organico, from O’Connor’s, from the West Lodge and from Val’s in Ballylickey.

Membership forms will be available from these places also, and on the Sunday afternoon we will be delighted to invite new members to join us in the Bantry Bay Convivium.

‘Mollie’ from the exhibition entitled ‘Womanagh’ Showing from the 18th of March to the end of April 2008 In Organico Cafe Bantry.

Martha on her own work: ”My work is a homage to the teachers of my past, the farm helpers and local women who visited and helped my mother in the house.Their understanding of the daily running of a small holding impacted on my greatly and led me to appreciate and respect the land we took from daily. The pieces are records of their life stories and teachings.

I received the UCC Purchase prize and Scarva Pottery Prize, two of my pieces are in the UCC Art Archive Collection, also in the CIT Art Collection and the Crawford Student Collection”.

Martha’s previous exhibitions include a solo show in Etain Hickey’s Gallery Clonakilty, Feb 07; a solo show in Milano’s Restaurant, Cork Dec 07/Feb 08, a group show in The Lavitt Gallery Cork Dec 07, the Christmas show in the Courtyard Arts Centre Midleton 07, a group show Courtyard, Midleton Aug 07, Degree show Crawford, Cork July 07, Group show Courtyard Midleton Aug 06, Group show Granary theather, Cork June 06, Group show Tig Fili Cork, Vision Centre, Cork Feb 04.
Next show: Medici Palace, San Marino, Italy April 29-May 18 08

The following text is a summary of a letter circulated by my colleagues in the Irish Association of Healthfood Stores. It was written by an Osteopath called Mardi Jameson in the Brixton Center in London. I feel that this information should be made available to more than our mailing list. I first published it a couple of months ago, and the responses I recieved are very interesting. Please see the bottom of the article. I have published every response rreceived regardless of what sentiment they expressed.

Dear Friend /Colleague,

You may not be aware that last week the controllers of BBC Health www.bbc.co.uk, one of the most accessed health websites in the world, decided to remove all coverage of complementary medicine!

They used to have substantial coverage with over 40 pages on this subject covering all the major therapies, their pros and cons, evidence for their effectiveness, how to find a qualified practitioner, etc. However the site has in recent months been targeted by the self-appointed ‘Quackbusters’, (scientists and medics vehemently opposed to complementary therapies such as Prof David Colquhon et al) who sent a deluge of letters and emails claiming that complementary therapies such as homeopathy and cranial osteopathy were ‘unscientific’ and should be removed. As a result large chunks of this part of the site were simply removed overnight and now, following recent cutbacks, it was decided that, rather than update this part of the site, it should simply be removed altogether!

It may seem incredible that a public service site this prominent can deem complementary medicine so insignificant that it no longer warrants any coverage other than the odd news story. This is despite the fact that complementary medicine is used favourably by a significant proportion of the population (recent surveys have estimated that around 1 in 5 Britons use it at some point or other) and that increasing numbers of people are now seeking to train in these therapies. However, as the ‘quack busters’ become more organised and active, evidence of the backlash against complementary medicine is appearing all over the place - such as the removal of NHS Trust funding for homeopathy, the threatened closure of the homeopathic hospitals, many negative news stories in the press and so on. Rather than taking a reasoned view and considering the evidence from good research studies on complementary medicine these individuals seem simply hell bent on trying to ’stamp out’ complementary medicine in any way possible. The BBC removal of complementary medicine coverage (which has been in place for almost 15 years!) is one example.

If you care about complementary medicine and believe information pages on it should be returned to BBCi, please, please take just a minute to express your views using their online comment form at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/feedback/ to make your view known. As a public service company they to listen to your views so your email will make a difference. Apparently for all the many letters and emails that they received that were against complementary medicine they only received a handful in support…

Therefore if you are in support please let them know so they may revise their thinking on this subject.

Please act as soon as possible and pass on these details to anyone else you know who may also be willing to write in support of complementary medicine.

Thank you.

Blogged by Hannah Dare

Bantry Fair Trade group in support of fair trade fortnight is showing the documentary Black Gold on Thursday the 28th of Febuary in the Cinemax. Black Gold is a film by Nick and Marc Francis that highlights the plight of Ethiopian Coffee growers. The wedsite states: ‘As westerners revel in designer lattes and cappuccinos, impoverished Ethiopian coffee growers suffer the bitter taste of injustice. In this eye-opening expose of the multi-billion dollar industry, Black Gold traces one man’s fight for a fair price’.

For more information please look at http://www.blackgoldmovie.com

Clouds West Cork

The current exhibition in Organico Cafe is work by Anne Marie Mcinerney from Skibbereen, West Cork. Anne Maire’s work has a wide range of influences, from the wild seas and wide skies of West Cork to drousy Italian vinyards. Anne Marie studied fine art in the Crawford College of Art and Design in Cork and then went on to Belfast to do a Post Graduate Diploma in Fine Art. This exhibition is titled ‘Skyscapes’. The canvasses are large, striking and well worth a viewing!

Come and view Anne Marie’s work in Organico Cafe during Febuary 2008 (we’re going to keep in for some of March if we can - we’re enjoying it that much!)

Mindfullness meditation is starting in Organico Cafe in Bantry on Monday Febuary the 18th and running for 4 weeks. The evenings will be facilitated by Marjo Osterhoff, who trained in Burma and Thailand as a Buddhist nun before moving to Ireland. She now lives and works in Adrigole where she has a Meditation Centre.

The classes will involve sitting and walking meditation, as well as relaxation excercises to help relieve stress. Mindfullness meditation (or Insight meditation) is a simple and direct way to develop our capacity to be present in each moment, to learn to recognise habits, patterns and challenges that may be preventing us from enjoying living in the ‘now’. The classes will be suitable for beginners and non-beginners.

Starting date: 18th of Febuary 2008 for 4 evenings in total, continuing if there is enough interest;

Time: 8pm sharp

Duration: 8-9.30pm

Cost: €50 for the 4 weeks

For more details or to book please ring Marjo on (027) 60223 or email moosterhoff@eircom.net.