ISSUE 55
Tuesday January 16, 2007
To Bang or Not To Bang?
BY ELIZENDA “ZEN” PETERS
That is the question, indeed.
Now, get your minds out of
the gutter, for this is not a
sexual article. It’s an article
relating to my hair. I think
I’ve been pondering that
question for most of 2006.
I’m one of those gals who don’t
want her hairdresser to touch
the length but do want a trendy
style. Well, my stylist never got
further than cutting some layers, because really, that’s the
only option. But then you also
have bangs…
T
he bang (or fringe) is
one hair look that constantly cycles in and
out of fashion. Throughout recent hair history bangs
have been seen in large numbers on the fashion walkways
from time to time. This hairstyle has once again become
popular with many of the top
supermodels, fashionistas and
celebrities.
I’ve been pondering quite a
while on whether to get bangs
or not. Bangs are a great way
to spice up your hairstyle.
They can put life into a drab
look, even modernizing it.
But everyone hates the growing out process after you’re
over them. But on my last
trip to Europe, where almost
everyone (including some
men!) was wearing bangs in
some way or another, I was
convinced I had to get them
- you only live once, right?
Now usually when everyone
else is doing it, I mostly do
the opposite, but luckily, the
bang trend hasn’t swept St.
Maarten - yet.
The author.
Continued on page 5.
Coffee Reduces
Post-Work Out Pain
Here’s something for you athletes or sports buffs out there: Drinking about 2 cups of
coffee a day can reduce your post-workout muscle pain by up to almost half!
One and two days after an exercise session that caused moderate muscle soreness,
the volunteers took either caffeine or a placebo and performed two different quadriceps (thigh) exercises, one designed to produce a maximal force, the other designed
to generate a sub-maximal force. Those that consumed caffeine one-hour before the
maximum force test had a 48 percent reduction in pain compared to the placebo
group, while those that took caffeine before the sub-maximal test reported a 26 percent reduction in pain.
Don’t try this (especially prior to a work-out) if you experience adverse reactions to
caffeine, such as palpitations. However, if you are a coffee drinker anyway, it might
be a good alternative to over the counter pain killers.
Engineered chickens make cancer drugs
A team at the British institute that cloned
Dolly the sheep have made a genetically
engineered chicken that produces cancer
drugs in its eggs.
The chickens produce the cancer drugs in
their egg whites, the team at the Roslin
Biocentre in Edinburgh reported.
The drugs include a monoclonal antibody
-- themselves lab-engineered immune
system proteins -- and a human immune
system protein used to treat cancer and
other conditions, the researchers report in
the upcoming issue of the Proceedings of
the National Academy of Sciences.
These drugs are not easy to make in the
lab. “Many human therapeutic proteins,
such as monoclonal antibodies, are produced in industrial bioreactors, but setting
up such systems is both time-consuming
and expensive,” the researchers wrote.
Scientists have been trying to find good
ways to turn animals into factories instead
-- given that animals naturally make such
proteins anyway.
Cattle, sheep and goats all have been genetically engineered to produce human
proteins in their milk, including insulin
and drugs to treat cystic fibrosis, but the
Roslin team thought chickens, with their
shorter life cycles and egg-laying prowess, also might be useful.
Helen Sang and colleagues at Roslin made
the genetically engineered or transgenic
hens by inserting the genes for the desired
proteins into the hen’s gene for ovalbumin, a protein that makes up half of egg
whites.
They wanted to ensure the hens made the
proteins in their egg whites and nowhere
else.
The proteins they chose were miR24, a
monoclonal antibody with potential for
treating melanoma, and human interferon b-1a, an immune system protein from
a family of proteins that attacks tumors
and viruses.
They used a virus to infect very early
chicken embryos. The virus inserted the
genetic material into the DNA of chick
embryos in newly laid eggs.
The researchers hatched these chicks and
found the male chicks who had indeed incorporated the new DNA in their semen.
These cockerels were then bred with normal hens and they screened the resulting
chicks to see which ones still carried the
two new genes. The researchers have now
bred several hundred chickens that can
produce the desired proteins.
They worked with Viragen (Scotland) Ltd.,
a subsidiary of the U.S. biotechnology
company Viragen and Oxford Biomedica Ltd.
Other companies have created animals and
plants that produce human and animal proteins, as well as vaccines.
© GRAPHIC NEWS
2
Health & Beauty - A supplement of The Daily Herald, Tuesday January 16, 2007
New U.S. institute aims
to bolster world health
Atlanta’s Emory University
launched a new global health
institute on Wednesday in
recognition that diseases
from AIDS to bird flu cross
all political and philosophical
barriers.
The plan is to train workers
at Emory and abroad, develop drugs and build facilities to
fight diseases that now cripple
economies and that threaten to
destabilize entire regions.
“Health issues have become
remarkably similar around
the world,” said Dr. Jeffrey
Koplan, vice president for academic health affairs at Emory
University’s Woodruff Health
Sciences Center.
“Even when we can be in
an extremely hostile relationship with a country or a
group of people ... when you
talk about health and children
and keeping pregnant women
healthy you are on the exact
same wavelength,” Koplan,
a former director of the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, said in a telephone interview.
The program, in partnership
with Finland’s National Public
Health Institute, Kansanterveyslaitos or KTL, will start off
with a five-year grant of nearly $20 million from the Bill
& Melinda Gates Foundation.
The university has budgeted
$110 million for the new institute.
The World Health Organization, humanitarian groups such
as Medecins Sans Frontieres
(Doctors without Borders)
and others have said it is vital to build facilities and keep
trained medical staff in developing countries.
WHO estimates that 4 million more health workers are
needed globally to cope with
AIDS alone, which has killed
25 million people in 25 years.
Tuberculosis and malaria kill
another 3 to 4 million people
each year.
DISEASE KNOWS
NO BORDERS
“I think recent events such as
the SARS epidemic, West Nile
and certainly avian flu make
it clear to us that the boundaries of what separate us from
others have been degraded,”
Koplan said.
Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome, or SARS, swept
out of China in 2002 and
2003, infected 8,000 people
and killed nearly 800 before
it was suppressed. West Nile
Virus, usually seen in the Middle East and parts of southern
Europe, arrived in the Americas in 1999, while experts fear
H5N1 avian influenza, which
has killed just 157 people
since 2003, might mutate into a pandemic strain.
Koplan said he hoped graduates would come back to
Emory to seek funding for
projects in their home countries, instead of abandoning
their countries which have
lacked opportunities for them
“to pursue their profession in
a way that is gratifying to
them.”
The new Emory institute will
support the International Association of National Public
Health Institutes (http://www.
ianphi.org ), established a year
ago.
Unlike earlier health initiatives in which doctors from
rich countries have come in
and lectured their poorer counterparts, Koplan said the new
approach will involve a lot of
listening.
“The purpose of this health
institute and the philosophy
behind it will be much about
partnerships. It is not like we
are bringing light and truth to
anyone,” he said.
Koplan said experts at Emory are already working on the
kinds of programs the institute
will foster, including work
on discovering new drugs in
South Africa, vaccine development in India and health
research in Mexico.
Walgreen selling cigarette
in a hand gel across U.S.
A new hand gel is starting to
appear on drug-store shelves
promising more than just an
end to germs or dry skin -- this
one claims to satisfy users’ tobacco cravings for up to four
hours.
Walgreen Co., the largest U.S.
drugstore chain by sales, is
now stocking its more than
5,500 stores with packets of
Nicogel, a quick-evaporat-
ing gel made with tobacco
extracts. The roll-out should
be finished within a couple
weeks, said company spokeswoman Carol Hively in an
e-mail, adding that it costs
$5.99 for box of 10 doses.
Nicogel, made by a unit of
privately held Blue Whale
Worldwide Inc., can be used
when smoking is inconvenient, such as at work, on an
airplane, in a theater or, these
days, in almost any other public place.
Blue Whale, which also sells
a smokeless tobacco substitute
made from tea leaves, is hoping to cash in on the increasing
number of smoking bans and
the ill-effects of second-hand
smoke, Chief Executive Bill
Whalen said in an interview
this week.
“The potential for this product
is enormous,” said Whalen, a
horticultural geneticist with
a business degree from the
University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. “The
most important thing is
smoking bans. (Also, more)
people don’t want to smell
like smoke.”
Nicogel, already sold in 40
other countries, could generate
$200 million in U.S. sales this
year, Whalen said, predicting
that sales will reach $1 billion
by the end of 2008.
Pfizer says considering
OTC form of Viagra
FACTBOX-Bird flu’s spread
around the globe
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on
Thursday the death of an Indonesian teenager from bird
flu.
China said on Wednesday
that a farmer from the eastern
province of Anhui had contracted H5N1, the country’s
first human case in months. As
in other human bird flu cases
in China there was no reported
poultry outbreak in the area,
raising questions as to how he
contracted the virus.
The outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza
began in Asia in 2003 and
spread rapidly in early 2006.
Following are some facts
about the H5N1 avian flu virus and its spread around the
globe.
* Since the virus re-emerged
in Asia in 2003, outbreaks
have been confirmed in around
50 countries and territories,
according to data from the
World Organization for Animal Health (OIE).
* Since the beginning of
January 2006, more than
30 countries have reported flu virus. There are numerous
outbreaks, in most cases in- strains. For example, an outvolving wild birds such as break in 2003 of the H7N7
swans.
bird flu virus in the Netherlands led to the destruction of
* The virus has killed 158 more than 30 million birds,
people since 2003, accord- around a third of the couning to WHO. Countries with try’s poultry stock. About 2.7
confirmed human deaths are: million were destroyed in BelAzerbaijan, Cambodia, China, gium, and around 400,000 in
Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Thai- Germany. In the Netherlands,
89 people were infected with
land, Turkey and Vietnam.
the H7N7 virus, of whom one
* In total, the virus is known (a veterinarian) died.
to have infected 264 people since 2003, according to * The H5N1 virus made the
WHO. Many of those who first known jump into humans
have died are children and in Hong Kong in 1997, infectyoung adults.
ing 18 people and killing six
of them. The government or* Vietnam and Indonesia have dered the immediate culling of
the highest number of cases, the territory’s entire poultry
accounting for 100 of the to- flock, ending the outbreak.
tal deaths.
* Symptoms of bird flu in hu* The H5N1 virus is not new mans have ranged from typical
to science and was responsi- influenza-like symptoms, such
ble for an outbreak of highly as fever, cough, sore throat
pathogenic avian influenza in and muscle aches, to eye inScotland in 1959. Britain con- flammations (conjunctivitis),
firmed a new case in Scotland pneumonia, acute respiratory
on April 6.
distress, viral pneumonia, and
other severe and life-threaten* H5N1 is not the only bird ing complications.
Pfizer Inc. said on Wednesday
it is considering an over-thecounter form of its Viagra
anti-impotence drug as it faces tough competition from Eli
Lilly and Co.’s longer-acting
Cialis treatment.
“As with many of our products, Pfizer has routinely
evaluated a number of options (for Viagra), including
different formulations, new
indications, over-the-counter,
etc., and continues to do so,”
Pfizer said in a statement provided to Reuters.
It was the first time Pfizer had
disclosed interest in an overthe-counter form of Viagra, a
company spokeswoman said,
but she declined to comment
further when asked about the
possible merits of a nonpre-
scription form of the drug.
New York-based Pfizer disclosed the OTC option in
response to an article in the
January 11 edition of The
Business, a weekly British
business magazine that said
Pfizer sources had described
such discussions.
OTC drugs typically sell for
less than prescription medicines and often come in
limited dosage strengths. Before approving OTC products,
however, regulators pay close
heed to whether patients can
safely treat themselves without
benefit of a doctor’s advice.
Viagra carries a warning that
it and similar drugs must not
be used with nitrates, a class
of heart drugs that can dangerously lower blood pressure if
taken along with impotence
pills. Some patients taking Viagra have also suffered a sudden
decrease or loss of vision.
The Business article also said
Pfizer was planning an oralspray version of Viagra being
developed by Novadel, a U.S.
drug-delivery firm.
“However, we are not pursuing a spray version of Viagra,”
Pfizer said. Novadel Chief
Financial Officer Michael
Spicer said the report of its
involvement with Pfizer was
unfounded.
Viagra, which works for about
four hours, had third-quarter
global sales of $423 million. Its
sales growth has been crimped
by the growing popularity of
Cialis, which works up to 36
hours.
Health & Beauty - A supplement of The Daily Herald, Tuesday January 16, 2007
Migraine Headache
Introduction
Almost 10% of the population,
three times more women than
men, suffers from migraine
headaches, a type of headache
that’s often severe. Although
any head pain can be miserable, a migraine headache is
often disabling. It is believed
that even 50% of migraines
are either not diagnosed or
mislabelled as tension or sinus-headache (which is rare
according to experts). In some
cases, migraines are preceded
or accompanied by a sensory warning sign (aura), such
as flashes of light, blind spots
or tingling in your arm or leg.
A migraine headache is also
often accompanied by other
signs and symptoms, such as
nausea, vomiting, and extreme
sensitivity to light and sound.
Migraine pain can be excruciating and may incapacitate
you for hours or even days.
Fortunately, management of
migraine headache pain has
improved dramatically in the
last decade. If you’ve seen a
doctor in the past and had no
success, it’s time to make another appointment. Although
there’s still no cure, medications can help reduce the
frequency of migraine headaches and stop the pain once
it has started. The right medicines combined with self-help
remedies and changes in lifestyle may make a tremendous
difference for you.
When left untreated, a migraine headache typically lasts
from four to 72 hours, but the
frequency with which they
occur can vary from person
to person. You may have migraines several times a month
or just once a year.
childhood, adolescence or
early adulthood and may become less frequent and intense
as you grow older. Children
as young as age one can have
these headaches. In addition
to physical suffering, severe
headaches often mean missed
school days and trips to the
emergency room, as well as
lost work time for anxious
parents.
Children’s migraines tend to
last for a shorter time. But the
pain can be disabling and can
be accompanied by nausea,
vomiting, lightheadedness and
increased sensitivity to light.
A migraine headache tends to
occur on both sides of the head
in children, and visual auras
are rare. However, children
often have premonition signs
and symptoms, such as
yawning, sleepiness or listlessness, as well as craving
for foods such as chocolate,
hot dogs, sugary snacks, yogurt and bananas.
Migraine
headache triggers
Whatever the exact mechanism of headaches, a number
of things may trigger them.
Common migraine headache
triggers include:
Hormonal changes. Fluctuations in estrogen and
progesterone seem to trigger
headaches in many women with migraine headaches.
Women with a history of migraines often have reported
headaches immediately before
or during their periods. Others
report more migraines during
pregnancy or menopause. Hormonal medications, such as
contraceptives and hormone
replacement therapy, also may
worsen migraines but sometimes also give relief.
Migraine headache
symptoms in children
Migraines typically begin in Foods. Certain foods appear
to trigger headaches in some
people. Common offenders inSUNDAY
clude alcohol, especially beer
SCHEDULE
OF PHARMACIES and red wine; aged cheeses;
chocolate; fermented, pickled
or marinated foods; aspar10:00am – 12:00pm:
Philipsburg
Pharmacy, tame; caffeine; monosodium
Vogessteeg,
Philipsburg glutamate - a key ingredient in
(opposite library), tel. 542- some Asian foods; Skipping
3001
meals or fasting also can trigger migraines.
11:00am – 1:00pm:
Stress. A period of hard work
Central
Drugstore, EC followed by relaxation may
Richardson Street, Phil- lead to a weekend migraine
ipsburg (opposite police headache. Stress at work or
station), tel. 542-2321
home also can instigate migraines.
1:00pm – 3:00pm:
The Druggist, Airport
Road, Simpson Bay (next
to Windward Island Bank),
tel. 545-2777
5:00pm – 7:00pm:
Simpson Bay Pharmacy, Plaza
del Lago, Simpson Bay Yacht
Club, tel. 544-3653
Sensory stimulus.
Bright lights and sun glare
can produce head pain. So
can unusual smells - including pleasant scents, such as
perfume and flowers, and unpleasant odours, such as paint
thinner, secondhand smoke
and a co-worker’s armpit.
Physical factors. Intense
physical exertion, including
sexual activity, may provoke
migraines. Changes in sleep
patterns - including too much
or too little sleep - also can initiate a migraine headache.
in the rebound headache trap,
talk to your doctor.
Treatment
At one time, aspirin was
almost the only available treatment for headaches. Now there
are drugs specifically designed
to treat migraines. Several
drugs commonly used to treat
other conditions also may help
When to seek
relieve migraines in some peomedical advice
Migraines are a chronic dis- ple. All of these medications
order, but they’re often fall into two classes:
undiagnosed and untreated.
If you experience signs and Pain-relieving medications.
symptoms of migraine, track These stop pain once it has
and record your attacks and started.
how you treated them. Then
make an appointment with Preventive medications.
your doctor to discuss your These reduce or prevent a mimigraines and decide on a graine headache.
treatment plan.
If you don’t have a treat- Pain-relieving medications
ment plan when a migraine For best results, take pain-reheadache strikes, try over-the- lieving drugs as soon as you
counter (OTC) medications experience signs or symptoms
such as ibuprofen (Advil, Mo- of a migraine headache. It may
trin, others), naproxen sodium help if you rest or sleep in a
(Aleve) or paracetamol, or dark room after taking them:
other self-care measures for a
day or two. Keep in mind that Nonsteroidal anti-inflamsoluble formulations in a high matory drugs (NSAIDs).
starting dose often work the (Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Dibest and can be combined with clofenac, others) may help
i.e. motilium. if the migraine relieve mild migraines. Drugs
is accompanied by some nau- marketed specifically for
sea to promote absorption. If migraine, such as the comyou don’t get relief, see your bination of acetaminophen,
doctor.
aspirin and caffeine (Excedrin Migraine), also may ease
moderate migraines, but aren’t
Complications
Sometimes your efforts to con- effective alone for severe mitrol your pain cause problems. graines.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such Triptans. Sumatriptan (Imas ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, igran) was the first drug
others) and aspirin, may cause specifically developed to treat
side effects such as abdominal migraines. It mimics the acpain, bleeding and ulcers, es- tion of serotonin by binding
pecially if taken in large doses to serotonin receptors and
or for a long period of time. causing blood vessels to conIn addition, if you take strict. Sumatriptan is available
over-the-counter (OTC) or in oral, nasal and injection
prescription headache med- form. Injected sumatriptan
ications more than two or works faster than any other
three times a week or in ex- migraine-specific medication
cessive amounts, you may be - in as little as 15 minutes
setting yourself up for a se- - and is effective in most casrious complication known as es. A number of similar drugs
rebound headaches. Although have become available, inthese drugs can give you tem- cluding rizatriptan (Maxalt),
porary relief, they not only zolmitriptan (Zomig) and eletstop relieving pain, but actu- riptan (Relpax). Experience
ally begin to cause headaches. has shown that sometimes
You then use more pain med- people have to try 3-5 differication, which traps you in a ent triptans before they find
vicious cycle. If you’re caught the one that suits them best.
33
These articles were written by
Dick Luttekes of
Philipsburg Pharmacy
Ch. Vogessteeg z/n
(opposite the library)
For more information
contact Dick at
[email protected]
or call Tel 542-3001
Fax 542-3053 Cell 522-0750
Ergots. Drugs such as
ergotamine (cafergot) and dihydroergotamine help relieve
pain. Due to the fact they have
more side effects than triptans,
they are less prescribed.
Medications for nausea.
Metoclopramide (Primperan) is useful for relieving the
nausea and vomiting associated with migraines, not the
migraine pain itself. It also
improves gastric emptying,
which leads to better absorption and more rapid action of
many oral drugs. It’s most effective when taken early in
the course of your migraine
or even during the aura before
your headache begins.
Preventive medications
Preventive medications can
reduce the frequency, severity and length of migraines
and may increase the effectiveness of pain-relieving
medicines used during migraine attacks. In most cases,
preventive medications don’t
eliminate headaches completely, and some can have serious
side effects. They are considered an option with more than
2 attacks per month.
Cardiovascular drugs.
Beta blockers - which are
commonly used to treat high
blood pressure and coronary
artery disease - can reduce
the frequency and severity of
migraines. These drugs are
considered among first-line
treatment agents. Calcium
channel blockers and certain
RAAS drugs are also used.
Antidepressants.
Certain
antidepressants are good at
helping prevent all types of
headaches, including migraines. Most effective are
tricyclic antidepressants, such
as amitriptyline (Elavil). Newer antidepressants, however,
generally aren’t as effective
for migraine prevention.
Anti-seizure drugs. Although
the reason is unclear, some
anti-seizure drugs, such as
valproic acid (Depakin) and
topiramate (Topamax), which
are used to treat epilepsy and
bipolar disease, seem to prevent migraines. Gabapentin
(Neurontin), another anti-seizure medication, is considered
a second-line treatment agent.
.
Cyproheptadine. This antihistamine specifically affects
serotonin activity. Doctors
sometimes give it to children
as a preventive measure.
Prevention
Whether or not you take preventive medications, you may
benefit from lifestyle changes
that can help reduce the number
and severity of migraines. One
or more of these suggestions
may be helpful to you:
Avoid triggers. If certain
foods seem to have triggered
your headaches in the past,
eat something else. If certain
scents are a problem, try to
avoid them. In general, try to
establish a daily routine with
regular sleep patterns and regular meals.
Exercise regularly. Regular aerobic exercise reduces
tension and can help prevent
migraines. If your doctor
agrees, choose any aerobic
exercise you enjoy, including walking, swimming and
cycling. Warm up slowly,
however, because sudden,
intense exercise can cause
headaches.
Reduce the effects of estrogen. If you’re a woman with
migraines and estrogen seems
to trigger or make your headaches worse, or if you have a
family history of stroke or high
blood pressure, you may want
to avoid or reduce the amount
of medications you take that
contain estrogen. These medications include birth control
pills and hormone replacement
therapy. Talk with your doctor
about the best alternatives or
dosages for you.
Quit smoking. If you smoke,
talk to your doctor about quitting. Smoking can trigger
headaches or make headaches
worse.
4
Health & Beauty - A supplement of The Daily Herald, Tuesday January 16, 2007
Add Flavour, Subtract Fat:
14 Strategies
computers and replacement
of physical labour with sedentary occupations, not to
mention the increased consumption of fast food.
So to enjoy your food without
the fat, you need smart strategies. We’re lucky today, and
believe it or not, it’s easier
than ever to have your cake
and eat it too, so to speak.
Replacement fats and low-fat
dairy substitutes have made
cooking “favourites” easier, so
you can enjoy eating lower-fat
foods and dishes without sacrificing taste and texture.
desserts, and you won’t miss
the fat. Substitute non-fat yogurt for full-fat sour cream in
recipes; in place of cream, use
non-fat evaporated milk.
To make a perfectly healthy
pizza without sacrificing flavour, switch from whole-milk
mozzarella to low-fat, partskim, which has less than 5
grams of fat per serving. Add
flavour with three or four
tablespoons of diced fresh
cilantro or basil and some capers. Non-fat cheeses don’t
Lose the mayo -- discover
yogurt. A mixture of non-fat
yogurt and non-fat sour cream
with a dash of dry mustard is
much better than full-fat mayo.
Today’s non-fat mayonnaise is
an improvement over yesteryear’s. Use also in salads and
on sandwiches.
If you’re a chocoholic, don’t
sacrifice chocolate entirely,
even if you’re on a weight-loss
program. For a treat, grate one
ounce of the finest dark chocolate over the top of a low-fat
melt well, so use a little less
of the low-fat cheese.
Spice it up. Liberally spice
your food with hot sauce, red
and black pepper, and a little
salt. Watching the sodium?
Choose salt-free seasonings.
Your grocery store has dozens of different varieties.
Don’t overcook. When reducing the fat, adjust your
cooking methods to avoid
drying out leaner meats.
Don’t bother pressing down
on your burger to get the fat
out; instead, keep it as moist
as possible by starting with
hot grill sprayed with a little
cooking oil and cooking just
until done.
Savour salsas. Leaner cuts of
meat and skinless poultry and
fish do well with flavourful
salsa. Try a mango-red onion, a black bean and peach,
or a tomato-parsley-cucumber. Dice ingredients and mix
with garlic, balsamic vinegar,
and fresh lemon or lime juice.
Experiment with ingredients;
there are no rules for salsa.
dessert. Try sliced strawberries
topped with chilled, whipped
evaporated skim milk or nondairy whipped topping.
Go “ethnic” for flavour with
herbs and spices. They liven
up your menu and make your
“same old” baked chicken adventurous. Skinless chicken
breast, while healthy, can be
boring. For Asian, add fresh
ginger, garlic and soy sauce.
For French Provencal, add
onions, tomatoes, capers, and
fresh rosemary and thyme. To
make Italian chicken, cook
with garlic and onions, then
add mushrooms, red peppers,
oregano, marjoram and grated
Parmesan cheese.
Brighten up your flavours by
throwing out any spice and
herb that’s more than one year
old. Always buy the smallest-sized containers possible.
Here’s one case when buying
the “large” size doesn’t save
you money. Store inside your
cabinet away from heat, not
over the stove or next to the
oven.
To make your food taste better
while removing fat and calories, try these easy strategies:
The two biggest sellers in any
bookstore are the cookbooks
and the diet books. The cookbooks tell you how to prepare
the food, and the diet books
tell you how not to eat any
of it.
Let’s face it. Fat tastes good. It
provides texture and richness
to foods and provides what
foodies call “mouth feel” -that silken, smooth sensation
that glides over your palate
and down your throat so easily. But since it has more than
double the calories as protein course,, trans fats (hydrogeor carbohydrate, you need to nated fat), used in fast-food
be frugal with fat.
frying and many packaged
breads and crackers. Both
Like carbohydrates, all fats raise LDL and lower “good”
are not created equal. Some HDL cholesterol.
fats are health-promoting, like
monounsaturated fat in olive Until recently, it was acceptoil and avocado, or omega-3 ed that “French people don’t
fatty acids in fatty fish. Oth- get fat.” even considering
er fats are bad for your health its high–fat, creamy cheeses
and contribute to higher “bad” and buttery sauces. HowevLDL cholesterol. They include er, overweight and obesity in
saturated fat in fatty meats France has doubled since the
and whole-milk dairy prod- 1980s. “Globesity” reflects
ucts, cream and butter and, of the world’s dependence on
Milk cancels health benefit
of drinking tea: study
Drinking tea can reduce the risk of heart disease and
stroke but only if milk is not added to the brew, German scientists said on Tuesday.
Research has shown that tea improves blood flow and
the ability of the arteries to relax but researchers at the
Charite Hospital at the University of Berlin in Mitte
found milk eliminates the protective effect against cardiovascular disease.
“The beneficial effects of drinking black tea are completely prevented by the addition of milk, said Dr
Verena Stangl, a cardiologist at the hospital. Stangl
and her team discovered that proteins called caseins in
milk decrease the amount of compounds in tea known
as catechins which increase its protection against heart
disease.
“If you want to drink tea to have the beneficial health
effects you have to drink it without milk. That is clearly
shown by our experiments,” she told Reuters.
Tea is second only to water in worldwide consumption so any benefits could have important public health
implications. But until now it was not known whether
adding milk had an impact.
Just cut back. By just cutting back on the amount of fat
called for, you improve the
nutritional profile. If you’re
stir-frying, and the recipe calls
for 1/3 cup of oil, cut back to
1/4 cup or use a non-stick wok
and cooking wine or broth for
your liquid instead of oil.
Use flavourful oils and you
can use less without missing
it. Extra-virgin olive oil has
its own mellow flavour. Add
a few drops of walnut or sesame oil to canola oil for salad
dressing.
Cut back on oil in salad
dressing and increase vinegar, spices and lemon juice.
The proportion of oil in traditional vinaigrette is 3-1, so
start experimenting by making it 2-1, then 1-1. Invest in
good-quality balsamic vinegar
and high-quality, extra-virgin
olive oil for more flavour, and
reducing the amount will be
painless.
Invest in a George Foreman
grill or similar. It makes lowfat grilling a breeze. Spray the
grill with some cooking oil
and grill burgers, chicken, fish
and shellfish -- even firm tofu.
Potatoes sliced and tossed in
olive oil, then grilled on your
“George” are much healthier
and lower in fat than French
fries; you and your family will
adore them.
For better burgers, use very
lean beef and add ingredients
that bring out the taste and
contribute some moisture. Mix
a quarter-cup each of tomato
sauce and non-fat yogurt into
your lean beef or ground turkey breast, plus some minced
garlic and chives. Add a
quarter-cup each of shredded
zucchini and carrots and lower
the saturated fat and cholesterol while adding fibre and
nutrition.
Switch to low-fat or non-fat
dairy and substitutes. You’ll
get to enjoy the flavour of
your favourite puddings and
Health & Beauty - A supplement of The Daily Herald, Tuesday January 16, 2007
5
Is your 2007 resolution losing weight? Read on!
Part IV - Convenience
The easiest way to make
sure you stick with your diet is to make it convenient.
It’s not going to taste all that
good, so you might as well
make this as easy as possible on yourself. Needless to
say, it’s pretty challenging
to go out of your way 5 or
6 times per day to find clean
food when KFC and Burger King are right across the
street. Don’t do this to yourself, it’s not fun.
If for some reason you have
to eat fast food, at least try
to make healthy choices to
go with that. Every fast food
chain has somewhat healthier items on their menus these
days. If you’re cutting, keep
the carbs low, and double
the meat to keep protein
high. Cheese and mayonnaise should be avoided,
but mustard is a good topping when you’re dieting.
Prepare ahead of time.
Take your meals with you
when you aren’t going to be
home for an extended period
of time. You don’t want to be
forced to choose between McDonald’s and not eating when
you are on a cutting diet.
When you’re bulking, there’s
no better way to get fat than
by eating the wrong kind of
carbs and fats. Even though
you don’t have to be as strict
as you do when you’re cutting, you still need to eat
quality calories. Even when
bulking, try to prepare your
meals at home and take them
with you.
I prepare all of my food for
the week on Sundays, put
each meal in a plastic container and freeze them until the
day I plan to eat them. Then
all you need to do is pack a
grocery bag with 2-3 meals
out of the freezer and a 32 oz.
Rubbermaid container full of
protein or meal replacement
powder and take it to work
(or wherever) the next morning. People at work will think
you’re a little “different” when
your “lunch” sack is usually a
full grocery bag. If you aren’t
going to have access to a refrigerator, buy a cooler and an
ice pack.
Don’t forget Protein Powders
and Meal Replacement Powders (MRPs).
The difference between MRPs
and protein powder is that
MRPs have carbs included
in them, so they tend to taste
a little better. The carbs in
MRP’s aren’t really slow burning like oatmeal, etc. but they
are decent calories for bulking. I don’t recommend MRPs
for cutting purposes.
TO BANG OR NOT TO BANG?
Antonio Gummels is physical therapist/personal trainer/strength and
conditioning coach/ Aikido teacher and can be reached at: Tel. 581-5090;
e-mail: [email protected] website: www.allisonwilliams.net
If you try to get all of your
protein from solid food, it
can get very expensive and is
just hard to do. Meal replacement and protein powders
are a great way to get extra
calories and protein. When
dieting down, I prepare about
120 grams of protein powder
and water in a 32 oz. container to take with me to work
the next morning. I leave it
in the refrigerator and drink
about 1/3 of it at 3 different
times during the day (in between meals). I do the same
thing when bulking, but with
a couple of MRP’s and some a lot of sugar) with a nice Water - Drink
protein powder instead of just amount of protein, and some plenty of water!!
fat. If you put on fat easily, This is an easy concept. Waprotein powder.
“Mass” type drinks are prob- ter is the most overlooked part
For those who don’t put on ably not for you. These can be of nutrition. Drink 1-3 gallons
fat easily, another variety of a very useful tool for bulking, (depending on your size) every
MRPs is the so-called “Mass” but can also make you fat, so day wether bulking or cutting.
drinks. These come pre-bot- I generally only recommend If you aren’t getting enough
tled or the do-it-yourself these to people that don’t put water, you won’t grow muscle
powder form. They are usu- on fat very easily (no matter as quickly and you won’t lose
fat as quickly.
ally full of carbs (including what they eat).
(Continued from page 1)
and shaped straight across,
blending the side layers into
your style. They are also the
easiest bangs to grow out.
definition.
I was very happy with the end
results. I now had a modern
edgy look and Eyup didn’t
even touch my length. And if
I had any doubts - I got three
positive comments from passer-by’s before I reached my
car, so with that they disappeared. I think this look is one
to keep.
different effects on your hairstyle. Ask your stylist which
one suits your face shape the
best. You may be able to see
what bangs will look like by
standing in front of a mirror
and placing some of your own
hair around your forehead. But
you’ll never know for sure until you do it! Don’t be afraid,
live a little –bang it out!
When I told my hairstylist
Eyup Akyurt from Xperts
Hair Salon about my plans,
he was excited. He said not
many women on the island are
open to new styles, and Eyup
is one stylist that likes to exIf you’re deciding whether to Xperts Hair Salon is located
periment.
Although bangs have made a get bangs or not, keep in mind in La Palapa Marina in Simpcomeback, the style doesn’t that there are many different son Bay. For more information
look good on everyone, says types to choose from, all with call 545-2412 or 522-9725.
Eyup. “It all depends on the
shape of your face. If your
forehead is narrow, full-cut
bangs may not look as nice
as on someone with a wider
forehead,” he said, adding that
I could pull off the look.
Before I jumped on the bangwagon, Eyup stressed I had
to be committed, noting that
the average fringe takes eight
months to a year to fully grow
out. He also recommended a
professional trim every three
weeks to maintain them. I decided I could live with that.
Now mostly when a woman declares “I’m getting
bangs!” she ends up settling
for a wispier version of her
rock-and-roll fantasy (I’ve
been there too). But now the
new bangs are thicker, blunter and tougher than before, if
you have to believe the fashion magazines. So I decided to
go for the full-layered bangs
cut just below the eyebrow.
It’s a convenient way to wear
them or hide them if you pull
your hair back. They’re full
I showed Eyup a picture of the
bang I wanted and he took it
from there. After a few snips
he got it just the way I wanted
it. The bangs were cut slightly layered to just below the
brows, creating a playful look
and accentuating my eyes.
Buy Eyup wouldn’t be Eyup,
if he wouldn’t add his personal
touch to it. After colouring my
hair with a mix of mahogany,
copper and chocolate brown
hues as a finishing touch
he softly highlighted a few
strands and the ends of my
new ‘rock-star’ fringe to add
6
Health & Beauty - A supplement of The Daily Herald, Tuesday January 16, 2007
Bullying: Fight Fire With Fire?
BY MICHAELA SCHULTE, SIFMA
For it was not an enemy that
reproached me; then could I
have borne it; neither was it
he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then
I would have hid myself from
him; But it was thou, a man
mine equal, my guide, and my
acquaintance. We took sweet
counsel together, and walked
unto the house of God in company. (Psalm 55:12-14)
Bullying even appeared in Bible times. Ever since we can
remember, there has been bullying. Educational theorist van
der Meer refers to the “scape
goat phenomenon,” the phenomenon where each person
needs a victim when that person is part of a group.
The fact that it has happened
for so long doesn’t make it
easier for those who are the
victim of it. You never get
used to it!
In recent years, bullying has
become a topic that is widely discussed. Just google the
word “bullying” in an internet search and you will find
hundreds of sites which deal
with this topic. By highlighting the topic from all sides, we
hope to keep it somewhat under control. What should you
do if your child is a big bully?
Or if he is being bullied? How
must you deal with this and
how do you keep this problem in check?
A bully looks for a victim to
boss around in a very threatening manner. The bully
misuses his power: he hits,
curses, degrades and belittles
the victim. Often bullying is
done by a big group. The principle of peer pressure plays a
great role in this. A big part of
the group consists of the socalled “followers.” At a young
age, the key to popularity is to
conform to the group norms
of your age peers. This was
proven through research. Even
if your nose is somewhat bigger than “normal,” this might
be a reason for you to become
a potential victim of bullies
who patrol the school yard.
The “leaders” of such a bully group are usually the most
popular youth in the school.
By bullying others, their own
weaknesses are shoved to the
background.
Especially in primary school
we find many children who are
bullied. Many of them do not
tell that they are being bullied,
because they feel ashamed.
As a parent, you often have
the feeling that something is
wrong. The child’s behaviour
might change. He might lose
his appetite and sleep poorly
at night. Some children do tell
their parents what is wrong.
In this case, as a parent you
should not say things such
as “Don’t pay attention to it”
or “I was bullied too and it
helped me to mature.” These
types of expressions give the
child the feeling that he is
not being taken seriously. He
will then be inclined to keep
his problems to himself. It is
very important to listen carefully to your child and to give
him confidence. You can make
this a reality by for example
by explaining that you will
discuss the matter with one
of his/her teachers. Together
with that person, you should
look for a solution. Talking to
one teacher does not usually
solve the problem. You can often do more if you request a
meeting with several teachers
or with the school’s principal.
By addressing the topic of bullying in their classes, teachers
can help to limit it from happening. You can often do more
if you request a meeting with
several teachers or with the
school’s principal. It is important for the teacher to foster
unity among the students in
class. This can be done by
More family meals may help keep kids slim
on excess pounds.
“Families need to work together to help children maintain a
healthy weight,” Gable told
Reuters Health in an e-mail
message. “Even the simple
things, like how often families
eat together and the amount
of time that children spend
watching television, play a
role in children’s weight status.”
Spending more time around
the family dinner table -and less time in front of the
TV -- can help prevent kids
from getting fat, a new study
shows.
Among 8,000 children followed from kindergarten
to third grade, those who
watched the most TV were
at the greatest risk of being
or becoming overweight, Dr.
Sara Gable of the University
of Missouri, Columbia and
her colleagues found. And the
fewer meals children ate each
week with their families, the
more likely they were to put
Gable also added that parents
have to make the first step.
“Children rely on parents to
initiate such things as family mealtimes and to set limits
on children’s TV time,” Gable said. “Teaching children
about healthy habits requires
the whole family’s involvement; children are not going
to learn these things on their
own.”
organizing field trips and projects together. Furthermore, it
is important to organize joint
activities with the class on a
regular basis.
Should you find out that your
child is one of the bullies,
you must first of all ask for
a meeting with your child’s
teacher(s) for the same reason
that was mentioned before.
One of a bully’s problems is
that he is unsure of himself. In
addition, he lacks insight into
how he must relate to others.
The right approach is to make
sure that your child feels that
he is appreciated. This can be
done by showing interest in
the daily life of your child.
Furthermore, it is important to
discuss with your child what
bullying might mean to another child. Your child must learn
to bear his responsibilities and
to be accountable for his actions. In other words, he must
learn to stick to his agreements. Should the problem
escalate totally, you can consider social skills training. In
this case, you might first want
to approach the school by asking them to start a project with
“bullying” as the theme. The
chance is great that this approach will make an impact
and that the student will then
reflect and make a change for
the better.
SIFMA is a training and
resource centre for early childhood care and
education located on Sucker
Garden Road #13. For more
information call 543-7298 or
543-7299.
Cough and cold
remedies may be
lethal to infants
After investigating the deaths
of three infants between 1
and 6 months of age linked
to cough and cold medication
use, officials with the U.S.
Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention are emphasizing that these drugs should
be used only after talking with
a physician.
Between 2004 and 2005, approximately 1,500 children
younger than 2 years old
were treated in U.S. emergency departments for adverse
events associated with cough
and cold medications, Dr. A.
Srinivasan and colleagues at
the CDC note in the January
12th issue of the Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report
For each of the three dead infants, a medical examiner or
coroner determined that the
cough and cold medications
were the underlying causes
of death.
Blood levels of the decongestant pseudoephedrine at
autopsy ranged from 4700 to
7100 ng/mL, compared with
blood levels of 180 to 500 ng/
mL normally expected after
therapeutic dosing in children
between 2 to 12 years old.
Because of the risk of toxicity,
the lack of dosing instructions,
and the scarcity of published
evidence on effectiveness of
these medications in children
younger than 2 years old, the
authors advise that “parents
and other caregivers should
not administer cough and cold
medications to children in this
age group without first consulting a health-care provider
and should follow the provider’s instructions precisely.”
In an editorial note, the CDC
adds that the results of controlled trials indicate cough
and cold medications are no
more effective than placebo in
children younger than 2 years
of age.
Furthermore, the American
College of Chest Physicians in
2006 released clinical practice
guidelines for management of
cough, advising clinicians to
refrain from recommending
cough suppressants for this
age group.
Safer and probably more effective treatments for young
patients’ symptoms include
softening nasal secretions with
saline nose drops or a coolmist humidifier, then clearing
nasal congestion with a rubber
suction bulb.
Health & Beauty - A supplement of The Daily Herald, Tuesday January 16, 2007
77
SPEAKING OF EVERYTHING
WITH DR. SONYA KIEL FRIEDMAN
Dear Dr. Friedman,
My husband’s kids, 12 and 14, joined us for a two week
vacation on St. Maarten. What was supposed to be an attempt to have us bond as an extended family became a
fiasco! Their mother called every day with one request or
another. Either she wanted one of them to pick up some
souvenir for her (which meant one of us had to drive them
around fulfilling her request}, or she asked one or the other to call a relative back home. (“And do it now”). After a
week she insisted they change their tickets and come home
5 days early. My husband really wanted them to stay and
I felt that she had some nerve telling them to change their
plane tickets without offering to pay for it. I didn’t think
he should do it, but in the end he did, to keep the peace. I
can see that this is just the beginning and will probably occur any time we invite them to join us. Is there no stopping
her from wresting control of our vacations if we want the
children to join us?
M.R.
Dear M.R.,
While you may not have had any idea that this vacation
would end up being a tug of war between your husband
and his former wife, you now have a hint of what the future
could hold. Therefore, you and he need to set some rules
that will make it possible for the two of you to feel that you
have a greater say about what is expected when the children
are with you. Since these are your stepchildren, I would rec-
ommend that after you and your husband set some guidelines
that he be the one to discuss them with the children (and his
former wife) and enforce them. So, first of all, you two need
to be a united front. Don’t take that for granted! Be sure that
the two of you agree when you discuss the rules prior to the
next time the children vacation with you. Second, while there
is nothing wrong, for example, taking the kids shopping for
souvenirs, it needs to be done in a reasonable way and not at
the whim of their Mother, since she’s not the one who is taking them... And lastly, remember the children are still subject
to their Mother’s approval and her consequences. It is not unusual for a former spouse to suffer a bout of jealousy when
her kids are with her ex and his new wife. Feeling abandoned
and rejected many an ex behaves irrationally under these circumstances. This is not to say the ex-wife should have any
jurisdiction over your family, but your understanding that the
children often pay the consequence of having a parent who
cannot or will not adjust to a new reality is helpful.
Perhaps you might consider taking the children for a shorter
period in the future and depending on how that goes increase
the time gradually. That way the demands on all of you are
decreased.
Have strength! Things typically get better as the children
get older. They become more capable of making their own
decisions and don’t feel that being with you has anything to
do with divided loyalty. As a result they can better stand up
to manipulation.
New gene linked to Alzheimer’s disease identified
Scientists said on Sunday
they have pinpointed a new
gene linked to Alzheimer’s disease, the incurable
brain disorder that is the
top cause of dementia in
the elderly.
Abnormalities in a gene
called SORL1 increased
the risk for the disease,
and this finding could
help scientists develop new
treatments, the researchers
reported in the journal Nature Genetics.
The researchers looked at
DNA samples from 6,000
people from four ethnic
groups: Caribbean-Hispanics, North Europeans, black
Americans and Israeli-Arabs. They found certain
variations of SORL1 more
often in people with lateonset Alzheimer’s disease
than in healthy people.
The late-onset form, affecting people age 65 and up,
represents about 90 percent
of Alzheimer’s cases. The
rarer early-onset form affects people from about
age 30 to 65.
Only one other gene, called
ApoE4, has been identified
as a risk factor for lateonset Alzheimer’s. It was
identified in 1993.
Several genes are linked
with early Alzheimer’s,
and study of both types
might lead to better understanding of how the disease
begins and how to tackle it.
Many scientists think Alzheimer’s begins with the
buildup in the brain of a gooey material called amyloid
that clumps together to form
plaques. That material stems
from a protein called amyloid
precursor protein, or APP.
SORL1 controls the distribution of APP inside nerve cells
of the brain. When working
normally, the gene prevents
APP from being degraded
into a toxic byproduct called
amyloid beta peptide. When
SORL1 is deficient, it allows
more of the bad amyloid beta
peptide to accumulate, fostering amyloid plaques.
Alzheimer’s is a complex disease that gradually destroys a
person’s memory and ability
to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry
out daily activities. Scientists
have struggled to understand
the biology of the disease and
its genetic and environmental
causes.
‘PIECE OF THE PUZZLE’
“It’s another clue to the way
in which this disease comes
about, another piece of the
puzzle,” Dr. Peter St. GeorgeHyslop, director of the Center
for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases at the
University of Toronto and one
of the key researchers, said in
a telephone interview.
“Every time you get a piece of
lumbia University Medical
Center in New York, also involved in the research, said in
a statement.
The disease first affects parts
of the brain controlling memory and thinking, but as it
advances it kills cells elsewhere in the brain. Eventually,
if the patient has no other se-
the puzzle and you can relate
it to something else in the puzzle, you’re that much closer to
knowing what the picture on
the puzzle is,” he added.
St. George-Hyslop said it is
premature to say what percentage of cases of late-onset
Alzheimer’s disease can be
attributed to SORL1. ApoE4,
which also may be involved
in the production of amyloid
plaques, has been linked to
about 20 percent of late-onset Alzheimer’s cases.
“This appears to be the fifth
Alzheimer’s disease gene, and
there are likely to be other important genetic variants that
need to be identified before
the entire picture is complete,”
Dr. Richard Mayeux of Co-
rious illness, the loss of
brain function will prove
fatal.
Researchers from Boston University and the
Mayo Clinic College of
Medicine in Jacksonville,
Florida, also took part in
the five-year study.
8
Health & Beauty - A supplement of The Daily Herald, Tuesday January 16, 2007
George Aurelius Maria Scot
Jack of all trades, master of healthcare
BY JUDY FITZPATRICK
hospital anytime soon, since positive criticisms, but I am
there are many more things to not open to negative ones.”
be done.
His pet peeves are dishonesty, greed and jealousy.
When he’s not at work Scot He admits that his smoking
enjoys the mental agility habit is a bad one that he has
of playing golf. “I enjoy it tried to kick off on many ocbecause you have to leave ev- casions unsuccessfully. He
erything behind you and focus promised to continue trying.
on the small ball.”
“I am a strong person, but
Scot says he’s not an outgoing with smoking I’m weak,” he
person and not adventur- admitted.
ous. So what is it that drives
him? He said his love for life And for those wondering
and challenges. “I’m a goal how he lost a finger on his
achiever. When I set my mind left hand, Scot says it was
to something, it is difficult to severed at the bottom of an
convince me to take another escalator at the tender age
direction. But I am open to of four.
Some may recognise him
from his affiliation with the
health sector and his current
position as General Director
of St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC). But not many
people know that Dr. George
Aurelius Maria Scot is also
an experienced construction
worker, who built his own
home with little help, an avid
gardener and an enthusiastic golfer, who puts as often
as he can on the manicured
lawns of Mullet Bay Golf
Course, sometimes as often
as twice weekly.
H
is wife of many years,
Ann Marie, is not
usually worried if
something goes haywire at
the hilltop home in Colebay,
since Scot is always ready to
be handyman. He’s also a bit
knowledgeable about vehicles
and recently furnished his car
with a new radiator.
Being chef at home some four
times a week, Scot confesses
that he also loves the kitchen
and is thrilled by the variety
of methods in which fish can
be prepared, sharing one of
his more favourite sea bass
recipes. Why does he like the
kitchen so much, “because I
like to eat nice things and if
I like to eat I better learn to
cook.”
And if that weren’t enough,
Scot, who enjoys taking pictures in his spare time, also
has an impressive collection
of photographs of landscapes
in St. Maarten.
The father of six-year-old
Bing and eight-year-old Mila,
this Aries-born prides himself on his ability to solve
problems and welcomes any
challenges that come his way,
crediting his stable family life
to much of his strides.
But it’s not only in his family life that Scot has scored
big. He has also left a positive
mark in his former jobs and
boasts a good career track-record. The most recent stride
was recorded in his current
capacity at the Medical Center.
Interestingly, all of Scot’s career moves were made during
the month of March. He started his first job in March and
all subsequent jobs during
this same month.
When Scot took over the
steering wheel of the Medical Center in March 2003, it
was in a severe state of financial stress, owing high bills to
creditors and running in the
red. Three years later, after
a moratorium, cost-cutting
measures and skilful management, Scot says he and
the team fuelling the medical facility managed to turn
Dr. Scot and his family
the medical center around,
which for the first time in
many years is now in the black
on its accounts and is working
on expanding and improving
its services.
system for medical services.
Some eight months later, Scot
wrote a page in history becoming the first person promoted
within such a short period to
Commanding Captain of the
Medical Department, assuming a much larger scope of
responsibilities. During his
three years at the army medical hospital, he also worked
once weekly assisting in surgeries at the Central Military
Hospital. “I’m ambitious and
like challenges and I think
they saw that I could do a lot
more than I was doing,” he
said about his promotion.
During medical school, Scot
juggled his studies and a parttime job as a construction
worker to earn extra pocket
money and has grown to love
the physical labour involved
in building things.
Even in its moments of glory, the hospital comes in for
criticisms about, among other things, poor services and
the “business like” manner in
which health care is handled.
Scot says an evaluation survey
done sometime back shows
that more people are having
confidence in the health facility. The findings show that
those who never used the services of the hospital are often
critical and those who sample the services often praise
the facility. He said too that
running the health care institution like a business serves
to secure its financial strength
and put it in a position to offer With his childhood dream of
quality care.
becoming an orthopaedic surgeon still alive, Scot wanted
But it wasn’t at SMMC that to pursue studies in this area
Scot started out his career. after his army days, but being
He always wanted to become one of 400 candidates vying
an orthopaedic surgeon. But for one spot at the university
after completing medical he didn’t make the cut. This
school in the Netherlands in changed the course of his life.
the early nineties, he joined Scot and his wife, who was
the Army as a first Lieutenant then his girlfriend, decided
doctor in March 1992, per- to relocate to St. Maarten in
forming general practitioner 1995.
tasks for soldiers, controlling
sick leave and assisting in the He secured a job as a Medical
setting up of an automated Advisor at Social Insurance
Bank (SVB) and started working there in March 1995. “It
was challenging at SVB,”
said Scot. “The most frustrating part was that everything
needed approval from Curaçao and this took a very long
time and it took long to get
anything done,” he noted.
“I gave a lot of advice on
how to restructure and change
things, but it came to a point
where it was either I was given
more influence in the structure
of SVB or I would leave.”
He chose the latter and in
March 1998 he assumed the
post of Head of the Medical
Department of Public Health
at Sector Health Care Affairs (SHCA). He worked on,
among other things, cost-cutting measures and successfully
brought down the cost by
some 20 per cent. “It was
my first experience as a civil
servant and I learnt how government functioned.”
He remained in this position
for three years before going
back to SVB for a short while
in March 2002. After that he
took up the challenge at the
helm of the Medical Center
in March 2003. “During my
years at SVB and the Island
Government, I was confronted with the problems of the
Medical Center and I thought
I was the right person to handle the job.”
He has no plans to leave the