Daily Archives: June 22, 2014

Dr Irene Prantalos (R) with mum Angela, co-authors of the cook book Healing Psoraisis.

A psoriasis sufferer herself, Dr Irene Prantalos took her own personal healing remedy and gave it to the masses.

Dr Irene Prantalos was only eleven when she first discovered signs of psoriasis. On a trip to Greece with her mum, she noticed spots on her scalp. The spots started to appear on her body, so that by the time she was a teenager she was covered pretty much head to toe with the genetic ailment.

Dermatologists and doctors were all engaged to help her but to no avail. Treatments, cortisone injections and even hospital visits were a common occurrence in her teenage years to try and help with this skin problem. Even health farms, colonic irrigations and detox baths were had but nothing worked, until she tried Chinese medicine. Within a couple of months her skin got better. But she was combining this new found freedom with a solution given to her by her mum; using the Mediterranean diet to heal the skin.

She and her mother Angela would cut out certain foods, or replace others with whole foods to try and see for themselves what was irritating Irene. She says that and a combination of Chinese medicine gave her the relief from this life-long battle.

“Up until then I was pretty frustrated with the lack of benefit everything gave me; everything seemed to be a short term solution,” Irene tells Neos Komsos.
“Even naturopathy – as soon as I stopped it, the psoriasis would come back.”

At the time, RMIT were beginning a new course on Chinese medicine and Irene began her studies there. When she completed her course, she remembers not wanting to treat psoriasis initially; she couldn’t face people at that stage who were suffering the same way she knew all too well. But she noticed more and more clients were seeing her with this debilitating illness, and she knew herself how to heal them – for she had healed herself.

When she started, she noticed that her clients were complaining about a lack of food in their diet as Irene would treat them by cutting out certain food types. But what she noticed was that, unlike her and her mum, they weren’t searching themselves for alternatives. And that’s where this cookbook Healing Psoriasis steps in.
Launched on National Psoriasis Day last year, Healing Psoriasis is a cookbook put together through the recipes garnered throughout the years by Irene and created by her mother to help a daughter in need.
“My mum, she was quite innovative and when she’d cut something out, she’s replace it with something else,” says Irene. Together they used Irene’s knowledge of Chinese medicine and the beneficial elements of certain foods with Angela’s knowledge of cooking to create a bunch of recipes that can assist in healing the skin of a psoriasis sufferer.
She says the recipes aren’t a cure, they are just there for healing. People need to remember at all times that psoriasis is genetic and all sufferers are affected differently. And because bodies react differently physiologically, it’s really a case of trial and error to see what is happening and what foods will help you.
The cookbook has a 30 day lifestyle journal attached.

“It’s about empowering people to take responsibility,” she says.

“It is really focused on people becoming aware of what they can do to improve their skin regardless of what treatment they are doing.

“It’s not about saying you should all do Chinese medicine, it’s about saying even if you use western medicine, if you do A, B, C you’ll get more benefit from your treatment, so if you eat healthily and have healthy relationships around you and love what you do, all the things that minimise stress, you will get more benefit in the treatment you are doing.”

She says that carbohydrates, for example, have been shown to create inflammation to the skin of psoriasis sufferers, so the recipes attached have a low carb content. Even legumes can cause a reaction so there are no legume recipes in the book.

“At the back of the book, all the ingredients in the cookbook are listed and what nutrients they contain and why they are beneficial for the skin. All the principles on how to eat and the diet and digestive system are all in the Feel Great in Your Skin book.

Most recipes are taken from the Mediterranean diet and are alternatives to traditional Greek foods such as spanakopita and moussaka. Irene explains that because the Mediterranean diet has extra virgin olive oil as its base, and fresh fruit and vegetables – all these combined have a therapeutic impact on the skin, and on well-being overall. Most other diets are made up of spices and they can generally cause a reaction.

“My mum used to cook the endives and I would drink the actual water it was boiled in because that’s where all the chlorophyll was, and the next day my skin was better,” she says.

Irene says so far she’s been asked to translate the cookbook into Greek, and might look into doing that to assist the first-generation sufferers but also new migrants from Greece. She says that if all goes well, there may be another cookbook on the cards but for now, she’s focused on getting out her message to heal psoriasis through healthy diet and living.

For more information visit www.ireneprantalos.com/

source: Neos Kosmos

A Malaysian police investigation into the disappearance of flight MH370 has identified captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah as the chief suspect, if human intervention is to blame.

After more than 170 interviews, the criminal inquiry cleared all others on board, including first officer Fariq Abdul Hamid, London’s The Sunday Times reports.

Police have not out alternative causes, such as mechanical failure or terrorism – they simply suggest that if foul play is involved, Captain Zaharie is the likely perpetrator. He is known to have installed a flight simulator in his home, and investigators say he had programmed flights out into the Indian Ocean that involved landing on a small island airstrip. The data had been deleted from the simulator but police were able to recover it.

The criminal inquiry is continuing and these initial findings have only been selectively revealed to foreign governments and air crash investigators.

“To date no conclusions can be made as to the contributor to the incident and it would be sub judice to say so. Nevertheless, the police are still looking into all possible angles,” Malaysian police told The Sunday Times.

Captain Zaharie had previously come under suspicion due to rumoured marital and financial instability. He was also said to be an enthusiastic supporter of Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, whose 2012 acquittal on sodomy charges had just been overturned. But Slate reports Mr Ibrahim’s People’s Justice Party is a politically moderate group and there is little evidence Captain Zaharie was a

‘fanatic’, as he has sometimes been described.

Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8 and no trace of the jet has been found. Dutch investigators are now mapping the ocean floor in an effort to better co-ordinate the next phase of the search.

source: smh.com.au

German coach Joachim Low had warned his side about ‘second game syndrome’ but his players were not listening, as they were given a big scare before drawing 2-2 with Ghana in Fortaleza.

Ghana sat back for the first 20 minutes and played on the counter, but as the half wore on the African side grew in confidence.

There were few clear-cut chances for Germany in the opening 45 minutes, as the Europeans struggled to get the right delivery to Thomas Muller or Mario Gotze.

It was scoreless at the break, but Germany finally opened the scoring in the 51st minute, when Muller put a cross in and Gotze put the ball in with his left foot from close range.

The lead lasted barely three minutes, however, as Germany got caught at the back with a cross from defender Harrison Afful headed in by Andre Ayew, who also scored Ghana’s goal in a 2-1 loss to the United States in the opening game.

The goal energised the Ghanaians, who pushed forward and scored the critical goal in the 63rd minute, when Sulley Muntari put a beautiful through ball to Asamoah Gyan, and the striker buried the ball in the net past German keeper Manuel Neuer.

Low brought on veteran striker Miroslav Klose, and two minutes later Klose tapped in Mats Hummels header from two yards out to level the scores.

The goal, Klose’s 15th at the World Cup, also brought him level with Brazilian great Ronaldo for the most goals scored by a player at World Cup finals.

It also made him the third player to score at four World Cup finals, joining Brazil’s Pele, and fellow German Uwe Seeler.

There were chances for both sides in the remaining time, with Muller having the best chance before defender Kwadwo Asamoah made an inch-perfect tackle in the penalty area to clear the danger.

A free kick right on full-time gave a final chance for Germany, but Toni Kroos could not find the net, ensuring the draw.

The draw puts Germany on four points from two games, with Ghana on one. The United States (three points) play Portugal (zero points) on Monday morning (AEST).

source:abc.com.au

Luis Suarez is ‘in love’ with Barcelona and wants to leave Liverpool this summer, according to reports in Spain.

Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo have claimed the Uruguayan striker who vanquished England in Sao Paulo has ‘always left the door open’ for a move to Camp Nou.

The 27-year-old scored two excellent goals as Uruguay dumped England out of World Cup Group D with a 2-1 win on Thursday night.

The paper have dedicated five pages to the potential transfer this morning qnd claim that Suarez made the decision to leave Liverpool after the 3-3 draw against Crystal Palace last season.

Suarez’s daughter was born in Barcelona, and Mundo also argue that his ongoing feud with the British media is a big part of his desire to leave.

The paper says a potential transfer will cost Barcelona €85m (£68m).

source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk

A stunning injury time strike from Lionel Messi spared Argentina’s blushes as they qualified for the last 16 of the World Cup with a hard fought 1-0 win over Iran in Belo Horizonte.

Argentina had been thankful to three fine second-half saves from goalkeeper Sergio Romero just to be level heading into stoppage time, whilst Iran had also had a strong penalty appeal waved away when Pablo Zabaleta appeared to foul Ashkan Dejagah inside the area.

However, despite having endured a quiet game by his standards, Messi produced a moment of magic when his side needed it most to register his second goal of the tournament.

Argentina now lead Group F with maximum points from two games and will be confirmed as group winners should Saturday’s late game between Nigeria and Bosnia Hercegovina fail to produce a winner.

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Coach Alejandro Sabella resorted to the 4-3-3

system preferred by Messi with the four-time World Player of the Year joined by Gonzalo Higuain and Sergio Aguero in attack.

However, despite enjoying the vast majority of possession in the first-half, La Albiceleste struggled to create chances from open play against a well-organised Iranian defence.

The first opening fell to Higuain from a fine pass by Fernando Gago, but Iranian ‘keeper Alireza Haghighi bravely smothered the ball at the Napoli striker’s feet.

Angel di Maria and Messi from a free-kick then fired over from the edge of the area, but Argentina were having some joy from set-pieces and Marcos Rojo and Ezequiel Garay should have done better when they failed to hit the target from close range from fine deliveries by Messi.

Iran were also dangerous from set-pieces, though, as they could even have gone ahead before the break when Jalal Hosseini headed just over from a corner.

It was the Asian side who threatened again at the start of the second period as Reza Ghoochanneijhad forced a fine low save from Romero with a flashing header at the near post before Dejagah’s appeals for a penalty were turned down when he tumbled in the area under pressure from Zabaleta.

Messi then had his first clear chance of the game as he raced onto Javier Mascherano’s pass but curled the ball just wide of the target.

Romero was forced to come to his side’s rescue again moments later he got fingertips to a fine header from Dejagah to turn the ball behind and the Monaco stopper denied Reza once more as Iran threatened to nick all three points on the counter-attack two minutes from time.

Instead it was Argentina who snatched victory at the last as Messi created the half yard of space he needed on the edge of the area before leaving Haghighi with no chance as he curled the ball just inside the far corner on his favoured left foot.

Source: shm.com.au

Australia is offering Pakistani asylum-seekers in its Pacific immigration camps up to Australian $3,300 if they voluntarily return to their home country, stated a report on Saturday, prompting outrage from refugee campaigners.

It was reported that those returning to Lebanon from detention centres on Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island and the tiny Pacific state of Nauru were offered the highest amount of $10,000 (US$9,400).

Iranians and Sudanese would be given $7,000 if they drop bids for refugee status, Afghans $4,000 and those from Pakistan, Nepal and Myanmar $3,300, the report said.

Under the previous Labor administration, in office until September 2013, the payments were much lower, ranging from $1,500 to $2,000.

Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said “return packages” were standard practice but would not reveal what the maximum payments had been.

“It has been the standard practice for more than a decade for settlement packages to be offered to those who voluntarily return home,” Morrison told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The packages are tailored individually for every person who decides to voluntarily return home, he said.

Source: pakistantoday.com

A picture provided by the Tamil Refugee Council of Leo Seemanpillai, who died.

IMMIGRATION Minister Scott Morrison has described the third asylum seeker to set himself on fire in as many months as “another distressing incident” and says it will have no bearing on the processing of asylum claims.

A Tamil asylum seeker splashed himself with petrol and ignited it, in a home in the Melbourne suburb of Noble Park on Friday night.

His housemates intervened and put out the fire, but the 40-year-old man suffered burns to his legs and he was taken by ambulance to Dandenong hospital.

Mr Morrison said yesterday he was yet to be formally briefed on the case however he confirmed the man was an illegal maritime arrival (IMA) who held a bridging visa.

“I am aware of reports that an IMA BVE holder self-harmed by setting himself on fire in Dandenong late yesterday,” the minister said in a statement issued late yesterday.

“The man concerned had been receiving services under the Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme (ASAS) since August 2013.

“My department and the ASAS service provider are monitoring the situation to ensure appropriate supports are in place.

“This is another distressing incident and I am yet to receive a briefing on the case.” It is the third such incident involving Tamil asylum seekers in Australia in as many months.

In May, Leo Seemanpillai burned to death outside his Geelong home, and in April a Sydney-based Tamil man also set himself alight but survived with burns to 75 per cent of his body.

Mr Morrison said such cases had no bearing on the processing of Tamil asylum seeker claims or on the government’s policy.

“It is important that public commentary does not provide an incentive for repetition of these events by other persons who may be vulnerable,” he said.

“It is important that such actions, or the threat of such action has no bearing on a person’s asylum claims or the government’s policy on the assessment of claims.”

Tamil Refugee Council spokesperson Sri Samy said the men were driven by fear of being returned to Sri Lanka, where they faced torture or death.

“I have had seven young men tell me in the past few weeks that they are thinking of doing this,” she said.

Mrs Samy said the previous Labor government, and the current Coalition government, had sent back more than 1000 Tamil asylum seekers under an “enhanced screening process” which did not allow time for proper assessment of asylum claims.

“We are very lucky on this occasion that the man’s housemates were aware of what he was planning to do otherwise we may have had another death on our hands,” she said.

Source: theaustralian.com.au