• Lifelines

  Foster-care deaths: p
  

• Patient Query - Ulcerative Colitis

  I have been experiencing frequent bouts of diarrhoea and abdominal pain. I also noticed mucus when I passed a motion. My GP suspects I have ulcerative colitis. I am female and in my early 20s. What is this condition, and how is it treated? p
  

• Take a deep breath

  Truly bold drink it 'naked' p
  

• What oxygen-heads crave. . .

  Oxygen may not be as fun as what your dentist gives you, but it's a gas all right. Now a new "oxygen bar" at BT2 on Grafton Street in Dublin is offering a month's unlimited supply of the stuff for £10. p
  

• It's trendy but expensive, so make your own kombucha

  The advertising campaign with Susan Sarandon, the Hollywood actress, may have drawn your attention to the bottled variety of kombucha (£3.09 in Superquinn), but did you know a growing number of Irish people are brewing the tea, using a fungal culture that enthusiasts pass on freely? p
  

• How to make Kombucha tea

  1 Boil six pints of distilled or purified water. p
  

• The many uses of Aloe Vera

  Aloe Vera is one of the best known of all medicinal plants. An African cactus plant with fleshy spiky leaves which taper to a point, it has bright red flowers when in bloom. The Arabs call it the Desert Lily. In Ireland, it will only survive as a house plant. Aloe Vera gel found under the outer skin of the leaves has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antibacterial properties. p
  

• Me and my stress - John Fitzgerald, Dublin city manager

  Main causes of stress: p
  

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