We are delighted to advise of a new innovative mortgage product designed for Public Sector Employees that is now available through LFS’s Complete Mortgage Service.

The Mortgage is designed especially for Public Sector Employees

• Rates from 2.4% p.a.
• Flexible Repayment Options
• Overtime & Allowances accepted
• Mortgage breaks throughout the term
• Streamlined Mortgage Application process for Public Sector Employees
• We take your basic pay as two points up the salary scale.

Here in Lyons Financial Services we utilise our expertise in getting the best mortgage for all our clients. We cater for all applications whether you are a first-time buyer, switching your mortgage or building your new home. Along with this we find the best mortgage to suit your needs. To add to our complete mortgage service, we now have a new mortgage product that is designed specifically for Civil Servants that utilises your specific employment benefits and provides you with the best mortgage available today. 

Contact us on 01 8015808 or by email on query@lfs.ie. Or visit our website at www.lfs.ie.

Everyone is thinking immunity at the moment. Social media is full of supplements, diets and herbal extracts that are supposed to boost your immune system.  We take a look at some of the foods and nutrients your body actually needs – and why washing your hands is the most important step of all.

Can Diet Make You Bullet Proof? 

There is no diet, food or nutrient that is going to make you immune to every bug that is going but we can make sure that our bodies have the nutrients we need to help support our immune system to do its job –whether you are trying to avoid an infection or if you already have one. The most important thing to do is to wash your hands well.  You’d be surprised how many infections are spread by touch.  Use soap and water – and proper handwashing technique.  Many people don’t actually wash their hands properly but the HSE has advice on how to do it:

How to wash your hands with soap and water 

• Wet your hands with warm water and apply soap.
• Rub your hands together until the soap forms a lather.
• Rub the top of your hands, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
• Do this for about 15 seconds.
• Rinse your hands under running water.
• Dry your hands with a clean towel or paper towel.

Protein

Your immune system responds to an infection by making lots of new cells.  These come from your bone marrow and you need to have enough protein to allow your body to make all the new cells it needs.  This doesn’t mean you have to go crazy with the protein shakes.  You just need to make sure you have some protein coming in at every meal.  It is a good idea to make sure that protein makes up about ¼ of your plate and lunch and dinner.  There is no harm have a little protein at breakfast too.  Try having an egg at breakfast (one is plenty); peanut butter or almond butter on wholegrain toast or adding seeds to breakfast cereals and porridge.  If you are vegetarian you need to have 3 handfuls of beans or lentils every day to make sure you are getting enough protein.  You can also add protein by snacking on nuts and seeds.

Protein foods include:

•    All kinds of meat, chicken and fish
•    Beans like chickpeas, kidney beans, cannellini beans and black beans
•    Lentils – red, green or brown
•    Eggs
•    Shellfish
•    Nuts and seeds

Vitamin C

Probably the most famous nutrient for immunity is vitamin C.  Vitamin C is found in vegetables and especially fruit.  You need to be eating 5-7 servings of fruit and vegetables per day.  The easiest way to do this is to make 1/3 – ½ of your meals fruit, salad or vegetables.  Try having fruit with breakfast; a bowl of vegetable soup or a side salad at lunch and a stir-fry at dinner.  Do you need a supplement? If you are eating all your fruit and vegetables you will have more than enough vitamin C.

B Vitamins

The family of B vitamins are involved in everything from making new blood cells and metabolism to reducing tiredness and fatigue and keeping immune system up and running.  You find different B vitamins in different foods.  Milk, chicken, eggs and yoghurt are all good sources of vitamin B12.  Find other B vitamins in fish, almonds, hazelnuts, bananas and wholegrains.

Zinc

When it comes to the immune system, zinc is the new vitamin C.  Find zinc in seeds like sunflower seeds and sunflower seeds as well as nuts like walnuts, cashews and brazil nuts.  Add seeds to breakfast cereals or smoothies and chop nuts through salads or have as a snack.

Sleep

Don’t underestimate this one.  No matter what you eat, you will still run into problems if you don’t get enough rest and sleep.  Try to get at least 7 hours a night with between 8 and 9 hours being best of all.  And do try to get to bed early a few nights a week.  Your body really benefits from getting the head down well before midnight.  Remember: “An hour before midnight is worth two after”.

For more on Sarah’s offering, visit Eatwell. Speak to your doctor if you’re considering a new diet or lifestyle.

Anyone currently working as a carer is almost certainly feeling pressure as the COVID-19 crisis continues. This is especially true if they’re caring for an older person who’s at higher risk if they contract the virus. Luckily, there’s an amazing resource available; Family Carers Ireland have a whole host of practical and emotional support services for carers who might be feeling anxious or overwhelmed. We speak to Marketing Project Manager Sue O’Grady to find out more about the support and resources available.

“Right now, there are around 355,000 family carers in Ireland”, she begins. “And of that number, one in nine are working and caring. That’s a lot.” Official census figures show this number as far lower, because as Sue explains, there’s an issue around self-identification. “A lot of people think, ‘I’m not his carer, I’m his mum’. Yes, you are their parent, but you’re their carer as well. Once you recognise that, you open yourself up to more support and help.”

Right now, FCI’s free careline is busy, as caregivers worry about the potential knock-on effects of coronavirus. Their main concern, says Sue, is who’s going to look after the person I care for if I contract the virus? “They’re still going to the supermarket and pharmacy, so they’re anxious.” FCI have made several tools available to help offer support. One of them is this Emergency Care Plan. "We’re asking carers to fill this out. If they get sick, it's a detailed document about their loved one that they can hand over to someone else.” The plan covers everything from the cared-for person’s medication and food to likes and dislikes. “It’s important right now to nominate someone you think would be able to cope looking after your loved one. Your partner won't necessarily be able to do it – if you have COVID-19, it's likely the people in your house will have it too.”

FCI also have a limited supply of PPE, which they’re making available for free to carers who need it. “Supplying them with masks, gloves and sanitiser is helping allay fears”, says Sue. “It’s great to see so many people diversifying in the face of a crisis. A costume company in Cork rang us and offered us a consignment of masks! We’re also getting calls from ladies making them at home. So many people are doing things for charities and the HSE that’s going under the radar. We’d be lost without them.”

The careline also offers an array of emotional support, like free counselling. “For lots of carers right now, working from home is adding huge stress”, says Sue. “Before, they would have been bringing their kids to day services, now the whole family is at home. Hopefully bosses are mindful of that, but it’s a stressful situation.” Another useful outlet is the weekly Facebook Live ‘Carer’s Coffee Club’ FCI have started hosting. Every Thursday morning, they invite a guest speaker to answer any questions followers might have around topics like medication or parenting during a pandemic. “These sessions have been incredibly popular so far”, says Sue. “Mental health management is really important in times like these.”

To find out more about Family Carers Ireland and the resources mentioned in this article visit their website here.

As the current covid-19 situation pushes us further into unchartered territory, many of us find ourselves spending long hours at home, either alone or with family. And while it’s critical we practice social distancing, it’s important to look after our mental health as much as possible too. One way to do this is to listen to music. Is there a song that instantly makes you happy - one that you just can’t help singing along to? Chances are it evokes positive memories or reminds you of someone special. As it turns out, listening to music is scientifically proven to affect the brain and lift our mood, making it a great tool to help combat coronavirus anxiety. Here’s how…

The Happy Hormone
A 2019 study found that music encourages the release of dopamine in the synapses of the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in our cognitive, emotional and behavioural functioning. Known as the ‘happy hormone’, it helps create the feeling of pleasure. While we have long known that music improves mood, there’s increasing evidence that it can also contribute to mental and physical health.

Music for Stress Reduction
A study by McGill University, published in the March 2013 edition of ‘Trends in Cognitive Sciences’ found that music helped to considerably decrease a person’s stress levels. It also improved their immune system’s ability to function and considerably reduced anxiety for patients about to have surgery. “Every person responds to music differently,'” explains musical therapist Jessica Harris of the Irish Association of Creative Arts Therapists. “Certain types of music can evoke memories and have a physiological effect; lowering the heart rate and therefore reducing stress.” Jessica sees the positive effects of music in her work all the time. “The benefits can impact someone's life on every level - social, emotional, spiritual and physical,” she says. As a therapist, she treats people with a variety of mental health issues, including autism and depression.

Support for the Elderly
Since the older generation is especially vulnerable when it comes to coronavirus, it’s important we support them through their periods of self-isolation. Music is great way for them to relax and pass time. In fact, it’s even been linked to an improvement in patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. This is because key areas of the brain remain preserved despite the presence of Alzheimer’s, and these can be activated by music. It therefore generally reduces stress, anxiety and agitation in people with the condition. “Some of the benefits for Alzheimer’s and dementia sufferers include improvements that affect their quality of life”, says Jessica. “These could be through music’s social impact, stress-reducing qualities, or what’s known is the ‘quickening’ effect, which is a return to aspects of self-actualisation, identity and cognition.

So whether you’re living alone, with young family or elderly parents, why not play some music to help everyone relax? Kids will love singing along, while grown-ups may find it helps them connect and ease anxiety about coronavirus.