Showing posts with label natural. Show all posts
Showing posts with label natural. Show all posts

Saturday, March 14, 2009

5 MINUTES WITH - JACKIE CARTIN


Jackie Cartin lives on the border of Muff and Derry and is originally from the Brandywell in the heart of Derry. She is a specialist in Natural Nutritional Education and Consultancy. Her company Pure Products and Services, is an umbrella for her many different activities. Jackie designs and delivers cookery classes and workshops on healthy living and lifestyles for local community groups and schools. Jackie enjoys introducing practical, user-friendly alternatives to junk food to people. One of the classes is a Natural Approach to Weight Loss where one satisfied client lost eleven stone over the course of one year. Jackie finds the classes in the schools have a positive impact on the children and she hopes that her natural approach will help in the long term with diabetes, obesity and mental health. Also under the umbrella group is her fresh and frozen ready meals catering for vegetarians and vegans. Check out the full menu on her website http://www.pure4life.org/ or you can contact her on (0044) 7742922543 or on myspace.com/pureproductsandservices

Jacqueline lives with Martin McDaid and their children Sam, Leah and Seosamh. You can also get a chance to see Jacqueline at Natural Health Fair on the 21st March at the Inishowen Gateway Hotel, which is on between 10am and 4:30 pm.

What music are you listening to at the moment?
The new remastered Astral Weeks by Van Morrison, which was originally recorded in 1968. I am also enjoying Grainne Duffy (from Castleblaney in County Monaghan). It is bluesy soul music and I am also listening to some classic jazz from Imelda May.

What books are you reading?
I read anything on nutrition and have a lot of reference books from when I was studying for my Nutritional Therapy exams. I use them a lot. I have a cook book by Nomi Shannon called The Raw Gourmet, which I dip in and out of. I also have a book called End the Struggle and Dance with Life by Susan Jeffers, which is always floating around the house somewhere. I like to browse through it as it keeps me focussed.

What was your favourite childhood game?
I loved being out of doors and cycled a lot. I come from a very large family of 11 children and I shared a bedroom with 5 sisters. We could always rustle up a rounders team.

What was the last film that you saw at the cinema?
Perfume – It’s a story of a man with a superior sense of smell who attempts to create the ultimate perfume and how his world takes a dark turn in his quest.

What would you never throw away?
I don’t have anything left from my childhood… everything was worn out. It would have to be the memory of my first pair of Wrangler Dungarees with their wide flares. The dungarees have gone but the memory remains…

Most embarrassing moment of your life?
Coming from a large family, we had lots of embarrassing moments so I was well seasoned to them from a young age. Things like that tend to wash over me.

Favourite TV programme?
This could fall under the heading of “Embarrassing moments” I like Desperate Housewives, the X Factor and a bit of reality TV like Big Brother. I can’t believe I have just admitted to that…..

What job did you want to do when you were a child?
I wanted to be a nurse and I suppose I am still going down the caring route with my training as a nutritionalist.

Any holiday memories?
Martin and I decided to go away for a week to the Island of Rhodes. It was a total chill out on a hired a motorbike. I was riddled with guilt afterwards though and I still remember the look on my children’s faces as we left them behind with family for the week. We have taken them with us ever since.

What famous people would you invite around for dinner and why?
Barbara Wayne, the founder of the College of Natural Nutrition in Bristol, Bob Marley, the Dalai Lama and Van Morrison could give us a song.

What do you do for a special treat?
More than I realise when I think about it… 15 friends and I had a pampering spa weekend in Enniskillen recently. We love to go out and about in the campervan and as we have to test new food for our vegetarian takeaway business, it’s a good excuse to have a lot of friends around to sample the food. That is a real treat as we love cooking.

Favourite animal?
I love animals but couldn’t keep one, as I would feel guilty keeping it enclosed.

Biggest thrill?
The Dragon Khan in the Port Adventura Park, in Salou in Spain. The ride is the longest in Europe and the name is based on Chinese mythology. The Dragon Khan was the reincarnated spirit of the evil Prince Hu of Beijing. His fury was unleashed each time a human dared to climb onto his back….scary stuff…

Biggest Challenge?
Going back to school. I started from scratch seventeen years ago.

What charity would you support?
I give to charities that have holistic approaches to overcome problems. I give to Aware Defeat Depression.

The world’s most irritating/most useful invention?
Although I love the juicer, it does tend to be very difficult to clean. I have some great seed sprouters that are my favourite at the moment. They are glass jars with metal lids that sit on their side so the sprouted seeds don’t sit in water… they are very easy to wash…

Best birthday present?
I had a wonderful surprise 40th birthday trip to Paris.

Favourite past-time?
My daughter is really interested in baking at the moment so I spend a lot of time with her in the kitchen. We enjoy coming up with tasty new recipes for our take away business. If I get a chance I like to get on the bike and go for a cycle too.

Which period in history would you most like to have lived through?
For the music and the fashion, it has to be the 1960’s

What do you have for breakfast?
I have a fresh slice of lemon with inishOh! Water followed by porridge and green juice made from celery and cucumber.

Do you have a favourite cartoon character?
I love puppets…When I was young I watched Andy Pandy and the flower pot men.

What was your first paid job?
I worked in a chip shop called Wheelers in Derry when I was 15 years old. I worked until 1.30 in the morning and got paid 96p and hour.

Worst household chore?
All of them… I am not very domestic.

What is the best/worst piece of advice you have been given?

The worst is “Take these tablets.” The best advice was “Listen to your first instincts.”

Personal philosophy?
Live not to eat but eat to live… Natural nutrition fuels your body….


Sunday, July 6, 2008

5 MINUTES WITH - MARY REILLY



Mary Reilly lives on Greenhill farm in Fawn on the outskirts of Culdaff with her husband John and two children. Together they grow organic vegetables for sale to the public and supply local shops with fresh, high quality home grown produce ranging from fresh salad crops, root vegetables, greens and of course spuds. Mary also has to juggle her time with being a student and is studying for a degree in organic farming. When you buy from Mary and John you can walk around their farm to choose what you want from the ground. This ensures top freshness and food that is packed full of goodness. If you would like more information about what they supply or would like to arrange a time to visit, then check out their website on http://greenhill.weebly.com or phone 086 327 3315

What music do you like?
Rock… I am particularly fond of the old classics bands like Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple. I also enjoy the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, but I am still not sure why…

What do you have for breakfast?
Nut free muesli and yoghurt, it’s a great start to the day.

What would you never throw away?
I dislike throwing anything away. I started recycling my bottles years ago before the bottle banks were here. I used to give them to the bloke that collected the bottles form the pubs. I tend to get a bit annoyed paying for packaging that I didn’t want anyway.

What book are you reading?
I am reading Terry Pratchett’s Making Money. It’s another book from the Discworld series.

Have you been to the cinema recently, what did you see and was it any good?
Ratatouille was enjoyable; I went to see it with the kids. We also went to see Bee Movie, I didn’t think much to it. That’s definitely one for youngsters.

What section of the newspaper do you turn to first?
The front page for the news.

What is your idea of a good night out?
Somewhere you can hear yourself speak and doesn’t have a television. I enjoy a good live band gig as well.

Most embarrassing moment of your life?
I did an interview about a school dance on ICR. I didn’t enjoy listening to my own voice…

Have you a favourite TV programme?
I really only watch the news and sometimes a good film.

How do you relax?
I have to read a lot of texts for my studies so I find reading a good fictional book very relaxing.

What job did you want to do when you were a child?
An architect.

Where would you like to go for your holidays?
A safari in Africa would be wonderful.

Your idea of heaven?
A vineyard in the South of France.

Your idea of hell?
Living in a city.

What famous people would you invite around for dinner and why?
Nelson Mandela, Denzel Washington and Joy Larckom. Joy’s book about how to grow vegetables is our gardening bible.

Favourite animal?
The giraffe.

What couldn’t you live without?
A comfortable place to sleep…

Biggest fear?
I really don’t like stormy weather and gale force winds, they play havoc with polythene tunnels.

Biggest thrill?
When my children were born.

The world’s most irritating invention?
Can openers and things designed for right-handed people.

What is your idea of a good night in?
A roaring fire, good film and a good wine.

Do you have a hobby?
I enjoy history and Celtic traditions.

Biggest disappointment?
When a careers advisor at school told me that I couldn’t be an architect because I was a girl…cheek!

Which period in history would you most like to have lived through?
The Megalithic period –3200 BC. I could see the tomb at Newgrange being built. It took a workforce of 300, 20 years to build.

World’s most useful invention?
The Internet. Also sending e-mails, it takes up less energy than using paper.

Personal philosophy?
Take each day as it comes.