Welcome to the health section of our website. We have a holistic view of health and believe that a healthy body and healthy mind are important to our overall sense of wellness.
Prof John Jackson is an Immunologist with thirty five years of experience in Clinical Immunology and Medical Education. He has extensive experience in Medical Research and has published widely in the leading Medical Journals.
Dr Padraic Dunne is also an Immunologist, Counsellor and Psychotherapist with many years of experience in this area.
Robert Lynch and Colin Mcendoo are fitness coaches who have extensive experience in fitness and nutritional coaching.
We offer a number of programmes and classes which promote health, wellness and a more balanced approach to living. These programmes involve dealing with stress, unhealthy eating patterns, home based exercise programmes suitable for individuals who do not like attending gyms or are living with a variety of different conditions. We also host mindfulness classes. In addition, Prof Jackson has a special interest in chronic fatigue and in conjunction with Dr Dunne runs a graded exercise and mindfulness based programme for individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome.
Prof Jackson also runs a health and fitness consultation with a particular emphasis on promoting a healthy immune system.
YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO KEEP YOU HEALTHY. IT IS ABLE TO CONTAIN, OR OVERCOME, ALMOST ANY TYPE OF INFECTION YOU MAY ENCOUNTER. IT IS ALSO VERY DESTRUCTIVE AND CAN KILL THE VAST MAJORITY OF MICROBES VERY SWIFTLY. ONE IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING FEATURE OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM, IS THAT IT IS VERY FOCUSED AND WILL ONLY ATTACK FOREIGN CELLS AND ORGANISMS, WHILE IGNORING YOUR OWN TISSUES. AS WELL AS PROTECTING YOU FROM INFECTION, THE IMMUNE SYSTEM ALSO QUIETLY REPAIRS AND REGENERATES YOUR TISSUES. THERE ARE ALSO A VARIETY OF CANCERS THAT THE IMMUNE SYSTEM PROTECTS AGAINST, ALTHOUGH WHETHER IT PROTECTS AGAINST ALL FORMS OF CANCER IS MORE CONTROVERSIAL. THE IMMUNE SYSTEM WORKS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TWO OTHER MAJOR BODY REGULATING SYSTEMS, THE NERVOUS AND ENDOCRINE (HORMONE) SYSTEM. IN ORDER FOR THE IMMUNE SYSTEM TO WORK PROPERLY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO LOOK AFTER IT.
THE IMMUNE SYSTEM IS AN AMAZING SYSTEM AND WITHOUT IT WE WOULD ALL DIE VERY QUICKLY (IN A MATTER OF DAYS) FROM INFECTION. NATURE HAS GIVEN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM A VERY DIFFICULT TASK; TO DESTROY ALL FOREIGN THINGS AS SOON AS IT COMES IN CONTACT WITH THEM, YET TO IGNORE AND PROTECT OUR OWN TISSUES AND CELLS. IT IS THEREFORE NOT TOO SURPRISING TO NOTE THAT SOMETIMES THE IMMUNE SYSTEM CAN GO WRONG. OCCASIONALLY, IN PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS, AND FOR REASONS WE DON’T FULLY UNDERSTAND, THE IMMUNE SYSTEM MAY START ATTACKING A PERSON’S OWN TISSUES AND CELLS. WE CALL THIS AUTOIMMUNITY AND EXAMPLES OF AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES INCLUDE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS, MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, TYPE 1 DIABETES AND SYSTEMIC LUPUS.
SOMETIMES ALSO, INSTEAD OF THE IMMUNE SYSTEM FOCUSING ON THE BAD THINGS IN THE ENVIRONMENT (SUCH AS BACTERIA AND VIRUSES), IT STARTS ATTACKING HARMLESS THINGS IN THE ENVIRONMENT, SUCH AS POLLENS OR CERTAIN FOODS. WE CALL THIS ALLERGY AND ALLERGY IS RELATIVELY COMMON IN OUR PART OF THE WORLD. EXAMPLES OF ALLERGIC DISEASES INCLUDE HAY FEVER, ASTHMA, ECZEMA AND FOOD ALLERGY.
