ELIXIR AND ELIXIR INTERNATIONAL - PUBLISHED BY ELIXIR MAGAZINE LTD LONDON

Elixir Magazine and Elixir International Magazine ISSN 1753-3864 are based on an original concept by journalist Avril O'Connor and published by Elixir Magazine Ltd London.

Elixir is the first and only consumer glossy magazine and web e-zine www.elixirnews.comto totally focus on the demand for anti-ageing products and services and support it with expert information on emotional and physical wellbeing.

The website www.elixirnews.com was launched by Avril O'Connor on 2 April 2005.

Elixir Magazine Ltd London

ELIXIR INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY AVRIL O'CONNOR LONDON

Elixir Magazine and Elixir International Magazine have the ISSN 1753-3864 and are published by Avril O'Connor and its sister web e-zine www.elixirnews.com

ELIXIR MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY AVRIL O'CONNOR

Elixir Magazine and Elixir International Magazine have the ISSN 1753-3864 and are published by Avril O'Connor and its sister web e-zine www.elixirnews.com

SILENCE OF THE LAMB - EASTENDERS ACTOR ON HIS BATTLE WITH HEARING LOSS

An act of kindess publicising the plight of some of the world's poorest children has led to popular TV actor Larry Lamb loosing his ability to hear in one ear.

The EastEnders and Gavin and Stacy star was in Senegal for a week with a charity but stopped taking his malaria pills on his return because he felt fine, despite being medically advised he should take them for a further eight days. Three days after his return he developed an unexplained fever thought to be malaria.

Larry was seriously ill for several weeks and at one point thought he was going to die. He had to be hospitalised and put on a drip. Halfway through his illness, he started to notice whining noises in his right ear and was referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist.

The specialist diagnosed an infection of the cochlear nerve in the inner ear, which affected his hearing so badly that he is now completely deaf in his right ear.

"Losing my hearing hs been a nightmare and a real shock to the system, a classic case of not appreciating what you have until it's gone. I have gone from having good hearing in both ears to only having no hearing in one ear practically overnight, it has been very frustrating. To add to that I was getting a horribly staiffback and neck from constantly leaning to try to hear people. As an actor, hearing is so important, so rehearsing and filming was beginning toget very difficult indeed."

Larry, father of DJ George Lamb, says he now appreciates how isolating it is for people with hearing loss.

"If I am sitting with two or three friends it is almost impossible for me to follow the conversation, " he says.

Afte a few weeks Larry sought the help of hearing aid audiocologist Mark Edgar, at Specsavers in Edgware Road, London. Mark confirmed that the malaria Larry had contracted had damaged a large number of hair cells in his inner ear - these are the ones that send electrical signals to the cochlear nerve. The result is similar to age-related hearing loss but much more sudden and profound and means Larry can't hear higher frequencies, especially women and children's voices, and most consonants.

Everyone's hearing will deteriorate at some stage - with age the hair cells in the inner ear lose their efficiency, affecting what we hear. Larry had started to lose his hearing before his trip to Senegal but unfortunately contracting malaria led to an acceleration of this natural process.

This type of sudden loss is quite unsual and the infection that Larry contrcted damaged his hearing so much that he has been left with permenant damage and complete loss of hearing in his right ear. Unfortunately, the ears work together and unless both are working perfectly it can be difficult to hear over background noise as one ear works to drown out the background while the other works to pick up the sound you want to hear.

Larry's sense of localisation - where a sound is coming from - is also impaired, making crossing the road potentially dangerous, explains Mark Edgar of Specsavers.

Colin has since fitted Larry with a state-of-the-art CROS System hearing aid. This is very discreet, the size of a jelly bean, and sends the sounds he should be hearing in his right ear via "Bluetooth" technology to a device worn in his left ear.

"This haring aid has made a huge difference to my life and its an enormous relief to be able to hear again. I can't belive how discreet it is, so much so that people around me don't realise I'm wearing a hearing aid and I even forget its there.

"I am so grateful to Specsavers for giving me back my hearing and I would certainly advise everyone to have regular hearing tests, after all, they are free so what's stopping you?"

Lanzarote Hotel and Spa - our spa spies give their verdict

Year round sunshine and relaxation at the 5* Hesperia Lanzarote Spa and Hotel sounded enticing.

But this was to be our first taste of Lanzarote and I must admit that we approached the holiday nervously, fearing tattoo-covered chavs drinking pints of lager at 10 in the morning. We need not have feared!

Our first impression of the beautiful 5* Hesperia Lanzarote was one of tranquillity and calmness. The entrance lobby is cathedral like in its vastness, with hushed staff bustling about. We were offered a cooling drink on arrival before being shown to our beautiful suite overlooking one of the four swimming pools and the sea.


The hotel, opened in 2003, is located in a quiet corner of the island, away from the tourist spots of Puerto del Carmen and Playa Blanca and within a 10 minute walk of the upmarket new marina of Puerto Calero where there are fantastic designer shops and a choice of about 10 restaurants along the harbour.


The gardens and terraces of the hotel lead down to the sea and are beautifully maintained. There is even a little shelter built on the edge of the gardens for the local cats, where food and water is left for them. The terraced pool areas are spacious and fantastic for soaking up the rays.


The hotel is large but was very quiet when we were there. The rooms are beautifully furnished with large king size beds and a balcony overlooking the sea or gardens. Our suite even had a Jacuzzi for those relaxing moments after a hard day lying in the sun, sightseeing or enjoying a beauty treatment in the spa. The room was fully equipped with all the usual luxuries such as air conditioning, satellite TV, mini bar, robes and slippers, wireless internet access and of course a hairdryer. Every comfort one could imagine!


The excellent Spa facilities are located below the lobby, in a calm, tranquil area of the hotel. My husband, who is suffering from a recent back injury in a car crash, spent time every day in the thermal massage spa pool where the powerful jets eased out the tension and pain.


The Spa and Wellness Centre is very comprehensive, with a sauna to relax in, a Turkish bath to clear the pores and the large thermal massage spa pool itself. The treatments available are excellent with much emphasis placed on locally available materials such as Aloe Vera and volcanic mud.
There are four restaurants on site although not all were open when we were there and we went out every night to a new local restaurant, most of which were great value for money and offering delicious, locally caught fresh fish. The breakfasts at the hotel were excellent and enormous. The vast buffet offered everything one could ever dream of eating for breakfast (and also some things that you wouldn’t dream of eating or drinking at that time of day!). Eggs were cooked to order, freshly baked bread of every shape and size was available, beautiful fresh fruit, hams, sausages, bacon, on and on! We ate so much most mornings that lunch was often missed!
We were so sad to leave the beautiful tranquil surroundings of the Hesperia Lanzarote and are already planning our return trip.

GADGETS - THREE OF THE BEST FOR TONING ARMS

The T Bow

The T-Bow is a great all-round exercise device from Swizerland which can be used to at home as well as in a class. It reminds me of the Step but you can do more since it is curved so you can use it both up and upside down - stepping on it as a platform, using it as a bench to do press ups and standing on the edges of the curve and rocking from side to side to build up strength and balance, as well as using it with bands. It takes up very little space and is very versatile.

It comes with a DVD and a set of different stretch bands. The exercises are easy to master, even for someone at beginner stage fitness. Our tester tried the T-Bow for three weeks and noticed an overall improvement in cardio-vascular fitness and the bands helped improve arm definition and strength. She was very pleased with the results.

The T-BOW home pack (including T-BOW, DVD and stretch bands) is available from www.t-bow.co.uk for £125 including delivery. Rating 8/10.



Shake Weight

The dumbbell-shaped device is an arm strengthening and toning hand weight which you move back and forth.

Our picture shows the wife of Liverpool Captain, Stven Gerrard using the device which uses as technology called "dynamic inertia" to create vibration which gains momentum.

When held, the weight has a vibrating motion which looks sexually suggestive. The Shake Weight is aimed at women's hard-to-shift bingo wings, there is also a bigger, longer version for men.

Our tester found it hard to get the hang of the movement required but after persisting got the hand of it. Arm and muscle strength both improved in two weeks of use.

The Shake Weight™ retails at £29.95, does not require batteries and comes complete with a bonus workout DVD. Available from www.highstreettv.com and Tesco stores For stockist information or to order by phone, please call 0800 883 8224. Our rating 7/10


Slendertone System Arms

The System-Arms garment for women is an easy to use arm toner working the tricep (triceps brachii) muscles in the upper arm to eliminate bingo wings. The makers advise that you use it 5 times a week for 4 weeks to improve upper arm definition.

Slendertone works by electrically stimulating the muscles. The System using a core control device which can be attached to various garments with pads to stimulate particular muscles - arms, abs, buttocks etc. You attach the arm garment, click on the control and set the strength and frequency of the contractions.

It's really a lazy person's device or for someone who wants an extra boost, perhaps after injury, because you can't really do anything while you have the pads on.

Our tester used the device regularly for four weeks. She felt stronger but wasn't sure whether her arms looked more toned. Our rating 5/10. Slendertone Arms with the controller costs £119.98. Buy online at www.slendertone.com

VINOTHERAPY IN THE GREEN HEART OF ITALY

The famous vineyards of Lungarotti








Tre Vaselle pool - relax with a view of the Umbrian hills




Where vinotherapy means bathing and drinking wine!

Anyone who knows us at Elixir, knows our passion for a glass ….or two of wine - particularly because it contains high amounts of anti-ageing antioxidants! So they might perhaps understand the shock of sampling vinotherapy in Italy for the first time.

After one of the best massages I can ever remember I was relaxing in the bath tub (pictured), already containing what I assumed to be grape extracts when the spa therapist uncorked a perfectly good bottle of red wine and poured its contents into the bath. Seeing the look of pure horror she relented and saved a glass, saying it wasn’t good to drink too much in the spa.

So with glass in hand I not only tasted but relaxed and bathed in the revitalizing and antioxidant vapours of one of the fine wines of Torgiano – a hilltop village in the heart of the famous DOC and DOCG wine region of Umbria.

The Bellauve Vinotherapy Spa is indeed a gem. It is peaceful and beautiful, with indoor and outdoor pools, Turkish baths, gym and outdoor relaxation areas surrounded by olive groves and views of the Umbrian Hills.

The spa is set in one of the region’s most exclusive five-star hotels, the Relais Hotel Le Tre Vasalle. The hotel, in a 17th century house and whose name refers to the ancient ceramic winejugs, is in a narrow street in what was once a fortified village in the Middle Ages, near ancient towns of Perugia (5 miles) and Assisi (10 miles).


Surrounded by antique furniture and paintings, each of the 60 bedrooms is furnished differently, giving it has the atmosphere of a grand country home – perfect for a romantic getaway. The restaurant, Le Melograine, reworks traditional Umbrian specialities such as pasta with black truffles, as well as diet menus served with famous local wines..

Le Tre Vassale brings together wine, art and hospitality. This is because the hotel is the passion of one family – the Lungarottis, first and second generation winemakers who have made Torgiano their own.


Tre Vaselle entrance (pictured) - Torgiano an ancient Medieval hill town of small streets

As well as the hotel, there is a wine museum and olive oil, museum and the nearby Cantine Lunggarotti which produces the finest red wines grown on surrounding slopes (Sangiovese, Anaiolo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon), including Rubesco. The whites (Trebiano, Grechetto, Chardonnay, Pinot) are grown on cooler hillsides. And there is also an excellent sparkling Lungarotti Brut made with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir - the traditional champagne grapes.

Giogrgio Lungarotti and his wife and Maria Grazia, an art historian run the winery business with daughters Chiara and Teresa and produce around three million bottles of wine annually.

The famous Rubesco wine

A visit to the Wine Museum and the Cantine are a must. Housed in the 17th century Palazzo Graziani-Baglioni, it has one of the most comprehensive collections of viticulture artifacts anywhere in the world – from its earliest stages in the Mediteranean to the Middle Ages and beyond – covering five thousand years of winemaking history. The theme of Bacchus runs through the collections which are housed in 20 rooms, featuring working tools, the history of wine in pleasure, fine prints, drawings, antiquarian books and graphics by Picasso and a glass by Jean Cocteau.

The hotel offers a range of activities including truffle hunting, cookery classes, as well as scooter hire.



Ancient grape press in the Wine Museum


An elborate ancient drinking flask


A glass by Jean Cocteau



The secret Palazzo of Torgiano - across from the hotel



The prized Italian truffle



Truffle dog Alice gets her reward


I have always wanted to go truffle hunting. And it was not a disappointment. No need to get up at the crack of dawn. After a lazy breakfast we are driven to a nearby forest to meet our guide Matteo and his English setter Asia.

The black truffles, known locally as “black gold” can fetch up to 150 Euros a kilo and the rarer white 3,000 Euros so the cost of buying your truffle dog – 4,000 euros in the case of Asia can pay dividends.

Asia was no disappointment. She was driven by a reward of a cheese slice each time she found a truffle. Sniffing the ground and as if by magic she would start digging with her paws, finding truffle after truffle. Standing on her back legs she put her front paws on Mateo’s hips to claim her reward.

As we walked in the woods we passed groups riding horses – this is also riding country. And back at the minibus we were greeted by table laden with a feast of antipasti and red wine – and it was only 10.30am! A bit early even for me but sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do! It would be rude not to.

FACT BOX

Hotel Le Tre Vaselle, via Garibaldi, 48. Torgiana – Perugia. T: + 39 075 9880447
www.3vaselle.it Email: 3vaselle@3vaselle.it
Double rooms from £194 ($297, €220), also look out for special packages and promotions on the website.

Cantine Giogio Lungarotti T: + 39 075 988661 www.lungarotti.it/information on wine tastings mailto:lungarotti.it
Wine and Olive and Oil MuseumsT: +39 075 9880200 mailto:museovno@lungarotti.it museoolio@lungarotti.it

Getting to Torgiano

Alitalia to Rome www.alitalia.com/Ryanair to Perugia www.ryanair.com/