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WILTSHIRE FARM
FOODS DEBUNKS SOUTHPORT'S C-OLD WIVES TALES
'FEED a cold, starve a
fever' may be a well-known adage, but with flu clinic season in
full swing, Southport's older residents are being reminded of the
benefits of good nutrition when it comes to warding off winter bugs.
Wiltshire Farm Foods delivers hundreds of meals a month to
Merseyside homes and has seen first-hand the many ways in which
Southport residents attempt to ward off winter sniffles. Compiling
the best home remedies and old-wives tales, the company's
myth-busting list will help keep colds and flu at bay this winter.
Nigel Brown, Managing Director of Wilshire Farm Foods in Merseyside,
comments:- "Our drivers have seen it all when it comes to cold
and flu remedies, but the oldest advice still stands - get plenty of
rest and give your body all the nutrients and liquids it needs to
get better and fight a cold or flu virus. It's really important to
make sure you don't become dehydrated, so drink lots of water – not
just cups of tea."
...Cold and flu winter mythbusters...
1. Taking vitamin C to prevent or cure a cold – Stockpiling
Vitamin C supplements may shorten the time you have a cold, but it
will not prevent you from getting one. There is no one quick fix or
magic vitamin, but by eating a balanced and nutritious diet can you
help to strengthen your immunity and give your body all the
nutrients and liquids it needs to fight a virus.
2. Carry a raw garlic clove to ward off the flu – Although
garlic has been used in medicinal practices for centuries having a
clove in your coat pocket is probably as effective against a virus
as it is against vampires.
3. Going out with wet hair will give you a cold - Exposure to
viruses, not skipping the blow-dryer, causes cold and flu.
4. Eat a raw onion to clear your nose – The strong smell from
onion may help clear your nose and some suggest onions carry
inflammatory and antioxidant chemicals that may act as remedies. But
it's probably not worth the bad breath. In fact, chicken soup might
be more effective, as it has been shown to reduce inflammation.
5. Feed a Cold, Starve a Fever – Most people are familiar
with this idea, but in fact, not eating properly can make you feel
weak and delay your recovery. Sweating, runny noses and watery eyes
can all lead to dehydration, so it's important to make sure you're
drinking enough. If you've got your appetite, try warming and hearty
soups to give your body a boost.
6. Drinking a hot toddy before bed – Although it can be
comforting to make yourself a honey and lemon with a splash of
something you fancy, it won't make any real difference to your cold
or flu symptoms. It's much better to have a warming meal with plenty
of vegetables.
7. Eating/drinking junk food – When you're feeling under the
weather it can be tempting to justify eating processed junk food
claiming that you 'need the energy', but in fact, it's the worst
thing you can do. Now is the most important time to eat a balanced
diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables. Opt for something simple
and easy to prepare.
As the cold weather approaches, Wiltshire Farm Foods is also
encouraging people in Southport to look out for their neighbours,
particularly those who might need a little extra help during the
winter months.
Nigel Brown continues:- "Flu can be a serious illness, so
communities need to look out for their family, friends and
neighbours and help anyone that might be struggling during the
winter months. When you have the flu, even the simplest tasks like
cooking or shopping, suddenly feel like impossible chores, so a
helping hand from a neighbour can make all the difference."
Unlike many packaged meals available from supermarkets, the
Wiltshire Farm Foods menu features more than 250 dishes, designed by
the company's resident dietician to be nutritionally balanced and
easy to prepare.
To discover more about the new menu or for more information about
how you can have your meals delivered straight to your door call:-
0800 066 4227 or visit:-
wiltshirefarmfoods.com.
Curb benefits to EU migrants
THE Government plans to
curb benefits available to EU migrants should be extended, says
local North West MEP.
Liberal Democrat Chris Davies supports the free movement of labour
across Europe but argues that the principle was never intended to
apply to access to financial benefits. He said:- "The
principle of free movement was established at the birth of the EU in
the 1950s, but it was intended then to apply to the movement of
workers. I don't believe that any of the founding fathers thought
that payments should be made to families who had not first
contributed through taxes."
The MEP claims that Britain has benefitted greatly from the people
who have come here to work from the Continent. But he says that if
others are now looking to move in order to secure benefit payments
then loopholes should be closed. Davies said:- "Unlike most
European countries our welfare system is more universal and not
closely based on contributions. We should ensure that benefits to EU
migrants are made available only after taxes have been paid. Britain
is not alone in Europe in arguing that if the circumstances have
changed then so must the policies."
The MEP has also hit out at government failures on the issue with a
lack of real information going hand in hand with a failure to act.
He said:- "The EU has no powers over benefit systems so the UK
government could have sorted this out years ago. Other countries
manage it so why can't we? The fact that government reports admit
that they have no clue of the numbers of people involved but believe
them to be very small also causes problems and provides space for
people like UKIP to tell massive lies about immigration with little
challenge. The government should produce evidence of benefit tourism
and concentrate on solving the real problem instead of grabbing for
headlines." |
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POLICE PROVIDE A
CHRISTMAS PRESENCE FOR RETAILERS IN SEFTON IN THE RUN-UP TO THE
FESTIVE SEASON
OFFICERS across Merseyside
will be clamping down on thieves or offenders who make the most of
the festive season by causing misery for others in the run up to
Christmas.
Traditionally at this time of the year thieves step up a gear; shops
are stocking up for Christmas, members of the public are buying
Christmas presents and business is booming; the opportunities are
just too good to miss for the enterprising rogue about town.
But the message for would be thieves is clear; Christmas is a time
for giving, not taking. And thanks to this initiative opportunities
for would-be offenders will be limited and there will be no hiding
place.
Each of the 6 force areas (Wirral, Sefton, Knowsley, Liverpool
North, Liverpool South and St. Helens) will be providing an
increased presence in the City, town centres and shopping parades
throughout Merseyside.
Using intelligence-led policing, officers will be patrolling key
vulnerable locations for retail crime across the county in a bid to
deter criminals who target retail premises.
As part of the initiative officers will also be using forensic spray
to security mark stock in vulnerable retail stores alongside
trackers and fogging devices. The forensic spray is invisible to the
human eye but contaminates people who handle items marked with the
solution. The use of forensic spray has been a valuable tool
successfully used in the prevention and detection of cash-in-transit
robberies previously.
The use of the forensic spray will be supplemented by trackers which
will be attached to various items in retail stores, if these items
are stolen officers will be able to track where they are. For the
first time on Merseyside officers will also be providing vulnerable
retailers with fogging devices, which can be set off by shopkeepers
to disorientate offenders who threaten them, or demand cash or goods
without any intention to pay for them. When detonated the fogging
device will fill the store with a thick fog, which will disorientate
offenders and along with the use of the forensic spray should act as
a deterrent.
Chief Inspector Jenny Sims, said:- "Sadly, in the run up to
Christmas some people see our retail premises as an easy target and
in recent weeks we have seen a number of incidents involving
shoplifting and robberies at off-licences, bookmakers, supermarkets
and other retail stores. We have made arrests in relation to a
number of these offences and our message is clear - we are investing
significant resources in to tackling this type of crime and there is
no hiding place. In the last few weeks the force has been liaising
with national retail outlets, including ASDA and The Co-Operative,
and local smaller retailers to help them target harden their stores
and make them less attractive to potential offenders. In the weeks
leading up to Christmas the force will be providing an intelligence
led response to retail crime and we will be carrying out high
visibility policing in vulnerable locations providing support to
local shops and businesses. The high visibility patrols will be
complemented by plain clothes officers on the lookout for those
intent on committing crime at local stores. Retail businesses
provide a vital service to our communities, so preventing these
crimes is in everyone's interest. The impact that these offences,
particularly robbery, can have on those who work in the stores is
huge. Sometimes if a store has been subjected to a robbery it can be
difficult for staff to face going back in to work, as they fear it
may happen again. We will not tolerate offenders who target local
stores and create a climate of fear and intimidation and will use
all the tools in our armoury to deter and prevent this type of crime
and lock up those responsible for committing this retail crime."
Merseyside Police Commissioner Jane Kennedy said:-
"Shopkeepers and workers provide a vital service to our communities.
Nobody should go to work fearing violence, threats or abuse. The
impact of criminal attacks on these premises can be huge and have
significant long-term effects on both employees and business. That
is why I welcome Merseyside Police's decision to invest significant
resources to combating shoplifting and robberies at premises across
the region during the festive season. I am delighted to see that
some major retail outlets, as well as smaller stores, have chosen to
get involved with the Force's initiative. This campaign is not only
using intelligence-led and high visibility policing, but also
exploring new methods to deter and prevent this type of crime,
keeping our shops and retailers safe over Christmas and beyond."
Cllr Trish Hardy, Sefton Council's Cabinet Member Communities and
Environment, said:- "Any initiative which helps tackle retail
crime, especially in the run up to Christmas, is welcomed in Sefton.
Christmas should be one of the busiest times of the year for
retailers and they should not have to suffer at the hands of
thieves. Any form of retail crime can have a lasting effect on our
communities and hopefully this Merseyside-wide campaign will let any
potential thieves know that crime doesn't pay."
Derek Broadhurst, Regional Operations Manager for The Co-operative
Food in Merseyside, said:- "Thefts from stores should never be
disguised as 'victimless'. As a retailer in the heart of local
communities across Merseyside, stealing from a store often has the
same impact as a crime against an individual in the area. We are
fully committed to working in partnership with Merseyside Police to
tackle retail crime, and to help create stronger and safer
communities for everyone."
Merseyside Police have already charged a number of people over the
last 2 weeks, for example in connection with a robberies at retail
premises:-
► A 21 year old man was charged with 3
robberies at bookmakers in Waterloo and Formby.
► A 33 year old man from Anfield has been charged in connection with
a robbery at KFC in Walton, an attempted robbery at William Hill
bookmakers in Everton on the same evening, a robbery at Superdrug
and a theft from Heron Foods.
► A 44 year old man from Kirkby has been charged with an armed
robbery at a pharmacy in Kirkby on 15 November 2013 and a robbery at
an off-licence in West Lancashire 2 days earlier.
► 2 men; aged 31 years from Orrell Park and 29 years from Rainhill,
have been charged following the theft of cash from an ATM in
Warrington at the end of September 2013.
► 2 Romanian Nationals, from the South of England, have been charged
with going equipped for theft and possession of criminal assets
after a number of X Box games were stolen from Tesco in St. Helens.
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