NORTH EAST NETWORK MAGAZINE ISSUE 44 (SUMMER 2008)

Leaving school can be quite a frightening experience, venturing into the big wide world, when you’re not sure of what career path to follow. Both my grandfather and father were miners, an industry in rapid decline.

A school friend told me about a vacancy at an engineering firm, in an old pit baths building. After three days working there I fractured my foot, I was in plaster and off work for six weeks. Pay started at 2 shillings and 6 pence per hour (twelve and a half p in new money) £5 per week. Unfortunately the firm only lasted a year.

So I decided to serve my apprenticeship at Consett Steelworks as a Plater. The thought at the time was if you found a trade you would be in work until you retire. This also closed, I decided to look anywhere for work. Locally it was very hard to find any employment. You name the transport, I have used it to find work, Helicopter, plane, ferry, train to the humble cycle.

I went to many countries and offshore, work was usually only on a short contract, I was never in my own bed. If I was out of work I would be busy searching for another contract prepared to work any where in the world.

After cycling the eight miles home from work one Saturday a passing comment made to me by my wife at the time about my health prompted me to research into health and alterative therapies.

From then in my spare time while working abroad and offshore my head was constantly found in a health book. Instead of being sports mad now I could not get enough of the health subject.

I became aware of how many illnesses can occur and how to prevent many aliments. I started to adopt a much healthier life style, changing my eating habits and lifestyle to become a healthier person.

Work became harder and harder to find, I felt that anyone in work would not want to be on the sick for very long. I began to find people came to me for advice about their health problems.

With the confidence friends had in me on health issues this gave me the motivation to move my career in a different direction. My passion was health, I now hoped work would no longer be clock watching, longing to be home and out of dirty overalls covered in welding fumes, sore feet glad to get the boots off.

I had met a vast amount of genuine people from the heavy industry background in many different countries. Now working in the north east I am meeting people from many countries with various types of occupations through my new work as a sensitivity tester. Learning all the time about their different lifestyles on how it can effect our overall health.

The impression you get from complementary therapist is that they are not just in it for the money; their desire is to help people and they all have a great belief in what they do. I hope this is the impression that comes across from me at all times as I genuinely want to help everyone get better.

I am sad when someone who comes to see me is not well and their health is preventing them from living an active life. I have found through my years of research that our destiny can be in our own hands by the food we eat and the foods we don’t.

Commercialism can have an effect on the way we are, medication can often mask the short falls in our diet. Everyday drinking and eating habits can bring about rapid decline in our general well being. Ignore the rules and you may suffer from the consequences.

Our taste buds can be the greatest health problem to overcome. Often taste is our main reason for eating even though the food may have limited value to our health. Due to favouring particular tastes many foods are then omitted from the diet. Like training to be an athlete, we must train our taste buds for the purpose of good health. A few minor adjustments can make a major difference. Our bodies require different amount of vitamins and minerals to function properly in our daily activities.

Do everything right and yet problems arise. That’s where food sensitivity, vitamin and mineral shortages come in. You are unique so what’s deemed normal to one person is considered strange to another.

In eleven years testing at various locations around the north east. I have seen thousands of customers, in addition to courses and my own never ending research I hope gives the customer an excellent service.

The customer leaves with plenty information informing them of their problems with foods and shortage of vitamins and minerals. If they have difficulties such as arthritis, asthma, migraines, skin problems, etc. extra sheets are given. Where the problem is quite extensive an e-mail is sent to them.

I am often at various locations in the Metrocentre, Gateshead for food sensitivity testing. My telephone number is 0799 0722 092.