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SLIGO - FREE HEALTH & WELLBEING EVENING
Healthy Habits, Not Short Cuts, Will Help You Look & Feel Well
According to Dr Catherine Logan, Nutritionist with the National Dairy Council, the Irish are well educated and tend to have an understanding that it is important to exercise and important to have a healthy and balanced diet – “but most people who take a few minutes to really think about their day to day lives are surprised at how far they may have slipped,” says Dr. Logan. “The NDC are delighted to be working with Connacht Gold in organising a Health & Wellbeing event for people living in the West and North West of the country.”
Health & Wellbeing Information Evening for Sligo
The NDC & Connacht Gold Health & Wellbeing evening takes place on Thursday 27th November in the Clarion Hotel, Clarion Road, Sligo with doors opening at 7.30pm. The evening will include discussions by independent nutritionist Paula Mee, a presentation on improving your wellbeing by counsellor & training consultant Fiona Hoban and skincare demonstrations for women – and men – by Fidelma Kelly from Clarins.
Small Changes Make a Difference
Mary Fox, General Manager of Connacht Gold’s Food and Retail Division, said that the event sets out to be useful and informative whilst providing an opportunity to take a fresh look at our lifestyles in the context of health and diet.
“Small changes introduced even gradually to our lifestyles can have tremendous long term benefits to our health,” said Ms. Fox. “This event is a new departure for Connacht Gold and we hope that people will find it helpful and thought provoking. We are aiming to encourage people to think positively about their wellbeing and to communicate to them how Connacht Gold’s range of milk and dairy products can meet the needs of a healthy and well balanced diet.”
Reaching for the Wrong Shelves
Research tells us that 86% of Irish adults manage to consume at least 3 daily servings per day of food from the top shelf of the food pyramid which includes cakes, biscuits and confectionery. These foods should be “difficult to reach” - to be consumed sparingly – because they are typically high in sugar, salt and/or fats. (Slan – Survey of Lifestyle, Attitudes & Nutrtition 2007). By contrast, according to TNS mrbi research (2008) nearly one third of Irish adults (29%) do not consume the recommended “three servings of dairy a day” recommended by the Irish Department of Health & Children.
Short Cuts Don’t Last
“The food pyramid dietary daily guidelines from the Department of Health & Children are set at levels to help Irish people achieve the recommended intake of essential nutrients which our bodies need,” says nutritionist Dr. Logan.
“Developing healthy habits and sticking with them is the most effective way to take control of health and weight. There are no easy short cuts for anyone that really work and last,” according to Dr Logan.
“Lifestyle trends also have a major role to play, many of us travel mostly by car; watch television and use computerized games; and generally have increasingly sedentary lifestyles. As many as 41% of Irish people claim they do not have time to exercise,” says Dr. Logan.
”Anyone who consumes an unbalanced diet, cuts back on nutrient-rich foods, snacks on the nutrient empty foods and skips meals such as breakfast will reap the negative effects, simply their physical appearance, body weight, health and well being will suffer ,” says Dr Logan. “But these dietary and lifestyle trends appear to be very prevalent amongst many Irish people, who, should they continue with such habits, could be placing themselves at increased risk of serious long term health problems in the future, such as osteoporosis or cardiovascular disease.”
“This is the perfect time of year to think about diet, health and wellbeing for everyone - whether you intend to look your best throughout the Christmas festive season, or whether you feel you should think about planning some serious new year’s resolutions,” concludes Dr. Logan.
The Connacht Gold & NDC Health and Wellbeing event on 27th November is open to members of the public free of charge. A raffle on the evening will raise funds for the North West Hospice.
Information about the event is available at www.ndc.ie and www.connachtgold.ie
Date: 11th November 2008
For further information contact:
NDC: Antonina Ni Dhuinn, Progress Communications, tel: 01-2766117 nina@progresspr.ie
Connacht Gold: Claire Turvey, Pembroke Communications, tel: 01-6496312 claire.turvey@pembrokecomms.ie