Ploughing Championships 2015: Ageing gracefully link to health choices
Those were the words of Brendan Courtney, fashion designer and broadcaster, who was on the National Dairy Council stand at the ploughing championships.
“However, we can make healthy lifestyle choices which could contribute significantly to our wellbeing and help us to age gracefully,” he said.
He was speaking at the launch of a new booklet entitled Nutrition & You; 50+ Years, produced by the NDC and endorsed by the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute.
The booklet covers topics such as bone and muscle health, keeping active, and practical food choices.
People are living longer and by 2030 it is expected that one in five people in Ireland will be aged over 65 years.
However, Dr Marianne Walsh, nutrition manager with the NDC, said being aware of our body’s needs as we mature and making sure our diet and activity levels meet the recommendations can help us to stay strong, active, and as healthy as possible, for as long as possible.
Preservation of a different kind was the focus of Minister of State Tom Hayes, who launched the Native Woodland Conservation Scheme.
He said funding is provided under the scheme to restore Ireland’s native woodlands, which are rich complex ecosystems and an invaluable part of Ireland’s natural heritage.
More than €7m has been set aside in the Forestry Programme for this scheme, allowing for almost 2,000 hectares of native Irish forests to undergo an intensive programme of restoration work over the next five to six years.
