Health Board: Upcoming conferences, talks, campaigns and events

Healthy towns

Wexford town is this year's "Healthy Town". Now in its seventh year, the Healthy Town initiative is an eight-week free public programme of talks, nutritional advice and community runs in September and October. Sponsored by Pfizer Ireland, the scheme is supported by Healthy Ireland. Previous Healthy Towns are Tullamore, Navan, Athlone, Portlaoise, Wicklow and Kilkenny.

See facebook.com/HealthyTownIreland

Mindfulness course to reduce stress

An eight-week course in mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) begins on Monday, September 3rd at 7pm in the Sanctuary, Stanhope St, Dublin 7. This course aims to give people the time, space and tools to gain a deeper understanding of mindfulness practices and how they can help you live with greater ease.

Cost €350. See sanctuary.ie for full details.

Cliff tourism: The danger of the perfect selfieeeeeeeeeeee!

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Why I Love. . . Xtend Barre

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Concussion: all you need to know to keep your child safe

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‘I decided to get tested, not thinking there was anything wrong’

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Incredibles exercise challenge

Incredibles 2 is showing in cinemas around the country at the moment, and to coincide with the superhero film's launch, a "24-Hour Challenge2" is also running. The goal is to encourage teams and families to do a total of 24 hours' exercise – with prizes including a top prize of a trip to Disneyland Paris. It's a free, family-friendly challenge that can be done anywhere at any time, with the goal being to clock up a total of 24 hours of physical activity together before the end of September. See 24HourChallenge.com

Healthy lunchboxes

Sending your children off to school with a healthy lunch that they will eat is a challenge for many parents. Louise Reynolds, dietitian with the Irish National Dietetics Institute, reminds us that children's lunches should include one portion of starchy carbohydrate (eg wholegrain bread, pittas or wraps, brown rice/pasta), one portion of protein food (eg chicken, fish, egg, pulses), one portion of dairy (eg yogurt, cheese or milk), one or more portions of vegetables (eg carrot sticks, peppers, sweetcorn, lettuce, onion), one or more portions of fruit (eg apple, orange, banana, pear, kiwi) and a drink of water and/or milk. A team approach between parents and children helps stop prepared food being thrown out in school bins. Some schools also have a policy that children must bring home what they don't eat.

Be a quitter

The next six-week-long free stop smoking course at the Preventative Medicine and Health Promotion Department at St Vincent’s University Hospital begins on Monday September 10th. The group sessions are facilitated by experts in smoking cessation. Everyone’s views are valued and people can share the difficulties of quitting in a friendly, safe and confidential environment. Booking on 01-2214958.

Irish Cancer Society conference in Galway

Living Well With Cancer is the theme of the Irish Cancer Society's annual conferences for cancer survivors and their families. They will be held in the Clayton Hotel, Ballybrit, Galway on September 15th and the Clayton Hotel, Silver Springs, Cork on September 22nd. Each event will include sessions on advances in cancer treatment, dealing with fatigue, sexuality and intimacy after a cancer diagnosis. There will also be workshops on exercise and diet, mindfulness and returning to work. To register to attend the conference go to cancer.ie/living-well, email support@irishcancer.ie or call the Cancer Nurseline on 1800-200-700.

[ sthompson@irishtimes.com ]