Award-winning chef Mark Moriarty has a brand new "Cook In" series on RTÉ One, on Wednesday evenings at 8.30pm.

Mark aims to give home chefs some practical advice for creating, nutritious and uplifting meals helping us to maintain a balanced diet.  Mark will be using the contents of our fridges and cupboards and also Irish ingredients where possible, supporting our local economy, so get cookin'.  

Instead of sitting at home and feeling useless, Mark Moriarty, along with the head chef from the Greenhouse restaurant and some colleagues, have been running a production kitchen in Kilcullen, Co. Kildare.

Their aim is to send out approx 200 meals a day to the front-line workers who are too tired to cook a substantial and nutritious meal when they arrive home.  The chef's hope to bring a bit of happiness to them through amazing food. 

The ingredients for the food are being donated by local companies and farmers and the group have also launched a GoFundMe page to finance the not-for-profit project, which raised €3,000 of its €50,000 target within 24 hours. This will allow the chef's to keep going for as long as the food is needed and any surplus funds when the project is finished will be used to finance a chef training scholarship.

Series 13 of Operation Transformation is back on your screens Wednesday evenings at 9.35pm on RTE One, with new leaders and comprehensive health and fitness inspiration for the new year.

There are 5 leaders this year, two of which are married.  The leaders will be given an exercise programme by fitness expert Karl Henry, and Dietitian Aoife Hearne will give plenty of inspiration regarding the food plan, which you can follow on the RTE Operation Transformation website. The show will be hosted by Kathryn Thomas.

And as always there will be the winning mix of highs, lows, personal stories, inspiring triumphs and a band of motivational leaders to get you moving in the New Year, too!

Coaches Anna Geary and Donncha O'Callaghan are back with the latest series of "Ireland's Fittest Families", this Sunday on RTE One at 6.30pm.

The competition begins with 15 families, who will be put through extreme challenges in different locations around the country.  The final battle with take place in Croke Park where the four surviving families will battle it out to be crowned "Ireland's Fittest Family".
​

The National Ploughing Championships took place in Ballintrane, Co. Carlow recently.

It was attended by a host of the NK Management Talent.  Ryan Tubridy, Doireann Garrihy and Pat Kenny, all broadcast their radio show from the event.  Paul Flynn was doing cookery demonstrations in the Lidl tent, Katherine Thomas and Diarmuid Gavin were hosting the Discover Gardening demo at the Jaguar stand, Karl Henry was there with the Department of Health as part of their new Healthy Ireland campaign.

The NPC is a great showcase of Irish Food, Farming and Culture.   In it's 88th year, the visitor numbers reached an all time high of  297,000 this year, over the 3 days, with exhibitors and visitors alike thoroughly enjoying themselves.

Dietitian and TV personality, Aoife Hearne was part of a panel of experts who were in Langtons in Kilkenny recently, to launch this year's "Great Pink Run".

The event included tips on all the latest things fitness, nutrition, health, exercise an wellness, ahead of the event in Kilkenny Castle on 20th October next.  It is expected that over 10,000 men, women and children will take part in the annual Great Pink Run with Glanbia across three locations, raising much needed funds for Breast Cancer Ireland.

Anna Geary was at Wellfest recently getting the public to try LiQuid, clearly clever water.

This water is enhanced with super brainy seaweed extracts, the iodine in which can contribute to brain function, metabolism, healthy skin, thyroid and the nervous system.  It is also clinically proved to improve memory by up to 25% in 6 weeks. It is an alternative to the energy drinks.

Irish life sciences company, Genomics Medicine Ireland (GMI), has opened a research clinic in Dublin’s city centre.

The company in association with the UCD Institute of Sport and Health, will conduct research to provide a comprehensive view of potential genetic factors contributing to fitness health, which in turn could lead to the developments of targeted interventions to improve your future health.  Over 3000 volunteers will be assisting in the research that will in time, it is hoped, benefit Irish patients with chronic illnesses.

Derry Clarke, Michelin Star chef and owner of L'Ecrivain restaurant, has teamed up with Benecol to highlight the importance
of lowering cholesterol and maintaining a healthy diet.

Derry is well know for his simple but delicious dishes, made using fresh, local produce.  Having had a heart bypass himself, he knows the benefits of switching certain ingredients to help lower your cholesterol.  For instance, using Benecol spreads on your bread, toast and in cooking instead of butter and if you’re partial to a yoghurt, why not try a Benecol Yoghurt with fruit and crispy oats.  

Make your food do more by switching ingredients to create healthier, more exciting meals.