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2015 marking scheme- 3rd level student

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As outlined above; protein is needed for both building and repairing muscle and as such is involved in how the body responds to exercise. Muscle protein synthesis and muscle protein breakdown occur simultaneously as a continuous process and the amount of muscle mass present at any one time is due to the net balance between these. Dietary protein and exercise impact on the rate of both muscle protein synthesis and breakdown. For instance, immediately after a protein-containing meal, muscle protein synthesis increases and as time passes, protein breakdown increases. This occurs regardless of whether physical activity has taken place. Exercise stimulates an increase in muscle protein synthesis, which can last for at least 24 hours. Weight training specifically causes muscle hypertrophy, which is an increase in the size of muscle cells, and therefore an increase in muscle mass.

However, it is known that excess protein consumed beyond physiological 'need' is used for energy and the excess nitrogen is lost in urine, due to increased levels of amino acid oxidation and ureagenesis, therefore, even in active people, very high protein intakes above normal requirements will not necessarily be converted to muscle.

Individuals undertaking vigorous physical activity or a strength-based training programme for longer durations (like athletes, bodybuilders, marathon runners) may need additional protein. The recommendations for protein intake from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) are to have 1.2 to 2.0g/kg/day, met through consuming a regular spread of moderate amounts of high-quality protein across the day and following strenuous training sessions. This is a higher requirement than that for the general sedentary population (0.75g per kg bodyweight per day). These recommendations are the same for strength or endurance athletes. With relation to protein intake in those who are very active, it is also important to ensure athletes are consuming adequate energy and carbohydrates, so the protein can be used for muscle building and repair and not for energy. The daily recommendations differ slightly dependent on the body that recommends them. Protein intake targets of 1.2-1.8g/kg body mass have been set by the International Olympic Committee for strength and endurance athletes with a slightly higher range of 1.4-2.0g/kg body mass has been suggested by the International Society of Sports Nutrition, who also highlighted that there is some novel evidence that higher intakes of protein - 3g/kg body mass or more - may help promote loss of fat mass in resistance-trained athletes. However, much of the research in this area has been for highly trained athletes, training their whole body over long periods, and therefore would not be recommended for the general population.

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We need protein to help the body grow and repair itself. Proteins keep our bones and muscles healthy throughout our lives. Protein is found in animal protein sources such as meat, dairy, fish and eggs and plant protein sources such as beans, lentils, nuts and seeds.

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When you have deadlines to meet or exams to revise for, it is easy to let your healthy habits slip. You may feel like you don't have time to cook a meal and grabbing a quick fix that may not be nutritionally balanced, like a bag of fried chips and a chocolate bar, is an easier choice. But good nutrition is even more vital at times of stress when you may be run down and eating healthily should be an important part of your revision plan.
Stay hydrated
Keep your fluid levels topped up throughout the day as being dehydrated can affect your concentration. Read more in the Drinks section below.
Move more
It's good to have a routine of being active a few times a week and this may be even more important during exam time as exercise may help improve your memory and concentration. Find what works for you - whether that's a brisk walk or jog, or joining a society for your favourite sport, and try and fit exercise into your routine.

It's likely that you'll be spending a lot of time being sedentary (sitting down) when you're studying and revising for exams. Try to get up and move around every so often. You could set a reminder on your phone or computer every hour and do things like get up to refill your water bottle or get outside for 5 minutes.

To learn more about the importance of physical activity for health read our pages on keeping active.
Sleep better
A lack of sleep can affect your studying and learning, making it difficult to concentrate and remember new information. Long-term poor sleep can also affect your health, increasing your risk of high blood pressure and lower your immunity (making you more susceptible to illness). Poor quality sleep can put you at a higher risk of weight gain as well as mental health problems like depression.

What you eat and drink and how active you are can affect your sleep. There are some things that you can do to help you sleep better.

Avoid caffeine after mid-afternoon as it can stay in your body for many hours. Switch to decaf options or herbal tea in the evening.

Avoid or limit how much alcohol you drink, as too much alcohol will disturb your sleep.

Avoid eating or drinking a lot late at night.

Get some exercise during the daytime, rather than in the evening too close to bedtime.

Find more tips for better sleep on the NHS website
Rest and relax
Make sure you take time to relax to keep your mental wellbeing in check. Read a book, take a walk, have a bath, or do your favourite creative activity. Choose what helps you relax and schedule this into your day.

If you need more advice and help with coping with exam stress you can find this from the UK's student mental health charity Student Minds.

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What we eat and drink can have an impact on your body and mind (and therefore your studies) in countless ways, as well as also influence the environment and climate change.

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My housemates preferred takeaways and ready-made meals over cooking homemade meals and they used to wonder how so much of their money kept “disappearing”.

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The Healthy Food for Life resources are for the entire population over the age of five and they define the Irish Government recommendations on healthy eating and a balanced diet. They provide a consistent and evidence-based approach for healthy eating advice.

The guidelines and resources provide practical support for individuals and families to make healthier food choices and to ultimately improve their health and wellbeing. They include a leaflet, infographic of the food pyramid, sample daily meal plans, guidelines on portion sizes and fact sheets.

The key messages from Healthy Food for Life are:

Eat more vegetables, salad and fruit - Up to seven servings a day

Limit intake of high fat, sugar, salt (HFSS) food and drinks

Size matters: Use the food pyramid as a guide for serving sizes

Increase your physical activity levels

Small changes can make a big difference. Start TODAY!

The Healthy Food for Life resources can also be ordered from healthpromotion.ie
Find more information on healthy eating for families, how to eat well and talking to your child about weight
The Nutrition standards for food and beverage provision for staff and visitors in health care settings have been developed by HSE and safefood to provide practical support and guidance for food and beverage providers employed or contracted to the health services to provide ensure that their services are in line with the Department of Health Healthy Food for Life guidelines. Along with the HSE Calorie Posting Policy and HSE Vending Policy, these standards will support staff and visitors to make healthier food choices when purchasing food and beverages in health service facilities.

In the context of mobilising the public sector to improve diet and ultimately health and wellbeing across the population as a whole, these standards complement the Nutritional Standards for School Meals.

Food Pyramid

Simple Version

The basic version of the Food Pyramid A3 poster published by the Department of Health in December 2016.
Food Pyramid Simple Version English (PDF) Food Pyramid Simple Version Irish (PDF)
Consumer Version

The consumer version of the Food Pyramid A3 poster published by the Department of Health in December 2016.
Food Pyramid Consumer Version - English (PDF) Food Pyramid Consumer Version - Irish (PDF)
Professional Version

The professional version of the Food Pyramid A3 poster published by the Department of Health in December 2016.
Food Pyramid Professional Version - English (PDF) Food Pyramid Professional Version - Irish (PDF)
Older Adults (aged over 65)

The Older Adults (aged over 65) version of the Food Pyramid A3 poster published by the Department of Health in June 2023.
Food Pyramid for Over 65's Poster - English (PDF) Food Pyramid for Over 65's Poster - Irish (PDF, size 2.7 MB, 1 page)
Food Pyramid Information Leaflet

A 7-page information leaflet providing advice on how to improve eating habits to help towards leading a healthier lifestyle. The leaflet supports the information provided in the Food Pyramid.
Food Pyramid Information Leaflet - English (PDF) Food Pyramid Information Leaflet - Irish (PDF)
Food Pyramid Questions and Answers

A 4-page Questions and Answers document providing information as to why the Department of Health has published a new Food Pyramid.
Food Pyramid Q and A - English (PDF) Food Pyramid Q and A - Irish (PDF)
Food Pyramid Rationale Paper

An 8-page rationale paper to help inform Dietitians, Health Professionals, Teachers and Health Correspondents about changes to revised Healthy Eating Guidelines and Food Pyramid.
Food Pyramid Rationale Paper - English (PDF) Food Pyramid Rationale Paper - Irish (PDF)
Older Adults (aged over 65)

A 22 page information booklet for adults aged over 65 who are in good health, mobile and living at home. Provides advice to help older adults stay well, by nourishing their bodies with healthy food and stay active every day.
Healthy Eating for Older Adults booklet - English (PDF) Healthy Eating for Older Adults booklet - Irish (PDF, size 4.6 MB, 24 pages)
Food Shelf Fact Sheets

Facts about items contained on the top shelf of the Food Pyramid
Foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt (English, PDF) Foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt (Irish PDF) Older Adults (aged over 65) Foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt (PDF) Older Adults (aged over 65) Foods and drinks high in fat, sugar and salt - Irish (PDF, size 847 KB, 1 page)
Facts about items contained on the second shelf of the Food Pyramid
Fats, spreads and oils (English, PDF) Fats, spreads and oils (Irish, PDF) Older Adults (aged over 65) Fats, spreads and oils (PDF) Older Adults (aged over 65) Fats, spreads and oils - Irish (PDF, size 713 KB, 1 page)
Facts about items contained on the third shelf of the Food Pyramid
Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and nuts (English, PDF) Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and nuts (Irish, PDF) Older Adults (aged over 65) Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and nuts (PDF) Older Adults (aged over 65) Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans and nuts - Irish (PDF, size 926 KB, 2 pages)
Facts about items contained on the fourth shelf of the Food Pyramid
Milk, yogurt and cheese (English, PDF) Milk, yogurt and cheese (Irish, PDF) Older Adults (aged over 65) Milk, yogurt and cheese (PDF) Older Adults (aged over 65) Milk, yogurt and cheese - Irish (PDF, size 853 KB, 2 pages)
Facts about items contained on the fifth shelf of the Food Pyramid
Wholemeal cereals and bread, potatoes, pasta and rice (English, PDF) Wholemeal cereals and bread, potatoes, pasta and rice (Irish, PDF) Older Adults (aged over 65) Wholemeal cereals and bread, potatoes, pasta and rice (PDF) Older Adults (aged over 65) Wholemeal cereals and bread, potatoes, pasta and rice - Irish (PDF, size 911 KB, 2 pages)
Facts about items contained on the sixth shelf of the Food Pyramid
Vegetables, salad and fruit (English, PDF) Vegetables, salad and fruit (Irish, PDF) Older Adults (aged over 65) Vegetables, salad and fruit (PDF) Older Adults (aged over 65) Vegetables, salad and fruit - Irish (PDF, size 1.7 MB, 2 pages)
Daily Meal Plans

Jakub, age 5

Jakub, an active boy aged 5, loves being outdoors playing with his friends. Jakub needs 3 servings from the Wholemeal cereals and breads, potatoes, pasta and rice shelf
Jakub, Aged 5 (English, PDF) Jakub, Aged 5 (Irish, PDF)
Niamh, age 10

Niamh is a very active 10 year old, plays GAA and loves to dance. Niamh needs 4 servings from the Wholemeal cereals, and breads, potatoes, pasta and rice shelf. As a child between 9 and 18 years, she needs 5 servings from the Milk, yogurt and cheese shelf
Niamh, Aged 10 (English, PDF) Niamh, Aged 10 (Irish, PDF)
Matthew, Aged 21

Matthew, a 21 year old student living away from home. Matthew needs 7 servings from the Wholemeal cereals and breads, potatoes, pasta and rice shelf
Matthew, Aged 21 (English, PDF) Matthew, Aged 21 (Irish, PDF)
Siobhán, Aged 30

Siobhán, aged 30, is a stay at home mum who is breastfeeding her 6 month old baby. Since it's possible she could become pregnant, she is taking a folic acid supplement. Siobhán needs 5 servings from the Wholemeal cereals and breads, potatoes, pasta and rice shelf.
Siobhán, Aged 30 (English, PDF) Siobhán, Aged 30 (Irish, PDF)
Michael, Aged 52

Michael is a 52 year old office worker who is overweight. He needs 4 servings from the Wholemeal cereals and breads, potatoes, pasta and rice shelf. When he starts losing weight he could have 5 servings and should aim to lose 1-2 lbs per week.
Michael, Aged 52 (English, PDF) Michael, Aged 52 (Irish, PDF)
Tom, Aged 67

Tom is 67 years and has recently retired. He has started his retirement plan of walking 30 minutes, 5 days a week and he needs to lose the weight he has put on over the last 10 years. He needs 4 servings from the Wholemeal cereals and breads, potatoes, pasta and rice shelf
Tom, Aged 67 (English, PDF) Tom, Aged 67 (Irish, PDF)
Mary, Aged 70

Mary, aged 70, enjoys looking after her 2 young grandchildren, so she is kept active. Mary needs 5 servings from the Wholemeal Cereals and breads, potatoes, past and rice shelf.
Mary, Aged 70 (English, PDF) Mary, Aged 70 (Irish, PDF)
William, Aged 76

William is an active 76 year-old who enjoys walks and spends a lot of time with his grandchildren. He needs to eat enough high quality protein at two meals a day and have 5 servings from the wholemeal cereals and breads, potatoes, pasta and rice shelf.
William, Aged 76 (English, PDF) William, Aged 76 - Irish (PDF, size 1.56 MB, 1 page)
Teresa, Aged 83

Teresa is an 83 year-old who can move around the house and go to the local shop. She needs to make sure to have enough high-quality protein at two meals every day from the meat, poultry, fish, eggs,beans and nuts shelf and the milk, yogurt and cheese shelf. She needs to have 3 servings from the wholemeal cereals and breads, potatoes, pasta and rice shelf at meals and snacks throughout the day.
Teresa, aged 83 (PDF, size 973 KB, 1 page) Teresa, aged 83 - Irish (PDF, size 932 KB, 1 page)
Supporting Infographics

How many servings do I need a day?
Milk, Yogurt, Cheese - How many servings do I need a day? (English, PDF) Milk, Yogurt, Cheese - How many servings do I need a day? (Irish, PDF) Wholemeal Cereals and Breads, Potatoes, Pasta and Rice - How many servings do I need a day? (English, PDF) Wholemeal Cereals and Breads, Potatoes, Pasta and Rice - How many servings do I need a day? (Irish, PDF) Serving Size Guide (English, PDF) Serving Size Guide (Irish, PDF) Getting Active - How much activity do I need a day? (English, PDF) Getting Active - How much activity do I need a day? (Irish, PDF) What are the recommended alcohol limits? (English, PDF) What are the recommended alcohol limits? (Irish, PDF) How to stay active and flexible - Advice for older adults (PDF) How to stay active and flexible - Advice for older adults - Irish (PDF, size 5.2 MB, 6 pages)
Top Tips and Myth Busters

A 2-page document aimed at providing tips to assist with healthy eating and active living.
Top Tips and Myth Busters - Irish (PDF) Top Tips and Myth Busters - English (PDF)
101+ Square Meals

101+ Square Meals uses the Irish Food Pyramid and Healthy Eating Guidelines to help you plan healthier meals and get the best value for your money.
101+ Square Meals (PDF)
3 Week Meal Plan

The 3 week menu plan is a resource for pre-school to facilitate the implementation of healthy eating in this setting.

3 Week Meal Plan - A4 (PDF)

Nutritional Standards for School Meals
Nutritional Standards for School Meals (PDF)
These Nutrition Standards will be a valuable resource to support the ongoing work to enable and promote healthy eating and healthy lifestyles in schools and will help more children to derive the maximum benefit from their education so that they can achieve their full potential.

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The new Healthy Eating Guidelines published by the Department of Health in December 2016