Flex: Have You Ever Thought About How the Food You Eat Affects Your Brain?

"So lets be honest. Have you ever thought about how the food that you eat affects your mental health? Our brain is always "on." It takes care of our thoughts and movements, our breathing and heartbeat, our senses, it works hard 24/7, even while we are asleep. This means your brain requires a constant supply of fuel. That "fuel" comes from the foods you eat. Put simply, food directly affects the structure and function of your brain and, ultimately, your mood. " 

In this 4 week FLEX class I will be connecting the dots between nutrition and brain health. Fueling your body with the proper nutrition is helpful for healthy brain functioning. This will be a deep dive into the following topics. We will dive deeper into  how nutrition and the brain are intertwined. 


Week 1: Looking deeper into Brain Health, Mental Health and How food affects your brain. 
This week will include strategies to take care of your brain health and mental health. In depth explanation of how the food that you eat affects your brain and your mood. 

Week 2: Foods that are best to consume and meals that are helpful for the teenage brain. Healthy habits for the teenage brain. 
This week will include foods and meals that could be helpful for the teenage brain.  Strategies for creating healthy habits will be included. 

Week 3: The gut and the brain connection 
This week will include more information about the gut and brain connection. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps regulate sleep and appetite, mediate moods, and inhibit pain. Since about 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gastrointestinal tract we will be discussing the connection of the gut and the brain connection. 

Week 4: Hormones, stress and nutrition 
This week will include hormones act as neurotransmitters, affecting neural signaling and activity across the brain. This week will talk about the impact of hormones, stress and nutrition on the brain. 

Additional details about the course: 

This class will begin with a check-in, then go into an introduction of the topic. My teaching style is very engaging and I encourage learners to participate in a way that is comfortable for them, My goal is to meet each learner where they are are. 

Here is what will be shared each week in the classroom: 
Pre-recorded lessons
Announcements
Assignments and deadlines

Schedule: 
During the 4 week courses, classes will be uploaded each Tuesday by 6pm EST 
Each recording will be 15- 20 min long 

Throughout the class I will still be providing timely encouragement, guidance, and feedback to learners. I will also be available for any questions that may arise. 

For the lessons, I will be using powerpoint and video content to teach information. 

As a mental health professional and educator, my goal of each class is to simply teach on these topics in ways that will be engaging to the learner. 

No past information or prerequisite classes are required.