Brain Health & Nutrition

Main Readings (Compiled from several of the sources below)
Brain Health
Other Materials

• Study links nutrition to brain health and intelligence in older adults
• Brain Food: How to Eat Smart
• How Sugar Hijacks Your Brain And Makes You Addicted
• This Is What Sugar Does To Your Brain
• 12 Brain Foods That Supercharge Your Memory, Focus & Mood
• Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function
• Brain Food Tips for Consumers
• Brain & Sleep
• Are we ‘brainwashed’ during sleep?
• College students: getting enough sleep is vital to academic success

Discussion Questions

1. How is your brain these days? How does it feel?  How is it performing?

2. What affects your brain performance?

3. What are your brain’s strongest and weakest abilities?

4. What has it gotten better or worse at over time?

5. Is there anything you do that is especially helpful or harmful for your brain?

6. When are you at your sharpest mentally?  When are you at your weakest?
   Do you ever experience brain fog?

7. What are you doing that is positive or negative for your brain health?

8. Have you ever made dietary changes in the hopes of improving your mental strength?
   What were they and how effective were they?

9. How do different foods you eat affect your stomach, mood mind, and/or energy levels?

10. Do you look at nutrition labels? If so, do they affect your consumption habits?

11. How different is your diet from your parents? your children?

12. Which foods do you eat that have a lot of salt, sugar, trans fat, or other potentially harmful ingredients?

13. Do you take any vitamins or dietary supplements? Which ones? Why?

14. How have your eating habits changed over time?

15. What kinds of diets have you tried?  Which were effective?  How did they affect you?

16.  What is a typical night of sleep like for you?

17. Do you use any strategies to try to sleep well?

18.  Have have your sleep habits changed over time?

19. How does sleep deprivation affect you?