Unit 2: Brain Maintenance

Student Guide Lesson 3

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Class Period:

● What are the six major nutrients? (Slide 2)

● Water

● Carbohydrates

● Protein

● Fat

● Vitamins

● Minerals

● What is the relationship between your brain and food? (Slide 4)

● The brain helps us make choices

about food based on experiences and how each food nourishes our body.
● Neurons need nutrients to function.

● Our brain depends on proper hydration to function optimally.

● Let’s remember the triad (Slide 5)

● Why is it difficult to learn if you are hungry? (Slide 6)

● When food is scarce, the body uses up fat

● Hunger makes you less attentive because your brain does not have its own supply of
energy
● Your body produces several hormones that stimulate eating if you are hungry

● This is part of the complicated information that the hypothalamus coordinates

U2L3 Student Guide 1

 ● Why is breakfast important? (Slide 7)
o You fast when you are asleep
o When you’re awake, you need breakfast to provide a fresh dose of fuel = glucose
(brain food)
o Without eating breakfast, you may find difficulty understanding new information
and/or remembering it

● Breakfast provides energy for your day (Slide 8)

o Morning: blood sugar is low
o Breakfast brings it up; provides stores for the day
o Skipping breakfast: no sugar supplies for energy

● How does healthy eating and physical activity help prevent chronic disease? (Slide 10)

● consuming healthy food and beverages low in saturated fats, high in fiber, low in sodium
and avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages and highly processed food
● regular physical activity

● helps maintain a healthy weight prevents/reduce the risk of high blood pressure, high
cholesterol, obesity, stroke, type 2 diabetes, other chronic conditions, and even cance

● Making Healthy Choices Using the Nutrition Facts Label– VIDEO (Slide 11)
What are the four key sections on the nutritional label that help you make choices?
(Find the answer at about 20 seconds)

● Servings

● Calories

● Percent daily value

● Nutrients

U2L3 Student Guide 2

 (Find answer near the 36 second point)
Servings per container shows the total number of servings in the entire package or container

(Find answer at about 1 minute 36 seconds )

100 calories per serving of an individual food is considered a moderate amount
400 calories or more per serving of an individual food is considered high in calories.

(Find answer at about 2 minutes 7 seconds)

What is considered good or bad with % daily values of nutrients?
5% daily value or less of a nutrient per serving is low
20% daily value or more of a nutrient per serving is high

● Water is an Essential Nutrient (Slide 13)

● Doctors are raising concern and working hard to educate the public that regular
consumption of sport and energy drinks increases overall daily caloric intake without
significant additional nutritional value.
● Your blood, muscles, lungs, and brain all contain water.

● Water is key in providing the way for the body’s other major nutrients to get to your
organs and tissues.
● Remember your brain is an organ.

● List the dangerous behaviors some people participate in to gain, lose, or control their
weight. (Slide 15)
● Starvation Diet - where people reduce their caloric intake or stop eating all together.

● Eating excessive amounts of one type of food or eliminating certain foods is symbolic of a
Fad Diet.
● Drugs whether over the counter diet drugs, prescription drugs, or the use of illegal drugs

● Purging such as self-induced vomiting

● Laxative Abuse when a person attempts to eliminate unwanted calories through the
repeated, frequent use of laxatives
● Finally, some people Smoke because they say it keeps them thin, however, the health
risks associated with smoking far outweigh any other factors attributed to smoking

U2L3 Student Guide 3

 ● What are eating disorders? (Slide 16)

● Serious illnesses in which people experience severe disturbances in their eating

behaviors and related thoughts and emotions.
● Various types, the most common - anorexia, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder

● Can affect people of all genders, ages, races, religions, ethnicities, sexual orientations,
body shapes, and weight

● How do eating disorders affect the brain? (Slide 17)

o During prolonged malnourishment, the body’s organs begin to shut down due to
lack of nutrients and calorie energy
o The brain is an organ, and when it doesn’t get enough nutrition, it cannot function
properly
o Damage to the brain as with any other organ is from severe vitamin deficiency
o The neurological may worsen the longer someone struggles with an eating
disorder; and in many people, cognitive disfunction begins in older age

● General Statistics & Treatment (Slide 18)

● Nearly 30 million (28.8 million) Americans are struggling with eating disorders

● Treatment depends on the specific type of eating disorder

● Typically involves a team approach that includes a person’s primary health care provider,
a mental health professional and a registered dietitian

● Resources for help if you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder (Slide
19)
o Encourage them to seek help
o Contact primary care provider
o Speak with a trusted adult
o Contact the Eating Disorders Helpline

● Eating Disorders Helpline 1-(888)-375-7767 (Slide 20)

● Summary (Slide 21)

U2L3 Student Guide 4

 ● Six major nutrients – water, carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals

● The brain helps us make choices about food and needs proper hydration and nutrients to
function properly
● The brain’s reward pathway encourages behavior necessary for continued survival – such
as seeking food and drink
● Consuming breakfast is very important because it provides energy stores for the day

● Healthy eating and regular physical activity prevent chronic diseases

● Reading nutrition labels can be helpful in selecting healthier options

● Blood, muscles, lungs, and brain all contain water

● Water is key in providing the way for the body’s other major nutrients to get to your
organs and tissues
● Eating disorders are serious illnesses that can affect anyone

● A healthy diet full of nutrition and hydration will fuel the brain and allow learning and
performance to be at its peak

U2L3 Student Guide 5