UCx: Mental Health and Nutrition

Learn what foods and nutrients should and should not be consumed to improve mental wellbeing and explore the fundamental role that nutrition plays in our mental health.


This course is available from University of Canterbury (UCx)


UCx offer free online courses from University of Canterbury


University of Canterbury is a relevant and progressive world-class university, located in Christchurch New Zealand.


The instructor is Professor Julia Rucklidge, PhD.  Julia is a Professor of Clinical Psychology in the School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing at the University of Canterbury and the Director of Te Puna Toiora, the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab.


About this course


Whether you are a health professional working with people with mental health challenges; someone who struggles daily with low mood, anxiety or stress; someone who supports others who face mental health struggles, or you are simply interested in the fascinating interface between food and brain health, this course is for you!


Professor Julia Rucklidge has developed this course based on her world-leading research into the links between nutrition and mental well-being. The course will cover evidence supporting the premise that eating better, and taking additional nutrients when appropriate, can improve mental health for many people.


What foods and nutrients should you consume to improve your mental wellbeing? Join us on this evidence-based discovery!


Professor Rucklidge and other experts in psychology, toxicology, and nutrition will cover the history of using food as a treatment for mental health; the food components to consider when making dietary choices; and why we need to consider micronutrients in our food, such as minerals and vitamins, for building a better brain.

What you'll learn


Rates of mental illness have been on the rise over the last 50 years, despite advances in medication and other therapies. Scientists have been discovering that what we eat is affecting our mental health. Completing this course will help you to:


  • Understand how our food supply has changed
  • Recognise the components of food that are relevant to mental health
  • Discover dietary patterns that maximize nutrient density
  • Connect dietary choices to mental health
  • Examine dietary advice and what is relevant to better mental health outcomes
  • Implement simple ways to improve your diet
  • Identify individual and environmental factors that influence the supply of nutrients to the brain
  • Explore the recent paradigm shift of using broad spectrum micronutrients to address mental health challenges
  • Understand when additional nutrients may be necessary to alleviate mental health suffering


Syllabus


The course is presented in six modules:



MODULE 1: Nutrition and Mental Health: Why now?
MODULE 2: Introduction to nutrients relevant to brain health.
MODULE 3: Dietary patterns and mental health.
MODULE 4: The factors that influence the supply of nutrients to the brain.
MODULE 5: Supplementation as treatment for mental health problems: The evidence.
MODULE 6: The bigger context: What can you do to build a better brain?


Enroll on this course through UCx

FAB Event(s) with Professor Julia Rucklidge, PhD

Building a Better Brain with Micronutrients: The Evidence to Date

March 12, 2024
● The benefits of a whole food, minimally processed diet for mental health.
● The importance of nutrient-rich soil, and genetic factors influencing nutrient absorption.
● Dietary changes can have a significant impact on overall health and well-being.
● Challenges in treatment and the need for holistic approaches.

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We will also send you information on other FAB topics that might interest you or others you know and send you our regular e-newsletter which rounds up topical news items around Food and Behaviour. 

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