- St. Michael-Albertville Schools
- Nutrition and Learning
Nutrition & Learning
Critical Nutrients for Learning
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- Proteins
- Unsaturated fats
- Vegetables
- Complex carbohydrates
- Sugars
According to the National Research Council, Americans Eat Too Many/ Much of:
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- Saturated Fats
- Sugar
- Simple carbohydrates (not chips, cookies, or candy)
- Too few fruits & vegetables (**carrots, celery) complex carbohydrates (**whole-grain crackers like Triscuits, Wheat Thins, and granola bars with fruits or nuts not with candy, peanut butter and/or jelly on whole wheat or multi-grain bread)
Did You Know...
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- The brain is only 2% of your body weight yet uses 20% of the body’s energy?
- The brain gets its energy to learn from the blood?
- Blood supplies the brain with nutrients like glucose, protein, trace elements, and oxygen?
- 8 gallons of blood flow through your brain per hour?
- 198 gallons of blood flow through your brain per day?
- The brain needs 8-12 glasses of water per day for optimal functioning?
- Water provides the electrolytic balance for proper functioning?
- The brain needs oxygen and uses 1/5 of the body’s oxygen?
- The brain gets the body’s freshest oxygen directly from the heart-lung area?
- Physical movement increases the body’s oxygen?
The Brain Also Needs a Wide Range of Trace Elements of:
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- Boron
- Selenium
- Vanadium
- Potassium for optimal learning & memory (Wurtman, 1986)
What Foods Are Good For The Brain?
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- Leafy green vegetables (spinach and kale are excellent)
- Salmon
- Nuts **unsalted peanuts (without shells), cashews, mixed nuts, and sunflower nuts, almonds, pecans (check with your child’s teacher regarding class allergies).
- Lean meats **meat sticks, jerky
- Fresh Fruits (Connors, 1989) **apples, grapes, pears, bananas
- Yogurt and milk **Go-gurt - frozen overnight, string cheese**
Suggested snacks to send to school (Julie Winkelman, ISD 885 Health Services Coordinator) - Vitamin and mineral supplements boost learning, memory, and intelligence
(Ostrander & Schroeder, 1991, Hutchinson, 1994)
The Brain Needs Water!
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- The brain is made up of a higher percentage of water than any other organ
- Dehydration leads to lethargy and impaired learning (Hannaford, 1995)
- When the water percentage of the blood drops, the salt concentration increases
- Higher salt levels raise blood pressure and stress
- Upon drinking water, there is a decline in hormones associated with stress
- Kids need more water, more often than adults
- Soft drinks, juice, coffee, and tea don’t help much
- Encourage water as the primary thirst quencher (Hannaford, 1995)
Reference
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Based on the work of Eric Jensen, Teaching With the Brain In Mind, ASCD, 1998