It is now recognised that good nutrition is essential for our mental wellbeing and that a number of mental conditions may be influenced by dietary factors.  The food we eat, in fact, has a direct impact on mental abilities and a poor or imbalanced diet is likely to weaken the memory and the ability to concentrate.

In the handbook you can find exercises and games about recipes, proverbs on nutrition and many more exercises your memory, creativity and other cognitive functions. For a challenge for your mind try to find out from the list below, which exercise name hides what exercises?

M4.1 | Words Will Never Make You Fat              

M4.2 | Eat Like Leonardo (Da Vinci)       

M4.3 | Smart Recipes   

M4.4 | A Proverbial Hunger      

M4.5 | Neither Fish Nor Meat  

M4.6 | Eat The World   

M4.7 | Pyramid Builders

M4.8 | Mind Your Food Habits 

Food is essential for life. It is important to provide energy and build body cells and hence it is essential for the development of the nervous system and maintenance of cognitive functions. There is some evidence for that supplementation with B and D vitamins, antioxidants or omega-3 fatty acids protects against age-related cognitive decline, while malnutrition cause a range of deficits including reduced mental capacity or executive functioning (e.g. problem solving, reasoning, planning, multitasking). Sequelae of malnutrition include physical, mental and social disability. Intervention helps to reduce nutrition-related diseases and with maintained cognitive functions it allows longer independence also in older age.

Nevertheless, good food can be a pleasure for our senses and for our psyche. Meals add order to a day, a sense of security. Eating with others gives opportunity for social interaction and all of these contribute to well-being.

The activities within this unit focus on proper nutrition which prevents psychological, medical and social problems.

www.assomensana.it

www.ginnasticamentale.com

http://www.ard.it/download/Cervello_invecchia.pdf

http://www.actitud50.com/es/gimnasia-mental/

http://www.fgcsic.es/lychnos/es_ES/publicaciones/lychnos_02/articulo

http://www.fgcsic.es/lychnos/es_ES/publicaciones/lychnos_num_08/articulos

http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/libro?codigo=343628

http://www.pensionistas.ccoo.es/comunes/recursos/28/pub119123_Informe_2014__Envejecimiento_Activo_en_las_Mujeres_Mayores.pdf

http://www.helpguide.org/life/healthy_aging_seniors_aging_well.htm

http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Healthy_ageing_stay_mentally_active

http://www.mentalhealth.gov/basics/what-is-mental-health

http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/mentalhealth/Pages/Mentalhealthhome.aspx

http://www.gmhfonline.org/gmhf/consumer/factsheets/hlthage_mental.html

http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/olderadults.html

http://www.livescience.com/35863-grow-old-gracefully-tips.html

http://healthyaging.net/

http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/

http://www.healthyageing.eu/

http://www.healthyageing.eu/resources/resources

http://ec.europa.eu/health/mental_health/portal/index_en.htm

http://www.euro.who.int/en/publications/policy-documents/mental-health-declaration-for-europe

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs381/en/

http://www.mhe-sme.org/

www.fgoe.org/

www.gesundheit.gv.at/

www.bmg.gv.at/

www.hauptverband.at/portal27/portal/hvbportal/content/contentWindow?contentid=10007.693706&action=2&viewmode=content

www.oepia.at/

www.roteskreuz.at

http://www.printime.co.il/16584/%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%97%D7%A7%D7%99-%D7%97%D7%A9%D7%99%D7%91%D7%94

http://www.olgaraz.co.il/?p=867

http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-4539439,00.html

http://www.shvoong.co.il/%D7%90%D7%99%D7%9A-%D7%9C%D7%AA%D7%97%D7%96%D7%A7-%D7%90%D7%AA-%D7%94%D7%92%D7%95%D7%A3-%D7%91%D7%92%D7%99%D7%9C-%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%9C%D7%99%D7%A9%D7%99/53309/

KNOWLEDGE GARDEN:

• Facilitators can ask learners to think of as many works starting with a fruit’s first letter as possible. E:g. lime  – lion, lettuce, life. literature, length, love, lorry, letter, living, etc.
• Have a follow up discussion which builds into into the Nutrition handbook exercises M4.4 and/or M4.5 as appropriate.
• This could also lead to further internet /library tasks finding out more and making a commitment to healthier living  , thus linking to M4.7 Pyramid Builders and M4.8 Mind your Food Habits

ARTMIX: 

• Extending this selection of artists, through own internet/library research and then individuals present and explain their favorite choice to the group, again linking to M3.5 Sharing Sensations.

FRUITPRINTS:

• As an alternative participants can do this exercise on their own or in group using kitchen utensils to create their montage
• Follow the artistic examples shown, adding other fruit and vegetables needed, also finding out their nutritional value
• Also could be adapted to a group exercise and discussion on e.g. how food habits have changed over their life and past experiences, linking very well to Handbook exercise M1.7 Why does this Happen
• The group of learners could try to find out which additional fruits are needed to create the samples shown in the online platform (e.g. chilli pepper, corn, kiwi, pumpkin).