Deputy Principal, Wellbeing
Wellbeing
A lot of different information comes through my inbox each week, and an article that has really stood out to me, and got me thinking over the past fortnight, was from The Food & Mood Centre at Deakin University. The Food & Mood Centre is a world-leading, multi-disciplinary Research Centre that aims to understand the complex ways in which what we eat influences our brain, mood and mental health. The Centre explores Nutritional Psychiatry and how nutrition-based approaches can prevent and treat mental health disorders. Many interesting studies have been conducted on food and human mood that may interest students and parents.
I think society has come a long way in terms of health promotion and we have a better understanding of the impact of food on the growth and development of children and adolescents. Last week I was lucky to spend time with local dietician Jodie Nelson, from Western District Health Service. Jodie explained the nutritional requirements for children and adults and I know that I took many practical tips on board for improving the food intake in my own family. Some small tips were:
- Using high fibre white pasta instead or regular pasta
- Including lentils into pasta sauces for extra protein
- Having fresh or tinned fruit on cereal for an additional serve of fruits
- Having cereal (low sugar) for an afternoon snack for an extra serve of cereals and dairy.
Although we are often time poor, I encourage parents to re-visit the Australian Dietary Guidelines and to look at the requirements for young people. Part of the guidelines are below:
Links: The Food & Mood Centre: https://foodandmoodcentre.com.au
Australian Dietary Guidelines:
Kate Couchman
Student Counsellor