Strengthening Your Conscious Self
Introduction
In this section you will learn why it is important to have a basic understanding of nutritional science? You won’t be an expert, but you will gain some knowledge about how clean and safe food and water is connected to all the other domains of health and wellness; and especially the physical fitness and mental/emotional health domains.
Basics of Nutrition Science
In this section you will learn definitions, concepts, and terms used often by medical professionals, dieticians, nutritionists, and social media personalities. Learn what the experts mean when they say something that you may not completely understand. We will be defining nutrition and describing the effects different foods have on your body: digestion, absorption, metabolism, calories, fiber, prebiotics, water, macronutrients, and micronutrients.
Food IS Fuel
In this section you will learn the concept of food as a fuel source for your body, the dangers of labeling food as good or bad and healthy versus unhealthy, the idea that not every calorie is the same, or are they the same, and the dangers of demonizing “comfort food.” Why it is important to learn about terms like “organic”, “all natural”, “sustainably sourced”, “genetically modified”, “gluten sensitivity”, and “lactose intolerance.”
Macronutrients
Micronutrients
(Digestive System & Microbiota) Prebiotics & Probiotics
Alcohol (Effects on the Human Body)
Hunger (Psychological vs Physical) and Habits
Learn the facts, challenge the misconceptions, separate fact from fiction and dispel the common myths. And also learn about the real strengths and limitations of this approach. Gain knowledge from studies researching the effectiveness of this type of approach to the public health emergencies of alcohol, opioid, and stimulant addiction. Learn about the catastrophic financial and collective psychological damage to society as a whole from the “war on drugs.”
Learn about the industry of the big pharmaceutical companies, the history, their research and development, lobbying efforts, connection to academic institutions and the food industry, new drug trials and clinical effectiveness, and the food and drug administration.
Learn about the histories of Medicine, Psychiatry, Psychology, Social Work, and Counseling, for an understanding of how each school looks at psychotropic medication. Learn the history of psychotropic medication, the effectiveness of medication, and the phenomenon in research studies of placebo improvement, spontaneous remission, and treatment resistant mental illnesses.
Learn the facts, challenge the misconceptions, separate fact from fiction and dispel the common myths. And also learn about the real strengths and limitations of this approach. Gain knowledge from studies researching the effectiveness of this type of treatment.
Learn the facts, challenge the misconceptions, separate fact from fiction and dispel the common myths. And also learn about the real strengths and limitations of this approach. Gain knowledge from studies researching the effectiveness of these types of treatment.
Learn the facts, challenge the misconceptions, separate fact from fiction and dispel the common myths. And also learn about the real strengths and limitations of this approach. Gain knowledge from studies researching the effectiveness of these types of treatment. (Reiki, Acupuncture, Cupping, Leeches, Chiropractic, Sound, Mind-Body, and Meditation)
Gain a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of physical activities, individual exercises, and exercise routines you can do for your individual optimal physical health and wellness. Learn how to measure your mental capacity, physical limitations, disabilities, and psychological blocks obstructing the way to better health and wellness.
Sports Psychology
Learn the secrets of the elite athletes: habits, rituals, mantras, affirmations, meditation, visualization, and mind-body practices which lead to self-discipline, motivation, psychological changes and physical changes, including your brain (think neuroplasticity).
Exercise Science
Learn about how each type of exercise or exercise motion, with weights and without, changes bone and muscle density, which affects your metabolism, body fat percentage, body mass index, and overall weight. Learn about the connection and interactions between physical activity, neuroscience, and nutritional intake.
Sports Medicine
Learn what physical trainers and sports coaches know. Learn about the different approaches to sports and physical activity injury treatment. Learn about the types of injuries and risks associated with different types of sports and physical activity, and the importance of conditioning and stretching as it pertains to flexibility.
Physical Resilience
Learn about the idea of physical resilience, compounded stress, compassion fatigue, collective stress and anxiety, embodied traumatic experiences and somatic trauma responses to triggers, conscious and subconscious.
Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy
Learn the approaches and interventions being used and integrated into the occupations of physical and occupational therapy. Learn about ways to reduce the risk of workplace accidents, recreational accidents, and sports related injuries.
Clean Air & Water
Learn about the importance of clean water, clean air, healthy environments, safe and clean (green LEEDS) buildings and homes. Learn about the importance of rainforests, trees, our Oceans, and the coral reef. Learn how the Earth may actually be a living, breathing, interconnected, and collectively conscious planet.
Sleep Maintenance
Learn about heart rate variability, circadian rhythms, sleep cycles, sleep scores, oxygen saturation, healthy digestive bacterial biome, and how that affects our whole health and wellness. Learn to implement the latest in sleep hygiene practices, and identify the barriers to good sleep.
Restorative Rest & Relaxation
Learn about the importance of giving your brain, body, and conscious self, time to reset, rejuvenate, process the day’s experiences, and rebuild your resilience, on a daily basis. Learn the latest ideas for creating and experiencing leisure time and rest. Includes a list of pleasurable activities, in case you need ideas.
Basic Needs (Survival)
Learn about the importance of providing basic human rights to all people, regardless of sex, gender, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, sexual orientation, age, education, ability, capacity, and daily activities of living functioning. Learn how providing basic needs benefits everyone, for instance, when it pertains to the spread of infectious diseases. Learn about our collective suffering, the drive for connection, a sense of belonging, and the symbiotic nature of humanity. Learn about the different theories of thinking about the basic needs of humans.
- Food as Fuel for Energy
- Macronutrients
- Carbohydrates
- Protein
- Fats
- Micronutrients
- Vitamins
- Minerals
- Supplements
- Probiotics
- The importance of gut bacteria and gut health, for your body and mind. Kombucha, yogurt, or supplementals.
- Alcohol Use
- Other forms of grapes, carbohydrates, and grain. Learn about fermentation, distilling, and brewing. Reading an alcohol beverage label. Discover how your body digests, metabolizes, bio-transforms, and excretes – alcohol. Evaluating alcohol’s positive benefits, health risks, and negative outcomes.
- Hunger, Health and Habits
- Learn why you eat when you eat, why you like the foods you like, the newest evidence-based dietary and nutritional guidelines, and how to choose foods wisely based on food nutrition labels and information. Learn how to make the healthiest choices when eating out or when getting take out and delivery.
- Body Image and Dysmorphia
- Weight loss, wight management, calories, watching numbers on a scale. Body fat percentage, body mass index, muscle density, bone density, and metabolism. What kind of relationship do you have with the mirror?
- Food Processing
- Learn the benefits of processing food. Introduction to substitutes for sugar, fats, and salt. The benefits of raw versus cooked, and food safety. Learning the health risks and benefits of natural and synthetic food additives.
- Sustainable Food Systems
- Agriculture, farming, climate change, stewardship of he land and planet
- Eating for Better Health Outcomes
- Heart disease, diabetes, immune system, immunity and immune response, food allergies and sensitivities, Vitamin D, sleep cycles, menstruation, menopause, aging, and dementia.
- Eating for Child Development
- Pregnancy, food allergies, prenatal, postnatal, perinatal, food cravings, and my unborn child’s food preferences. Children’s nutritional needs, breastfeeding, and the best nutritional start for children.
- Eating for Psychological Health
- Food and mood, intentional eating, mindful eating, binging, purging, restricting, and disordered eating. Learn about and get to know the part of your Psyche that manages your food intake, in a useful way or in a less than helpful way. Do you treat food as fuel or food as comfort, and are you okay using food as comfort when you do it in moderation?
- Food and Medicine
- Learn about how your body reacts to food, the foods that boost your brain function, how some food interacts with medications, and how to use food safely to cure what ails you.
- Glossary of Nutrition Terms
- The language of nutritionists and nutritional health coaches. Learn the professional industry jargon, for a thorough understanding when you talk to your dietitian, nutritionist, or nutrition coach.
- Information and Resources
- Suggestions for further reading and studies. Gain more in-depth knowledge on food, food systems, food science, substances, and how the human body stores and expends energy.
- How should we eat?
- Learn the principles of healthy eating. Create a plan that you can stick to, using Internal Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing theories and self-therapy practice.
- Academic Peer-Reviewed Sources
- Bibliography and works cited.