How the Food You Eat Affects Your Brain

How the Food You Eat Affects Your Brain

I Lead-in.

1)    What comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘food’? Take 2 minutes to write down your associations with the word ‘food’. Compare your answers to the ones given by other students.

2)    What comes to your mind if you hear the word ‘brain? Take 1 minute to write down your associations with the word ‘brain’. Compare your answers to the ones given by other students.

3)    What food do you like? What is your favourite dish or product/type of food?

4)    What food do you eat:

a)    when you are very happy?

b)    when you are lonely?

c)    when you want to sleep?

d)    when you feel cold?

e)    when you need to concentrate?

f)     when you need to have good grades or exam results?

5)    Have you ever noticed the effect different types of food have on your body? Do you or people you know feel angry or calm after eating certain types of food? What food or dishes can have such effects (make people feel aggressive, nervous, calm, sleepy, sad, etc.)?

II Study the active vocabulary and focus on Ukrainian equivalents of English words.

suck – смоктати

moisture – волога

constituent – складова

nutritional – поживний

dehydrated – зневоднений

matter – речовина

acid – кислота

trace – слід

distinct – виразний

impact – вплив

alertness  – пильність

fatty acid – жирна кислота

prevent – запобігти

degenerative – дегенеративний

maintenance – підтримування

cell membrane – клітинна мембрана

long-term – довгостроковий

consumption – споживання

saturated – насичений

compromise – ставити під загорозу

building block  – будівельний блок

precursor – попередник

 affect – впливати

 calm – спокійний

  III Vocabulary focus. Study the words and  word combinations, check your understanding using flashcards, practise their translation, spelling. Check your knowledge in the test. Play matching vocabulary game (match words to their translations to make cards disappear)  and save the planet from asteroids by typing in correct translation of the words.

  

 IV Watch the video and fill in the gaps with the words from the list. There are some words you don’t need to use.

Preventing; calm; sleep; nuts; saturated; weight; diets; health; fatty acids; brain; signals; fats; building block; proteins; matter; nutritional; nutritional; fats; slow; cell membranes; mood; meal; omegas; food; glue; happy; distinct; glucose; long-term; manipulate; manipulative; apathy

If you sucked all of the moisture out of your 1)_____ and broke it down to its constituent 2)_____ content, what would it look like? Most of the 3)_____ of your dehydrated brain would come from 4)_____, also known as lipids. In the remaining brain 5)_____, you would find 6)_____ and amino acids, traces of micronutrients, and 7)_____. The brain is, of course, more than just the sum of its 8)_____ parts, but each component does have a 9)_____ impact on functioning, development, 10)_____, and energy.

So that post-lunch 11)_____, or late-night alertness you might be feeling, well, that could simply be the effects of 12)_____ on your brain. Of the 13)_____ in your brain, the superstars are 14)_____ 3 and 6. These essential 15)_____ _______, which have been linked to 16)_____ degenerative brain conditions, must come from our 17)_____. So eating omega-rich foods, like 18)_____, seeds, and fatty fish, is crucial to the creation and maintenance of 19)_____  ______. And while omegas are good fats for your brain, 20)_____ consumption of other fats, like trans and 21)_____ fats, may compromise brain 22)_____.

Meanwhile, proteins and amino acids, the 23)_____ nutrients of growth and development, 24)_____ how we feel and behave. Amino acids contain the precursors to neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers that carry 25)_____ between neurons, affecting things like mood, 26)_____, attentiveness, and weight. They're one of the reasons we might feel 27)_____ after eating a large plate of pasta, or more alert after a protein-rich 28)_____.

V Match the words with their meanings.

1.    moisture

2.    alertness

3.    affect

4.    constituent

5.    crucial

6.    prevent

7.    essential

8.    diet

9.    impact

10.apathy

11.attentiveness

12.mood

13.consumption

14.precursor

15.maintenance

a)    a liquid such as water in the form of very small drops

b)    one of the parts that a substance or combination is made of

c)    a powerful effect  or influence

d)    the way you feel at a particular time

e)    behaviour that shows no interest or energy 

f)     ability to see, understand, and act quickly

g)    necessary or needed

h)    to stop something from happening

i)      the food and drink usually eaten or drunk by a person or group

j)      extremely important or necessary

k)    a situation in which something continues to exist or is not allowed to become less

l)      the amount used  or eaten

m)  to have an influence on someone or something

n)    something that happened or existed before another thing

o)    ability to listen  carefully

VI Follow the link below. Focus on the words and expressions (study definitions), match the terms to their definitions, solve the crossword puzzle, complete the quiz, chase down the correct answer to earn, unscramble words and phrases (correct order of letters), type in words to fill in the blanks, test your knowledge of  vocabulary.

https://www.studystack.com/flashcard-3047074

VII Match the words from two columns to make collocations used in the text. Use four collocations in your sentences.

1.	constituent	a)	acids
2.	brain	b)	fats
3.	amino	c)	impact on
4.	sum of	d)	consumption
5.	have a distinct	e)	brain conditions
6.	fatty	f)	fish
7.	prevent degenerative	g)	calm
8.	omega-rich	h)	nutritional content
9.	fatty	i)	brain health
10.	cell	j)	acids
11.	long-term	k)	meal
12.	trans and saturated	l)	membranes
13.	compromise	m)	its parts
14.	building	n)	block
15.	feel	o)	foods
16.	protein-rich	p)	matter

VIII Study the active vocabulary and focus on Ukrainian equivalents of English words.

complex – складний

compound – сполучення

altering – який змінює

 tricky – складний

compete – конкурувати

range – діапазон

maintain – підтримувати

 skew – відхиляти

benefit from – мати користь від

supply – постачання

strengthen – зміцнювати

free radical – вільний радикал

enable – робити можливим

be susceptible to  – бути чутливим до

mental decline – занепад розумових здібностей

copper – мідь

cognitive development – когнітивний розвиток

 IX Vocabulary focus. Study the words and  word combinations, check your understanding using flashcards, practise their translation, spelling. Check your knowledge in the test. Play matching vocabulary game (match words to their translations to make cards disappear)  and save theplanet from asteroids by typing in correct translation of the words.

  

X Watch the video again and choose the correct option to complete the sentences.

The complex combined/combines/combinations of compounds in feed/food/flood can stimulate brain cells to eased/release/realize mood-altering norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin. But getting to your brain cells is tricky, and amino acidly/acids/accident have to compete for limited access. A diet with a range of foods helps maintain a balancing/balances/balanced combination of brain messengers, and keeps your mood from getting queue/skewed/skewer in one direction or the other.

Like the other organs/organized/organically in our bodies, our brains also benefit from a steady supply of micronutrients. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables strength/strengthen/strong the brain to fight off free radicals that destroy brain cells, enamel/enabling/able your brain to work well for a longer period of time. And without power/powerful/powered micronutrients, like the vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid, our brains would be susceptible to brain decreases/increase/disease and mental decline. Trace mounts/amounts/amounting of the minerals iron, copper, zinc, and sodium are also mentally/fundamental/fundamentally to brain health and early cognitive development.

XI Read the text above. Find words and expressions that match the definitions. 

a)    the mixture you get when two or more things are combined

b)    to encourage something to grow, develop, or become active

c)    difficult to deal with 

d)    to try to be more successful than something else

e)    to keep in existence, or not allow to become less

f)     to be helped by something

g)    to make something stronger or more effective

h)    to damage something so badly that it cannot be used

XII Follow the link below. Focus on the words and expressions (study definitions), match the terms to their definitions, solve the crossword puzzle, complete the quiz, chase down the correct answer to earn, unscramble words and phrases (correct order of letters), type in words to fill in the blanks, test your knowledge of  vocabulary.

https://www.studystack.com/flashcard-3047078

XIII Match the words from two columns to make collocations used in the text. Use four collocations in your sentences.

1.	complex	a)	supply
2.	stimulate	b)	brain cells
3.	a range of	c)	decline
4.	benefit	d)	access
5.	steady	e)	health
6.	to fight	f)	disease
7.	brain	g)	development
8.	mental	h)	combination
9.	brain	i)	off
10.	cognitive	j)	from
11.	limited	k)	foods

XIV Study the active vocabulary and focus on Ukrainian equivalents of English words.

synthesize – синтезувати

 valuable – цінний

 nutrient – поживна речовина

 fuel – пальне

make up – складати

carbohydrate – вуглевод

sensitive – чутливий

drop – падіння

deficiency – дефіцит

affect – впливати

starch – крохмаль

fiber – волокно

lump – змішувати в купу

rapid – швидкий

dip – падіння

attention span – тривалість концентрації уваги

oat – овес

grain – зерно

 legume – бобові

steady – постійний

 sustained  – сталий

opt for – обрати

bite – кусати

chew – жувати

swallow – ковтати

long-lasting – тривалий

frontal lobe – лобна доля

XV Vocabulary focus. Study the words and  word combinations, check your understanding using flashcards, practise their translation, spelling. Check your knowledge in the test. Play matching vocabulary game (match words to their translations to make cards disappear)  and save the planet from asteroids by typing in correct translation of the words.

XVI Match the words with their meanings. There are some words you don’t need to use.

1.    efficiently

2.    influencer

3.    attention span

4.    bite

5.    critical

6.    fuel

7.    ratio

8.    transform

9.    informative

10.digest

11.affect

12.rational

13.signal

a)    operating quickly and effectively

b)    to change completely 

c)    anything that makes people stronger

d)    to change food in your stomach into substances that your body can use

e)    an action that gives information

f)     to have an influence on someone or something

g)    the relationship between two groups or amounts that expresses how much bigger one is than the other

h)    the length of time that someone can keep their thoughts and interest fixed on something

i)      of the greatest importance

j)     to use your teeth to cut into something 

XVII Follow the link below. Focus on the words and expressions (study definitions), match the terms to their definitions, solve the crossword puzzle, complete the quiz, chase down the correct answer to earn, unscramble words and phrases (correct order of letters), type in words to fill in the blanks, test your knowledge of  vocabulary.

https://www.studystack.com/flashcard-3047080

XVIII Watch the video and fill in the gaps in the text.

In order for the 1)____ to efficiently transform and synthesize these 2)____  nutrients, it needs fuel, and lots of it. While the 3)____ brain only makes up about 2% of our 4)____ weight, it uses up to 20% of our 5)____ resources. Most of this energy comes from carbohydrates that our body 6)____ into glucose, or blood sugar. The frontal lobes are so sensitive to drops in glucose, in fact, that a change in 7)____ function is one of the primary signals of nutrient deficiency. Assuming that we are getting glucose 8)____, how does the specific type of carbohydrates we eat 9)____ our brains?

Carbs come in 10)____ forms: starch, sugar, and fiber. While on most nutrition labels, they are all lumped into one total carb count, the ratio of the 11)____ and fiber subgroups to the whole amount affect how the body and brain respond. A high glycemic food, like white 12)____, causes a rapid release of glucose into the 13)____, and then comes the dip. Blood sugar shoots down, and with it, our 14)____ span and mood. On the other hand, oats, grains, and legumes have 15)____ glucose release, enabling a steadier level of attentiveness.

 For sustained brain power, opting for a varied diet of nutrient-rich foods is critical. When it comes to what you 16)____, chew, and swallow, your 17)____ have a direct and long-lasting effect on the most powerful organ in your body.

XIX Match the words from two columns to make collocations used in the text. Use four collocations in your sentences.

1.	valuable	a)	a varied diet
2.	make	b)	fact
3.	body	c)	bread
4.	energy	d)	lobe
5.	frontal	e)	span
6.	drop	f)	nutrient
7.	in	g)	signal
8.	mental	h)	effect on
9.	primary	i)	up
10.	nutrient	j)	in glucose
11.	come in	k)	weight
12.	white	l)	of attentiveness
13.	attention	m)	function
14.	on the other	n)	three forms
15.	level	o)	deficiency
16.	opt for	p)	foods
17.	nutrient-rich	q)	resources
18.	have long-lasting	r)	hand

 XX Watch all parts of the video. Say if the statements below are true or false. Correct the false statements.

1)      Most of the weight of the brain comes from carbs.

2)      Fats are the same as lipids.

3)      Brain contains fats, proteins, amino acids, traces of micronutrients, and glucose.

4)      Food has its effect on the brain; people can feel apathy after certain types of food.

5)      Omegas 3 and 6 are examples of fatty acids that are good for the brain.

6)      Fatty acids are dangerous; they can cause degenerative brain conditions.

7)      Saturated fats are a risk for brain health.

8)      People should con consume too much trans and saturated fats.

9)      Amino acids can influence human mood, sleep, and attentiveness.

10)  People usually feel nervous after eating a large plate of pasta.

11)  A diet with a range of foods helps maintain a balanced combination of brain messengers, and keeps your mood stable.

12)  Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables destroy brain cells.

13)  Without powerful micronutrients our brains would be susceptible to brain disease and mental decline.

14)  Human brain only makes up about 55% of our body weight.

15)  Human brain uses 75 % if our energy resources.

16)  Human brain has reactions to drops in glucose.

17)  White bread contains fats that are an important source of glucose.

18)  Carbs come in three forms: starch, sugar, and chocolate.

19)  When people eat white bread their mood improves but then it goes down very quickly.

20)  Oats, grains, and legumes are the sources of carbs.

21)  Eating oats can help people be attentive for a longer period of time.

22)  For sustained brain power, opting for a varied diet of fat-rich foods is critical.

XXI Watch all the parts of the video and answer the questions.

1)      What nutritional elements are there in the brain?

2)      What is the effect of nutritional elements in the brain on the human body?

3)      What foods contain fatty acids?

4)      Why are fatty acids important for human brain and body?

5)      What fats are good? Where can people find good fats?

6)      What fats are bad? Why should people avoid bad fats?

7)      What is the effect of amino acids on human body?

8)      What types of food can make people feel calm? What food can make people feel more alert?

9)      Why are antioxidants important for brain? Where do antioxidants come from?

10)  How much energy can human brain use? What organs use more energy than human brain?

11)  In what food can people find carbs?

12)  Are all carbs the same? What is the difference (if any) between various types of carbs?

13)  What types of carbs are good for human brain?

14)  What is necessary for sustained brain power?

XXII OVER TO YOU. Think about your favourite dish or type of food. Get ready to describe its effect on human brain, mood and body (3 minutes speech). Try to persuade other students that your favourite dish or type of food is good for their health.