Progressive Galway National School launches its first Nutrition & Hydration week with Minister Hildegard Naughton.
In 1984, New Zealand educator James R Flynn, researched how much the average IQ test scores had increased over the 20th century and found they increased by an average of 3 points per decade. Flynn attributed this increase to better nutrition. Flynn continued his work on what became known as the Flynn effect and other researches followed suit until they all noticed that children born in 1975 reached ‘peak IQ’ and average intelligence has been dropping ever since. This is called the ‘Reverse Flynn Effect’.
No one knows for sure why IQs are dropping but a study by Norwegian scientists with access to 30 years of IQ test results for young adults determined that the drop was not due to genetics. Processed food started its steady increase in the national diet from the 1970s onwards. This resulted in the steady decline in the intake of wholefoods, vegetables and other foods rich in fiber, omega three fatty acids and other nutrients essential for brain and whole body health.
The brain is the most complex organ in the human body. This three – pound command and control center contains more than eighty billion neurons. Our brain consumes 20 percent of everything we eat – and those foods provide the energy and nutrients to produce and support each element that make up our brains.
When the brain is deprived of one or more of the brain – healthy nutrients, cognition, mood and overall function will ultimately suffer. Take serotonin, the neurotransmitter linked to mood. Without eating foods that contain adequate levels of nutrients like folate, iron and vitamin B12, your body cannot produce adequate levels of this mood – enhancing chemical.
Historically, we have put minimal thought and focus into how food choices relate to our brains. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can dictate what sort of building material you want to provide your brain. You can eat high quality, nutrient dense ingredients and foods to help your brain work at its highest level.
We all have the power to decide to support good brain health and in so doing we can put our brains into a mode of growth, resilience and health. Healthy brains are made by the decisions we make about the foods we consume every day.
In March 2024 staff and pupils of the Maree National School with Minister Hildegard Naughton launched its first Nutrition & Hydration week. The week, led by the Parents Association and a local Registered Dietitian from the Galway Nutrition & Therapy Clinic (www.gntc.ie) will incorporate a number of initiatives to put the spot light on nutrition for brain health.
All children will be provided with healthy eating resources along with tins of sardines! The sardines - an example of a food high in essential omega three fatty acids will be accompanied by fact sheets outlining the benefits and how families can support children to try if not liked. The Registered Dietitian will run education sessions for the senior classes on nutrition to support brain health. During the week daily Whats app nutrition messages will be forwarded to all parents from the PA and the parents will be invited to a healthy eating webinar hosted by the Registered Dietitian.
The Parents Association would like to thanks School Principal, Miss Kilkelly all the staff and pupils at Maree National School and Galway Nutrition & Therapy Clinic for supporting this initiative. Thanks also to Minister Naughton for kindly supporting our launch and her genuine interest in this worthwhile initiative.
