Download You Are What You Eat

You Are What You Eat
 Please list, describe, or illustrate what a
mature Christian should look like upon
graduation on the index card provided

What is your recipe for success?
 Please share what you wrote on your index
card with the person to your left (except the
person on the aisle)
You Are What You Eat
A Call to Biblical Worldview Integration
throughout the Education System
© Kevin M. Adams
You Are What You Eat
 Origin of Phrase
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Came into English literature in 1920s and was
popularized in 1940s
Refers to the need to eat healthy in order to be
healthy
"Ninety per cent of the diseases known to man
are caused by cheap foodstuffs. You are what
you eat." - nutritionist Victor Lindlahr (1923)
Systemic Solutions based on a Biblical Worldview
Education
Nutrition
Brain
Biblical Worldview
Biblical Worldview – Deut 6:4-9
 4 "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is
one. 5 You shall love the LORD your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all your
might. 6 And these words that I command you today
shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them
diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when
you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way,
and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You
shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they
shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall
write them on the doorposts of your house and on
your gates.
Biblical Worldview
 Love God with all your heart
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Inner core of personality
The home of emotions, reason, planning,
scheming, discernment
In short the heart is the mind
 To love God with all your heart means to
open to God all the processes of thinking,
feeling, deciding, to be shaped and honed as
instruments aligned to God’s purposes
Biblical Worldview
 Love God with all your soul
 Does NOT refer to an immaterial part of man
 Animals are (not have) souls as is man
 Man IS a living being (soul) WITH a Spirit IN a
body
 As used in Scripture it often denotes appetite
 Desires, feelings, emotions
 To love God with all your soul means to place
your feelings & desires at God’s service and
conform them to God’s will
Biblical Worldview
 Love God with all your might
 Literally muchness or greatness/intensity
 The point is – single-minded
 To love God with all your might is to have a
single-minded, love-inspired zeal and
determination to realize the whole will of God
 The New Testament
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Matthew 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
Biblical Worldview
 Teach ‘These Words’ diligently
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Literally ‘sharpened’ meaning to teach fresh
for each generation
 Sitting, Walking, Lying, Rising
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Daily activity from morning to evening
 ‘These Words’ of God are to guide every
movement of the hand and eye, every
domestic and community activity
Biblical Worldview
 How far reaching is your Biblical Worldview?
 Are current educational practices in line with
a Biblical Worldview?
 Are current nutritional offerings in our schools
in line with a Biblical Worldview?
Biblical Worldview
 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
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What? know ye not that your body is the
temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you,
which ye have of God, and ye are not your
own? For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your
spirit, which are God's.
 Do we consciously consider the implications
of this statement as it relates to nutrition and
the educational system?
Theological Importance
 ALL aspects of life are to be governed by
God’s desires
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Your Mind
Your Desires
Your Focus
 All aspects of our schools are to be governed
by God’s desires
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His Mind
His Desires
His Focus
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or
whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of
God. 1 Corinthians 10:31
Systemic Solutions based on a Biblical Worldview
Education
Nutrition
Brain
Biblical Worldview
The Brain
The Brain
 < 3 pounds
 < head of lettuce
 > most computers
 ~78% water
 ~7-8% protein
 ~20% resting Oxygen
 ~2% body weight
 ~20% energy use
 ~20% blood use
 ~36 fl oz/minute
The Brain & Its Connections
 100 Billion active cells
 900 Billion other cells to
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connect, nourish,
insulate
New synapses formed
@ 3 Billion/second
20,000 potential
connections with other
cells
70,000 thoughts/day
Slowest speed is 260
mph between neurons
Brain Connectors - Neurons
Brain Connectors - Neurons
Each bead-like structure that
is strung along an axon is a
single oligodendrocyte
.
Microglia process
harmful bacteria and act
as the brain's immune
cells.
Brain Connectors - Neurons
 The majority of neurons in the cerebral cortex
have a single axon--a long, thin extension
that relays information to other cells--and
many shorter dendrites, which receive
messages from other cells. The
interconnection of these axons and dendrites
is essential to create a functional neural
circuit (ScienceDaily 11/24/07)
Brain Connectors - Neurotransmitters
 The health of the brain’s
neurons affects the
processing speed/ability
of the brain
 The health of the brain’s
neurons affects the
mood of the brain
 The health of the brain’s
neurons affects the
memory retention of the
brain
Nutrition & Neurotransmitters
 Food  Nutrients  Neurotransmitters  Affect
 Physical Activity Alters Brain Chemistry
 Exercise increases Dopamine (feel good)
 Exercise increases Norepinephrine (Adrenaline)
 PE Classes
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The odds of passing both standardized math
and English tests increased as the number of
fitness tests passed increased, even when
controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, and
socio-economic status (ScienceDaily)
Brain Nutrition
 A Well Fed Brain = Smarter Brain
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Though just 2% of body mass, the brain
consumes 20% of its calories
"When your diet is poor, there's a backlash
against brain function. When you're better
nourished, you can think better."
25% of student nutrition needs - breakfast
Is Nutrition A Top Priority?
 In Theory
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Parents agree it should be
Teachers agree it should be
90% Parents & Teachers agree that healthy
snacks should be made available in schools
87% Parents & 95% Teachers believe it’s
important to address eating practices during
adolescence
Nutrition A Top Priority?
 In Practice
18% Parents think schools focus on it
 31% Teachers think schools focus on it
 How is your school doing?
 How can you tell?
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Systemic Solutions
A Recipe for Success
Education
Nutrition
Brain
Biblical Worldview
Ingredient #1 - Water
 Everything you do requires water
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Bones are 25% water
Muscles are 75% water
Blood is 82% water
Brain is 76% water
Lungs are 90% water
Ingredient #1 - Water
 Mild dehydration (1-2%) can result in
 Stress (may alter brain functioning)
 Decreased cognitive functioning
 Slower thinking & processing
 Some health experts believe many diseases
are a result of dehydration, including
Alzheimer's
 Within 5 minutes of drinking water there is a
marked decrease in the stress hormone
cortisol
Ingredient #1 - Water
 Recommended 36 oz of water during a 6.5
hour school day
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Water made available, Water in classroom
Bathroom breaks will need to be increased at
least initially
 Diuretics not only don’t hydrate they
dehydrate resulting in academic & behavioral
problems
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Soda, coffee, tea, sports drinks, etc
“You Are What You Drink”
Ingredient #2 - Oxygen
 Reduced Oxygen leads ultimately to death
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Sleep Apnea studies demonstrate this
 Oxygen is vital to proper functioning
 Increase Oxygen flow
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Change body position/location
Laugh
Games
Stretches
Intentional deep breathing
Ingredient #2 - Oxygen
 1 min Hyperventilation
 40% ↓ Oxygen
 ↓ Glucose
 Sedentary/Stationary
positions for long
periods of time
decrease oxygen flow
and alertness
Ingredient #3 - Glucose
 Brain cells need a ready supply of glucose
 Glucose levels are very low after sleep
 Refuel approximately every 60-90 minutes
 Different data is stored in different parts of the
brain
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Neurons must retrieve the information from the
proper source
Reduced ‘food’ to the brain slows down the
process
Ingredient #3 - Glucose
 Good choices are
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Nuts, trail mix, popcorn,
Fresh fruits such as; bananas, apples, raisins,
grapes, oranges, strawberries, blueberries,
etc.
Fresh vegetables such as; carrots, celery, red
peppers, broccoli, cucumbers, etc.
Whole wheat pretzels, crackers, real cheese
Low fat yogurt (w/o food coloring)
Ingredient #3 - Glucose
 Proper Breakfast
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High fiber
Low fat
Low sugar carbohydrates
Protein
 Enhances cognitive performance
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Particularly on complex tasks
 Regular eating of slow burning fuels
Ingredient #3 - Glucose
 High levels of brain energy are required to
maintain consciousness
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How much more so to be purposely,
proactively engaged
 Brain Drains
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Sugary Cereals
Drinks with High Fructose Corn Syrup
White Breads
Ingredient #3 - Glucose
 In one study Oatmeal had the following
affects
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Enhanced spatial memory for boys & girls
Improved short term memory in girls
Ingredient #3 – Glucose: Bad Sugar
 Sugar filled products (cereals, pastries, etc)
 Within 30-60 minutes
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Blood sugar drops
Energy level drops
Hunger increases
Frustration increases
 What is the result in the classroom?
 Related to academics?
 Related to discipline?
 “Can’t eat what’s not in the house”
Ingredient #3 – Glucose
 What you eat affects which
nerve chemicals will be
dominant in your brain,
which affects how you feel.
 Carbohydrates can make
you feel tired because they
increase the brain's level of
the amino acid tryptophan,
which in turn spurs the brain
to make the calming
neurotransmitter serotonin.
Serotonin is important for
normal sleep patterns,
learning, blood pressure and
appetite, among many other
functions.
Ingredient #4 - Protein
 Top neuron is healthy
 Bottom neuron lacks
particular proteins
 Top neuron has formed
additional connections
 Bottom neuron has not
Ingredient #4 - Protein
The Brain & Its Connections
 100 Billion active cells
 900 Billion other cells to
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connect, nourish, insulate
New synapses formed @ 3
Billion/second
20,000 potential connections
with other cells
70,000 thoughts/day
Slowest speed is 260 mph
between neurons
After age 30 loses .25%
mass
Ingredient #4 - Protein
 Eating protein raises the
levels of another amino acid
called tyrosine, which
prompts the brain to
manufacture norepinephrine
and dopamine, other kinds of
chemical messengers in the
brain. Not as well known as
serotonin, norepinephrine
and dopamine can keep you
energized because they
promote alertness and
activity.
 Protein at Breakfast & Lunch
increases concentration &
memory retention
General Food Rules
 Eat substances created for food
 Eat foods as they were created
 Don’t let any food become your god
 Vitamins may be beneficial
 LeAnn Nickelsen notes a study of students
whose non-verbal test scores increased with
vitamin usage plausibly because the vitamins
counteracted the poor nutrition causing the
substandard intellectual functioning
Ingredient #5 - Sleep
 Teenagers need in excess of 9 hours of sleep per
night
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Recent study finds multi-tasking at night leads to more
caffeine consumption at night, less sleep (7 hrs), more
falling asleep in class (ScienceDaily 7/25/09)
"It is surprising that high schools continue to set their
start times early, which impairs learning, attendance
and driving safety of the students," said senior author
Barbara Phillips, MD, director of the UK Healthcare
Good Samaritan Sleep Center in Lexington, Ky.
(ScienceDaily 12/17/08)
Ingredient #5 - Sleep
 Sleep ‘Debt’ in teenagers leads to
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Poor academic performance
Poor decision making
 Some neurotransmitters, like dopamine,
essential to feelings of pleasure and reward,
are also depleted by stress and a lack of
sleep. Alcohol, caffeine and sugar all appear
to lessen the effects of some
neurotransmitters in the brain.
Nutrition Summarized
 Brain Drains
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Sugary Cereals
Drinks with high fructose corn syrup
White Bread
 Poor nutrition
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Increases fatigue
Reduces memory
Decreases concentration
Increases ADD/ADHD symptoms
Nutrition Summarized
 What you eat affects which nerve chemicals
will be dominant in your brain, which affects
how you feel.
 You Are What You Eat!
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5 Required Ingredients for Success
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Water
Oxygen
Glucose
Protein
Sleep
Systemic Solutions
 Based on Biblical
Education
Worldview will
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Nutrition
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Brain
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Biblical
Worldview
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Improve Academics
Improve Athletics
Improve Arts
Decrease Discipline
Decrease Disruptions
Decrease Down Time
 Non-purposeful time
You Are What You Eat
 Your Turn!
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What Action will you take?
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Inform
Promote
Persuade
Implement
Effect Change – Mold Our Students Brains!
 What’s Your Recipe for Success?
 www.fitministries.com