Empowering innovative education in mental healthcare
The NP 100 Certificate is academically-oriented and designed to provide the evidence base necessary to build a solid foundation within nutritional psychology. In this Certificate, the theoretical and mechanistic underpinnings characterizing the diet-mental health relationship are explained. New language, terminology, concepts, and mechanisms are introduced. The NP 100 Certificate is comprised of three courses, including NP 110, NP 120, and NP 150.
The NP 200 Certificate is applied and focuses on developing guidelines for mental health and nutrition professionals to provide education to clients in the DMHR. These courses focus on facilitating the application of psychonutritional tools and education within the clinical and applied environments. Scope of practice guidelines are presented to facilitate appropriate inclusion of psychonutritional tools and education within the clinical environment. More information regarding this certificate will be available in the fall of 2022.
NP 110 is the foundational course in the study of nutritional psychology and is a prerequisite for all future NP courses. Provides conceptualization in NP, introduces key terms, language, concepts, and evidence based findings. The six major elements defining the DMHR are explored, including the psychological, cognitive, behavioral, sensory-perceptual, interoceptive, and psychosocial (Prerequisite NP 110). Enrollment is now open!
Coming Summer 2022!
NP 120 explores the Microbiota Gut-Brain Axis (MGBA). Evolutionary conceptualization of the MGBA is explored, as are the physiological and communication pathways connecting the gut and brain. Dietary elements influencing MGBA regulation and MB composition, and MGBA influence on all aspects of the DMHR are explored (Prerequisite NP 110).
Coming In 2022!
NP 150 explores the mechanisms by which dietary intake influences all essential aspects of aspects of the diet-mental health relationship. Factors involving inflammation, neuroinflammation, alteration of the intestinal microbiota and gut-brain axis, oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, HPA-Axis dysfunction, and neuroplasticity are explored (Prerequisite NP 110).
NP 110 content is designed for educators in mind! Content from NP 110 is university-level and can form the basis for inclusion within any college-level syllabus. Contact us for further details if you would like to incorporate NP within your curriculum (Prerequisite NP 110).
Coming Spring 2022!
This course introduces the interconnected and bi-directional relationship existing between dietary intake and psychobiological response to stress. Referred to as the “Diet-Stress Relationship” (DSR) this course employs concepts from both the fields of psychology and nutrition to inform our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms through which diet and stress interconnect (Prerequisite NP 110).
Coming Summer 2022
This course will benefit those who wish to develop understanding in the evidence-based relationship between dietary intake patterns and mood, behavior, and psychological functioning in the child and adolescent population (Prerequisite NP 110).
The process of receiving or giving systematic instruction
The science or study that deals with food and nourishment
The science of mind and behavior
Connecting what we eat with how we feel
Psychosocial
Explores the relationship between dietary intake and family, culture, community, society
Psychological
Explores the relationship between dietary intake patterns and our feelings, moods, and emotions (e.g., resilience, flourishing, creativity, happiness, depression, anxiousness, irritation, sadness, well-being)
Behavioral
Explores the relationship between dietary intake and reactions, actions and behaviors in which we engage in relating to dietary intake
Perceptual
Explores the relationship between dietary intake and senses involving sight, smell, sound, taste, touch, and how we make meaning of this information.
Cognitive
Explores the relationship between dietary intake and brain processes involving cognition, attention, memory, learning, reasoning, executive functioning, and decision making etc.
Interoceptive
Explores the relationship between dietary intake and our internal bodily sensations we experience because of it (i.e., the bi-directional signal processing between brain and internal organs that generates a representation of our internal state from the food we eat)
Take steps to develop your understanding of the relationship between diet and mental health. Together, we can build a new model of mental healthcare to include this important piece of the puzzle.