Mindless eating refers to consuming food without conscious awareness or intentional attention to the act of eating. It often involves eating distractedly or automatically, where individuals may not fully register the quantity or quality of food they consume.

A minor neurocognitive disorder is defined by a modest decline in cognitive deficits that is not severe enough to interfere with a person’s independence or ability to perform daily tasks (Blazer, 2013).

Mitochondria are organelles within cells responsible for energy production through the process of cellular respiration. Often referred to as the ‘powerhouses’ of the cell, they play a crucial role in various cellular functions beyond energy production.

Mood can be defined as a temporary state of mind or feeling. It is also defined as a conscious state of mind or predominant emotion. In Nutritional Psychology, mood refers to a sub-clinical or non-clinical experience relating to affect, happiness, sadness, vigor, etc.

A branch of the immune system dedicated to defending the body’s mucosal surfaces, such as those in the gut, respiratory tract, and reproductive tract, against pathogens while maintaining tolerance to harmless antigens like food particles and commensal microbes. It relies on barriers, specialized immune cells, and antibodies.

Myelin is a protective, fatty substance that wraps around and insulates nerve fibers, also known as axons, in the nervous system. This insulation, resembling a sheath or coating, plays a crucial role in speeding up the transmission of electrical signals between nerve cells, ensuring efficient and rapid communication within the nervous system

Myelination is the process by which myelin, a fatty substance, forms a protective sheath around nerve fibers (axons). This process enhances the speed and efficiency of electrical signal transmission in the nervous system and is essential for proper brain function and development.

Natural killer (NK) cells are white blood cells that are crucial components of the innate immune system. They are known for their ability to recognize and destroy infected or abnormal cells. These cells do not require prior exposure to specific antigens; instead, they can quickly and nonspecifically target cells that exhibit signs of distress or abnormality.

Factors influenced by dietary intake that are associated with unhealthy psychological functioning include fatigue, depressive feelings and thoughts, stress, distress, nervousness, anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure), and increased hedonic vs. homeostatic eating (defined in Module 3).

Negative valence refers to the unpleasant emotional quality or aversive nature of stimuli, experiences, or mental states that typically evoke avoidance behaviors or negative feelings such as fear, sadness, disgust, or anger.