The cervicovaginal microbiome refers to the diverse population of microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses, that reside within the cervicovaginal tract. This microbial ecosystem is essential for maintaining reproductive health and influences vulnerability to infections, including HIV and cervical cancer.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a type of gut hormone that is released after a meal, helps digestion, and reduces appetite (Gribble & Reimann, 2016).

Chronic inflammation is a prolonged and sustained inflammatory response that can last weeks, months, or even years. Unlike acute inflammation, chronic inflammation can be persistent and unresolved, leading to tissue damage and dysfunction.

Chronic Stress is a long-term and persistent stress that results from continuous exposure to stressors. Unlike acute stress, chronic stress can have negative effects on both physical and mental health over an extended period.

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in weather patterns and temperatures on Earth, often attributed to human activities such as burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial processes. It leads to various environmental impacts, including rising global temperatures, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and changes in precipitation patterns.

When we refer to “cognition” within Nutritional Psychology, we define the mental processes associated with attention, perception, thinking, learning, memory, and other higher-order processes.

Cognitive dissonance is a psychological theory that refers to the mental discomfort or tension that arises when an individual holds two or more contradictory beliefs, values, or attitudes, especially when their actions conflict with their beliefs or values. This discomfort motivates the individual to reduce the inconsistency, often through rationalization, changing one’s attitudes, or justifying behavior.

Cognitive distortions are irrational, biased, or exaggerated thought patterns that negatively influence perception, decision-making, and emotions. These automatic, often unconscious, thinking errors can reinforce maladaptive behaviors, such as emotional eating or restrictive dieting, and contribute to issues like anxiety, depression, and disordered eating patterns. Examples include all-or-nothing thinking (“I ate one unhealthy meal, so my whole diet is ruined”) and catastrophizing (“If I don’t lose weight, I’ll never be happy”).

One of the mini-theories that are part of the Self-determination theory. It explains the effects of extrinsic factors on intrinsic motivation. Its basic premise is that if an individual perceives that his/her actions are controlled by outside factors, it will reduce that individual’s motivation for the behavior in question. On the other hand, if external events make a person feel competent in an activity, this will increase that person’s intrinsic motivation for the activity in question.

Cognitive reserve is the brain’s capacity to resist the effects of aging or neurological damage by efficiently reorganizing its neural networks or using alternative neural networks to achieve desired cognitive goals.