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Session 35 | The Role of Nutrition in Cognitive and Mental Health
Time: 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Type/Topic: Quality/Person-Centered Care Practices
Session Summary
Food has long been connected with a sense of well-being, autonomy, celebration and security. The role of food and nutrition goes well beyond emotional wellness, and specific foods and nutrients are key to supporting and improving our mental and cognitive health. This session will discuss the gut-brain axis, the known mechanisms of action that certain nutrients have on the body systems that support brain health, the importance of lifelong brain health-supporting lifestyle choices for staff and residents, and the ways that a dining program can be refined to meet resident needs and expectations around brain health.
Sponsored by Cura Hospitality.
Presenters
Jen Bruning
Senior Director of Partner Education | Incite Strategic Partners, LLC
About the Presenter
Jen Bruning MS, RDN, LDN, serves as the Senior Director of Partner Education for Incite Strategic Partners, the exclusive group purchasing organization of FHCA. Jen has spent her dietetics career in food service, in both the corporate wellness and senior living sectors helping to shape the dining experience of clients around the country. She has previously held the positions of professor of nutrition at Columbia College Chicago, Wellness Director & Nutrition Strategist for large national food service providers, and both clinical and food service leadership roles in a skilled nursing environment. Jen has spent a decade serving as a National Media Spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics and speaks nationally on dining and nutrition related topics for busy senior living professionals.