The ability to both focus for long periods of time and perform cognitive and memory-related tasks is important in everyday life and for many careers. Due to our busy lifestyles and high work demands, aspects like the standard North American diet, stress, physical inactivity, and endocrine imbalances can lower mental performance and cognition.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also referred to as seasonal depression, is a mood disorder recognized by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DMV).

Attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by inattention, impulsiveness, and hyperactivity. The condition is commonly treated with stimulant therapy (methylphenidates or amphetamines in various forms). Stimulants tend to increase dopamine activity in the brain, and it is speculated that this may help with ADHD symptoms.

The stresses of the last two years have created an epidemic of anxiety. In 2021, the rates of anxiety disorders across the population in the US were estimated at 19.1% in the past year and 31.1% in lifetime prevalence, which refers to the number of individuals ever having had the disease during their lifetime.

Medium-chain triglycerides, or MCTs, have been popularized in the context of Bulletproof™ coffee or the ketogenic diet. MCTs and the keto diet have been investigated in the management of obesity, insulin resistance, ,  epilepsy, neurodegenerative conditions, and others.

Seeing others in distress can make us feel sad; however, telling someone to be happy when they are not does not seem to work very well. In fact, trying to be happy is often a recipe for unhappiness! Psychology researchers have even put it to the test: People who were instructed to feel as happy as they can when listening to pleasant music felt lower mood than those who were exposed to the same pleasant music with no instruction.

With spring come seasonally grown local foods and green leafy vegetables (GLV) become more desirable for quality, and especially for their overall health benefits. Examples of GLV include salads, kale, broccoli, collard greens, spinach, mustard greens, etc.

As the COVID-19 pandemic seemed to shut down the world, grocery stores, or at least what was left on the shelves at grocery stores, became an indicator of where people were at in their experience of the stressful event.

Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBIs) and postconcussion syndrome are becoming more of a public health concern. Although termed “mild,” the effects can certainly be debilitating and severe in some cases. The symptoms of postconcussion syndrome include headaches, memory and concentration difficulties, irritability, fatigue, nausea, visual disturbances, light and noise sensitivity, judgement problems, depression, and anxiety.

Irritable bowel disease (IBD) includes ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). It is one of the five most prevalent gastrointestinal diseases in the United States. People with IBD and other gastrointestinal diseases like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) suffer from the effects of damaged gut tissue due to inflammation. The symptoms are often life-altering, painful, and chronic.[1]