Physical Resilience: Nutrition and Mental Health
This lesson explores the growing evidence base for the link between what we eat and our mental health. Students learn about the gut-brain axis, the role of different food groups, and the barriers that prevent young people from eating well. Using Harry Kane as a relatable case study, they examine how nutrition choices directly impact physical and mental performance, then create a collaborative Mental Strength Nutrition Charter.
Learning Outcomes
Outcome 1:
Understand the link between nutrition and mental health
Outcome 2:
Consider barriers that can get in the way of maintaining healthy nutrition
Outcome 3:
Identify key facts and myths for a mentally healthy diet
What's included
A quick look at the classroom-ready resources that come with this lesson.
Available after purchase
Available after purchase
Available after purchase
Available after purchase
Available after purchase
Available after purchase
Available after purchase
Available after purchase
Available after purchase
Available after purchase
Available after purchase
Available after purchase
Available after purchase
Contributing Experts
People who helped produce this lesson.
Anant Jani
Anant is a Senior Researcher at the Universities of Oxford and Heidelberg, specialising in the optimization of global healthcare systems through value-based resource utilisation and social determinants of health. He brings extensive international experience advising health systems across Europe and the Middle East, bridging the gap between high-level policy and population health. Anant holds a PhD in Immunology from Yale University, underpinning his systemic expertise with a rigorous foundation in biological science.
Lucy Bailey
Lucy Bailey is Founder of Bounce Forward and Healthy Minds for Parents. With two decades of experience in mental resilience and emotional wellbeing, and training 1000s of teachers, parents and other adults around children and young people. Lucy is proud of her early career in youth work and children services. Lucy had a poor experience of school and that has driven her passion to influence UK policy to form a positive system of change with psychological fitness at the core. Lucy has directed national research projects (including the Healthy Minds five year study), is certified by University of Pennsylvania, has an MSc in Practice Based Research, a BSc in Social Policy and Criminology, and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education. Her published book Raise Resilience: Teach your teenager well has led to the creation of the Psychological Fitness Nana bridging old school wisdom with modern psychology for parents of the 21st century.
About the Organisation
Bounce Forward is the UK’s psychological-fitness charity.
We help children and young people — and the adults and environments around them — develop the understanding, skills and shared language to regulate, recover and adapt through challenge, change and everyday life.
Our work brings together mental resilience and emotional wellbeing, shifting the focus upstream: building capability before crisis, rather than waiting for something to go wrong. We translate evidence from psychology, resilience research, cognitive behavioural approaches and positive psychology into practical learning that can be taught, modelled and used in real life.
From evidence-informed curricula and staff development to family support and whole-community approaches, our work recognises that young people do not develop in isolation. What happens around a young person shapes what becomes possible within them.
Everything we create is practical, grounded in evidence and designed to build something that lasts — psychologically fit people and communities, better prepared to meet life.