Mental Health & Neurodivergence

In Today’s Issue

Brain Byte - Mental Health Awareness for neurospicy superheroes

Science Corner - Dive into the neurodivergence and mental health connection

Life Hack - Superhero Training - Mindful moments checklist

Comfort Corner - Nom nom and zen with a warm cookie

Intro

Welcome, Friends!

Today we explore the often misunderstood world of neurodiversity and mental health. 

Make sure to provide feedback using our poll at the end of the newsletter.  

We value our superhero’s feedback so check out our NEW way to capture your lovely thoughts before…SQUIRREL…they’re lost.

🧠 Brain Byte

What’s going on: In recognition of May as Mental Health Awareness Month, we thought it fitting to raise awareness of this dimension of the multiverse of neurodivergence and its very real impact to our food joy.

What it all means: 

According to the World Health Organization, mental health: 

• Shapes how we think, feel, and interact with our world

• Includes your personal wellbeing, resilience, and ability to thrive

• Exists on a spectrum that shifts throughout your life (just like you!)

• Is a positive state of being—not just the absence of illness

According the American Psychiatry Association, mental illness: 

• Refers to a wide range of conditions affecting emotions, thinking, behavior (or all three).

• Includes familiar challenges like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, and substance use issues

• Can significantly impact your daily life, work, and relationships

• Emerges from a complex mix of things we cannot control like genetics, biology, psychology, and environment

The important truth: 

Just as someone with good physical health might occasionally catch a cold or have a physical disability, you can have good mental health AND experience periods of mental illness.

In other words, we are NOT defined by our diagnoses, disabilities, or emotions.  You are always more than any label - you are uniquely and wonderfully designed!

⭐ Life Hack - Superhero Training

Okay, so those stats might sound like a stacked battle but if we bring in the right support squad, we can absolutely crush it!

Think of it as leveling up with extra cool power-ups!

Tools & Resources: Every superhero needs support, so this week check-in with yourself, and maybe your side-kick too, by downloading this mindful moments checklist.

🍽️ Comfort Corner

Food for Thought: Try this easy recipe to level up the JOY after a battle-filled day:

Nom Nom HQ's Favorite Cookie

Simplification Modifications

• One Bowl Clean Up - Make it all in one bowl by doing wet ingredients first then adding in the dry before mixing

Taste/Texture Modifications

• Skip the nuts to go low key on the crunch

• Add an extra egg for a softer, cake-like cookie

• Alter the crunch factor by decreasing (softer) or increasing (crunchier) cooking time 

Nutrition/Dietary Modifications

• GF - use a gluten free flour with xantham gum to keep the chew

• DF - substitute almond or oat milk

• Protein punch - replace up to half of the flour with your favorite vanilla or unflavored plant based protein powder

💌 Before You Go

Knowing that mental health, neurodivergence and eating can overlap may feel as overwhelming as assembling IKEA furniture after a few too many espressos. ☕

Ditch the generic advice and advocate for smarter, kinder support. 

Now go out there and be excellent to each other. 🌟

Stay Delicious!

Avery Burk

P.S.  - Provide your feedback on this newsletter in the poll below.