Nutrition and Wellbeing

Wellbeing has become a popular buzzword. It's a broad concept that covers our physical, mental, emotional, and social health.  

This course explores the research-backed strategies that have been proven to maintain and improve wellbeing. We review the theory of wellbeing and provide practical strategies to enhance personal wellbeing.

We examine the relationship between nutrition and wellbeing, and the important role that wholefoods rich in micronutrients play in maintaining and improving our overall physical and mental wellbeing.

Keen to learn more about wellbeing? You may also be interested in our Psychology of Wellbeing course– learn more here. 

There are no prerequisites for this course. It's for anyone interested in understanding the current research on nutrition and wellbeing.

It will help you understand how to improve your own wellbeing and the wellbeing of those in your care. 

Technology Requirements
We recommend a laptop or desktop computer and a reliable internet connection. For most courses you'll need to download and populate assignments. These are usually available in Microsoft Word.

Our courses are flexible, enabling you to plan your study around your other commitments. You'll be able to access the online course from 17 July but can choose to study when it suits you. Check out the course overview here for more details on the timing of assessment activities and approximation of hours. 

Module 1: Introduction to nutrition and wellbeing
Discover the importance of nutrition and how it promotes positive mental health.

Module 2: Diet in the 21st century
Identify the differences between whole foods, slightly processed foods, and ultra-processed foods. 

Module 3: Feeding wellbeing
Uncover how simple nutritional changes can improve your mental health. 

Module 4: Research on diet and wellbeing
Understand the research on nutrition and wellbeing and discuss your findings.

Module 5: Improving wellbeing through diet
Implement the knowledge you've gained on micronutrients and the benefits of a wholefoods diet. 

• 5 Module Quizzes = 25% (5% for each quiz)
• 4 Forum Activities = 25% (6.25% for each activity)
• 2 Reports: food diary analysis, meal action plan, and report = 50% (25% for each report) 

Professor Julia Rucklidge

Professor | Clinical Psychology

Julia Rucklidge is in the School of Psychology, Speech and Hearing at the University of Canterbury. She's the Director of Te Puna Toiora, the Mental Health and Nutrition Research Lab.

Over the last twenty years, Julia has become well known for her research investigating the interaction between nutrition and mental health and has published over a hundred empirical papers.

Julia has received numerous local and international awards and is frequently featured in the media discussing her work. Her TEDx talk, The surprisingly dramatic role of nutrition in mental health has been viewed over 4.7 million times.

She also co-authored the 2021 book, The Better Brain: Overcome Anxiety, Combat Depression, and Reduce ADHD and Stress with Nutrition.

Having seen conventional treatments fail so many, Julia is passionate about helping people find alternative treatments for psychiatric symptoms. By translating her research into practice, she hopes to help make nutritional interventions mainstream.