It is said that the surest way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. For some learners, this may be paraphrased as: the best way to learning is through intake.

Intake is listed as one of the physiological elements in the Dunn, Dunn and Price Learning Styles Inventory (DDP-LSI).

It is also generally listed by traditional teaching paradigms. Thus, students are forbidden to take in any food or drink during class, regardless of whether the student is actually hungry, actually thirsty, or actually an intake learner who learns best while chewing gum or munching on a piece of candy or just doing some mix of eating and learning.

This is not such a new idea really. It’s just that we are only now seeing it for what it is: a totally legitimate learning preference of some learners.

Consider these: corporate meetings are commonly held over lunch. Most people eat while watching TV or a movie. Many office workers have coffee or cola or pizza while getting the job done at the computer table or on their work desk.

Research amply supports the stomach-brain connection. (The stomach-heart connection is, last I heard, far from established.)

Thus, the thing to do is for teachers to allow learners to stuff their face if they want to during class, so long as they keep up with the lesson and do not distract other learners (read: loud, crunchy snacks are out).

Better yet, encourage intake learners to take nutritious snacks rather than junk food throughout the day.

Research has proven that some minerals are beneficial to mental activity and performance:

• Boron, usually found in apples, grapes, nuts and dried beans;
• Iron, usually found in dark green vegetables, meat, fish and eggs;
• Zinc, usually found in fish, beans and whole grains;
• Vitamin C, usually found in citrus-family fruits, and
• Tyrosine, usually found in protein-rich foods like meats, cheese and yogurt.

(Henry S. Tenedero is the president of the Center for Learning and Teaching Styles and MINDful IDEAS, an affiliate of the International Learning Styles Network, based at St. John’s University in New York. He is a graduate of the AIM Masters in Development management and of the Harvard Graduate School for Professional Educators. He can be reached at htenedero@yahoo.com.)