Did you know that what you eat & drink can affect your exam performance?
A long exam is like a mental marathon in which endurance is critical. We should emphasize the importance of healthy eating habits at this stressful time. The Right Food & Drink can energize your system, improve your alertness & sustain you through the long exam hours. The wrong dietary choices can make you feel sluggish, jittery, or burned out.
When you are studying for the Exam, good nutrition often slides way down on the priority list. It is easy to get into the habit of drinking coffee & gobbling take-out pizza because you don't want to waste time on food preparation. But, good nutrition should be part of your study plan because it's going to help you ace those tests. The better the fuel your brain gets, the better you'll study and memorize.
Stay well hydrated. Caffeine & Sugar should be kept the minimum. Include water, fruit juice, vegetable juice, green tea, buttermilk.
Eat brain-boosting foods. This includes protein-rich foods which can lead to greater mental alertness. Healthy food choices on exam day include eggs, nuts, curd & cottage cheese, Dried fruits, Blueberries, Banana, Oranges, Berries, Walnuts, Flax seeds, Sunflower seeds, Figs, Prunes, Green leafy vegetables, Carrots & Capsicum.
Avoid Brain Blocking Foods. On exam day, stay away from foods made from refined flour, like cookies, cakes, muffins which require added time & energy to digest. Also, avoid sugary foods.
Do not have food that contains L- tryptophan, an essential amino acid which makes you feel sleepy like more rice, carb-rich foods, milk, turkey, Potatoes.
Even if you normally skip breakfast or avoid eating when you are nervous, you should still make the time to eat something nutritious. Your brain needs the energy from food to work efficiently. You need to keep your mental focus on your exam & not on your hunger.
Non-vegetarians can include oily fish like Salmon, Sardines, Mackerel as they contain lots of protein & omega-3, which is essential to keep a functioning brain working well. Eggs also good brain-healthy food because it is a complete Protein. Peanut butter contains healthy fats & lots of protein, so healthy brain food.
Meeting daily Vitamins & Minerals requirements will make doing your best much easier. IRON (spinach, red meat, red beans, beet, chana, jaggery, dates) & B-vitamins (whole grains, wheat germ, eggs, nuts, fish, soy) are especially important to maintaining the physical & mental energy to study well & helps a to boost your brain by providing the nutrients it needs.
Eating at regular intervals helps to supply continuous energy to the brain, Keeps nutrient & energy level stable, curbing the temptation of empty-calorie snacks.
Eat good breakfast to get some protein, calcium, fiber & a piece of fruit. Fruits are the best food you can eat for your brain. The natural sugar in the fruit offers clean energy, so you don't experience the crash that follows the consumption of refined sugar. Fructose & other sugars in fruits, your body can convert into energy easily.
Eat dark-colored vegetables & fruits as they contain maximum nutrients. They are low in calories too.
Don't try any new food, drink or supplements on exam day. You don't know how your body will respond to them & you don't want any surprises on exam day. Stick with food & drink your body is accustomed to.
Consider taking Multivitamins. Most students do not eat a healthy balanced diet. When you survive on pizza, junk food, red bull & coffee, your body ends up with a lack of essential vitamins & minerals. A multivitamin can help by giving your body the B_Vitamins especially strengthen Brain functioning. Iron, Calcium & Zinc can boost the body's ability to handle stress.
Most Important is GET GOOD SLEEP. To function at your best on exam day, you need not only energy that comes from healthy nutrition but also the energy that comes from adequate, Restful Sleep.
ALL THE BEST WHILE YOU PREPARE FOR YOUR EXAMS.