With exams round the corner, students are under lot of stress and diet takes a back seat. But eating healthy at this stressful time will help you increase your endurance and on the other hand wrong dietary choices will make you sluggish or burned out. With long hours of studying you need to take the food that will keep you alert and energetic.
Nutrition tips to keep healthy:
a.) Small frequent meals are advised so that the body get constant supply of energy to study and be active.
b.) Enjoy the brain boosting foods- Healthy foods that are protein rich and also rich in omega 3 fatty acid, nurtures the brain. Brain foods include fish like salmon and tuna, nuts like almonds and walnuts, seeds like sunflower seeds and flax seeds, figs and certain fruits and vegetables are rich source of antioxidants and are also considered excellent brain fuel like banana, strawberries, blueberries, spinach and broccoli.
c.) Avoid anti – brain food - Stay away from processed foods, refined sugar and aerated drinks. Taking processed foods, insulin in the blood is churned up, the pancreas goes wild, and a sugar rush occurs. This results in "high highs" followed by a "crash" which leads to depression .Ability to focus and memory will suffer.
d.) Hydrate the body- Drink plenty of water both before and during the exam. One can include fluids like fresh lime water/ coconut water/ green tea/ iced tea/ soups/ juices/ buttermilk. Dehydration makes the body sluggish. Avoid too much of coffee and tea, it not only causes acidity but also dehydrates the body.
e.) Snacking is a must- When children are preparing for exam; they want to nibble through the day. Eat healthy snacks so that it not only satisfies the craving but also provides the body with healthy calories. Smart snacks include- Handful of nuts, health bars, cheela, poha, masala idli, pancakes, fruits.
f.) Follow the ROSE RULE- This simple rule covers the four things one should do during exam time: Revise and recap; Organise time and work; Sleep and rest and Eat healthy and you will be successful in all your endeavors.
Nutritious snacks in between two meals are important to keep your energy up
Diet plan for students to prepare for their exams
Breakfast- Glass of Milk with bowl of Oats porridge ( add a handful of nuts- almonds & walnuts) with an egg omelette
Mid-morning- Fruit salad with yogurt / Glass of juice or soup
Lunch- Dal stuff paranthi with a green vegetable and a bowl of salad, also have a bowl of strawberry yoghurt
Tea- Glass of Milk or buttermilk or Yakult / Snacks - Baked potato topped with tuna/ cottage cheese/ baked beans/ sprouts
Souptime- Bowl of soup with banana
Dinner- Chapatti with a bowl of Dal or paneer or chicken or fish and Vegetables
Bedtime- Milk
Inbetween the meals drinks lots of fluids like freshlime water, coconut water, buttermilk, icetea, green tea, a cup or two of coffee is allowed in addition to taking lots of water.
Inbetween munching snacks- roasted chana, nuts, figs, prunes, fresh fruits, popcorn, yogurt, smoothies, Bhelpuri, sprouts etc
(The writer is regional head, department of Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket)