If you live on junk food, chocolates, energy drinks and chips, BE WARNED! These easy and tasty bites can be extremely harmful to your health, and affect your exam performance.
Instead of
these quick fixes, try the following to keep your energy levels up, and your brain focused:
Pick fish
For peak brain health and function, the healthiest types of fish you can eat are salmon, sardines and mackerel, as they have lots of protein and Omega-3 fatty acids. Herring and trout are other possible options. The recommended and cheapest meal on a student budget would be sardines on toast. Choose wholewheat bread for a healthy and filling meal.
Eat eggs
Eggs are good brain food and leave you feeling fuller for longer than sugary cereals or pastries. They’re one of the most versatile foods around. Enjoy your eggs poached, fried or boiled. A large egg has about seven grams of protein, Vitamin B12 (which helps convert glucose into energy) and less than 100 calories, depending on how you cook it.
Fill up on fruit
Get a sugar boost from natural-occurring sugars in fresh fruit that are more useful than a slab of chocolate. Darker-coloured fruits like blueberries have powerful antioxidants. The natural sugars in fruit offer clean energy and you’re less likely to crash and burn.
Wise up about water
Good choices include water, fruit juice, milk, and antioxidant-rich green tea. Ideally, you should have about two litres of water a day. Avoid coffee and fizzy drinks.
Go green
Did you know the darker the vegetable, the higher the concentration of nutrients? Spinach has more to offer the mind and body than lettuce. Great vegetable choices also include bell peppers, broccoli and sweet potatoes.
Snack the smart way
Snacks that are high in magnesium, copper and iron, help maintain a healthy nervous system and boost your energy reserves. Hazelnuts and cashews are good sources of these health helpers. Zinc and Omega-3 are also important nutrients, usually found in nuts and seeds. Zinc contributes to normal cognitive function. Find this element in cashews, pumpkin seeds and linseeds. Omega-3 is an excellent nutrient for improving brain health. You can also find it in avocados.
Snack away
- Grains: Wholegrain cereal, crackers, cereal bars.
- Vegetables: Raw veggies like carrots, broccoli, bell peppers, and cherry tomatoes.
- Fruits: Berries, apples or pear wedges, naartjies, bananas and dried fruit.
- Milk: Cheese slices or cubes, yoghurt, milk, frozen yoghurt.
- Protein: Nuts, peanut butter, boiled eggs, chicken, cold meat and tuna.
Get some rest
Your brain will thank you for a restful night of sleep. Lack of sleep makes it impossible for you to understand the details of the information you’re trying to remember.