What to eat during finals? by Zainab

​Final exam season is upon us and it is a very stressful time for students everywhere. With final exams around the corner and loads of assignments to be completed, students tend to ignore their health by making the wrong food choices, skipping meals and staying hungry for long periods of times. Research states that eating regular meals has been associated with higher academic achievements as regular eating patterns provide adequate energy to fuel cognitive function (Burrows, 2018).

We all need to complete a ton of work, in very little time and so fueling our body with energy is something we should pay significant attention to. Food is the fuel for our bodies and making smart meal and snack choices can help our bodies a lot during the Oh-So-Stressful exam season.
 
Following are few meal and snack options that will help fuel your bodies and mind:
 
Oatmeal: Quick to prepare, rich in fiber and will not cost you a lot to prepare! Having oatmeal as a meal or a snack will keep you fuller for longer periods of time. Add some nuts and fruits in your oatmeal to make it nutrient rich and delicious!
 
Nuts: A handful of nuts can be a great snack option. Nuts are rich in fats, fibers and proteins and will make you feel fuller for longer periods of time (Harvard Health, 2017).
 
Eggs: Eggs are a great source of proteins; can be prepared in very little time in various ways, are of low economic cost, moderate calorie source having about 150 kcal/100g, making it a great snack source (Miranda, 2015).
 
Avocado: Add half an avocado next to your eggs and you have a healthy, protein, vitamins and fat rich meal to fuel your brain!
 
Dark chocolate: If you are someone who craves sweets a lot during stressful times, then this one will be your favorite—Dark chocolate! Dark chocolate will help fight free radicals, as well as enhance your mood due to its serotonin elevating ability (Singh, 2016).
 
Coffee: Our best friend during final season! Do you agree? Have coffee; it helps us all get through the stressful final season but try to avoid having it on empty stomach or only after a couple bites of food. Our stomach produces acid as food enters, but that acid with caffeine and little to no food can cause indigestion and other long term health hazards such as heart burn and stomach ulcers (Rogers, 2017).
 
Chamomile tea: Chamomile has been around for many, many years and is widely used as a medicinal plant to assist with healing (Srivastawa, 2010). Chamomile tea may help you relax and assist in a restful sleep at the end of a stressful day of studying.
 
 
Try to relax, take care of your health and remember to fuel your body since its performance is significantly related to how you perform on your finals. Good luck!

References:
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​Burrows, T. L., Whatnall, M. C., Patterson, A. J., & Hutchesson, M. J. (2017). Associations between Dietary Intake and Academic Achievement in College Students: A Systemic Review. MDPI/healthcare. doi:https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9032/5/4/60
 
Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). Why nutritionists are crazy about nuts. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/nutrition/why-nutritionists-are-crazy-about-nuts
 
Miranda, J. M., Anton, X., Redondo-Valbuena, C., Roca-Saavedra, P., Rodriguez, J. A., Lamas, A., Franco, C. M., … Cepeda, A. (2015). Egg and egg-derived foods: effects on human health and use as functional foods. Nutrients, 7(1), 706-29. doi:10.3390/nu7010706
 
Rogers, L. (2017, September 20). Here's Why Coffee On An Empty Stomach May Not Be The Best Idea. Retrieved from https://www.sanfranciscobaycoffee.com/index.php/coffee-on-empty-stomach-may-not-be-great-idea/
 
Srivastava, J. K., Shankar, E., & Gupta, S. (2010). Chamomile: A herbal medicine of the past with bright future. Molecular medicine reports, 3(6), 895-901.
 
Singh, K. (2016). Nutrient and Stress Management. Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences, 6(4). doi:10.4172/2155-9600.1000528