It is important to eat while studying and not to overeat. Just as important is to make sure that you eat healthy food and not indulge in high carbohydrate foods. Coffee and Red Bull are not a student’s best friend. While these drinks may keep you awake for a while it can also send you crashing and make you feel tired. Water is a much better option!
Eating brain food such as berries, especially blue berries, is a much better option. So rather make yourself a nice berry smoothie than grab a coke, coffee or Red Bull.
Try to follow a diet high in complex carbohydrates and fiber. Below are a few suggestions of what you should be putting in your shopping basket/trolley from now on.
- Fiber rich foods such as coarse 100% whole-grain breads and minimally processed whole-grain cereals, oats, nuts, seeds, apples, pears, and beans. Aim to consume at least 50 grams of fiber daily.
- Complex carbohydrate foods which will include most fresh vegetables, most legumes, and most nuts, green peas, orange carrots, red tomatoes, all leafy greens, sweet potatoes and yams, pitted fruits and melons as well as brown rice.
- Protein and dairy should consist of skim milk, buttermilk, poultry, lean cuts of beef, pork, and veal, shellfish and white-fleshed fish.
Try to avoid the following:
White bread, bagels, English muffins, packaged flaked cereals, instant hot cereals, low-fat frozen desserts, dried fruits, whole milk and whole-milk cheeses, hot dogs, and luncheon meats.
- Avoid eating any refined sugar.
- Never eat “junk food.”
- Be sure to include protein snacks in your diet between meals.
- Pack your diet with complex carbohydrates.
- Reduce the amount of alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco you take in.