When the examinations are near, most of us, the students, are starting to cram. Aside from constant reviewing, it is also important to ensure that we are not compromising our mental and physical health.
The sad truth is that most students follow a horrible diet that does not help their brains to function very well. Aside from preventing yourself from drinking several shots of alcoholic beverages before doing your exams, I have a list of the different foods that you should not dare to eat, especially when your exams are near.
The following foods are the items you need to avoid eating, considering that they can affect how your brain functions. Most of them can negatively impact your academic grades, which is not good.
So, if you want to know more about it, read further.
Sugar
The first ingredient you should not eat during your examinations is sugar. Even though it can stimulate our body, it can also affect our brains negatively.
If a person follows a high-fat and high-sugar diet, he or she may suffer cognitively. Aside from that, both their short-term and long-term memory skills may also be affected. What’s worse is that they might have a hard time solving even the simplest mathematical problems in exams.
Sugar is considered an inconspicuously harmful ingredient, which can be found in other foods, such as dried fruits, canned tomato sauces, whole wheat bread, and even yogurts. So, before you put something in your mouth, make sure that it does not contain high sugar content, especially during or a few days before your examination.
On the other hand, if you can’t refrain from eating sugary products, it would be best if you will replace them with blueberries. Blueberries are known to promote better short-term memory skills because it helps to eliminate and replace the damaged and old cells with healthy and new ones. Aside from blueberries, you may also consider eating spinach or strawberries as an alternative to sugary items.
Tuna
When you type “foods for the brain” on your search engine, you will usually find fish included in the list. This is because fishes contain DHA fatty acid known to improve our memory health.
On the other hand, considering that fresh salmon is very expensive for every student’s budget, most of us tend to replace it with tuna. But tuna does not give us the same benefit of consuming fresh salmon. This food item can severely cause damages to our brain, which is not good.
For the past few weeks, the ocean is filled with pollution, which affected the ocean creatures negatively. Tuna is a type of fish that contains a high level of mercury, which is not beneficial to our brains. Aside from that, mercury can damage our hearts and other organs.
On the other hand, if you are craving tuna, you may replace it with other fishes, including sardines, salmon, and mackerel. These ocean creatures are rich in fatty acids and contain only a low level of mercury.
Caffeine
I can say that coffee is the best friend of every student who studies late at night. This is because of its energy-producing effect. But did you know that drinking too many energy drinks, soda, or caffeine to keep up all night is not good for your brain health?
Coffee can make us feel awake and energized because it prevents adenosine, a sleep-producing substance, from entering our nerves. Even though it helps you to stay awake and have a high level of energy, it can pose harmful effects on you. If you are not sleeping seven to eight hours per night, especially because of drinking coffee, your body may suffer from shaking, insomnia, heart palpitations, and other symptoms of anxiety.
If you crave the energy-boosting effect of coffee, all you need is a little bit of hydration. In connection to that, it would be great to drink eight glasses of water or more every single day to keep your cells energized and hydrated.
Conclusion
Aside from knowing the right foods to eat before your examination, you should understand the essential ingredients and food items you need to avoid to keep your mental health at its peak.