“The brain is a muscle that can move the world”
- Stephen King
Our brain is the headquarters of our body,
and an overall healthy diet is important for keeping your body and brain
nourished. Providing your body with the proper nutrients leads to optimal functionality.
Which is essential during stressful times such as preparing for a proctored exam.
If we are stressed, we tend to eat more, because
hunger is partly controlled by our emotional state which is regulated by our
brain. I personally consume more calories as my exam date comes closer.
A Doctor’s Take
Dr. Eva Selhub, a board-certified doctor
who specializes in mind-body medicine, likes to compare our brain to an
expensive car that can only function at its best with premium fuel. She
explains that an unbalanced
diet or too much “low-premium” fuel can damage your body through the
promotion of inflammation and oxidative stress. And there are multiple studies
that have a have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and
impaired brain function.
But why is this important? Taking an exam
is a high pressure, stressful event and you want to be at your best and a
balanced diet cannot only improve your overall health but also increase focus
and concentration - key things needed to succeed in your exam.
A Balanced Diet
A
balanced diet consists of macros, micros, and minerals. While an overall diet
is extremely important, there are certain foods that are especially beneficial
for brain health and promoting mental performance.
Macronutrients: Energy source
- Protein - Proteins are the building block of the body, it is the second largest matter in the brain. Protein can be consumed from various sources like lean meats, poultry, fish and seafood, dairy products, nuts and legumes and beans.
- Carbohydrates - Carbohydrates are the fuel of our body and organs. There are simple and complex carbohydrates. Simple carbs are helpful when you need a quick burst of energy but try to have them in moderation as they can make you crash. While complex carbs are slow releasing and provide a longer more stable form of energy. Perfect for breakfast on the day of your exam!
- Fats - There are four types of fats saturated, polysaturated, monosaturated and trans-fat. Try to include more beneficial fats and less saturated in your diet:
- Beneficial fats
- Seafood Omega-3 fats from salmon, tuna fatty fish
- Plant Omega-3 fats from walnuts, canola oil, flax seeds
- Plant Omega-6 fats from olive and peanut oils, nuts, avocados
- Saturated fats
- Red meat, butter, cheese, ice cream
- Partially hydrogenated oil
Micronutrients: The building blocks
Vitamins and minerals are micronutrients, which are needed in very small amounts by the body. In any case, their impact on the body is significant, and deficiency in any of them can have serious consequences.
Micronutrients that help boost brain health are:
- Omega-3 fatty acids - The body does not produce these fatty acids itself therefore it is recommended to take them in your diet as it makes up the brain’s outer membrane through which nerve signals pass and promote brain health and enhance memory. Foods that are rich in omega-3 are:
- Fish such as salmon or cod
- Found in seeds such as flaxseed or flax oil and chia seeds
- Walnuts
- Polyphenols - They are antioxidants that minimize inflammation and harmful free radicals. They are found in:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Spices and herbs
- Probiotics - Promotes gut health and play an essential role in improving our mood, quality of sleep and mental health and are found in:
- Yogurt
- Kombucha
- Kefir
- Vitamins B and E - They are responsible for converting food into energy and for the best brain function. Foods including whole grains, fish, seeds and nuts are rich sources of these vitamins.
- Iron - Helps in delivering oxygen to cells in the body and creating neurotransmitters for cell signalling. Food with the richest sources of iron include:
- Spinach
- Beans
- Eggs
- Red meat
To Summarize
Sometimes you might be too busy at work, school
or preparing for a proctored exam, it can be difficult to keep track of the
food choices you consume but it is okay you should focus on the progress you
have made.
Including these foods in your diet and
eating a balanced diet will not work in a day. So, it is especially important to
be consistent and minimize eating from outside. Because you don’t want to sleep
and in the worst-case scenario panic while taking an exam in the ATS
testing centre. To learn more tips on how to improve your test scores check out
25
Ways to Improve Your Test Scores and learn more about our proctoring services on
our website.
Written by Nav Sharma
