Food for thought

With the exams nearing for the students, they need proper nutrition. So, parents need to be careful while offering food to their children.

To be focused on studies, it is advisable to avoid fatty and hard-to-digest foods that make students lazy and delays the retention of knowledge.

Exams are one of the most stressful days for students. They tend to put on weight during exams because students neglect their health while focusing only on their studies.

Nutrition during exams helps with a good memory, while it is recommended to do some light daily exercises for refreshed blood circulation.

Some studies have confirmed that high-fibre and complex carbohydrates are needed to increase concentration and improve the brain’s capabilities. They maintain the stability of blood sugar levels and provide the body with energy regularly.

Shaima bint Hamad al Araimi, Clinical Dietitian at the General Directorate of Health Services in Al Buraimi Governorate, spoke on Oman Youth Radio on students’ nutrition during exams. Healthy food is essential during the exam period.

Students must also pay close attention to supplying their bodies with abundant amounts of vitamins, pointing out that they can be obtained through a balanced diet that contains fruits, vegetables and meat. This is in addition to the need for students not to dispense with eating sweets completely, as having a small piece of chocolate from time to time as a reward contributes to improving the mood significantly.

Exercise during difficult study periods and stressful exam days also stimulates the brain and reduces the stress the student is exposed to during these periods, which helps him pass the exams successfully and achieve the highest grades.

Drinking water throughout the day leads to the student’s concentration in the study, and it also helps to increase the student’s attention. And that water must also be drunk in winter in quantities so that the body does not become dehydrated, which affects the study.

A recent study found that students who bring water while taking exams may get good marks due to staying hydrated. The results showed that the students who drank water during the test presentation and consumed the prescribed amount during the test also had better achievement than those who did not drink water.

The researchers said that there were many physiological and psychological reasons that explain the value of consuming more water. The researchers suggested that drinking water may have a physiological effect on thinking functions, leading to an improvement in test performance. They also suggested that drinking water might reduce anxiety, which is known to have negative effects on performance.

Moreover, since we are in the winter now, there are foods that contain vitamins and mineral salts, and they are among the most important foods for students, and they come from the important foods during the winter season, which are citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines and grapefruits, as they contain a high percentage of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. It strengthens the students’ immune systems, which in turn helps them study.

Some students suffer during the examination period from some nervous system diseases, such as forgetfulness, insomnia, depression and headaches. This may be due to several factors, the most important of which is the lack of food culture. Therefore, proper nutrition during exams is very important, as it helps you stay alert, nourishes your mind and helps you improve your grades.

@Afrahalbalushia