Food for thought: eating healthy for exams

Staff writer Reyna Desai sat down with Rebecca Rebmann, a sports nutritionist and dietician at Campus Health Services, to get her take on healthy habits during exams.

What types of eating habits should students adopt to stay healthy during exams?

Don’t skip meals. Your brain needs carbohydrates for energy, and if you skip meals you give it less energy when you need it the most. Eating a sandwich takes 5 minutes at the most, so you always have time to eat.

How large should meals be? 

It’s better to have three smaller meals and two to three smaller snacks. Smaller meals are easier and quicker to digest. When you eat every few hours, your blood sugar stays regulated and your body doesn’t have to work overtime. 

Which foods are energy rich?

Carbohydrates are what the body — primarily the brain — uses for energy. The starches, fruits and vegetables are important. Starches take a little longer to digest so the energy sticks around longer. 

Fats cause an up and down reaction, and when blood sugar goes low, you feel the crash.

When is a bad time to eat?

You should be eating when you’re using energy. Typically students need energy during the day. If you’re hungry late, eating yogurt or an apple is fine.

How much  caffeine should a student have every day?

The less the better. Take a step back and see if you’re getting enough sleep, carbohydrates and hydration. If you have those three you won’t need  caffeine. 

Two hundred mg to 300 mg is the maximum you should have every day, and you can reach this very quickly. The problem is the amount of caffeine doesn’t have to be labelled on products, just that it contains caffeine. It’s a stimulant and not the best way to get energy. Tea and hot chocolate are better than coffee, soda and energy drinks.

What is your stand on energy drinks and power bars?

They are just a bunch of sugar and  caffeine with a cool package and name.  One Redbull isn’t going to kill you, but if you are depending on multiple drinks daily, you need to change your diet and sleeping habits.

Any advice for students with limited free time for exercise during exams?

Fit it in where you can. Schedule a study break for exercise. If you usually drive to campus, walk or bike instead, or park further away so you walk more. Take stairs instead of elevators. Little things add up.

How many hours of sleep do you recommend?

Students need a minimum of seven to eight hours of sleep. Some need up to 10. 

A lot of students take naps during the day and that wreaks havoc with your sleep at night. Preferably you shouldn’t nap at all, but if you do limit it to 20 to 25 minutes.

Any final recommendations for students during exam week?

Eat breakfast and really get your sleep in. Research has consistently shown that if you eat a carbohydrate-rich breakfast before an exam, you’ll have better memory recall and higher scores.