Of all places you could be at risk is on campus. As a student, you most probably have a hectic schedule and busy academic life. This usually comes at a considerable expense of your eating and drinking habits. The following is some important advice on keeping you healthy while studying.
Students: Eating and Drinking Habits
For long, you might have heard a lot about staying healthy. All around, you find common phrases “foods to help you focus,” “college student diet,” and “healthy college meals.” In recent years, you’d even listen or read a “brain-healthy diet,” “brain food for studying,” and “brain foods for exams.” But, what does eating and drinking healthy really mean? Generally, you are most likely bombarded by lists of “healthy” and “unhealthy” foods and drinks. This is just fine. But, how do you know which foods and drinks really matter to you given your specific campus life? According to an exploratory study at Cornell University, specific barriers and enablers define student eating and drinking habits. Barriers include time constraints, unhealthy snacking, convenience high-calorie food, stress, healthy food high prices, and easy access to junk food. Enablers include improved food knowledge and education, meal planning, involvement in food preparation, and being physically active. This is not an exhaustive list, though. Instead, you should, as a student, find guidance, according to your own situation, what makes the most sense to you. If you will lack of time or will struggling with home assignments in addition to a greatly balanced nutrition plan, you can use help from professionals such as https://perfectessay.com.
Tomatoes, Broccoli, and Spinach
These are, perhaps, most accessible and nutritious veggies to college students. Tomato, broccoli, and spinach are shown to protect against cardiovascular and cancer diseases. This amazing trio is also beneficial to cognitive and memory skills – so crucial to student learning and health. Unlike time-consuming foods, tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach can be consumed separately or with olive oil, fish, and strawberries. You don’t have to be a master chef at a seven-star hotel to do some “raw cooking.” All you might need is just a bowl, a (wooden) spoon, and fresh veggies to eat while studying. After all, laziness, not scarcity, makes you unable to go eat and drink healthy. A word of trust: the first time you prepare and see your bowl of fresh veggies, you’ll stick to it.
Drink Water
This is now a universal knowledge. Stay hydrated. This is even more advisable if you’re exercising a lot. Hydration keeps your sugar, blood pressure, and overall body functions at normal levels. Most preferably, opt for water instead of sweetened juice. Stay away, at all costs, from sugary drinks, including sodas. Similarly, cocktails, wines, and spirits should be generally avoided – or at least kept to a minimum.
Nutrition and School Performance
By now, you might still be wondering how eating and drinking well could be linked to school performance. This is, at face value, could be just a question about staying
healthy. At a deeper level, however, nutrition and academic performance are shown to be strongly related. Three areas are particularly interesting:
1) brain function
2) behaviors and learning environments and
3) diet quality
Systematically, nutrition is shown to enhance cognitive skills, fewer class disruptions and less absenteeism, and better performance in exams and writing some custom research papers. So, nutrition is not just about not being hungry or thirsty. Instead, nutrition has an immediate impact on your school performance. More, staying healthy is not just about your school or education only. This is a lifelong matter. The more you invest in your healthy habits at school, the more likely you’re to stay so as professional. Also, you can
Avoid Alcohol, Sugar and Junk Food
This is, once more, a universal knowledge. You don’t need brains to figure out alcohol, sugar and junk food are a big no. This is not to mean you shouldn’t have any at all. Just be moderate. If you’re going to have alcohol, one or two shots are enough. (Don’t forget you’re a student and you need to be sober – unless you’re in a drinking contest.) Sugary stuff should also be consumed in moderation. As a student, you’re most likely time-constrained. You just don’t have time to go find something organic or healthy to eat while studying. Just be prepared. Why do you’ve to wait until you need to have a snack while studying? Go prepare some fresh salad, a couple of salmon sandwiches and put a jar of orange juice in your fridge. (If you don’t have a fridge, arrange with your floor manager to keep your food in a shared one.) Junk food? You know already what every college student has as a junk snack while studying.
Eating and drinking healthy is critical for your academic success. If you develop healthy nutrition habits, you’re more likely to do so as a professional. Have tomatoes, broccoli, and spinach; drink water (a lot); and avoid alcohol, sugar, and junk food.
