Depressed? Feeling alone and anxious..because the exams are on the door or you are already taking an exam each day. These emotional responses are pretty common among students right now. Especially with the given current situation (Covid-19 crisis), students are stuck at home. They tend to lose focus quickly, experience mood and cognitive function (brain-based skills) decline. With the current facts, they cannot go to a cafe and study with their friends or enjoy the library environment and keep themselves focused. Additionally, they are prone to snack on high sugar and fat foods and soda.
Is it so mouth watering to even look at this photo? I know it is. You think that such a meal would be lift your mood up after studying your exam all day. Unfortunately, that pleasure you get is quite short. What are you going to feel after two hours is energy depletion, sleepy mood, and loss of focus. Fried foods are one of the major depression trigger and mood killer because they are fried in unhealthy fats. In 2016 study (1), the researchers found that there is a high risk of depression for people who consumes fried food frequently. These foods are also detrimental to memory due to the damage they cause to the hippocampus, which prevents memory functions (2). Doesn't it sound awful for an exam season? Yes, you would not want to forget things you've studied, right? What about your mood?
Diets in high sugar and fat affect the gut-brain relationship, which in turn changes your mood. Increases depression, anxiety and weakens memory. There are more things to tell about these all nutrition effects on mental health and cognitive function. I've been interested in these topics and spent my spare time on reading books and articles to learn more. I've realized most the effects on my overall mood and mental health. Thus, I wanted to write a short blog about this since this is an exam period for my students and other students in the world.
I suggest you to consider your diet and try to add foods that protect your memory, improve your mood, practical skills, and mental health. I will list couple of them for you. Hopefully, it will help you out. Enjoy eating them!
1) Oatmeal for breakfast topped with your favourite fruits and nuts
2) Avocado
Avocado is a healthy fat packed with omega-3 fatty acids. It helps with anxiety and depression.
3 grams of fiber
0 grams of sugar
5 grams of monounsaturated fat
1 gram of polyunsaturated fat
1 gram of saturated fat
3) A bowl packed with leafy vegetables and beans
This is full of fiber and vitamins to help you to improve your overall mood.
4) Looking for a snack while studying?
The best easy and quick ideas:
Yogurt with berries and home-made granola
Cucumber and hummus
Dark chocolate
Dates with any nut butter without additional sugar
Rice cake with cottage cheese and cucumber
I hope these can help you during your exam period. Also, overall in your life. I suggest you to listen to your body. It is an incredible bio-computer that perfectly knows how to do anything. You just need to help it to function properly. All you need to do is to give required nutrition for it to function.
Thanks for reading my post. I also found a website which helps me feel like I am in a cafe environment while studying. Here is a link to it: https://imissmycafe.com
I think you will love it.
Best luck!
I would love to hear about your thoughts if you incorporate these healthy ideas to your diet.
References
1) Yoshikawa, E., Nishi, D., & Matsuoka, Y. J. (2016). Association between frequency of fried food consumption and resilience to depression in Japanese company workers: a cross-sectional study. Lipids in health and disease, 15(1), 156. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12944-016-0331-3
2) Woollett, K., & Maguire, E. A. (2011). Acquiring "the Knowledge" of London's layout drives structural brain changes. Current biology : CB, 21(24), 2109–2114. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2011.11.018