Is this you? Do you zone out the moment you are presented with the test?
Exams are quickly approaching, and test anxiety is a common occurrence. For some people, it’s a little nervousness beforehand, for others, its sweating, rapid breathing, rapid heart rate, stomach-ache and trembling. When you are faced with a situation where performance really counts, and the pressure is on to do really well, there can be some worry, and this worry can build and ultimately trigger a response in your body. Anxiety is a physical response to the anticipation of a stressful event.
What can you do to help ease these symptoms and enter the test feeling more focused and better able to concentrate?
WELL…There is definitely a relationship between food, mood and anxiety.
What you eat and when you eat, can either encourage anxiety symptoms or, create a calmer feeling in the body. Some foods can be triggers for your anxiety, while other foods can help melt away tension. Your food choices can’t cure anxiety, but they can go a long way in making a difference to your general mood, energy levels and overall symptoms of anxiety, as well as, in creating better mental focus.
So... let’s check out what’s in the fridge/pantry and see how you can use food to ease your symptoms and rock that test! Here’s an easy timeline for what to eat leading up to the exam and for the day of the exam.
Couple days before exam
Eat regular meals and snacks the days leading up to the exam – Your body needs regular fuel throughout the day to keep your moods balanced and your energy levels even. When you skip meals, there is a fluctuation in energy, and that’s when you can experience fatigue, poor sleep, brain fog, irritability, and anxiety. So..set yourself up to eat every 2-3 hours. Having three meals and three snacks in a day can help make you feel better and be in a better mood.
Avoid stimulants (coffee, caffeinated tea, sugar, and alcohol) – I know it is tempting when you are busy studying to reach for caffeinated drinks as well as some straight up sugar (sodas or candy) to help you get through. However, these are the foods that create the extreme highs and lows in your moods. You can feel good in the moment but then your energy levels can crash, and you can end up feeling irritable and grumpy.
Night Before exam
Avoid cramming and energy drinks to stay awake – Cramming can definitely be useful if you are tight for time and want to learn the material quickly. However, leaving studying to the last minute can often trigger that anxiety. If you start to prepare and study ahead of time, there is less chance for nervousness and panic the day before. And, caffeinated drinks will keep you awake, when you will be most in need of a good night’s sleep.
Get a good night’s sleep – Your brain needs rest to process and retain all that information you are storing. You can have better memory recall and more energy in the morning if you have had enough sleep.\
Day of exam
Eat breakfast – Your brain needs energy too, to keep it working at its best. The brain actually consumes 20 percent of your body’s daily energy output. If you skip breakfast, this can lead to bad memory and irritable or angry moods. So…take the time to sit and have breakfast. This can help start your day off a little more relaxed and also fuel your brain.
So…what should you have for breakfast? Your brain is mostly composed of fat, so it requires fat to function effectively. If you started off the day with a good source of fat, like avocado on toast, then you would be well on your way to giving your brain what it needs to recall all that stored information. See recipe below.
If your stomach is nervous, have something easily digested, like a smoothie. You can certainly add fat to your smoothie with avocado or almond butter. My favourite good fat smoothie is simply - milk, avocado, dates, vanilla, a touch of salt and cacao powder. See recipe below.
Don’t drink coffee – While coffee can give you focus and boost energy levels in the moment, it can actually end up making you feel more stressed and irritable than before. Something warm can definitely help soothe anxiety, but I would choose something more like herbal tea or hot water with half a squeezed lemon.
If it’s a long exam – bring a snack, like a banana or dried fruit and nuts. You’ve got to keep the energy coming to feed the brain.
Oh! And don’t forget to drink water and stay hydrated!! Water carries all the nutrients to the brain that it needs to function. And, without these nutrients, your concentration and mental alertness will suffer.
Your all fueled and ready to go! Now, take some deep breaths and rock that test!
Good luck!!
Recipes
Avocado toast
½ small avocado
½ teaspoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 slice of whole grain bread, toasted
½ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Toppings: Maldon sea salt flakes, red pepper flakes
Directions:
- In a small bowl, combine avocado, lemon/lime juice, salt and pepper. Gently mash with the back of a fork.
- Top toasted bread with mashed avocado mixture. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle desired toppings.
- For some variation, you can top it with a fried egg, bacon or fresh sliced tomatoes.
Source: www.cookinglight.com
Cheerful chocolate smoothie
2 cups almond milk (or milk of choice)
¼ cup avocado
2 tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Very small pinch of fine-grain sea salt.
4-6 pitted medium medjool dates, to taste
4-6 ice cubes
Directions:
- In a high speed blender, combine the almond milk, avocado, cacao powder, and vanilla and blend on high speed until smooth.
- Add the salt, pitted dates, and ice. Blend again until smooth.
Source: The Oh She Glows Cookbook – Vegan Recipes to Glow from the Inside Out by Angela Liddon
And may your summer be full of rest, relaxation and fun!
Tanya Bradshaw
Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant