Eating right is key to staying fit during exams, and even more so in extreme heat conditions.
Nutritionist Hena Nafis shares her tips with Edugraph for students and examinees to battle the heatwave
Hydrate, hydrate and hydrate.
A sureshot way of staying fit in summer is to stay hydrated. Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water a day. Include lots of fresh fruits, especially ones with high water content such as watermelon, muskmelon, mangoes, grapes and cucumber. Drink fresh fruit juices. Dehydration can affect your brain and meddle with retention power.
Another important thing is to check your urine colour. If the colour of your urine is dark even after you drink 8 glasses of water, you might have to increase your water intake further.
Oily, junk food also dehydrates. Many of you drink caffeine to drive away drowsiness but too much of coffee or tea can have a dehydrating effect on your body. Limit your intake of tea and coffee. If you have three to four cups of coffee or tea, you have to balance it out by drinking enough water. Too much of cola and other aerated drinks can also dehydrate you. It might feel good but remember it has too much of sugar in it.
Healthy snacks and smoothies
If stress makes you eat more, make sure the snacks are healthy. If you like munching on something while studying fox nuts (makhana), popcorn, fruit salads are good choices. You can drink smoothies and flavoured yoghurt. If you have a weight issue, avoid aerated drinks, packaged juices and chips
Hearty breakfast
Many of you either don’t eat properly before exams or eat a full-tummy. Both are not advisable since if you go for an exam empty stomach, you are going to feel hungry and tired. On the other hand, if your stomach is full, you might feel drowsy and low on energy.
Have an early and heavy breakfast, so that you don’t feel hungry in the examination hall. Give yourself some time to digest the food. Carry a fruit or a packet of biscuits to eat before or after the exams.
What you eat before an exam matters
Eat healthy on the day of examination. If you eat oily and rich food, your body will use up the energy to digest the food and leave you dehydrated. You will feel low on energy. Also, in this heat, you might fall ill. Try to eat foods that have balanced nutrition. The right amount of carbohydrate, protein and fats will be a good combination.
Carry glucose water
Sweating can make your body lose water and you may feel dizzy. Carrying glucose water is a good idea. You can sip on it in the examination hall, too. This will prevent you from feeling drained out and give you energy.