Stress-busting diet for exam time!

At the strike of 3 am, a sudden jolt of conscience wakes you up. You realise that the exam you were dreading all year long, your Mathematics test, you have missed it as you kept sleeping all day long. Believe you me, it’s not just students who get such pangs of anxiety, you would encounter well-settled professionals who relate to this experience even in later stages of their life. Perhaps, that’s why mothers take extra care of their children during the oft called ‘threshold of student life’- the board exams. As all you doting mummies plan up your child’s schedule, specifically the diet chart, to keep them healthy and agile during their exams that are just around the corner, Metrolife speaks to chefs and experts on healthy food tips.

 “On the day of exam, stay away from foods made of white flour, such as cookies, cakes, muffins and fried items, which require added time and energy to digest. Also, avoid foods that are high in refined sugar, such as chocolates, desserts, and candies. They will send you off on sugar highs and lows — the opposite of stabilising you during your long exam,” suggests Seema Singh, chief of Clinical Nutrition, Fortis Flt. Lt. Rajan Dhall Hospital, Vasant Kunj. When asked about the intake of caffeinated beverages, the doctor confirmed that if you are used to taking tea and coffee, then you may allow yourself a cup or two.
 While Somya Shrivastava, HoD Clinical Nutrition & Dietetics, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket avers, “The  cheapest and free drink, water should always be the top choice. Apart from water, a  glass of milk replete with crushed almonds, saffron and honey, flavoured soya milk,  fresh fruit/ vegetable juices, green tea are best choices to stay well hydrated and alert. Drinking  too much of tea and coffee leads to dehydration and disturbs normal sleep pattern,” she cautions.

Listing out food choices for a healthy and balanced diet during stressful circumstances, Chef Ashish Massey, corporate chef, AANCH, Rajouri Garden and Chef Preetam Singh, head chef, Uber Lounge, GK-2 suggest the inclusion of broccoli, fish, oranges in the diet, adding, “Eating dark chocolate can help reduce levels of hormones that are associated with stress, especially for those with high anxiety. Go easy, though, chocolate is calorically dense, eating too much can pack on the pounds and that can lead to more stress.”