Fueling through finals

HigH StreSS timeS Call for HigH Quality fuel

By Charlotte altman and

Sarah Fieldman

It is no secret that finals week takes a toll on our mental and physical health. Whether that means staying up late to study or that your anxiety is through the roof, finals are exhausting. Making sure our bodies have the right nutrients to perform during finals week is necessary in order to succeed in retaining information and maintaining energy. Our bodies require a mixture of carbohydrates, proteins and healthy fats in order to power our brains.

If we’re being honest, college students are lazy. Given the choice between grabbing a three-finger combo from Cane’s or going home to cook themselves a healthy, balanced meal, Cane’s takes the prize. While taking the time out of your day to prepare a homemade meal is probably unreasonable for most college students, dedicating even just an hour to meal prepping one day a week shouldn’t be. Meal prepping is a fast and convenient way to maximize study time throughout the week and fuel your body with the correct nutrients you need in order to succeed. To plan for a long week spent in the library, we make sure we have meals prepared in advance that take less than five minutes to make when the time comes. Preparing hard boiled eggs before the week begins makes for an easy breakfast and contains the same nutrients you would get by scrambling eggs in a pan before class, with half the effort and time. Pair the hard boiled eggs with a piece of whole-grain toast (our favorite is Dave’s Killer Bread), and you have a quick, effortless and nutritious breakfast ready to go.

Before resorting to a slice of pizza from Ian’s or cookies from Insomnia, you might want to consider choosing foods that will boost your energy, concentration, memory and mental function during finals. According to registered dietician Jillian Kubala’s article “The Top 9 Brain Foods for Studying and Exams”, foods high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential to brain and memory function, are vital during heavy duty studying. Fish such as salmon or dark, leafy greens like broccoli and spinach are all high in Omega-3s making them a staple for studying. Not only is chocolate perfect for satisfying a late night essential, it’s also loaded with flavonoids, a group of antioxidant plant compounds. As stated by Healthline’s “11 Best

Foods to Boost Your Brain and Memory,” flavonoids are proven to enhance memory and also help slow down age-related mental decline. This next one is a no-brainer: coffee. When consumed in moderate amounts (1-2 cups/day), caffeine is a tried and true tactic for burning the midnight oil in the library. However, we urge you not

to get too carried away and tack on an extra third or fourth cup — consuming that much caffeine can cause jitteriness, difficulty sleeping and more.

Red Bull, Celsius, Bang and Monster are various energy drinks college students frequently consume. Finals week marks peak consumption of these beverages, which are marketed to increase alertness and energy levels. While these drinks do provide a quick fix — temporary improved concentration and energy levels — they have negative health consequences.

According to “4 reasons why energy drinks are bad for you — and healthier ways to boost your energy”, the sheer levels of caffeine contained in these drinks are linked directly to heart palpitations, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate, heart rhythm disturbances and more. Not to mention the excessive sugar content energy drinks often contain. Most energy drinks have upwards of 31 grams/8 ounces of sugar, which is 3 times that of the recommended amount of daily sugar intake (Heger). While energy drinks are certainly not at the top of our list for final fuel, if consumed in moderation by people without underlying health conditions, they can be ok. However, we recommend alternates like snacking on high protein and carbohydrate items, a square or dark chocolate or even (here’s a shocker) getting seven to eight hours of sleep per night, if possible.

Now that you’ve been inundated with information, recommendations and our anti-energy drink campaign, we’ve taken the liberty of creating a sample menu of meals to fuel your finals week:

Breakfast:

Chobani Greek yogurt topped with antioxidant filled blackberries, blueberries and raspberries is the perfect start to any day. No morning is ever complete without a good old fashioned cup of coffee, complete with your choice of non-dairy milk (we prefer almond) and maybe a splash of creamer.

Lunch:

While running between library sessions and class, stop by Forage Kitchen to build your own salad filled with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Make sure to add in a protein like their roasted chicken and some avocado, the perfect source of unsaturated fat to power your brain throughout the day.

Dinner:

Before settling in for the night to do some serious studying, stop by Fresh and pick up a few simple ingredients for a quick, nutritious dinner. • Salmon — seasoned with olive oil, salt, garlic powder and lemon; throw it in the oven or airfryer for 15 minutes and you’re ready to go! • Broccoli — just spray with olive oil, toss in minced garlic and in the pan for just a few minutes. • Quinoa — high in fiber, protein, magnesium and other nutrients, it’s the perfect stable carb to complement your salmon and broccoli!