Diet tips that can help your child combat exam stress
What's the story
With the exam season on, students across education boards in India are currently under a lot of stress and performance pressure. During this time, as their mental health plays second fiddle to their overall well-being, children may experience a fall in their usual appetite, further affecting their energy levels and brain functioning. Here are some dietary tips for all parents to help their kids.
Tip 1
Ensure that your children don't skip breakfast
When you skip your breakfast, you don't feed your body with the right kind of energy it needs for proper functioning. As a result, you may experience fatigue and an inability to concentrate during exams. Load your kids with healthy and filling breakfast options like idlis, sprouts, eggs, upma, or poha. These offer a constant and steady supply of glucose that maintain energy levels.
Tip 2
Add Omega-3-rich meals to their weekly diet
Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for the mind as they improve brain health. With that said, your children should eat Omega-3-rich meals at least twice per week for the maximum benefits that can boost their concentration, memory retention, and speed. Fish, chicken, tuna, walnuts, kidney beans, chia seeds, and broccoli are some excellent Omega-3 food options that you can consider.
Tip 3
Feed them food that's good for their gut health
During instances of stress and anxiety, one's gut health goes for a toss, and one experience many gastrointestinal issues like stomach upsetness, nausea, acidity, acid reflux, and gas. While they push hard on their academic front, support their gut health with foods or probiotics abundant with good bacteria. These could be curd, kimchi, kombucha, pickles, buttermilk, kefir, raw cheese, and apple cider vinegar.
Tip 4
Ensure they are drinking enough water to keep themselves hydrated
Hydration is extremely important and students are very likely to miss out on it during episodes of immense mental pressure, stress, tension, and anxiety. As parents, you need to keep a check on your child's water intake as dehydration can make them tired, dizzy, or restless. Besides water, you can also offer them coconut water, fresh fruit juices, lemonade, green tea, etc.
Tip 5
Limit their caffeine, sugar, and processed food consumption
When stressed, your child may cope with it by eating junk and sugary foods like ice cream, fritters, cookies, etc. This can spike their blood sugar levels and mess up their metabolism. They may even chug cups and cups of coffee, which can disrupt their sleep cycle as it is loaded with caffeine. Replace them with stress-busting foods like fruits, nuts, eggs, etc.