by Lane Maguire, photo by Rose Hutchison

It’s 11 p.m. the night before your first final exam and you guzzle another Red Bull just to stay awake long enough to finish cramming the last of those math formulas. While focusing large amounts of energy on memorization and flashcards, many students ignore a study tool that is equally important: nutrition. Multiple studies have shown that nutrition plays a major role in brain function.

“The better you eat, the more energy you have, the more concentration you can have, the more endurance you have during the day, the better you sleep, so you are better rested,” nutritionist Colleen Bauman said. “If you eat junk food a lot, it kind of disrupts all of those things.”

Don’t worry if your diet is not generally healthy. Even making sure that you are getting the right foods to fuel your brain the night before and day of an exam can influence brain function, according to Bauman. Follow the simple plan below to optimize test-taking performance during your final exams.

Do:The night before the exam:

• Eat a combination of lean protein and good carbohydrates.

Don’t:

• Eat an overly large, fatty or high-sugar meal. This could lead to restless and sleep deprivation, according to Bauman.
• Drink caffeine in an attempt to stay up late and study. “Although [students] think it is keeping them awake to study later, it’s an artificial ingredient trying to do that for you, so it’s better to eat well, get a great night’s sleep and be well-rested,” Bauman said.

The morning of the exam:

Do:

• Eat a full breakfast. Bauman encourages eating foods such as whole-grain cereal, whole-grain waffles, smoothies, peanut-butter on toast, some fruit and yogurt or other foods that will deliver sustained energy.

Don’t:

• Skip breakfast.
• Eat sugary cereals and simple carbohydrates that will deliver a burst of energy, followed by a crash.
• Stop your routine habits. For example, if you are used to caffeine in the morning, continue your routine habits or the lack of caffeine could cause you to become jittery and lose focus.
• Consume products such as Red Bull and Five Hour Energy. “There are far-superior products to give you energy,” Bauman said. “It’s artificial. It’s better to fuel yourself with foods that are nutritious and give you energy.”

In-between exams:

Do:

• Eat a snack that will give you the energy you need for your next exam. Bauman recommends a snack such as nuts, raisins, whole-grain crackers, a cheese stick, an apple, a banana, half of a peanut-butter-and-jelly or a turkey sandwich, a Cliff-Bar, or a Powerbar paired with some fruit. “What you want to do is keep your blood-sugar level so you don’t have a burst of energy and then a plummet, like when you eat candy bars and donuts,” Bauman said.

Don’t:

• Eat high-sugar foods, such as candy will cause a “plummet.” Bauman discourages only eating snack foods because they will not fuel your brain properly.