Exam Diet

Introduction

Can what we eat really affect brain function and our ability to learn and concentrate? The answer is yes! Nutrition plays a crucial part in maintaining and enhancing our cognitive ability. In fact, studies show that the diet our mothers ate before, during and after our birth makes a huge difference to our brain development and overall intelligence. If you are a women with child, or planning a family, following the advice in the pregnancy section will be useful at giving your baby the right start in life.

Our brain is a very demanding organ as it is always very active, even when we are asleep. It needs a constant supply of oxygen and glucose, as well as many other nutrients. Unfortunately, today's diet relies heavily on convenience 'junk' food that is high in fat, salt and sugar, but very low in vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids. The problem is that children and students are more likely to consume the wrong foods due to glamorous advertising and peer pressure.

If we want our children to do well in exams then we need to educate them about healthy eating and make them aware of the role of good nutrition at boosting-brain power.

What does our brain need?

The basic requirements for normal brain function are:

Oxygen - carried by haemoglobin in the red blood cells which relies on dietary iron, folic acid and vitamin B12
Glucose - for brain energy a constant supply is needed, therefore blood-sugar levels need to be kept constant. This is achieved by eating little and often, and by consuming protein foods and carbohydrate foods with slower-releasing sugars.
Fatty acids - needed for brain function and development. The Omega-3, DHA found in fish oil is very important.
Phospholipids - for brain cell membrane repair and transmission of electrical nerve impulses. Found in protein rich foods such as eggs, fish and soya.
Water - to carry nutrients and oxygen to the brain and flush out toxins and waste materials.
Vitamins and minerals - B-vitamins for energy release from glucose, beta-carotene, vitamins A, C, E, zinc and selenium for antioxidant protection to brain cells.

Nutritional deficiencies have been linked to memory loss, poor concentration, Anxiety, Depression, insomnia, irritability, violence, weepiness, exhaustion, panic attacks, mood swings and many forms of irrational behaviour. Eating plenty of the right foods will ensure the diet is rich in all of the key factors needed for normal brain function.

Eat more:

anchovies, mackerel, sardines, herrings, salmon and pilchards
fresh shell-fish
soya beans and related products such as tofu and tempeh
free-range eggs
cottage cheese, fromage frais and yoghurt
dried beans
sprouted beans and seeds
unsalted nuts and seeds
sea vegetables
apples, apricots, cherries, and blackcurrants
beetroot, carrots and celery
oats, barley and brown rice
liver, kidney and lean beef
brewer's yeast, wheatgerm and blackstrap molasses
Culinary herbs which may help include rosemary, ginger and basil
Water - 6-8 glasses per day, either as mineral or filtered water or as fruit teas and diluted fruit juices

Avoid or reduce:

sugar and refined foods - fizzy drinks, sweets, chocolate, biscuits, cakes, white bread
caffeine stimulants - tea, coffee, chocolate, cola
alcohol
high fat foods - chips, crisps, sausages, burgers, hard cheeses, cakes, biscuits, chocolate
Smoking and other pollution.

Sugar is a real problem as not only is it addictive, energy draining, a nutrient robber and bad for your teeth, it also reduces intelligence. Sugar is your worst enemy for mental function, so avoid it.

Drinking one cup of tea or coffee in the morning is fine to help get you started, but use decaffeinated versions for later in the day if you feel the need to have more.

With regards to alcohol, a glass of wine with an evening meal, or a pint of beer at the end of the day may help you feel more relaxed; however more than these amounts will prevent you getting valuable deep sleep and also dehydrate you and cause many nutritional losses. The most important thing is not to drink alcohol before an exam or interview, as it will impair your memory and concentration.

A high saturated fat diet slows down your digestion, circulation and mental processes as well as increasing the risk of many diseases like heart disease and cancer. Please reduce it!

Smoking produces many harmful chemicals, which age the brain and impair its function in addition to all the usual diseases it has been linked to. Give it up, or at least cut down! Avoiding pollutants in general is also going to help your ability to think. Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and aluminium accumulate in the brain and have clearly been linked to reduced intelligence, concentration, memory and impulse control. Mercury in dental fillings may also be linked to brain toxicity, so it is worth paying the extra to get the white fillings that are normally mercury-free.

How to really maximise brain-power with food!

Eating the right foods and giving up bad habits is clearly a crucial first step at providing the brain with essential nutrients needed for normal brain function and will go a long way towards academic and even athletic success. However, to really maximise and boost brain-power, the time during the day when these foods are eaten can make a real difference.

The secret is to stimulate the brain earlier in the day or just before an exam, interview or a study session. This is achieved by eating a meal or snack high in protein and low in carbohydrate. Protein releases brain chemicals which make you more alert, therefore fish, eggs, low-fat cheese, poultry, lean-meat and pulses are the foods to go for. Combining these foods with smaller amounts of slow release carbohydrate foods will keep you functioning at optimum performance.

The opposite applies to carbohydrate, the worst thing you can do when you need to be mentally alert is to eat a high carbohydrate meal containing lots of pasta, bread, cakes, biscuits, and fast-releasing sugary foods. Carbohydrate triggers the release of the hormone serotonin from the brain, the substance that prepares you for sleep. Eating these foods will therefore make you drowsy.

The meal-plan below is designed to keep you alert in the morning and afternoon, and to allow you to relax and unwind later in the day and promote good quality sleep during the night. It has been carefully planned to provide all the nutrients and calories you need to give optimum mental clarity and concentration. Obviously, if your brain is often needed later in the evening, you need to change things around a little so you have cereals and toast for breakfast, the carbohydrate rich meal for lunch and the high protein meal for dinner.

The Exam diet

Breakfast: (High protein, low fat and carbohydrate)
a small glass of fresh orange or pineapple juice,
a low fat plain live yoghurt with sunflower seeds or brazil nuts,
a poached or scrambled egg with baked beans,
an apple or pear,
a glass of mineral water or rosemary tea.

Mid morning: (High protein, low carbohydrate and fat)
a snack of dried apricots, raisins, dates or cranberries
plain cashew nuts or almonds.
a glass of mineral water or fruit tea

Lunch: (High protein, low carbohydrate and fat)
a mixed salad with either fish, skinless chicken breast, cold lean-meat, or low fat cheese or cottage cheese. Sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds can be added to the salad, which should include plenty of peppers, cucumber, watercress and tomatoes. Vinaigrette or balsamic vinegar for dressing.
a glass of mineral water or fruit tea

Mid afternoon: (High protein, low carbohydrate and fat)
a piece of low fat cheese or a hard boiled egg
followed by an apple, a pear or a peach.
a glass of mineral water or fruit tea

Evening meal: (High carbohydrate, low protein and fat)
a mild vegetable chilli or curry or stew made with 5 or more of the following: sweet potato, carrot, sweet, peppers, swede, turnip, parsnip, sweetcorn, onion, mushrooms, celery, and kidney beans, served with rice, bread or potatoes.
fresh fruit salad for dessert
a glass of mineral water or chamomile tea
or
vegetable pasta with low fat sauce with as many fresh vegetables as you can put in it.
Low-fat rice pudding for dessert
a glass of mineral water or limeflower tea

Supper:
Later in the evening have a lettuce sandwich and a glass of apple juice.

Optimum support for boosting brain-power using supplements

Children
School children in the UK are generally deficient in many nutrients and sometimes to a very alarming extent. In fact,

25% of 10 year old boys and 50% of 10 year old girls get less than 70% of their daily iron that they need.
59% of 14 year old boys and 75% of 14 year old girls get less than 70% of their vitamin B6.
At 15, nearly a third of boys and over a fifth of girls get less than 50% of their vitamin A requirements.

Zinc deficiency is also very common and has been directly linked to childhood intelligence. These are just some examples, but it is clear that nutritional deficiencies in children are both real and very common. The real problem we face is that it is often very difficult to get children to change their eating habits, especially if they have enjoyed consuming ‘junk’ food for so long. A convenient way of boosting their nutrient intake whilst you are trying to get them to eat a more balanced diet is to give them a multivitamin supplement specially formulated for children.

The benefits of such a practice were discovered in Wales when Gwillym Roberts, a science teacher and nutritionist and David Benton, a psychologist from University College, Swansea, put 60 school children onto a special multivitamin and mineral supplement designed to ensure an optimal intake of key nutrients. Without their knowledge half of these pupils were put on a placebo. All the children were given an IQ test at the start of the experiment, which was repeated after eight months. Those taking the real pill had IQ level increases of over 10 points, whereas the placebo group had no real change.

Actual clinical trials show that supplementing the diet with a combination of evening primrose oil and fish oil helps with learning difficulties such as dyslexia and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The supplement used contained high levels of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are again often deficient, but are crucial for brain function.

To summarise for children, to optimise brain-power in addition to eating the foods suggested the following are worth trying:

Children’s multivitamin and mineral - Aged 2-5, 1 chewable tablets per day, Aged 5-12, 1-2 chewable tablets, Age 12 and above, adults products can be used. (always follow the guidelines on the label)
A fatty acid supplement based on fish oil and evening primrose oil. - Aged 2-5, 2x 5ml per day, Aged 5 and above, 2x 10ml per day. (all doses can be halved after 12 weeks)

Adults
When it comes to adults, we should have enough discipline to follow the important dietary advice. However, if the diet does slip a little or you want to really release your full potential, there several useful supplements and herbs that can help to maximise brain function, these include:

A hi-potency multivitamin and mineral - 1-2 tablets per day. Also a wide spectrum antioxidant supplement will give added protection against free radical damage to the brain. 1-2 tablets per day.
A fatty acid supplement based on fish oil and evening primrose oil. - 2x 10ml or 8 capsules per day. If taking them as separate supplements 3,000-4000mg of fish oil and 2000-3000mg of evening primrose oil per day can be used instead. (all doses can be halved after 12 weeks)
Phosphatidyl choline - a phospholipid supplying choline, a component needed to make the brain chemical, acetyl-choline, which is vital for memory and concentration. One heaped teaspoon of high strength lecithin granules 3 times per day will give you plenty of phosphatidyl choline.
Phosphatidyl serine - a phospholipid needed for brain cell membranes which has been researched for improving cognitive function and helping slow down age-related brain disorders. 300mg per day.
A combination supplement of the antioxidant, alpha-lipoic acid and the amino acid, acetyl l-carnitine (a precursor of acetyl-choline) has also recently been reported to support brain function and slow down age-related cognitive decline and may prevent the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. 240-720mg of alpha-lipoic acid and 500-1500mg of acetyl l-carnitine per day.
Ginkgo biloba - known as the ‘memory tree’, this herb has been researched on many brain disorders and is known to improves circulation to all organs, including the brain. It is also an antioxidant and protects brain cells from degenerative disease and ageing. Look for standardised products with over 120mg of herb extract, 1-2 tablets per day.
Siberian and Korean ginsengs - these ancient herbs have long history of improving both mental and physical well-being. 200-500mg of standardised herbal extract per day.
Rhodiola rosea is a herb that has been used in proof-reading tests with results showing enhanced memory and concentration over long periods. 250mg 3 times per day or 500mg before an exam or interview.

Aromatherapy can also be used to stimulate brain function, rosemary is probably most effective as it has long traditional use at improving memory and helping the body and mind cope with stress. Basil is also traditionally used for its clarifying effect on the brain, so is good for mental fatigue.

Other complementary therapies may also help improve brain function such as reflexology and acupuncture, visit a registered practitioner to see if you can be helped.

Finally, regular exercise will dramatically improve circulation and increase the flow of oxygen to the brain. This will help to keep you alert and deliver you an endorphin rush, which will give an overall feeling of wellness and vitality. Be sure not to over do it, moderate activity (eg a brisk walk) 3 times a week is fine as a starting point if you normally do not exercise.

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The information provided by WIS is for guidance only. Whilst it is based upon the expert advice of leading professionals, and extensive research, it is not a substitute for diagnosis by a qualified professional. Always consult your doctor, pharmacist or qualified practitioner before making any changes or additions to prescribed medication.