This is a collaborative post: Our brains are what we eat, at least, their health and efficient work depend on our diet, scientists believe. Now, quickly think about what you mostly eat: processed grains (breakfast cereals and crunches), meat, and dairy products, to which sugar and its substitutes have been generously added? And much less organic vegetables, fruits, and wild fish. A change is very much needed, so we have prepared 5 new healthy habits for you to boost your studying.
Water Is Also A Healthy Food
Scientists have proven that reducing the water level in the body by 3-4% instantly affects the water balance of the brain: a person cannot learn effectively, feels fatigued, has headaches, and has mood swings. Unfortunately, most people do not drink enough water every day. Here you should find out what doctors mean when they recommend drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day.
Tea, coffee, fruit juice in a package, milk, carbonated drink – all are liquids, but there is very little water. Moreover, replacing water with drinks containing sugar, dyes, and preservatives contributes to dehydration. For the health of the brain, you should drink so-called hard water: ordinary unboiled water, which is rich in calcium and magnesium. How to wean yourself from drinking your favorite sweet drinks? It turns out that up to 20% of the daily amount of water we can not drink but eat.
5 fruits and vegetables that contain the most water:
- Cucumber
- Watermelon
- Strawberry
- Grapefruit
- Salad
So, if you want to learn effectively, drink all the water you can. Obviously, it might not solve all your hanging deadlines for assignments (the paper writing service MasterPapers will help with that), but you will definitely be more susceptible to learning and synthesizing information.
The Main Dish Is Vegetables
Researchers are convinced that our distant ancestors were strict vegans during the longest period of evolution of the human brain. That is why plant products are the basis that the brain needs even now. So, the goal of every family that wants to eat healthy is to eat vegetables and fruits every day. The first piece of advice given by the author of the book is to practice plant diversity on your table: it turns out that there are 3,000 varieties of tomatoes in the world, and the more colorful they are in your salad, the better.
The next step is to try to eat at least one green (lettuce, spinach, arugula) and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, or ordinary white cabbage) a day. Broccoli is generally a vitamin bomb. But how to teach yourself to eat all these healthy vegetables? Mix vegetables in a variety of puree soups. For example, soup with broccoli, onions, carrots, green peas, and a little celery and garlic will be super nutritious and delicious.
And what to do when you return late from work and do not have time to cook at home? The author advises to try “Buddha’s Plate” – a famous dish, when one large plate is spread many useful vegetables and legumes: baked eggplant and zucchini, raw vegetables, lettuce, boiled chickpeas or lentils, a handful of almonds, and a dressing of lemon juice, olive oil, and sesame paste. The advantage of this “Plate” is that the vegetables can be baked or mashed in advance and kept in the refrigerator in airtight boxes, and in the evening just mix everything and pour the sauce.
Fish – At Least Once A Week
Remember how many of us were given fish oil as children? Its taste and smell are unforgettable memories. Children and adults need fish because it is a source of omega-3 and vitamin B12 – and these are the main defenders of the health of the nervous system. However, scientists are convinced that our body absorbs natural fish best, not fish oil capsules.
It is advised to prefer wild fish like mackerel, sardines, hake, or salmon, rather than those grown on the farm. Of course, wild fish is much more expensive, but the benefits are a hundred times greater. The author of the book is convinced: let it be better a small portion, but quality fish once or twice a week. Pretty much anyone will probably love homemade fish sticks: pieces of fish should be well shaken with wholemeal flour, soaked in egg and rolled in breadcrumbs, and then fried in a small amount of extra-class olive oil to an appetizing golden crust.
Don’t Miss Breakfast
Breakfast is a very important meal – it can either make or break your day. How often do you eat breakfast cereals with milk? And now carefully read the packaging of those crunches: what is their composition, how much sugar is there?
In the morning, our brain needs a charge of energy that will last a long time. If your crunches contain 5 grams of sugar per serving – it is no longer useful. It is better to choose whole-grain flakes without sugar and add honey, maple syrup, fruits, and nuts. Of course, pure sugar can be a great mental activity booster, however, eating it every morning is a bad idea. Sometimes, try to delegate your assignments to MasterPapers and live that sugar-free life for a bit.
You can make homemade muesli to know for sure that it does not contain palm oil or other harmful products. Muesli was invented in the late 19th century by the Swiss physician Maximilian Bicher-Brenner, and they are still a favorite dish in the morning.
So, in a large glass jar, mix whole grain oatmeal, unsweetened coconut flakes, flax seeds, unroasted nuts of your choice, and several types of dried fruits – raisins, dried apricots, cranberries. In the morning, this mixture can be filled with milk or unsweetened natural yogurt, add honey and have a tasty and healthy breakfast.
If your kids don’t like oatmeal, offer them pudding. This life hack is especially valuable for large families because you can cook breakfast in the evening. So, in a large bowl, mix whole grain oatmeal, grate one carrot, add a few tablespoons of flax seeds and chia, you can add wheat bran, put 5-6 dried apricots or dates, two tablespoons of honey, and a pinch of cinnamon.
Mix everything well, fill with water to cover the ingredients, and leave overnight. In the morning, transfer the mixture to a blender, add milk or yogurt if desired, and beat into a loose creamy pudding. And only you will know that in fact, it is oatmeal and a bunch of other nutrients.
No Way Without Dessert
The fuel for our brain is glucose. However, not everything sweet in taste is the best food for our brain. It turns out that small red beets contain 30% of all the glucose we need for the day. So, eat boiled beets for dessert? You ask. Not necessarily, because fruits such as grapes, dates, kiwis, raisins, honey, and maple syrup are a natural source of “healthy sugar” for us. A few pieces of organic dark chocolate (70% cocoa and above) is also a perfectly healthy dessert.
What about candy? It turns out that at home you can make delicious and nutritious peanut candy balls that your kids will adore. So, beat a cup of oatmeal with a pinch of cinnamon in a food processor until flour, add 7-8 large dates and honey or maple syrup – beat again to the consistency of a paste. Add to the mixture 3 tablespoons of peanut butter – you will get a thick and sticky mass, from which you should form 12 balls. Roll the “candy” in crushed nuts (peanuts, walnuts) and put it in the refrigerator for an hour. Checked – they will not stay there for long.
To Sum Up
The foods we have listed above should generally improve your health, as well as your studying abilities. Nonetheless, if you ever feel overwhelmed by your academic load, don’t be afraid to read the following article, 2021 Trusted Academic Essay Writing Services Review, and get professional help. After all, you’re eating well not to study better specifically, but to feel better overall, which in turn will result in better academic performance. Stress can be extremely detrimental to this process.
BIO:
Patrick Green is a die-hard workaholic. Last semester, he has done more than fifty essays, a dozen term papers, and two Master’s level dissertations. Unfortunately, Patrick doesn’t know how to write bad essays. So it’s either a good essay, great, or excellent. With Mr. Green working on your order, it’s safe to say that there’s nothing to worry about because work will be done well in time!