Eat right during exams

STAY FIT

Eat right during exams

Many children neglect their diet and health during exams to a point of harming themselves and in turn perform badly. Some don’t drink enough water and skip meals, which leads to weakness. While some tend to overeat, munch on fatty foods like fried snacks or sweets, and drink aerated drinks through the day. This, compounded with exam tension, takes a toll on their bodies.
Drinking 2-3 litres of clean, plain water is said to hydrate the mind and body and this improves concentration and the ability to work with numbers. Skipping meals results in a drop in haemoglobin levels because of which children are unable to concentrate, are forgetful and constantly fall asleep.
Ensure that your child eats all three meals every day. Skipping meals affects the metabolism.
Breakfast can be a bowl of cereal and milk, ragi porridge and milk, whole wheat bread, egg and milk, idli sambar and milk, etc. Then they can snack on fruits if hungry before lunch. Lunch too must be balanced with either rotis, dal and sabji or rice, sambar and porrial. Curds and fresh salad make the meal complete.
At tea time, avoid giving children fried snacks or sweets. Foods rich in fat and sugar take longer to digest and makes them drowsy and lethargic. A glass of milk and a couple of slices of toast and jam or honey or green chutney makes for an ideal snack at tea time.
Dinner should be a light, very healthy meal. Rice is not advisable at night, as wheat items have more fibre and much more vitamins and minerals, which ups the metabolism and keeps children fresh to study late into the night. If they feel like having something in the middle of the night, fruits or milk/buttermilk are safest.
And when on a break from books, involve them in some physical activities instead of sitting in front of the TV or computer. It helps de-stress, pumps up endorphines (positive hormones) and reenergises the mind and heart.
stayfit@indiatimes.com