Hi Guys and Girls, school is reopening and things will start to get busy and hectic. Nevertheless, one must always watch his or her diet for best performance at all time. I was reading on Nutrition and Performance, and this food fact seemed very useful and fruitful so i decided to share with all of ya mates! It maybe wordy but its really factual and useful. :)
Though an area considered trivial, it can contribute significantly to your overall performance if not to maintain yourself in the pink of health so that you can function at your maximum during class. “Breakfast” means just that: break the overnight fast. Eating breakfast allows you to restock the energy stores that have been depleted overnight and begin the day with a tank full of the right fuel. Sending yourself to work or to school without breakfast is like trying to use a cordless power tool without ever recharging the battery. If you don’t refuel your body in the morning after an overnight fast, it has to draw fuel from its own energy stores until lunchtime. The stress hormones necessary to mobilize these energy reserves will leave you feeling irritable, tired, and unable to learn or behave well.
If you are not convinced, consider these studies results: 1) Breakfast eaters are likely to achieve higher grades, pay closer attention, participate more in class discussions, and manage more complex academic problems than breakfast skippers. 2) Breakfast skippers are more likely to be inattentive, sluggish, and make lower grades. 3) Breakfast skippers are more likely to show erratic eating patterns throughout the day, eat less nutritious foods, and give into junk-food cravings. They may crave a mid-morning sugar fix because they can’t make it all the way to lunchtime on an empty fuel tank.
An example of a quick breakfast fix: a smoothie blended drink of 2 cups of milk or soy or rice beverage, or 1 cup milk and 1 cup yogurt, 2 tsp. flax oil, 1 small frozen banana, cut up, 1/2 cup each of your favorite fruit, frozen (e.g. blueberries, strawberries, papaya) and 2 ice cubes if fruit is not frozen or if you want a lighter taste. In general, some examples of brain builders for the morning include avocados, bananas, lean beef, brewer’s yeast, broccoli, brown rice, brussel sprouts, cantaloupe, cheese, chicken, collard greens, eggs, flaxseed oil, legumes, milk, oatmeal, oranges, peanut butter, peas, potatoes, romaine lettuce, salmon, soybeans, spinach, tuna, turkey, wheat and yogurt.
On the other hand - some example of brain ‘busters’ include alcohol, artificial food colorings, artificial sweeteners, colas, corn syrup, frostings, high-sugar “drinks”, hydrogenated fats, junk sugars, nicotine and white bread. Having talked about breakfast, let’s tackle lunch since most of us will be in school through lunch on most days and it is very likely to have lectures scheduled immediately after. The key to the right lunch is – HOW NOT TO BE LETHARGIC AFTER LUNCH.
Ever wondered why your learning and behavior deteriorates after lunch? It’s because some foods perk up the brain while others put it to sleep. Here are some lunch tips: Have the right balance of proteins and carbohydrates. Protein foods which contain the amino acid tryptophan tend to sedate the brain, and protein foods containing the amino acid tyrosine wake up the brain. Eating a lot of carbohydrates with tryptophan containing foods increases their sedative effect. The carbohydrates trigger the release of insulin, which sends the amino acids that compete with tryptophan into muscle tissue. This allows more tryptophan to get into the brain. Serotonin production goes up and sluggishness follows. Fewer carbohydrates and calories with more protein, on the other hand, make the eater more alert after lunch. The amino acid that perks up the brain is tyrosine, found in seafood, turkey, tofu, legumes, and tuna. So, a salad of legumes with tuna, tofu, or turkey would be the ideal lunch.
Even the order in which you eat the food in your lunch can affect afternoon performance. Whether the brain will rev up or slow down depends on whether tyrosine or tryptophan gets into the neurotransmitters first. Eat the protein first, and you allow the amino acid, tyrosine, to wake up the brain. Then when you eat the carbohydrates, the tryptophan ushered into the brain by insulin will have less effect. So, if you want to wake up the brain, eat a high protein lunch and eat the protein before the carbohydrates; if you want the brain to relax, eat a high carbohydrate lunch and eat the carbohydrates before the protein. An example of a healthy lunch would be a tuna sandwich on whole wheat bread with lettuce, tomato, and a low-fat mayonnaise made with canola oil, a side salad, a piece of fruit, and a glass of milk. Where possible, skip dessert after lunch and let your daily dessert treat follow after dinner instead.
If u have any questions on this fact u can always buzz me or leave a comment in the chatbox. I'll be glad to answer them all :)
Sathish :)))
