Exam time is quickly approaching (for us too!). We know you may have heard it before, but trust us, believing and following it through, is another thing. Healthy eating is not only great for your body but also your mind.
Researchers from Oxford University and China have showed how important it is to eat your daily fruit. By eating 100 grams of fruit daily, participants in the study reduced the risk of death from heart attacks and strokes by a third compared to those who rarely or didn’t eat it daily.
Those who ate fresh fruit had significantly lower blood pressure and blood glucose levels. If you’re a biomed/med student that translates to 4.00mm Hg systolic blood pressure and 90mg/dL blood sugar. Who knew just eating fruit would be able to contribute that much to your health?
The study was done on 500,000 Chinese citizens over the course of 7 years. It shows just how important the Australian governments “Go for 2 and 5 fruit and veg a day” campaign.
Healthy Eating Basics
These are our few quick tips for eating well and cost-effectively during exam period:
- eat before you go food shopping so you don’t get tempted to buy ‘quick-fix’ foods
- try snacking on celery or carrot sticks, if you feel like munching on something
- shop at the local markets late for discounted fruit and vegetable bargains (After classes, I usually do my weekly grocery run 1 hour or 30 minutes before closing)
- drinking plenty of water may help reduce the craving for munchies
- eat a wide variety of foods, limit salty and sugary food
If you take nothing from away from this, our number one tip is to keep yourself hydrated with water.
Drinking water doesn’t have to be boring and it’s very economical . Try infusing your water with tea or fruits and vegetables such as mint leaves, cucumber slices, blueberries, watermelon and citrus slices. We are not talking about fruit juices which often contains a lot of sugar and little dietary fibre.
Just food tips for your thought.
This article is written and submitted by Damien Tsang, a Monash Science student. You can submit content to the Scapegoat email or click on “Submit Content” above for more information.
