Hi Everyone! My name’s Roisin and I’m a 3^rd year nutrition student at BU. This blog post is here to answer some popular food and nutrition questions, and more importantly how food can impact on your studies.

Hope you enjoy it!

Q: Why should you ensure you have a good diet?

A good diet helps your body function properly. Without it, you can become tired and lack the ability to concentrate, not something you want when you’ve got exams coming up!!

1. To be healthy do you have to cut out all ‘bad’ food from your diet? There are so many misconceptions around food and being healthy, with the main one being you need to eliminate all bad foods from your diet to be healthy. This is not necessarily strictly true, everything should be in moderation! I’m not saying go and eat loads of chocolate everyday but a little every now and then is fine.

Try switching unhealthy foods for healthier ones, rather than just eliminating them. There’s a great app by Change4life where you scan the barcodes of foods and it suggests healthier alternatives. This way your body is getting the energy and nutrients it needs.

Q: 3 top tips for having a healthy diet:

1. Ensure your diet is balanced, nutritious and varied! Ever heard of The Eatwell Guide (it used to be called The Eatwell Plate)? Well your diet should be based on this- it helps you make sure what you’re eating is good for you and your body. Sticking to this will help you on your way to having a healthy diet.
2. Drink plenty of water. You need 6-8 glasses a day! Becoming dehydrated can make you feel tired, cause headaches and impair your ability to concentrate, which would affect your ability to study! So, increase your water intake by switching that afternoon fizzy drink for a glass of water or by flavouring your water by using lemons and limes to make it tastier.
3. Always have breakfast. Breakfast provides your body with the energy it needs, so by beginning the day with a nutritious breakfast, you are giving your body the best start. A breakfast such as porridge topped with berries, will leave you feeling full and give you a slow release of energy throughout the morning.

Q: 3 foods to avoid to have a healthier diet:

1. Fizzy drinks. They often have loads of sugar in and aren’t very nutritious! Try switching them for a glass of water or milk!
2. Snacks high in sugar. The sugar gives you a quick boast in energy but after a while it can make you feel tired, sluggish and irritable. So, avoid these and try snacking on healthier, lower sugar snacks, such as hummus and carrot sticks or a piece of fruit.
3. Energy drinks. These can contain high levels of caffeine! Although caffeine has mixed reviews on how it can impact your studies, it’s important you are in the best form to do well in your exams, so it’s best to avoid these!

1. Any other advice to help you succeed in your studies?

I would say that exercise and food go hand in hand. Take some time out to exercise. Whether it’s going out for a walk to get some fresh air to help you clear your mind, or whether it’s training for a sport you compete in, just take some time out to exercise as well!

Good luck with your studies and exams!