The demands and fast pace of student life, even outside of exam season, can impact your mental and physical health, but the things you eat can help combat this - and deliver improvements for mind and body. Here are five superfoods that will help supercharge your studies and maintain your mental health.
Oily fish
Top of most lists when it comes to ‘brain food’ is oily fish. Why? Because it contains good amounts of healthy Omega-3 fats, which bring benefits for the brain, heart and your joints.
Your body can’t produce these fatty acids by itself, so you have to get them from food, with mackerel, sardines and salmon being amongst the best sources. If you have a plant-based diet, you can swap oily fish out for soya beans, pumpkin seeds and walnuts.
Blueberries
Vitamin C has many health benefits, but did you know it can potentially improve your mental power, as well as helping to manage and reduce anxiety and stress?
If you’re feeling the pressure of study, blueberries are a great way of loading up on Vitamin C, helping you with your mental health as well as your uni work. Other sources include broccoli and oranges.
Eggs
Along with oily fish, eggs are one of the only food sources of Vitamin D, which has a huge impact on your mood and energy. Eggs also contain B Vitamins, which play an important role in keeping brain function healthy, and a substance called Choline, which can boost memory - great for revision! Vegans can opt for fortified foods such as plant-based breakfast cereals for Vitamins D and B12, while B6 can be found in avocado, soya and nuts.
Dark chocolate
Finally, a treat. Research has found that dark chocolate contains high levels of flavanols, compounds which improve blood flow to the brain, boosting function and memory, which is great for your studies.
Your mood can benefit too: the phytochemicals in dark chocolate can help reduce depression and anxiety. Make sure to check the packaging, though, dark chocolate needs at least 70 percent cocoa content to give you the full benefit.
Yoghurt
If you follow many fitness Instagrammers, you’ve probably seen lots of pretty yoghurt breakfast bowls, and snacks. But is it really that good?
Yoghurt earns it’s superfood tag because it contains ‘probiotic’ bacteria. Probiotic bacteria helps shape your body's immune system, keeping you healthy from the inside outside. And let’s be honest, a strong immune system is a great help when you’re balancing revision and uni assignments. It only takes a small cold to ruin your concentration, and focus.
Walnuts
Most nuts are really good for your brain, but walnuts are some of the best. Why? Because of their magical combination of antioxidants (almost twice as many as all other nuts) and those lovely Omega-3 healthy fats.
This combo can help mental performance by boosting cognition and mood, so you’ll be productive and happy. A handful during study will give you these benefits and help you hold off hunger in a healthy way.
Our commitment to providing our residents with the best living experience possible extends to sharing tips such as these for mental and physical health, to hosting healthy breakfast mornings for our residents!
We understand the pressures of student life and we make it our mission to help. For more information about living with us, get in touch now.