“You are what you eat”
‘Research has shown that students are able to learn better when they’re well nourished, and eating healthy meals’ - Options for Youth
Effectively, being well nourished will help you achieve higher grades, improve memory and alertness and fasten information processing.
This might be a poor analogy but think of skittles - okay maybe not the healthiest option, but I'm actually talking about “taste the rainbow”. Eating the rainbow of the healthy food groups is a phrase that many nutritionists use to help remind people to incorporate more fruits and veggies in their diet.
To provide you with a few examples of how certain coloured fruits and vegetables help you here are some:
Yellow and orange fruits and vegetables are full of vitamins C and A, which help prevent cell damage, support healthy joints and eyesight, whilst also lowering cholesterol. Green fruits and vegetables, such as spinach, avocado, broccoli, are high in vitamins K,B and E, which improve digestion and support healthy bones.
The reason it is really good to try and incorporate all the food groups is because foods that are rich in fibre, protein, and healthy fats such as eggs, yogurt, apples and oatmeal keep the body feeling fuller for longer, providing you with enough energy to stay focused and alert throughout the whole day. This is definitely a must during remote leaning 2.0.
In saying all this, no one is an angel and can eat ‘clean’ all the time. Treat yourself! if there is a sweaty box of krispy kreme donuts on the table, don’t feel guilty to have one. Eating healthy is also about eating intuitively. This means that you can eat the ‘not so healthy foods’ sometimes just not every single day.
If you struggle with boredom eating, here is a few things to do:
Remove yourself from near the kitchen - this will lessen temptation and reduce the feeling of hunger.
Drink water.
Go for a walk.
Have tea.
Keep your brain occupied - start studying or do some homework, that way you won’t think about snacking to cure your boredom.
Eat whole meals so that you don't feel as peckish through the day.
Elisa Barone