"An Apple or Chocolate Bar"— How Diet Can Effect Your Results


Disclaimer: Obviously, I am not a doctor. I have not conducted this research myself, I have just collated information which I have found online. If you have a health-related issue, please visit a health care professional. 
Contrary to what many adults probably believe, us teenagers are busy. Sometimes it's just easier to grab something energy-dense rather than preparing a nutritious snack between studying. In addition, dedicating time to studying may be of a higher priority than planning a healthy day of eating. This is showcased by what is colloquially referred to as the 'freshman 15', which is used in reference to how many US college students in their first year gain weight as a result of being dedicated to their work.  However, this innocent decision may have more of an impact on your results than what meets the eye. The relationship between diet and school results is continuously being studied. Meanwhile, there has been research which suggests that students who have nutritionally adequate diets have fewer absences and have improved behaviour. 


Eating foods which are nutrient-dense have a large impact on brain function. Not consuming enough iron decreases dopamine (the hormone which relates to feelings of motivation and rewards) transmission in the brain, which impacts brain cognition. A lack of micro-nutrients in the diet, specifically Vitamin E, the B-Group Vitamins, iodine, zinc and thiamine, also can hinder brain function and concentration. Furthermore, consuming enough macro-nutrients such as carbohydrates and protein also has been shown to improve cognisance.



As consuming foods high in protective nutrients makes us physically healthier, students who eat well tend to have fewer absences from school. Additionally, students who limit their intake of refined sugar also has been shown to affect behaviour and attention within the classroom. On the other hand, students who consume a balanced diet have been shown to have better behaviour, concentration and have more energy at school.

Researchers, including sociologists and economists, have discovered that eating good food tends to be associated with receiving good results in school. In particular, consuming a balanced diet has shown to improve concentration, and improve maths and reading results.

People begin to hop onto the caffeine trend in their teenage years. While consuming coffee or energy drinks may help you stay up late and have more energy to study, it can cause more harm than good. Having a high intake of caffeine can cause people to become nervous, lose the ability to stay focused and disrupt sleeping patterns. If you are feeling more tired than usual, you may be dehydrated. Thus, try drinking plenty of water rather than energy drinks or coffee.



Consuming a sufficient amount of kilojoules is also important to provide your body with enough energy to study and survive a strenuous school day. The recommended calorie intake is different for everyone, as it is dependent on factors such as gender, weight and activity level. However, the recommended calorie intake for teenage girls is between 1,800 to 2,400 while it's between 2,000 to 3,200 for teenage boys. It is recommended that most of your calories come from carbohydrates, which is the body's preferred fuel source.

You have already heard this: try not to skip breakfast. Starting your day with a healthy meal provides you with the energy you need to begin your school day. Furthermore, if your levels of blood glucose are low, you are more likely to be irritable, not have the ability to concentrate and lack energy. Skipping breakfast is something which isn't uncommon, with 31% of teenagers regularly skipping the most important meal of the day.

Related image

The peer-reviewed journal, Journal of School Health, conducted a study in 2008 related to the correlation between having a good diet and getting honourable results at school. The study revealed that students who included take-away food in their diets scored worse on reading, writing and maths results than students who ate a nutritionally balanced diet. This relates to how it has also been discovered that consuming high amounts of saturated and trans fat can negatively impact brain function.



Simple ways to ensure that the food you are consuming is nutritious is reading the nutrition information on food packaging and swapping unhealthy junk food for fruit, nuts and foods which contain whole grains. Keeping these healthier foods available at home also can promote healthy eating habits. Additionally, replacing soft drink with beverages which offer more vitamins (such as smoothies or even water) is an easy way to improve your diet.



Sources:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Health and Human Development - Unit Two, Area of Study Two: Health Care in Australia - Summary

Image
I definitely  would understand if people found this area of study boring, especially if you selected the subject because you were interested in learning about what makes people 'healthy'. However, I really enjoyed it. So much so that it was probably my favourite area of study. I don't know if many are going to agree with me on this, but it kind of reminded me of Legal Studies. However, parts of it did feel very much like Health and Human Development, so don't worry if you have yet to undertake this area of study! Anyway, this area of study is predominantly about the health care system in Australia -- including the public and private health system. As always, I suggest taking a look at the study design which you can find here . This area of study is on page 14.  Let's get into the content! Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) Medicare is Australia's universal health insurance, which is subsidised by the federal government. The...
Read more

Doing VCE at home? About Distance Education (+ Interview with a Student)

Image
One of my first posts on this blog was titled How you can Choose the Best Subjects for VCE, where I discussed a little about Distance Education . I will further explore it in this post. Virtual School Victoria , otherwise known as Distance Education Centre Victoria, allows students to conduct their VCE units in the comfort of their own home over the internet. The school increases access to education, giving the opportunity for students to receive a formal education when they otherwise wouldn’t be able to due to issues such as illness or living in rural areas. While this may sound like a new, modern and alternative way to go to school, VSV follows all the government’s education guidelines and has been around since the beginning of the 20 th century. They even have school camps and graduation ceremonies like most mainstream schools. Furthermore, there are currently approximately 4,000 students enrolled, making it the most populated public school in the state. Principal ...
Read more

Missed out on the ATAR Notes English Unit 2 Lecture?

Image
Throughout the June/July school holidays, ATAR Notes held many free VCE lectures at RMIT’s City Campus in the heart of the CBD. Offering many lectures on several of the most popular VCE subjects, they involve a high-achieving ex-student providing tips and guidance for the next unit of the subject. They held more lectures related to the subjects I do only for units three and four rather than one and two. Therefore, I only attended the year eleven English lecture as it was the only one applicable to me. ATAR Notes offer accessible support and guidance for all VCE students. Other than providing us with the opportunity to attend free lectures during the school holidays, they also have an online forum and a YouTube channel . Furthermore, they also offer paid tutoring with TuteSmart . Their aim is to provide current students with as many resources as possible to achieve success, all done by ex-students who received an outstanding ATAR score. The lecture I attended was prese...
Read more