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Brain food before exam?

I have an exam tomorrow morning (english A1HL) for IB and iv heard that a few foods or drinks can be good before an exam, whats the best thing to eat or drink before an exam to help remain concentrated for 2 hours :s-smilie: ?
i mean will stuff like caffine; maby a red bull help?
And i've heard bananas release energy slowly which helps you remain energized thoughout the exam.
I've even heard that not eating before an exam, and feeling hungry can help stay alert
but yeah, i dunno! , any suggestions?? :confused:

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Reply 1
Bananas are excellent food to eat before an exam because they release their energy slowly, bit by bit, as opposed to say a chocolate bar, where you'll get an instant rush of energy which will soon fade and leave you less concentrated towards the end of your exam. Always drink water throughout the exam because it keeps you calm and helps with the oxygen flow to your brain (but don't drink too much cos then you'll have to pee!) Hope this helped : )
A hot-steaming burger should do the trick.
Reply 3
I was told by my law teacher that a fry up in the morning does the trick. Alwyas nice to start the day with a fryup!
I've heard that fish is supposed to help concentration (O'm not sure if that's true mind).
A big bowl of cereal or pasta before your exam is quite good, because both keep you going for a long amount of time, rather than just giving you a sugary high.
1-2 hours before your exam eat a nice balanced meal with some Low GI Carbs (rice, brown pasta, apple... something like that.) Try not to eat anything too heavy before an exam, espeesically with a Low GI, it'll make you more sleepy than alert as complex carbs tend to help you sleep and the carbs won't be available during the exam anyway!

Directly before your exam eat a bananna or orange, seriously, it has really helped me through my 1st year medical exams so far! Anything with a high glycaemic index before an exam will really help as the sugar is available straight away and hopefully will keep you a little more alert.

Oh, and keep very very hydrated, the last thing you want to do for your brain is deprive it of water!
banana and water! Worked for me, anything else made me queasy
Reply 8
Plenty water!! Slight dehydration means huge drop in performance.
Reply 9
strawberries?
Reply 10
I always eat only fruit on the morning before an exam. When you are still slightly hungry you are a lot more alert and quick thinking.
Reply 11
i dont think being hungry makes you more alert, well for me anyway. They say that its good to fill your stomach, but not too much, just enough. You need fuel, so you shouldnt go with an empty stomach.
Carbohydrates which break down quickly... high GI.

Search google for some, it seriously can help brain power having a direct and quick source of sugar!
Reply 13
But high GI carbs also raise, then lower, blood sugar levels. Not desirable.

Complex food sources such as proteins and fibres should do the trick. Half a tuna sandwich on wholeweat does the trick nicely. Had nothing but an apple before my business exams today, stomache was rumbling throughout!
I ate a chocolate bar before my maths, but it was okay because I found it easy and was finished before the high had time to run out. :wink:
FFS, eating some special foods will not make you suddenly write better or know more stuff.

Eat healthily, do excercise and sleep lots.

Don't go researching about some freakin' banana smoothie with complex carbohydrates, just eat healthily.

It makes no difference at all IMO.
Reply 16
LOL brain food? I don't even eat! With morning exams I look at it this way. I can get up early have a good breakfast, or I can sleep that extra half n hour. I take the 30mins extra sleep. Only when I'm going into the exam room i get a bottle of lucozade sport..
Any food which is rich in omega 3 such as oily fish, tuna, sardines. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits, also almonds are good for increasing memory power.
I never had breakfast before any of my exams. It was always get into the car, sleep (I had bad insomina during my exams), get to school, sleep on my desk, be dragged into the exam room to begin exam.
Reply 19
Eat exam papers