Thursday, August 25, 2005
You’re standing in The Underground, trying to decide between Pizza Hut and Chick-fil-a for lunch, and you’re suddenly hit with a wave of drowsiness. Unable to suppress a yawn, you decide you’d better head over to Pulse for a venti latte. Bad idea. While no magic food guarantees to help you perform better on a test, Anne Chapman, dietician at Watkins Health Center, says studies suggest that protein can boost alertness. So if you’re looking for a healthy study snack this semester, ditch the coffee and coke and reach for a handful of nuts or some tuna fish.
Skip the caffeine and sugar
Good sources of protein
Fish
Lean Meat
Nuts
Soy
Beans
Dairy Products
Too much caffeine can make you lose focus. Sugar and caffeine lessen the effects of neurotransmitters, which are the messengers that help your brain cells communicate. Too much sugar can lead to insulin resistance — throwing the glucose level in your blood off balance and causing permanent damage to brain cells.
Helping hand
Unlike sugar and caffeine, protein actually helps your brain cells communicate. Protein is filled with amino acids, which work with neurotransmitters instead of against them to help keep the brain working strong.
So instead of eating a lunch composed of mostly carbohydrates like pasta, bread, and sugary foods, which can make you feel sluggish by mid-afternoon, grab a healthy dose of protein. It will leave you feeling alert, energized and ready to take that test.
Too much of a good thing
So before you eat that half-pound burger, note that the USDA recommends that you only have two or three small servings of protein each day. That should be about 12 percent of your total calories. The USDA’s revised food pyramid recommends between five and six and one half ounces of protein per day for men and women ages 14 to 31. One serving of three ounces is about the size of deck of cards. That’s not much.
The USDA also recommends that the protein you eat be low in fat, such as fish, nuts, seeds, skinless chicken, turkey and lean cuts of beef and pork.
Add it to your diet
Recipe: Banana berry protein shake
1 cup berries (any mix)
1/2 banana
1/2 cup soy milk (or any kind of milk)
1 scoop any kind of protein powder, or 1 egg white
3/4 cup any kind of yogurt
1 cup ice
Blend together
Source: www.mrbreakfast.com
No good research shows that nutritional supplements are effective, according to Chapman. Your best bet is to include some protein-rich foods in your diet: for breakfast, try eggs occasionally instead of cereal or a bagel. Chapman suggests eating slice of whole-wheat bread with peanut butter. Or whip up a protein shake (see recipe below).
For lunch, tuna salad is easy to prepare and full of protein. If you’re eating on campus, go for a grilled chicken sandwich (without the bun), instead of pizza. A salad with meat and cheese or a side of cottage cheese are also good protein choices. Make sure your dinner includes some protein too, such as lean ground beef, chicken or beans. If you’re eating out, keep an eye on the carbs. To keep you going during the day, have some cheese, yogurt, or unsalted nuts for a snack – all good protein sources. So when you need your brain to be at its best, pass up the caffeine and sugar and chow down on some protein.
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