Stay Healthy This Exam Season, with Almonds!

Come February, a large number of households across India become preoccupied with exams. Whether it’s a son, daughter, nephew or niece who might be appearing for his or her final school examinations or class 10th or 12th boards, final exams tend to become the focus for a lot of families during the month.

During exam season it’s very easy for students to lose sight of their health and wellness, and get consumed in the preparation. Juggling between the pressures of preparing for exams, ensuring there is adequate time to sleep, regular breaks and doing all this while maintaining his or her health is important. Properly timed meals, scheduled snack breaks and conscious food choices can energize and sustain the body through long exam hours.

One food item that is good for students to have handy during the exam season is almonds! Snacking on almonds during the preparation period, can help make a healthy difference in students’ lives. Ayurveda and Unani texts suggest that consumption of almonds nourishes the brain, nerve tissues and promotes intelligence, which can be useful during the exam time.

Leading Bollywood actress Soha Ali Khan said that exams can be a very stressful time for students, and approaching them with a calm mind and planned approach always helps. She remembers, during my school days, my mother ensured that she had prepared a meal plan and snacking routine for me during the prep-leaves, so she would be well-nourished throughout the day. Beyond this, she also made sure that she kept a bowlful of almonds on my study table – so she had a healthy snack handy, if she ever felt hungry or exhausted after studying for several hours, she said.

Fitness enthusiast and Supermodel Milind Soman said that during exam season, students tend to neglect their health and fitness. While maintaining a steady exercise schedule is difficult, students can always manage their fitness by taking regular breaks from studying, every half an hour or so. Whether it is a short walk around the house or walking while studying, students must do what they can to stay active. Opting for healthier food and snacks such as almonds is also an important step that will go a long way in building a healthy routine during exams, and may also help in keeping a check on the student’s weight, he said.

Adding to this, Ritika Samaddar, Regional Head – Dietetics, Max Healthcare – Delhi, said that she often comes across concerned parents seeking diet recommendations for their children, especially during exam season. She always suggests keeping nuts like almonds handy as they provide energy which may help in better concentration. Besides, having almonds also helps in managing the child’s weight. According to a recent study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, participants, who consumed 43 grams of dry, roasted, lightly salted almonds every day, experienced reduced hunger and improved dietary vitamin E and monounsaturated (good) fat intake and that too without increasing body weight, she said.

According to Madhuri Ruia, Pilates Expert and Diet & Nutrition Consultant, for any student preparing for exams, keeping a steady supply of energy throughout the day is important to maintain his/her concentration levels. Daily consumption of almonds keeps you energetic and she definitely recommends students to keep a handful of raw, roasted or spiced almonds in a small tiffin or box nearby, to make sure they can snack on them in between exam prep, she said.

Sheela Krishnaswamy, Nutrition and Wellness Consultant, also said that during exams, it’s not uncommon for students to feel hungry in between meals, and this leads to a lot of binge eating on unwholesome food. To minimize unhealthy food intake during exam time, parents and teachers can begin by ensuring students have an adequate number of snack breaks in between meals. For these breaks, almonds are an excellent choice of snack as they are easy and quick to flavour and go with just about any Indian masala/spices. Added to that almonds may also have satiating properties that promote feelings of fullness, which may keep the child satiated in between meals, avoiding him or her from reaching out for unhealthy snacks.

So plan right, and prepare for exam season on a healthy note – with almonds.