SharkSmart examination tips

As high schools gear up for the crucial end-of-year matric exams, Roberts, who is the resident dietician at The Sharks Medical Centre, is strongly urging parents and pupils not to overlook this key aspect of their planning for the final quarter, saying that proper food and rest will results in better performance in the exam hall.

Roberts has factored in the routines of teenagers at boarding schools, as many of the schools involved in the Discovery Sharksmart program have boarding facilities where it might be difficult to maintain the healthy diet outlined by her.

“It is important that the learners make use of their dining halls to get their five a day,” Roberts said. “That will be two fruits and three vegetables because these are things that the schools will provide them. Getting their ‘brain food’ is also significant and these include your egg yolks, fish, brown rice as well as nuts."

“Eggs are really good for you and they don’t cause cholesterol problems as many people believe and the boys love eating eggs and you won’t really see them eating much fish paste or tinned sardines!” Roberts added.

It is tricky for learners at boarding schools to follow strict eating plans when it comes to exams due to the fact that they are eating the food that is provided for them but there are a few foods that boarding school learners should try and avoid in any case.

“Foods like two minute noodles and white bread and that sort of thing are high GI (glycemic index) foods which mean that they provide the body with a quick burst of energy and spike the blood/sugar levels and then drain you of energy. It is quite important that the low GI foods like oats, all bran and Provitas are eaten more regularly and this will help sustain energy levels as well as focus levels when learning due to their ability to keep blood/sugar levels stable,” the dietician said.

For the learners at the boarding schools, Roberts feels that it would be beneficial if they were able to get shelf-life foods. These are the foods that do not need to be refrigerated and will benefit their diet heading into this stressful period.

“If some of these kids can have their parents packing them some groceries, that would be great since they can provide them with the things that they cannot get from school. Provitas, some Laughing Cow cheese, peanuts and raisins and other foods that don’t need to be put in the fridge are always great as a lot of them don’t have regular access to a fridge,” she explained.

Studying for exams can prove to be a difficult thing for learners and although every learner will have their own patterns it is important to note that hours upon hours of learning does not necessarily mean that you are better prepared.

“Everyone is different but what seems to be the suggested learning period is between 45 minutes to an hour with a 15 minute break in between. During the break it is proposed that you go outside, clear your head, have something to eat like a piece of fruit and then return to your books,” Roberts explained.

A majority of learners will still be involved in school sporting activities, whether it be cricket, waterpolo or another summer sport, and getting exercise is very important during the learning period even if it is not strenuous.

“Try and have some active time – at school it would more than likely be in the afternoon. Use this time to let off a bit of steam even if it means going for a walk or just taking some time to relax away from your books. Try and incorporate this exercise with an afternoon snack like a handful of biltong, peanuts and raisins or something along those lines,” stressed Roberts.

In order to compliment this eating plan it is vital that learners get enough sleep during these times because it seems fairly common for learners to ‘cram’ for long hours before exams and neglect the importance of getting a solid eight hours of sleep.

“It is important that guys create a stable sleeping pattern and stick to it during these sorts of times because it is quite easy for them to waver heading into big exams and using the nights before to work well into the night could add to the stress levels. We also suggest that learners take a vitamin supplement during these stressful periods. A vitamin B supplement will help to relieve stress and omega 3 supplements are important ‘brain food’ that provide vital fatty acids for the brain,” Roberts explained.

As with many schools, the larger break is taken earlier in the day which means that many of the students will eat their main meal at that earlier break. This is followed by a smaller snack at around lunchtime before sport in the afternoon.

(File Photo:Gallo Images)

- Gameplan Media

Twitter - @SportswaveAndre @ECRSportswave