In college, it’s very hard to balance your time between classes, a social life and extracurricular activities. At the same time, you have to try to squeeze in exercise and eating healthy too, which can be very hard especially when you are up all night studying for an exam. Her Campus Bloomsburg is here to give you all some tips and pointers on how to stay healthy while cramming for exams.
Try to incorporate at least one fruit and one veggie throughout your day. Apples, pears and bananas are very portable and can be easily stored for the day whenever you would like to eat them. Celery and carrots are easy to bring in a sandwich baggie to the library for that all day study session. Being able to get a vegetable and fruit into your day will make a difference and will help keep your immune system in fighting shape.
Plan your meals ahead of time. If you know you are going to have a busy day and absolutely no time to cook food that day, cook the night before. Grill up some chicken on the stove and make some whole grain rice the night before so it is ready to heat up when you need to eat. Giant and Weis both offer individually wrapped chicken breasts which makes it easier to portion out your meals.
If you have to buy food out at a fast food restaurant, try to choose a smart decision instead of ordering that Big Mac. Yeah it might be tempting to get a bunch of greasy food while you are a cramming for a test but you are going to regret it in the morning. Try to go for foods that are grilled such as a grilled chicken wrap with no sauce, apples as side rather than fries, a salad without the heavy dressing or go for a vinaigrette, even a fish sandwich (without the tartar sauce of course) is a better option than fries.
Squeeze in some time to exercise. I know it can be very hard when you are extremely busy to get that great workout but even going for a 10 minute walk or doing 15 jumping jacks every 15 minutes can really make the difference. (Plus it gets your blood flowing which will help you stay focused).
The key is to stock up on healthy, portable snacks. Make sure you are well prepared before you start studying. Stop by Giant, Sheetz, Walmart or Weis and get as much snacks you will think you will need for those all nighters but make sure they are healthy options! Pumpkin seeds, pre-packaged fruit packs, yogurts, trail mix, carrots and hummus are great snacks that will curb your appetite and give you the energy you need!