Most college students know what finals week really means. It’s not about preparing for weeks in advance and walking into the classroom the day of the test, completely confident that you will earn an “A+”. No, what it’s really about is spending hours upon hours in the library, beating facts into your brain, and surviving off coffee from Starbucks and snacks from vending machines. Not very healthy, and not very good brain food, either.

The food that you eat while studying is actually very important. I bet you didn’t know that your brain uses roughly 20 percent of the daily calories you consume and it needs healthy foods to help function better. Here are some foods that will help your brain function properly, because you want every advantage on test day you can.

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It’s just about that time of the semester when finals are looming, papers are piling up and there is that constant pressure to bump up your GPA.

When exam times rolls around, it’s quite common for students to react to the stress and hours of sitting and studying by eating. From potato chips to pretzels, a bag of M&Ms to a box of graham crackers, munching, stress and studying go hand in hand.

Using food as way to deal with the stress of school probably won’t land you a better grade, but it may very well land you a tighter squeeze into your skinny jeans. Read the rest of this entry »

It is no secret that America is suffering from an epidemic of unhealthy lifestyles, but now researchers are saying that not only will eating better improve your physical health, but possibly your I.Q. as well.

In a time when students are desperately abusing prescription medications like Adderall and Ritalin to increase their mental focus and processing during major study sessions, these same scientists are hoping that instead of popping pills, college students will incorporate these brain boosters into their diets. Read the rest of this entry »

This year the Super Bowl will be a showdown between the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts. On February 7, 2010, millions of football fans will spend their Sunday night in front of their TVs, cheering on their favorite team.

If you’re not a huge football fan, there are still two huge positives of watching the Super Bowl: The commercials and the food!

Everyone knows that advertising companies shell out the big bucks to play their best commercials during the Super Bowl, and some people (including yours truly) watch the game just to watch the commercials. Of course, the yummy finger foods are also a major plus for this Super Sunday.

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An estimated three quarters of America’s middle schools have vending machines stocked full of snacks and sodas. Most contain items loaded with sugar, fat, and carbohydrates, some with up to 300-400 calories. This in a nation where roughly one out of three children is considered overweight, putting them at an elevated risk for obesity and diabetes.

The study, of 1,420 vending machines in 251 schools, was organized by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). CSPI contends that all foods sold out of vending machines, school stores, and other venues outside of the official school lunch program should make positive contributions to children’s diets and health. Read the rest of this entry »