How to deal with exam stress: Is it related to your food?
According to a recent research conducted by European universities in Belgium, stress during examinations is associated with food.
Eating healthy is directly corelated to your mental health. However, students during exams indulge themselves in the studies so much that they hardly get anytime to eat. Also, due to the anxiety, tension, and exam pressure, they fall sick, making the preperations tougher.
How food is related to exam stress:
According to a recent research conducted by universities in Belgium, a group of 232 students (aged 19-22 years) recruited from Ghent University have proved that increased stress during examinations is associated with eating a poor-quality diet including less fruit and vegetables and more fast food.
"Stress has long been implicated in a poor diet. People tend to report overeating and comfort eating foods high in fat, sugar and calories in times of stress.
The research, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, suggests that students have difficulties eating healthy food and find themselves adopting bad eating habits, leading to stress.
How was the research conducted?
"Our findings looking at the eating habits of students during exam periods confirm this stress-induced dietary deterioration hypothesis," said Nathalie Michels, lead researcher from Ghent University in Belgium.
The researchers investigated the relationship between exam stress and change in dietary quality, and whether these associations were modified by psychosocial factors such as eating behaviour, food choice motive, taste preference, reward/punishment sensitivity, impulsivity, coping strategies, sedentary behaviour and social support.
During the month-long exam period, participants found it harder to stick to a healthy diet, and only a quarter fulfilled the WHO recommended 400g of fruit and vegetables a day.
How can fight the exam stress?
"To fight against stress-induced eating, prevention strategies should integrate psychological and lifestyle aspects including stress management (like emotion regulation training, mindfulness, yoga), nutritional education with techniques for self-effectiveness, awareness of eating-without-hunger, and creating an environment that stimulates a healthy diet and physical activity", Michels elaborated.