“If stress suppresses hunger, eat in small quantities”: what to eat before (and during) a bachelor’s degree in philosophy

Bachelor’s degree exams for final year seniors will begin on Tuesday, June 18, during philosophy classes. If regular work throughout the year is going to pay off, eating right before and during the event also makes a difference. We can’t imagine going to a track or race even for 5 or 10 kilometers after ordering a hamburger or pizza, but when it comes to undergraduate tests, the same thing: eating the right quantity and quality of nutrition allows you to perform a little better. in front of your copy.

Beyond simple lifestyle issues (staying up at 2am before a four-hour event that starts at 8am), some foods will help you concentrate on the big day, others less so. We look at this problem with Anne-Laure Laratte, nutritionist and author of the X Miamologue account.

PARISIAN. Should you eat especially before the event? If we eat poorly, what can happen?

An afternoon snack will not necessarily count, but heavy meals should be avoided in the evening. Eat normally, but pay attention to the quantity. So, you can eat a hamburger, but you should avoid the burger, fries and nuggets combo. The risk is that we have trouble falling asleep or don’t sleep well.

On the other hand, you want starchy foods, not necessarily a big piece of pasta, but don’t remove starchy foods from your meal the night before. Because we risk staying hungry and waking up earlier because we are hungry!

Finally, we avoid eating too quickly because then we eat more and digestion, which requires energy, risks fatigue. As a result, we will sleep worse.

Is breakfast important?

Yes ! And we’ll obviously be avoiding super-sweet cereals like Trezor or Kellog’s. It’s better to eat whole grain bread, cheese, butter or yoghurt, eggs or even ham for good proteins, because it’s best to avoid mid-morning cravings: our stomach will growl, we’ll feel uncomfortable and a little different. it is likely that this will happen.

We also avoid fruit juices because even though they are considered part of the fruit, they are similar in sugar content to soda! In terms of timing, it’s good to finish eating at least an hour before the event so that most of the digestion is completed. If you look at it, lunch time is the time after eating, which is difficult. If stress suppresses hunger, we eat small amounts and don’t force ourselves to eat much because we risk making it worse.

Is it advisable to have a snack during this time? What type?

The brain is glucose dependent, so it needs glucose to function. He will think so, if it is not physical fatigue, then it will be mental fatigue: do not hesitate to snack, but avoid very sweet things. Give preference to fruits, compotes, low-sweet cereal bars or even oilseeds. It needs to be kept at room temperature and energy returned to avoid an accident. Also, plan a little more: it’s always better to have more than not enough: hunger can be annoying.

What’s better to drink?

Take small sips of water to hydrate and stay focused. And not too much so as not to have to constantly go to the toilet! This can be plain water, sparkling water, or lightly sweetened iced tea. But we avoid fruit juices and sodas because they make you drowsy and are very sweet!