Smart Mind in a Healthy Body- Exam Tips

A smart mind and a strong mind need to dwell in a healthy and fit body. The first step to keeping your body healthy is to take out 20-25 minutes from your 24 hour day to go for a quick and brisk walk around your house, building or block. Walking makes you feel more energetic, alert, fresh and relaxed as it relieves the stress. So take out this time from your rest or relaxation time, no matter what it costs.

Try to drink at least two litres of water daily as this keeps your body well hydrated and research shows that when your body is fully hydrated your capacity to work with figures and numbers and make calculations is much higher. Also when you have drunk plenty of water your concentration capacity is higher and you feel less tired and exhausted.

(Aerated drinks and colas to be strictly avoided as they have such a high concentration of sugar and it makes you retain water and feel more dehydrated.)

The third factor is to make sure that children are eating meals that are properly balanced with carbohydrate and protein foods eg. Bread and jam is carb + carb so it must be eaten along with a glass of milk. Bread and egg or bread and cheese gives us carbohydrate plus protein. A stuffed roti with just a piece of pickle, ketchup or chutney is not enough it must be eaten with a cup of curd or a glass of milk as well. Iddlies with sambar and a glass of milk may be eaten. Oats, ragi or broken wheat porridge may be eaten with a cup of milk mixed into it.

This carbohydrate plus protein combination must be maintained at both lunch and dinner too. That means, rotis or rice cannot be eaten with only vegetable sabjis or curries. A dhal preparation, a sambar or a pulse curry like channa curry or rajma or moong, etc., must be prepared at both lunch and dinner. Non-veg or egg may be eaten as a protein item and paneer too may be included.

However the non-veg and paneer dishes must be prepared with minimum oil as heavy rich and oily dishes are difficult to digest and take a long time to be digested so they will make the children tired and drowsy after they have eaten and they will be unable to concentrate and study well.

Many parents feel that their child is working hard so she/he needs to be pampered and given rich and tasty dishes. This may do more harm than good. The same rule applies to snacks and sweets, many children indulge in chips, chocolates and ice-creams during this time along with fried snacks, pastries and Indian sweets. This should be avoided. The best snacks are fruits and milk. Fruits give you quick sugar which can raise your energy levels fast along with vitamins, minerals and fluids which will refresh you as well. Milk gives you milk sugar, protein and vitamins A,B,D and E along with calcium and fluids so this too is nutritious.

Try to eat 3 carb + protein balanced meals+ 3 glasses milk + 3 fruits daily for the next 1-2 months as you prepare for your exams as well as during the exams.

So the formula is 25 minutes walk, 2 to 2.5 litres water and healthy meals and snacks to keep your mind smart and strong and your body healthy and fit while you face your exams.

We wish you well and pray that God will bless each of you with health, strength and wisdom to do your exams brilliantly.