What "brain food" should I eat for breakfast before I take the ACT?!
What "brain food" should I eat for breakfast before I take the ACT?
What are some foods for breakfast that will help increase concentration and alertness besides coffee or tea?
Answers:
Coffee or tea might actually not be good. They can cause your mind to race, making it hard to concentrate. If you have them, try to limit yourself to one cup and drink it a few hours before the test. Carbohydrates help you to have energy and make you more focused. I would recommend eggs and toast. Milk may hurt your stomach if you are nervous. If milk does not upset your stomach, have a bowl of cereal with fruit. A glass of Orange juice can be a good substitute to coffee. It wakes you up but does not make your head race. I think that the most important thing is to eat a lot of carbs the night before and morning of the test. They help with mental energy. Try to avoid sugary drinks or cereals. You may feel a quick "high" from them, but they'll leave you dragging during the middle and end of the test.
This sounds cliche, but get a good night sleep. Don't sleep for more than 8 hours or you will feel groggy. Stretch or get your heart beating a little before breakfast. Eat a solid breakfast and arrive a little early for the test. Best of luck.
Source(s):
From AP and IB tests, to ACTs and SATs, I've been there too =)
Eat a second bran muffin; the extra sugar will do more for you than the caffeine in the coffee to keep ya alert and pluggin' along. Since it's in the form of a complex carbohydrate, it'll last ya through lunchtime.
-Bananas
-Eggs
-Fruits
-Veggies
-And a big glass of water!!!
Complex carbohydrates with lots of fiber - oatmeal (not the sugary instant kind) or Kashi cereal, but don't add too much sugar.
Protein - A couple of tablespoons of peanut butter on a banana or 1-2 eggs.
Avoid drinking more than a small glass of juice, which can give you a sugar rush and then the resulting sugar crash later!
Drink plenty of water the days before the test - dehydration can seriously sap your ability to concentrate.