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both mostly from animal
sources.” She suggests
talking to your local health
food store about your
options.

By now you're probably
thinking, “How is this
supposed to make my life
easier? Didn’t you already
say my life was stressful,
and now you're putting this
new task of eating brain
food on my plate?” It’s
easy to feel overwhelmed
by nutrition, but having
been a college student
herself, Orlando stresses
the importance of taking
baby steps and states that
any improvement, great or
small, is an improvement
nonetheless.

Keeping it simple is
crucial to success, which
is why it’s a good idea to
focus on only a couple
areas where you can
make changes. The best
suggestion that Orlando
can give to students is to eat
breakfast.

Your body fasts while
you sleep at night, which
means it’s digesting and
detoxifying the food you’ve
eaten all day. Orlando
says, “If you skip breakfast,
you're starting with your
energy levels at zero and
depleting [them] further—
you're essentially running
on empty.” Breaking
your fast with something
nourishing like oatmeal
(sweetened with cinnamon
or fruit), whole-grain
sprouted bread (Orlando
recommends the local Silver
Hills brand, available at
most grocery stores) with
almond butter, or a hard-
boiled egg (skip the toast if
you're going the eggs route)
is the absolute best thing
you can do for your mental
wellness.

Orlando also warns
against dehydration and
strongly encourages
everyone to drink a full
glass of water upon waking
up, and then six to eight
glasses throughout the

day. “Dehydration causes
fatigue, headaches, brain
fog, muscle soreness, and
it can affect sleep—all of
these things make it harder
for your brain to do its job,”
says Orlando. She notes that
the main reason her clients
don’t get enough water is
that they have a hard time
remembering, so to combat
this she suggests putting a
full glass of water by your
bed or desk, and constantly
carrying around a metal or
glass water bottle.
Ultimately, eating for
your brain isn’t going to
work if you spend your
whole day pulling your
hair out with worry over
the whole process. Orlando
stresses the importance of
keeping it simple: “If you
go from eating breakfast
zero days a week to eating
breakfast one day a week,
that’s an improvement.”
Even the professionals say
it’s important to go easy
on yourself and not get
overwhelmed. So break out
the black beans, or sprinkle
some blueberries onto a
salad, or enjoy a raw egg in
a smoothie. Try something
different and your brain
(and GPA) might just thank
you for it.

~

aaa
®

  

 

“A lot of the food you eat in college is highly refined
and full of saturated fat, so a good way to offset that
would be to have healthy snacks handy like trail mix,
fruit, and hemp hearts,” says Orlando.

Our top 5 picks for packable, nutrient-rich snacks:

1. Trail mix with dried fruit and nuts, available at
all grocery stores, usually in the bulk section for
reasonable prices. Stick these in baggies or small
container.

2. Fresh fruit is a great source of carbohydrates and
fibre, which pack well whole in a backpack or cutina
container. Stick with local fruits like apples or pears
rather than tropical fruits like mangos and bananas
which are higher in sugar.

3. Hemp hearts, or shelled hemp seeds, are available

in health food stores. They have a mild, nutty flavour

and are delicious in yogurt, on cereal or salad, or just
by themselves. They re an excellent source of protein
and healthy fats.

4. Bean salad is a great choice because you can make
it in large batches with canned beans and it keeps
for a long time in the fridge. Take it to school with
you in a small container and make it with chopped
vegetables like bell peppers and a light dressing with
tamari, honey and flax oil. It packs a complex carb
and healthy fats punch that can t be beat!

5. Cut veggies like carrots, cucumber, celery, and bell
peppers are easy to take with you to school. Skip the
ranch dressing dip and instead opt for protein rich
hummus or a tzatziki made with Greek yogurt.