Before A Driving Test: What To Eat And Not To Eat

by IndianAuto Team | 13/01/2019
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Cars need fuel and you need food to have enough energy for a driving test. Fish, nuts, turmeric, and more.

Learning, reviewing, and revising what you have learned thoroughly before a driving test is crucial for the best results. However, those are not the only factors that affect your success, but the kind of foods you swallow also determines it. Let’s find out what can boost your brain and memory and what cannot.

Also read5 Foods That Boost Alert During Long Drives

Healthy food and drinks before a driving test

Water

a glass and a bottle of water

Water is vital to every living being

Sufficiently drinking water is good for your health, and freshwater itself does not cause any sickness as it is easy for your body to absorb continually, provide your body cells with enough pure liquid hydrogen, and implement the water loss during the dehydration process. When you are suffering from dehydration, you will start experience, firstly, thirst, then tiredness as well as dizziness, and finally, if the water loss exceeds your limitation, you will faint. As a consequence, you won’t be likely to have enough concentration to perform daily tasks and other activities. Therefore, before taking a driving test, you should give your body a quite sufficient amount of water but not too much since excessive water consumption leads you to spend a lot of time in the toilet. Here are some brief information on how good water is for your health and how bad it is if taken excessively.

Pros (+)

  • Sufficient water consumption increases metabolism levels;

  • Drinking water reduces the chance of having constipation;

  • You can focus effectively, especially on works or tests;

  • Your kidneys function correctly under the condition of enough hydrogen;

  • Having enough supplied water cleanses digestion, improves blood circulation, alleviates pain, reduce skin problems, and halts premature ageing.

Cons (-)

  • Excessive water consumption leads to cardiac problems and affects one’s blood volumes;

  • Taking too much hydrogen dilutes electrolytes;

  • If drinking enough water helps your kidneys function well, lack of water damages it dramatically.

Foods that enhance your brain and memory

Foods that contain essential fatty acids and proteins such as fish and nuts will keep your stomach feeling full for a longer time, and they help your brain operate efficiently. As a result, you can feel less worried during the driving test (however, don’t eat too much since being too full can cause sleepiness and anxiety)

1. Fatty Fish

a fillet salmon

Salmon is a fish that is rich in fats.

When we discuss brain foods the top list must include fatty fish which can help you boost your brain performance due to the following reasons:

  • Fatty fish is considered a rich source of omega-3s which sharpens memory and improves mood and protects your brain against ageing

  • Researchers found that those who eat broiled or baked fish on a regular basis likely to have more grey matter produced in their brain, which enhances nerve cells that control memory, decision making, and emotion

2. Coffee

many cups of coffee

What is better than a cup of coffee in the morning?

Do you have a routine of drink coffee in the morning? If you do, you have a good habit. The caffeine that coffee has possesses many positive impacts on humans’ brains, including:

  • Increasing people’s alertness by blocking adenosine which chemically makes you feel sleepy

  • Improving mood because caffeine can boost serotonin which is one of the “feeling good” hormones and neurotransmitters

  • Sharpening concentration if you have a large cup of coffee in the morning or smaller amounts during the day

* You can use green tea instead of coffee as they function the same but the caffeine amount of green tea is lower.

3. Turmeric

turmeric powder

Turmeric is very familiar with Indians

Curcumin, the most active, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory component in turmeric, can directly go into the brain and benefit its cells. Turmeric’s tremendous benefits include:

  • Boosting memory: Curcumin helps improve the memory of people suffering Alzheimer's by clearing the amyloid plaques which are a hallmark of this deadly disease

  • Easing depression: Curcumin boosts dopamine and serotonin production (both dramatically improve mood). Scientists also found that the antioxidant substance can also improve depression symptoms

  • Helping the growth of new brain cells: Curcumin boosts a kind of growth hormone that helps brain cells develop

* To make use of the curcumin’s benefits, try to cook with curry powder or make turmeric tea.

You can also try to have these following foods, which have nearly the same effects as the above foods, to boost your performance before taking a driving test: fruits and vegetables, blueberries, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, nuts, oranges, and eggs.

Unhealthy foods and drinks

Refined sugar

refined sugar

Eating less refined sugar makes you healthier

Soft drinks, biscuits, and milk chocolate may provide you with instant energy boosts, but the enhancement will not last so long. At the time the stimulating effect fades away, you will soon become lack of energy and then perform less effectively. Therefore, long-lasting power provided by healthy sugar coming from fruits is a much better choice for you.

Fatty foods

When having a lot of fatty foods or those with large amounts of proteins, you will likely experience sleepiness as a normal body reaction after digesting such foods. Moreover, during this process, your body requires more and more water, if you cannot consume sufficient hydrogen, you will soon suffer the aforementioned bad effects (tiredness, dizziness, faint, and concentration loss). Try to have fish or a more healthy meal rather than fatty foods for lunch if you have a driving test in the afternoon for the best mood and results.

Gassy foods

a glass of coke

Too much coke is bad for your health

You don’t want to eructate while taking an actual driving test as this will distract you from the exam and even worse your examiners won’t feel good about it. Therefore, try to avoid cokes, other gassy beverages, and those giving you bloating. Moreover, you should not have food that causes irritation or pains to your stomach since they will tremendously reduce your performance.

Smelly foods

No one wants to give his or her driving instructors/examiners reasons to jump out of the car because of an uncomfortable smell. In some culture, it may be accepted for people to eat a lot of garlic or heavily smelling spiced food. However, if the examiner does not get used to this, try not to take in the smelly foods before the test.

Alcohol

3 glasses of beer

Remember not to have a beer before a driving test

You shall not consume any alcohol or stimulant before taking a driving test. It will not only reduce your performance, but it will get you out of the test if you drink too much. Try to avoid alcohol whether you are an alcoholic or not and also keep in mind that drinking it is not good behaviour.

Recommendations

If you have to take your driving test in the morning, have a healthy breakfast and avoid eating snacks, sweets, and junk foods for breakfast. Fruit, yoghurt, or eggs eaten with toasts or cereals are considered suitable for your health and mood. Drink enough water to implement the water you lost overnight and the hydrogen you will drop during the test.

If you have to take the test in the afternoon, you can have a meal with tuna, salmon, or other fish salads. Besides, you can try having rice with curry and remember to choose ones with veggies and proteins.

Read more tips and guides from IndianAuto

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