Titanic struggles with revision

As winter has turned to spring, so 16-18 year olds the length and breadth of the land have turned their attention towards finding ways of not revising for their looming (think iceberg - titanic) exams, GCSEs and A-levels.

The day of reckoning is nearly upon us, with the first written papers in a couple of weeks, and time running out like, well, the sands of time, in an egg timer.

Now I can tell you, because there are two 16/18 year olds in my house, so I know, that there are differing approaches to this issue.

However, there is one thing that all approaches to revision need: fuel, energy, food, etc.

Food for Thought in fact, as The Guardian pointed out this week:

It's important to find the ideal exam diet for you, and not rely on takeaways, wine gums and energy tablets. The Guardian quotes Fiona Cassells, a lecturer in mental health nursing at the University of Cumbria:

"Most people are familiar with the physical consequences of a poor diet, but the mental health implications are largely ignored. The types of food we eat have a direct effect on the performance of the brain, and, in a learning environment, levels of concentration, memory and the overall efficiency of the brain are critical."

She points out that, "It is vital that [students] understand the mental health benefits [of good diet] and risks associated with poor diet."

"There's good evidence that eating correctly can improve concentration," says Sara Stanner, science programme manager at the British Nutrition Foundation and the Nutrition Society's spokeswoman.

"It's more important to think long term and get into the habit of eating three meals a day. It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive to eat healthily - a bowl of pasta with fresh vegetables is still nutritional, so are beans on toast. Simply eating breakfast is really important - if you don't, your concentration levels will dip. Superfoods are packed full of particular nutrients, but so too are other fruit and veg, and there's no real benefit in picking one fruit over another.

"Variety is key to getting all the nutrients you need. If you eat healthily, you will have the energy you need to get through long days."

"Too much chocolate is a bad thing - replacing snacks with nuts, fruit, dried fruit and yoghurt is far better," says Stanner. "Or if you don't want to have fruit, have something like a scone which has dried fruit in it, or a bagel instead. Young people are often lacking nutrients, and if you're constantly eating crisps and chocolate, it's not going to be good for you."