Brain Food OR How to eat to your mental advantage

Carb out
Carbs fuel your brain. Stoke up on whole grains, and pair them with some protein: cereal and milk, cheese and toast, or peanut butter on a whole-wheat bagel. Don't overdo it, though. Digesting lots of food diverts blood from the brain to the stomach. Plus, too many carbs increase the amount of tryptophan in the brain, which causes drowsiness.

Drink up
Because your body (brain included) is about 70 percent water, the classic eight glasses a day might well tip the grade scale in your favor, Dr. Prousky says. And while alcohol is good for the cardiovascular system, it tends to fuzz the brain and dehydrate the body, both no-nos during finals.Looking for a quick snack? Try fruit and vegetable juices, which contain calories, vitamins and water. As for caffeine, it keeps you alert, but too much can wire you beyond concentration and the acid can really do a number on your stomach, Quagliani points out.
Eat breakfast
Grade-school kids who eat breakfast do better on standardized tests than those who don't. The same probably goes for college students, Rosenbloom says.

Balance your diet
During stressful finals week, make time to eat right. "So many people go into exams nutritionally depleted," Rosenbloom says. You know the drill: Eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies and whole-grain carbs, and go easy on the pizza-and-beer binges.