MCAT diet

[NotShorty]

I'm having a really tough time staying awake and attentive during my practice tests.

Does anyone eat/drink/do anything special to keep their head in the test?

Also, what about during the lunch break on test day? What do you guys like to have for lunch? I want to maximize brain power, and minimize digestive activity...

thanks!

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[doctorperez]

Luch avoid proteins if you wish not to have high digestive activity , increasy high glycemic index foods, MALTODEXTROSE containing junk food will do.

 

[beastmaster]

That is the most absurd advice I have ever heard. Please refrain from giving advice, as you don't know what you're talking about it.

Do not avoid protein, because protein can act like a sugar time-capsule, releasing small portions at a time as it is needed via gluconeogenesis.

The problem is never the GI or the particulars of the food, although low-protein high-carb is a *****ic way of going about this.

The problem is always quantity, either under- or over-shooting it can lead to an unwanted sense of fatigue. Have generous portions of proteins, essential fats, and a good carb source with enough water.

Forget that gatorade/carb non-sense.

Look into some nootropics though, if that's something you're interested in. Piracetam is a popular one.

 

[noy]

eggs for breakfast, fruits, energy pars (zone perfect bars or powerbars w/ protein) and LOTS of water throughout the day

you should get protein and carbs and fat all together - try it out in a practice setting first

 

[deez4life]

i used to drink sobe adrenaline rush before every full-length, including the actual exam. kept me wide awake in the morning.

 

[spumoni620]

complex carbs...whole wheat bread w/peanut butter for ex...fiber (but not too much as it can make you have, erm, digestive issues) and protein all digest slowly and release energy over suspended periods of time. a little (emphasize little) caffeine in the form of tea or 1 cup of coffee can also help. i drank plenty of water, kept refueling w/snacks throughout the test...and had plenty of protein. it helped me keep awake...

 

[AlternateSome1]

Laxatives, and lots of them. I also recommend eating cabbage, beans, califlower, and brussel sprouts, blended and served with whipped cream.

Really...is the food you eat on the test day really that big of a deal? Besides common sense things like...don't eat something that makes you sick, or causes some sort of allergic reaction, I don't think it matters much. I took it last april and I just ate whatever I could stomach.

~AS1~

 

[NotShorty]

Thanx for all the great replies!

Beastmaster,

"Look into some nootropics though, if that's something you're interested in. Piracetam is a popular one."

You're speaking a foreign language to me, what are you talking about?

 

[MeowMix]

I was nervous at 7 a.m. on the day of the test and couldn't eat breakfast. I took a couple of protein shake-type fruit things with me, and had one before the test when my stomach calmed down. At breaks I had bits of fruit, energy bars; bagel etc for lunch - I feel very sleepy if I eat lots of sugar or lots of anything at one time.

For me, the key to staying awake was eating just enough to have energy. I got nervous and drank too much water before PS and had to run for the bathroom at the break!

 

[Winston Smith]

I think you're better off just eating what you usually do for breakfast and lunch. But you've got to eat full meals both times (don't do what Meowmix did eheh).

Do snacks really help you guys during the test? I think it might make me feel bloated and it's just too much of a sugar rush, which isn't necessarily good since it doesn't last that long (and then you're sleepy!).

 

[ma-bas]

Originally posted by spumoni620
complex carbs...whole wheat bread w/peanut butter for ex...fiber (but not too much as it can make you have, erm, digestive issues) and protein all digest slowly and release energy over suspended periods of time. a little (emphasize little) caffeine in the form of tea or 1 cup of coffee can also help. i drank plenty of water, kept refueling w/snacks throughout the test...and had plenty of protein. it helped me keep awake...

I agree with spumoni. PB and J on wheat was my breakfast of choice. You want a combo of complex carbs, for slow releasing energy, fat to keep you from feeling hungry and protein will prevent the low you can get after a too much carbs. If you need an energy boost, fruit is a good choice, and nuts pack fat and protein. But don't eat something so foreign to you. Don't try a new lunch spot, you don't want to get sick.

 

[popeyepete]

ate a few crackers for breakfast and a couple sips of water. pb and j for lunch with just enough water to wash it down. I didn't wnat to have to pee during the test and lots of food makes me tired. I didn't really sleep night before and was nervous as crap...i didn't need sleep or food though b/c i was going on pure adreniline...when that test was over i about crashed. Oh well, eat light and drink light is my advice.

Good luck everyone!

 

[beastmaster]

Originally posted by NotShorty
Thanx for all the great replies!

Beastmaster,

"Look into some nootropics though, if that's something you're interested in. Piracetam is a popular one."

You're speaking a foreign language to me, what are you talking about?

Nootropics are intelligence/memory boosters. Just drop "piracetam" into a search engine and you'll be fine.

 

[PreMedAdAG]

Here's my MCAT meal plan:

Breakfast: 1 Sugarfree Red Bull Energy Drink
1 Atkins Bar

Lunch: 2 rice cakes
lunchmeat (no bread)
cottage cheese
jello cup
diet snapple
piece of fruit

I try to stay away from too many carbs because they disrupt my stomach and give me immediately seratonin happiness followed by intense crashing. I up the protein, reduce the sugars and don't drink too much because bathroom breaks are infrequent and the last thing you need is to have to pee in the middle of a section!

 

[David Smit]

There is absolutely no diet which fits everyone. Do not change things at the last moment. You need to focus on what has got you to the point which you are at. All this talk about low carb, hi protein b.s., do not follow it. Your body will tell you what you need. Having said that, anything extreme will likely cause more harm than good, so quick sugar, high fat, etc - avoid it. Keep the blood sugar stable ---- eat a balanced nutritious diet. Just what the doctor ordered.
AND forget the supplement nonsense. Get on with it.

 

[IndyZX]

this thread is a little silly. i wouldn't try to stray too far from your normal eating routine, as long as it wont distract you.

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

i crave sugars (peanut butter on biscotti or candy bars!!!) when i study but u haveto watchout i went from a size 5>7 during this past summer's 13 credit crunch load. now i'll have 2 weeks to work it off before school starts again. ho hum

eat what makes u happy and gets you in the study mood - ull always work it off later anyways!

 

[ESPNdeportes]

For your lunch break, go for Chipotle........

 

[jefras99]

Really, the absolute best thing to do is keep hydrated by drinking lots of water. Lay off most other drinks a couple weeks before the test (except a few with caffeine, like iced tea, if you need it).

 

[indo]

Why does this thread exist?

 

[futuredo32]

My advice: Gatorade to drink all day. A banana and trail mix for breakfast. A bagel with peanut butter for lunch and on the break before the last section of the test, an orange and a jolly rancher or other hard candy. This was my diet last August and it helped.
Good Luck!

 

[greggth]

I have given this a lot of thought. I usually get sleepy in the afternoon and it was hurting my MCAT performance. I usually don't use caffeine, but I decided to make an exception. I need the caffeine for the afternoon, but not the morning. In the morning, somehow I stay awake. Carbohydrates for breakfast give me energy.

I experimented a little and found that this seems to work:

Breakfast: 4 servings of plain grits (a carbohydrate-rich cooked cereal, like rice, 130 calories per serving). 5 fried egg whites, salted, not too much oil. Fruit juice, water, maybe some skim milk. A multivitamin.

Lunch: 4 servings of plain grits, 15 Pringles potato chips (for the salt and because they taste good ) and 500 ml (2 cups) of Diet Coke.

My next experiment will be to try drinking 1/2 cup of Diet Coke in the morning, about 1/2 hour before the exam, and see if it helps any.

By the way I am male, 160 lbs.

 

[greggth]

Hi, here I am again after 10+ years, almost finished with residency (long story). I am about to take my board exam in family medicine. I have still used basically the same meal during all my exams through med school and residency and did well. The key is the carbohydrates. I don't use the egg whites anymore- substitute some other protein for them. (BTW it turned out I didn't need the diet Coke in the morning...)
Good luck everyone!

 

[Gauss44]

Laxatives, and lots of them. I also recommend eating cabbage, beans, califlower, and brussel sprouts, blended and served with whipped cream.

Really...is the food you eat on the test day really that big of a deal? Besides common sense things like...don't eat something that makes you sick, or causes some sort of allergic reaction, I don't think it matters much. I took it last april and I just ate whatever I could stomach.

~AS1~

I think someone in the Prometric testing room ate this diet the day of my 1st MCAT.

 

[listener23]

I think someone in the Prometric testing room ate this diet the day of my 1st MCAT.

I don't think he's going to reply back... he's either dead or an attendant by now

 

[Thoroughbred_Med]

Fu#k carbohydrates. Stay on a high carbohydrate diet for long and enjoy the end results of IBS and a host of other chronic diseases.

Eat how our evolution has made us for millions of years. Think back to the Paleolithic era. It just makes sense. Yes there were carbs....(starchy vegetables, plants, berries). No the hunter-gatherers did not blend fruits into fruit juice..... No they did not have grains... These only came about after the agricultural revolution.... wherein the rise of chronic diseases occurred