Campus Safety: Snack Smart by Jennifer Cassetta

Today Jennifer Cassetta, a self-defense and female empowerment expert, is sharing safe snacking tips for back to campus.

Did you know that the food you eat has a direct effect on your brainpower? With school back in session, now would be a great time to overhaul your snack routine to keep your body safe from crashing when you’ll need your energy most! Not in school; the same goes for you! These tips below will keep your mind focused, your brain boosted and your energy high as you go through your work or play.

Before we get to the good stuff, let’s quickly talk about dangerous food choices. In a nutshell, these are going to be foods that dehydrate you, fill you with weird chemicals or send your body on a sugar rush setting you up for a big crash.

Topping this list are energy drinks. Caffeinated drinks like Monster, Redbull and Rockstar Energy are not good for your body even though you think they may help you pull those all-nighters or get through your dreaded workout. The extreme amount of caffeine is a diuretic that pulls water out of the body. And with the water, also comes vitamins and minerals which can put the body in a state of numerous deficiencies. Besides dehydration, which can cause the body to be overly acidic, sluggish and cause brain fog, the amount of caffeine in these energy drinks can also lead to jitteriness, anxiety, high blood pressure and even seizures.

Healthier alternatives to drinking energy drinks include green tea, black tea, 1-2 cups of coffee maximum per day as well as keeping your energy regulated by eating a balanced diet.

Healthier alternatives to drinking energy drinks include green tea, black tea, 1-2 cups of coffee maximum per day as well as keeping your energy regulated by eating a balanced diet.

Instead of snacking on candy, chips, cookies and other high sugar processed foods, try mix and matching the foods on the list below. They are all nutrient dense foods, which means that they contain vitamins, minerals, and fiber to keep your blood sugar balanced. When your blood sugar is balanced, your energy levels remain boosted and prevent you from crashing and burning.

Stock up on the following foods for your study time or work time snack breaks!

Safe snacks to increase your energy and keep you focused:

Sweet

• Apples
• Bananas
• Berries
• Dark chocolate
• Peaches

Salty

• Corn tortilla chips
• Lentil chips
• Quinoa chips
• Seasnax seaweed chips

Protein rich

• Almonds
• Almond butter
• Eggs
• Greek yogurt
• Hummus
• Peanut butter
• Protein bars*

*My favorite protein bar brands include: Larabar, Vega, Caveman, Rise, Clifbar Kit’s Organics and KIND.

Maximize the well-being of your body and mind. Carry pepper spray for peace of mind at your study sessions.