The Flavors of Finals: Cravings during the home stretch

Photo by Mizuno K on Pexels com Credit Photo by Mizuno K on Pexels comIt s a m My vision blurs as I hold my drawing pen determined to make just a little more progress before my body forces me to call this all-nighter quits I m simultaneously hot and freezing I m sweating I have goosebumps I feel gross and I want a shower Everything is due Finals week draws nigh As stress swells I find myself craving an unholy amount of chocolate Unfortunately I can t survive on semi-sweet baking chips I m sure there are other options but with a brain so fried all that remains is the Ctrl Z command to Undo I need outside snacking expertise How do my peers snack their way through finals Jen ScottSavannah College of Art and Design SCAD senior Jen Scott a self-described chocolate fiend after my own heart revealed that proper nutrition takes a backseat during the high-stress times of school terms I usually just forget to definitely eat meals Scott commented For college students stress commonly causes the appetite to go haywire according to a number of studies Since Scott mentioned that the food she eats during finals differs from her normal eating habits I inquired what she craves during finals Snacks she narrated me I usually just lean towards candy and baked goods But what she looks forward to once the term concludes is the complete opposite She wants home-cooked meals Literally the best Scott declared My mom makes incredible homemade ramen with noodles from scratch and everything Now I want ramen But I need more opinions Aarti Damania another SCAD senior admits that stress also forces her to skip meals but as the term progresses she often finds herself seeking comfort foods Instant noodles are veritably my biggest comfort food Damania commented More SCAD x Rough Draft coverageAs the conversation continued and my craving for noodles increased Damania delightfully revealed she is a chocolate lover too But after the quarter ends Damania looks forward to latest away from the sweets The moment finals finish I go back home and I eat home-cooked food Damania explained already anticipating the meals she will have I have to admit I feel similarly But now I find myself wondering about the reason for these cravings Registered dietitian Alissa Palladino has my answers It can be multi-pronged Palladino reported She describes how there are emotional and physical components that come into play For emotional aspects Palladino explains pleasure-seeking combats uncomfortable feelings like stress There s often a link there of turning to food as a coping mechanism to feel more assured and to help self-soothe Palladino reported In times of high stress cortisol levels in the body rise leading to cravings for foods high in sugar and salt Evolutionarily we are indeed hardwired to crave sugar when we re stressed Palladino explained Afterwards when the hormone spike levels out we return to finding comfort in normal often more balanced meals like home cooking It s a pattern a lot of students know all too well especially when finals hit and eating habits go out the window Armed with my new knowledge I returned to seeking out my peers for their snacking expertise Simone FergusonSCAD junior Simone Ferguson explained to me the dichotomy of his cravings during finals I really crave a lot of food from home when I know I m going home Ferguson announced and proceeded to describe a mouthwatering Texas barbecue that has been on my mind ever since Despite this Ferguson declared during the quarter they eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches because they re easy to make I noticed myself cooking a lot of pastries around finals week he admitted They make me feel happy and fulfilled Love is stored in the food SCAD junior Marie Alexander s go-to is apples and cheese in those mini snack packs Something about the simple snacks from childhood makes everything seem okay especially during times of high stress My family says these foods are kind of for babies I associated those foods with a happy point in my life So I m like If I eat this for a brief moment in time everything s chill and everything s nostalgic Alexander announced I have never felt more seen Nostalgia can tide us over for a while but in the end college students like Alexander look forward to the home stretch The post The Flavors of Finals Cravings during the home stretch appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta