Pencils, paper, preparation and a gigantic piece of chocolate cake. These may be some of the things that bring success during finals week. What should you eat and drink during finals to give you the best chance at a prosperous week of exams?

“Coffee, coffee, coffee,” said college graduate Carol Brandenburg. Many people rely on this magic liquid to bring them through the all night study sessions and back-to-back exams.

“I lived on Starbucks and energy drinks,” said Santa Rosa Junior College student Faith Gates with a grin.

Hydration is critical during finals week. Dehydration causes the body to release a hormone called cortisol, decreasing the storage capacity of memory. Water also provides much-needed adrenaline.

Drink tea instead of beloved coffee. Tea improves focus and memory and helps you relax.

“I made a batch of my favorite food, spinach dip. And ate it gradually during my exams week,” said law student Courtney Joy Martin. Spinach and all varieties leafy of vegetables are spectacular brain food.

Your brain will thank you for filling your body with this super food as spinach is packed with vitamins and minerals that replenish your cells. Minerals like folate, vitamin E and vitamin K found in spinach protect against dementia and cognitive decline.  Just one-half cup of cooked spinach contains a third of the folate and five times the amount of vitamin K you need in a day.

SRJC student Jesse Barnett said he didn’t have much time to eat a decent meal during his back-to-back exams. “I had a granola bar when I could in the few minutes I had between my tests,” he said. “And I took the candy bar offered by one of my professors.”

Don’t worry if you don’t have time to roll out a multiple course meal in the midst of your exams. If you only have time for a granola bar or a piece of chocolate, try to pick something that is still feeding your brain. Choose a granola bar with lots of oats and nuts because it contains protein and glucose for your brain.

If you choose Hershey’s for a source of fuel, choose a dark chocolate candy, which increases blood flow to the brain.

“Smoothies! Tons of smoothies,” said former SRJC student Alyssa Nelson of her finals food choice.

If you head off campus and grab a smoothie, choose a blackberry-based one. Blackberries hold antioxidants called polyphenols that improve your ability to absorb new information.

If you want to take eating for your brain to the next level, top your next pizza with sardines. Those little guys are packed with supercharged omega-3 fatty acids, providing fantastic mental focus.

If you want an excuse for a nice steak dinner, beef gives you the iron you need to perform during the mentally-straining week.

So besides studying and sleeping during finals week, remember to also prepare your brain with the nutrients it needs to help earn good grades. In the end, what you eat could affect the final results.