What the apps tell you

Typically, these apps use the camera on your phone to scan the barcode on a product. The product is then identified from a database and given a rating. If using Yuka, the nutritional information, ingredients list and any additives contribute to the overall score between zero and 100 (100 being the best). Artificial and less favourable ingredients are highlighted (such as too much salt or high saturates) and if the product has scored poorly, the app will recommend a healthier alternative with a better score. You can also use Yuka to scan cosmetics – it works in the same way.

EWGs Healthy Living app is focused on reducing chemical exposure and includes around 120,000 food, cosmetic and cleaning items. Identifying products via their barcodes, it awards a one to 10 health score based on ingredient hazards. You can browse categories and ingredients.

PureCheck is another barcode scanning app for food and cosmetics. It doesn’t give a score, but instead provides a nutritional/ingredient summary. This is probably the most simplistic of the three, providing less information than Yuka or EWG.

While these apps do help identify high-risk ingredients and empower consumers to make better choices with their shopping, there are several drawbacks. One concern is the scoring systems, which can oversimplify complex nutritional information. For example, Yuka may rate a product poorly due to the presence of additives, even if the overall nutritional profile is good. In some instances, PureCheck has cited limited research based on animal studies, and the size of the databases on all these apps vary, so the product choice is a bit limited at times and there is some bias towards bigger brands.

None of the apps appear to factor in ultra-processed foods, but instead emphasise specific ingredients/components that have been linked to adverse health outcomes. These could include nitrites/nitrates, which have been linked to colorectal cancer risk, or certain artificial sweeteners (like aspartame or acesulfame-K), flagged for possible metabolic or neurological effects.

Critics argue that ignoring the level of processing overlooks a key health factor, as numerous studies link UPF consumption to chronic disease and ageing, regardless of nutritional content. For example:

1. Flavoured plant-based milks – some almond or oat milks may score well if they’re low in sugar and free from additives, even if they’re heavily processed and low in protein
2. Vegan meat alternatives – are low in fat, with few additives, but heavily processed
3. Protein bars – are low in sugar and high in protein, which can boost their score even though they contain artificial sweeteners and are heavily processed

So, a food high in sugar might score better on Yuka, EWG and PureCheck than one with additives deemed risky (like nitrites), which can be misleading.

Additionally, other factors, such as environmental sustainability, are overlooked and they don’t always account for portion sizes or dietary context, leading to potentially inaccurate or misleading conclusions. For example, if a tortilla wrap scored low, yet you were having it with some grilled chicken and salad, would it still be ranked as a ‘poor’ choice? On Yuka, a fresh fruit item will only get a score of 100 if it is organic, which seems a bit excessive.

Here is an overview of how these apps tend to rate various common foods.

Fresh fruit and vegetables
Score: 90-100
Why? Unprocessed

Extra virgin olive oil
Score: 75
Why? No additives, low sugar, low salt, yet too calorific

Whole grain bread
Score: 60-75
Why? Contains salt, sometimes sugar or additives

Hummus
Score: 60-80
Why? Nutritious, but may contain preservatives

Sugary breakfast cereals
Score: 10-30
Why? High sugar, additives, ultra-processed

Flavoured yogurts
Score: 10-30
Why? High sugar, flavourings, sometimes artificial sweeteners

Processed cheese slices
Score: 5-20
Why? Emulsifiers, flavour enhancers, ultra-processed

How useful/trustworthy is the advice?

Speaking as a nutritionist, these apps can be useful for people as a general guide, but they have clear limitations when it comes to providing trustworthy, personalised dietary advice. The useful aspects include:

• Makes nutrition information more accessible to people who perhaps wouldn’t look at back-of-packet ingredients lists
• Colour coding is simple and easy to understand
• Highlights controversial or overused ingredients like nitrites, certain sweeteners or emulsifiers
• Encourages people to think more about which ingredients may impact their health
• Provides alternatives, which can guide people towards better choices and items that contain lower fat, sugar or salt

There are limitations to consider too, which should be factored in when using the apps:

• Complex nutrition data is reduced to a single score, which can be misleading
• They lack personalisation and don’t account for medical conditions, allergies/intolerances and energy needs
• The one-size-fits-all approach is too simplistic
• Additives are over-emphasised, even if they have been approved by regulatory bodies/food safety and are present in tiny amounts
• Can create unnecessary fear and obsession around food choices

The additives I avoid as a nutritionist

The apps tend to focus most heavily on controversial additives, preservatives and artificial flavours and colours. I would have to agree that if you are someone who is consuming ultra-processed foods daily, are regularly feeding them to your family or have a chronic health condition, then it’s probably advisable to avoid/reduce them. However, small amounts on occasion are not dangerous for most healthy individuals.

There are a few ingredients I do try to avoid/limit, which are:

1. Trans fats (hydrogenated oils): linked to heart disease and banned in many countries. Unfortunately, they can still appear in some processed foods.
2. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS): a highly processed sugar linked to obesity, insulin resistance and fatty liver disease
3. Sodium nitrite: often used in processed meats as a preservative, but associated with increased cancer risk
4. Monosodium glutamate (MSG): a flavour enhancer that can cause headaches or sensitivity in some people
5. Food dyes red 40 and yellow 5: linked to hyperactivity in children

 Should you take your app shopping?

These apps can help identify foods that might be better to eat less often, but it’s more important to focus on overall diet than obsess over small amounts of additives in specific products. By simply checking if an item has a long list of ingredients, you can usually tell whether it’s one to add to your trolley or not.

Overall, these apps can be educational and are a useful entry point for raising awareness about the food you're eating. But, it’s hard to be sure how accurate or consistent the information is. Nutrition is rarely black and white, and apps are not a substitute for tailored, professional, individualised information, especially for complex cases. If you focus on cooking with whole foods and fresh produce, you can be confident you are making good choices without the need for apps.

Further reading

Good Food’s guide to healthy eating
What is a balanced diet?
What’s the truth about UPFs? A nutritionist evaluates
All you need to know about sugar

All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.

Whether you want to boost memory or focus, making changes to your diet can help. Although there's no single 'brain food' to protect against age-related disorders like Alzheimer's or dementia, paying attention to what you eat may give you the best chance of optimising your brain health and maintaining a positive outlook.

Discover how these everyday foods may help:

• Optimise brain function and sharpen performance
• Improve concentration and focus
• Boost memory
• Support healthy brain ageing
• Reduce anxiety and stress
• Enhance mood

Next, find out more about the importance of an anti-inflammatory diet, why Mediterranean diets are so healthy and see our top mood-boosting recipes.

15 foods to support brain health

If you want to keep your memory, concentration and focus sharp, it’s best to eat a varied, balanced diet that includes brain-supportive foods.

1. Wholegrains

May help improve concentration and focus

Like everything else in the body, the brain can’t work without sufficient fuel and its preferred form is glucose. To maintain concentration and focus, you need to ensure a steady supply of glucose from carbohydrates. The best way to do this is eating more wholegrains, as these have a low glycemic index (GI). This means they release a steady supply of energy, helping keep you mentally alert throughout the day.

Not eating enough carbohydrates or opting for fast-releasing ones like processed (white) grains and sugary foods may leave you feeling irritable or experiencing brain fog.

Choose wholegrain breads, rice and pasta instead of the white, refined versions.

2. Oily fish

May promote healthy brain structure and function

Essential fatty acids are just that – essential – because they can't be made by the body and we have to get them from the food we eat. The type in found in oily fish are important for a healthy brain, as well as for your heart.

Although in early stages, some studies suggest that eating enough good fats may help with depression. Plus, low levels of a specific type of fatty acid – docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) – may be linked to increased risk of dementia, Alzheimer's and memory loss.

Oily fish, such as salmon, trout, mackerel and sardines, provide these fats in a form that the body can easily use. If you don’t eat fish, don’t worry: you can still get essential fatty acids from plant sources, such as flaxseeds, soya beans, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and their oils. However, our body has to convert these fats in order to use them, and that process is far from efficient.

If you're vegetarian or vegan, try adding hemp and chia seeds to your diet or take a supplement derived from micro-algae. Vegetarian or vegan mums-to-be or those who are breastfeeding should consider a supplement, because these fats play an important role in the development of your baby.

If you are considering taking a supplement, speak to your GP first and check out our review of the best omega-3 supplements.

3. Blueberries

May boost short-term memory

One study suggested that consuming blueberries may help improve or delay short-term memory loss.

A similar effect may be achieved by eating other dark red and purple fruits and vegetables, such as blackberries and red cabbage. These contain protective plant compounds called anthocyanins, which have anti-inflammatory benefits. This is important, as inflammation is at the root of a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, depression and Alzheimer’s.

4. Tomatoes

May delay age-related cognitive impairment

Some studies suggest that lycopene, a carotenoid found in tomatoes, has antioxidant benefits that appear to have therapeutic effects for the brain and help protect against cognitive decline. However, more research is needed into the benefits of tomatoes for the brain.

Enjoy tomatoes with a little olive oil to optimise your body's absorption of the fat-soluble lycopene. Other food sources include papaya, watermelon and pink grapefruit.

5. Eggs

May support healthy brain ageing and support memory

Homocysteine is an amino acid that elevates as we age, increasing our risk of stroke and Alzheimer's. Certain B vitamins – B6, B12 and folic acid – help break down homocysteine to create other chemicals your body needs.

Interestingly, a study of elderly people with mild cognitive impairment found that after two years of intervention with high doses of B6, B12 and folic acid, they experienced significantly less brain shrinkage.

Other B vitamins, including B1 and B3, are important for brain function. So is choline, which you can get from eating egg yolks. It’s especially important during pregnancy and breastfeeding when it’s needed for your baby’s brain development. Choline is also a key component of the memory-boosting brain chemical acetylcholine.

To get these nutrients, eat plenty of eggs, chicken, fish, leafy greens and dairy. If you're vegan, look to fortified plant milks and breakfast cereals, or consider a supplement. Other useful vegan sources of B vitamins include avocado, nuts and seeds.

6. Blackcurrants

May reduce anxiety and stress

You might already know that getting enough vitamin C has been linked to everything from boosting your mental and physical energy, to reducing feelings of anxiety and stress. Studies have also shown that deficiency in this powerful antioxidant may lead to dementia and Alzheimer's.

One of the best food sources is blackcurrants, but you can also get vitamin C from red peppers and broccoli, as well as citrus fruits such as oranges.

7. Pumpkin seeds

May enhance memory and boost mood

Rich in zinc, a mineral needed for enhancing memory and thinking skills, pumpkin seeds are also a useful source of stress-busting magnesium, B vitamins and tryptophan, the precursor to the 'good mood' chemical serotonin.

Other useful food sources include beef, oysters, chickpeas and nuts, including cashews and almonds.

8. Broccoli

May improve brainpower

Broccoli is a useful source of vitamin K, which can help boost cognitive function. Research also suggests that it can slow the breakdown of acetylcholine, a brain chemical we need to keep memories sharp.

Other cruciferous veg that support the brain include cauliflower, kale, cabbage and brussels sprouts.

9. Sage

May boost memory and concentration

Sage is believed to improve memory and concentration. Most studies focus on the oil taken from the herb, but it may still be worth consuming fresh sage. Add it at the end of cooking to recipes like pearl barley & sage risotto to protect the beneficial oils.

10. Nuts

May help protect healthy brain function

One study showed that vitamin E may help prevent cognitive decline, including memory loss. Eating more nuts is a good way to get enough vitamin E, along with leafy green vegetables, olives, seeds, eggs and wholegrains.

11. Rosemary

May sharpen memory

Memory loss is associated with ageing and damage caused by a natural process called oxidation. Plant compounds in rosemary have antioxidant properties and are believed to help combat this damage and protect against memory loss, although more studies are needed to look at how it effects humans.

12. Turmeric

May lift mood

The active compound in turmeric, curcumin, may help lift our mood and alleviate symptoms of depression. One study examining its antidepressive effects found that curcumin was as effective as the drug Prozac.

There’s also a suggestion that curcumin may boost feel-good brain chemicals, including the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.

13. Dark chocolate

May improve brain function

Enjoying moderate amounts of high-cocoa dark chocolate on a regular basis may improve blood flow to the brain. Studies also show that plant compounds in chocolate called flavanols offer some protective benefits, especially for the elderly.

14. Green tea

May protect the brain from the effects of ageing

Plant compounds called polyphenols, found in green tea, may help slow the effects of ageing on the brain. Moderate consumption of around two to three cups per day is also associated with a significant reduction in dementia risk.

15. Coffee

May improve mental agility

Coffee may help maintain alertness and energy levels, thanks to its caffeine content. When coffee is consumed, it's absorbed into the bloodstream and travels to the brain where it ‘fires up’ certain neurons, which may improve memory, mood, energy and cognitive function. It does this by blocking the receptors of a brain chemical called adenosine, which increases other brain chemicals, including dopamine.

What else can I do to support my brain?

There are a few things you can do to benefit your brain and help delay cognitive decline:

1. Keep active

Don't forget that as well as a healthy diet, physical activity helps keep your brain sharp. Research suggests that regular exercise improves cognitive function, slows down the mental ageing process and helps us process information more effectively. Even walking has plenty of benefits.

2. Quit smoking

We all know that quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health, including your brain. If you're struggling to kick the habit, consider creating a personal 'quit plan' to help manage cravings.

3. Get adequate sleep

Getting a good night’s sleep is important to keep us energised throughout the day, but also for our brain to work well. A good night’s sleep improves our brain’s ability to adapt – it helps us learn better, process memories, develop healthy brains and clear our brain's waste products.

4. Balanced nutrition

Making sure you follow a nourishing, well-rounded diet gives your brain the best chance of avoiding disease. If you suspect your diet may be unbalanced for whatever reason – for example, if you’re vegan – you may want to consider a multivitamin and an omega-3 supplement to help make up some of the essentials.

If you're considering taking a supplement, it's best to discuss this with your GP or qualified healthcare professional.

Now try:

Foods that improve memory
Eating for exams
Top 5 foods to boost your child's brainpower
What supplements should I take?
10 tips to improve your sleep hygiene

This article was last reviewed on 10 July 2025 by Kerry Torrens.

Kerry Torrens BSc. (Hons) PgCert MBANT is a BANT Registered Nutritionist® with a post graduate diploma in Personalised Nutrition & Nutritional Therapy. She is a member of the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and a member of the Guild of Food Writers. Over the last 15 years she has been a contributing author to a number of nutritional and cookery publications including Good Food.

All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.

It's not just a lack of willpower or laziness; sleep – or more specifically, not getting enough of it – plays a powerful role in the way we eat. From how hungry we feel, to the foods we crave, our sleeping habits shape our daily eating decisions more than we might realise.

According to The Sleep Foundation, sleep and appetite are actually quite closely connected, and a good night’s rest can help promote healthy appetite hormones, impact how your body reacts to insulin and affect your digestion and metabolism, too.

So, if you’ve ever felt like your healthy eating plans unravel when you haven’t caught enough Zs, science says you’re probably right. Here’s how poor sleep quality sabotages your food choices – and why prioritising rest could be the best healthy eating hack you’ve ever tried.

1. Tired brains crave high-calorie foods

Ever noticed that after a rough night, your first instinct is to reach for a pastry? That’s not usually a lack of self-control – it’s your brain crying out for a quick energy release. Research shows that sleep deprivation enhances activity in the brain’s reward centres in response to junk food, meaning you’re more likely to crave high-fat, high-sugar options.

“Higher calorie foods, especially sugary, fatty and salty foods, can provide quick energy releases that our body craves when it’s tired,” explains registered nutritionist Jemma Joel. “However, that dopamine hit is often short-lived and can end up having a reverse effect, making us feel more tired and groggy.”

2. Your hunger hormones go haywire

Two hormones – ghrelin and leptin – control hunger and fullness. Ghrelin tells your body when it’s hungry; leptin tells it when to stop eating. But when you’re sleep deprived, ghrelin levels rise while leptin drops.

“As leptin decreases, this means we can end up overeating as there’s less of a physiological sign that we’re feeling full and satisfied,” explains Joel.

One UK study found that people sleeping fewer than six hours a night had a 14 per cent higher intake of calories the next day. The same pattern was been found in a later US study too, indicating people that sleep less consumed more calories.

3. Sleep debt messes with your metabolism

It’s not just about willpower; your metabolism actually slows down when you’re short on sleep. One early study observed a group of men go from eight hours sleep to just four hours a night for six days. The result? A 30 per cent drop in insulin sensitivity and a struggle to clear glucose from their bloodstream.

In short, this meant their bodies became worse at handling sugar, releasing more insulin to cope. This encourages fat storage, especially around the belly. Plus, sluggish glucose clearance means your metabolism slows down, making it harder to burn calories efficiently. While scientific research is still developing, it’s clear that sleep loss can affect how your body uses energy.

4. Cortisol levels spike – and brings belly fat with them

 Chronic sleep deprivation can lead to elevated cortisol levels, your body’s main stress hormone. And higher cortisol is linked with fat storage around the midsection – the area many of us struggle with most.

“Sleep is the foundation for good health and when we’re not sleeping well it can have a strong impact on our cortisol levels, especially if they’re already elevated,” says Joel. “When cortisol is high, it can cause broken sleep, higher risk of mental and physical health concerns and generally can impact us from the moment we wake up in the morning with low energy, brain fog and poor mood.”

Add to the fact that stress can reduce insulin sensitivity, and you’ve got a hormonal cocktail that makes fat loss harder – even if you’re eating the same amount.

5. You’re too knackered to exercise

Sure, technically you could go for that run. But when you’ve had five hours of broken sleep, the sofa sounds much more appealing and your motivation to move your body takes a nosedive.

Studies have shown that physical activity levels drop after even one night of poor sleep – and that regular sleep deprivation reduces both performance and desire to exercise. The knock-on effect? Fewer calories burned, less muscle built and a much harder time sticking to a consistent routine.

6.  Healthy cooking becomes a chore

Let’s be honest, no one is whipping up a green goddess salad on a few hours of sleep. Cooking requires energy, brainpower and the ability to resist the calling of a takeaway. When you’re running on empty, even the thought of chopping veg can feel like a task too far.

A 2020 study found that those that slept less and had poor sleep quality were less likely to adhere to a healthy diet and regular meal patterns. While an earlier 2016 study found that sleep-deprived subjects ate nearly twice as much fat when given snacks as they did when they’d slept for eight hours.

7.  Comfort food becomes really comforting

When you’re tired, your brain is wired for reward. We become more naturally emotionally reactive, more stressed and more likely to crave a much needed dopamine hit. Food – particularly high-sugar or high-fat food – can temporarily scratch that itch. But it’s often followed by that inevitable crash.

Lack of sleep has been linked with increased emotional and binge eating, especially in women. Another study found that sleep deficiency also affected decision making and controlling emotions and behaviour, sometimes making that extra slice of cake feel not just tempting but almost impossible to resist.

8. Poor sleep habits can become self-fulfilling

One bad night is manageable. But consistent under-sleeping becomes a vicious cycle. Joel refers to it as a ‘sleep domino’ effect. “Poor sleep is caused by and can cause a mixture of physiological and psychological facts,” she says. “And this has a domino effect on our eating habits. Poor sleep equals less energy, less energy means your mood changes, a bad mood is less likely to motivate you to prepare and eat healthy meals. And all of that can cause poor sleep, it can be a vicious cycle.”

And long-term sleep deprivation has been associated with a whole host of health issues, including diabetes, higher BMI and increased risk of obesity. So, if you’re stuck in a cycle of low energy, poor food choices and frustration, your sleep might be the key to breaking it.

The bottom line? Sleep isn’t lazy – it’s foundational. In the world of wellness, sleep is often overlooked compared to food and fitness. But in reality, it should be leading the way. Without enough quality sleep, your hunger hormones rebel, your metabolism stalls and your motivation evaporates. Suddenly, that “lazy Sunday lie-in” starts looking more like a productivity hack than a luxury.

However, sleep can be too much of a good thing. While adequate sleep is crucial for your health, excessive sleep has also been linked to unhealthy eating habits and an increased risk of obesity, too. So don’t overdo it.

If you’re trying to eat better, move more or lose weight, start by checking your sleep health. Prioritise it in the same way you would your protein intake or your step count. Because if sleep isn’t on your side, everything else becomes that little bit harder.

Further reading

How much sleep do I need?
8 healthier late-night snacks
Best magnesium supplements
Energy-boosting breakfast recipes
The importance of a morning routine
5 diet changes to improve your sleep
Best sleep trackers

All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.

History of intuitive eating

Although the name was coined in 1995 as the title of a book by dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, the concept of intuitive eating pre-dates this. Earlier pioneers include Susie Orbach, who in 1978 published the ground-breaking book, Fat is a Feminist Issue, and Geenen Roth, who has written about emotional eating since 1982.

Discover our full range of health guides, whether it's how to talk to your teenager about food or pregnancy, food and body image.

What is intuitive eating?

The concept of intuitive eating is about making the best choice for you – this means eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full. Advocates of intuitive eating insist that hunger should be the cue to eat, although they draw a line of distinction between physical hunger and emotional hunger.

• Physical hunger is experienced by a growling stomach, tiredness, or irritability. These pass when food is consumed.
• Emotional hunger is described as being influenced by negative emotions that create cravings for food or are soothed by food, such as sadness, loneliness, boredom and stress.

Advocates of the concept argue that by eating intuitively, you learn to trust your body, and identify when it is a physical hunger rather than an emotional one. As a result you’re likely to make better choices about what, when and how often to eat.

How to practise intuitive eating?

According to American dietitians Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch, there are 10 guiding principles:

1. Reject diet mentality

Forget the idea that dieting or restricting the foods you eat will result in quick, easy or permanent weight loss. Intuitive eating is the opposite of restriction – it is about learning to trust that your body knows best.

2. Honour your hunger

Feed your body when you experience the early signs of hunger. If you leave it too long, you’re more likely to make poor food choices and overeat. Listening to your body and its signals sets the stage for rebuilding trust in yourself and your food choices.

Read more on how you can manage your appetite.

3. Avoid categorising food

Instead of thinking about different kinds of food as 'good' or 'bad', learn to listen to what your body needs. This way you are less likely to crave ‘forbidden’ food or to binge eat.

4. Challenge negative thoughts

If you experience negative self-talk or you find yourself totting up your calorie intake – challenge these thoughts. For example, telling yourself you’ve been ‘good’ if you didn’t go over your calorie goal for the day, or feeling ‘bad’ because you ate chocolate are not thought processes that benefit you.

5. Make the most of mealtimes

Enjoy eating – both the food and the environment. This will help you feel content and more satisfied.

6. Stop when you're full

Listen to your body's cues. Just as it gives you the physical signs when you are hungry, it will also tell you when you are comfortably full,

7. Manage emotional eating

Food can’t fix feelings, although it may offer a short-term solution to distract or numb them. Be aware of these times and develop alternative strategies to help you cope, such as walking, journalling or meditating.

Read six tools to manage stress and 10 diet and lifestyle tips to help manage stress.

8. Show yourself some respect

Learn to accept and respect your body whatever its shape or size.

Read more in weight and body fat – the facts.

9. Move more

Stay active and pay attention to how it feels to move your body, rather than tracking how many calories you’ve burned or the number of steps you’ve walked. Aim to build more movement into your everyday routines.

10. Balance nutrition with enjoyment

You don’t have to eat perfectly all of the time to be healthy and well. Make food choices that take both your health and your taste buds into account while also making you feel good about your decisions. You won’t become unhealthy or nutrient-deficient from one snack, one meal or one day of eating. It’s about what you do most of the time and that doesn’t require perfection.

Are intuitive and mindful eating the same?

No, intuitive and mindful eating are not the same although intuitive eating does include some elements of mindfulness and both methods are useful if you struggle with extreme dieting or binge eating.

In simple terms, mindfulness is the practice of present moment awareness, the overall objective being to slow down and savour the taste, smell and texture of the food on your plate. Intuitive eating encourages you to use your natural instincts and physical and mental cues to decide when, what and how much to eat.

Read more about mindful eating.

Can you lose weight by eating intuitively?

Intuitive eating is not a weight-loss diet, it’s a way of managing your food intake by eating in tune with your body's hunger and fullness cues. Advocates say it may help create more ordered eating, which could lead to weight loss, if that is relevant for you. That said, they insist that being overly concerned with calorie counting or consciously choosing low-fat foods is contrary to the principles of intuitive eating.

This way of eating is not a short-term fix, it is a long-term approach that focuses on changing the way you think about food and becoming better attuned to your physical cues of both hunger and satiety. There aren’t any plans or recipes to follow, just a series of behaviours that are intended to redefine your relationship with food.

Is intuitive eating healthy? Our nutritionist's view

Intuitive eating offers an alternative approach to traditional ‘dieting,’ that aims to help followers get back in touch with their physical hunger and satiety cues. The principle of intuitive eating involves a mindset shift towards a healthier relationship with food and is not a tool for weight loss. That said, studies demonstrate a consistent association between the practice and a lower body mass index as well as improved psychological health.

Who shouldn’t follow intuitive eating?

While generally believed to be beneficial for most people, those with an active eating disorder or certain health conditions such as coeliac disease, type II diabetes, high blood pressure or food allergies, as well as those who need to gain weight or follow a structured eating programme, should refrain from the practice.

Interested in trying this way of eating? Why not let us know how it goes in the comments below?

Read more…

A balanced diet for women
A balanced diet for men
What is talk therapy and how does it support gut health?
Five ways the food you eat affects your brain 
Top 10 mood-boosting foods

This page was reviewed on 16 June 2025 by Kerry Torrens.

Nicola Shubrook is a qualified nutritionist registered with the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). Find out more at urbanwellness.co.uk.

All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other healthcare professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local healthcare provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.

In the UK, around 40 per cent of working adults reported WFH at least once a week in 2023 (ONS), and in the US, 35 per cent of full-time employees are still remote all or some of the time. But what’s that done to our diets? Is it helping us to eat better, or are we just snacking more?

Office lunches: the bad old days?

Before the pandemic, office life left many of us at the mercy of overpriced meal deals, vending machines, and a rushed lunch break. Research shows only 37 per cent of European workers took a full lunch break when working on-site, while 10 per cent of UK workers skip their lunch breaks altogether.

Data suggests that office lunches can lean heavily on ultra-processed foods (UPFs) – quick and convenient, but low in nutritional value. One survey found that as many as 17 per cent of workers in the UK consider themselves addicted to UPFs at work, largely because of stress and convenience, with these options being widely available in the workplace.

However, the data is mixed, and it’s up in the air whether the move toward WFH has enabled us to improve our health in the lunch hour or whether new problems have arisen.

In the US, a 2023 survey suggests that workers are 40 per cent more likely to skip lunch than they were a year prior, with almost half reporting that they skip lunch at least once a week. Having back-to-back remote meetings was one of the reasons reported for not having lunch.

The British Dietetic Association (BDA) has highlighted challenges associated with home working, noting that it's easy to lose track of time and skip lunch when lacking the visual prompts from colleagues.

The shift to home cooking

Working from home has undoubtedly shifted the dynamic at lunchtime. In many cases, people now have access to their own kitchen, their own fridge and more control over what goes on their plate. That’s resulted in more home-cooked meals – at least some of the time.

An analysis of worldwide research during the pandemic suggested vastly different patterns emerging from different countries, such as increased fruit and vegetable consumption in Italy, Spain and South America, and a decrease in consumption of fruit, vegetables and lean proteins with an increase in processed meat and refined grains in the USA, and an overall reduction of fresh produce intake in China.

So it’s not all steamed broccoli and sourdough starters. While WFH offers more autonomy, it can also increase exposure to, and consumption of, calorie-dense foods, especially when boundaries between work and home blur. Having a fridge two steps from your desk can be both a blessing and a curse.

Interestingly, the Global Eating at Work Survey found that 67 per cent of hybrid workers make efforts to eat more healthily on days they are in the office and seek more guidance and support from employers to maintain healthy eating habits.

Jo Redmond, who works mostly from home in the UK, says: “I eat much healthier meals; homemade soups for lunch and balanced dinners. But I do find snacking hard as it’s all just there waiting for me!”

Snack attacks

So let’s talk snacks. When the vending machine is replaced by your pantry, are we more or less likely to indulge?

Despite research on home-cooked food intake among home workers varying dramatically depending on research paper and location, making it difficult to detect trends, one trend has been consistent in the literature and that is the increased consumption of sugary and high-fat snacks, backed by both large-scale global data, and small-scale qualitative research. Gen Z had the biggest uptake of snacking in the UK, averaging four snacks per day when working from home, often substituting main meals for snacks.

Unstructured workdays and stress can make us graze more than we realise. One of the biggest changes I see in my nutrition clinic is that people feel constantly ‘on’, so they snack more to break up the day or to cope with boredom, stress and fatigue. But if you’re regularly reaching for quick sugar fixes or caffeine, that’s often a sign your overall routine needs rethinking, especially your sleep, movement and meal composition.

In the US, emotional eating was also reported more frequently among those working from home, especially during the pandemic’s peak. However, this has started to stabilise as people find more sustainable routines.

Janine Ryan, an NHS worker in the UK, says her eating habits vary by environment. “If I’ve not packed a lunch, it’s a meal deal or samosas. At home, I’m more likely to take a break and make something healthy. Snack-wise, it’s more about workload – if I’m busy, I don’t snack much.”

Are we healthier now?

So, is this all good news for public health? Not entirely, though the data is mixed.

A 2023 Public Health Wales report noted that as of late 2022, about 30.4 per cent of the Welsh workforce primarily worked from home, a significant increase from the pre-pandemic figure of 12.4 per cent. While eating patterns were not specifically discussed, people did report a more sedentary lifestyle as a result of working from home, and almost half reported a decline in mental wellbeing linked to loneliness and isolation.

Contrary to the Welsh report, the Global Eating at Work Survey suggested that people who work from home are more likely to exercise during the day, unwind more thoroughly during breaks and spend time outdoors, which suggests there are more complex factors at play, such as health inequalities marked by social determinants of health.

Comparing pre- and post-pandemic obesity statistics, in the UK, the most recent data shows that 26.5 per cent of adults are obese, with women (26.9 per cent) slightly more affected than men (26.2 per cent). In the US, rates are even higher, with over 40 per cent of adults reportedly being obese. In England, 64.5 per cent of adults are overweight or obese – a figure that’s risen slightly from 64 per cent pre-pandemic in 2019. Interestingly, while the overall obesity rate has declined since before the pandemic (especially among women), the rise in people classified as overweight has been driven entirely by men.

These shifts may reflect changing behaviours, or perhaps the growing use of weight loss medications. One recent survey suggests that more than one in 10 UK women may be using weight loss jabs, raising questions about how medical interventions might be shaping public health trends.

Remote work may support better food choices for some, but it doesn’t guarantee them. Food insecurity, stress and loneliness can all impact how, and what, we eat. As the Wales report warns, home-working can exacerbate inequalities, especially for those living alone or without adequate kitchen facilities.

And while some enjoy leisurely omelettes between video calls, others are skipping meals altogether. A 2024 review of the evidence found that some people may be eating less frequently at home – not because of discipline, but due to workload, stress or social isolation.

Final thoughts

In short, working from home has changed the way we eat, but not always in predictable ways. For some, it’s meant fresher food, more home cooking and fewer impulse lunches. For others, it’s increased snacking, irregular mealtimes, isolation and even more sedentary hours.

The biggest takeaway? Our eating habits are tightly tied to our routines, environments and sense of wellbeing. As remote work continues to evolve, so too will our relationships with food.

Further reading

Why stress makes you hungry
Stress relief: How diet and lifestyle can help
What is burnout?
10 ways to manage your appetite

All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.

Sleep trackers are phenomenally popular (one study showed one in three Americans have used one), whether they are integrated within a fitness tracker or a device in their own right, like an Oura Ring.

But their effectiveness is questionable – while they do a good job of tracking overall sleep duration, the sleep cycle monitoring is more indicative than an exact science. This information didn’t stop me instantly checking my deep sleep levels and daily readiness score (a tracker’s calculation of how well recovered your body is after sleep) each morning – and the results were usually disappointing.

My quest for optimum rest became an obsession. I have an entire library of lavender-based products. White noise is my most-played jam on Spotify. My days became framed around how early I could get into bed. Despite these militant efforts, I was constantly tired as well as downbeat from my poor tracker credentials. I started to struggle to drift off due to fretting about achieving sleep perfection.

Being knackered is no new thing – I have two small children and a busy career, travel a lot and do intense exercise. And, of course, these issues are far from unique to me. We’re living through an ‘exhaustion epidemic’ – 50-70 million Americans have disordered sleep and one in eight Britons is tired all the time. Studies have shown we’re sleeping more than ever but we’re just as tired.

For my fellow worn-out warriors, the impact of poor-quality sleep will be grimly familiar: physical and mental health problems, reduced cognitive function, poor productivity, appetite dysregulation and mood changes. It even carries a higher risk of death. It can impact every element of your life, including relationships, work and socialising. Sleep deficiency has played a role in major nuclear disasters and plane crashes. While the effects of my sleeplessness weren’t on quite such a scale, I was keen to tackle it.

Asking the sleep experts

Sleep clinics are part of huge boom in the sleep treatment market – an industry that was worth $12.8 billion in 2024. These specialised facilities investigate and help treat sleep disorders, including conditions like fatigue and sleep apnoea. While my issues felt more holistic than medical, I made an appointment with ResMed (which focuses on helping people with sleep issues) and came armed with pages of questions for sleep clinician Joshua Piper.

It turns out there’s a name for this fixation with improving your sleep: orthosomnia. Joshua explained: “Orthosomnia is the term used to describe an obsession with quality sleep – this strive for sleep perfection which is unattainable. It’s a vicious cycle. Stressing about the fact that your sleep isn’t perfect has the opposite effect.”

I told Joshua how my sleep tracker had fuelled my fixation. He said he’s pro tech but it has a time and a place. “I always recommend going by how you feel rather than what your app is telling you. That should come first, then use the tech to back it up. A tracker is a bit like a smoke alarm – it will tell you your house is burning but it won’t tell you the cause of the fire. The only way to truly know your sleep cycles is via an EEG [a scan that measures brain activity].”

Is your sleep tracker picking up anything serious?

“It can be difficult to know when things are chronically wrong,” says Joshua, “but traditional measures can be whether you’re falling asleep on the sofa every night. Are you suffering from mood changes? Do you get morning headaches? Do you find you need to visit the loo a lot in the night?”

Frequent wakings are often a worry for tracker users – mine shows around an hour is typically shaved off my total sleep time. But Joshua suggests these are to be taken with a pinch of salt – turning over in bed can be classed as a ‘waking’ – however, given a family history of sleep apnoea and my notorious snoring, it could be worth exploring further with my GP.

“One hour plus of wakings a night could be something to look into. Visit your GP and don’t minimise your symptoms – just saying you’re tired is the wrong language. Go the whole kaboodle and mention the suspected apnoea and ask for a test.”

Anyone who uses a sleep tracker will be familiar with the habit of chasing deep sleep – the hallowed stage that’s the most restorative. My own deep sleep range is between 45 minutes and 1 hour 30 minutes per night. However, Joshua suggests I shouldn’t put too much store by this: “The deep sleep measurements on a sleep tracker are not accurate enough to draw any concrete conclusions, but generally speaking 12-20% of deep sleep is typical.” It’s normal to cycle between the stages of non-REM and REM sleep, with four to six cycles per night, and potentially a slight wake up between cycles.

Less stressful ways for better sleep

So now Joshua has enlightened me on the science of sleep stages, the dubiousness of trackers and the dangers of sleep perfectionism, what can I do about it?

While I’d love to practice consistent sleep rituals, not all of us have the luxury of being able to do so – shift workers, parents, carers and frequent travellers all face external factors out of their control that compromise being able to stick to routines.

Joshua says: “There are general good habits that you can get into. Nutrition, a balanced diet, staying active and keeping a healthy weight will all naturally help. And keeping alcohol to a minimum. A nightcap is a fallacy – it sedates you, which isn’t sleep. You wake once the alcohol has worn off. And you snore more as the muscles have relaxed.”

Also important for sleep are light and food. “You need to give your body cues so it can go to sleep – food is the antithesis of that. Eating at least 2-3 hours before bed is best practice. If you eat close to bedtime, your brain thinks it’s time to be awake.

“Light can be used for good. In the morning, being exposed to sunlight as soon as possible – at least 20 minutes of sun within the first hour of being awake – acts as a huge reset. This will have a positive knock-on impact at bedtime as you’ve preset your bedtime rhythm from the moment you woke up.”

This light therapy is free (hurrah!) but can have a profound impact. And it doesn’t need to be bright sun, cloudy days count.

On the flipside, how about the late night doomscrolling and evil light omitting from your phone?

According to Joshua: “It used to be that blue light was seen as a problem but it's actually becoming more acknowledged that it’s the act of scrolling that’s the issue as the brain sees this as a daytime activity.” Either way it’s best practice to put your phone down well before bedtime.

Other tricks Joshua recommends are temperature control, including keeping a cool bedroom whatever the time of year. You can utilise your bathroom, too. “Having a warm shower before bed means capillaries come to the surface. Your body then dumps this heat and your core temperature drops, which is a cue to fall asleep.”

“If you’re struggling to get to sleep, often the problem is that you haven’t given your brain the time it needs to shut down. For most people, the first act of switching off is when they get into bed to go to sleep. But your brain switches off its rational side first, then the emotional side shuts off second. This means irrational thoughts can pervade in the period before you drift off.”

Josh has a simple technique: “Think about a topic like animals, then run them from A-Z in your head. It’s a simple tactic as it’s not so engaging that you can overthink it.”

If you're stuck tossing and turning, it can be effective to remove yourself from the situation. “Go into a calm, new room, read, then go back into bed – the body needs calm to sleep and to not associate the bed with stress. The only healthy things to associate a bed with are sleep and sex.”

Making the changes

Armed with Josh’s wisdom, I made some changes to my habits. Firstly, I try to keep a consistent waking window of 6.30am-7.30am, even on weekends. My early bird kids are helpful in this respect, although I sadly mourn the 10am weekend lie-ins of my youth. I sleep with my curtains open so I wake up to instant sunlight. I’ve stopped wearing my tracker religiously every night. Finally, when possible, I’ve reduced my eating window so I finish eating several hours before bedtime.

Did it work? The morning sunlight hack undoubtedly helps my mood. Being less obsessed with my tracker means I’ve generally found it easier to get to sleep. I’ve stopped chasing deep sleep and instead base my readiness on how I feel after a shower, some stretches and a coffee. I don’t think I’m ever 100% ready for what life throws at me each day (who is?) but I don’t need a tracker to tell me that.

For those days when my new sleep virtues fall short, I asked Josh to give me one key sleep trick to live by, something that’s applicable to everyone regardless of their personal circumstances. “I bang on about routine because it is very important to long-term good sleep. But arguably more important is not to worry. One bad night doesn’t undo everything, so don’t panic. Short-term sleep blips are normal. The more you chase sleep, the harder it can be to find. Sleep thrives on rhythm not pressure.”

More wellbeing guides...

The benefits of exercise and mental health
Why am I always tired?
5 reasons you're waking up tired with no energy
What is burnout?
How much sleep do I need?
'I tried four ways to cut down on alcohol – here are the tactics I'd recommend'
You're not sleeping wrong, you're just overthinking it
Why stress makes you hungry
Best running hydration vests

Burnout is a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion caused by long-term or severe stress. There are three main aspects that characterise burnout. These are:

• feeling exhausted or lacking energy
• being less effective professionally
• feeling removed, cynical or negative towards work

In 2019 ‘burnout’ became recognised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as an ‘occupational phenomenon’, but it is not classed as a medical condition.

What are the signs of burnout?

Common symptoms of burnout include:

• Feeling tired or drained most of the time
• Feeling helpless, trapped or defeated
• Feeling detached or alone in the world
• Having a cynical or negative outlook
• Experiencing self-doubt
• Procrastinating and taking longer to get things done
• Feeling overwhelmed

There may also be physical symptoms such as:

• Sleep disturbances or insomnia
• Digestive issues
• High blood pressure
• Headaches
• Poor memory or concentration
• Weight loss or weight gain

Am I close to burnout?

It can be difficult to determine whether you’re on the brink of burnout but classic signs may include the development of bad habits, such as over-reliance on alcohol at the end of a hard day. There could also be a craving for sugary foods to get you through the afternoon, less motivation to exercise and feelings of constant tiredness and fatigue.

Other indicators include feeling under-valued, avoiding social connection and becoming more susceptible to disappointment. You may also feel that the quality of your work is beginning to slip.

Check out the Maslach Burnout Inventory for a more definitive opinion, based on a test designed to measure levels of burnout.

Can diet help burnout?

Our physical health influences our mental and emotional well-being, and vice versa, so a nutritious, balanced diet is a great foundation on which to build better coping techniques.

Start with these practical tips:

Eat a balanced diet

Make sure that you are getting all the necessary nutrients – and that the focus of your diet is on whole foods – rather than heavily processed options, like refined carbs and sugars.

Find out more about a balanced diet.

Stay hydrated

Hydration is the number one rule of nutrition because it plays an important role in both our physical and mental health.

Learn the top 5 health benefits to drinking water and the 10 best foods that help you to stay hydrated

Limit or avoid alcohol

Studies have shown a strong link between alcohol use and misuse and the incidence of burnout. If you find yourself relying on alcohol, seek professional advice.

Consider these strategies to cut down on alcohol.

Include more foods rich in omega-3 fats

A 2019 study found that omega-3 fatty acids helped reduce symptoms of occupational burnout, so be sure to include these foods regularly in your diet – here are our top 10 sources of omega-3.

If you need recipe inspiration, try our salmon stir-fry or plant-based chia pudding (for a plant-based dose of omega-3).

Dislike or are allergic to fish? Read our guide to get more of these healthy fats in your diet.

Boost your B vitamins

B vitamins may help relieve stress, promote better mood and, as a result, help you cope more effectively. Consider adding B-rich foods such as yeast extract (Marmite) to your everyday routine.

Find out more about B vitamins and the benefits of Marmite.

High five!

Get your five-a-day of fruit and vegetables – this means you’re more likely to get adequate vitamin C. Low levels are linked with high stress levels and burnout.

Learn more about vitamin C and the top healthiest sources of vitamin C.

Mighty magnesium

Known as the body’s natural relaxer, a magnesium-rich diet may help both the mind and body. Chronic stress can negatively affect the body’s magnesium levels, causing a deficiency. What’s more, a magnesium deficit is thought to increase the body’s susceptibility to stress.

Include plenty of magnesium-rich foods in your diet, perhaps pumpkin seed butter on rye & pumpkin seed crackers for a snack, or dark green leafy vegetables in a smoothie or soup.

What other coping strategies are there for burnout?

Making slight adjustments to your daily routine can promote relaxation or at least help to make you feel more cheerful. If you think you’re suffering from burnout, there are a number of self-help approaches you can try – consider these additional steps:

• Reflect – take a moment to determine the cause of your exhaustion and overload
• Set boundaries – consider the tasks and activities you need to do and prioritise. Be ready to say ‘no’ when necessary
• Seek support – talk to friends, colleagues and family and help them to understand how you’re feeling
• Be selfish – self-care is essential, so always put yourself first – this includes getting adequate sleep, including physical activity and engaging in activities that make you happy
• Think outside the box – be prepared to try new things. Mindfulness techniques may help promote a new set of coping skills and, as a result, reduce the over-reliance on less favourable coping strategies

Don’t forget

You are not alone – a recent survey revealed that as many as nine in 10 adults experienced high stress or pressure over the last year. If symptoms continue, seek further professional help and guidance. Start with your GP; they may be able to advise you on appropriate therapies or refer you to a counsellor.

For more support and guidance, try these resources:

How to be mentally healthy at work
Half of work-related ill-health is down to stress, depression or anxiety

Further reading:

Top 20 healthy, mood-boosting recipes
10 diet and lifestyle tips to help manage stress
What is stress and how to reduce it
The benefits of exercise and mental health
Why am I always tired?
5 reasons you're waking up tired with no energy
Health benefits of magnesium

This page was reviewed on 28 May 2025 by Kerry Torrens

Nicola Shubrook is a qualified nutritionist registered with the British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) and the Complementary & Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC). Find out more at urbanwellness.co.uk.

All health content on bbcgoodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other healthcare professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local healthcare provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.

How to optimise your exam performance

Late nights, stress, missed meals and quick food fixes all play havoc with our ability to concentrate, absorb information and function properly. So, if you're in the midst of a revision frenzy, give yourself the very best chance with our top tips to optimise your performance.

In the lead up to the exam and on the day

• Eat wisely in the lead up to an exam and on the day itself, and you’re more likely to fine-tune your problem-solving capabilities and enhance your overall performance.
• Foods that supply a steady source of energy (known as low glycaemic foods) are ideal fuel sources for a hard-working brain, as are foods rich in essential micronutrients like zinc, iron and vitamin B12.
• Don’t neglect your hydration levels either – water is essential for your brain cells to communicate. Even mild dehydration may slow the speed at which your brain processes information. The NHS recommends you drink around 1.2 litres (or six to eight glasses) of hydrating fluid a day, most of which should be water.

The night before the exam

• The final piece to your exam strategy has to be a good night’s sleep – this improves your brain’s ability to adapt to inputs, which helps you learn better, process memories more accurately, and clear out the waste products more efficiently. Lack of sleep will make revising more difficult, and you'll be much more likely to reach for a sugary fix to get you through the learning lulls.
• Practical strategies include warm milk and herbal teas before bed – these may have a sedative effect, while a carb-rich snack an hour or so before you head upstairs will clear the way for sleep-inducing amino acids to reach the brain.
• Ditch your phone, tablet or laptop at least 30 minutes before bed.
• If you must use these devices, ensure they are set to 'night shift mode' and avoid taking your tablet or phone to bed with you.
• Rather than using your phone as an alarm, try an old-fashioned alarm clock or a body clock that wakes you gently with increasing light – this way, you won't be disturbed by incoming messages or tempted to go online if you wake up in the night.

Read our guide to getting a good night’s sleep for more suggestions to help you nod off.

Best foods to eat before an exam

From wholegrains, nuts and seeds to tomatoes and sage, make sure you're opting for brain-boosting foods. In the build-up to the big day, try out a few different foods so you know which ones make you feel your best. Here are our favourite foods to keep your brain well-oiled and your memory sharp:

• Dark chocolate – thanks to its ability to improve blood flow to the brain, eating dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) within 2 hours of your exam may help verbal memory and mood.
• Eggs – one of the best dietary sources of choline, this little-talked-about nutrient is needed for the formation of cell membranes and for brain function, including all important memory.
• Avocado – rich in healthy, mono-unsaturated fats, avocado is another useful food for promoting blood flow, this oxygenates the brain helping it work optimally, avocado is also rich in protective plant compounds that may boost brain function.
• Oats – providing a steady source of energy that helps to power you through those long-cramming sessions and will keep your focus and concentration sharp on the day itself
• Oily fish – studies suggest oily fish, like salmon, sardines and mackerel, may improve brain function and flexibility and help maintain your attention. Not a fish fan? Try chia seeds or flaxseeds.

Best energy-boosting breakfasts for exam day

How you fuel your body on exam day is critical to your success so fill up at breakfast on slow-release wholegrains like oats, these provide a steady supply of energy and don’t forget eggs, for that all-important recall.

Here are our five favourite pre-exam breakfasts and why they may help fuel you to success:

1. Poached eggs with smashed avocado & tomatoes 

Designed to keep you full all morning, this breakfast provides a winning combination of carbs, protein and fats. With eggs for memory, avocado to support blood flow and wholemeal bread for a steady supply of fuel.

2. Banana oat pancakes 

Who doesn’t love pancakes? The combination of oats with their slow-release energy as well as banana for its natural sweetness makes our pancakes perfect for energising you from the start of the morning until lunchtime.

3. Cinnamon porridge with baked bananas

Packed with fibre-rich oats and potassium-loaded bananas, this comforting porridge delivers sustained energy to keep your mind sharp and focused.

The addition of bio yogurt supports digestion and immune health, while a sprinkle of cinnamon adds a warming touch to this nourishing breakfast.

4. Cottage cheese pancakes 

These protein-packed cottage cheese pancakes are made with porridge oats to provide slow-release energy, keeping you focused and full.

Top with fresh raspberries and blueberries for a natural boost of antioxidants, or a poached egg and roasted tomatoes for a savoury twist that fuels both body and mind.

5. Superfood scrambled eggs

Packed with brain-boosting ingredients, including salmon, pumpkin seeds, turmeric and eggs this is a breakfast of winners.

Is it good to have caffeine before exams?

A low to moderate amount of caffeine might be your secret weapon to exam success because it appears to boost your concentration and mood during sub-optimal times of the day, like early morning.

This may be helpful for those stressed out by their exams and especially if the exam is scheduled to take place in the morning.

Don’t forget though, caffeine is a stimulant to which we all react differently – this will depend on your genetic make-up and your age, so be sure to understand how you react to caffeine before adding it to your pre-exam routine.

Whether you’re drinking coffee, tea, caffeinated soft drinks or even hot chocolate, low doses of caffeine may make you feel more alert and mentally sharp.

Don’t be tempted to increase your caffeine intake to higher levels though – caffeine in excess may work against you causing agitation and anxiety as well as dizziness, tremors and an inability to sleep well.

This means you should avoid energy drinks because their caffeine levels are typically high (and much greater than the maximum 150mg caffeine per litre permitted for regular fizzy drinks), energy drinks are not suitable for children, young people and certain other groups.

Other tips for a strong performance

Swerve the sugar

Tempted to reach for something sweet to get you through? Sadly, that’s not the answer – the brain needs a steady and consistent source of energy to function optimally. The temporary high you'll get from sugary treats will be quickly followed by a crash in blood sugar levels, this is likely to lead to fatigue and muddled thinking.

So, ditch the sugar and prepare some tasty snacks instead – check out our healthy snacks including our lemon & coriander hummus and our healthy cookies, or enjoy blueberries, strawberries and other berries – they're full of vitamin C, which is thought to improve mental agility. Vitamin E and zinc are also believed to have a positive impact on the brain, so have a handful of pumpkin seeds or walnuts the next time hunger strikes.

Try these 10 healthy snacks you can make in minutes.

Stay calm

No matter how close your exam is, keep calm. Stress can have an adverse effect on your appetite and skipping meals or eating the wrong foods won't do your concentration any favours.

Discover our top diet and lifestyle tips to help manage your stress levels.

Keep active

Studies suggest physical activity promotes blood flow to the brain including the parts of the brain that control our thinking and memory. Keeping active also appears to help us be more creative and perform better academically. Even 20 minutes of exercise before you sit down to study may be enough to improve your concentration and help you focus on your learning.

Support your immunity

If you've been suffering from stress or sleepless nights or had a poor diet during revision, your immune system will likely need a helping hand. Avoid having your hard work scuppered by a cold or worse, instead be sure to fill your plate with the foods you need to stay well including fruit, vegetables and wholegrains.

Check out these immune-friendly recipes.

Enjoyed this? Now read…

How much sugar should children have?
Healthy eating: what school-aged children need
Healthy eating: What teenagers need
Top 5 foods to boost your child's brainpower
10 foods to boost your brainpower
Foods that improve memory

What are your top foodie tips for exam success? Leave a comment below...

This article was last reviewed on 26 April 2024 by Kerry Torrens.

All health content on bbcgoodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.

Discover our full range of health benefit guides, including how to sleep better and how to get to sleep.

What is sleep?

There are two main types of sleep that our brains cycle through: REM (rapid eye movement) and non-REM sleep. First, we’ll enter non-REM sleep, which typically involves four stages: the first occurs just as we doze off, the second is light sleep (when our body temperature drops and our breathing and heart rate regulate) and the third and fourth involve deep sleep. The majority of stages three and four takes place during the first third of the night, making the time you go to bed a really important factor for getting a good night’s rest.

Although we originally believed REM sleep, which occurs after stage four, to be the most important, research now suggests that the early stages of sleep are just as essential for learning, memory, restoration and repair. As we cycle into REM sleep, our eyes start to move rapidly behind our eyelids, and brain waves are similar to those when we are awake. Our breath rate increases and our body will become temporarily paralysed as we dream – if you wake during REM sleep, you’re 80% more likely to vividly recollect your dreams.

Sleep cycles repeat about four or five times during the night, but with progressively less time spent in the initial sleep stages and more time spent in REM sleep.

Why is sleep important?

If you’ve ever risen after a poor night’s sleep, you’ll be well aware of how it makes you feel: tired, irritable and with a less-than-clear-thinking brain. Getting a good night’s sleep is important to energise us through the following day, but also for our brain to work well as well as to process what happens to us.

A good night’s sleep improves our brain’s ability to adapt to inputs – it helps us learn better, process memories more accurately, develop young brains and perform biological ‘house-keeping’ tasks like clearing our brain's waste products more efficiently.

That said, a good night’s sleep doesn’t just impact how we learn and remember, it also has important consequences for our immune function, metabolism and hormonal balance. Poor sleep can make us more prone to infection and illness, disrupt our blood sugar balance and lead to high blood pressure, increase depressive states and make headaches and migraines worse.

The stages of deep sleep are especially important, because they enable the brain to process and file memories, deal with anxiety and initiate repair and restoration. Failure to do so has been associated with conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder.

How much sleep do I need?

How much sleep each of us needs depends on our own unique characteristics – including gender, genes, life stage – as well as environmental and behavioural factors. The following are guidelines and relevant for healthy individuals who do not suffer from a sleep disorder.

Children (three to five years): 10-13 hours regularly per night

For optimal health and to meet development needs, young children need to sleep for 10-13 hours – this includes daytime naps.

Children (six to 13 years): 9-12 hours regularly per night

Helping your child reach their guideline number of hours on a regular basis is associated with better outcomes, including improved attention, behaviour, learning, memory and emotional regulation. This may be partly explained by the fact that younger children spend a greater length of time in the deep sleep stages three and four.

Adolescents (14-17 years): 8-10 hours regularly per night

This group is one that is at risk of sleep deficits, that’s because they are more likely to be exposed to artificial light in the hours preceding bed; this, combined with the hormonal shifts of puberty, may predispose them towards an evening chronotype, making them less likely to benefit from morning daylight and the positive influences that has on circadian rhythms. Add to this the demands of a school timetable, and it’s easy to see how sleep deficits can arise. Sticking rigidly to a fixed bedtime, although likely to be unpopular, will support REM sleep.

Young adults (18-25 years): 7-9 hours regularly per night

Younger adults, similar to adolescents, may require more sleep, especially if they are recovering from sleep debt. They too may be influenced by late-night use of electronics, lack of physical activity and over-consumption of caffeine.

Adults (25-65 years): 7-8.5 hours regularly per night

Adults have the additional demands of work worries, social commitments and family dynamics to contend with – all of these may influence their ability to fall asleep and stay asleep. During our younger adulthood, fragmented sleep often involves waking from REM sleep; this tendency protects the important deep sleep stages. However, this protective mechanism declines with age, resulting in disturbances to non-REM sleep, too.

Older adults (from 65 years): 7-8.5 hours, regularly per night

As age increases, we find it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep. At this life stage, we may also experience a circadian shift towards a morning chronotype, which means earlier bed and rise times. For the elderly, sleep duration may appear good, but it tends to be sleep quality that is affected by frequent waking.

Is quality sleep more important than quantity?

Although we tend to focus on the amount of time we perceive we’ve been asleep, there are other relevant factors that determine how beneficial our sleep may be. By asking yourself the following questions you may help clarify just how restful your sleep is:

• Efficiency – how much of the time in bed do you actually spend asleep?
• Timing – are your bedtime and wake times appropriate to allow you to reach your recommended sleep time?
• Consistency – is there any variability to your sleep from night to night?
• Satisfaction – how rested and restored do you feel next morning?

In addition to this, your sleep quality will be dependent on adequately completing the required cycles and stages of sleep; this requires your brain to consolidate and organise the cycles satisfactorily across the night.

What are the downsides of getting too little or too much sleep?

Sleeping less than 7 hours regularly each night is associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and depression. It’s also likely to increase our chances of illness, put us at greater risk of accidents, heighten the sensation of pain and result in poor physical and mental performance. This applies to children and young adults too; they are likely to experience decreased glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity, increased evening cortisol and disruptions to the hormones (ghrelin and leptin) that control appetite.

Growth hormone is released around the clock, but it is at night that it peaks, typically during the first 90 minutes of sleep. If we stay up late and delay sleep, we don’t experience the growth hormone peak that night – if we do this on a consistent basis, it may affect growth and development and result in decreased muscle mass and exercise capacity.

Sleeping too much can be just as damaging to our health, being associated with psychiatric illness, higher body mass index (BMI) and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

Is a sleep tracker helpful?

Fitness trackers and smartphone apps are increasingly popular – they assess sleep duration and, in some cases, sleep quality. The algorithms used on these devices are proprietary, and evidence suggests in some cases they may underestimate sleep disruptions and overestimate sleep duration and quality. That said, many users find them helpful because they highlight the importance of sleep and provide some form of indicative measure, although more guidance is needed as to how the information they collect may effectively be used.

Are blue light blocking glasses a worthwhile investment?

These glasses contain lenses designed to reduce the amount of blue light that reaches the eye. Some advocate that by reducing blue light, during the evening, you may promote restful sleep.  Whilst the lenses, which typically have a yellowish tint to them, are effective at filtering blue light rays there is limited scientific evidence to support their use for the improvement of sleep.

Tips for a quality night of sleep

Creating the right environment and easing yourself towards restful sleep may make all the difference. Follow these tips to promote a relaxing night:

• Try some sleep supportive foods
• Have a warm bath leading up to (but not immediately before) bedtime – sleep is accompanied by a decrease in core body temperature, and warming up in the hours before bed appears to help promote sleep and improve its depth
• Make your bedroom a quiet and relaxing space, and keep the room temperature at a comfortable 19-21C
• Set a bedtime that is early enough for you to enjoy your recommended hours of sleep
• What you wear in bed influences both how quickly you fall asleep and how deep the sleep you enjoy – at cooler temperatures (17C), wool nightwear works best, while at hotter room temperatures (22C), consider cotton

For more tips, check out our guide on improving sleep hygiene and for those who regularly experience problems check to determine whether your symptoms are classed as insomnia.

So, how much sleep do you need?

Sadly, there’s no magic number for the ideal duration of sleep – it depends on many factors unique to each and every one of us. Plus, a truly restorative slumber involves smoothly transitioning through the sleep cycles. This means the best measure has to be the amount of sleep that allows you to wake refreshed, well-rested and able to perform at your best the next day.

Now read:

The best sleep trackers reviewed
10 top tips to support your child's sleep
8 late night snacks for a healthier bedtime
Why am I always tired?
5 reasons you're waking up tired with no energy
Best sleep supplements
Best sleep trackers

Do you have trouble sleeping? What helps you nod off? Let us know in the comments below.

This page was reviewed on 14 April 2025 by Kerry Torrens.

All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other healthcare professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local healthcare provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.

Let’s address my main resentment about going alcohol-free right off the bat: it doesn’t save you any money. Considering the duty on a bottle of 12% ABV wine would be £2.66, the wine alternatives I most enjoyed were still costing £17. And, while a bottle of mid-range branded gin costs around £20 (of which £9 is duty), most of the 0% options I tried were also around the £20-25 mark.

This means that you need to be viewing these alternatives as a ‘treat’ in the same way you might look at a glass of wine with your dinner or Aperol spritz on an evening out. Choose something you can savour so it’s worth it, and serve it properly: chill, garnish, use plenty of ice – make it with as much care as you would if serving G&Ts at a dinner party. Just as with alcoholic drinks, they suffer if they’re lukewarm or mixed with cheap tonic.

With that as our starting point, here are the different approaches I tried for cutting my units:

1. Try to hang out with other non-drinkers

On nights with sober friends, the lack of alcohol was never an issue. When I was pregnant a decade or so ago, I was irritated by being in the pub and watching other people getting gradually sozzled when I wasn’t drinking. Maybe it had been the hormones, but more likely it’s that you don’t miss what you aren’t seeing! I was very happy to prop up the bar with abstinent friends and didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything.

We made the most of my new-found interest in booze-free options by trying out each others’ recommendations, an experiment that led me to discover a few new favourites (see below) as well as finally finding a drink I like that works with Japanese food. (Weirdly, that turned out to be a can of lemon soda, and I’d never have known that if my non-drinking hosts hadn’t made the suggestion.)

Going out late but not feeling rough the next day was the icing on the cake.

What worked for me:

Take a bottle of something interesting round to friends that you can all enjoy trying, and make the alcohol-free option central to proceedings.

Drinks to try:

The stunningly packaged Saicho jasmine sparkling tea (£19.50) makes a great dinner party gift. It looks fabulous, and the combination of sparkling green tea scented with jasmine blossom will have everyone intrigued.

Pathfinder was among the most recommended, even being enjoyed by committed drinkers, as it’s the most alcoholic-tasting of all the 0% ‘spirits’ I tried. It's reminiscent of a Martini Rosso with a dash of Campari. Other popular options among the Good Food teetotallers (which I’m also happy to vouch for) are Mother Root ginger aperitif, Infinite Session pale ales and Lyre’s amaretti for a sweet something at the end of the evening.

2. Give ‘zebra striping’ a go

Mentioned in several trend reports last year, zebra striping is when you alternate alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. I tried this at a big birthday party, in a pub that served a few alcohol-free beers. Although I was very good at buying myself a 0% pint on my rounds, I did find it tricky to request these (whether from lack of memory, fear of judgement or assumptions about my usual order) as often as I should have.

Having those few drinks, plus the general excitement of a big night out, also meant my motivation faltered – and by the time shots were being bought, any level of sobriety was a lost cause. However, at least a few alcohol-free drinks had been subbed in, so strictly speaking my total units for the evening were lower than they might have been. Just tell that to the next day’s hangover…

What worked:

Start on a 0% to quench your thirst and get you off to the right start. Otherwise, you might as well forget it!

Drinks to try:

If you’re in a bar or pub, you’ll be limited by what it offers. Guinness Zero is increasingly stocked and has more of a developed ‘mouthfeel’ than a lot of 0% lagers, so it tends to be my go-to. Big Drop’s Galactic milk stout is also very tasty, with various beers in the range available in big-chain pubs.

3.  Go 'low' rather than 'no'

‘Coasting’ is an alternative to zebra striping – drinking mid-strength throughout the evening. It turns out I’ve been coasting for years without even realising it. My absolute favourite at-home beer is the Kernel table beer – a drink that loses nothing with its session-style 3% ABV. According to founder Evin O’Riordain, ‘it drinks like a beer should.' As well as the taste, I like the gentle buzz while not pushing it too hard for an evening in.

My current main objective, summer spent in the pub garden, has generally meant diluting full-strength drinks to make them less potent in the heat. Wine spritzers (white wine and soda) are refreshing in the sun, and I’m also partial to a lager shandy (lager and lemonade), even if it’s not the most fashionable option.

What worked:

This is undoubtably the easiest way to reduce units, albeit not cutting them as much as if you opted for 0% drinks. Low-alcohol options taste similar to their full-strength counterparts, so, if like me, you like the taste as well as the effects of alcohol, this is the way to start. It took me a while to understand that non-alcoholic alternatives often wouldn’t taste like I expected without that booze ‘kick’, so session or half-strength is your gateway drug to sobriety.

Drinks to try:

While most session beers tend to be around the 4% mark, if you’re mid-strength curious, 2-3% should be what you’re looking for. If you like Beavertown’s Neck Oil, its lower-strength Satellite (2.8% ABV) could be a winner. Small Beer also produces a range of tasty and award-winning ales and lagers at 2.1-2.6% ABV.

A revelation to me were mid-strength spirits, which I didn’t even know existed. Session Spirit London Dry is a 25% ABV gin (gin is usually around 40%), while Quarter Proof’s gin, tequila and vodka alternatives weigh in at 15% ABV. The former made a delicious G&T, while Quarter Proof tequila is great for spicy margaritas.

4.  Try another mind-altering substance

As CBD drinks have become mainstream (Trip was recently the fastest-growing soft drink brand in the UK), manufacturers have explored other mood-enhancing and functional drinks that promise to deliver the buzz or relaxation benefits of alcohol.

SENTIA drinks, developed with former government ‘Drug Tsar’ Prof David Nutt, claims to harness a neurotransmitter known as GABA that moderates your nervous system to help you feel more relaxed and calm. ON beer is based on the same principle, and contains many of the same ‘adaptogens’, like ginseng, rhodiola and damiana.

What worked:

I’m not sure whether any of these magic ingredients had any effect on me – it’s more the vibe and company that make me feel sociable or relaxed.

Drinks to try:

The woody, citrussy, mellow Nightcap is a lovely drink to wind down with at the end of the day. Maybe it’s the valerian, lemon balm and hops inducing a calming effect, but I did sleep well after one of these.

Described as a ‘functional wine alternative’, I also enjoyed Three Spirit’s Spark (with caffeine, L-theanine and guayusa) and Sharp (electrolytes, amino acids and vitamin D).

Read more:

Top 30 non-alcoholic drinks ideas
Non-alcoholic drinks collection
Mocktail recipes
What I discovered when I gave up drinking for a month

All health content on goodfood.com is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own doctor or any other health care professional. If you have any concerns about your general health, you should contact your local health care provider. See our website terms and conditions for more information.