12 mood-boosting tips

1 Black-eyed Peas

These are crammed full of folate, an energy-boosting mineral that also plays a key role in the production of ‘happy’ serotonin nerve transmitters. Folate is also believed to lower levels of an amino acid called homocysteine, high levels of which have been associated with depression. Also try: wholemeal bread, fortified breakfast cereals, green leafy veg.

2 Chocolate

Chocolate triggers the release of the powerful feel-good hormones endorphins. Go for lower-calorie dark chocolate and watch the amounts as the energy crash you’ll experience if you binge will leave you feeling lethargic and listless. Also try: anything containing unrefined sugar, spicy foods

3 Oily Fish

Oily fish, such as smoked salmon, fresh tuna and sardines, has such a positive impact on the brain that one study published in The Lancet found that the essential fatty acids and other nutrients in oily fish can help lift depression and prevent suicide if eaten two to three times a week. Also try: cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds

4 Spinach

Popeye’s favourite green veg is a rich source of mood-boosting and stress-reducing vitamins and minerals. It’s particularly abundant in calcium and magnesium – with more of both than half a glass of milk – which work together to relieve anxiety. Also try: broccoli, cabbage

5 Turkey

The strong anti-depressant properties of turkey explain why it’s traditionally served at Christmas when the strain of entertaining relatives threatens to send many over the edge. Packed with the amino acid tryptophan (needed to produce happiness-generating serotonin), it’s also full of nerve-calming zinc, magnesium and copper.Also try: oats, wheatgerm

6 Guava

Guavas are top of the vitamin C-rich list, which your body needs plenty of in order to turn the tryptophan in foods into mood-improving serotonin. You can eat as much tryptophan-rich food as you like, but it will have little effect without the vitamins and minerals that the body needs to turn the chemical into something it can use. Also try: strawberries, oranges, kiwi fruits

7 Beef

Beef is a great source of easily-absorbed iron, which is essential for keeping energy levels up. An iron deficiency will leave you feeling like Paula Radcliffe after 23 miles. Also try: branflakes, sesame seeds, sardines in tomato sauce, tuna in oil

8 Peas

Peas contain bundles of vitamin B1, or thiamin, that plays an invaluable part in building and maintaining healthy brain cells. Vitamin B1 is another vitamin vital to the process of converting tryptophan into serotonin, the daddy of happy brain chemicals. Also try: Marmite, pork chops, wholewheat pasta

9 Wild Rice

The long grains in wild rice contain stockpiles of zinc, a powerful nutrient that helps soothe irritability and depression as well as being critical for mental clarity. Also try: oysters, wheatgerm, pumpkin seeds

10 Potatoes

Starches and sugars in potatoes trigger insulin release, which boosts brain levels of tryptophan that is then converted into serotonin. Complex carbs do this slower than simple carbs – such as biscuits – so they’re better for prolonged happiness. Eat high-carb foods on their own, because fat and protein interfere with the serotonin conversion process. Also try: sweet potatoes

11 Orange Juice

Feeling like a grump in the morning? Try a glass of orange juice when you wake up because it produces a quick insulin response, putting a little spring in your step. The vitamin C will also kickstart your brain's serotonin factory. Also try: any fruit juice

12 Cheese

All milk products contain a wealth of nutrients needed by the brain to stay perky, but cheese is the king with twice as much tryptophan and tyrosine as milk. The brain converts tyrosine into noradrenaline, which increases mental clarity and alertness. Calcium assists as a natural tranquiliser that calms and soothes even the rattiest of people. Also try: milk, yogurt, butter