Feel good special: Foods to boost your mood

EAT UP YOUR GREENS

Leafy greens are nature's antidepressants. They're an excellent source of folic acid, a lack of which has been linked to depressed mood. While depression caused by folate deficiency is rare, upping your intake could help to alleviate unhappy feelings, according to a study published in the Nursing Standard.

Related articles

• Feel good special: Deborah Ross's fitness freak-out
• Feel good special: Alternative therapies
• Search the news archive for more stories

POMEGRANATES FOR POWER

Drinking a glass of pomegranate juice helps to balance out the rise in glucose levels that follow a high-fat or high-calorie meal. In simple terms, that means you reduce the risk of an energy slump after eating. "Feeling lethargic dampens your mood," says psychotherapist Vicki Ford. "If you can ramp up your energy, your mood will improve."

SEEDS OF CHANGE

Pumpkin and sunflower seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to reduce the symptoms of depression and aid sleep. "A seed contains all that's necessary to start growing a new plant," says Farah Cleret, a nutritional clinician with a practice in Brighton, "so it's little wonder they're tightly packed with essential nutrients."

SAY CHEESE

The British Cheese Board recently carried out a study on the effects of eating different cheeses before bedtime and found that, far from causing nightmares, cheese gave 72 per cent of the 200 volunteers a very good night's sleep. "The 'Cheese & Dreams' study suggests that eating cheese before you go to bed may actually aid a good night's sleep," says Neil Stan ley, director of research at Surrey University's Sleep Disorders Unit. Cheese products contain both tryptophan - a mood-enhancer - and calcium, which is necessary to manufacture melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep.

FOLLOW POPEYE

Dry skin caused by cold weather and central heating is another reason to wallow in the winter blues, but spinach can help solve that. "This green vegetable would have done more than make Popeye strong - it would also have given his skin that smoothness that the ladies love," says Susan M Kleiner, author of Power Food. "It contains an antioxidant called trifecta, which guards against sun damage, dry skin and rashes."

GO BANANAS

Bananas contain tryptophan, which the body uses to make the happiness hormone serotonin. They're also packed with potassium, levels of which can be depleted by stress. The vitamin B6 they contain will help to regulate blood sugar and thereby stabilise mood.

EAT OILY FISH

"Oily fish, including mackerel and salmon, is one of the few foods that contains vitamin D, which we usually produce by being exposed to sunlight," says Kleiner. "It boosts serotonin levels, and is one reason why most people feel happier on sunny days." Oily fish also contains omega-3 fatty acids.

GAME ON

Your eyelashes, head hair and nails are made up of protein, so a lack of it results in broken nails and hair loss, as well as dull, flaky skin.

"Venison is one of the healthiest ways that you can increase the amount of protein in your diet," says Dr Frankie Phillips, a dietician for the British Dietetic Association. "It's extremely low in fat, and provides about 50 per cent of your recommended intake of zinc, a mineral that's important for keeping your immune system up to scratch and for maintaining healthy skin."

THE POWER OF PASTA

"Carbohydrates lift your spirits by prompting secretion of serotonin," says Kleiner. "Research has shown that high-carb meals are more effective than high-protein meals for elevating mood, and that protein-only meals make people more sluggish."

COLD COMFORT

Vanilla ice cream could help boost a flagging sex life. "It gives you a blast of libido-lifting phosphorus," explains Kleiner. "And it also provides calcium, used to fire up ejaculator muscles." Sex itself reduces stress and makes your body produce endorphins.

DOCTOR PEPPER

"Capsicin, the chemical that causes the hot sensation of chillies, stimulates the nerves in the mouth and causes the brain to release endorphins in response to the mild, pain-like feelings you experience," says Dr Phillips. "But be aware that, as with any sudden highs, it's likely to be followed by a mood crash."

PATÉ IT BETTER

Chicken liver pate is a good source of iron, which helps to supply the brain with oxygen and also fights fatigue. The recommended intake of iron is 8.7mg a day for men and 14.8mg a day for women. Pâté contains 9.19mg per 100g.

BEER IS GOOD FOR YOU

While drinking yourself into oblivion certainly won't improve your mood, it seems that sociable drinking could do you good. According to a study published in the Nursing Standard, "Light or moderate drinking is associated with better emotional well-being and social adjustment."

Jump to it: more ways to get happy

* Get moving. "Exercise does more than just make you look good, it also helps you feel good," says Ray Klerck, a fitness writer for Men's Health magazine. A study undertaken at the University of Queensland, Australia, revealed that exercise increases levels of a chemical called serotonin in your brain - the same substance that helps fight off depression and bolsters well-being. And don't underestimate the sense of satisfaction you'll get from these small daily changes too:

* Jump in the shower to increase your circulation. Turn it to cold for 10 seconds, then back to warm, then cold, and back again.

* Do squats - bending your knees as though you're about to sit on a chair - while you brush your teeth. In four weeks you'll see the difference in your thighs and buttocks.

* Just let go. Stand on the bus, train or Tube without holding on to the railing. This makes you use your core stabilising muscles.

* Do 10 minutes of skipping to get your heart-rate pumping. It's one of the best cardiovascular workouts you can get.

* Vacuum the stairs with the smallest tube attachment. Do it with vigour and it becomes genuine exercise, burning between 250 and 300 calories per hour.

* Dance your cares away. One of the most underrated ways to get your heart rate really pumping, an hour of hip-shaking movement is the equivalent of 30 minutes' playing football.