7 foods that can make you happier and reduce stress

Adding kimchi to your diet could help your mood. Photo / News Regional Media

It turns out that this food can actually help with depression and anxiety – but, be warned, it's not exactly everyone's favourite dish.

It's a fact: there's plenty of brain foods that can lift our spirits and help keep the blues at bay.

While eating the crusts off my sandwiches certainly didn't make my hair curl, there are some scientifically proven foods that will help our grey matter and assist in brightening our mental outlook.

Experts, researchers and nutritionists have long suspected that what we put into our system doesn't just affect us physically and fuel our day, there is plenty in the fridge, pantry, fruit bowl and snack tin that's proven to provide us with a check-up from the neck-up, reducing anxiety and helping us to beat depression.

A Harvard Medical School Study recommends we treat our brain like we would the engine of a Ferrari – giving it the premium "fuel", meaning the best foods for the best "nutritional psychiatry".

"Think about it. Your brain is always 'on'. It takes care of your thoughts and movements … it works hard," Doctor of Medicine Eva Selhub said.

So, it only makes sense that the foods we give ourselves to feed the brain are richest in what that mind muscle loves best and then to cut back on the things that do the opposite – less of the things we grab when we're in a rough patch that we might be reaching for too much, like sugary food and drinks, excess alcohol, the saturated fat of take away meals and processed food.

Instead of eating off our unpleasant emotions, let's turn our positive thoughts to these seven good mood foods.

Fermented Foods

If Kombucha is your thing or if the spicy Korean kick of kimchi does it for you, then you're onto something good for your thoughts and feels.

Not a fan of kimchi? Try yoghurt instead.

Fermented food and drink has a direct link to our moods and emotions. The probiotics and prebiotics in fermented food are healthier for our digestive system which is healthier for our mind.

Fish

Oily fish – salmon, trout, prawns – are rich with the fatty acid known as DHA and omega 3 acids.

This is the best of all brain foods, helping our in-built mood-shifters – serotonin and dopamine – to reduce anxiety, boost memory and improve depression.

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is a superfood when it comes to mood. Photo / Supplied

With a 70 per cent cocoa content, the dark stuff is chock-a-block with polyphenols that improve brain function and also high in tryptophan which is good mood enhancing.

Just 40g of dark chocolate each day can help reduce stress and even the scientists are not sure why, but what they do know is that it's in the cocoa beans.

Turmeric

The golden spice used in so many South-East Asian dishes and curries is densely-packed with the active ingredient, curcumin.

Easy to add to meals, dishes and smoothies, it's a proven winner in helping manage anxiety.

Green Tea

There's an amino acid in green tea called theanine which is responsible for producing the neurotransmitter dopamine, a compound that calms us.

If you're still looking for a brew, but one with a difference, then maybe going green is the happier and healthier option.

Eggs

A goog or two to start your day might actually be the breakfast of champions, especially if you're lacking in vitamin D.

The humble egg is rich in vitamin D, which positively helps depression. Poach, boil or scramble, just try not to fry.

Like oats and avocados, eggs also contain tryptophan, which creates serotonin, which in turn helps mood, sleep, memory and behaviour.

Nuts and seeds

Certain nuts and seeds help with happiness and heart health. Photo / Getty Images

The perfect snack is a small handful of walnuts or cashews (try to steer away from the salted variety and go roasted). Both have shown high rates in lowering depression by as much as 45 per cent in some tests.

Pumpkin seeds – aka pepitas – are also the duck's nuts because of the amount of potassium they contain. Adding these into the mix can help reduce stress, manage blood pressure and – because they are also a good source of zinc – will assist good brain and nerve development.