More from this story

• How to get a grip on stress
• Stress-less strategies
• Advice from a lifelong optimist
• Instant soothers for high-stress times
• Putting an end to overnight anxiety

For brightening moods

·                 Almonds

·                 Lowfat yogurt

·                 Pistachios

·                 Salmon

·                 Scallops

·                 Shrimp

·                 Walnuts

B vitamins stimulate the brain's production of serotonin, helping you relax, explains Paul Lachance, Ph.D., professor emeritus of nutrition and food science at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Choose nuts for B6, fish and yogurt for B12. Try Curried Cashew Shrimp With Garlic Cilantro Rice, or Bananas Foster With Toasted Almond Coffee Ice Cream.

For jump-starting immunity

·                 Blueberries

·                 Broccoli

·                 Green bell peppers

·                 Kiwifruit

·                 Strawberries

·                 Tomatoes

Veg out with vitamin C, which blunts the effects of stress by reducing free radicals and bolstering your immune system. "It is also your body's first line of defense against stressors like colds and exertion," Lachance explains. Try Sweet and Sour Chicken With Short-Grain Brown Rice and Baby Spinach.

For managing anger

·                 Avocados

·                 Bananas

·                 Black beans

·                 Corn

·                 Potatoes

·                 White beans

Feeling steamed? Seek out potassium, an electrolyte that helps lower blood pressure, says Brie Turner-McGrivev, a registered dietitian at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Try Pistachio Banana Bread Pudding.

For sounder sleep

·                 Chickpeas

·                 Lentils

·                 Oatmeal

·                 Pumpkin seeds

·                 Spinach

·                 Swiss chard

Magnesium acts as a natural tranquilizer that relaxes muscles, blood vessels and the gastrointestinal tract. Plus, the mineral plays a role in boosting serotonin, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D., a spokeswoman in New York City for the American Dietetic Association. Try Pistachio Crusted Salmon With Orange Lime Spinach Salad.

3 New Health Benefits of Eating Chocolate - Health Tip - from realage.com

Chocolate has all but been elevated to superfood status. And the good news keeps rolling in.

So here are three more reasons why you may not want to be too quick to break that chocolate habit. (As long as you're hitting the dark stuff.)

Chocolate makes you smarter. Ample research suggests that the flavonols in dark chocolate increases cerebral blood flow, which in turn may trigger the creation of new blood vessels and brain cells. And a new study showed that older adults performed better on cognitive tests after eating small portions of the sweet stuff. Talk about a nourished noggin!

Chocolate weakens heart attacks. Although more research is needed to confirm this one, a new study showed that regular chocolate eaters who had heart disease were less likely to die following a heart attack compared with the people who didn't treat themselves to the dark and dreamy stuff.

Chocolate has a cavity fighting compound. Okay, so you don't necessarily want to trade in your toothbrush for a chocolate bar. But some interesting new research shows a compound in chocolate -- theobromine -- may be just as good as fluoride at hardening tooth enamel. So the compound could find its way into toothpastes and mouthwashes one day. Until then, keep in mind that most commercially prepared chocolate has a lot of sugar in it.