生活百科：健康饮食系列之十八——选择好食物，带来好心情

STEP 1 Munch on walnuts 嚼核桃

Munch on a handful of walnuts. They're a rich source of vitamin B6, which the body needs to produce serotonin, a brain chemical involved in staving off depression. Sunflower seeds and wheat germ are also good sources of B6.

STEP 2 Fill up on fish 吃鱼

Eat at least two servings of fish per week. The omega-3 fatty acids in seafood increase serotonin levels, and some research indicates that people who eat fish less than once a week have about a 30 percent higher incidence of depression.

Wild fish has higher concentrations of omega-3s than farmed fish.

STEP 3 Increase your intake of folic acid 增加维生素B 的摄入

Eat foods that contain folic acid, also called folate -- spinach, lentils, asparagus, and peas. Researchers have found a possible link between depression and low levels of this B vitamin.

STEP 4 Have the fowl 吃家禽肉

Enjoy chicken and turkey; both have tryptophan, an amino acid that is essential to the production of serotonin. Researchers have found that people who are deprived of tryptophan fall into a depression.

STEP 5 Pass the pasta 不要吃意大利面

When you're feeling stressed, eat complex carbohydrates like whole-grain breads and pasta. Carbs enable tryptophan to enter the brain.

STEP 6 Sprinkle sesame seeds on salads 沙拉中撒些芝麻

Eat tahini or snack on sesame seeds. They're rich in the amino acid threonine, a deficiency of which has been linked to depression.

According to research, people who eat a Mediterranean-style diet -- high in fruits, vegetables, and fish -- are less likely to get depressed than those who eat mostly processed and fatty foods.