We live in a stressful world, and daily life can sometimes make us feel tired, stressed, or depressed. Some people go to the doctor’s for help, others try alternative therapies, but the place to find a cure could be somewhere completely different: in the kitchen. Dr Paul Clayton, a food expert from Middlesex University, says ‘The brain is affected by what you eat and drink, just like every other part of your body. Certain types of food contain substances which affect how you think and feel.’

For example, food which is high in carbohydrates can make us feel more relaxed. It also makes us feel happy. Research has shown that people on diets often begin to feel a little depressed after two weeks because they are eating fewer carbohydrates.

On the other hand, food which is rich in protein makes us feel awake and focused. Research has shown that schoolchildren who eat a high-protein breakfast often do better at school than children whose breakfast is lower in protein. Also, eating the right kind of meal at lunchtime can make a difference if you have an exam in the afternoon or a business meeting where you need to make some quick decisions. In an experiment for a BBC TV programme two chess players, both former British champions, had different meals before playing each other. Paul had a plate of prosciutto and salad (full of protein from the red meat), and his opponent Terry had pasta with a creamy sauce (full of carbohydrate). In the chess match Terry felt sleepy, and took much longer than Paul to make decisions about what moves to make. The experiment was repeated several times with the same result.