Snacks to Kick Your Mind Into Gear

Your Mood: Insecure
Your confidence is waning as the night wears on.
Your Meal: A snack-size chocolate bar
Here's Why:

Chocolate contains a host of chemicals to brighten your mood, Somer says, including anadamine, which targets the same receptors as THC, and phenylethylamine, which produces a cozy, euphoric feeling.

Your Mood: Restless
You need some serious shut-eye before the big day.
Your Meal: Nonfat popcorn half an hour before you go to bed
Here's Why:

The carbs will induce your body to create serotonin, a neurochemical that makes you feel relaxed. "Make sure it's fat-free, because fat will slow the process of boosting serotonin levels," says Somer.

Your Mood: Stressed
You have to meet a deadline without being overwhelmed.
Your Meal: A handful of sesame seeds while you're working
Here's Why:

Stress hormones can deplete your body's supply of magnesium, reducing your stress-coping abilities and increasing your risk of developing high blood pressure, says Elizabeth Somer, R.D., author of Food & Mood.

your Mood: Flummoxed
You've forgotten your last two deadlines.
Your Meal: Pineapple chunks for a snack or a cup of berries in your oatmeal

Here's Why:

Antioxidants from the most-colorful fruits and vegetables help pick off the free radicals that wear away at your memory. "Because your brain consumes so much oxygen, oxidants do heavy damage there," says Somer.