From the humble morning cuppa to raw carrots, here are five simple foods proven to boost your mood 

Start with your diet to add a little sunshine and lightness to your life

Eating more of some foods (and less of others) can lead to higher levels of happiness and optimism.

As if we needed reminding, Met Éireann revealed that last month was the 19th wettest February on record, with a 19% higher rainfall above normal. And with so much world doom and gloom, we all need some sunshine and lightness in our lives. A team of scientists from Northern Ireland may have found the solution: Prof Aedín Cassidy, from the Co-Centre for Sustainable Food Systems and the Institute for Global Food Security at Queens University Belfast, says we should start with our diet.

Following one of the largest studies of its kind, Cassidy has shown that eating more of some foods (and less of others) can lead to higher levels of happiness and optimism. Just what everyone needs at the moment. She and her colleagues worked alongside researchers from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health to find out whether consuming a diet rich in flavonoids — naturally occurring compounds found in a variety of plant foods — can boost mood.