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Walnuts Good for: Mood Walnuts are packed with tryptophan, an amino acid your body needs to create the feel-great chemical serotonin. (In fact, Spanish researchers found that walnut eaters have higher levels of this natural mood-regulator.) Another perk: "They're digested slowly," Dr. Katz says. "This contributes to mood stability and can help you tolerate stress." Asparagus Good for: Mood These spears are one of the best veggie sources of folate, a B vitamin that could help keep you out of a slump. "Folate is important for the synthesis of the neurotransmitters dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine," says David Mischoulon, MD, a psychiatrist at Harvard Medical School. All of these are crucial for mood. A cup of cooked asparagus has 268 micrograms (mcg)�two-thirds of the 400 mcg RDA for women. Add a cup of enriched pasta�which is fortified with folic acid, the synthetic form of folate�and you'll have a feel-good meal indeed. Spring garlic Good for: Weight Loss The slim-you benefit of this seasonal treat lies in a compound called allicin, which gives garlic its pungent smell. "Allicin may keep you from overeating by stimulating satiety in the brain," says Tara Gidus, RD, a dietitian in Orlando, Florida. Spring garlic has a milder, sweeter taste than the dried white bulbs you buy later in the season. Enjoy it diced on salad for a fat-fighting side or lunch. Legumes Good for: Weight Loss Beans are one of your best bets if you're trying to drop pounds, says Joseph Colella, MD, a bariatric surgeon at Magee-Womens Hospital in Pittsburgh. "Your body has to work to break down the bean to get through the fiber," he explains, "so you're actually expending energy to digest it." Even better, Dr. Colella says, the protein in legumes activates an "I'm satisfied" message in the hunger center of your brain. Spinach Good for: Energy These tasty leaves are a great source of iron (especially if you don't eat meat), which is a key component in red blood cells that fuel our muscles with oxygen for energy. Researchers in Sweden recently identified another way in which these greens might keep you charged: Compounds found in spinach actually increase the efficiency of our mitochondria, the energy-producing factories inside our cells. That means eating a cup of cooked spinach a day may give you more lasting power on the elliptical machine (or in your daily sprint to catch the bus).