10 best foods for life's troubles

MONTEREY JACKResearchers found that eating less than one-quarter of an ounce of jack, Cheddar, Gouda, or mozzarella cheese will boost pH levels to protect your pearly whites from cavities.

YOU WANT TO PREVENT A HANGOVER

A VIRGIN SCREWDRIVERFor last call, order this start-the-day staple. Fructose, one of the sugars in orange juice, can speed the metabolism of alcohol, by as much as 25 percent. Vitamin C also helps combat binge-related cell damage.

YOU HAD SUCH AN AWESOME DAY THAT YOU JUST CAN'T FALL ASLEEP

OATMEAL WITH BANANAS AND WALNUTSSleep is triggered by the hormone melatonin, but stress or excitement can disrupt melatonin's release. Bring your brain back down to earth by whipping up a bowl of oatmeal and topping it with sliced bananas and crushed walnuts, both rich in melatonin. What won't do the trick: warm milk. Contrary to popular belief, warm milk will keep you up, not knock you out. Blame the protein in the milk, which can reduce serotonin levels and delay the onset of sleep.

FLAXSEEDFlax is the best-known source of alphalinolenic acid, or ALA—a healthy fat that improves the workings of the cerebral cortex, the area of the brain that pro- cesses sensory information, including pleasure. To meet your quota, sprinkle it into smoothies or onto salads, or make it the secret ingredient in a PB & J.

YOUR PMS THREATENS THOSE AROUND YOU

SAFFRONA pinch of this exotic spice may help tame the monthly beast by increasing levels of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin, which can plummet before your period. In a recent study published in BJOG, a journal from the British Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, women who took 15 milligrams of saffron extract in the morning and evening saw a significant dip in irritability, fatigue, and depression.

YOU JUST FINISHED AN INTENSE WORKOUT AND NOW YOU WANT REWARD

CHOCOLATE MILKAccording to Indiana University researchers, the ratio of carbs to protein in chocolate milk is ideal for muscle recovery and growth.

IT'S T-MINUS 3 WEEKS UNTIL YOU'LL BE LOUNGING ON A BEACH IN BELIZE

GREEN TEAIn a 2009 report from the American Society of Nutrition, scientists found that exercisers who drank green tea lost twice as much weight as those who didn't, and had the greatest declines in total abdominal fat.

YOU CAN'T STOP HICCUPING

SUGARA study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 1 teaspoon of table sugar, swallowed dry, cured hiccups in 95 percent of people—some of whom had been hiccuping for as long as 6 weeks.

YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND THINK, "THAT LAUGH LINE WASN'T THERE YESTERDAY, WAS IT?"

GUACAMOLEA study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that people with a high intake of olive oil showed fewer wrinkles than those with a high intake of butter. The reason: monounsaturated fats, which are found in abundance in olive oil. So drizzle some olive oil on your salad, and if that's not convenient, grab a side of guacamole; avocados have the same monounsaturated fats as olive oil, plus plenty of fiber and healthy B vitamins.

YOU FORGOT TO PREVENT A HANGOVER

GATORADE AND TOAST WITH JAMYour first order of business is to replace fluids and electrolytes lost to the dehydrating effect of alcohol. A sports beverage will accomplish this, while the fructose in jam helps metabolize the alcohol and the easy-to-digest toast fuels your energy stores—without taxing your stomach—so you can face the day with a smile.