MOOD FOOD Memory- boosting spinach

NUTRITIONIST amanda hamilton shows you how to manage your mood — with food. THERE’S a reason a tin of spinach was Popeye’s source of strength. Just 100 g provides us with 25 per cent of our recommended daily intake of iron, essential for energy production.

However, the iron found in plants is non-heme and is less well absorbed by the body than heme iron, typically found in meat. Combining spinach with vitamin C will aid absorption.

Spinach can have a noticeable mental impact, too. It’s high in vitamin K, which regulates calcium and can play a significant role in improving bone and brain health. Studies have shown vitamin K is also crucial to warding off Alzheimer’s.