<div class="block">The saying you are what you eat couldn&#39;t be more true when it comes to our mental health. Shanley Chien, senior health editor at U.S. News &amp; World Report, joined &#39;beWell&#39; to talk about foods that can provide a boost to our physical and mental wellbeing.</div>

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Be Well: How Food Can Impact Mental Health

We've all heard the expression you are what you eat. Well, that couldn't be more true, especially when it comes to our mental health because what we put in our body can actually keep our minds healthy as well. That's right. So here was some helpful information and to show us some of those foods that can really boost our mental health. A senior health editor with us news and world report, Shanley Chen. So talk us through what we have here. I mean, you take a look at this, this is a lot of different colors going on. Yeah. So we've got this amazing spread of food here and all of which is going to be really good for our mental health. So we know that what we put into our bodies is going to affect our physical health. For example, if we eat a bad diet that's full of unhealthy foods, it's going to lead to things like obesity, uh type two diabetes, heart disease and increase our risk of certain types of cancers. But you're totally right. What we put into our bodies also affects our mental health as well. And so we've brought a nice display of different types of foods that are going to boost our mental health and mental well being. And chamomile tea is one of them. Yes. You know, as we think about chamomile tea, you know, we think about sitting down with a nice warm cup and it's very relaxing. And that's because it contains certain compounds that are known to reduce anxiety, reduce stress and relax. Ok. I like that. Oregano. Is that oregano? Yes, that is yeah. Oregano and other types of herbs that are wonderful for cooking are also really good for our mental wellness and emotional well being as well. And again, because it contains certain compounds that are going to improve our cognitive performance as well as our emotional well wellness. Now, I know a lot of people are going to be happy, explain the difference of which chocolate we should be eating. Absolutely. And so dark chocolate is your best bet. Although a lot of people think milk chocolate is just any kind of chocolate, dark chocolate is the way to go. And that's because it contains mood enhancing compounds such as tryptophan, which is known to help the body produce serotonin. Know that mood regulating hormone in the body as well as Tyne, which increases the dopamine production in our bodies. But they're also filled with antioxidants including fla all and that's really good to protect our brain health. So bottom line dark chocolate and now beans all different kinds. Yes. Yeah. So we've got, you know, bonzo beans, we've got black beans and we've got some lentils over here and not only are they high in protein but they're high in fiber and other types of vitamins and minerals. And that fiber is really key here because it also includes prebiotic fiber that's gonna help nourish the gut. Ok. I know. I love it. I knew he was gonna get it. I know to do a little snack. I know that it is. And so we got almonds, we got cashews as well as this. A ton of other nuts and seeds. Here on that beautiful right there. They're all really, really healthy. That's because they contain zinc magnesium, both really good for brain health. But they're also high in Omega threes which are hot, which is great for our heart health, but it's also really good for our brain health as well. And again, that fiber that we just talked about, which is gonna be so good and this is salmon. Yes. So here we've got some salmon, some tuna and some sardines. And really, those are just examples of other types of fish and seafood that we should incorporate into our diet to improve our mental health. But they should have water or oil, which one's better, you know what it's best to go with water. But if you're looking at oil as well, um just make sure that when you look at that nutrition label that it doesn't include other um high sodium extra salt and things like that. And obviously, this is like our veggies over here. Those are always good. That last one though, I might not be familiar with Kimchi. Can you explain this? Yes, absolutely. So, as you mentioned, we've got our, our beautiful display of greens and fruits and vegetables which are high in minerals, vitamins and fiber. But yes, this section over here is our fermented food section. So we've got Kimchi, we've got kombucha and we've got sauerkraut right here. All really delicious. And you wouldn't know that it's actually very good for your mental health as well. And this is, this is I'm gonna drink this. Yes. Yes, you are. My best friend drinks it. I'm like, how can you do it? Yes. And you know, it's an acquired taste but it's so, so good for your mental health. And that's because it contains tons of good bacteria again to nourish that gut. But also because it contains trypan and that amino acid that is going to boost that serotonin level in your body. You've got tons of really wonderful vitamins and minerals in those fermented foods. So you're just, you're just going to have to enjoy them. All right. Thank you so much.