2022-09-01 Real Simple Mental Health

HAPPINESS AT HOME

2

Don’t Be Afraid to Be Blue

Blue is known for its stress-reducing
effects. That phenomenon is rooted in our
biology. When we’re surrounded by the
color in nature—a body of water, clear
skies—we know we’re safe. We have water
to drink, and the weather is good.
My family tapped into this emotion when
we moved into a new home and took down
the drapes to let the windows frame the
water outside. You can get the same benefit
from large photos in which blue dominates,
especially personal ones that remind you
of a joyful day at the beach.
Wallace J. Nichols, PhD, is a marine
biologist and the author of Blue Mind.

3

Focus on the Connection Between
Color and Texture

Like an animal, you need to build the
den you love. It’s important to remember
that color can be sensed in ways other than
visually. I’m a tactile person, so the gray
carpet I chose feels nubby and soft under
my feet. When I buy gray or white sheets,
I make sure they’re percale, because I’ll
connect the color with how crisp and cool
they feel against my skin.
Christiane Lemieux is a designer, the
founder of Dwellstudio, and the author of
The Finer Things.

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HAPPINESS AT HOME

4

Go Big on the Little Details

After I came out, I moved into a small
house. I made the interior colorful, but
because painting exteriors is an investment,
I was arriving home to a bleak black-and-
white structure. I fixed that by painting the
front steps in a rainbow pattern I’d seen on
a staircase in Italy. The result is a reflection
of the pride flag and my kids’ love of
rainbows. My partner did the painting, so
I see her deep love in each spot of color.
Kat Van Der Hoorn is a PhD candidate
in clinical psychology at Oregon Health
& Science University.

5

Look Outside for Inspiration

These days, I’ve gotten better at noticing
details right under my nose. For a long time,
I’ve had pink and orange bougainvillea
growing in my backyard, but I was always
too busy to really see them. Now, every
night before dinner, I bring in a few stems
of whatever pleases me and use them to
add color to my home in different ways.
It’s not just flowers. If I notice a color I like
in the garden, on a bird, on a branch, or
wherever else, I find ways to bring it inside.
Lately that’s meant painting simple parts
of my house a deep emerald green.
Embracing all that color gives me energy.
Mindy Weiss is an event planner
and the author of Goldie the Handpicked
Flower Girl. ■

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UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HE ALTH 51

HAPPINESS AT HOME

The Magic of Mornings,
the Power of Light

Getting a head start early in the day and then embracing
a routine that respects both daylight and darkness can be a boost

to mental health and productivity.

BY EMILY JOSHU

YO U H I T T H E S N O O Z E button three fluctuate on an approximately be a major factor in improving
times before finally rolling out of 24-hour timeline. This cycle is tied mood. This is because “sleep loves
bed. You run out the door to sunlight cues and darkness. For routine,” says Conroy. “You’re
overwhelmed by everything you example, if light starts streaming actually better at predicting how
have to do that day, unsure of into your bedroom window, it might you’ll sleep the next night and the
where to start. This can make the signal the body to start waking up, next night.” Conroy also suggests
day feel like a never-ending race, whereas turning off the lights might getting some sun exposure, such as
which in turn can be detrimental to tell the body that it’s time to sleep. with a morning walk or sitting on
mental health. Recent research “When we talk about the impact of the porch, within 30 minutes of
suggests that simple interventions light on our body clock, we are waking up.
such as setting up a morning talking about the importance of
routine could make us feel better setting a regular routine that’s On the sunlight front, Gallagher
mentally and physically. “We know helpful for our circadian rhythm,” emphasizes the importance of
getting up with intention has an says Deirdre Conroy, PhD, clinical getting out into nature at any time
impact on mood and anxiety and professor of psychiatry and clinical of day. “There can be a lot of things
depression,” says Thea Gallagher, director of the Behavioral Sleep that pull us out of the technology
PsyD, clinical assistant professor in Medicine Clinic at the University and some of the other aspects of
the department of psychiatry at of Michigan. our modern world that we know
NYU Grossman School of Medicine. can be overwhelming and bring us
The science starts with circadian A 2020 study in the European back to the groundedness: nature,
rhythm, the cycle of physiological Journal of Personality found sunlight, things like that,” Gallagher
and biological processes that that women tend to prefer getting says. “But there are just intrinsic
up early. The researchers also saw a benefits to sunlight for our chemical
potential link between getting up balance.” A 2021 study out of
early and being conscientious. This Monash University in Australia
could make early risers more likely found a positive correlation
to create and stick to routines. In
addition, getting an adequate
amount of sleep and waking up
around the same time every day can

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UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HE ALTH 53

between outdoor light the brain increases the scrolling through social media
exposure and mood. “In this production of melatonin, which or texting a friend right before
study, we observed that the helps you drift off to sleep. bed, the blue light from your
greater time spent in outdoor Additionally, when we get light phone could keep you awake
light during the day was exposure during the day, the longer and make it more
associated with fewer body responds by secreting the difficult to fall asleep. Gallagher
depressive symptoms, lower steroid hormone cortisol, which cautions against scrolling
odds of using antidepressant is produced by the adrenal before bed, but she also
medication, better sleep, and gland and participates in the recommends evaluating the
fewer symptoms of insomnia,” body’s stress response. Cortisol content you’re looking at. “You
said Angus C. Burns, the released with morning light
study’s lead author and a PhD exposure helps to keep the
candidate at Monash University, body awake.
at the time of publication.
Study participants reported a So if you spend 30 minutes
median of 2.5 hours of daylight
exposure per day. But a 2020
study published in JAMA
Psychiatry found that exposure
to outdoor artificial light at
night was correlated with less
sleep and more mental health
disorders among U.S.
adolescents. (That study’s
authors cautioned that more
research is needed.)

Light is particularly
important to staying awake and
rested throughout the day.
When you open your eyes in
the morning, light exposure
sends a signal to a small group
of cells in the brain called the
suprachiasmatic nucleus. This
group of neurons influences
melatonin production, so when
you get bright light first thing in
the morning, this system shuts
down melatonin production.
Similarly, in response to
darkness, the pineal gland in

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HAPPINESS AT HOME

“Your wake time doesn’t have to be
5 in the morning, but it should

be a time that helps you feel productive.”

can feel mindless or really not about 30 minutes earlier the drinking an uncaffeinated cup
intentional, but you can get lost next day, and then go outside to of tea, such as chamomile.
in it, and it goes on for longer meditate or journal within the
than you want,” she says. “I first half hour of waking up. Gallagher recommends
always encourage people to be The following day, try to wake starting off the morning by
as intentional with their social up another 30 minutes earlier, writing out a list of reasonable
media, news watching, and and so on. to-dos for the day, such as
device use as possible. And doing laundry, setting up an
it’s a daily practice. We’re all However, staying up late important meeting, or going
guilty of it. It impacts all of might not always be such a bad to the store. Additionally,
us in different ways, but it’s thing. For some, the nighttime consider compiling a list of
something that we have to hours are the ideal time to get what makes you feel anxious—
just keep trying to manage.” their best work done. It might a big presentation or a medical
Many cell phones and other be when a spark of inspiration appointment, for example—
electronics also have filters that comes for an artistic project, or along with strategies for what
limit blue light exposure. it might be the perfect you can do about them. “A lot
distraction-free time to get of times, people feel really
Though research points to ahead on the weekly workload. overwhelmed by the tasks of
the early bird getting the worm, Ultimately, improving mood their day,” Gallagher says.
what about night owls? Recent and keeping healthy habits “There is something therapeutic
research finds that preference comes down to getting enough about setting a routine and
for the later hours of the day sleep regularly and settling into adding some predictability to
could lead to health concerns. a routine. “One of the things we your day. We can’t control
A 2019 study, for example, found during the pandemic, everything in our lives, but
suggests that night owls might with people being able to adjust sometimes we can control our
face increased risk of mental their schedules, was that some schedule, and it gives us a little
health disorders, such as people are more night owls, bit of stability. It takes away
anxiety and depression, as well and that’s OK,” Gallagher says. the burden of, ‘Oh, what do I do
as metabolic conditions such as “I just think it’s important for next?’ You have some structure
increased blood pressure, high people to have a consistent and an intention for how your
blood sugar, and elevated wake time that works with day is going to look.” ■
cholesterol. For those looking their life. It doesn’t have to be
to break out of the late-night 5 in the morning, but it should
lifestyle, Conroy suggests be a time that helps you feel
starting slowly. “Any night owl productive.” As you begin
I’ve ever met has tried. They’ll winding down before bed,
set the alarm and say, ‘Oh, I’m consider settling into a calming
going to work out tomorrow at routine. This could include skin
6 a.m.’ Meanwhile, they haven’t care, reading a book, or
woken up at 6 a.m. in years.”
Instead, consider waking up

UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HE ALTH 55



HAPPINESS AT HOME

A Book for
Every Ailment

Find solace, inspiration, and
the unexpected belly laugh at the

exact moment you need
it—in a bookcase near you.

BY CATHERINE HONG

I AM NOT IN THERAPY THESE DAYS, but like
many people, I have issues that could use
some working through. Just ask my husband
or my teenage daughter (but not my mother—
please, not her!). In the past, I’ve seen
compassionate, well-trained therapists who

offered sound advice and plenty of tissues,

but those weekly sessions never lasted for the long haul.

They started getting expensive, and—for an introvert

like me, who prefers to let other people do the talking—

50 minutes of forced conversation began to feel like

something to dread.

The concept of bibliotherapy, therefore, struck me as

not only practical but downright inviting. Bibliotherapy

is the practice of reading books to help address the

everyday ailments of life, such as low-level anxiety,

heartache, and midlife ennui. (Let’s be clear: It’s not

intended to replace traditional therapy for severe

conditions.) For any book lover, the appeal is especially

obvious: Time spent reading for pleasure can be

guilt-free in the name of mental health and wellness.

With little more than a stack of novels and a cozy chair,

you could, in theory, heal thyself.

The belief in the salubrious effect of storytelling is

nothing new. In ancient Greece, the entrance to the

library of Thebes was inscribed with HEALING PLACE OF

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HAPPINESS AT HOME

People who read literary fiction inability to purchase toilet paper.
demonstrate increased empathy. Berthoud was warm and reassuring, and we bonded
Reading has also been shown to coax
the body into a state of relaxation. immediately over being isolated at home with teenagers.
Having paged through The Novel Cure, I was inclined to
THE SOUL. Around the end of the 19th century, Sigmund like her anyway: The 751 books she and Elderkin
Freud was using literature in his psychoanalysis recommend are heavy on literary fiction, light on the
sessions. Later, during World War I, hospitalized patients extremes of obscure highbrow or trashy commercial.
were encouraged to read books as a means of recovering They prescribe Bel Canto by Ann Patchett for unrequited
from their trauma. love, The Rachel Papers by Martin Amis for cynicism,
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis for shopaholism—
The term bibliotherapeutics is believed to date back all inspired pairings, in my book. And Berthoud won me
to 1916, when the Atlantic Monthly reported on the over on the topic of children’s literature, a lifelong
goings-on at a bibliopathic institute, run out of a church passion of mine. “Children’s books can offer wonderful
basement, where a self-anointed specialist dispensed inspiration and solace to adults,” she told me. “I’ve
the works of Tolstoy, Shaw, and Thackeray like tinctures recommended The Giver by Lois Lowry to clients
and tonics. The craze for literary clinics never took who’ve felt a lack of wonder and joy in their lives. It’s a
off quite like the practice of psychotherapy, but book that reminds you how amazing life is, even when
bibliotherapy has gained currency in recent years due to it’s hard.”
the efforts of Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin. The two
University of Cambridge–educated book lovers, who She tossed out a few recommendations, among them
operate a bibliotherapy service out of London’s School Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry (“It’s all about aging
of Life, cowrote The Novel Cure: From Abandonment to parents”) and a couple of titles to get me through the
Zestlessness: 751 Books to Cure What Ails You. “When developing pandemic. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor
we were students, we liked to joke that we could be Towles, she promised, would be fantastic for quarantine,
book doctors,” Berthoud says. “When one of us had a because “the main character himself is confined to his
problem, the other would recommend a book to help hotel for 30 years.” The Martian by Andy Weir would be
the other through it.” another ideal lockdown read, on account of the
protagonist’s “self-resourcefulness and will to survive.”
Clients seeking the pair’s bibliotherapy services start Within a minute of hanging up with her, I had ordered a
out by answering a detailed questionnaire. Then they half dozen paperbacks online and was eagerly awaiting
have a phone or video conference with a bibliotherapist Berthoud’s full prescription.
to further discuss their reading habits and personal
dilemmas. Several days later, clients receive an In the meantime, I did a little more research on the
individualized “prescription” of about six books, as effects of reading. A study in 2000 showed that when
well as the therapist’s explanation for why each one people read about an event, the same brain regions
was chosen. display activity as would if the person had experienced
the event firsthand. Other studies have found that
When Berthoud and I had our video chat, it was mid- people who read literary fiction tend to demonstrate
March 2020, the early days of the COVID-19 crisis. I had increased empathy. Reading has also been shown to
dutifully completed her questionnaire, surprising myself nurture a sharper mind and coax the body into a state
by the passion with which I answered questions like of deep relaxation not unlike meditation. Books, it
“How would you describe your relationship to books?” seemed clear to me, could help people become happier
“Which books and authors have you loved most?” and and healthier—not to mention more emotionally attuned
“What is missing from your life?” Perhaps because I was to others.
writing, not speaking, I laid everything out: my
increasingly distant children, my conflicted emotions
regarding my mother, my AWOL career ambitions.
Topping it all off, of course, was the new, high-pitched
anxiety regarding face masks, distance learning, and my

58 REAL SIMPLE



“I talk about books with my shrink all the time,” a The tricky part, Burtman acknowledged, is that not
friend told me. “She loves reading, so it’s something we everybody interprets a book the same way. “Different
connect on. You should talk to her!” A couple of days people naturally focus on different aspects of a
later, I was on the phone with Ruth Burtman, PhD, a novel, depending on their point of view,” she said.
psychologist in New York City. “For my patients who We stumbled on this in our own conversation, when she
love to read, discussing novels or memoirs can be really told me that one book she had recommended to patients
helpful, maybe more so than self-help books,” she said. who were lamenting a “loss of lightness and sense of
One of the benefits of reading fiction, she explained, is humor” was Where’d You Go, Bernadette, Maria
that the lessons and themes are rarely explicit: “Novels Semple’s comic novel about a misanthropic former
reach us on a deep, implicit level, which is how we learn architect who mysteriously disappears.
most of our behavior.” And stories tend to stick with us.
“You might easily forget a set of facts, but you don’t “Really?” I couldn’t help interjecting. “I don’t see that
easily forget a place,” she said. “Reading a novel is like one for someone looking for lightness. I would have
visiting a place.” said it was perfect for someone struggling with creativity
or their loss of ambition.”

She paused.
“Maybe this is something you’re grappling with,” she
responded. (Damn—she got me!)
The consolations of bibliotherapy also reminded me

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HAPPINESS AT HOME

of one of my former English professors, Edward But it only offered the therapy of pure, diverting
Mendelson, the author of The Things That Matter, escapism, as the characters and relationships in the book
which explores how seven classic novels probe different felt far too removed from mine to be relatable.
stages of life. He discusses what Wuthering Heights
has to say about childhood, what Middlemarch tells us I was looking for a book to wrestle with—a book with
about marriage, what Mrs. Dalloway illuminates about some thorns that might leave me, if not scratched and
love, and so on. I reconnected with Mendelson over bruised, somehow altered. So I turned to Please Look
email, and he affirmed his belief that art can help with After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin, about an older woman
healing. “Art and literature tell you truths about the from a rural Korean village who becomes separated from
world and about yourself that no one else can tell you,” her family. The jacket copy alone turned my blood cold
he said. “W.H. Auden once wrote, ‘The primary function and got all my Korean-daughter guilt churning: “As long-
of poetry, as of all the arts, is to make us more aware held secrets and private sorrows begin to reveal
of ourselves and the world around us.’” themselves, they are forced to wonder: How well did
they actually know the woman they called Mom?”
I pulled out Mendelson’s book to read his chapter
on To the Lighthouse. He writes that Woolf’s 1927 novel I did not derive pleasure, exactly, from Please Look
is, among other things, “a study in the double nature After Mom, but I was sucked deep, deep inside. As I read
of parenthood, its simultaneous impulses to hold back it, all my concerns about the inanities of TikTok and my
and push forward a child.” I unearthed my yellowed pantry’s lack of chickpeas fell away. The mother
copy and, over the course of a few nights, immersed hobbling in the streets of Seoul in her broken blue
myself in the Ramsay family’s home on the Isle of Skye. plastic slippers! Her daughter, gabbing carelessly on a
This time, I saw the way Mrs. Ramsay squelches her cellphone, eating gourmet street food, thinking only of
children’s and guests’ individuality in a quest to hold herself! With these images in my mind, how could I ever
back time. “Life stands still here,” the character Lily show impatience with my own dear mother again?
Briscoe recalls the matriarch saying. In other words, the
warm, maternal Mrs. Ramsay was also a smothering When I finished the book, I knew I had to connect
control freak. with my mother about it. I had to tell her how it shamed
me into seeing my own selfishness. How I hadn’t shown
Ding! Ding! Ding! That ringing in my head was what appreciation for her. How sorry I was for not doing or
Aristotle called my moment of anagnorisis, or saying more! But I also dreaded the conversation. So,
recognition. Because I know I should stop mooning over chicken that I am, I sent her an email asking if she had
those old family photos that Shutterfly keeps emailing read Please Look After Mom and what she thought.
me, in which my kids are still pliable and chubby- Here’s what she wrote back:
cheeked. And I know I shouldn’t be trying to wrestle my
13-year-old into a forced cuddle as if he were still 6. I was comforted to find out that only a mother
“Don’t be like Mrs. Ramsay,” I told myself. “I cannot hold can be so devoted and sacrifice for her children.
life still. Remember Mrs. Ramsay.” Lo, this was Therefore I feel less sad about my mother.
bibliotherapy in action.
I had to read it twice to understand that she wasn’t
Whenever I could, I shut myself in my bedroom and talking about me. As it turns out, when my mom
plunged into my growing pile of novels recommended read the book, she didn’t think about my shortcomings—
by Berthoud. I devoured The Summerhouse: A Trilogy by she thought about how guilty she felt about her own
Alice Thomas Ellis, which includes a story about a young Korean mother. This came as such a relief to me that I
woman’s impending marriage to a man she does not could only laugh. Burtman was right again. ■
love. “I thought of this for you because it is brilliant on
mothers and daughters,” Berthoud had written me. Being
a sucker for British domestic dramas set in grand houses
where everyone is quietly seething or pining, I loved it.

UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HE ALTH 61

62 REAL SIMPLE

CHAPTER 3

THE COOKING
CONNECTION

Nourish your body and mind with delicious
ingredients linked to mental wellness. Plus, how

to de-stress your kitchen.

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THE COOKING CONNECTION

A Good-Mood
Kitchen

Set up your pantry, refrigerator, and
freezer to make eating for better cognition

and mental wellness a no-brainer.

BY JENNA HELWIG

EATING WELL CAN HELP Granted, knowing what to eat
and actually doing it are two very
build muscle, strengthen bones, different things. Happily, small
and protect the heart. But food tweaks to your kitchen envi-
also plays a major role in ronment can nudge you toward
mental wellness. “If you make meaningful changes. These
eating for brain health part of seven strategies will help you
your lifestyle, you’ll be well build brain-boosting habits and
positioned to sharpen your enjoy your time in the kitchen
memory, help keep depression more, which Ramsey says is just
at bay, and stave off cognitive as important. “Sure, eating for
decline,” says Drew Ramsey, brain health is about consuming
MD, founder of the Brain Food the right foods to feed your
Clinic and author of Eat to brain cells and help prevent
Beat Depression and Anxiety. inflammation. But it’s also about
The basics of eating for brain engaging with food and cooking
health aren’t complicated, in a joyful way,” he says.
he notes. You want more
vegetables (especially leafy Stock Up on Nuts
greens) and fruits (especially and Chocolate
berries). You also want to work
in seafood, fermented foods, You don’t need to banish your
nuts, herbs, and—your old favorite chips or never eat ice
friend—dark chocolate. cream again. But if you make
brain-healthy snacks accessible,

64 REAL SIMPLE

UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HE ALTH 65



THE COOKING CONNECTION

you’ll be more likely to incor- Make it a pleasure to use olive oil
porate them into your nibbling for the majority of your cooking
routine. At the top of the list by decanting it into a pretty ceramic
are nuts, says Annie Fenn, MD,
founder of Brain Health Kitchen, or tinted-glass bottle.
an online resource that focuses
on using food to help prevent of brain inflammation,” Fenn “This allows me to see my cook-
dementia. “They’re an ideal says. “About three tablespoons ing palette with a glance and
combination of protein, nutri- of high-quality olive oil daily helps me feel bright, excited,
ents like vitamin E, and brain- can improve memory problems and optimistic about our next
friendly fats,” she says. “In a in people with mild cognitive meal,” Swanson writes. “This
study of healthy women, eating impairment.” little practice also makes a big
nuts was consistently associated impact, dramatically reducing
with better performance on Make it a pleasure to use olive food waste.”
cognitive tests.” oil for the majority of your cook-
ing by decanting it into a pretty Get Growing…Even on
To make grabbing them auto- ceramic or tinted-glass bottle Your Windowsill
matic, place the brain-health- and keeping it on the counter.
iest nuts—almonds, cashews, (Store it out of direct sunlight, Fresh herbs like rosemary,
hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, which causes degradation, and thyme, sage, basil, and cilantro
and walnuts—in clear contain- avoid clear containers.) Don’t can seem like afterthoughts in
ers in the front of your pan- be shy about taking a bottle of recipes, but when it comes to
try. Surround them with other EVOO to the table and drizzling brain health, they should be top
healthy, tasty options, like seeds, it over dinner. “Olive oil helps of mind. Like many plants, these
dried fruit, roasted chickpeas, your body absorb the nutrients herbs contain compounds that
and dark chocolate (at least 70 in the other brain-friendly foods can help prevent cell damage,
percent cacao). “Dark choco- on your plate,” Fenn says. ward off disease, and promote
late is a powerful tool in our healthy aging. “Fresh herbs can
eating-for-mental-wellness arse- Pretty Up and Prep also make brain-boosting foods
nal,” Ramsey says. “In one small Your Produce like vegetables and seafood
study, regular dark chocolate more appealing. It’s a win-win,”
eaters were 70 percent less likely When you go to a store, every- says Carolyn Williams, PhD, RD,
to report depression.” Stash indi- thing looks so good—colorful cohost of the Happy Eating
vidually wrapped squares in a jar and neat and appealing—thanks Podcast. Growing your own
for a sweet snack. to merchandising. In her cook- means you can pick just as
book Super Natural Simple, much as you need. Plus, they’re
Give Olive Oil Pride Heidi Swanson recommends a pretty and fragrant addition
of Place approaching your fridge like it’s to your kitchen. If you cultivate
a window display: If the healthy only one herb, Ramsey suggests
When it comes to oils, olive is stuff is more convenient and rosemary, which may help
best. “Extra-virgin olive oil pro- looks extra enticing, you’ll be improve memory. Chop it and
vides two nutrients your brain more likely to reach for it. Start dust it on vegetables or meats
needs every day: healthy fats by excavating the crisper draw- before roasting, or add it to soups.
and polyphenols, like oleocan- ers and composting anything
thal, which gives the oil its pep- past its prime. Wash, dry, and
pery bite and is a potent reducer chop the remaining veggies and
place them in clear contain-
ers front and center, so they’re
ready when it’s time to prep din-
ner. Place colorful fruit in bowls.

UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HE ALTH 67

THE COOKING CONNECTION

Gather Gut-Friendly Foods them stocked in your freezer, author of The Little Book of
alongside seafood (like sele- Living Small, suggests designating
“Research continues to suggest nium-rich shrimp and omega- a bin for each category: one for
that gut health is more 3-packed salmon) and green produce, one for seafood and
important for brain health than veggies (like spinach, broccoli, lean meats, for example. “You
we ever imagined,” Williams and kale). Not only do they last can always add bins if your
says. The gut’s good flora help us longer, frozen foods are often freezer doesn’t have any,” she
break down and absorb brain- less expensive than fresh. Plus, says. “Any plastic ones will work,
boosting nutrients, like folate “frozen produce and seafood are including large food-storage
and thiamine. “A healthy gut can often harvested at their peak, so containers without the tops.”
also help counter inflamma- they’re sometimes even more
tion, which can worsen depres- nutritious than their fresh coun-
sion and anxiety,” she adds. To terparts,” Horton says.
keep your gut in fighting shape,
eat more fermented foods, like To make sure the good stuff
yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, miso, doesn’t get buried, Laura Fenton,
kombucha, and kimchi. They’re an organizing expert and the
filled with probiotics, which your
microbiome needs to thrive.

Little jars and packages of
fermented foods can get lost in
your fridge, though, and it can be
a challenge to figure out how to
use them in everyday meals. To
keep them handy, designate one
shelf on the door as a spot for all
your fermented products. Label
it, and make a point to consume
at least one of those foods daily.
“Try stirring chopped kimchi
into rice, adding kefir or yogurt
to a smoothie, and mixing kom-
bucha into cocktails or mock-
tails,” says Brierley Horton, RD,
Williams’s cohost on the Happy
Eating Podcast.

Fill Up Your Freezer

Jewel-tone berries are little
miracle workers. Get this: The
flavonoids in blueberries and
blackberries may help improve
blood pressure, boost mood, and
decrease brain fog. Since fresh
berries can go bad faster than
you can say “antioxidant,” keep

68 REAL SIMPLE

Simplify Your Expectations low-cal frozen dinners. Instead, if you aren’t a regular cook,
fill your kitchen with the strive to make the kitchen a
The nutrition and wellness building blocks of brain-healthy welcoming place you’ll actually
worlds have made eating eating, including produce, nuts, enjoy spending time in. Consider
healthfully way too complicated, beans, and seafood. adding a vase of flowers, a pretty
coming up with one new fruit bowl, or a brightly colored
strategy after another, Ramsey While you’re in reassessment cutting board. Art pieces can
says. Make a fresh start by saying mode, declutter the counters bring some color and joy into a
“see ya” to the detritus of diets as well. “Put away appliances kitchen too. With these simple
past, the ones that promise a you never use, clear away shifts in your space, you can
quick fix but aren’t sustainable. papers, and remove extraneous make the good-for-you choice
Ta-ta to keto “candy bars,” decorative items. The more your go-to choice. ■
packets of dehydrated bone physical space you have to chop
broth, and highly processed, vegetables and put together UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HE ALTH 69
simple meals, the easier cooking
will feel,” Fenton says. Even

Genie in a Bottle

Do the new calming drinks let you sip your way to serenity?

BY AMY MACLIN

I F YO U ’ V E E V E R wished for a “to give dreamers and doers hibiscus, and berry (as opposed to
power potion, this may be your the burst of confidence they cotton-mouthed sadness).
lucky day: Confidence is now need to immediately thrive in
available in a can. Sold in any situation.” Think of calming functional
minimalist black-and-white beverages as the mellow cousins of
packaging, Confidence is part Unlike potentially the energy drink. Companies claim
of a growing trend of so-called dysfunctional beverages, such the drinks can reduce anxiety,
functional beverages—drinks as tequila, Confidence is liquid improve sleep, sharpen focus, and
with supposed health and courage for the wellness more—and we’re gulping them
mood benefits. According generation, leaving upon the down. This year, the U.S. relaxation
to the marketing materials, it palate a pleasant flavor of tea, beverage market was nearly $268
combines magnesium, million. In 2021, PepsiCo launched
B vitamins, and other ingredients Soulboost, a sparkling water in two
formulas: Lift, with Panax ginseng

70 REAL SIMPLE

for mental stamina, and Ease, Do These Drinks THE COOKING CONNECTION
with the amino acid L-theanine Really Work?
for relaxation. Are They Safe?
The bottom line is: No one
“Functional beverages were knows. Though there’s evidence Many of these beverages are
trending pre-COVID, but the to support the efficacy of some considered dietary
pandemic boosted the trend, adaptogenic ingredients, there’s supplements, so they are
because people [became more] been little research into how FDA regulated, even if the
focused on health and well they work in mass- companies aren’t required to
managing stress,” says Maxwell produced drinks. prove the benefits they claim.
Johnson, technical beverage It’s best to proceed with
specialist at BevSource, a “Ashwagandha, for instance, caution, however, if you’re on
beverage consultancy. Plus, he has been shown to reduce medication. “Some
adds, “these beverages are anxiety, but the effect depends supplements can interact with
nonalcoholic but still provide a in part on the dosage, purity, certain drugs, ranging from
‘fun’ aspect—the buzz without and form,” says Yufang Lin, MD, diabetic medications to oral
the hangover.” So can these an integrative physician with contraceptives to blood
elixirs offer relief without the Cleveland Clinic in thinners,” says Toby Amidor,
regret? Here are the answers to Lakewood, Ohio. “Unless a RD, author of The Family
all your thirsty questions. company can show their Immunity Cookbook. Make
research, there’s nothing to sure you talk to your doctor
What’s In These Things? prove the product works.” first. The same goes for those
who are pregnant or
Many calming beverages Doses in beverages tend to breastfeeding, Slayton adds.
contain adaptogens, a word that be lower than those in studies,
may make you think of sci-fi adds Lauren Slayton, RD, For most everyone else,
shape-shifters but is really just founder of Foodtrainers, a these beverages are likely fine
the term for natural substances nutrition consultancy in New in moderation, especially
believed to have stress-relieving York City. Take magnesium, if they help you eschew your
properties. These include the which can aid with relaxation nightly cocktail. “If it’s a choice
Ayurvedic herb ashwagandha and sleep: A typical dose is 300 between a low-dose
(also known as Indian ginseng); to 400 milligrams, while a magnesium drink and a martini,
L-theanine, found in green and beverage might contain 40 my vote is for the former,”
black tea and some mushrooms, milligrams. But just the promise Slayton says. “Just make
which is thought to relax the of calm may be enough to chill sure it’s sugar-free—trading
mind without causing you out, Slayton says: “Never alcohol for a sugary drink
drowsiness; and valerian root, underestimate the power of the wouldn’t be much of an
which may increase the amount placebo effect.” upgrade.” (Many of these drinks
of the calming chemical GABA have little or no sugar and are
in the brain. low in calories.)

Other common ingredients Can I Drink Them Instead
include nootropics, the Dr. of Meditating?
Seuss–sounding category of
natural or synthetic substances If you want to relieve anxiety,
thought to enhance creativity you’re better off with practices
and cognitive functions. like mindfulness, breathing, and
yoga—but if you just want
something special to sub in for
chardonnay, this trend might be
worth trying. Cheers! ■

UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HE ALTH 71

THE COOKING CONNECTION

A Delicious Rebalance

Nourish yourself with wholesome foods and add healthy
habits to your routine. These six dietitian-endorsed strategies,

plus easy recipes, will help you feel your best.

BY JENNA HELWIG

EAT IN COLOR War m Ro a s t PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Line a large
Chicken Salad rimmed baking sheet with parchment
Even in the dead of winter, you paper. Toss potatoes with 1 tablespoon
can find beautiful seasonal ACTIVE TIME 30 MINUTES oil, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and
fruits and vegetables, so play up TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR, 30 MINUTES 1/4 teaspoon pepper on baking sheet.
the produce! “When you eat a
variety of colors, you get a fuller SERVES 4 RUB skin of chicken breasts with
spectrum of nutrients and remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle both
antioxidants,” says Ellie Krieger, 24 oz. baby potatoes, halved, sides of breasts evenly with 1/2 teaspoon
RDN, a TV personality and or quartered if large kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
cookbook author. “It’s amazing Arrange chicken on baking sheet with
how powerful this can be for 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. olive oil, divided, potatoes. Roast until potatoes are very
your well-being.” Plus, a plus more for serving tender and chicken is cooked through
colorful plate is enticing and (165°F), 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer
mood-boosting. To ensure you 11/8 tsp. kosher salt, divided chicken to a plate and let rest for
have plenty of produce at your 1/2 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. freshly ground 20 minutes.
fingertips, Krieger recommends
stocking up on frozen fruits and black pepper, divided MEANWHILE, whisk yogurt, garlic, fish
veggies in addition to fresh. 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast sauce, 2 tablespoons buttermilk, and
“And don’t be afraid to get remaining 1/8 teaspoon each kosher
precut or prewashed veggies if halves (about 14 oz. each) salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add
that makes produce prep seem 1/2 cup plain whole-milk Greek yogurt 1 tablespoon buttermilk if needed for
more doable,” she says. 2 medium cloves garlic, grated on a dressing to reach a saucy consistency.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Microplane or very finely chopped
1/2 tsp. fish sauce or soy sauce SLICE off top and bottom of each citrus
2 Tbsp. whole buttermilk, fruit. Using a sharp knife, slice off peel
and white pith from each fruit; discard.
plus more if needed Slice each fruit crosswise into wheels.
3 large citrus fruits (2 lb. total), Cut each wheel in half.

such as navel oranges, grapefruit, PILE arugula and radicchio on a large
mandarins, and/or tangerines platter. Remove and discard bones from
6 cups baby arugula chicken. Slice chicken crosswise into
1/2 small head radicchio, thick (about 1/2-inch) pieces. Arrange
leaves separated chicken, potatoes, and citrus wheels on
Flaky sea salt, for serving arugula mixture. Drizzle generously with
oil and top with flaky sea salt. Serve with
buttermilk dressing to spoon over salad.

72 REAL SIMPLE



THE COOKING CONNECTION

Kombucha-
Pomegranate

Tonic

ACTIVE TIME 5 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME 5 MINUTES

SERVES 1

1 lime
2 tsp. roughly chopped

unpeeled fresh ginger
3 oz. (a generous 1/3 cup)

raw kombucha
1 oz. (2 Tbsp.) pomegranate

juice or cranberry juice
1 oz. (2 Tbsp.) club soda,

or more if desired

REMOVE a 3-by-1-inch zest strip
from lime and cut lime in half. Place
1 half in a large, sturdy mug or
cocktail shaker; reserve remaining
half for another use. Add ginger to
mug. Using bottom of a wooden
spoon, muddle lime and ginger,
pounding on lime to extract juice.
POUR mixture through a fine-mesh
strainer into a glass, pressing sol-
ids in strainer to extract as much
juice as possible. Fill glass halfway
with ice.
ADD kombucha and pomegranate
juice to glass; stir to combine. Top
with soda and garnish with lime
zest strip.

FEED YOUR GUT

It’s mind-blowing how critical gut health is to overall wellness. “Millions of good
bacteria in your gut impact digestion, and about 70 percent of the immune system
resides there,” says dietitian Maya Feller, RD, author of The Southern Comfort Food
Diabetes Cookbook. “It’s also where some of the body’s mood-supporting neuro-
transmitters, like serotonin and dopamine, are produced.” One of the best ways to
improve your gut health is to eat plenty of foods rich in probiotics, such as yogurt,
kefir, kimchi, miso, and refrigerated sauerkraut. Kombucha—essentially a fizzy,
fermented tea—is another good source. Feller suggests looking for bottles with less than
5 grams of added sugar per serving. And keep in mind that kombucha contains a very
small amount of alcohol, a by-product of the fermentation process.

74 RE AL SIMPLE

Sautéed
Hard-Boiled Egg

Breakfast

ACTIVE TIME 10 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME 10 MINUTES

SERVES 1

1 hard-boiled egg, peeled
and halved lengthwise

1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. hummus

Pita wedges, for serving
Fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves and
harissa, for serving (optional)

SPRINKLE both sides of egg halves
evenly with salt and pepper. Heat
oil in a small nonstick skillet over
medium. Add egg halves, cut side
down; cook until golden brown, 1 to 2
minutes. Serve with hummus, pita,
and, if using, parsley and harissa.

GO FISH

Eating seafood once or twice a week is
an easy nutrition boost, Feller says:
“Salmon is an excellent source of omega-3
fatty acids, which are essential nutrients,
especially for brain and cardiovascular
health.” Get more salmon on your plate by
taking advantage of a high-quality canned
version—it’s an affordable and versatile
pantry staple with the health benefits of
fresh fish. “Look for fish packed in BPA-free
aluminum cans, with a third-party
certification of sustainability,” Feller says.
We like the Wild Planet brand, which
follows Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood
Watch guidelines.

THE COOKING CONNECTION

Speedy Salmon HYDR ATE WISELY
Burgers
You know you should drink water
ACTIVE TIME 25 MINUTES throughout the day. “Even low levels of
TOTAL TIME 25 MINUTES dehydration can make you fatigued, so
drinking enough helps optimize your
SERVES 4 energy,” says Krieger. But you can stop
being so rigid about the ol’ eight-
1/4 cup mayonnaise glasses-a-day advice. The amount of
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice water your body needs depends on your
metabolism, activity level, and climate.
(from 1 lemon) “Most people need between 9 and 13 cups
1/2 tsp. prepared horseradish of total fluid a day, which includes the
3/4 tsp. kosher salt, divided liquid you get from soups, smoothies,
water-rich foods, and anything else you
Freshly ground black pepper drink, even tea and coffee,” she says. Aim
1 large egg to get at least half your fluid needs from
1 large egg white water. If you aren’t a big fan of plain
12-14 oz. canned salmon, drained H₂O, pretend you’re at a spa and add
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard cucumber slices, berries, grapes, or a
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh twist of citrus.

flat-leaf parsley START SAVORY
1/3 cup dried bread crumbs
2 Tbsp. olive oil One easy switch is to ditch added sugars at breakfast.
4 burger buns, split and toasted You can still eat fruit, but be aware that muffins, many boxed
2 cups loosely packed cereals, and even some yogurts and coffee drinks contain a
lot of added sugar. “Those sweet foods don’t usually offer
watercress or arugula much in the way of fiber, protein, and healthy fats,” says Katie
Sullivan Morford, RD, author of the cookbook Rise & Shine.
WHISK mayonnaise, lemon juice, “So you’re starting your day off on a sugar high, without the
horseradish, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in other nutrients to give you sustained energy.” Morford often
a medium bowl; add pepper to taste. gravitates toward savory toasts in the morning, such as
Refrigerate until ready to serve. smashed avocado on whole-grain bread with thinly sliced
CRACK egg into a medium bowl and add radishes and cucumbers. Eggs make a regular appearance as
egg white; whisk until lightly beaten. well. “Eggs are a mini miracle food,” she says. “There’s so
Add salmon, mustard, remaining 1/2 tea- much good nutrition inside that shell, including protein,
spoon salt, and pepper to taste. Stir vitamin D, and important antioxidants.”
with a fork until mostly smooth (it’s OK
if small salmon chunks remain). Stir in UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HE ALTH 77
parsley and bread crumbs. Shape mix-
ture into 4 (about 1/2-inch-thick) patties.
HEAT oil in a large nonstick skillet over
medium. Add patties; cook, flipping
once, until firm and golden, about 3
minutes per side.
SPREAD mayonnaise mixture evenly on
cut sides of buns. Top bottom buns with
watercress and salmon patties. Replace
top buns and serve.

THE COOKING CONNECTION

Honey-Paprika
Wal n u ts

ACTIVE TIME 10 MINUTES
TOTAL TIME 1 HOUR, 5 MINUTES

SERVES 8

1 egg white
3 Tbsp. honey
2 tsp. smoked paprika
2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne
4 cups raw walnut halves

(about 12 oz.)

PREHEAT oven to 300°F. Line a large
rimmed baking sheet with parchment
paper. Whisk egg white, honey, paprika,
salt, and cayenne in a large bowl. Add
walnuts and toss to coat. Spread walnuts
on baking sheet.
BAKE until mostly dry but a little tacky,
20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely,
about 30 minutes. (Walnuts will crisp
up as they cool.)

PLAN YOUR SNACKS

Knowing what you’ll nosh on between meals means saying buh-bye to spontaneous
trips to the vending machine or, um, ice cream in your freezer. “Having a snack
plan is a way to take care of yourself so you don’t deny your hunger or end up with
something that won’t really energize you,” Morford says. Whether you buy
or DIY your snacks, make sure they are truly satisfying, in both the taste and satiety
departments. Walnuts are a smart choice, Morford says: “They’re a triple threat,
since they have healthy fats, protein, and fiber. Just a small handful will fill you up
without destroying your appetite at mealtime.”

78 REAL SIMPLE

Editor in Chief Lauren Ianotti Photo and
Creative Director Emily Kehe Illustration Credits
Features Director Amy Maclin
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UNDERSTANDING MENTAL HE ALTH 79

NEW VENTURES

Learning new skills means working through mistakes and embracing the
discomfort of the unknown. This builds resilience that you can draw on at work and elsewhere.

You may even overcome what psychologist Daniel Gilbert, PhD, calls
“the end-of-history illusion”—the mistaken belief that you’re incapable of change, despite

all the big changes you’ve gone through.

80 REAL SIMPLE



NEW ERA

Issues surrounding mental health have become
increasingly common and more widely recognized.

So have the pathways to a better present and
a brighter tomorrow.