Kristen Bell Says She Needs Carbs to Memorize Her Lines: 'I Can't Do that Eating Spinach'

Kristen Bell‘s success in acting is all about the carbs.

Covering the November issue of Women’s Health, the Frozen II star revealed that her daily mid-morning snack, a bagel, actually enhances her ability to memorize the lengthy scripts at work.

“I have to eat carbs because I have to memorize 11 pages of dialogue, and I can’t do that eating spinach and chicken,” Bell, 39, joked.

While the actress enjoys her daily dose of carbs, she keeps herself on a vegetarian diet, which she describes as “not super restrictive.”

“If they make au gratin potatoes, I’m going to have some, but I am mindful of the portion I take,” she explained.

For 10 years, Bell steered clear of alcohol. But after “discovering rosé” this summer, she enjoyed a glass every day on vacation — and certainly felt the after-effects from doing so.

“When I do drink, it’s like I have the flu the next day,” she said. Bell’s husband, Dax Shepard, has been sober since 2004 after struggling with substance abuse for many years.

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Bell also spoke of her passion for Pilates to Women’s Health, and how it made her feel stronger than ever.

“I’ve always felt mentally strong because I’m adept and can banter and hold my own in a good conversation,” she said. “But I’ve never felt physically strong. I felt waifish…or pregnant. And I’m loving the fact that if we ever get attacked by ninjas, I would be a valuable asset.”

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“It’s about the muscle in my body,” she continued. “Having children obliterated my abdominal wall. Good night. That’s a wrap. And I thought, ‘Well, it’s never going to come back. What do I need it for? Spanx exist. You don’t get everything all the time.’ ”

And while feeling “so much stronger” physically, Bell — who shares daughters Lincoln, 6, and Delta, 4, with her actor husband — feels that exercise as just as important for one’s mental health as it is for them physically.

“It should be the first stop for anyone who experiences depression or anxiety because it encourages serotonin and endorphins,” the actress said. “I feel so much more centered, patient, capable. It sets the next 48 hours for me.”