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Simply Sarena

Simply Sarena

Home | Toxin Free | What Does Healthy Eating Really Mean??? | How To Eat Healthy

What Does Healthy Eating Really Mean??? | How To Eat Healthy

Healthy Lifestyle, Toxin Free

This post was updated 10/11/2022.

With the New Year approaching, almost everyone has some sort of Health goal as a resolution. Whether that be losing weight, going to the gym more, eating more vegetables, not eating so much ice cream, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have a health goal as a resolution. Because I’m a Holistic Nutrition Coach, I’m going to focus on eating healthy.

I am completely aware that lower income people (especially in cities) don’t have the same access to healthy, fresh food as wealthier people or people living in the country where they grow their own food and raise their own meat (which is truly the best option!) But I do believe that lack of education on food and nutrition also plays a big factor into what people buy (not government recommendations on nutrition as they are paid by big agriculture lobbyists to make unhealthy processed food a part of the American diet. So awful!)

The majority of Americans have no idea what it means to eat healthy. People think eating healthy means choosing the low calorie cookie, drinking diet or zero calorie soda, getting low sodium canned soup and frozen meals, counting calories, eating no sugar snacks, eating low fat ice cream and yogurt…you get where I’m going. So much packaged and processed food has some sort of health claim.

Stay Away From Food With Health Claims!

I hate to break it to you, but any food with a health claim or low calorie/low fat/low sodium label is NOT HEALTHY! If you’re drinking zero calorie soda, it is NOT HEALTHY! People are so trained to count calories that they don’t realize the food they’re consuming, whether it be low calorie or not, can make them fat due to the chemicals causing cells to store fat. Also with the sodium thing, what do you think has more sodium…a low sodium frozen stir fry, or some baked salmon seasoned with Himalayan Sea Salt? The frozen low sodium meal definitely has a LOT more sodium.  

Also, 100 calories of Broccoli does not get processed internally the same as 100 calories of cake. The Broccoli isn’t full of added sugar and Broccoli is full of fiber, nutrients, and cancer fighting components. Cake is full of added sugar and refined carbs which get stored as fat. Cake has no nutritional benefits. Rule of thumb, STOP COUNTING CALORIES, START COUNTING CHEMICALS.

If you’re eating a diet full of fruits, vegetables, grass fed meat, wild fish, sprouted grains, healthy fats, and natural sugars, there’s no need to count calories. Eat until you’re full! Your body will tell you.

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Some staples I always have in my kitchen, free of additives, preservatives, and added sugar are…

1. Avocado Oil: Avocado Oil is the healthiest oil to cook and bake with. It doesn’t have a flavor (in my opinion) and it has a smoke point of 520°F! I cook my eggs in avocado oil, bake my salmon in it, and if I’m baking and the recipe calls for oil, I add avocado oil.

*Update: You know how nutrition information is constantly changing as we learn more? Most recently I’ve learned (from Dr. James DiNicolantonio who I highly trust with nutrition information) that even though avocado oil has a high smoke point, it starts oxidizing at a lower temperature than Olive Oil! I’ve been cooking and baking with Olive Oil more since learning this.

2. Pasture Raised Eggs. Eggs are packed with nutrients and full of protein! Unfortunately they got a bad rep years ago for being high in cholesterol however, nutrition information is always changing and turns out, the cholesterol in eggs actually helps lower cholesterol! Pasture raised eggs are the best as they are the highest in nutrients. You can tell how nutritious an eggs is by how dark an eggs yolk is. The darker the yolk, the more nutrients! Pasture raised eggs from the grocery store have the darkest yolk I’ve seen (other than my uncle’s eggs. He raises chickens and his eggs have a red/orange color…super dark!)

3.Organic Oatmeal: Oatmeal is a healthy carb (so it gives you energy). Oatmeal is so versatile too! I eat Oatmeal for breakfast every morning (along with my eggs) and I also like to blend oats into a powder to bake with instead of flour! You can add oats to smoothies, make overnight oats for a quick breakfast, there are so many quick and easy ways to make oatmeal.

4. Tons of leafy greens! I like to get the packages of spinach, sweet baby lettuce, baby romaine, and kale. These are a staple in my fridge. I just grab a handful of a couple kinds to make a salad, I add them to smoothies, and I scramble them into my eggs for breakfast! Having plenty of leafy greens on hand makes you more likely to eat them. I try and get at least 5 servings of leafy greens a day.

5. Organic Quinoa and Organic Rice: I always have a big bag of each of these in my pantry. Every week, I cook a cup of (dry) quinoa or rice to store in the fridge all week. It’s so easy to add to every meal to get in a healthy carb.

6. Fruit. I always have apples, bananas, frozen fruit, and grapefruit in my kitchen. Frozen fruit is easy to throw into a smoothie, bananas and apples are an easy snack to grab and go, and grapefruit is a lower sugar, high fiber, super filling snack.

7. Nuts. I loveee raw almonds, but walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and cashews are great as well. Make sure you get organic nuts or you’ll be getting a good dose of pesticides as well. I like to eat almonds or nut butter with a fruit as an easy, filling snack. Nuts have protein and healthy fats and fruit is a carb so it’s a perfect, well balanced snack!

8. LAVVA Yogurt. This is the only yogurt I will eat. It’s pili nut and coconut yogurt. There’s no added sugar, no preservatives, no added colors, no added flavors, it’s just real food, dairy free yogurt. I don’t eat this every day, but it’s nice to have on hand as an easy snack.

*Update: I found another plant based yogurt I like with clean ingredient. Forager Cashew Milk Yogurt is also one I like!

9. Wild Caught Salmon. I always have frozen Wild Caught Salmon in the freezer. Wegmans has a big bag of it for $25. I’ll bake 2 pieces at a time and keep it in the fridge to eat for lunch or dinner through the week. Salmon is so healthy and it’s super easy and no mess to bake. It’s also full of Omega 3’s (which the Standard American Diet is sadly lacking big time) and protein. (Omega 3’s fight inflammation. Inflammation is the root of most disease and sickness. Too much Omega 6’s cause inflammation. It’s best to have a balance of the 2.)

10. Ezekiel Bread: This is the one thing I’ll eat that has gluten in it. Ezekiel bread is wheat free (not gluten free) and it’s made with Sprouted Grains which is the most natural, nutritious, healthy form of grains. This bread comes from the Bible verse in Ezekiel and it’s made with ingredients straight from the Bible. You can’t get better bread than that!

*Update: I’ve been reacting to too much gluten again, so I’ve been sticking to the Gluten Free Sprouted Grains bread from Food For Life (the same brand as Ezekiel Bread). I go back and forth with gluten. Most times, I can tolerate it, but sometimes I can’t. You just have to listen to your body and do what works for you and what makes you feel the best!

What are your health goals for the New Year??? Let me know in the comments!

December 16, 2020 · Leave a Comment

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HI EVERYONE!

I’m Sarena


I’m a Northern Virginia based Integrative Nutrition Coach, a Toxin Free Lifestyle enthusiast, a dancer, and a dog mom to my sweet girl, Miss Cammie.

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simply.sarena

So many women suffer every month from debilitating So many women suffer every month from debilitating period cramps. The conventional way of treating them actually makes the problem worse!

❌Birth Control covers up the symptoms because you don’t get a real period. Meanwhile, whatever is causing the cramps in the first place is still going on in the body and probably getting worse! Birth Control does not treat cramps…it only hides the problem!

❌Ibuprofen may help in a pinch but it doesn’t treat what is actually causing the cramps in the first place. Also, ibuprofen is really bad for gut health (and poor gut health could also be a cause of cramps) so you could be making the problem worse!

❌A lot of women turn to junk food on their period however, junk food is inflammatory so if your cramps are caused by inflammation, you could be making the problem worse! If you’re craving chocolate, you probably need magnesium, so if you’re going to eat it, eat good quality DARK chocolate! 

The biggest favor you can do yourself is listen to your body and figure out what is causing the issues in the first place! The answer is different for everyone and there is no one size fits all solution!

Feel free to DM me if you need any support! 

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#womenshealth #periodcramps #periodcrampsrelief #nontoxicliving #lowtoxlife #lowtoxliving #hormonehealth #hormonehealthcoach #womenshormones #hormonal #hormonalimbalance #hormonalimbalances #nutritionforhormones #nutritioncoach #healthandnutrition #holistichealth #holistichealthtips #periodtips #periodproblems #periodpositive #periodpain
Sugar gets such a bad reputation, but not all suga Sugar gets such a bad reputation, but not all sugar is bad!!!

Natural sugar is necessary because it gives us energy! You can find natural sugar in fruits, vegetables, and sweeteners like raw honey, pure maple syrup, dates, coconut sugar, and more.

Watch out for sneaky sugars in processed food as they cause blood sugar spikes which gives us that instant energy but we crash. It also causes type 2 diabetes and insulin issues. 

When you’re reading the ingredient label on food, watch out for different (not so obvious) names for sugar. 

Just because something says 12g of sugar doesn’t mean that 12g is bad sugar…which is why you always need to check the ingredient label for the source of the sugar!

Also, people think Stevia is healthier which isn’t necessarily the case. Stevia is highly processed and should only be consumed occasionally unless you’re consuming stevia in its purest form! 

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#addedsugar #naturalsugar #stevia #holistichealth #holisticnutrition #sneakysugar #ingredientlabels #ingredientsmatter #lowtoxlifestyle #lowtoxdiet #sugarfree #sugarfreediet #sugarfreelifestyle #nontoxicliving #healthyeatinghabits #healthyeatingtips #sugartips #nutritioncoaching #nutritionfacts #nutritiontip
Birth Control does NOT cure a hormone imbalance!!! Birth Control does NOT cure a hormone imbalance!!! Birth Control hides the symptoms of a hormone imbalance, meanwhile the problem is getting worse.

A lot of women struggle with severe symptoms when they come off birth control because they never addressed the underlying cause of their hormone imbalance.

If you are struggling with hormonal acne, period cramps, severe PMS, mood swings, etc. and you think birth control is going to fix the problem, it will not!

There are a lot of factors that can cause a hormone imbalance from our diet, to hormone disrupting chemicals in our daily products, to external factors like stress, lack of sleep, etc. that can throw our hormones out of whack!

If you need support with your hormones, feel free to DM me!

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#hormonehealth #hormonehealthcoach #lowtoxlife #lowtoxlifestyle #crunchyblogger #holistichealthcoach #holistichealthandwellness #womenshealth #womenshealthmatters #womenshealthtips #womenshormonehealth #birthcontrolproblems #birthcontrolpills #birthcontrol #holistichealthcoaching #naturallivingideas #naturallifestyle #naturallivingtips #healthtipsforwomen #pcoslifestyle #hormoneimbalance #hormoneimbalances
Our bodies and hormones are so complex! If you’r Our bodies and hormones are so complex! If you’re eating right, limiting toxin exposure, and still can’t seem to get your hormones under control, it could be a different lifestyle factor coming into play!

We are not men, we do not have the same 24 hour hormone cycle that men have.

We have different needs for different times during the month! Being in tune with your body and doing what it needs at that time is so important!

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#hormonehealth #womenshealth #womenshormones #holistichealthandwellness #lowtoxlifestyle #toxinfreeliving #healthandwellnesscoach #healthandwellnesstips #birthcontrolproblems #birthcontrol #regulatehormonesnaturally #hormoneimbalance #womenslifestyle
These are foods that have been marketed to be heal These are foods that have been marketed to be healthy, but they’re not. There’s so many other actually healthy foods you could eat that are much more satisfying than these. Keep reading for why these aren’t the best options!

❌Whole Wheat Bread: This one comes down to the ingredients. One popular whole wheat bread contains Soybean Oil, Soy Lecithin, and Natural Flavors. Also because I have a gluten sensitivity, eating slices of any bread is a no for me!

❌Cereal: So many cereal’s are full of sugar and synthetic vitamins which are not properly absorbed by our bodies, not to mention artificial colors and flavors. Also, a lot of cereal has extremely high levels of glyphosate! Not a great way to start your day.

❌Flavored Yogurt: Any yogurt except plain yogurt has a lot of sugar. You’ll also find natural flavors and gums in some popular brands. Natural flavors is an easy way for companies to not disclose all ingredients and gums can cause digestive issues. In my opinion, you may as well have a bowl of ice cream and enjoy it than try to be “healthy” with flavored yogurt.

❌Farmed Salmon: You may think you’re making a healthy choice by choosing salmon however, farmed salmon should be avoided as it is basically big agricultures version of salmon. It is bred in crammed cages, fed an unnatural diet of fish meal & animal by products, and they are full of pesticides and antibiotics 🤢

❌Granola Bars: Granola bars are full of a lot of sugar including corn syrup. You may also find soybean oil or canola oil which are inflammatory, and natural flavors. You’re better off baking some cookies and knowing exactly what you’re putting in the cookies. 

Did any of these surprise you?? Let me know in the comments! 

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#healthyeatinghabits #unhealthyfood #lowtox #lowtoxlife #crunchygirl #holisticnutritioncoach #iinhealthcoach #iinalumni #iingrad #toxinfreeliving #nutritiontips #nutritionfacts #eathealthybehealthy #healthychoices #foodismedicine #dontbefooled #biggovsucks #biggovermentsucks #healyourselfnaturally #healyourselfwithfood
I’ve had so many women reach out to me lately ab I’ve had so many women reach out to me lately about wanting to get off birth control, but they’re scared how it will effect their body.

The truth is, if you got on birth control for bad period cramps, hormonal acne, irregular periods, etc., birth control was covering up the problem…not fixing it!

When you go off birth control, you’ll probably find you’ll have the same problems of not worse.

That’s why balancing your hormones is so important when coming off birth control!

These 3 tips are a great place to start! There are so many different things you can do to get your hormones in check. 

Follow for more holistic health & nutrition tips!

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#postbirthcontrolsyndrome #getoffbirthcontrol #hormonehealth #hormonehealthcoach #saynotobirthcontrol #womenshealthcoach #womenshealthmatters #womenshealthtips #womenshealthandwellness #womenshealthadvocate
✨Make sure you save this recipe for later!✨ T ✨Make sure you save this recipe for later!✨

These are the BEST healthy peanut butter chocolate chip cookies 🍪 

Recipe: 

1 egg
1 cup of peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips (make sure you check the ingredient label and only use clean chocolate chips!)

Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 minutes!

Let me know if you give these a try! 

#healthydessertrecipes #glutenfreecookies #refinedsugarfree #bakingreel #holisticnutrition #hormonefriendly #womenshealth #womenshormones
It’s still January for a few more days! Last y It’s still January for a few more days! 

Last year, I did a lot that wasn’t working for me. I got so stuck in my routines, I was saying “yes” to everything, even if I didn’t want to, because I didn’t want to offend anyone.

This year, I’m only doing things that light me up and that are in alignment with my goals 💕✨

Health isn’t just about what we eat and the products we use, it’s also about how everything else in our life makes us feel and effects our physical health.

At the end of 2022, I realized I needed to make a change when I was starting to get headaches almost daily again. I had also spent soooo much money it makes me sick thinking about it.

No more! I’m putting myself and my goals first this year! 

#newyearnewme #2023goals #freshstart #holistichealth #holisticwellnesscoach
I ALWAYS have these 5 tea’s on hand 🍵 Green I ALWAYS have these 5 tea’s on hand 🍵

Green Tea: Contains caffeine so it gives me energy. Green Tea is also high in antioxidants!

Echinacea Tea: Has immune supporting properties. It’s even known to shorten symptoms of colds and the flu!

Dandelion Tea: This tea is a powerful liver detox! It also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Raspberry Leaf Tea: This tea is great for a woman’s cycle. It’s high in magnesium and vitamin B6 so it helps relieve PMS symptoms and helps regulate hormones.

Chaga Tea: Chaga is the king of medicinal mushrooms. It’s full of antioxidants and has anti-inflammatory properties. It helps regulate blood sugar and blood pressure, it boosts the immune system, and it may even slow the growth of c**cer cells. Literally the KING! 

My favorite brands of tea are @yogitea, @tradmedicinals, and @numiorganictea. These brands have organic teas and their tea bags are plastic free!
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