Welcome to my conscious living page! I’m Sheena, and I’m so happy to have you here visiting my blog. I’m South African, married to a Brazilian, and currently living in New York, with a passion for cooking, eating well, and understanding where our food actually comes from.

Alongside the recipes I post, I wanted to create a space where I can talk about the foods we eat, how we grocery shop, consumerism, and becoming more aware of the brands and products we choose to bring into our homes. I love cooking with whole, nutrient-dense foods that make me feel good and give my body what it needs, while also trying to be mindful of the impact our choices have on the planet.

Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as walking into a grocery store and assuming that everything on the shelf is good for us—or that it has been sourced in the best possible way. Quite the opposite, really.

Growing up with a very health-conscious mother and a pescetarian father, I’ve always eaten relatively well. But until a few years ago, I never really stopped to think about what ingredients were in my supposedly “healthy” yogurt, how my oats were grown, or what the animals I was eating were fed. It simply wasn’t something I thought much about—until I moved to the USA and my health started to take a turn.

Why I started Looking More Closely at Food

Before I dive into this extensive topic (and, to be honest, I’m only really scratching the surface), let me give you a little background on why I’ve done so much research into food, nutrition, and the way our food is produced.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve suffered from headaches and, at times, migraines. It was always something I could manage—or at least, something I had learned to live with. If you consider 5-6 headaches a month “manageable,” that is! It’s crazy what we can become accustomed to.

I was born and raised in South Africa, later moved to the UK, and then moved to the United States in 2021. Unfortunately, after moving to the USA, my headaches increased dramatically, and my migraines became almost unmanageable. At one point, I had a migraine attack that lasted almost three months. Awesome, right?!

After seeing multiple doctors—including conventional, gynecological, and functional practitioners—with no life-changing answers or findings, I started looking more closely at what had changed in my life. My sleep, lifestyle, and daily routine hadn’t really changed, but my environment and food sources had.

After years of working with nutritionists, doing extensive allergy and hormone testing, keeping food diaries, and spending countless hours researching nutrition and food production, I began to realize just how much there is to consider when it comes to the food we eat. I also noticed a clear pattern in my own food diary: the more processed/non organic foods I ate, the worse I felt.

Making the Best Choices I Can

Almost five years after moving here, I’m still dealing with headaches and migraines, although they are significantly more manageable when I’m mindful of what I eat and where my ingredients come from.

For me, that can mean choosing farmers’ market sourdough bread over a loaf that has been sitting on a grocery-store shelf, opting for organic or pasture-raised meat and dairy instead of conventionally produced options, and choosing organic produce when possible. It means paying attention to ingredients, understanding how food is produced, and being a little more conscious about what I’m putting into my body.

Is it restrictive sometimes? Absolutely. Is it annoying to constantly have that little voice in the back of my head questioning where something came from or what’s actually in it? Definitely. But sometimes we just have to work with what’s in front of us and make the best choices we can.

I’m incredibly grateful for everything I’ve learned over the years, and I’ve become a firm believer that we can either let life happen to us, or we can take control of the things that are within our power and make the best of our circumstances.

That’s really what this page is about: learning, questioning, becoming more conscious, and making better choices—without expecting perfection.

The Hard Truth

Here in the US, it can feel like the majority of the food available in our grocery stores is working against us. So many everyday products are filled with unnecessary additives, preservatives, artificial colors, and other ingredients that, in my opinion, have no place in a diet that is meant to nourish our bodies. When these highly processed foods become a regular part of our diets, it can have a significant impact on our overall health and wellbeing.

The reality of what we’re exposed to can feel quite overwhelming at times. Coming to this realization over the past few years is a big part of what inspired me to start this blog. The good news is that there are simple steps we can take to make better choices for ourselves and our families.

Simple swaps—like cutting back on ultra-processed foods, choosing organic when possible, drinking filtered water, and being more mindful about the supplements and products we use—can make a meaningful difference in how we feel. But it goes beyond our individual health. These choices also give us an opportunity to use the power of consumerism to help drive change.

I believe that every bite we take and every meal we prepare has the power to make a difference—not just in our own bodies and lives, but in the world around us, too.

If you really think about it, consumers have one of the most powerful positions of all. We dictate the market through what we choose to buy. So why not use that power to influence what food we are willing to eat—and, importantly, how that food is grown and produced?

As consumers, let’s start shopping more consciously. Let’s understand what ingredients are being used, how our vegetables are grown, how our food is processed, and where our meat comes from. The nutritional value of our meals is influenced not only by what we eat, but by the quality of the ingredients we choose.

Conscious shopping means prioritizing whole foods, fresh produce, organic options when possible, and minimally processed ingredients. It means becoming more aware of what we are putting into our bodies rather than simply trusting that something is healthy because it’s sitting on a grocery-store shelf.

For me personally, this can still feel overwhelming—especially now that I know more about what goes into our food and how some of it is produced. But I’ve learned that we don’t have to change everything overnight. If we simply do our best to make small, more conscious changes and gradually become more intentional about what we buy, we can support our own health while also helping to influence the food system.

Because ultimately, companies have to respond to what consumers demand.

If we stop buying products loaded with artificial colors, excessive additives, and refined sugars, and start choosing better-quality ingredients and more responsibly produced food, the industry has a reason to listen. If enough of us vote with our wallets, we can create demand for better products, better farming practices, and greater transparency.

After all, you can’t keep selling something that nobody wants to buy, right?

Small Changes

Here are some small changes (with big impacts) I’ve made during the past few years that can easily be adapted to anyone’s cooking and lifestyle. These changes include healthy food swaps, where we purchase them, as well as the products we use in our homes! There are also some useful links that helped me understand what it means to be a conscious consumer in the world we live in – and although overwhelming at times, knowledge is power!

Organic, Please!

Fruit and Vegetables

When it comes to fruit and veg, I try to shop organic. Although some people might argue that there is no nutritional benefit to eating this way, it’s more about what’s NOT in our organic fruit and veg. Organic foods have been shown to have lower levels of toxic metabolites, including heavy metals such as cadmium, and synthetic fertilizer.. AKA, ‘glyphosate’, a big topic among health experts these days.

Of the 1.2 billion pounds of pesticides used in US agriculture in 2016, approximately 322 million pounds were pesticides banned in the EU, 40 million pounds were pesticides banned in China, and nearly 26 million pounds were pesticides banned in Brazil. Of course, I’m no expert in this field, but these pesticides were banned in other countries due to health concerns, so why are they not banned here in the US? Eating organic fruit and veg can limit the exposure to these chemicals, and support your body’s natural detoxification by not over-exposing it to antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Now, on a lighter note (because this page is not about fear mongering, but more about what we CAN do), let’s look on the bright side. Our bodies are really smart, and are capable of detoxing a number of chemicals we are exposed to on a daily basis. Studies show that eating organic foods (so basically, removing glyphosate), for 3-5 days, can reduce the amount of circulating pesticides in your blood by 80-90%.. how amazing! The problem lies when we can’t get rid of the toxins due to overexposure, so eating organic and giving our body’s a chance to detoxify is the goal.

Of course, organic is a little more pricey than regular foods.. but this is exactly why as consumers, we need to come together and keep purchasing more and more organic. If there is less demand for non-organic foods doused in chemicals, food companies will have to change their offering. At the end of the day, money talks! I always negotiate with myself – if I can spend $9 on a coffee (NY prices, right?!), I can absolutely spend the extra money on organic fruit and veg. Plus, the less inflamed your body is, the less likely you are to falling chronically ill. So yes, you are spending more on organic produce, but you may just be saving big on medical bills in the long term.

If you’d like to know more about this topic, I found the documentary Kiss the Ground so incredibly eye opening. It’s very informative as to what we are eating, and what we are doing to our soil with all the pesticides we use. It touches on industrial farming vs regenerative farming, which is something we should all be rooting for. Regenerative agriculture is something I talk a bit more on below, but in a nutshell: it has many benefits for the land, including soil health, biodiversity, crop resilience, water quality, and climate change resilience. Please, do yourself a favor and watch this!

You can also watch this on Netflix!

For a lighter watch, I’d also recommend The Biggest Little Farm, which is an environmentally conscious documentary about John Chester and his wife Molly, where they work to develop a sustainable farm on 200 acres outside of Los Angeles. It is a testament to the immense complexity of nature, and follows how to bring harmony to both their lives and the land through regenerative farming. Yes, I did cry during this documentary, so don’t feel bad if you do too.

You can watch this on Amazon!

TOP TIP: if you don’t always have access to organic fruit and veg, soaking them in a baking soda solution helps break down and remove surface pesticide residues more effectively than rinsing with plain water. Soak produce in 1 tsp baking soda to every 2 cups of water for 10-15 mins then rinse thoroughly. I keep a jar with baking soda right above my sink so I have easy access.

Meat and Poultry

Just as choosing organic fruits and vegetables can help reduce our exposure to certain pesticides and other agricultural chemicals, the same principle of being mindful about where our food comes from applies to meat, poultry (and dairy). When purchasing these foods, I believe it’s worth seeking out the highest-quality options we can reasonably access—and, for me and many health experts, that means pasture-raised animals from responsible, regenerative farms whenever possible.

Put simply, regenerative farms aim to raise animals outdoors, allowing them to graze on natural grass pastures and live in a way that is much closer to their natural environment. This is a very different approach from conventional feedlot systems, where large numbers of animals can be kept in confined spaces and fed diets that may rely heavily on grains doused in chemicals. The crowded and stressful conditions found in industrial farming systems can also increase the risk of disease, which can contribute to greater reliance on antibiotics.

Why Pasture-Raised Matters

Choosing pasture-raised meat and poultry from family farms can offer benefits that go beyond what ends up on our plates. Animals raised on pasture have access to natural grazing and more space to move, while well-managed regenerative farms can also contribute to healthier soil, greater biodiversity, and improved ecosystem health.

From a nutritional perspective, pasture-raised meat can have a more favorable fatty-acid profile, including higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids in some cases. The exact nutritional differences depend on the animal, its diet, and how it is raised, but the quality of the farming system still matters.

There are also important considerations beyond nutrition. Choosing meat from farms that prioritize pasture-based and regenerative practices can support more responsible land management, as well as help build healthier soils and promote biodiversity. Buying from local and family farms can also keep more of our food dollars within the local community and gives us an opportunity to know more about how our food was raised.

Choosing pasture-raised meat and poultry isn’t about finding a perfect food system—because one doesn’t exist. It’s about making a more conscious choice when I have the option. When eating meat, I want to know that the animal was treated well, raised in a natural environment, and that the farm practices are working with nature rather than against it. In saying that, affordability and access to this meat isn’t always possible, and that’s where organic meat comes in as the next best option.

Organic Meat: The Next Best Choice

If pasture-raised meat isn’t available or affordable, organic meat is the next best option in my opinion—and still a significant step up from conventional meat.

One of the benefits of choosing organic meat is that organic standards prohibit the use of synthetic growth hormones and restrict the use of antibiotics, particularly their routine use for growth promotion or prevention. This can help reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, which is important not only for our own health but also in addressing the growing global concern around antibiotic resistance.

Organic livestock must also be fed certified organic feed. This means their feed cannot contain GMOs and is produced without most synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. While this doesn’t mean that organic food is completely free from every chemical or environmental residue, it does provide a much more controlled standard for how the animal and its feed are raised.

So, while organic meat may not offer all of the benefits associated with pasture-raised, grass-fed animals, it is still a meaningful step up from conventionally raised meat. When pasture-raised isn’t an option, choosing organic means making a more conscious choice about how the animal was raised and what went into its feed.

For me, this is really what conscious eating is about. We may not always have access to the perfect option, but we can choose the better option. If pasture-raised is available, great. If it isn’t, organic is still a worthwhile choice—and certainly preferable to conventional meat when you have the option. The way we shop for meat connects back to my earlier point on consumer power – every time we choose organic over conventional, we are sending a message to the food industry about the standards we expect and are willing to support.

There are many sources available to locate pasture raised/organic meat and dairy:

1. Farmers markets
This is one of the best options. You can speak directly with farmers about how their animals are raised, what they’re fed, and whether they’re pasture-raised or grass-fed. Many also offer eggs, milk, butter, and cheese. I only buy eggs from my farmers market, they’re cheaper than the ‘pasture raised organic’ eggs you find at the grocery store ($8 vs $12 for a dozen, yaiks)!

2. Local butcher shops and co-ops
Many independent butchers and food co-ops prioritize pasture-raised sourcing and clearly label where their meat comes from. Staff are usually knowledgeable and happy to answer questions.

3. Buying directly from farms
Many farms sell meat and dairy directly through their websites or farm stores. You can often purchase in bulk (like freezer packs or half/quarter animals), which can reduce cost over time (keep reading below for some helpful links)!

4. Online pasture-raised retailers
There are reputable online services that ship pasture-raised meat and dairy nationwide. Look for transparency around animal welfare standards, grazing practices, and third-party certifications.

5. Grocery stores with clear certifications
When shopping at larger grocery stores, look for labels like “100% grass-fed,” “pasture-raised,” or certifications from organizations such as Certified Humane or Animal Welfare Approved. It may take some time to identify which of your local grocers has certain products, but it’s well worth the search. For instance, I have found costco has organic chicken, pasture raised beef and butter, and wild caught salmon etc.. you just need to know what to look for.

6. Ask questions and read labels carefully
Terms like “natural” or “farm-raised” don’t always mean pasture-raised. Asking questions and checking certifications helps ensure you’re getting what you expect.

Here are some online pasture-raised retailers that I’ve been exploring in the USA!

Farm to People

Acobonac

Wild Pastures Official 

Baldwin Farm

I have also found a helpful site called ‘EatWild’ which is both a great source for now science-based information about pasture-based farming, as well as a state-by-state (plus Canada) directory of local farmers who meet Eatwild’s criteria. You’ll find a large directory of farmers close to you who respect the land and their animals, and produce delicious, quality food. The farm descriptions in the directory point you to information on how and where to pick up food. Some farmers will deliver or ship their products directly to you. This is a great resource to use on your journey to eating cleaner, not only for your health, but also the environment – https://www.eatwild.com/

Choosing Better Dairy

The same principles apply when it comes to dairy. While I personally don’t eat a lot of dairy because I find that it can aggravate my asthma (I can handle greek yogurt and aged cheddar, but other forms of dairy such as milk and mozzarella really don’t agree with me), I still think it’s important to be conscious of the quality and source of the dairy we do consume. Just as with meat and poultry, my preference is for dairy from pasture-raised animals on regenerative or family farms whenever possible. These farming systems allow animals to spend more time outdoors, grazing on pasture and living in a more natural environment, rather than being raised exclusively in intensive, industrial systems.

When pasture-raised dairy isn’t available or affordable, organic is still a much better option than conventional dairy. Organic dairy production prohibits the use of synthetic growth hormones such as rBST and follows stricter standards around feed and antibiotic use. For women in particular, I think this is worth paying attention to, because our hormones are incredibly sensitive to the environment around us. While the relationship between dairy consumption, hormones, and women’s menstrual cycles is complex and still being researched, choosing dairy produced without added growth hormones can be one way to reduce unnecessary exposure to hormone-active substances.

Again, this isn’t about perfection. I’m not suggesting that everyone needs to completely eliminate dairy or spend a fortune on the most expensive products in the store. It’s about becoming more aware of where our food comes from and making the better choice when we can. Pasture-raised and regenerative is my first choice, organic is my next choice, and conventional is the option I try to avoid when better alternatives are available.

Better, Not Perfect

Ultimately, I don’t believe conscious eating is about being perfect—or feeling like it’s all or nothing. I certainly can’t afford to buy pasture-raised meat for every meal, and I don’t think most people can or should feel pressured to do so. In reality, I’m probably about a 50/50 split between pasture-raised and organic meat, depending on what I’m buying and what fits within my budget. When I can choose pasture-raised, I do; when it isn’t practical or affordable, I choose organic instead. For me, conscious eating is about making the best choice available to you, rather than giving up because you can’t make the perfect choice every time. Every small swap is still a step in the right direction, and over time, those choices can add up to a meaningful difference—for our health, our families, and the food system we support.

How We Cook

To add even more food for thought, we also need to think about how we cook our food—not just what we buy. If you haven’t come across the conversation around seed oils versus traditional fats already, I’m glad you’re here!

There has been growing discussion around the high consumption of highly refined seed oils, such as soybean, corn, sunflower, and canola oil, particularly because they are so commonly used in ultra-processed foods and restaurant cooking. Many of these oils go through extensive refining processes, which can involve high heat and chemical solvents during extraction, followed by processes such as bleaching and deodorizing. The bigger concern, in my opinion, is how frequently these oils show up in our diets—especially when they are part of a diet already high in ultra-processed foods.

It’s also worth remembering that not all fats are created equal, and the overall quality of our diet matters. Instead of relying heavily on highly processed cooking oils, I personally prefer fats that are closer to their whole-food source, such as extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, butter, tallow, and other responsibly sourced animal fats. These traditional fats can add flavor and, depending on the type, provide beneficial nutrients and compounds. Choosing a variety of minimally processed fats in appropriate amounts is another simple way to take a more whole-food approach to cooking.

There is still plenty to learn and debate when it comes to dietary fats, and research continues to evolve. But if you haven’t looked into the topic before, I definitely encourage you to do your own research and pay attention to the oils and fats you’re consuming on a regular basis. Once you start reading ingredient labels, you may be surprised by just how many products contain seed oils.

Of course, one of the easiest ways to have more control over what you’re eating is to cook at home. When you prepare your own meals, you control the ingredients, the quality of the fats you use, and how your food is prepared. But that doesn’t mean you have to stop eating out altogether. There are restaurants and food companies that are becoming more conscious of the oils they use, making it easier for people who want to avoid highly refined seed oils.

For example, Sweetgreen is one option that has made changes to the oils used in its food, and there are also apps such as Seed Oil Scout that can help you find restaurants based on the cooking fats they use. Seed Oil Scout is community-driven and allows users to search for restaurants and identify options that use fats such as olive oil, butter, or tallow.

There are so many resources available today to help us become more informed about the food we eat. We don’t have to know everything, and we certainly don’t have to change everything overnight. The more we learn, the more empowered we become to make choices that work for us. And to me, that is what conscious living is all about.

Creating a Healthier Home with Conscious Choices

Being a conscious consumer doesn’t stop with food—it extends to the products we use throughout our homes, too!

A few months ago, my sister came to visit and made a comment about how thoughtful I am about the things I buy, saying that she tends to just buy whatever is most convenient. At the time, she was referring to my laundry detergent, which happens to be from Blueland. It got me thinking: Why don’t more of us shop this way? And why aren’t more of the products on our supermarket shelves made with our health and the environment in mind?

Just like with food, I think it’s important to remember that the products marketed to us aren’t necessarily the safest or most environmentally responsible options. We’re often presented with convenience, low prices, and clever marketing, but it’s up to us to look a little deeper and decide what we actually want to bring into our homes.

Switching to more thoughtfully formulated household products can be a simple way to reduce our exposure to certain chemicals and create a more conscious home environment. Many conventional cleaning products and everyday household items contain ingredients that can irritate the skin or eyes, contribute to indoor air pollution, or raise other concerns depending on the ingredient and level of exposure. By choosing products with simpler or more transparent ingredient lists, we can be more intentional about what we use around ourselves, our families, and our pets.

And it’s not just cleaning products. Replacing some of the plastic items we use every day with alternatives such as glass, stainless steel, or bamboo can also be an easy step toward a more sustainable home. Some swaps are as simple as changing your toothbrush, food-storage containers, or reusable water bottle. Many are one-time purchases that can last for years, meaning you don’t have to constantly replace them. You don’t need to throw everything in your home away and start again—you can simply make better swaps as things need replacing.

For the rest of my sister’s stay, I had so much fun showing her all the small, thoughtful changes I’ve made around my home. From simple things like bamboo toothbrushes and biodegradable bin bags to glass water filters and household cleaning products (my favorite is Branch Basics) – it was funny to realize just how many little choices I’ve made over the years without even thinking about them anymore.

And that, really, is the point. We may not be able to change the way companies market their products to us, but we can change the way we shop. Lets ask questions, read labels, research ingredients, and become more conscious about what we allow into our homes. We don’t have to make every change at once, and we certainly don’t have to be perfect. Just like with food, small, thoughtful swaps can add up over time.

Because conscious living isn’t just about what we put into our bodies—it’s also about what we surround ourselves with every day.

Here are some easy home swaps I’ve made, as well as some of my favorite (and super helpful) instagram accounts I follow to stay informed and get inspired by!

Easy Home Swaps

Cleaning Products

As I mentioned above, I use Blueland for laundry, and Branch Basics as my cleaning products. However both brands offer a wide range of clean home products, such as laundry detergent, cleaning agents, dishwasher tablets, hand soap etc. I purchased my Basics Premium Starter Kit from Branch Basics over two years ago, and have yet to replace the concentrate liquid that is the base for everything. Yes, these products are a little more upfront, but they last. AND, they are chemical free.

There are other brands that offer a similar range of products, such as Lavapod, and Koala, but I have yet to try these.

Household Appliances

• Cookware – a great option for non-toxic cookware is swapping your non-stick pots and pans to stainless steel. You can also find great non-stick ceramic cookware that don’t have PFAS. I personally love Caraway, but Our Place is also great! Cast Iron is also a great option, and after the initial investment, you have a pan for life.
• Straws – use stainless steel or glass straws in the home instead of plastic, or you can buy biodegradable ones (Sure, they can get a bit soggy—but I’ll take that over my plastic straw ending up on a beach in Bali a century from now.)
• Sandwich bags – instead of using disposable ziplock bags, you get great reusable sandwich bags which can last years. They are still plastic, but beats the disposable ones. I’ve had mine for 5 years now! I found some great non-toxic ones from Stasher
• Ceramic/ Glass Containers – Switching to glass or ceramic food storage from plastic offers superior health, durability, and convenience over plastic. These materials are non-toxic, BPA-free, and do not leach chemicals or odors into food. They are also microwave, oven, freezer, and dishwasher-safe, providing versatile cooking-to-storage convenience while being sustainable. They also last way longer than plastic once you make that initial investment. With so many micro-plastics invading our daily life, this is a no brainer for me.
• Cooking Utensils – ok, other than my spatchula (plastic really is the best option here in my opinion) I have swapped all my cooking utensils to stainless steel or wood.

I certainly don’t have all the answers, and I’m constantly learning myself. The more I research, the more I realize just how much there is to understand about our food, our homes, the products we buy, and the companies we support. But rather than finding that overwhelming, I’ve started to see it as empowering. We have more choices than we realize, and we have more influence than we sometimes think.

This post will continue to evolve as I discover new products, learn about different ingredients, and find simple swaps that I genuinely think are worth sharing. My hope is that it gives you a few things to think about and perhaps inspires you to make a small change of your own.

You don’t need to change everything overnight. Start with one thing. Read one label. Try one better product. Ask one more question. Better, not perfect—that’s the approach I’m taking, and I hope you’ll join me.

Because ultimately, conscious living is about becoming a little more aware of the choices we make every day—and realizing that those choices matter.