Snacks That Hold Us: What Our Mothers Knew, What Science Confirms!

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Today we’re getting into the truth about healthy snacks, and what to reach for instead, through the lens of culture, lived experience, and science. In the rush of life, we want to reach for snacks that hold us, offering small bites of comfort and courage, reminding us we’re not alone, nourished, and moving forward.

Because let’s be honest: the word healthy on a snack label doesn’t mean much anymore. It’s been stretched and sugar‑coated, sometimes literally, until it barely signals anything useful. Many of these snacks are cleverly packaged, lightly fortified, maybe low in one thing, while sky‑high in another. You’ve probably grabbed something labeled clean or natural, eaten it between tasks, and still felt bloated, jittery, or unsatisfied.

Welcome back to Holistic Health for Women of Color Podcast. I’m Donna Williams, your Certified Holistic Health Coach and wellness friend who figured out a healthier way after dealing with high blood pressure and tough med side effects.

The snacks that truly support your system don’t always come with sleek branding or wellness buzzwords. They feel grounding. They digest cleanly. They help you stay in your body, not escape it. And a lot of what works is exactly what our mothers, and abuelas, have always done, make food simple, flavorful combinations from real ingredients, and let the body take the lead.

Let’s break it down, what’s really going on, and what’s worth reaching for instead.

If you take one action from today’s episode, make it this: open the transcript page  right now. That page has everything we talked about laid out step by step so you can put it into practice today. Go to this link labeled “Transcript + Snack Guide” to my site. And if you want my Real Snack Blueprint with 20 diaspora-inspired snack combos and more, grab it.

Why it matters? Balanced snacks aren’t just about curbing hunger, they steady your mood, focus, hormones, metabolism, ride out stress without the sugar rollercoaster, and lower the load of ultra-process

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Welcome to Holistic Health for Women of Color, the space where stress relief, mindset shifts, and natural healing meet real life. I’m Donna Williams, Certified Holistic Health Coach, wellness guide, and a woman who navigated high blood pressure and medication side effects by embracing culturally rooted, evidence-informed holistic living. Now I help women of color reclaim their health on their own terms, with compassion, clarity, and tools that fit your life.

In each episode, you’ll get:
- Simple, science-backed guidance on food, herbs, and lifestyle
- Culturally relevant practices and ancestral wisdom you can trust
- Stress and nervous system support you can use today
- Mindset strategies and habit tools that actually stick
- Real stories, practical steps, and resources to keep you moving forward

Your health, your way. Let’s nourish your body, protect your peace, and thrive, without perfection, pressure, or shame.

If this episode supported you, follow the show and leave a review. For recipes, herb guides, and coaching, visit holisticbphealth.com, short for “holistic blood pressure health” and connect with me on Instagram.

Food, herbs, breath, and boundaries: your everyday toolkit.

Educational only. Not medical adv...