Nourish with Mariana

Nourish with Mariana Hi, I’m Mariana Andrawis, a Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant and founder of Nourish with Mariana.

My passion for holistic health began more than 15 years ago when I saw firsthand how food and lifestyle choices can transform well-being. What started as a personal journey eventually led me to formal training and certification in holistic nutrition — turning my curiosity into my calling. Today, I support individuals and families who are ready to take control of their health, using personalized nu

trition, mindful living, and sustainable habits rooted in science and compassion. My mission is simple: to empower you to feel your best — naturally.

Week in Review: What We Learned About Gut Health, Stress & HormonesThis week, we explored how your gut, hormones, and st...
05/31/2026

Week in Review: What We Learned About Gut Health, Stress & Hormones

This week, we explored how your gut, hormones, and stress levels are closely connected—and how they can influence energy, cravings, mood, and weight management.

Here are the key takeaways:

🌱 Your gut microbiome does more than digest food.
Beneficial gut bacteria help support hormone regulation and play a role in maintaining healthy blood sugar balance.

😟 Chronic stress affects the whole body.
When stress is ongoing, cortisol levels can remain elevated, which may impact digestion, increase cravings, affect sleep quality, and encourage abdominal fat storage.

🥦 Food choices matter.
A diet rich in fibre from vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds helps nourish beneficial gut bacteria and supports overall wellness.

🥛 Fermented foods can support gut diversity.
Foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi contain beneficial microorganisms that contribute to a healthy gut environment.

😴 Lifestyle habits are powerful.
Quality sleep, regular movement, stress-management practices, and mindful eating all support both gut health and hormone balance.

🍳 Balanced meals support steady energy.
Including protein, healthy fats, and fibre-rich carbohydrates can help promote stable blood sugar levels and reduce energy crashes throughout the day.

Remember: wellness is built through small, consistent habits—not quick fixes.

Day4-Blood Sugar, Stress & Weight: What's the Connection?Did you know your gut, blood sugar, and stress hormones work to...
05/29/2026

Day4-Blood Sugar, Stress & Weight: What's the Connection?

Did you know your gut, blood sugar, and stress hormones work together?

A healthy gut helps your body use insulin more effectively, which supports steady energy levels and balanced blood sugar. When the gut microbiome is out of balance, it can make it harder for the body to regulate blood sugar and manage weight.

Stress also plays a role.

When you're under chronic stress, your body produces more cortisol (the stress hormone). Elevated cortisol may increase cravings for sugary foods, affect blood sugar balance, and make healthy habits more difficult to maintain.

Here are a few simple ways to support balanced blood sugar:

🥚 Include protein with every meal
🥑 Add healthy fats such as avocado, nuts, seeds, or olive oil
🥦 Fill half your plate with vegetables and fibre-rich foods
⏰ Try not to skip meals regularly
😴 Prioritize quality sleep
🚶‍♀️ Stay active with regular movement

Small daily habits can help support healthy blood sugar balance, steady energy, and overall wellness.

Foods & Habits for Hormonal Harmony 🌿Did you know that your daily food and lifestyle habits may influence hormone balanc...
05/28/2026

Foods & Habits for Hormonal Harmony 🌿

Did you know that your daily food and lifestyle habits may influence hormone balance?

One of the best ways to support your hormones is by nourishing your gut microbiome — the trillions of bacteria living in your digestive system.

Simple habits that may support hormonal wellness:
🥗 Eat a variety of fibre-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains
🌈 Add colourful foods to support microbiome diversity
🦠 Include fermented foods such as yogurt, kimchi, kefir, or sauerkraut when appropriate
🐟 Enjoy omega-3-rich foods like salmon, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds
💧 Stay hydrated throughout the day
😌 Practice stress-management techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, walking, or gentle yoga

Prebiotics and probiotics also play important roles:
Prebiotics help feed beneficial bacteria
Probiotics help introduce helpful strains into the gut

At the same time, reducing highly processed foods, excess sugar, and artificial sweeteners may help support overall wellness and gut balance.

Remember: there is no one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition. Every body is unique.

If you’re curious about how your genetics may influence nutrient needs and food responses, I also offer an “Eat According to Your Genes” DNA test to help personalize nutrition recommendations.

🔗 Free 15-minute consultation available through my website:
https://www.nourishwithmariana.com/service-page/free-15-minute-consultation

Day 3- Your Gut & Estrogen Connection 🌿Did you know that certain bacteria in your gut help process and regulate estrogen...
05/28/2026

Day 3- Your Gut & Estrogen Connection 🌿

Did you know that certain bacteria in your gut help process and regulate estrogen in the body?

This group of bacteria is called the estrobolome — part of the gut microbiome that plays a role in hormone balance.

When the gut microbiome is balanced, it may help the body properly metabolize and remove excess estrogen. But when gut health is disrupted, estrogen may recirculate in the body instead of being eliminated efficiently.

An imbalance in estrogen levels may be associated with symptoms such as:
Bloating
Fatigue
Mood changes
Weight gain
Irregular cycles

Supporting your gut health may also help support healthy hormone balance.

Simple ways to nourish your microbiome:
🥗 Eat more fibre-rich foods
🌈 Add colourful vegetables to your meals
🦠 Include fermented foods when appropriate
💧 Stay hydrated
😌 Manage stress levels

A diverse diet helps support a diverse microbiome — and diversity in gut bacteria plays an important role in overall wellness.

Stress & Your Gut: A Two-Way Street 🦠💚Did you know chronic stress can affect more than your mood?When stress levels stay...
05/27/2026

Stress & Your Gut: A Two-Way Street 🦠💚

Did you know chronic stress can affect more than your mood?

When stress levels stay high for long periods, the body produces more cortisol — your primary stress hormone. Elevated cortisol may influence digestion, gut health, blood sugar balance, appetite, and energy levels.

Research suggests chronic stress may:
Disrupt the balance of beneficial gut bacteria
Affect the gut lining and digestion
Increase cravings for sugary foods
Influence blood sugar regulation
Slow metabolism and contribute to abdominal weight gain
Leave you feeling tired and depleted

The gut and brain are constantly communicating. This is why emotional stress can sometimes show up physically through bloating, cravings, fatigue, or digestive discomfort.

The good news? Small daily habits can help support both your gut and nervous system naturally 🌿

Ways to support gut health during stressful times:
🥗 Eat fibre-rich foods like vegetables, legumes, oats, and whole grains
🐟 Include healthy fats from fish, nuts, and seeds
🥒 Add fermented foods when tolerated
🚶‍♀️ Spend time walking outdoors
🧘 Practice mindfulness, prayer, meditation, or deep breathing
😴 Prioritize quality sleep and rest

Progress takes time. Be patient and kind to yourself along the journey 💚

Day 2 – Understanding Stress & CortisolHave you ever noticed that during stressful periods, cravings increase and losing...
05/27/2026

Day 2 – Understanding Stress & Cortisol

Have you ever noticed that during stressful periods, cravings increase and losing weight feels harder?

Meet cortisol — often called the “stress hormone.” Cortisol is produced by your adrenal glands and plays an important role in helping the body respond to stress, regulate energy, and support metabolism.

Short-term stress is normal. But when stress becomes chronic, cortisol may remain elevated for longer periods of time. Over time, this can influence:
Energy levels
Sleep quality
Hunger and cravings
Fat storage, especially around the
abdominal area
Muscle breakdown and metabolism

Chronic stress may also increase cravings for sugary and high-fat foods, which can make healthy habits feel more difficult to maintain.

The good news? Daily lifestyle habits can help support a healthier stress response naturally

Simple ways to support cortisol balance:
🌿 Prioritize restful sleep
🚶‍♀️ Enjoy gentle movement like walking or yoga
🏋️ Include balanced strength training
🧘 Practice mindfulness, prayer, meditation, or deep breathing
☀️ Spend time outdoors and support your natural circadian rhythm
🥗 Nourish your body with balanced meals and enough protein

Remember: your body is not working against you. Sometimes it’s responding to stress, poor sleep, overwhelm, and lifestyle factors.

Small consistent habits can make a big difference over time.

🌿 Gut Health Week — Day 1🦠 Build a Balanced MicrobiomeYour gut is home to trillions of bacteria that play a role in dige...
05/26/2026

🌿 Gut Health Week — Day 1
🦠 Build a Balanced Microbiome

Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria that play a role in digestion, blood sugar balance, inflammation, energy, and even hormone health.

When the microbiome is balanced, your body may function more efficiently and feel more supported overall.

Here are 5 simple habits that can help nourish your gut naturally:

🥗 Eat more fibre
Vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains help feed beneficial bacteria.

🥒 Include fermented foods
Foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, and kimchi introduce helpful microbes to the gut.

🌱 Support with prebiotics & probiotics
Prebiotics feed good bacteria, while probiotics help add beneficial strains.

🍭 Reduce added sugars & artificial sweeteners
Too much sugar may negatively affect the balance of gut bacteria and impact metabolism.

😌 Manage stress levels
Chronic stress may affect digestion, hormones, and the gut lining. Deep breathing, walking, prayer, meditation, and quality sleep can all help support the nervous system.

Small daily habits can make a big difference over time 💚

Save this post for later & share it with someone who needs a gentle reminder to care for their gut health.

Have you ever wondered why two people can eat the exact same foods yet feel completely different?Your gut is more than j...
05/26/2026

Have you ever wondered why two people can eat the exact same foods yet feel completely different?
Your gut is more than just a digestion factory — it’s a living ecosystem called the microbiome, home to trillions of bacteria that play a role in supporting hormones like estrogen, cortisol, and insulin.
When the gut microbiome is balanced, it may support:
Stable energy
Better digestion
Mood balance
Healthy weight management
But chronic stress can disrupt this balance. Elevated cortisol levels may affect the gut lining, reduce microbial diversity, and influence how the body stores fat.
This week, I’ll be sharing educational tips about:
🥗 Gut health
🦠 The microbiome
⚖️ Hormone balance
😌 Stress & cortisol
💚 Simple lifestyle habits that support overall wellness
We’ll explore topics like fibre-rich foods, fermented foods, stress management, and daily habits that can help support your body naturally.
Remember: every body is unique. What works for one person may not work for another.
This content is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.
If you’re interested in learning more about holistic nutrition, gut health, hormones, and wellness tips, I’d love to have you follow my page for more educational content and updates 🌱

05/24/2026

Did You Know?

Your digestive system is on duty every time food is eaten.

Over the course of an average lifetime, the digestive system can digest more than 10,400 kilograms of solid food.

That’s why supporting your gut health and digestion through balanced nutrition and lifestyle habits matters more than many people realize.

Small daily habits can make a big difference.

Did you know soaking nuts and seeds may help make them easier to digest?Nuts and seeds are full of healthy fats, mineral...
05/22/2026

Did you know soaking nuts and seeds may help make them easier to digest?

Nuts and seeds are full of healthy fats, minerals, and nutrients…

soaking them before consuming may help support digestion and nutrient absorption.

Soaking may help reduce naturally occurring compounds like phytic acid, which can interfere with mineral absorption in some people.

It can also make nuts and seeds softer, easier to digest, and gentler on the stomach for some individuals.

Try soaking:
Almonds
Walnuts
Pumpkin seeds
Chia seeds

Usually overnight in filtered water works well.

Small habits can make a big difference in how your body feels.”

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Edmonton, AB

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https://www.nourishwithmariana.com/service-page/free-15-minute-consultation?referral=ser

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