Serena Wolf
Meet Serena Wolf--chef, beauty & wellness junkie, and founder of Domesticate Me, a lifestyle and food blog packed with foolproof recipes for good eats. This NYC-based foodie is also the author of The Dude Diet and The Dude Diet Dinnertime, two cookbooks created for all of us who want to be healthy but still eat loaded nachos. Read on to see how Serena balances Sour Patch Kids with veggie stir-fries, and takes a gentle approach to making exercise a part of her life.
What’s in this “snack pack” you carry when you travel?
The snack pack varies slightly depending on the length of the trip and what I’ve got in my pantry! Perennial favorites include:
Justin’s almond butter packs
GoMacro bars--usually almond butter & banana and peanut butter chocolate chip
Dried mango slices
Turkey jerky
Instant oatmeal--I’ll make it in a cup with hot water from the coffee maker in hotel rooms.
What’s your go-to healthy breakfast that gives you energy when you have literally zero time?
If I’m planning ahead for a busy morning, overnight oats! I love this peanut butter and banana version, which I’ll take with me in a small jar and eat on the go. If I haven’t planned ahead with the oats, a GoMacro bar is my default.
What’s an easy meal you whip up when you want greens, but the last thing you want is a big salad?
A veggie stir-fry always hits the spot, and I can usually make it happen in about 10-15 minutes! I chop up about 3 cups of veggies (whatever happens to be hanging around in my fridge) and sauté them in a little coconut oil until tender. Then I’ll season them with some low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos, a splash of rice vinegar, and some sriracha for kick. I’ll top everything with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil if I’m feeling fancy, and some chopped herbs and nuts or a fried egg. On days when I want a little more heft, I’ll add some cooked quinoa or brown rice into the mix.
Your love for Sour Patch kids, pizza, pasta, and tequila is music to our ears! We love your honest approach to food. Were you ever in a rut when you didn’t feel healthy? What changes did you make to your daily life to help you feel better?
Honestly, I wasn’t an exercise person for most of my life. In my late twenties, I really started to notice that I felt sort of lethargic all the time, got winded really easily, and couldn’t do simple things like put my suitcase in the overhead bin. I finally started exercising consistently, and it had the most incredible effect on my physical and mental health. I had more energy, slept better, had less anxiety, and my skin and digestion improved in a big way.
I definitely go through phases where I don’t exercise as much, and when I notice that happening, I just try to gently come back to it without pushing too hard. Just 20 minutes a day, 3-5x a week makes a huge difference. Aside from exercise, whenever I’m not feeling my best, I’ll try to drink as much water as possible and work in more vegetables at every meal. Rather than cutting things out or being punitive, focusing on adding more good things to my meals always helps me feel better.
“I finally started exercising consistently, and it had the most incredible effect on my physical and mental health.”
Aside from food, you also share your love of skincare! What skincare product part of your weekly rotation are you currently obsessed with?
I really look forward to my weekly Drunk Elephant TLC Sukari Babyfacial masking session. It’s my favorite exfoliating mask, and it always leaves my skin feeling extra smooth, refreshed, and glowy. The post-Babyfacial “disco ball forehead” is real!
