The Cookie Conversation That Changed Everything
Why healthier-for-you foods are not about restriction—but empowerment
By Stevi Gable Carr, Founder, WISe Wellness Guild
It started with a simple request that wasn’t simple at all.
A client of mine—a brilliant physician leader—was preparing for a critical strategic meeting. A sales representative had offered to bring cookies, a gesture meant to create warmth and goodwill. But my client paused and said something that stayed with me:
“I don’t want cookies there. I’m trying to be healthier.”
On the surface, it sounded like discipline. Control. Restriction.
But underneath, I heard something else: tension.
The tension so many leaders feel between wanting to honor their wellbeing and not wanting to disrupt social norms. Between wanting energy-supporting, focus-enhancing, performance-fueling foods—and not wanting to appear difficult.
So I asked her a different question.
“What if the cookies weren’t the problem?”
What if the real opportunity wasn’t removing cookies—but redefining them?
Because the truth is, wellness isn’t built on restriction. It’s built on empowerment.
And nowhere is that more visible than in the evolution of something as familiar—and beloved—as the cookie.
chocolate chip cookie
The Shift from Restriction to Empowerment
For decades, wellness culture taught us to avoid. Eliminate. Deprive.
No carbs. No sugar. No treats.
But restriction rarely creates sustainable leadership energy. It creates friction. Decision fatigue. And often, rebound behaviors.
Empowerment looks different.
Empowerment is choosing foods that are:
Energy-stabilizing
Brain-supporting
Hormone-balancing
Performance-enhancing
Still joyful
This is the era of healthier-for-you, better-for-you, performance-fueling foods that support whole-self wellness—not undermine it.
Cookies are no exception.
Today’s most innovative brands—and leaders—aren’t removing joy. They’re redesigning it.
Here are five WISe Wellness Guild-approved cookie brands that exemplify that shift.
1. Simple Mills — Redefining Ingredients from the Ground Up
Simple Mills built its entire company around a radical idea: what if indulgence could also support metabolic health, gut health, and sustained energy?
Their cookies use almond flour, coconut sugar, and nutrient-dense ingredients instead of refined flour and high-glycemic sweeteners.
Why this matters for leaders:
Almond flour provides sustained energy, not spikes and crashes
Lower glycemic load supports cognitive clarity
Clean ingredients reduce inflammation-related fatigue
This is what empowerment looks like—alignment between pleasure and performance.
Hu Kitchen Chocolate Bites
2. Hu Kitchen — Cookies Designed for Human Optimization
Hu Kitchen approaches food through a philosophy they call “Get Back to Human.”
Their cookies eliminate refined sugars, emulsifiers, and industrial additives that disrupt gut health and metabolic stability.
Instead, they use:
Almond flour
Coconut sugar
High-quality cacao
Minimal, recognizable ingredients
For high-performing leaders, stable blood sugar isn’t about aesthetics. It’s about decision-making capacity, emotional regulation, and sustained executive function.
Hu understands that.
3. Lenny & Larry’s — Protein-Forward Performance Fuel
Protein is one of the most overlooked tools in leadership performance.
Lenny & Larry’s cookies incorporate meaningful protein content, supporting:
Satiety
Muscle recovery
Cognitive stamina
Reduced cravings
For leaders navigating back-to-back meetings, protein-forward snacks help prevent the energy crashes that undermine executive presence.
This is functional indulgence.
4. Maxine’s Heavenly — Emotional Wellness Meets Nutritional Integrity
Maxine’s Heavenly was founded on the belief that food should nourish both body and emotional experience.
Their cookies use:
Coconut sugar
Whole-food ingredients
Plant-based formulations
No artificial sweeteners. No inflammatory oils.
This matters because emotional wellbeing and physiological wellbeing are inseparable.
The foods we consume influence neurotransmitter balance, stress response, and mental resilience.
5. MUSH — Modern, Functional, Performance-Oriented Nutrition
MUSH has built a reputation for clean, functional foods designed for real-world performance.
Their approach prioritizes:
Whole ingredients
Balanced macronutrients
Sustained energy release
This aligns directly with what leaders need—not quick stimulation, but sustained capacity.
The WISe Wellness Guild “Executive Energy Cookie” Recipe
Because empowerment also means knowing you can create your own.
This is the exact recipe I share with physician leaders, founders, and executives who want performance-supporting, brain-fueling, hormone-supportive cookies.
Executive Energy Cookies
Supports:
Cognitive clarity
Hormone balance
Sustained energy
Reduced inflammation
Ingredients
1 cup almond flour
½ cup natural almond or peanut butter
¼ cup maple syrup
1 egg
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
¼ cup dark chocolate chips (70%+)
1 tbsp collagen powder (optional)
½ tsp sea salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F
Mix all ingredients in bowl
Roll into cookies
Place onto non-stick cookie sheet (or use parchment paper for easy clean-up)
Bake 10–12 minutes
Cool and enjoy
Why it works
This formulation provides:
Healthy fats for brain function
Protein for sustained energy
Fiber for metabolic stability
Minimal blood sugar disruption
This is not restriction.
This is strategic fueling.
The Deeper Leadership Lesson
Cookies were never the problem.
The problem was a wellness narrative built on avoidance instead of agency.
The future of leadership wellness is not defined by what leaders remove—but by what they intentionally choose.
Healthier-for-you, performance-supporting, metabolically-aligned foods allow leaders to operate with:
Greater clarity
Greater resilience
Greater emotional regulation
Greater sustained energy
When my client reframed her perspective, she didn’t ban cookies from the meeting.
She chose better ones.
And that small decision reflected something much larger.
Not restriction.
Empowerment.
Because wellness isn’t about shrinking your life.
It’s about expanding your capacity to lead it.
—
Stevi Gable Carr
Founder, WISe Wellness Guild
Executive Coach | Leadership Strategist | Co-Founder, WellNXT