Motherhood, Wellness + Mindful Eating

So, how has life changed for you since becoming a mother? (Tell us the good and the bad!)

The bad first: I used to think I was busy — I had no idea what I was talking about. Now every day is a struggle just to keep my head above water. But the good is so good: I have renewed perspective on what is important in life, and everything melts away as soon as I come home and see Nava crack me a smile.

Tell us the story behind Nava’s name… #NavaRhymesWithLava

We wanted a name that represented both of our cultures and was also strong but short and sweet. Nava means “beautiful” in Hebrew and “young” or “new” in Hindi; it also means “beautiful sound” in Persian — so it checked all the boxes and really resonated with us.

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Cuddles with Mama[/caption]

She’s the cutest little button! How would you describe her personality?

We got so lucky with her. She’s a very happy baby and incredibly sweet. But she’s also feisty — she knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to let you know either. She is constantly active, alert and aware; she always wants to be engaged and know what’s going on and figure everything out. She’s a curious little sponge and it’s so fun watching her learn and explore.

So what does a typical day look like for you?

We wake up early with Nava, usually around 5:00a. Then it’s the mad dash to get some work done in the morning while cleaning up, getting Nava ready for her day with our nanny share and ourselves ready as well. One parent is usually on Nava duty while the other person can get stuff done.

In the evenings, we make sure to come home a bit early to spend an hour with Nava before her bedtime and then we catch up on work, dinner and (if we’re feeling really ambitious) maybe some exercise before we go to bed.

What has been the biggest surprise to you about becoming a mother?

You hear it all the time, but I don’t think I fully appreciated how much energy and attention goes towards taking care of a baby until I had one. It’s hard to get a single task fully completed — and as a result I have an ever growing list of to-do’s. You also hear that you can’t imagine how much you will love this little human — completely true, my heart has grown bigger and stronger with Nava in my life and I can’t imagine how I existed in this world without her.

Tell us about your background before starting Thistle…

Other than food and health, I was always passionate about environmental issues. Before starting Thistle I was pursuing a career in academia — I completed my PhD in environmental science and subsequently worked as a research scientist in New York. After about a year Ash (my co-founder and husband) and I decided to head out to San Francisco to follow our passion in the food/health space.

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The Whole Team: Shiri and Nava with Ash, Nava’s Dad and Shiri’s Husband and Co-Founder.[/caption]

What advice would you give to a woman about to have her first child?

This is less advice and more what to expect, but a neighbor told me that after six weeks I’d start to come out of “the fog”, and after 6 months I’d start to get my life back. It was pretty spot on. And breaking that down even further, the first two weeks were probably the most physically and emotionally challenging of my life, between recovering from labor and sleep exhaustion and adjusting to the fact that your baby needs every last bit of you. Around 6 weeks Nava started sleeping better, I began to feel a bit more seasoned and confident as a parent, and she became way more interactive. That first smile from your baby will melt you, and (s)he’ll own your soul with that first laugh. And it only gets better and better as your baby’s personality continues to shine through.

But as for actual bits of advice:

1. Try not to google every little thing. It’s so tempting, but you’ll just end up driving yourself crazy with all of the conflicting advice out there. And that leads to…
2. Try not to feel guilty about everything. My baby does/does not take a bottle / pacifier / sleep in his crib / co-sleep / sleep through the night / roll over at the right age — the list is endless. It’s too easy to feel guilty about the choices we make or to feel like a failure when your baby does or does not do a certain thing at a certain time. Do what works, and try to let those negative feelings go.
3. The whole notion of sleeping through the night as some kind of end result is misleading. Your baby will sleep longer and better and through the night at some point, but she’ll also go through difficult phases and start waking up more again. And then the phases will pass and you’ll get your good (or at least, better) sleeper back. Try to remember it will pass. And that goes for hard phases in general — Nava went through a period where she hated literally everything and was cranky all the time, and now she’s the happiest baby around.
4. If you’re lucky enough to be able to take maternity leave, it’s wonderful and you should — but know that it can also be really hard: physically demanding, emotionally draining and very isolating. Make sure you have a good support network of family, friends, other moms etc. to help you through the tough times.

Do you have any “Mommy icons”, either celebrities or real women you know?

To every mom out there — mad respect. Whether you stay at home or work or have help from family or a nanny or whatever your situation is, it’s not easy trying to raise these tiny creatures! My mom is my ‘mom icon’; she finished her PhD while raising three young kids early on, and managed to have an incredibly successful career while making sure we always felt loved and supported throughout our lives.

What’s your philosophy when it comes to food?

I’m all about balance and moderation. For me I don’t completely deprive myself of any one thing or food group (it’s hard not to have a cheat day here and there!). But we need to be mindful about what we consume on a daily basis. My daily (non-cheat) diet is plant-based and unprocessed — fresh veggies, fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and meat/fish only very sparingly. This is why the Thistle diet was perfect for me :)

I eat a primarily whole food, plant-based diet for two major reasons: health & the environment. Eating fewer animal products is one of the best things you do for your body as well as for the world around you. It’s one of the reasons we founded Thistle — we wanted to make it incredibly easy and affordable to consume delicious plant-based meals on a daily basis.

What inspired you to launch Thistle Baby?

I love making fresh baby food for Nava from the bounty of delicious fruits and veggies we have available to us. But finding the time to plan what I’m going to make for her — ensuring I’m meeting all of her nutritional requirements while also expanding her palate with new ingredients / food combinations — then executing that plan — getting groceries, cooking and pureeing the foods, and finally packaging them up to freeze some for later (because it’s hard to make single on-demand meals for babies!) takes a lot of time.

I couldn’t help but think — wouldn’t it be amazing if Nava’s food also came along with my own Thistle meals: nutritionally designed, freshly prepared, all organic, nutrient-dense baby food perfection waiting for me at my doorstep, ready for her to eat just like that. I wanted that service to exist, and I thought Thistle should go ahead and build it.

At Thistle our mission is to make healthy food more accessible to everyone — and that includes our little ones! We are so excited to launch Thistle Baby for all the hard working moms and dads out there wanting the best for their new arrivals.

When you’re low on time, what are some of your go-to family dinner options?

I’m fortunate to have Thistle pretty much every day! I can’t emphasize enough how much that helped me stay happy and healthy throughout my pregnancy, and to bounce back after having Nava. But when I do have to fend for myself and I’m short on time, I love doing kale salads with whatever produce I have on hand (adding avocado is a must), or a quick soup/stew where you can just throw in everything and let it simmer.

How do you stay balanced? Do you have a wellness routine?

I try to get to a good yoga class every Sunday night to help me recenter after a long, stressful week and to help me mentally prepare for the next week’s upcoming challenges. I also try to make sure I get outdoors as much as possible — either a hike, a surf, a run, or even walks with Nava do the trick.

Aside from Thistle Baby, what’s up next for Thistle?

We’ve got some big things cookin’! We’ve made some key hires on our culinary team that will help take our meals, juices & snacks to the next level. We’re looking to launch a new geography soon. We’re working with new delivery partners to make sure we continue to improve our delivery service for our customers. We’re working on meal customization and new products and new verticals. Lots in the pipeline — stay tuned :)