I’m always looking for ways to eat healthier, and make nutrition convenient. It’s difficult as a working mom to constantly be cooking healthy meals during the week, and takeout is such an easy option in NYC. In an effort to have that fresh food in my house, I reached out to chef Sarah Pachelli, an all around wellness guru. Sarah is the perfect example of everything is moderation, and you can tell that she listens to her body, and takes care of herself. She comes to the house with already prepared meals that can get you through the week, always with the best, most nutritious ingredients, and also teaches you how to cook them for yourself. Sarah teaches destination yoga retreats as well, ensuring her clients are balanced from the inside, out!
How many years have you been in business in NYC?
I have been in business in NYC for 7 years.
How did you get your start and what was your initial inspiration?
I moved to NY from LA 9 years ago and I got an autoimmune disease (psoriasis). After many doctors said my autoimmunity was incurable, I took matters into my own hands and changed my diet to cure myself. Once healed, I became obsessed with using food as medicine and went to culinary school to further my skillset so to help others heal themselves.
What do you feel differentiates you from others in your field?
I am not a food absolutist and I ABSOLUTELY do not believe in fad diets (paleo/gluten-free/keto/etc etc etc) unless someone is dealing with something acute, health-wise, and then only for a specific amount of time. There is no one cure-all way of eating that works for everyone. Along with being a nutritional chef, I am also a nutritional mind/body counselor. I believe so many of our health problems are a stress-derivative, thus I work with clients to destress and find pleasure in their life.
Also, I co-lead annual women’s-only yoga/nutritional counseling retreats in Sicily with my business partner, Miriam Wolf. We call this experience our “refined retreats” (re-find your practice/refine yourself) and it is truly transformational.
What do you feel gives you longevity in this big city with so many options?
Pleasure pleasure pleasure pleasure! When we are in a state of pleasure, we are naturally relaxed (the opposite of stress). It is in this state when we can metabolize our food the best and allow our digestive system to operate properly.
How do you positively impact your clientele?
I like to give my clients PERMISSION to feel whatever they feel. We must move through our feelings, get to the root of our struggles, to ultimately have a cathartic health transformation. Bottom line: it’s never only about the food. What we think/feel/exude affects our health way more than anything else. I teach my clients how to slow down, find pleasure daily, cultivate a movement practice (movement not exercise!), nourish themselves through food, become a detective with their food-cravings, fall in love with their appetite, trust their intuition, embrace their divine feminine to receive fully.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Giving space for my clients to shine. Nourishing my clients with whole foods. Healing my clients through alternative/esoteric modules.
What is your favorite secret NYC spot?
My apartment! In a city where we’re constantly surrounded, it’s important to be alone with ourselves and our thoughts. Also: unplugged from social media!
How do you benefit mamas?
It is my pleasure to help women feed their families. It is my pleasure to help women love their bodies. It is my pleasure to guide women back to their autonomy. The most radical thing we can do, as women, as mommies, is to completely embrace self-love.
What is the most memorable feedback a client has given you?
When a client feels good in her body, no matter the external shape. You must claim something to change something. Shape shifting happens through love and acceptance, not hatred and denial. So, sure, I love when a client tells me she’s lost weight eating my food, but, more importantly, it’s because she shifting her thoughts and patterns and gave space for a deeper physical transformation.
Pay it forward and name your top colleagues in the same field or related field.
Taryn Toomey, founder of The Class. She is a gem. As a light worker, I am constantly giving out my energy to others. It is important, nay imperative, that I recharge myself so to be in service to others. Taryn provides this space beautifully. When it comes to chefs, I am forever inspired by the Calabrian-based chef Rosetta Costantino. She is a revelation. I love adapting her recipes to my clients’ dietary needs/restriction.
What is the best advice anyone's ever given you? Or what is your "mantra" / words to live by?
“Life is precious and I live in the world.” We can get so caught up in the perfection game and the ideal version/expectations of our life/food/body/friends/ family/accomplishments instead of simply softening into what is now. It is finding the balance between the precious and the real where I feel the most grounded and whole.
As moms, the day can escape us, what is your best time-saving trick?
Prioritize yourself to better serve your family. You must find time, even if it’s just five minutes, where you give back to yourself. This can be in your movement practice, a five minute meditation, a mud mask, a private dance party, a glass of wine at your favorite restaurant, something, anything, where it is just you for you.
How can our readers contact you?
They can visit my website at http://thesweetbeanexperience.com.