Kalumi chats with Sophie Jaffe
This month Kalumi chats with superfood mama and founder of Philosophie, Sophie Jaffe. Sophie shares what inspires her passion for health and a sneak peek into her busy but fulfilling life. Being known in the wellness world for bring positive energy to her work, her family and everyone she encounters, Sophie offers amazing insight into her wellness mantra and how she manages to juggle it all!
Has Los Angeles always been home to you?
I grew up in Washington DC in Dupont Circle. I was a home birth! My mom, sister, a doula and midwife, my father (who caught me), and my grandfather were all in the room when I was born. We moved around a lot after my parents divorced when I was 8. We moved to North Carolina for 2 years and then back up to Maryland where my mother grew up, near Frederick, Maryland. I went to highschool in a VERY small rural town called Boonsboro.
Los Angeles is my home now. I cultivated a beautiful family here with Adi and Philosophie really took off once we moved here. It’s where the magical wellness community I’ve become apart of is centered and all my soul sisters exist in this place.
Have you always been passionate about health and wellness from a young age? What sparked your passion?
My mom is a holistic nurse practitioner, and I grew up appreciating and taking homeopathic medicines, flower essences, essential oils, and other natural forms of healing before western approaches were taken (I didn't step into a hospital or see a "real" doctor until I had my first son at 26 years old). This was how my journey was impacted, in every part of who I was from a very young age. To me, healthy is a state of mind. It's being connected to your best self, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Health is something that starts within your body, mind, and spirit, and then the outside glows from within.
After graduating from UCLA with a degree in health psychology, I was working part-time at a raw food juice bar (one of the first of their kind!) in Hollywood. I then became a manager working 60-70 hours a week, closely training with the owner who was a celebrity personal trainer. I then decided to continue what I was doing at the juice bar (creating custom cleanse programs) on my own. That's when Philosophie was born! I was making raw food-based cleanses out of my own kitchen and delivering them all over Los Angeles to just about anyone and everyone. This continued for a few years until I got so big that I needed a commercial kitchen. I was honestly doing way too much, spreading myself too thin, and at that point, pregnant with my second child, Leo. Adi and I decided that it was best for me to stop running all over the city and to ultimately help more people by creating a product line. Thus, the superfoods were born.
Now, I run Philosophie’s day-to-day business and have a team of over 15 people who help this beast of an operation come to life and continue to spread the love through their hard work and dedication. I am a living, breathing example of what it means to be healthy from the inside out. I eat very clean while still allowing wiggle room for fun and indulging in what makes me happy. I work hard to balance work and love and family life with self-care. That's what wellness is to me.
Can you tell us a little bit about what eating intuitively means to you?
We live in the age of diets and food fads. A lot of buzzwords surround food and limiting yourself to these restrictions are often harmful. Eating intuitively means having freedom with your food. It’s putting yourself into consideration anytime you enter the kitchen.
Instead of creating a “healthy diet” based on limitations and rules, I cook from a place of love—love for myself, my family, and my world. I eat because I love how the food tastes and how it makes me feel. The moment you do something that’s “good for you” without having any passion for it is the moment that it loses some of its power. So it’s simple—I find recipes for nourishing dishes I can’t wait to make, buy organic fruits + veggies from local farmers who pour their passion into their food, and savor each bite for the gift of vitality that it is.
Congratulations on your pregnancy and soon to be beautiful baby girl! As a busy wife and mama on the go, what is your mantra for maintaining balance in your life?
I still can’t believe we’ll be welcoming another member to our Jaffe tribe. I’m so beyond blessed for this life and I can’t wait to bring another soul into it. It’s never easy being a mom and owning a company. I used to feel so stressed about making sure that everything in Philosophie was moving forward while also being the best mother and wife I could. One day, it hit me though—as long as my kids are safe, happy, and healthy, that’s all that truly matters. Everything else is an added bonus.
From following your Instagram account, we know this pregnancy has not been necessarily easy for you. What has been the number one thing that keeps you sane during this period in your life?
Oh yes. it's been a DOOZY of a pregnancy! Taking a bath at the end of each day has been amazing for me. I put bath soaks inside, essential oils and just RELAX my sore back and body. It allows me to fully let go of the day and enter into restorative sleep mode.
Above all else, I turn to my kids, Kai and Leo (plus baby girl on the way), and my husband, Adi. They are my rock, and all I want to really do is create a happy, healthy home and life with them.
Many of your followers look to you to find balance and health in their own lives. What is your best advice for practicing what you preach? (You seem to do an amazing job at it by the way!)
After years and years of struggle with anxiety and stress there are some rituals I’ve adopted to help keep me sane. I meditate, sip tea, and journal out my thoughts and emotions, a practice that can be just as strengthening as yoga. I also keep a lavender-filled pouch, bring it to my face, inhale deeply, and in that moment, I find my calm, my strength, and myself.
We love your yummy superfoods! What inspired you to start your company, Philosophie?
I started Philosophie and ultimately my wellness journey by simply wishing that I could have an amazing blend of superfoods and proteins together in one, convenient place. I started creating my own blends and giving them to friends and family and making everyone workout and nutrition guides. One day, I was in the sea in Israel with my husband, Adi, and he turned to me and said, “You should really grow what you’re doing and share it with more people, make it a company.” And that’s when it really took off. I was introduced into a wellness community + network in LA where I decided to not only share my superfood products but my story on living a healthy and BALANCED life.
In short, how did starting Philosophie lead to other career opportunities in health, wellness, and mindfulness?
Social media played a huge part of growing Philosophie and expanding my career in health, wellness and mindfulness. Social media has been INCREDIBLE for Philosophie. I can truly be myself there and share my perspectives, lessons, trials, and struggles with so many people. It's helped to get the word out not just about who I am, but what Philosophie stands for and what makes it unique.
For all the other mamas out there, what is your secret to getting your kids to eat healthy, wholesome foods?
When you’re excited about healthy and nourishing foods your kids will be too! I share everything with Kai and Leo. I cook with them and allow them to experiment with meals (under my watchful eye). I stock the house with a TON of fruits, veggies and nutritious snacks. Some other tips + tricks for keeping your kids healthy and happy include never limiting their diets, but instead offering healthier but equally sweet alternatives (ALL the smoothie bowls their little bodies need), substituting ingredients for healthier options, and doing active activities together such as a hike or a trip to the beach.
What does beauty mean to you?
Doing everything from a place of love—which means working out because I actually love the movements that I’m having my body do, or eating because I love how the food tastes and how it makes me feel. The moment you do something that’s “good for you” without having any passion for it is the moment you lose your glow. So it’s simple—find recipes for nourishing dishes you can’t wait to make, sign up for a workout class that is the highlight of your day, buy or make natural, non-toxic beauty products that smell and feel amazing.
Thank you for you amazing advice Sophie! Be sure to follow @sophie.jaffe for healthy recipes and wellness Inspo! And head to her website to get some of her yummy Philosophie foods! https://www.thephilosophie.com
Make sure you grab some Kalumi BEAUTYfood to stay glowing like Sophie!
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