Forever Postpartum
A reflective series exploring the tender, transformative seasons of motherhood, nourishment, and what it means to care for ourselves and others.
We are thrilled to welcome this month’s guest, Shaz Andrew- mother of two, Naturopath, Medical Herbalist and Holistic Nutritionist.
Through her work, Shaz champions ancestral approaches to eating, with a particular focus on nose-to-tail foods and their role in supporting women’s health. Her passion for wholefoods also extends into her beautiful business, Earth-Raised & Wild- a store we’ve stocked our own cupboards from over the years (and one well worth exploring).
Shaz's approach to health resonates deeply with us and reflects many of the values that sit at the heart of Feeding the Fourth. In a world full of quick fixes and conflicting advice, her approach feels grounding- returning to simple, foundational practices over fleeting solutions.
In this conversation, Shaz reflects on the influence of her Iranian upbringing, the traditions that have shaped her, and her perspective on modern motherhood. We also explore what it has looked like to create a slower, more intentional life for her family, and why supporting women remains essential long beyond the early postpartum months.
We hope you enjoy reading her insights as much as we did.
You've spoken about growing up in a family where food was deeply connected to tradition and care. Are there particular recipes, rituals or values from your upbringing that have stayed with you, and that you hope to pass on to your own children?
I grew up immersed in Iranian (Persian) culture, where food is pivotal to every interaction. As soon as someone enters your home, you greet them with a warm chai and something to eat. I learnt to cook from a young age and was always (willingly) helping my mum and dad in the kitchen. As an adult, cooking has become my love language and a way to express myself creatively. Although I enjoy different cuisines, I feel drawn to Iranian and middle eastern flavours. They feel like home.
A typical Iranian diet is nose-to-tail - where every part of the animal is used and nothing goes to waste. This approach has stuck with me, particularly after studying nutrition and discovering the nutrient-density and health benefits of eating organ meats and slow cooking gelatinous cuts of meat. Meals are also balanced in terms of flavours and energetics. The goal is to always include sweet, sour, bitter and salty flavours as well as a harmony of warming or cooling elements (similar to ayurvedic cooking). For example, ginger and saffron are warming whereas dairy and cucumber are cooling. When you combine warming and cooling foods, this keeps the body and mind in balance. I am always considering this harmony of flavours and energetics in my cooking.
My parents made everything from scratch, the way their parents taught them. My mum would spend entire weekends preparing pickles, ferments, jams and preserves. There was always freshly baked bread and my dad made salami and sausages, to avoid additives and preservatives in store bought ones. Cooking meals from scratch is something I value deeply and have continued to practice in my own home, though I am a little time poor these days juggling motherhood with my work and make a few exceptions!
As a naturopath, you're often helping women reconnect with their health and wellbeing. What are some of the things modern mothers seem to be searching for most right now?
A common thread I see with the mothers I work with is that they are running on fumes – under-resourced, depleted, sleep deprived and overstimulated. They seem to be caught between worlds, trying to keep up with the expectations of motherhood, whilst juggling work, a social life and carrying the mental load of their household. The missing link for a lot of mums is support - in order to nourish themselves, to enable periods of rest to help replenish their energy and vitality.
I believe that the lack of support stems from the shift in our culture from living in close proximity to family and community to hyper-individualism and living independently and in isolation – leaving the entire weight of raising children and running a household on mum (and dad). I feel that modern mothers are searching for connection and community and support and to feel less alone on their journey.
Many families find themselves caught between the pace of modern life and the life they actually want to be living. Was there a moment when you realised you wanted something different for your family, and what did that shift look like in practice?
I spent my twenties doing what I thought I was meant to do (according to societal norms and family expectations). I completed a postgraduate degree, got a full time job in public health straight out of university then spent the next few years in the corporate world where I was working long hours and travelling a lot.
The fast-paced lifestyle contributed to a high level of stress which led to burnout. I became riddled with symptoms including chronic fatigue, skin flare-ups and hormonal imbalances. This was the start of my healing journey and resulted in an overhaul of my diet, lifestyle and career. I quit the rat race, retrained as a nutritionist and naturopath and after covid 19 hit my husband and I decided to leave the city, move off grid and grow food to sustain our future family. We were craving a slow, simple and more intentional life. We were done with numbing and distractions and keeping up with pressures of modern life.
When my daughter was born the following year, it made sense why we had done what we did. The kids and I spend our days immersed in nature. We forage herbs, collect eggs from our chooks, spend hours in the garden or down at the local beach. I love that they know where their food is coming from and become excited about what we are growing each season! It isn’t easy living rurally. It can feel overwhelming and isolating at times and there are certain sacrifices we have had to make in order to spend most of our time with our kids, but the benefits outweigh these sacrifices. We feel we are setting them up by teaching them about nature’s rhythms, growing food, nourishing themselves and building resilience.
In your work, you witness women moving through seasons of immense change. What do you think motherhood asks of us that few other experiences do?
I believe that motherhood is one of the most expansive, most healing and most humbling experiences there is. Motherhood breaks you open and shatters your ego, bringing to the surface your limiting beliefs, the unhealthy patterns you’re in, the areas in your life you’re living out of integrity and alignment with your truth.
Going into motherhood you might think you’re “healed” and then you experience 15 months of very broken sleep, a toddler that seems to take pleasure in biting you while you’re breastfeeding him and a 4 and a half year old with a piercing scream that sends your nervous system straight into fight-or-flight mode. You become triggered and maybe you react, or you breathe through it and choose connection.
I truly believe that if you choose the path of self-reflection and let your triggers guide you, the healing that comes from motherhood can be more powerful than any plant medicine journey or breathwork journey or yoga retreat or 10-day silent meditation. Motherhood will stretch you beyond your edges but in the process it can help to heal you and soften you and make you stronger all at the same time.
What feels essential when it comes to nourishing women through pregnancy and postpartum?
I have worked with many women that enter pregnancy depleted, making it much harder to maintain healthy levels of nutrients throughout their pregnancy and increasing the likelihood of postpartum depletion. Postpartum depletion makes it harder to heal, can impact milk production, weakens the immune system and increases the risk of postpartum anxiety and depression.
This is why I believe that focusing on a nutrient-dense diet and incorporating a nose-to-tail approach feels essential for nourishing women through pregnancy and postpartum. Organ meats are a rich source of bioavailable nutrients. Liver for instance is loaded with nutrients that support a healthy pregnancy, including folate, iron, vitamin B12, choline, zinc and selenium. Slow cooking gelatinous cuts of meat like oxtail, beef shin and lamb shanks not only provides nutrients but also collagen forming amino acids like glycine and proline that are the building blocks of the connective tissues - essential for expansion of the uterus during pregnancy and healing in postpartum.
Unfortunately there is a lack of awareness and education around the benefits of a nose-to-tail approach and a lot of misinformation out there regarding the safety aspect of eating organ meats in pregnancy. I hope that by continuing to share my knowledge and nose-to-tail recipes, I can encourage more women to benefit from these nutrient-rich foods!
We’ve called this journal series Forever Postpartum, as it reflects our belief that postpartum is not a short season, but an ongoing part of motherhood. What does that idea bring up for you?
I am 15 months postpartum with my second child and I did not “bounce back”. In fact, I feel like I am still in the postpartum recovery period from the birth of my first child 4 and a half years ago! My body craves warming and nourishing foods and I find that when I have neglected this call, the stakes are much higher than pre-kids when I could enjoy a sandwich or salad on the go. From my own experience and the experience of women I have worked with, postpartum can extend beyond the 18 months we are told is the postpartum period. The physical shifts like changes in hormones, metabolism and musculoskeletal healing that happen postpartum can take years to rebalance (if they ever do!). Not to mention the emotional and psychological changes that happen when you journey from maiden to mother. I think we need to give mothers more grace to take their time on this journey and continue to support them to nourish themselves with warming easy-to-digest foods, hot teas, massage, periods of rest and all the other nourishing things, beyond this prescribed 18 month mark.