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Few people embody a combination of wellness, mindful living, and modern motherhood like Sabrina Rudin, founder of Spring Café. With locations that feel more like sanctuaries than eateries, Spring has become a haven for those seeking nutrient-rich, organic food served with heart and intention. Rooted in a philosophy that food is medicine and sustainability is non-negotiable, Rudin’s approach extends far beyond the kitchen. From toxin-free living to her recent partnership with Mill—a company turning food scraps into nutrient-rich farm feed—Sabrina continues to redefine what conscious consumption looks like. I sat down with her to talk about holistic wellness, balancing entrepreneurship and motherhood, and why she believes well-being can be found in mental, bodily, and planetary alignment.
Spring Cafe feels like a love letter to clean eating and mindful living. What’s your personal philosophy when it comes to wellness?
Thank you so much! I love that description of Spring, a love letter to clean eating, because it is! My personal philosophy when it comes to wellness is really about thinking about wellness holistically—rather than a subtitle of every- day life. What I mean by that is that wellness has become an industry, something we partake in outside of ourselves to “feel good,” but to me it has always been about living in a way where mind, body and spirit are connected, and it’s about the daily choices we make towards that goal. I don’t care how many facials and lymphatic drainage massages you are getting, or how “mindful” you are. If you are ingesting chemicals and processed foods, using products with fragrance and other endocrine disruptors and feeling depleted and worn down, it doesn’t matter. So how do we retrain ourselves to understand that wellness is comprehensive, that food is medicine and food is energy and what we consume and digest really makes a huge difference in how we feel.
Has your approach to health evolved over the years—especially since becoming a mom?
I’ve learned to let go a little, and really focus on a core philosophy about food that I share with my kids and my family. For instance, avoiding processed foods, food dyes and other harmful ingredients. My kids are very happy with Poppi or Olipop as their soda, and with Applegate Farms chicken nuggets when they want chicken tenders and fries. We talk about food, and taking care of ourselves the same way we talk about environmental or social justice issues; in a way that feels fulfilling and not restrictive. I’ve also learned not to sweat the small stuff, in all areas of life, which goes a long way towards physical, emotional and mental well-being.
What are your clean daily living habits?
I would have to say, a morning juice, going to bed early—I strive for 9:30pm—and moving my body, either at the gym or surfing.
You’ve been vocal about toxin-free living—what are some simple swaps you recommend for people just starting out?
The most impactful things you can do are to try to buy organic as much as possible, especially for items on the Dirty Dozen list, to avoid petroleum based artificial dyes in food and personal care products and to swap in better for you alternatives to junk food, for instance Late July Nacho Chips vs. Doritos. Read labels and educate yourself to the worst food additives and chemicals so that you know what to avoid. Knowledge is power and it’s on us to become educated consumers.
How do you stay balanced when life gets chaotic—between running businesses, raising kids, and carving out time for yourself?
I’m not so sure that I believe in the word “balance.” There are some weeks when carving out time for myself gets placed on the back burner, or where work is more intense, and other weeks when it’s all about resting and just spending time with my family and cooking big meals. I think I have a good inner compass that lets me know when I’ve veered too far from my center, or my peace of mind feels out of whack, or I feel rundown, and in those cases I take stock and I cut out everything non-essential, even if that means cancelling a plan, or postponing a meeting. I try to do things every day that bring me joy, like working out, or going to the farmer’s market, or surfing or getting lunch with a friend at Spring Café. Being present for my kids has always been very important to me, even as a working mom, so I do prioritize that as well, especially because they are little and time is a thief and I am very much in the trenches still with a toddler. That’s not a choice that feels right for every working mother, but for me it feels right and I listen to that and that helps me feel a sense of the elusive “balance.”
You’ve shared your experiences with postpartum anxiety—what advice would you give to new moms navigating the emotional side of motherhood?
I feel like I have so much to say about this, but I think the most important thing I do share with any new mothers in my life, is that it is really ok to not be ok, and that if the first moments, weeks, months, or even years of motherhood are challenging for you, that is completely normal, and not something to feel ashamed of. I don’t want to give advice because my biggest piece of advice would probably be to not take any advice and try to listen to your intuition. We are the only culture that has made an industry of motherhood, birth and raising children, with so many experts telling us how to “train” our children to sleep, to eat, to potty train, etc. but motherhood is a continuum, a deep emotional and intuitive process that has existed since the beginning of time, we need to encourage women to tap into that, we need to focus less on the baby showers and the stroller choices and prepare women for the transformation that takes place when a soul passes through you into this world.
You’ve partnered with Mill, which transforms food scraps into farm feed—why was this partnership important to you, and how does it tie into your overall approach to wellness and sustainability?
I’m so proud to partner with Mill, I love companies whose products create a real and tangible difference for our collective health and for the planet. They’ve taken the muss and fuss out of composting, which is especially helpful when you live in an NYC apartment. Now all of our food waste gets turned into this nutrient dense material that I can either use in the garden or put in the NYC compost bins. Keeping food out of landfills is an essential part of creating a better, more equitable food eco-system in our country.
How do you ensure the food and ethos at Spring Café stays true to its roots as you expand?
At its core, Spring Café is a mission-driven restaurant and brand. There is no room for compromise on our core values, which are centered around organic, nutrient-dense, and healing foods. That’s probably why we expand so slowly, but it’s also how we keep this ethos intact. Spring was always meant to feel like an extension of my kitchen and I’m proud to say I think we’ve achieved that, I think it will take creativity to figure out how to bring Spring to new markets and perhaps license or franchise it while also maintain its integrity but it’s something I work on daily and I’m up for the challenge.
How do you see cafés like Spring influencing how people think about eating out and living consciously?
I think places like Spring Café allow people the opportunity to see how eating well leads to feeling good, and at the end of the day, we all really want to feel good. We are meant to feel good, not exhausted, not burnt out, not in a constant state of fight or flight but GOOD. I opened Spring 13 years ago, and it still never gets old when someone tells me they discovered us and now they eat there every day and it changed their life and they feel so light and rejuvenated but also so satisfied and fulfilled. I get so excited when a new healthy, organic restaurant opens. I don’t view it as competition, I see it as the direction we’re meant to go in as a culture and as a society.
What’s next for you in the wellness space—any new projects or ideas you’re excited about?
It’s funny because I’m turning 40 in April and I’ve been working for over a decade and in many ways I feel like my career is just starting. I love doing media so hopefully there will be more food media and TV appearances. I’ll be diving into my Substack and sharing more on Instagram and then a few really big exciting projects that I can’t announce yet but that I am so excited to share with everyone very soon!
If you could leave readers with one wellness mantra to live by, what would it be?
“Let Food Be Thy Medicine” – Hippocrates
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