Nikki Bostwick is a little bit Wizard of Oz. She is behind more than one IG account, runs a magazine called The Fullest as well as the brand’s popular podcast. She also has a little boy named Truth and married to the love of her life. We connected because we mother in very similar ways and that is always an exhilarating thing to have in common. We have many ideals that are the same and are rooted in natural health. Nikki has since launched a stellar product, the saffron latte that is helping many women ditch their anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds for a cleaner route to sanity using saffron. She is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to wellness and I love watching her contribute to the world around her. She is a thinker and a doer…and she does it all with style. The Art of Being Female means questioning the world around us, employing our critical thinking skills, taking the time to curate our belief systems and standing firm behind those beliefs.
Happy to introduce you to Nikki Bostwick.
Tell us about your background, who are you, where are you from, what is your family of origin like?
Both my parents are from Iran, and I am a first generation Iranian American, meaning my sister and I are the first in our family to be born here in the US. My parents actually had me speak Farsi as my first language, so up until I went to Kindergarten I didn’t speak a word of English! I went to preschool for a week and left because I was so humiliated and felt like such an outsider, but I am SO grateful now for my family’s dedication to sharing our culture with me and making me feel connected to something that is ingrained in me whether I wanted to access it or not.
How did you meet your husband, tell us about Truth.
My husband and I met at Laguna Beach High School. We started dating when I was 16 and he was 17 and the rest is history! We fell in love and knew we were soulmates. We went to college together in Oregon before moving to LA for a bit and finally settling back home in Orange County once we got married! He is my best friend and always up for entertaining my crazy and at times extreme wellness philosophies.
When did you start The Fullest and Morning Matcha (now The Fullest podcast), which came first?
I started the fullest in January of 2017 and the podcast followed shortly after spring of the same year!
Tell us about your career path- you had a brick and mortar store… now doing Saffron latte and speaking on panels. How did your career begin and how has it evolved into what you’re doing today?
So when I started the fullest I knew I needed to diversify our revenue streams so we weren’t reliant on advertisers or else that would compromise the content we produce- I say no to a lot of brands that aren’t in alignment with our philosophy! Diversifying meant getting into products. I wasn’t confident enough to develop our own products right away so we started by opening up a pop up in Laguna Beach and stocking up on my favorite brands. From there, I recognized quickly that there isn’t a large enough margin to make it worthwhile for us to promote other brands because some of these brands we wanted to advertise with us and we were essentially offering free advertising! That time was really important for me because it was research into seeing what our readers and customers are interested in purchasing. Our number 1 product at that time was a turmeric latte powder as well as numerous other ingestibles. Knowing that and growing up around saffron, knowing it’s benefits and realizing no one in the wellness scene is talking about this miracle spice.. that’s when the light bulb went off and I started formulating the product…. I forgot to mention I went to culinary school for plant based/raw foods so I had this knowledge and experience to formulate my own products. That’s also why I love speaking on panels because I love sharing the information I’ve learned through the years as I’ve been trained in a lot of different areas like yoga, reiki, plant based foods, etc. After being on other people’s panels and moderating speakers on the podcast, I knew it was time for us to host our own events so we can connect with our community in real life! That’s how the event piece came to life 🙂
Tell us about saffron, why saffron, what are the benefits…fill us all in on the magic.
Ahh saffron. Saffron has been used for centuries in Iranian cooking as an aromatic spice that also has mood elevating properties. It also helps with bloating so it’s the perfect addition to a rice dish! They intuitively know back then that it works as an antidepressant, but it wasn’t until recently that science has been able to prove at what dose these properties come through.
I grew up loving saffron and totally overdosing in it and once I stumbled on a double blind placebo study, I knew I needed to bring this information into the wellness community I created. The study found that 30mg of saffron per day was as effective as a drug like prozac, and what was even more profound was that the pharmaceuticals take 4-6 weeks to kick in but saffron worked right away! At that dose, saffron reduced anxiety, increases serotonin and dopamine levels, prevent and treats alzheimer’s symptoms, it protects your eyes (which we need from being on screens all day), it’s an aphrodisiac, an antifungal (breeding grounds for cancer), and helps with add/adhd (it’s cured mine which is why I can focus and run a successful business!).
And because saffron is intimidating to cook with (it comes in thread form and needs to be ground down and activated with hot water to make a tincture that you then use a portion of in your cooking), I knew I needed to use my culinary background to formulate something easy and instant! The amount of saffron in ethnic cooking is not nearly enough to be a medicinal dose, so I formulated an easy to make beverage that has 150mg of saffron per serving, to make sure you have that potent medicinal dose to reap the benefits I just mentioned!
When did the passion for wellness and clean living begin? Were you raised in a home with parents who also live like this?
No way! It’s been an intuitive process for me. At times totally extreme, but overall it’s been something I’ve gravitated towards as a little girl. I definitely lost my way in high school at times with alcohol and drugs and a bit in college my first year or two, but overall it’s been something that has helped. tremendously- from yoga helping me cope with my parent’s divorce to food finally helping me heal my disordered eating.
How has this mentality shaped who you are as a mother?
It has totally influenced my parenting! I am big in organic only foods and making sure we don’t have GMOs in our diet, and we are currently making our home a sanctuary by removing wifi and committing to not being on our phones or computers while at home- it’s the next step for us as we already don’t have a TV. It doesn’t mean we don’t sometimes watch movies or we won’t need to answer work calls or texts, but it’s our balance. We are bombarded with all this during the day and at work, it’s important for our nervous system to reset at some point!
What are your favorite clean beauty products?
Agent Nateur Holi Oil is my ride or die. Can’t live without it. Next up is my Vapour soft focus foundation and blush/bronzer sticks.
What are your favorite clean products for the home?
I love using supernatural cleaning products, saje wellness dish soap, and lots of essential oils like lavender, tea tree, etc for spraying around the house.
What are your favorite children’s products for Truth?
I use living libations pearl powder for his “toothpaste”… we didn’t wash him with anything but water for his first year! No soaps. I make my own coconut oil wipes and also other water based wipes with essential oils. His diapers are from a sustainable brand called Coterie and he now uses a baby soap/ body wash all in one from Dani Kenney. But we don’t use it every time because we don’t want to strip him of his natural oils. It’s all about that skin biome 🙂
Why do you think natural and clean living is the best route to overall wellness?
It’s really about getting back to the basics. I used to buy all the products- paleo/ vegan packaged foods to beauty products, to attending all the trendy workout classes and so much more. It was another way to consume for me. Now it’s really about being one with nature (not in a full blown tent camping way because I still love my bed), but it’s my meter for do I really need this? I’d rather go to the farmers market to buy my goods, walk to work as my exercise, drink water and tea, and just relax as much as I can as a new mom with a fast growing business. It’s the best route in my opinion because it is a more relaxed way of living. Sure, at first it may seem overwhelming, but if you are doing it step by step, and making it into a lifestyle that brings you joy and reduces your stress and anxiety, it’s the key to your well-being and overall happiness.
What is something we can all do starting today to improve our health? What are some basics in the health world that you wish all women knew…
Get a water filter stat! For your home for baths/showers and another for drinking water. You don’t want that crap (fluoride and chlorine and all the prescription medications that are dumped down the sink) to end up in your body.
Once you get your water filter set up, take baths! Baking soda and salt help with radiation exposure and also help with inflammation. It has helped my autoimmune condition tremendously.
Everyone should start shopping from their local farmers market- we have no excuses here in California, esp the Lido market on Wednesday’s and Laguna Beach and Mariners market on Saturdays. Like- seriously try to avoid buying your produce at the market even if it’s from Whole Foods. It’s picked so far in advance that it wasn’t able to fully develop and give you the nutrients you need by ripening on the vine. Here’s an example: apples are picked an entire season in advance and they sit in a fridge for months before making their way into your home. Why not get the best direct from the grower who picked it that morning? Also the difference in taste is unbelievable. I can’t stand market apples anymore….
Also if you eat dairy switch to raw dairy, and goat/sheep’s dairy whether it’s raw or pasteurized. It’s much easier to consume! And less mucus forming.
Tell us about what you’re currently working on…
More products (think probiotic milk baths and debloating bath salts) and also an event series sharing how to totally get back to the basics of wellness.
What are some takeaways on wellness that you want women to have from this read and from all the learning you’ve done?
Think for yourself and become your own health advocate. Don’t just listen to what I’m saying but take a second to research and come up with a conclusion for yourself. And try not to get sucked into the hype of all the products and lifestyles and workouts. Just tap into your intuition and you will know the answer. Quit buying a bunch of “stuff” and go on a cleansing spree. It feels so good!!
What is your mission with The Fullest and Saffron Latte?
To wake people up and prevent them from getting sucked into things that don’t matter. When you’re clear, anything is possible. And I truly want that mindset for everyone.
Stay connected to Nikki @ The Fullest: https://thefullest.com
Listen to her podcast here: https://thefullest.com/category/podcasts/
Download it here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fullest-podcast/id1200321554
