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Hosted by Anton Rieke, Ladylike is a podcast born from one dad’s mission to raise his daughter with role models who lead with heart, grit, and grace. In each episode, Anton spends time learning from a remarkable woman, sitting down for a deep conversation about her journey.
From bakers to business owners, athletes to artists, these women are rewriting the rules of what it means to be strong, skilled, and “ladylike.” Episodes end with a letter to Anton’s daughter, Drew, reflecting on the lessons learned from each guest.
If you want a podcast that blends humor, heart, and hard truths, Ladylike invites you to listen in and leave inspired.
Welcome back to Ladylike, the girl dad podcast. This podcast was founded with one mission, to show my daughter Drew what it means to be ladylike. I'm on a quest to interview incredible women, to learn about their story, and to hear about what it took to become the woman they are now. This week I met with Lauren Mahesri, the pediatric dietitian, and she was incredible. We spent time talking about child nutrition, how we were raised affects how we think about food now, and the blending of cultures when two people come together from different worlds and create something beautiful together.
Anton:I'm truly blessed and honored to have created this episode and got to highlight Lauren. I'm excited for what she has to say to all of you, and I'm excited about what I learned. So we're gonna go right into the dear Drew segment and then right into the podcast after that. Also, I forgot to say this earlier, but if you're listening on Spotify, definitely go over to YouTube and watch the nutritional trivia challenge that Lauren and I did. It's a great time.
Anton:It's funny. Dear Drew, I hope this is one of the episodes that you'll return to someday. Lauren made me laugh. Lauren made me laugh, made me think, and made me reflect on my own story. We talked about food and shame and culture and family and about what it looks like
Anton:to honor someone else's background without losing your own voice. Yeah.
Anton:You reminded me that being ladylike doesn't mean fitting into a mold. It means showing up with empathy. It means knowing when to soften and when to stand tall. It means learning to feed others,
Anton:not just with food, but with grace.
Anton:I want you to know this. Your background, your struggles,
Anton:and your story will shape you,
Anton:but they will never limit you. You are allowed to live in between. You are allowed to grow beyond what others expect. And no matter what room you
Anton:walk into, you belong. Love always, dad. So the first question I had for you is, like, when did you decide that you wanted to be a dietitian? I feel like I remember you in high school. I don't know if that was your thing at the time.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. I kind of I feel like in high school, they split you up into two. Like, are you a creative or are you going to go to medical school? Know? It's like if you're even remotely uninterested in writing, then you like science and you should be a doctor.
Anton:That's right.
Lauren Mahesri:So that was kind of my thing in high school. I was very goody two shoes, loved the rules. I was like, oh, I'm gonna be a doctor. This makes so much sense. And then I went to college, and I remember my first semester of college, I had to take a calculus class to be in biology.
Lauren Mahesri:And I dropped my major, you know, because I can't do that. And so I randomly just started perusing around majors. I switched it up a bunch, and I finally landed on human development and child development. So that was my major that I graduated with. And then I kind of was going in and out between I wanted to be a naturopath for a little bit.
Anton:What's that?
Lauren Mahesri:Those aren't as popular in The US, but I studied abroad, shadowed some in Australia, was like, wow. And I was realizing that a naturopathic doctor is kind of like a dietitian and a doctor mixed with a little bit of Chinese voodoo in there, which that's the part I didn't love, the herbal kind of crunch life. So I also have been cooking forever. I was that kind of kid that would watch Giada and the Food Network all growing up. And so I didn't even realize that being a dietitian was a job.
Lauren Mahesri:And that's what I think is so hard for kids, where I can be a creative or I can go to medical school. There's so many things in between there. And so I kind of landed on a mix of everything I liked, which was the real life food part of medicine and then talking to people. And those are my two favorite things. So UT has a really good dietetics program.
Lauren Mahesri:So I was like, I guess I'll just do this.
Anton:So you finished your undergrad in human development?
Lauren Mahesri:Yes. So my major is human and child development, and then you basically get a dietetics certificate. So it's kind of like a minor a little bit. Yeah. And then you go to get your like, become a dietitian.
Anton:Right.
Lauren Mahesri:And that is a two year program. Now they make it a two to four year program because you have to get your master's now to be a dietitian. That slid in right before that, which is fabulous. So I did a very fast paced. I think mine was only nine months long, which was super fast, Because I was like, I need to again, me and my now husband had been dating for seven years.
Lauren Mahesri:It's like one of us needs to have a job. Yep.
Anton:That makes sense.
Lauren Mahesri:So yeah, it was just so perfect. It was the best my favorite parts of medicine without being a doctor that I really liked.
Anton:Did you ever think about doing, like, osteopathic? I mean, if you're going if you're swinging from, you know, like, you know, like, empty and then maybe you're thinking all the way the other way, osteopathic could
Lauren Mahesri:be Right. So the osteopathic doctors have to do a very similar route of medical school now. It's like the same thing. It's still four years of medical school. They learn a little bit different things, but they honestly have to take harder testing.
Lauren Mahesri:They have to take more tests, longer tests than people in medical school. And then you can practice just like an MD. So sure, you can go the route of functional medicine space. But I think I was so not even interested in that. And then naturopath was so the other direction of, again, herbs and is this accredited?
Lauren Mahesri:Where is the evidence behind this? And I think nutrition can lean that way sometimes too, which I don't really love. So dietetics felt very evidence based, which I really like. And I still try to practice that way. But it's all about food, which is my favorite thing ever.
Anton:Yeah. Me too. So I love food. Yeah. A little bit too much.
Lauren Mahesri:I could talk about food all day long. Yeah. There's that part of in college where if it's free, I'm eating it Yeah. Kind of mentality. And that stayed with me for far too long.
Lauren Mahesri:Totally. I'm kind of just getting over that. But you're three years ahead of me. Where are we at with free food?
Anton:That's a great question. So for me, I was like a little bit poor, definitely poor in high school and in college. I worked all of college at Amazon. Was a delivery There you go. Anyway, that being said, such deep poverty going on during that time.
Anton:I was racking up debt and scraping by. And so what happened is in my life, when I got wealthy enough to pay off all my debt and like feel completely Congrats.
Lauren Mahesri:That's awesome.
Anton:Yeah. It was great.
Lauren Mahesri:That's great.
Anton:But I then I felt really in control of finances and like my ability to buy whatever I That's
Lauren Mahesri:That's also dangerous.
Anton:That's when I got Yeah. Because I was like was like, oh my god, I can finally go to a restaurant, you know, once a week, twice a week, or I can go get a Doctor Pepper whenever I want.
Lauren Mahesri:The free will really just
Anton:ruined me. Yeah. And so I would say that I really went into a season of deep gluttony, like genuine. Like, would say gluttony was actually what was going on there because I it swung so far. And then now I don't eat nearly as much.
Anton:I still do love food, but it's definitely a different relationship because I feel like I crossed some boundaries.
Lauren Mahesri:You're like, you've gone in and out of all of the phases with it. Yeah.
Anton:So I'm back to like a I'm probably more of a normal idea of food, but I do
Lauren Mahesri:Which is hard to get to after
Anton:It is.
Lauren Mahesri:I I'm like, gluttony is deep within me. You know? And I feel like people don't think about that with people that are it's like, oh, you're not overweight. But it's and it's so weird with my brother and I was talking about this. My brother and I growing up were very scarcity mentality, like hiding the granola bars.
Lauren Mahesri:And then my sister, we grew up in the same house. She
Anton:You just brought so kind of big?
Lauren Mahesri:Yes. Okay. Okay. But both of us but then Scott will also just he has a lot of control to Like both of us kind have this weird flip flop relationship with food. And then my sister had none of that.
Lauren Mahesri:She has a pantry full of all of the things and just never touches it. And so I am so interested in that with raising my own kids of like, how do I instill this very neutral relationship with food? Because we had the same parents and some of us got it and some of us didn't. And I'm so thankful that my husband is very neutral. We're not obsessed with it.
Lauren Mahesri:We're not going to overly think about it. But then it's so hard because this is my job to think and talk about food all the time. So it's tough to not instill that in my kids one day.
Anton:Do you feel like Kamil having grown up in the Muslim faith and doing Ramadan house Yes. I was actually thinking about that.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. When he became a Christian and we started fasting just for our church, our church did forty days of fasting, he like, I have to stop because I'm going to- Really? He doesn't fast anymore. He might in the next couple of years, but it was getting to the point where it's so easy for him that it wasn't even a sacrifice or even a thought. So food is just very interesting for that culture.
Lauren Mahesri:And I just learned so much from his family. His family is very they're so loving, and food is such a way to express that. They make great food. And I love that his my mother-in-law. That's a love language that she accepts when I make her food.
Lauren Mahesri:I'm like, this is spot on because this is all I
Anton:know how
Lauren Mahesri:to do. But it is a very like, we're not gonna eat if we're not hungry. We're not like, when they go on vacations, some of the times, not all the time, they will literally bring a huge cooler of just, like, food. Like, they don't wanna go to the restaurant in Denver because we're in Denver. Like, they might do that now if we were like, if the kids were on vacation with them.
Lauren Mahesri:But yeah, like, they just are like, food is fuel, which I think you can live in a healthy balance of like both of those things. But I really could learn a thing or two, you know, from that mentality. Yeah. Because I sure as heck did not grow up thinking that. You know?
Anton:Well, I also feel like mister Maheshri is, a a good image of physical fitness and old age. He's yeah. That might be food related. I don't know.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. Is like, if you saw his breakfast and lunches, this man I've never seen someone eat, like, the serving size of cereal. Really? He's it's in, like, a ramekin. Like, he is
Anton:That's awesome.
Lauren Mahesri:He's such a simple man, you know, and I really admire that. And Kamal is, like, really molding into the same thing.
Anton:That's kinda cool.
Lauren Mahesri:He'll make oatmeal in the morning, and I'm like, what is that for the cat?
Anton:Yeah. Yeah. It's our kids' minds. Right? Yeah.
Lauren Mahesri:No. It's it's rude. Yay. But, yeah, they're both they're both just like that. So hopefully, kids will will get that.
Anton:I think they probably will, which is a great thing. And Yeah. Honestly, that was gonna be one of my questions that I'll just ask now. So like, how do you think that the way that our parents model food for us affects us as eaters?
Lauren Mahesri:I've seen so many parents and adults in my last job talk about their kids or their kids would be in the session with us or parents now. And it's like these phrases that we just don't think about. Like, I'll ask mom or dad, what has their weight history been? Obviously, when the kid's not there. And what is family life like?
Lauren Mahesri:And they're like, She was just built big. She's not like her sisters. Or they'll be like, I've been overweight my whole life, and it's just been such a struggle. I've been on and off these diets. There's so much care for their child.
Lauren Mahesri:That's why they're talking to me. So I really and also, I'm not a mother, so I can't anticipate how hard that is to, like, separate those two things. But it is so you have to be ultra conscious of the words that you're saying, because it's not even just, hey, to your kid, you should eat this and not this. It is everything down to constantly asking your husband, Do I look okay in this outfit? I kind of feel fat.
Lauren Mahesri:Or not even saying that word, I'm just constantly looking to other people for affirmation. That can super affect your kids because it's like, Oh, should I be like, looking for validation about my looks? So, yeah, there's just a a lot of stuff. That's why I always meet with the parents first, just to kinda, like, catch their vibe. I don't often see kids for weight loss.
Lauren Mahesri:But when I do, it's because there's a medical reason. So I literally will not see a child if the parent's just concerned. I'll see a child if endocrinology is on board and they're prediabetic or their cholesterol is out of control and they want to go on a statin or something like that.
Anton:Kids can have cholesterol out of control.
Lauren Mahesri:Isn't that crazy? That is That's
Anton:a lifelong struggle, especially being so young.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. So I'll obviously jump on board and I'm very clear to say the goals of us working together are not X number of pounds. It's your cholesterol coming down or your whatever it is. And so I think just I'm very interested to see this generation of kids because obviously, nineties diet culture did its work on us. But I think there's a thing for every generation that kind of messed with us with food.
Lauren Mahesri:You know, I think it's gonna work its way into our kids' lives, and hopefully, we're a little bit more conscious of that. But I could also see it going in the other way of this is with everything of like, you do you, whatever you want, you know, with food and with your life. And so I could see it going that way too. Yeah. But I don't know.
Lauren Mahesri:With you having a five month old Yeah. And, like, what have you thought about with that with food?
Anton:With food? Yeah. I I was actually gonna ask you a question about this because I was thinking, I grew up with my mom is a extremely diverse eater. Like, would order squid eyeballs.
Lauren Mahesri:Oh my gosh. So she's like getting after it.
Anton:She's getting after most unique things. And I feel like that translated to me. I love everything except maybe, like, olives. I think that's
Lauren Mahesri:That's my number one too. Yeah. I can't
Anton:eat them.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. I can't do it.
Anton:Too much. Way too much flavor going on there. And actually, Gushers also bother me.
Lauren Mahesri:Okay. That I disagree with They're you so good.
Anton:The blow up. No. Anyway and so that was my situation. My wife actually, she doesn't she definitely has increased her food diversity as we've been married prior to that. It wasn't as diverse as what I was doing.
Anton:I also have like, I love spicy food. And I can't touch it. Yeah. Like from a long distance type situation. And I think about, I'm curious about with my daughter.
Anton:I'm fearful actually, if I'm honest about her not having the deep love for diverse foods that I have. It's almost a sense of pride to me that I could go to Nigeria
Lauren Mahesri:and eat
Anton:everything and assimilate to their culture. Because I think food does communicate a lot. And I mean, you were talking about that with your mother-in-law. And so I think I am anxious about Drew being open to foods and diversifying her food interest. And I'm curious if it's like, in your experience, does genetics play a role at all?
Anton:Does the culture play a role? What what how did that get developed?
Lauren Mahesri:So it does. I took a whole class in college called nutrition and genes. Really? They're yeah.
Anton:I didn't know.
Lauren Mahesri:And they so babies in the womb can taste. They can physically distinguish what you're eating. And so that definitely does play a role in their taste preferences. There's even some evidence to show that. So like Anna's mom, what Anna's mom ate when Anna was in the womb can impact
Anton:Oh, because those eggs are in
Lauren Mahesri:there. So it can impact how now your daughter prefers different foods, which is crazy. So, yes, there's definitely a genetic component to it. That's why sometimes you see some kids in the family have a lot of issues with food and then some kids don't. It's that mix of nature and nurture, but there is definitely a genetic component to it.
Lauren Mahesri:The biggest thing with I think families will come to me really early on starting solids or my kid just turned two, and there's this really natural, developmentally normal swing of my kid was eating everything under the sun, starting solids, then they turn 18 24, and then they're pushing away everything. And so that's a scary time for parents. And so I see a lot of them then. And really, that's a very short session where I say, here are the prevention tactics. Don't do anything else.
Lauren Mahesri:Don't stress too much because by the time there are three latest four things, if you've been doing all of these things, which is generally a very short story, just a lot of frequent, frequent exposure to differentness. So the main thing is parents are usually upset of like, I've messed my child up. Like, they're done creating these preferences. They're cold as stone. They are just set in their ways.
Lauren Mahesri:Kids have this really long, sensitive period of about six months to two years old when they're creating their preferences. And so one day of your daughter eating chicken nuggets and french fries when she's 13 old is notor even a month of that, honestly. If there's this bigit's called a food jagwhere you just all of a sudden revert and you hate all these foods and you kind of go back to your things, you throw away all these foods you used to like. That's really normal. And it's okay for her to have these periods of she's not really eating that many spicy foods and she's pushing away a lot of stuff Because it is the long game when we're talking about food introduction.
Lauren Mahesri:So even if she is, again, like 14 and you're not quite there yet where you want to be, there's a really long time for her to still develop taste preferences.
Anton:Interesting. A lot
Lauren Mahesri:of the time when I'm talking to parents, it's like, don't freak out. You're still doing Okay. Most of the time, actually, when I see kids is when nothing happened. We didn't do any tactics. We just kind of freaked out and stuck to the same five foods when they were two.
Lauren Mahesri:And then now they're 10, and they still eat five foods, and nothing's changed. And now they can't go to sleepovers and the quality of life is so much less. But developmentally, that kind of dips and then we pop back out at three to four years old and they're totally fine.
Anton:Do you see older kids, like 10 year olds?
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. When I originally started my practice, I thought I was going to see all two year olds because that's when people walk up to you in real life the most. They're mostly two or three. But that's because it is really developmentally normal. But I see kids when we've tried it, we've done everything.
Lauren Mahesri:This is now just really annoying, honestly, and impacting my quality of life, my kids' quality of life. My whole travel schedule life is built off of are there going to be the right brand of chicken nuggets at the hotel we're staying at? Then sometimes I see parents where it's more informational and they're younger. Unfortunately, it is a lot of seven to 13 year olds. And that's usually when something else is going on, too.
Lauren Mahesri:There's OCD, there's ADHD. I see a lot of autistic kids. And that is very multi. There's so many other practitioners they need to see at the same time as me. So I'll often refer them to either like speech path or OCD therapy is what we do a lot of because there's only so many things we can do with nutrition, honestly.
Lauren Mahesri:So
Anton:So I remember being like 10 or 11 or 12, and that's when my parents were like, oh, you should try instead of ordering the cheeseburger at the restaurant. Yeah. You should try to order the stuffed avocado. Right. And it felt like this cool experience for me to, like, step into adulthood and eat Yeah.
Anton:Adult food.
Lauren Mahesri:And, like, order off the not kids menu.
Anton:Yeah. Order off the not kids menu. I'm so cool. I'm so big. Do you think that it's possible for a kid that only the same thing to open up diversity later in their life?
Anton:Or like
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. I think it is so if a kid was, like, eight or nine, I would still say there's a huge likelihood because I mean, is with any person. We won't change unless we see a consequence of the action that we have. That's the same as trying to get a liver transplant patient to lose weight. It's like you literally have gotten a liver transplant and you still won't change your actions.
Lauren Mahesri:Unless we face a consequence, there's really And so with kids that are eight or nine, if they're going to school and there's a lot of kids eating other food and they feel a little bit left out or and not that I love peer pressure, but I think a little bit of that peer influence is so helpful for kids that come out of maybe elementary school. And again, they're doing sports for the first time and everyone else is able to eat the food that they provided or for the team, whatever it is. So I think there's a little bit of that peer influence that is honestly really helpful for kids and teenagers. And again, not to the point where it's anxiety inducing. But again, then to some kids, when your parent says, let's try the stuffed avocado, that is like a threat and so scary because there's that deep anxiety underneath it.
Lauren Mahesri:For some picky eaters, there's no anxiety, and it's a true I see no consequences. I love sameness. It's not even I love chicken nuggets. I love things being the same and being what I can expect. Every chicken nugget tastes exactly the same, but not every blueberry tastes the same.
Lauren Mahesri:Some of it is that, then some of it, there's this deep rooted anxiety around newness. It's called neophobia. There's just a lot of that. But then for adults, it's kind of the same of if there is zero consequence to I worked with a lot of liver disease patients where it's like, Okay, you have stage three nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. We're going to have to eat different things.
Lauren Mahesri:Having that conversation with them and there being a lot of pushback. And then finally, we're branching out a little bit. I think that's just how humans work, unfortunately. But there's a genetic component behind interest in food too. So some kids and people are just born with an innate interest in food and not an innate interest in food.
Lauren Mahesri:And so with a lot of these families, they're so frustrated with their kid. Because also there's just no interest. It's like, I'm eating because I have to or else I get headache, and I don't really care. Mhmm. You know?
Lauren Mahesri:And so there's no this is delicious. This is fun. So that's also an element of it too is just like being patient with they don't care. You know? That's like me trying to, like, get you to really, really learn about some random topic Yeah.
Lauren Mahesri:And then do it every day, three times a day, you know? So just being patient with them is difficult sometimes.
Anton:So do kids know like, do are they born with an innate sense of knowing how much to eat? Because you're talking about that six to two months. Yes. I've seen kids not eat. I've seen them at dinner table be like, I'm just not hungry.
Anton:Yeah. And the parents are freaking out, you know.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. So kids have way, way better hunger and fullness cues called interoception than we do. Like way, way better. They are to be trusted so much more than adults. I think that's also where the diet culture kind of comes in with our kids is and I struggle with this too, of like, I might not be hungry, but it's dinner time.
Lauren Mahesri:I'm going to eat because that's my structure of my day versus kids. To me, if my child one day was like, I'm really not hungry. I don't want a snack, even though they always do. It's hard for me to not just trust that. But they have such better because they haven't been burdened by emotion and they don't put emotion into food quite yet.
Lauren Mahesri:That starts actually pretty young because they're learning that food is an element that gives them control over their day too and comfort. So every kid is a little different. Some kids, they are saying yes or no to food to place some sort of control. And that's why picky eating kind of starts at two is because they learn that. They learn if I say yes or no, I can have things that I want or I don't have things that I don't want.
Lauren Mahesri:You know? And so they're learning all of that exciting independence and autonomy and also that they have a lot of control over their surroundings for the first time. But kids have a very, very good fullness hunger cue. So when parents will ask me, how much do I feed my kid? How the heck do I know where to start?
Lauren Mahesri:There are rough guidelines I can give. But honestly, the variety is key, but then they will tell you truly. That's good. Which again, we don't trust ourselves to tell us, I'm a finish your plate kind of guess.
Anton:Yes, me too.
Lauren Mahesri:So kids are just a lot better at stopping when they fall, which is such a insane concept to most adults. So Yeah. Yeah.
Anton:I'm gonna ask you a question that you might not even be able to answer because I don't know if this is in in in your realm. But I have a lot of friends that and myself, that, like, my foster baby, he was just the tiniest little baby no matter how much we gave him How food
Lauren Mahesri:old was he when you guys had him?
Anton:We had him from three or two months to 11.
Lauren Mahesri:Oh, wow. That's an exciting time to have a baby. Wow.
Anton:It was a lot. It was a big time. And that whole time, he really didn't ever put on very much weight. And of course, there's reasons for that. But in general, like, I don't think that his he just wasn't a baby that was gonna be chunky.
Anton:Mhmm. And then there's babies that are very my daughter is very She's cute. And then so there's that dynamic. And then there's the dynamic of like, children. Right?
Anton:I've seen children and I don't have, like a five year old or anybody in that age. But I've seen children that are overweight and I've seen children that seem to be probably underweight or opposed And to then of course, like teenagers, like I when I was 11, I kegged on weight at Collinsville immediately.
Lauren Mahesri:I was a chunky little kid too.
Anton:Yeah. Yeah.
Lauren Mahesri:I was yeah.
Anton:I grew up, and I just got really tall really quick and then all kinda all disappeared. And then I was 30 and I'm just gonna check you through my trauma. I'm gonna check you through my trauma. But my question is, when I asked the question about the kids how much to eat, of course, that's amazing that they do. What do we do in instances when there are, like, kids that are, like, really big?
Anton:Mhmm. And then, like, do they still know, or is there something going on? And then also the babies, the difference between a chunky baby and a skinny baby. Yeah. What's going on there?
Anton:Is that genetic? That's a big question. And I don't know
Lauren Mahesri:if No. Yeah. Yeah. It was the same way. If you, like, saw a picture of my siblings, it was like me and my brother were just chunksters.
Lauren Mahesri:And then my sister looked like a string bean.
Anton:You know?
Lauren Mahesri:And it was like and people used to always say, like, oh, you and your sister look so much alike. And I'm like, sure. Now we do. Now we look very similar. But when we were little, it was like, oh, like what happened to that last one?
Lauren Mahesri:She's so pale and so fat. Yeah, so there truly is nothing to worry about if your kid is larger or smaller at birth, especially if they're on their growth curve. And that's your pediatrician's role is to say even if they're at the that's kind of the misconception with the growth curve is the percent doesn't matter as much as if they stay on that same curve. So if they're at the ninetieth percentile or the tenth percentile, those are both okay. If they drop in the curves, especially more than two lines on the curve.
Lauren Mahesri:That's when it's like failure to thrive. We need to see a dietitian or speech path or something like that. Both of those are great. Chunky babies, little babies. They're totally fine.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. Like But I was saying that kind of like emotional concept of food comfort, I have control does come into play really early for kids. Like I said, for me, that came into play really early. It was like it was almost like an autonomy thing too. Like I remember hiding
Anton:Well, if you have siblings
Lauren Mahesri:Right. Hiding. My thing was always oatmeal cream pies. Those And are so I would hide them and then eat them when everyone went to bed. This was truly not okay.
Lauren Mahesri:I wish, you know, if that behavior now would be, like, diagnosed with something. But it was this period of, like, gluttony, yes, but also, like, I'm doing this by myself. Like, having a meal by myself. I'm, like, so, like, elevated, you know? And it also was just comfort because I can.
Lauren Mahesri:Because you don't have much free will when you're 11. So I think whenever I see kids, if they're below seven, I don't talk to them directly. I usually talk with parent and refine their wording and make sure that what they're saying is, like, on par. Obviously, we'll get to the logistics of, like, what are you what are you actually supposed to feed them? What are you supposed to offer them?
Lauren Mahesri:But then a lot more of it than what the parents usually want is, behavioral and how to speak to them. And then if the kid is over usually seven, it kind of depends on the kid, and I'll let the parent help me with that. But then I'll see them at least once or twice. And usually we're eating a meal together when that's happening, just so the kid is relaxed. Or I'll have them do their homework while they're talking to me, something that makes them a little bit more they're not in front of the camera like that.
Lauren Mahesri:And so we will talk a lot about, like, what did you eat for dinner last night? Who chose that? Did you pick that? So it's a lot more like, why did you choose the things? How did you feel after you ate that thing?
Lauren Mahesri:What did mom or dad say to you about dinner? And it's frustratingly a very slow process with kids because if you go too direct, they know it. It's not helpful. You know, it's kind of like therapy with kids. Like, really one session is so unhelpful.
Lauren Mahesri:And a lot of times, too, the root at what I'm trying to get at with them is, is there another emotion of why you're eating that food? This is the same conversation I would have with myself or 50 year old men at my old job. Is it especially at the end of the day, is it like I'm bored? Is it I'm sad? Is it I'm happy?
Lauren Mahesri:Is it I'm understimulated? Because all day I've been doing something and now I just feel so understimulated. That's a much lengthier conversation with a child. But the goal is to come up with other coping mechanisms besides eating for those emotions. So if I'm understimulated or I'm bored or I don't have a hobby, these sound so simple, but that is truly at the root of most eating.
Lauren Mahesri:That's not because I'm hungry. It's because it's a coping mechanism for something else. And again, with adults, sure, we could have this conversation in five minutes, but implementing it and doing it is really hard because we have so much free will. But with kids, it's just a really long process because you don't want to come out and say that. You want them to kind of like get to that on their own, which is hard.
Anton:Kids, I mean, like kids do play therapy because you can't just talk
Lauren Mahesri:to 100%.
Anton:You need to, like, play and, like, be like, oh, does this doll think? Sure. Then, like, create the you need an inception then. You need put it in their brain and spin the top. If you've seen the movie, you know what I'm talking about.
Lauren Mahesri:Adults, it's so funny, though, because, like, when you see a dietitian as an adult, it's like, great. I want to lose 10 pounds by February or whatever. Like, everything is so, like, objective. With kids, it's so much more subjective. Yeah.
Lauren Mahesri:And that just takes a lot of time for me and parent to every time I see a family, the first thing I talk about is like, what are we even what are we looking for? What is the goal? Because with you and if you were seeing me, the goal would be your labs, your numbers, your this, and that's just not what we're doing here. Yeah. So it just takes forever.
Anton:That is really tough. Like, I remember when my parents would go to the grocery store, I had two younger sisters. They would get, like, strawberries and a bag of I've mentioned Hot Cheetos a lot, but I was
Lauren Mahesri:like because they're important to your family.
Anton:Part of the but I ate a lot of Hot Cheetos and Takis, which I'm not allowed to eat anymore from my wife. We don't we can't keep them at the house. If I ever eat them, it's like at a bachelor trip at a gas station.
Lauren Mahesri:And you go crazy.
Anton:I know?
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. No.
Anton:I I actually don't even really get them anymore unless they're yeah. Anyway, but my mom would get home from the grocery store, and she got unload the groceries. And then my sisters would run and grab the strawberries and tank those things. Mhmm. Eat the whole thing of strawberry.
Anton:And it was like a power thing in our house to, like, be the person that was home at the time that mom got home from groceries to eat the thing that you wanted. Mhmm. Because if you didn't eat it now, your siblings It's scarcity mentality. Yeah. And I don't know if I had a question around that or if I'm just venting.
Lauren Mahesri:That's the main thing. And there's these things in our childhood where you look back and you're like, wow, that was kind of
Anton:And a
Lauren Mahesri:now the thing you can do as a parent, if you're noticing these behaviors is, like, straight up say, like, hey, Anton, like, there will be more of this. Like Next week. You were so loved. Like, there is going to be more. And, like, what else can we do?
Lauren Mahesri:Talk to me about what you feel like is happening right now. I just wish someone would have said it out loud, you know, what I was doing because it felt so didn't even not that I needed to label something as an eating disorder or something like that, But I just wish someone would have been like, you're Okay. Because I think there's a lot of that in kids that just goes unnoticed. Or I'll see parents and asking, I'm noticing that your kid is touching the fork three times every time he's eating. Yeah.
Lauren Mahesri:It's like, Oh yeah, he just does that. And it's like, Well, that is crucial to his eating routine. Let's actually talk about that and talk about out loud, Hey, buddy, why are you doing that? And obviously, you can get professionals on board. Yeah, I just think if you see behaviors in your child, it's okay to have a direct conversation because you know your child, just about those behaviors that could totally snowball into something.
Anton:Kind of pivoting, on the same topic, of course, starting your own practice, doing your own business, that is a lot. It's a huge leap.
Lauren Mahesri:As you know.
Anton:Yeah. Yeah. And how was that? I mean, you didn't take any business classes, I'm assuming, in college. None.
Anton:How how'd you know what to do? And how'd you get where you're at?
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. I kind of didn't I know what to just learned a lot as I went. But, yeah, so I was working at my old job and was applying for new jobs for so long, like just took forever. And that's such a humbling process of like, you know, but with nutrition, there's a lot of avenues you could do. There's like clinicals.
Lauren Mahesri:I was in an outpatient clinic, which means I was just seeing patients 20 fourseven, but not in the hospital. We were in the medical center. It was kind of right next to it. I knew I didn't want to go back into a hospital. Then I didn't really want to do you could do like food service, you could manage like a food service establishment.
Lauren Mahesri:Kind of the thing I wanted to do didn't exist. Or it would be me working for another dietitian, like building up her empire, her thing. And that also I couldn't really find a space for either. And so I am not a very entrepreneurial person. That is not in my family.
Lauren Mahesri:We don't take risks ever. Even when I told my parents, I'm going to start my own practice, they were like
Anton:Just imagine.
Lauren Mahesri:No. My parents are so They love me so much. They're like, Think I'm a star. I'm a true youngest child. You know?
Lauren Mahesri:Mhmm. But then when I told them, I was genuinely shocked that they were like, well, maybe just, like, stay at your old job. You know? Because I always the the thing in your head of when you start your own business is, oh, I was just making so much money that I had to quit my day job. And I would love for that to have been my story.
Anton:It's nobody's
Lauren Mahesri:story, really. But it wasn't. It was not. Yeah, I was just very unhappy at my last job, mostly because I was chucking weight loss all day. That's just not my favorite thing to do.
Lauren Mahesri:That's not why I got into nutrition. And I was just kind of becoming a bad spouse. No one wants to come home and complain about their job all day. And I'm so lucky that my husband is so He's so good at being very comforting when I need comfort and just listening and not hear all your solutions. But then when it gets to a point where it's like, I just want good for you.
Lauren Mahesri:Why don't you just try it? I'd had my blog forever. I started that when I became a dietitian, honestly, just for fun because I didn't get a job in pediatrics like I wanted. I just kind of got whatever came to me because my husband's in medical school. I'm going to take whatever job I can get.
Lauren Mahesri:But I really loved pediatrics. And so I started this blog more as let me learn about pediatrics because I did all these rotations and internships in the NICU and all these children's hospitals. But after that, there's not a lot of knowledge that I had. So my blog in the beginning, it's kind of funny to read the post now. They're honestly research articles.
Lauren Mahesri:It's like, what are questions that I don't know that I should know as a dietitian about pediatrics? Let me do all this research about it and then come up with this research article that no one's reading. Literally no one. No one on Google is finding this. And then as I was developing it a little bit more, I was like, let me make this an actual thing.
Lauren Mahesri:And so I took a course in SEO and really got to redo my whole online presence a little bit. And so people were able to actually find my resources more, which was really it made me say, oh, okay. I guess I could maybe do something like this. Because the stuff I'm making isn't just for, like, my aunt and my mom on Facebook. It's for people, and they're finding it.
Lauren Mahesri:I wasn't making a ton of money off of it, but it was, like, enough to get me excited about it.
Anton:Mhmm.
Lauren Mahesri:And then, yeah, I think I was just kind of, like, forced into, I got to do something else, which I'm so grateful for because I would have never done it if I didn't feel like this was the only option. So I kind of just figured everything out as I went. Lots of asking other friends. My sister-in-law is a lawyer, so she's writing all of my contracts for me. And Connor wrote some for me.
Lauren Mahesri:So lots of friends, lots of messing up, and just kind of going for it. I feel like most people don't talk about, too, the financial security of having a spouse that is going to have a salary is huge. You really can't just jump out on a limb and have no option.
Anton:Yes. 100%.
Lauren Mahesri:I started in last year when that was our only salary though. But we knew that he was going to start residency this year. But I think that's kind of like an unspoken thing that, like, I think people should, like, talk about more. Like, it is, like, such a privilege to, like, like, he will get out of medical school one day and, like, be a doctor. And if this little thing that I'm doing, like, doesn't work out one day, like, that's okay.
Lauren Mahesri:And that's just like a big privilege that not everyone has is to say like our salary will change one day, whether or not mine is my business is successful. And that's made me be able to have a lot of fun with this like Totally. Do whatever I want, which is awesome. But that stability and future stability has been really helpful for sure.
Anton:Tell me a little bit about the SEO class because I have friends that would probably really benefit from something like that.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. So it actually was a class This is so niche, but it was specifically for dietitians who have online presences. I know. And this girl is a superstar. I mean, she it's all mostly for dietitians.
Lauren Mahesri:There are other health care providers. She blogging is a whole different game now because of Google AI and just AI in general. And so it's really not as lucrative as it used to be. I mean, Because Google AI didn't used to exist in anything, you used to be able to write a blog like, how much potassium is in a banana or whatever. And you could literally make ad money from someone clicking on that.
Lauren Mahesri:And now no one's clicking on that. And so now you still can make a bit from saying, Five fiber supplements I would recommend as a pediatric dietitian. You don't want to listen to Google AI for that kind of thing. So you can do more curated recommendations. And that's always fun because you get to just reach so many more people with that.
Lauren Mahesri:So there is still a place for that. But this SEO course was lengthy, and it took you through not only how to show up on Google, but making sure how to be credible, how to look credible for Google, how to make sure that your website is getting backlinks from other stuff. So it would teach you how to get quoted in New York Post and Helpline and all these sort of things. That's really helpful to get your website to show up places, which is nice. And I'm very grateful because the RD credential is still very respected in the food community.
Lauren Mahesri:And so a lot of the times when I would get paid, and even now, a lot of my work now is just working with kids food brands, and I'm not getting paid because of my follower count, which is nothing compared to these mom influencers. I'm getting paid because they value my credential, which is awesome. And that isn't the same for all professions these days. So the SEO is really big if you have some sort of credential. Google actually really listens to that, which is nice.
Lauren Mahesri:So it's just about showing it correctly on your website. Interesting.
Anton:Yeah. I noticed, obviously, do research before I do these, and I went to your Instagram and your website and there's like a brand partnership situation on your Instagram. Yeah. Like all your all links or something like that. Yeah.
Anton:And I was like, I wonder, I was curious what that even looked like for you. But it does sound like you're making money from brands. That's like
Lauren Mahesri:80 I probably make 80% of my income from But yeah, it's so crazy how I mean, just a business model of seeing patients is not ever the business model that I wanted my entire business to run on, especially time for money. My one on one patient interaction is not conducive to a salary that can grow because I only have so much time and bandwidth. And so the brand work is honestly just so fun. And it's really not as much hard work as seeing patients. And it's just really fun.
Lauren Mahesri:And you get to reach so many more people because a lot of what I do is I'll make some of the stuff is on my own Instagram. If brands like care to do that, it kind of is up to them. But a lot of it, most of it, is creating for them. I'll make visual or written content for brands. So if they want to run an ad from a dietitian about their pouches or their whatever it is, then I'll make the content for them.
Lauren Mahesri:It never goes on my page at all. And it'll just be from the brand.
Anton:Do you get tagged or anything?
Lauren Mahesri:Sometimes they'll do what's called white listing, which is where it'll show up as the pediatric dietitian. If you click on my account, it's not actually there. So it's just a more authentic looking way to display an ad basically. But then most of the time, no, they'll just run the ad. A lot of times I'll write for companies, which is really fun.
Lauren Mahesri:So that's like if you Googled best fiber supplement for your kid or how much grams of fiber should my four year old be eating. Because their website has a lot more they call it Google juice. It like shows up on Google more. Then my blog posts that I wrote will show up on their website. But since you're already on that website and something that I recommended in that blog post is from them.
Lauren Mahesri:It's basically like a way for brands to become this resource of information. It's just more ways to get people to come to their website, basically, is to have informative posts and stuff like that. So I'll do some of that for brands, which is fun to just not feel like a Instagram ad all the time. Totally. Can write research articles for brands, basically.
Anton:So that's
Lauren Mahesri:been really
Anton:fun And you're the only one that can do that. I mean, they can't write that because they're
Lauren Mahesri:not Sure. They could. Sometimes they do.
Anton:Sometimes they do.
Lauren Mahesri:Right. But I I've been very, like, refreshed at how kids' nutrition brands, like, actually, like, value dietitians and value, like, nutrition education, which is so cool. Like, obviously, there are some brands that I don't work with, but they'll literally send me a script of like, say this, you know? And it's like I mean, sure, I have morals, and I don't wanna say anything that's nutritionally wrong. But most of the time, I'm like, this is just so cheesy.
Lauren Mahesri:Like, ugh. You know? But then brands like Cerebelli, I love them because they're like, what do you want to teach about? Like, what do you want to do? You know, some of the times it doesn't remotely come back to a pouch, and sometimes it does.
Lauren Mahesri:But like, I think it's just cool that I, like, truly get to just use their huge following
Anton:Mhmm.
Lauren Mahesri:To, like, share nutrition education, which fun. So
Anton:And that's honestly not to piggyback, but a little bit to piggyback. That's what I'm trying to do with this podcast.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. Women
Anton:who are doing really cool things, the microphone, rather than being like, say this about being As a as a girl dad, I want my daughter to see this. I genuinely am like, it'd be it's really most interesting to hear what your authentic experience is because, like, even in the sense of someone looking for nutritional data, the authentic response from a nutritionist who cares research deeply is gonna be much more valuable than something you'd come up with for your brand to make money. Like, Yeah. I mean, and I guess that's the whole reason they're doing it that way.
Lauren Mahesri:But Which I was shocked at. You know? Like
Anton:That's pretty awesome.
Lauren Mahesri:They it's a business at the end of the day. Like, I get it. Like, you have to sell product and Yeah. But, yeah, it's been I'm it makes me excited to, like, have a child and, like, with products that are actually like, they really do care. You know?
Lauren Mahesri:It's not just, like, marketing BS of, like you know?
Anton:That'll be when Drew starts eating solids, I'll be giving you a call every day being like, okay. So which one now? Which one now? Yeah. And and so, like, you do see patients still.
Anton:Right?
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. So that's
Anton:How do you deal with billing? Because I work with doctors who do billing, I'm like, this seems like a nightmare.
Lauren Mahesri:It is. But I don't take insurance, which is yeah.
Anton:Okay. Never agree.
Lauren Mahesri:No. Literally. And I and I totally would if that was 100% of my business model. But I don't see enough patients for that to make sense. And pediatric nutrition, with things like counseling, is it, BetterHelp, you know how they have it's very accessible to get a counselor.
Lauren Mahesri:They're kind of doing the same thing with dietitians There's a couple of different companies where it's like
Anton:Actually, my GLP-one has a nutritionist attached to
Lauren Mahesri:my Yes, like Nourish, and there's a couple other ones. But they haven't so therefore, it's very hard now for people to who have a private practice who see adults to, like, get clients who wanna pay out of pocket. But pediatric nutrition doesn't really do that yet. So it's there is people and it's not like I'm charging an arm and a leg. And it's people who will say, I've had it with these terrible doctors who give me six minutes about my kid, and then I don't know what to do.
Lauren Mahesri:So I think it's definitely worth it to parents, especially because there's not other resources out there.
Anton:So yeah. That's awesome. Tell me something about your life, your story, whether that be work or maybe personal that you're really proud of that you don't feel like it's spotlighted or that people don't recognize about you.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. I can't tell whether to take business or personal. I feel like if I were to answer this honestly, because you know this as a business owner, every month is so different. Obviously, when you've had it for longer, things even out a little bit. And it gets a little bit more not as how's this month going to be?
Lauren Mahesri:But it just feels very worldly in terms of this is going to come and go. I really do love what I do now, but it's not my life. And so I am very proud of my business and like what I do. But I think like really, like what came to mind first, I think I'm just proud of with within my marriage and my relationship with my in laws. Like, that has been something that my husband and I have worked so hard on.
Lauren Mahesri:And I think, like, they that relationship has made my life better in every single way. Like, it you know, my in laws are so wonderful, and we didn't have a great relationship in the beginning because my husband converted to Christianity, and they are still Muslim. And it was just, like, really rocky in the beginning. Like, they almost didn't come to our wedding. They came the day before.
Lauren Mahesri:They were like, Okay, we'll come. And they only came to the reception. Which looking at it now, and my sister-in-law just got married, and seeing the whole wedding process and what that was supposed to have looked like for my mother in law's first.
Anton:I want to go to one
Lauren Mahesri:of those. They're so fun.
Anton:They look awesome.
Lauren Mahesri:They're literally a week and a half.
Anton:Yeah. They look great. I'm jealous.
Lauren Mahesri:Just, like, getting such a deep, like, empathy for her of, like, truly, I'm learning every day what she gave up in order to, like, love me and have me a part of the family. Like, looking back, like, when they just came to our reception, was like, ugh. You know? Like, it was just this, like, my goodness. Like, I wish they were more accepting.
Lauren Mahesri:But it's just, now, like, knowing them and loving them, like, they really, really have come like, they have moved mountains to have me in their family. And that was, like, a lot of work on both of our parts, but I think I'm just, like, proud to be in their family and proud to, like, have worked so hard on that relationship. And, yeah, again, they just, like, make my life so much better. They're so fun, and they're great, and they it's it's cool. Like, in in Pakistani culture, your family is, like, your whole unit.
Lauren Mahesri:Like, they and Camille's sister and her husband and us, like, they see us just as much as, like, family, which can have you know, it's like me and my husband are our own family too.
Anton:That's right.
Lauren Mahesri:But the pros of that are so beautiful. They just see us as if I called my mother-in-law right now and was like, I need you to drive six hours to come change a car tire, she'd be like, cool. On my way. There's just no question about whether they would be there for you. And so I think I am so proud of how far that relationship has come and how much it's changed our lives for sure.
Lauren Mahesri:And it really teaches me about my kids are gonna make decisions one day, you know, and, like, how do I wanna act as a parent? And no one's perfect, but they've definitely, like, been huge, wonderful role models in that.
Anton:That's amazing.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. They're awesome.
Anton:I obviously, I missed out on a lot of that season. I was friends with you guys in high school, but Yeah. I don't think I ever knew when Camille had converted or anything about How was like, that sounds turbulent to go through in a relationship in general. Like, I can't imagine what his experience would be like Yeah. If that would roll over into your relationship, but, like, to change your entire,
Lauren Mahesri:faith system? Everything.
Anton:Yeah. It seems intense.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. It for sure was.
Anton:How was it?
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. So in Islam too, and this sounds kind of bad to say, for Christianity, if you're like, Yeah, I would consider myself a Christian, but not really, you can kind of slide by, like, never thinking about Yeah. In Islam, like, not only are you praying multiple times a day, there are 101 events a month that you have to go to. Like, there are so many things. His parents are in Sri Lanka right now celebrating something.
Lauren Mahesri:Is just
Anton:You have to make a pilgrimage at some point.
Lauren Mahesri:Oh my gosh, Kamal shaved his head in high school. It was really Yeah. And so there's this It is your whole life. Truly, And it's really respectable how much effort they are putting into all of it. So for him, he went to a young life camp in high Yeah.
Lauren Mahesri:He remembers It's funny. He was like, I'm going to go and I'm going to still be Muslim at the end of this. Like, he was doing it almost to, stick it to him that I'm still not gonna be Christian.
Anton:And his best friends.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. All of them.
Anton:We're, like, all Christians. Yeah.
Lauren Mahesri:But I think with what I love about him so much is he really cares to know what is true. And that I think you can't teach or try to get someone to do so many people that are Muslim, Christian, Jewish. Like, they just don't care to know if what they believe in is true. And I think in college, he, like, really started thinking about that. And I was so thankful that that was, like, independent of me.
Lauren Mahesri:I mean, obviously, I was a big influence in his life, but so was again, his entire friend group was Christian. So I think it was just really challenging to mean, because again, in Islam, it's like he memorized most of the Quran. These things are just in you forever. And I think it was also just heartbreaking with his parents.
Anton:I can't imagine.
Lauren Mahesri:He loves his parents. Kemal doesn't love I mean, he loves me, but he loves his dad. He's obsessed with his dad. And I think that was just really hard. Mean, Kamal went when he told his dad that he was a Christian.
Lauren Mahesri:His dad had him drive to Giddings, Texas. They all drove. Camel's dad would bring their imam, who was like the pastor of their like a pastor. And they would, like, debate theology for, a whole semester, like, Saturday.
Anton:That's they get goosebumps. That sounds intense.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. In, like, a Starbucks. Like Yeah. Camel was like, I'm sure everyone was like,
Anton:here's What is going on?
Lauren Mahesri:But I think that just made just the best version of Kamel. Like, it's I'm so lucky that I get to be married to someone who loves Jesus and chose that and always chooses that and has to be in awkward, uncomfortable situations all the time because he loves Jesus, but he's going to still talk about it and do it. I think it's like a fine line between like, I really, my biggest thing is like, I want to be super respectful to Kamal's parents. And obviously we're not going to like, you know, talk at them or talk to people, anything. But I think it's been a long journey, but it's made him much more It's made him love Jesus so much more.
Lauren Mahesri:It's made him a lot more bold in general and bold in his faith, which I think is so awesome in a husband, you know? So he was definitely he was definitely a, like, a a mama's boy, and he still is. He loves his parents so much. But it's so cool, like, getting he gets that relationship back with them now, which has been awesome.
Anton:So That's crazy. Yeah. I as someone that has married I mean, obviously, we're I'm somewhat similar to my wife as far as I'm bringing, but also very Yeah. Different Yeah. Anna's family, like, cotillion's a thing.
Anton:I got yelled at for wearing a hat to the table the first time I met.
Lauren Mahesri:Wow. I mean, there's a Picasso on the wall. I can understand.
Anton:Yeah. And this is not I mean
Lauren Mahesri:Right.
Anton:My house growing up.
Lauren Mahesri:Did you take the hat off?
Anton:I did. Okay. This is the first day I met him, he's like, why are you wearing a hat? And I was like
Lauren Mahesri:And you're like, I don't know. I'm stupid.
Anton:That's why. Threw it on the ground, stomped on it. I'm like, I never cared about this hat. And then, forearm's on the table. You can't do that.
Anton:No public table. Somewhere has to be set up a certain way.
Lauren Mahesri:Right.
Anton:It's very serious. So Anna's dad's mom, Bebe, she was just the most, like, proper woman and the sweetest lady. Yeah. But I found myself, you know, having grown up in the big band, honestly, was kinda like, I grew up in a very different situation. My mom had dogs that were not potty trained that would go to the bathroom in our house.
Anton:Right. You know, like, I had some times with CPS, like, some things happened in my life.
Lauren Mahesri:Right.
Anton:And it was such an intense culture shock for me to try to assimilate to this family. And I was wondering, did you feel similarly in that dating period? Yeah. And then obviously being married, but, like, what is that like? Yeah.
Anton:What was that like?
Lauren Mahesri:I was thinking about this the other day, actually. It's so fun that I think some people are very in group, out group when it comes to something my family does. Kamil's parents could not be more opposite. They love whenever Kamil's mom comes back from Pakistan, there's a whole suitcase of outfits for me. She just loves putting bangles on me.
Lauren Mahesri:They're very open about that. They love that I'm learning the language. So I think it's always this line of, I want to show you that I am so invested in this. And it's so fun getting to learn about Camille's life growing up and stuff like that. I'm so invested, but also making sure that it's like, but this is what I believe in too.
Lauren Mahesri:You know? Like, that's a really difficult line that we're, like, honestly still working through. But, you know, I think it's, like, so fun because now that we have this relationship with them, I always told, like, my sister and my friends, like, I need to just never complain about my in laws because I have them. And I have you know? And, like, I think part of that, like, cultural shift and, like, learning all this stuff, and Camilla will always mess with me.
Lauren Mahesri:If we're at an event and I sit down, he's like, You're not allowed to do that. Make me feel No, it's so bad.
Anton:That is awesome.
Lauren Mahesri:I I'll love It's called salaam. When you greet someone, you touch their their hand and then you kiss their hand. And if I, like, salaam the wrong person, he's
Anton:like Yeah.
Lauren Mahesri:He's, like, making fun of me. And then I'm like, now I'm just this white girl in the red light freaking salaam.
Anton:That's right. That's right.
Anton:Oh, gosh.
Lauren Mahesri:But it's made like when you have something like that, it makes you not complain about the classic stuff that married people complain about, like their in laws or just marital stuff. I think going through something hard together just always makes you
Anton:100%.
Lauren Mahesri:You know, complain about it less. Do you wear hats with your in laws now?
Anton:I don't wear hats.
Lauren Mahesri:Okay. Like, how far have you come?
Anton:Oh, man. So astronomically far.
Lauren Mahesri:Okay. I mean, we're sitting in their house.
Anton:We're sitting in their house. So Let me tell you, I'll be so honest with you. And then we'll we'll I got a couple questions and we'll But wrap when I was dating Anna, you know, a lot of my story the reason I do the job that I've been in sales and do what I do is like, I just needed to prove that I was more than the situation I came from. Was like a desperate need. And so when I was dating Anna, you know, like the first date that we went on, I took her to San Antonio, we went to Riverwalk, we came back and she brought me to her apartment.
Anton:And her apartment had a movie theater in it. And I was like, what the hell? She had like a straight up, you know the Of pillars on
Lauren Mahesri:course.
Anton:You know what I'm talking about?
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah, of course.
Anton:And I was just like, what is this? And throughout my dating experience, I was exposed to more of this, know, take my hat off and always be the person to get up and grab the dishes and watch because I'm the son of the family type thing and leaving everything in a better condition than what I found. Yeah. Like, I were to we're gonna grill today. It's July 4.
Anton:Shout out America. But if I were to leave the grill, like, having char on it and Andrew came back, I would be Yeah. Chastised. Okay. Right?
Anton:And so I, like, take everything with a lot more care. So it was a huge adjustment. And when I asked Anna's dad's permission to marry Oh,
Lauren Mahesri:How was that?
Anton:The first time, I had that twice.
Lauren Mahesri:Okay.
Anton:The first time he Were you
Lauren Mahesri:wearing a hat the first time?
Anton:It was like, take that damn hat off, and then no time again. No. I we went to a restaurant, I asked him, and I told him about all the things that I've overcome in my life. Was like, you know, I came from this situation. Now I'm here.
Anton:You know, financially, we're set up, all that kind stuff. He didn't care about any of that, I don't think. And he said, he asked me to wait a year to ask Wow. A kid and a And so I was devastated. Yeah.
Anton:And I went to a lot of my mentors and friends in my life and asked them, like, what should I do? Like, Anna wanted to be married too. You know, we had some discussions around it. And she said or and they would all say, like, screw them. Like, screw your father-in-law.
Anton:Go get married to Yeah. Your future wife. And I felt like and thought about it and and prayed about it a lot. And I was like, there's no reason for me to mess up this family unit that is incredible for my wife and the support system for her. And there's no reason for me to damage that relationship forever.
Anton:And so, like, I should buckle up and wait a year. And so Wow. I waited an entire year and I was really sad.
Lauren Mahesri:And was Anna just like, what the heck? Yeah. Okay.
Anton:She told me that at one point she was like, if you don't propose to me by the of the summer, I'm gonna propose to you. And I was like, that sounds kind of sick.
Lauren Mahesri:Literally, please.
Anton:Was like, flash mob, let's go. No. But like, also, I had planned out the full engagement that for some reason before, you know? And so I was like, but this comes full circle because that year later, we met and I asked him again and he cried and he was like, I didn't expect you to Yeah. Like, show that kind of reverence.
Anton:You didn't have to. You know, like, I asked you to, but you didn't have to. And now I would say that I am fully fully I'm getting goosebumps, but I'm fully integrated into this family in a way
Lauren Mahesri:that's sweet.
Anton:I am their kid. Like, I'm Yeah. And we're sitting in their house. Yeah. You know?
Anton:And like, this is how it is all summer and we're about to go spend eight weeks with them up in Colorado.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. It's awesome.
Anton:And so I tell that story to say that I resonate with your experience of getting into a family with a different culture and maybe not being accepted at the beginning and going through it and weeping about it because you love somebody and you want to and then ultimately coming to a point of such beautiful mutual respect Yeah. That it's like enriching everybody's lives more. So I wanna applaud you for that because that's incredible.
Lauren Mahesri:No. And I'm sure as a parent now, you're probably, like, have so much more respect even more so for your parents and her parents. Like, you just, like, love this thing you made so much. You know? Like, I think it probably you're prob I mean, do you feel like now having a child, you're like, I'm so glad I
Anton:Yeah.
Lauren Mahesri:Have my in laws in my life in that way.
Anton:Like They're the strongest support system. Yeah. And they love Drew so much, and I don't think I could do it without them. Yeah. What's something that younger Lauren would be shocked about today, about adult Lauren?
Anton:Like, young, I guess, teenage Lauren?
Lauren Mahesri:I mean, I think that I love working. Yeah. I used to think that I was, like, lazy or didn't want it just because it was that same thing of like, I don't really want to go to medical school. Why does everyone else want to do this? And then when I got to my job, even as a dietitian and I was like seeing patients, it's like, I don't like this.
Lauren Mahesri:Like, just always thinking that I was lazy and finally doing something that I really love. And I think there's value in doing something you don't love for a long time. I think you grow better doing that. And not everyone needs to have their dream job. And my dream job is what I'm doing now.
Lauren Mahesri:And it's not like I'm raking it in all the time. But I think I would be shocked to know that I love working and probably won't ever see myself not working in some capacity. Mean, job is very easy to scale down and that kind of thing, but I can't ever see myself not doing this, which I really love. Yeah.
Anton:That's awesome.
Lauren Mahesri:What about you?
Anton:Oh, man. I'd be shocked about everything.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah. That's true. You had a very different
Anton:Yeah. I could have never imagined this life that I live now, which I'm super thankful for. But, yeah, it would have been I would have been so shocked.
Lauren Mahesri:At every element. Yeah. I
Anton:did not have very high aspirations just because I haven't had it modeled for me.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah.
Anton:You know? So
Lauren Mahesri:Look what the Lord did.
Anton:Yeah. Honestly, he changed me. Yeah. Like, I'm a different person a 100%. The last question that I had for you is, of course, this podcast is to give my daughter role models and show her what it means to be ladylike.
Anton:So my question is, is what does it mean to be ladylike in your modern That's
Lauren Mahesri:a wonderful question. Yeah. I think and this is this sounds like it might go, like, one or two ways. I think, like, being really passionate about what you're doing while at the same time having really, really, deep respect for, like, the people that put you in the place to do that, I think, is huge. So what I mean by that?
Lauren Mahesri:Not like a you do what you wanna do all the time, like, throw caution to the wind, but, like, I think it's I feel like I'm finally at this stage in my life as an adult now where I actually feel like an adult because I'm doing something that I'm really passionate about every single day while at the same time having this, like, deep, deep connection to, like, my parents and my husband and my husband's parents, like, these people that, like, I truly couldn't have got there without them. And I think, like, as you're maturing, when you're a teen girl, like, you just kind of don't have either of those things. You, like, don't have a deep reliance on your parents because you're like, I'm gonna do whatever I wanna do. And then you kinda hate your life too. Like, hate what you're doing, you're not passionate about anything.
Lauren Mahesri:And so there's that journey to get there. But I think I'm really grateful that I have, like, that balance of both of those things now, that it's not like I got here because of my hard work. You know, I don't think that's, like, the goal. So I think the balance of those two things
Anton:That's awesome.
Lauren Mahesri:Yeah.
Anton:It's funny. Everybody that's answered that question has said it's a balance of two things.
Lauren Mahesri:Really? That's funny.
Anton:Like
Lauren Mahesri:I can't wait to
Anton:list Yeah. All of Very interesting answers. Most I feel like a lot of people talked about grit and grace. Like, I work really hard, but I also am, like, graceful in my work. Yeah.
Anton:I don't know. But it it's maybe it's a universal experience Yeah. For women. I don't know. Yeah.
Anton:Yeah.
Lauren Mahesri:I think it's like
Anton:It's hard to be So no. No. No. But I I'm
Lauren Mahesri:surprised having this podcast. Like, you could get into that water so easily, and you never that's so great that you're like, you even said one thing today that's like, this is probably your experience, isn't it? You know? Like, that's and that's hard to do as a human, as me. And, you know, like
Anton:Yeah.
Lauren Mahesri:Just talking to women all the time on this podcast, like
Anton:Yeah.
Lauren Mahesri:That's great. You know? Definitely. Very good at it.
Anton:Wanna assume because if I assume it makes an ass out of you and me. You know what I mean?
Lauren Mahesri:Right. That's human. That's not like men to women. You know?
Anton:Like No. Totally. Yeah. Totally.
Lauren Mahesri:But more men to women.
Anton:I think a little bit. I was gonna say, but I was like
Lauren Mahesri:It's gender slightly. But
Anton:It definitely is. Well, thank you for being on the podcast.
Lauren Mahesri:Of course. It was
Anton:so fun. Tell that camera Lovely. And maybe that probably just that camera. Okay. Ready.
Anton:Where they can find you, how they can get with you, whether it be brands or people.
Lauren Mahesri:Yes. So I have a blog. It's just called The Pediatric Dietitian with dashes in between. And that's where you can if you wanna become a patient, if you want resources. They're all on my website.
Lauren Mahesri:And then my Instagram is just the pediatric dietitian as well. And that's just even more resources. I'm pretty good these days about answering DMs and stuff like that. So a lot of the times my patients are just people that ask me a million questions and then they're like, you know what? I'll actually see you.
Lauren Mahesri:So yeah, just any pediatric nutrition questions. I'm open. Yes. Yay.
Anton:Hey, y'all. Thank you again for watching Ladylike and tuning into this episode. Follow us at ladylike underscore pod on Instagram and TikTok. Also, if you know anybody that we should highlight on this podcast, any incredible women that you feel like would be a great story for my daughter to hear, hit me up on Instagram, DM me, and let me know, and I am more than willing to set up a time to chat with them. Also, if you have any suggestions for the podcast, if you're watching this and thinking, wow, he could really improve at this or has he thought of this?
Anton:Please tell me. I'm learning and growing. I really didn't go into this with a ton of experience, and so I'm so happy to hear feedback and grow from it. Lastly, next week is gonna be Cortlandt Byragen with Love Lily Flowers. We are going to make a bridal bouquet together on YouTube.
Anton:I think that episode drops on July 25. And then the actual episode for the podcast is on July 30. Anyway, thank you guys again so much for listening, and we will see you soon.