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Meet the nono Founders

Superfood Pasta By Rachel Katz & Tal Bar

We are Rachel and Tal — nono's founders, best friends and passionate New Yorkers. On the road to create our company we’ve said so many “no’s”, the name “nono” was a given. In relationships, in our careers, and in our healing journeys, every time we’ve said “no” it made room for “yes”. Like yin and yang, it’s the happy balance we strive for in every part of life.

 

Nutrition became an essential piece in our healing journey as we both faced autoimmune conditions. During quarantine, with the growing demand for healthy home-cooked meals and immune-boosting foods, we were inspired to create pasta infused with superfoods and adaptogen that is both healthy and tasty.

 

Our pasta was born out of love — we’ve poured every ounce of passion into it. We personally and carefully curate each of our clean, high-quality ingredients.

 

Nono's path wasn’t straightforward. We’ve had to learn and adapt every step of the way. But through it all, we remain rooted in our values and united in our friendship.

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After all, happy people eat pasta, so we are here to make happy happen.

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Xo —
Tal +  Rachel 

©
Meet the Founders
Tal's Story

Connecting the dots

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TAL BAR

Co-Founder

No one knows your body better than you. Healing starts with YOU.

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In retrospect, I was a fragile kid. Chronically sick with sinus infections and bronchitis, I was a regular at the doctor's office. I was given dose after dose of antibiotics. As an adult I developed migraines and eczema, which brought new medications. It was a vicious cycle that wreaked havoc on my stomach.
 
Despite all that, as a lifelong conscious vegetarian, I was proud of my “healthy” lifestyle – my salads and morning kale juices – completely clueless to the toll of the drugs on my gut health, the additives in my food and the pesticides in my green-juices. I thought my illnesses were just poor genetics or perhaps bad luck. 
 
But then, in 2017 I was diagnosed with Hashimoto, an autoimmune disease. My hair was falling out, I always felt cold, constantly tired, and had major brain fog. I didn't feel like myself, I was depressed, anxious, and on top of it gained an “unexplained” 25 pounds. The doctors’ offered antidepressants, and suggested to eat less, and exercise more...adding food anxiety to the list of stressors. I was told there is no cure.   
 
That was one “no” I just couldn't accept. 
 
Desperate but determined, I immersed myself in the Functional Medicine approach of understanding the root cause of illness.  
 
I started to connect the dots. 

I realized that all along my body was trying to speak up… saying no to all the chemicals, pesticides, the gluten, the dairy. 
 
Nutrition became an essential piece in my healing journey. I traveled to Ayurveda Centers around the world and experienced the healing power of real-clean-food and the wisdom of herbs and adaptogens. By making consistent small changes, I felt the big impact it made on my health. The eczema and migraines were gone; I lost the weight; I felt energetic and enthusiastic. I finally felt like myself again. 
 
I became a certified Integrative Nutrition Coach with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN), where I learned about over one hundred dietary theories and holistic-preventive lifestyle practices. It was then that I had to act on my desire to inspire others through functional food, one bite at a time.  

Transforming pain into power 

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RACHEL KATZ

Co-Founder

Food is love. Food is family. Food is medicine. 

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17 years ago, after I gave birth to my baby girl, my wrists were on fire. My doctor told me the nonstop pain was from too much computer work and holding the baby. He recommended surgery on both hands. The recovery was brutal; I was not prepared for it. 
 
No one ever said “inflammation” or mentioned anything about the impact of food on my health.
 
Then eight years later I started getting knee pain… to the point where it was hard to walk. I was diagnosed with early arthritis and told I’d need to get cortisone shots. 
 
I just couldn’t stomach it. I knew there had to be a better way to heal.
 
I started searching and found a nutritionist who changed my life. She had me eliminate the usual inflammatory suspects, including gluten.  Within a month I was pain free! 
 
I also began adding anti-inflammatory superfoods and adaptogens to my routine. My body started to feel balanced and healthy. It felt miraculous! 

But I adore pasta and was craving those satisfying carbs. The gluten-free options on the shelf were a let-down. As a mom and wife, it was such a hassle to cook for my family and have to prepare my own separate meals (my husband and daughter wouldn’t touch anything “gluten -free” with a ten-foot pole!).

My quest for healthier, easier meal times sparked my desire to create pasta for everyone to share. And our nonoPASTA™ is so incredible, if we didn’t mention it, you wouldn’t know it’s gluten free! 
Rachel's Story
Mission

OUR MISSION

to create lasting happiness from the inside out

Because self-love and self-care starts with valuing what’s real and what’s good for you. We vow to bring quality to the everyday so each moment can be special.

OUR VALUES

nothing can go straight and true without solid roots

These are the values that support us. In relationships, at work, with our health — they stand at the core of everything we do.

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ENJOY
Delight in simple pleasures… the moments that fill you up. Share good food with people you love. Be a part of a community. Spend time in nature. Breathe. Dance. Smile, just because. You won’t regret a life that you enjoy.
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THRIVE
Real food is medicine. Use clean “fuel” and your body will do the healing. Prevention is true healthcare. Respect your body. Respect the environment. Tap into Mother Nature’s wisdom and thrive. 
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SHARE
Share your knowledge, your pain, your successes, your whole self.  Small individual contributions turn into big collective change. The happiest people are not those who get more, but those who give more. We’re in this together.
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LOVE
Love yourself first. Only then can you truly love others. When you do, you become your best self. Love is infectious and has the greatest healing power.
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DREAM
Sleep isn’t a waste of time. It’s the big reset-time for your body to repair, improve concentration, productivity, and immunity. Get your zzz’s so you wake up refreshed and ready to chase your dreams.
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RISE
Let your inner voice guide you. Be honest. Take a stand for what’s important. Believe in yourself and what you do.  Follow your heart to get on the path to true happiness. Because only when you’re true to yourself, can you rise.
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