For mother Shan Cooper, being healthy and keeping her family healthy is a serious priority. She took matters into her hands and placed her daughter Grace on a strict Paleo diet since she was born. Cooper, the creator of the very popular My Food Religion blog, describes herself on her website, saying, “I am not vegan, vegetarian, paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, fat-free, carb-free or any other food “denomination” in its entirety. I take what I like from different food approaches and recipes and adapt it to suit what makes me feel good.”
Like mother like daughter, Shan’s daughter Grace has been on the same diet since birth. Shan discussed her daughter’s food regime with The Daily Mail and said: “She spends a lot of time around other kids who are sick all the time – who have snotty noses, coughs, colds – but she just doesn’t pick it up.” Cooper also added: “I absolutely think a nutrient-dense diet is giving her a strong immune system.”
Cooper even wrote on her website: “I have a background in science and animal health & have done a wellness coaching course. I have done my Certificate IV in Fitness, taught boxing classes, and the occasional boot camp.” She clarified that even though her diet and nutrition website is used to promote healthy habits, she explained that: “The information presented on myfoodreligion.com along with Facebook, Pinterest, and other social sites is for educational and informational purposes only. None of the information presented on myfoodreligion.com is intended to treat, diagnose or treat any medical or nutritional illness.”
In her statement for the Daily Mail, Cooper explained that she is strict with her daughter’s Paleo diet but certainly not assertive.
Cooper explained, “If she eats a piece of bread I’m not going to have a conniption. She’s going to go to kids’ parties and eat what’s there. I’m never going to go to Grace, “You can’t eat anything at this party – but I packed you some kale, here you go.”
On her Instagram profile (@myfoodreligion), Cooper calls her daughter “Saving Grace.” It is evident from this photograph that the health of her daughter is this mother’s primary goal.
Grace, who has grown into a flourishing young girl, is pictured here as a baby on Shan’s Instagram as she prepares to taste a delicious yogurt parfait. She writes on her website, “I have a huge passion for gut health & cannot get ENOUGH of learning all about the gut microbiome and how it affects so many aspects of our body!”
This one recipe is one of many shared on Shan Cooper’s website and Instagram account MyFoodReligion is this dish, described as “Figs roasted in truffle honey & pink muesli.” We have to admit it looks so tasty.
The New York Times published an article on research that included 11 studies where Dr. Elsie M. Taveras, chief of general pediatrics at MassGeneral Hospital for Children in Boston, pointed out that introducing your children to healthy food practices from an early age is a beautiful way to ensure they are long-lasting. Dr. Taveras explained: “Our early taste preferences, particularly for fruits and vegetables, and on the flip side for sugary beverages, are lasting.”
Shan Cooper seems well acquainted and aware of this fact, so she’s planting healthy habits into her daughter Grace from an early age.
