Stop Overthinking It

In my 6 years of helping people with their food choices, I am seeing a very common misconception. I’d like to sum it up in two words. OVERTHINKING IT.

My approach is very different than most health coaches, dietitians, influencers, and of course doctors. And let me be clear. I do NOT think I am better than any of them. I want to put a hard focus on the word different when I describe my approach to helping others. 

Back in 2014, after my husband’s heart attack, I was online searching for “heart-healthy diets” and “healthy meals” or “foods you shouldn’t eat”. You name it. I typed it into google. I began to do more and more research. The more I did, the more confusing and contradictory it became. 

I ended up at the American Heart Association’s website where they had suggested recipes to make. I would only assume they were “heart healthy” but I was finding a lot of red meat recipes, and almost every single recipe had cheese in it. It was confusing. If those foods cause inflammation, why in the world are they suggesting these recipes for supporting healthy hearts? 

Here is when I decided to take matters into my own hands. I wanted a holistic approach to healing him. He didn’t want to be on 7 prescription drugs for the rest of his life, and I knew we were in this for the long haul. I knew we had to make some permanent changes. Sustainable ones if we were serious about healing. 

Fast forward to 2017. I went to The Institute for Integrative Nutrition and as I was applying what I was learning to our lives. I saw it working. I began to watch both of us heal. Every week, as I soaked in a new lesson, I had one ah-ha moment after another ah-ha moment. The dots were connecting. Here is what I kept saying to myself in disbelief, “what I put into my body are the tools I give my body in order for it to do its job”. 

Let me break that down for you. Your body wants to work for you. It wants to digest food. It wants to keep your blood flowing. It wants to fight off disease. It’s designed to keep you healthy and strong. BUT…it needs the proper tools to do those things. 

Good in = Good results

Crap in = Crap results

Everyone’s body is different and their chemical makeup is different as well. So, how your body reacts to your lifestyle is going to be very different than mine. 

When I made the decision to start Shelley Can Help, I knew I wanted to help people in a way that helped my husband. 

Not Enough Dietary Professionals

There aren’t enough professionals out there supporting the people. There aren’t enough advocates out there wearing the shoes of their clients and saying “I know it’s hard. I know it will take work. But I’m with you and I want to show you how I did it in a way that is sustainable for a lifetime of healthier living."

People usually come to me when they are super frustrated and have tried 100 diets or methods in an attempt to get healthier, lose weight, etc. And when they come to me, they're in the thick of the OVERTHINKING phase. 

Common Diet Questions

Can I have sugar? Does fruit has too much sugar? But it has too many calories! I can’t eat broccoli because of the carbs. I drink diet coke because they told me not to drink sugary drinks. How much protein should I have? I don’t use salt in my food. Does keto work? Should I be fasting? 

These questions loom in millions of brains across this country today. It’s overwhelming. I wanted a place for people to begin a journey where they can literally hit the reset button and just begin with some VERY basic concepts. Concepts my husband and I still use 8 years later. 

Very rarely will you hear me talking super sciencey. It was over my head and I have a feeling it’s that way for most everyday cooks. Everyday cooks are people like you and me. People who are just trying to get a meal on the table for themselves and maybe their family. 

I wanted to create a business for YOU. I want to offer a simple approach to making changes in your diet. I want to inspire you by showing you how to do it. Not just telling you. That’s why you can find hundreds of videos online with me in my kitchen…doing the work. I am rolling up my sleeves to show you it can be done in a way that isn’t complicated. You CAN do this too. 

Let’s erase all the complications of healthy eating and just try some stuff. Add some fresh vegetables to your next recipe. Learn how to use oils so they give you nutrients. Let’s chat about what ingredients you shouldn’t be using that may be causing you harm. 

These are the topics I teach. These are the steps and actions I want YOU to take in your own kitchen. But if I am not showing you the HOW... then where is the motivation to try it? And even more than that… will you keep doing it? 

Stop Overthinking

I encourage you today to stop OVERTHINKING when it comes to eating and cooking healthier. Hit that reset button. Erase all those complicated thoughts that are swimming in your head. Let it go. Release it. Take a deep breath and let me SHOW you how to begin. 

Now..how does that feel? Give the burden to me and let me inspire you. I will show you the basic first steps. I will motivate you to try new things in your kitchen and create new habits WITHOUT overthinking. 

If I am speaking to you whether you are brand new to my blog or if you know you need yet another reset, I have a very helpful free resource to get your engine started again. 

You can snag it by clicking here.

No matter where you are on your journey with healthier eating and cooking, I encourage you today to avoid the OVERTHINKING phase. When you get in your head too much about food, just let it go and hit the reset button. Every day is a perfect time to start again. Show yourself grace, follow me on your favorite social media platform, and know I’m behind you, supporting you all the way.

Xoxo,

Author of What's on Your Fork?! ...easy healthy meals for everybody