Shelley Loving’s passion lies in helping others cook and eat a little healthier without dieting or having massive restrictions. After her husband’s heart attack, she decided to take ownership of their health by cleaning up what they were eating. After two nutrition schools and culinary school, she now teaches others what she applied to her own life. Eating healthy doesn’t have to be complicated, time-consuming, or boring. And Shelley is on a mission to teach you how to do it in a way that will leave you feeling great. Her certifications include Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Certified Culinary Nutrition Expert, and Certified Professional Cook.
What kind of chef would you classify yourself as?
A healthy one. I am not the chef that owns a catering service or works at a restaurant. I am the one that teaches the everyday home cook how to apply healthy habits and use healthier ingredients in their own kitchen. It’s one thing to “tell” others what they should be eating. It’s a whole other thing to actually SHOW them how to apply it.
Tell us something about your book ‘What’s On Your Fork’ that no one knows about?
Creating and perfecting the recipes was only about 25% of the process. The backend part of writing a book is where all the work lies. Although I self-published the book, I hired a book mentor to walk me through the entire process. This part of the process took 9 months. It was countless hours on zoom, setting up the backend on countless sites, endless editing, validating picture quality, making it legal, and the list goes on. I had completed the recipes by April of 2022. The book wasn’t released until October of 2022. That shows you how much backend work is required to write a book. I learned so much and also…I need a nap.
Your followers are ready to support you full force! What do you admire most about them?
My followers are everything. They ARE the center of my business. They support me. Inspire me. And they tell me what they want. I can’t do any of this without them. I admire how supportive they are. If I ask for feedback, there they are. If I am starting an online class, they sign up. If I sell a cookbook, they buy it! They keep me going and give me the fuel to keep serving!
Do you create for yourself or for your fans?
100% for them. I didn’t create Shelley Can Help for me to help myself. I want to serve and support others on their healthy eating journey. I want to watch those lightbulbs turn on inside others. This career brings me so much joy because I actually feel like I’m making a teenie-tiny difference out there.
Has your cooking evolved since the beginning of your career?
Oh-so-much! I rely less on others’ recipes. I did deep on the knowledge I gained in 3 schools and really just listened to myself in the kitchen (and sometimes pulled out my school material). Just last night, I was about to cook dinner (with no plan). I knew what I needed to use up in the fridge and I created a beautiful dish full of nutrients and flavor. It was hubby approved so that’s a win in my book. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to do that 3 years ago. For some, it comes naturally. But for me, it was a skill I had to learn and practice over and over again.
When was that first moment when you realized that cooking was going to pay off for you?
During school at The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. I began cooking what I was learning and it just felt right. When I started applying anti-inflammatory cooking into my kitchen routine, I felt I had purpose again. I truly felt I was contributing to life again. I was a little down and depressed at the beginning of this journey. I knew quickly I needed to share this knowledge with more people. And I knew cooking was my sweet spot to do that.
Releasing this book must mean the world to you! What has been the biggest reward from this project?
My recipes are now in other homes. Just yesterday, the book started to arrive at peoples’ homes and they are sending me proud photos of MY book…in THEIR kitchens. THAT is the biggest reward I can receive. To know other people will have my healthy and delicious recipes in their own kitchen for years to come is the biggest reward of all.
What is your biggest lesson learned from the project?
Imposter syndrome can really hold you back and cause ridiculous amounts of fear. The debilitating kind. I’m 46 years old and never remember ever having symptoms of anxiety. I now know what that feels like and it is terrible. I had such a hard time controlling the negative thoughts in my head. What if I only sell 20 copies? What if they don’t like the recipes? What if what if what if??? I have learned to never stop believing in my gut feelings. Never stop trusting myself. Doubt gets me nowhere. Doubt causes physical pain for me and why in the world would I want that? Trusting in myself is the path from here on.
Creating your vision come true, please share what it really took to make this happen. We’re so invested in what you’re doing!
I just never gave up. The day I hired my book mentor was the biggest decision in my career. I had put a sharpie marker on October 7th. I committed financially and contractually. There was no turning back and it took that step for me to take my leap. This project took patience. Patience from me and from my husband. He may not see it that way, but there was so much energy from me around this book and there he was. Just supporting me all the way. He tried countless recipes (mostly good, some really bad). He even took a couple pictures for me. So this project was created by me, but it took me signing a contract AND having my husband in the background supporting me all the way.
All your links please!
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/shelleycanhelp
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/shelleycanhelp
PINTEREST: www.pinterest.com/shelleycanhelp
YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjcMnhFYxjG3SNDk1fEPtDA
LINKED IN: www.linkedin.com/in/shelleycanhelp
TIK TOK: www.tiktok.com/@shelleycanhelp
Cookbook on Amazon: https://a.co/d/7SQKjMv
End of Interview