As a wellness and health coach, Shannon Cooper made a conscious decision to raise her child in a way that other parents might find strange. The truth is that babies don’t come with guidebooks, so a lot is left to parental discretion. This let Shannon make the drastic choice to never feed her newborn girl, Grace, a single ounce of sugar or carbs. Now that’s a diet!

Of course, the media went ablaze in their reaction to this decision, including medical experts weighing in. Some thought it was a great idea, and others were more critical. However, since Shannon is a great mom with a keen eye for healthy living, her observations of Grace were a great retort to all the critics. Keep reading to find out just what we saw in Grace as she grew up.

1. You Are What You Eat

There may still be some wisdom in the old adage, ‘you are what you eat.’ For Shannon Cooper of Brisbane, Australia, these are words to live by. She’s spent her entire career figuring out how different foods affect human physiology.

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According to her, food can either be great fuel or toxic poison. And she practices exactly what she preaches. This led her to make the crazy decision to carefully dictate what her child eats, and some would find this decision to be outright appalling.

2. You Are What You Ate

You may have heard ‘you are what you eat,’ but have you ever heard someone say, ‘you are what you ate’? This is another adage that Shannon has taken to heart. She says that our well-being isn’t only a result of what we eat.

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She also believes that the diets of the animals from which our meat comes from also affects our health. For instance, eggs that come from free range hens may contain up to 19 times more Omega 3 fatty acids than similar eggs from hens that live in cages. Meat and milk that comes from free range cattle is similarly more nutritious. Because of this, Shannon decided to put this theory through some serious testing.

3. An Incredible Choice

Shannon is very well versed when it comes to living and eating healthfully. She was interested in this subject from a very young age, and so she went to school for agricultural science, a segment of biology that deals with how we grow and treat plants that end up on our dinner tables.

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Just like any new mom, Shannon had a lot of decisions to make when she welcomed little Grace into the world. It’s no surprise that Shannon wanted her baby girl to be as healthy as can be, and this led her to making an incredible choice.

4. A Professional

As Shannon is a professional health and wellness coach, she’s very knowledgeable in this area of expertise. Let’s just say that she knows her food. She’s built her entire adult life out of understanding the human body and how it is affected by the things that we put inside of it.

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That’s why it’s only natural that, once Shannon Cooper made the decision to begin her own family, she would want to play a big role in her family’s health. She knew that she could make a huge difference in Grace’s life by feeding her a healthy diet. But even she couldn’t have predicted just how much of a difference it would make…

5. Obsessed with Health

Even in addition to being a health and wellness coach, Ms. Cooper was also a brand new mom. Since she was so obsessed with health and had already cut sugar, carbs, and preservatives from her own meals, nobody was surprised when Shannon proved to be anything but an ordinary mother.

Grace would never eat the same junk that other kids love. Shannon decided that she would be very strict when it came to her daughter’s meals. She even put her kid on a one-of-a-kind diet.

6. Going Paleo

Most people may decide to go on a diet for weight issues, but this was not the case for baby Grace. Shannon had already been on the Paleo diet for most of her adult life, so, once Grace was born as an average sized baby, she was destined to go Paleo as well.

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Shannon, a self-proclaimed “gut health enthusiast,” was certainly not going to feed her daughter processed or preserved garbage. She was determined to give her daughter nutritious and natural options to help her grow into a happy and healthy young woman.

7. A Paleolithic Diet

This special type of diet, which is known also as the caveman diet or the stone-age diet, prescribes a strict diet of only foods that would have been available to paleolithic hunter-gatherers of the olden days. This means that adherents can eat a lot of meat, fish, fruits, and fresh vegetables.

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In 2010, Shannon decided to adopt this unusual diet and, as she claims, her life was never the same. She switched over to eating only natural, unprocessed foods. For Shannon, the diet became a way of life, but we’re still left wondering: how did this lifestyle play out for such a small child?

8. Health Problems

In her youth, Shannon had some health problems. For many years, she had food allergies and always felt like the foods that she was consuming just made her feel bad. It was as if the food was toxic instead of nourishing.

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Eating a normal, Australian diet made Shannon feel sick—certainly not what we want from the food we eat. To give her more energy and to make her feel better, she started looking for alternative ways of eating. And yet, something that works for one person may not work for someone else.

9. Goodbye, Sugar!

For Shannon, the Paleo diet was a miracle. She was healthier, more energetic, and felt an overall improvement in her quality of life. She said goodbye to sugar, preservatives, carbs, processed food, and artificial additives. In addition to these, she also sacrificed dairy products, grains, and legumes.

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“I just got sick of not feeling great,” explained Shannon in an interview with the Daily Mail. “That had become my normal, and [I decided] that it wasn’t going to be normal anymore.” But we have to wonder what the experts think of this rigid diet.

10. Expert Opinions

Medical experts say that there are advantages and disadvantages to the Paleo diet. The basic tenets of the diet is that it emulates what our ancient ancestors would have eaten, and many doctors agree that they ate an overall healthier diet than modern humans.

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On average, our ancestors ate around three times as many fruits and vegetables as an average American. Because of this, their diets were higher in proteins, fiber, Omega 3s, vitamins, and minerals. They also consumed a good deal less salt and saturated fats. Though this may have been a healthy lifestyle for cavemen of the past, Shannon was about to figure out if this was a good thing for a baby in today’s world.

11. The Disadvantages

Now that you’ve heard about how enthusiastic Shannon, a health expert, is about this interesting diet, you’re probably wondering what the drawbacks of going Paleo are. Well, adherents to this diet often overlook the fact that our caveman ancestors weren’t exactly picture-perfect models for good health.

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These Paleolithic people were affected by many harmful conditions, including parasites, diseases, and complications like a hardening of the arteries. Everyone agrees that eating too many processed foods is detrimental to one’s health, but, remember, the Paleo diet also forbids grains, legumes, and dairy. So, what happened to Shannon Cooper and her daughter?

12. On The Right Track

Even though some doctors disagree about the merits of the Paleo diet, Shannon was on the right track. She felt awesome and super energetic. Because she knew the benefits, she decided that her own daughter would reap them as well.

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Still, she had to wonder: would the Paleo diet be appropriate for a growing girl? Is there any research about raising kids on this diet? Keep reading to find out what Shannon’s doctors would conclude about her shocking choice.

13. Be Careful

To find out the truth, Shannon went to talk to her local doctor about whether her favorite diet would be a good decision for her newborn baby. However, since little is known about the effects of the diet on children, the doctor couldn’t say for certain and left her with a word of caution.

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Nonetheless, Shannon knew in her heart that the Paleo diet would be right for her child. However, she had to make one vital exception to the stringent diet, something that her daughter absolutely needed if she would grow into a healthy child.

14. An Exception to the Rule

Although she would still be on most of the tenets of the Paleo diet, there was one exception to the rule that she would allow: breast milk. Technically, dairy is not allowed in a Paleo diet, but it also seems unlikely that our cavewomen ancestors didn’t breastfeed their children. At least for a little while, Grace would be breastfed.

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Especially considering that babies can’t chew up raw veggies and meat, Shannon really didn’t have too many other options. Though you may think that this is incredibly obvious, the truth is that there are some parents who put their children on Paleo diets and still forbid them from drinking breast milk. Now that she had this out of the way, she needed to get all the info from her doctor about any other risks that Grace may be susceptible to. Could she handle it?

15. DIY

In fact, there are plenty of DIY infant formulas that other Paleos have invented for their kids. However, many experts say that some may not actually be safe for children. There was one nutritionist who even commented on one DIY formula invented by celebrity chef Pete Evans, saying that it may “cause permanent damage and possibly result in death.”

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The good news is that chef Evans did change his recipe before publishing the book so that it wouldn’t be called formula or safe for children. The recipe had a large amount of nutrients that infants simply can’t handle.

16. Baby Food

After weaning them off breast milk, most parents begin feeding their kids the processed baby food that comes in glass jars. Yet there was no way Shannon was going to feed little Gracie mashed peas in a jar. Rather, Shannon decided that she would make all of Grace’s food from scratch.

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Shannon never even considered the possibility of feeding Grace any processed mush out of a jar. Her daughter would get all of her nutrition from natural foods that she prepared by hand. Now, it’s not uncommon for parents to prepare homemade food for their babies, but how would Grace take to Shannon’s Paleo food stuff?

17. The Paleo Child

Shannon cooked food for her Paleo child according to the guidelines set out by the diet. Yet, even before it came to that, she was already trying to feed Grace healthy foods, like little plates of vegetables and pieces of organic chicken.

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All of her food was always void of unnatural processed ingredients, sugars, or preservatives. This meant it was much healthier than the canned options available at the store. Yet Shannon was blown away when she found out the amazing effect that this diet would have on her baby girl.

18. Not a Ordinary Child

To share their story with the world, Shannon often uploaded pictures of her kid and her meals on Instagram. In one, we can see Grace happily munching away at a broccoli floret, something that many other kids would turn their nose up at.

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Grace was certainly not a normal child, as, by the time she was a little over a year old, she was eating healthier meals than most adults do. But still people questioned if Grace was getting all of the nutrients that she needed. And what would happen in the long term?

19. No Sugar Allowed

At a very young age, Grace loved yummy treats like sauerkraut, quinoa porridge, and chia pudding. Most little ones would never think to eat stuff like this, but Grace loved it. Yet, even more shocking is all of the things that had never so much as passed her lips.

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In her entire life, Grace has never had candy, cake, or any other sugar or carbs. You may be wondering what Grace has to say about this. Well, according to Shannon, “she loves it.” And this story is far from over.

20. The Outcome

By Shannon’s report, the outcome of the diet has been stunning. She says that Grace has only ever been sick once, and, at that, it was just a little cold. Most kids fall ill on a regular basis, so this is really pretty awesome.

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“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,” Shannon reported to the Daily Mail. By her reckoning, Grace’s health and hearty immune system are a direct result of the Paleo diet.

21. Her Healthy Immune System

Some may say that Shannon Cooper is an overprotective, helicopter parent who is trying to protect her kid from illness, but that’s far from the truth. She commented, “it’s certainly not because I’m not shielding her from any of that stuff.”

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“I absolutely think a nutrient-dense diet is giving her a strong immune system,” Shannon concluded. This loving mother cares so much about the benefits of the Paleo diet that she has written numerous cookbooks to share her passion for healthy eating with others.

22. An Eclectic Diet

She may sound uptight, but Shannon isn’t that strict in reality. She says that she’s not “vegan, vegetarian, paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, fat-free, or any other food ‘denomination’ in its entirety.” She claims that she takes a bit from this and a bit from that to construct a diet that works best for her and her family.

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She explained, “I take what I like from different food approaches and recipes and adapt it to suit what makes me feel good.” Some may tremble in fear at the thought of keeping a child on such a strict diet for a long time, but Shannon is intent on making that a reality. The only question that remained is what Shannon would do if Grace broke the diet, like if she was tempted by some cake at a friend’s birthday party.

23. Realizing The Truth

Although Shannon prescribes strict rules to Grace’s diet, she realizes the truth that Grace will inevitably try other foods occasionally. This doesn’t bother her. She knows that Grace will even eat some sugary treats from time to time.

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“If she eats a piece of bread, I’m not going to have a conniption. I’m not going to not let her go to kids’ parties. She’s going to go to kids’ parties and eat what’s there,” said Shannon. Still, it seemed like Shannon may have overlooked a few things. And, what’s more, how would Shannon feel once Grace got old enough to decide for herself what she would eat?

24. A Healthy and Happy Girl

Shannon says that she’s raising and educating Grace with a lifestyle that helps her to be a healthy happy girl. But, once she ages a bit, mom plans on letting Grace decide for herself what she’ll eat.

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Shannon admits that she foresees a scenario when Grace comes home from a friend’s party feeling sick after eating too much cake or other sweets. She says that it will be a learning experience, and that it will probably convince her daughter to think twice next time. As with any decision, we need to learn to deal with the repercussions. And Shannon sure would have to face that one day.

25. Critical Review

Though Shannon is resolved to stand behind her parenting decisions, social media hasn’t always been too generous. Many people were appalled to see such a little kid put on a such a strict diet.

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Some people may have had good things to say, but most of the feedback was quite critical of Shannon’s decision to put her little girl on the Paleo diet. This feedback was confusing to Shannon, but it was all for a reason.

26. A Bit Confused

Shannon just couldn’t get why many parents are fine with feeding their kids fast food and other junk food, and yet they condemn her for giving her daughter healthy food. All these negative comments made Shannon a bit confused.

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“If you want to feed your kid one of the most nutrient-void pieces of [nonsense] ever, knock your socks off. [But] people think that it’s offensive to eat a plate of vegetables [over] a piece of bread. That’s bizarre,” responded Shannon. Still, there was no way that Shannon could be ready for the ensuing social media storm looming on the horizon.

27. The Social Media Storm

The story of Grace’s special diet caused a huge social media storm. Once the word got out, people from all over the world wanted to share their opinions on Shannon’s parenting skills. There were even some professionals who weighed in on the kid’s diet.

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A dietician named Dr. Rosemary Stanton felt obliged to speak out and warn other parents about the potential dangers of putting their kids on these fad diets. She wrote, “It’s not usually a good idea to put a child on such a restricted diet, particularly when there are no valid grounds for it.” She also said that Shannon should consider adding some grains and legumes to Grace’s diet, particularly healthy ones like alfalfa and garbanzo beans.

28. It’s Not That Weird

Still, Shannon took all of this advice in stride. She thinks that Grace is as healthy as could be and knows that she loves all her yummy foods. She says that her diet isn’t that weird, especially compared to some other food that many consider ‘normal.’

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“[What Grace eats now] is not weird, or anything that normal people wouldn’t eat. She loves it. I don’t feed her toast or cereal or anything like that. [But] I think, ‘that stuff is not going to kill her.’ If she eats a piece of bread, I’m not going to have a conniption fit,” Shannon concluded. There is one vital piece of information that Shannon can use to stand up to all the haters, something that they just can’t deny.

29. Something is Going Right

The thing is that Grace is a happy and healthy child. She’s now three years old, and she’s still only ever been sick the one time. It seems that something really is going right, and, frankly, that’s incredible.

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“I don’t want there to be any disordered eating around here. Females particularly have enough problems with eating disorders. I want Grace to eat what makes her feel good,” Shannon explained to The Daily Mail. Shannon certainly knows a lot about helping people to live healthy lives, and she uses her expertise to guide others and make a difference.

30. Making a Difference

In Australia, Shannon works as a food, health, and wellness coach in addition to running her own site, “MyFoodReligion.” She is well trained in science and animal health, so she uses this to help others improve their quality of life through food.

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Additionally, she provides private classes and workshops to instruct others on how to make healthy food. Because of Shannon’s tireless work, people learn what to consume and what to avoid so as to live better lives.

So, what’s going on with Shannon and Grace these days? Has Grace accepted her mom’s lifestyle?

31. Starting Kindergarten

Grace is growing bigger every day, and even started kindergarten in August of 2018. Grace shared her story of how amazing it is to watch Grace grow up so fast. The most amazing thing for her is seeing how healthy her baby looks and feels, a trait that she attributes directly to their special diet.

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“Slow down bebe. How is my baby girl almost off to Kindy? As much as she drives me nuts some days, I know this time will be gone in the blink of an eye,” wrote Shannon. As Grace grows up, will she continue on in her mother’s ways?

32. On Vacation

Shannon wants to let her daughter make her own decisions, but, as far as we can tell, Grace loves sticking to her unique diet, even when they were on vacation in Mykonos, Greece. Nibbling on fresh strawberries, mom and daughter seem to be all smiles here.

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Shannon Cooper thinks that life is just as fun on a Paleo diet, and to prove it she’s uploaded countless recipes to her blog and social media. Her dishes look super tasty, even for the non-Paleo among us.

33. A Real Foodie

Shannon even thinks that her Paleo diet inspires indulgences, so she shares her delicious recipes with us on Instagram. For example, these tasty-looking “Nut Free No Bake Fig & Quinoa Bars” could definitely satisfy any sweet tooth.

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She’s committed to the message that eating healthy can be even tastier than processed, sugary crap. What’s even better is that these Quinoa Bars don’t even require baking, so there’s no need to stand around in the kitchen.

But making delicious food isn’t the only Paleo activity that Shannon pursues.

34. Meditation and More

Paleo is about much more than a diet; Shannon Cooper explains that it’s really a way of life. She integrates meditation and the use of natural products to help with sleep, as our health is about much more than just the food that we take in.

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Shannon uses her Instagram to share advice and to learn more about what others are doing to take care of themselves and their loved ones. Most of all, Shannon wants to pass on this power of sharing and caring to her child.

35. A Healthy Relationship

So that she’ll have a healthy relationship with Grace as she gets older, Shannon believes that it’s important to share everything. That way Grace can make informed decisions about the Paleo way of life without feeling like it’s being forced down her throat.

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It’s important that Grace understands why Shannon chose to feed her Paleo foods from her earliest days. In this image, we see Shannon opening a box full of nutritious goodies from Goodnessmebox, a company that sends a big box of organic and healthy goods on a monthly subscription plan. This helps Shannon to try new products and share her opinion.

Keep reading to find out what else Shannon shares about her lifestyle and her daughter.

36. Shannon’s Top Health Brands

Shannon is committed to only promoting health brands that she can stand behind. She does all the testing herself, and she works with companies that she loves to promote them on her site.

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Some of her top companies include Primal Thenics, a home workout company, and Cleanse Skincare, an organic and natural skincare brand that never uses toxins or other chemicals. She also loves Crema Coffee Garage, a brand of organic coffee that she adores. These are just some of her favorite brands.

37. A Top-Notch Writer

Shannon has many interests, talents, and passions. She calls herself a coffee lover, mum, bacon addict, and health and wellness coach, but she also loves to write and share both recipes and experiences in her eBooks.

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Yup, you read that right! You can read three of Shannon’s books, each of which is chock-full of original Paleo recipes. She is committed to sharing the message that having no dairy, gluten, sugar, or grains is not as hard as you may think and well worth the effort. Plus, her recipes look absolutely delicious!

38. Shannon’s Workshops

Another part of her Paleo lifestyle is traversing all of Australia to spread the gospel of healthy living. She joins other health bloggers and professionals to give talks on everything related to Paleo.

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She says that the most life-changing step that she ever took was taking care of her gut health. There are a lot of haters out there, but this only motivates her to stay positive and hold nothing back. Books and workshops aren’t her only channels, though.

39. Matching Unicorn Pajamas

Another fun aspect of the mother-daughter relationship is that the pair loves wearing matching clothes. Here, they both look super cute in matching unicorn pajamas. Whether it’s healthy eating, fun pajamas, or anything else, this happy family is so adorable.

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Shannon loves to share these special moments on social media to show off just how happy Grace’s life is. Some may see her diet as a weird type of abuse, but Shannon is emphatic that her kid is healthy and happy. She wants the world to know that she’s not being forced into anything. And she’s not the only one on board.

40. Positive Feedback

There are many people who believe in Shannon’s vision of a healthy life, including the Paleo diet. These testimonials are living proof taken from My Food Religion.

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