“I want to be around and healthy for my family for a really long time, and I want that for those around me, too.”

When it comes to eating healthy, wellness coach Shannon Cooper believes in going back to basics. “It all starts with real food,” the mum-of-three explains. “Food that doesn’t have an ingredient label, food that your great-grandparents would recognise. Start with veggies, fruit, protein, nuts and seeds and go from there.”

Cooper’s food philosophy focuses on teaching others the building blocks for good nutrition – and avoiding fads. “Diets don’t work. If they did, we wouldn’t have an epidemic of obesity, diabetes and heart disease,” she says. “Everyone needs to find ways to create long-term, healthy, sustainable lifestyle habits that become their ‘normal’. Habits that don’t feel like they are restrictive, full of rules or socially isolating.”

By forming such habits, Cooper helps clients create healthy and balanced relationships with food. “I don’t believe that there’s one approach that will suit everyone – everyone is individual – but I do believe eating that focuses on wholefoods and counting nutrients is far more beneficial than a specific number of calories.” University-qualified in agricultural science and animal nutrition, Cooper’s career change was driven by her own health challenges. “Over the years, I have become more and more interested in human nutrition and wellness and had my own gut-health struggles to overcome,” she says. “By studying more in this area to help my own issues I have been able to share so much that also helps others.”

Being a Costco member has enabled Cooper to stock up on wholefoods at an outstanding value. “I love that I can purchase so many healthy options at a fraction of the price,” she enthuses. “Some of my faves are wild-caught salmon, organic mince, cauliflower gnocchi, grass-fed ghee, frozen fruit, raw honey, Cobram olive oil and organic apple cider vinegar.”

Above all, Cooper’s driving force is love. “I want to be around and healthy for my family for a really long time, and I want that for those around me, too.”