Women in Food InterviewsCarlene Thomaswomen in food

Women in Food: 10 Questions with Liz Shaw Author of Fertility Foods Cookbook

Women in Food InterviewsCarlene Thomaswomen in food
Women in Food: 10 Questions with Liz Shaw Author of Fertility Foods Cookbook

Liz Shaw: Author of Fertility Foods Cookbook, Rollerblade Enthusiast, Incredibly Nice Person

I don't even quite know how to explain my love for Liz in a short paragraph. Which is pretty weird quite frankly, because I just met Liz in person earlier this year. Specifically in the middle of the Mississippi bayou in a rice field, two hours outside of civilization. 

But again, that is the cool part of the internet. I "knew" Liz since she is also a dietitian on Instagram who goes on press trips (it's a relatively small world as far as communities go). Meeting people face to face is so amazing and it completely blows my mind I can connect with someone on such a deep level meeting them in person just once. That's Liz. 

Liz is no-bullshit, clear communication of science, emotionally open (if you struggle with fertility, I highly recommend joining Liz's community BumpstoBaby.com) and she's a fun girl. I could not be happier to see her co-authoring a book that I think will really help a community that needs nutrition support. I can't wait for you guys to meet Liz.

pre order now:

 Fertility Foods Cookbook: 100+ Recipes to Nourish Your Body,

Liz Shaw; Fertility Foods Cookbook

1 Tell us about yourself and your business.

Hi! I’m Liz, or as some people know me, Elizabeth Shaw. I’m so honored to be here today on the community here at Healthfully Ever After. A little bit about me, I speak in Lizisms on my blog’s and social channels. Well, that is the language my husband uses to describe when I think I am saying something the public will understand but in reality, it’s really just hodgepodge in my brain that makes sense. 

But, don’t worry, that’s not how I make a living! I am actually a small business owner in San Diego, California. I run a nutrition communications business in which I wear a variety of different hats. Some days I’m writing freelance for national publications like Shape, Fit Pregnancy, Oxygen and Muscle and Performance Magazines, while other days I’m working behind the scenes for my clients be it recipe development, food photography, creating science based materials for health care practitioners (sounds riveting, I know, but probably one of my most favorite things to do!), playing on TV, and/or teaching at the local colleges. 

Being that I work for myself, I’ve got a lot of flexibility that allows me to tackle a few different projects at a time. I am (or was) super Type A so before when I first started out doing this solo gig full time I was a little spastic with the lack of structure, but now, almost two full years later, I’m slowly getting more comfortable with it. 

While I have my Masters in Nutrition with a specialized certification in eating disorders and obesity, I actually haven’t done work in a private practice sort of setting in almost two years. I always thought that is what I would be doing full time, but as I got my feet wet over the past 10 years in different aspects of foodservice, I knew a different path was in store for me. In my prior position I worked as the Director of Nutrition and Food Safety for the dining department at UC San Diego. It was a fun, fulfilling job that allowed me to wear a ton of hats as well and really become involved with food manufactures and brands, seeing from the back end on what motivates them to produce a certain product with x style of packaging for students. It was then that I knew I wanted to transition my business when I eventually took the leap to go full time consulting on my own to work directly with brands to help them get the important messages about nutrition and the health of their products out to the public at large. It’s fun, challenging and rewarding all in one! 

One of my biggest passion projects as I like to call it was actually completed this past year. I co-authored a book, Fertility Foods Cookbook: 100+ Recipes to Nourish Your Body, with a fellow RDN, Sara Haas. I have been very open about my journey to conceive on my community over at BumpstoBaby.com. Though I’m still on this rollercoaster of a ride almost four years later, I knew in my heart that there was an important message that needed to get out there about foods and fertility that wasn’t being said. So, with a pen in one hand and a friend who believed in the same message on the other, we decided to make this dream a reality. I’m happy to announce that the cookbook is now available on Amazon for preorder and hits shelves the end of Oct 2017! 

fertility foods cookbook

2 If you could define your food philosophy in one sentence it would be….

Food is neither black or white, nor good or bad, but rather a beautiful array of tastes, textures and flavors meant to nourish your body and provide a sense of social gathering with friends and family.

 

3 What are your 3 must have foods in your kitchen?

Powdered peanut butter, air-popped popcorn, Greek PLAIN yogurt! 

 

4 It’s your birthday. What are you eating?

The adult version of my childhood favorite, an “upgraded” cheese sandwich with goat cheese, beets and roasted veggies on toasted seeded bread!  And yes, there are fries on the side. 

 

5 Signature cocktail?

A month ago- Silver Tequila with Mulled Fresh Berries and Club Soda! 

This month- Kahlua with crushed ice and milk! My taste in alcohol changes monthly 😂 .

 

6 Food you can’t like no matter how hard you try?

I’m getting better, but salmon! I know how good it is for me, but sometimes the fishy taste gets the best of me. 

 

7  What are your go-to resources for all things food?

I am old school and love the print magazines, I still get Cooking Light, Food & Wine, Southern Living, Real Simple, Sunset, and will pick up Eating Well and a few others on a whim when at the airport. 

While I like to peruse websites for inspiration like FeedFeed and the local San Diego blogger Brandon’s KitchenKonfidence.com, I usually find the most joy in using platforms like Pinterest and Instagram to see the beautifully curated collections so many influencers have. I must admit, I’ve spent many a times pining over your @healthfullyeverafter, Alex’s @delishknowledge and @healthyseasonal’s feeds! #swoon

I honestly am a purist when it comes to grocery shopping. I’d much rather go spend hours walking up and down the market aisles looking at new products than search Amazon. My hubs and I like to pick one ethnic store a month and go wonder the aisles to see what new creations we can come up with! It’s usually our Sunday post hike excursion! 

Liz Shaw; Fertility Foods Cookbook

8 Food fad you wish would die a horrible death?

Truth be told, I’m so sick of the #eatclean phase! I spoke about this at the California Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Conference last April and still cringe when I see people writing about clean eating- it reminds me of taking bleach to food! 

 

9 Must have kitchen tool:

My Ninja! I seriously use my Ninja to make something every day- sauce, dips, smoothies or adult beverages, the possibilities are endless!

 

10 What’s the one thing you learned this year that changed the way you think about food?

I had the opportunity to go on a few sponsored trips out to farms all over the US to see how the food we eat day in and day out is grown. With the fear placed in the general publics mind about conventional produce, I find it fascinating to see first hand how farmers are actually producing the food we consume. Conventional and organic farms alike take such specific actions to ensure the food we consume daily is safe for consumption that it baffles me to think that many Americans feel that unless they can buy organic they should avoid produce altogether. One farmer made the statement that really stuck in my mind, “We let our kids, our own flesh and blood, play in the fields. We feed the crops to our families. We’d never put them at risk so why do you think we’d put you at risk? If you think about, we’re growing food for our family, and when you purchase our crops, you become our family!”

 

DO YOU KNOW A WOMAN IN THE FOOD WORLD WHO SHOULD BE PART OF THIS INTERVIEW SERIES? LET ME KNOW!

 

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Dietitian Nutritionist and cookbook author sharing flavor-forward recipes and simplified science-driven wellness.