FAQ | shanahan

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can you help me?

Yes, I am able to help the vast majority of people that I work with! My approach to wellness, weight loss, and performance is unique and different than most professionals. I am confident that I will share many things that you have never heard of and take a completely different approach than you have ever been exposed to.

I am confident that I can help you, if you are looking for help with the following:

Weight Loss- you have been unable to lose weight, you have been stuck at a plateau, you have tried lowering and counting calories, and nothing seems to work long-term.
Improve Body Composition- you are in good shape, but can’t quite get as lean as you are trying to get. You would love to add a little lean muscle and lose that little layer of body fat around your midsection.
Nagging Symptoms- you have a long list of nagging symptoms and you have not been able to fully connect the cause and/or reverse these symptoms.
Autoimmune and Inflammatory Health Issues- there are a tremendous amount of diet and lifestyle changes that can be made in order to combat autoimmune and inflammatory symptoms. I suffered needlessly for the first 25 years of my life before I was exposed to these life-changing protocols.
Food Allergies- you think that you may have food allergies, but the testing that you have had has been negative and/or the medical professionals that you have seen have been unable to find anything. You may have never had past issues, and now all of a sudden something seems off.
Energy and Performance- you are a busy “Go Getter” and you are sick of having fatigue and not feeling like yourself. You want to increase your daily energy, vitality, and mental clarity.
Bad Lab Work- you just got some lab work completed and the results were less than desirable. Most Physicians are not using up to date advanced lab testing and I can share the best lab testing that you need to have done to get to the bottom of what is causing your health issues.
Athletic Performance- you want to increase your athletic performance and recovery. I have worked with athletes from many different disciplines and I can help you improve your performance.
Athletic Related Weight Gain or Weight Loss- I have helped many athletes achieve optimal body composition to improve performance and efficiency in their sport.

Who do you work with?

My typical client fits into one of three categories:

You are battling unexplained health challenges and you have not been able to get to the root cause of your issues. These health challenges include, but are not limited to, autoimmune, inflammatory, gut health and digestion, fatigue, joint pain, skin related, neurological issues, etc. Almost all conditions, symptoms, and ailments can be improved or managed by changing your diet, adding natural protocols, and improving your lifestyle.
You are looking to improve your overall performance in life or your athletic performance. The proven principles that I teach and help you implement will help you recover faster, improve mental clarity, increase energy, improve sleep, lower inflammation, and help you achieve optimal mental and physical performance that you have never achieved before.
You are looking to improve your body composition. Whether you are looking to burn fat, gain muscle, or change any aspect of your body composition, I can help you! Nutrition, supplementation, and lifestyle factors play an extremely important role in transforming your body and working out is not enough and rarely gets people the results that they are after.

In addition to looking at my nutrition, what else can you help me with?

Nutrition is absolutely the foundation of what we will work on together. However, there is so much more that we will address in order to help you feel, look, and perform your best. Here are the topics that we will address:

Nutrition
Movement & Workouts
Gut Health & Digestion
Blood Sugar & Hormones
Sleep
Stress
Toxicity
Supplementation
Emotional Factors & Neurotransmitters
Symptoms & Other Important Indicators
Advanced Natural Protocols for Specific Situations

What is your standard coaching process?

If you are ready to get started, you can choose the appropriate coaching package HERE.

My process is pretty simple, and usually consists of the following:

Fill out the detailed New Client Questionnaire
I will review this and make detailed notes prior to our first consultation
We will discuss my overall thoughts and suggestions
I will provide a very detailed written overview with suggestions, a plan of action, recipes, guidelines, supplement recommendations, referrals to other professionals (if needed), documents, videos, and resources to help you implement your plan.
Depending on what coaching package you choose, we will continue to work together with ongoing coaching sessions, text message support, and (if you are local) I can even go grocery shopping with you and come into your home and help teach you my favorite recipes and meal preparation ideas.

I eat pretty well, how are you going to help me?

I hear this every single day, and I am sure that you are amazing! However, there is no such thing as a “good diet” or “eating well”. There is so much bad information in the media, and I have never met anyone that I can’t help in some way. I am very confident that I can share a whole new level of precision and detail that you are not currently following. Additionally, many of my clients realize that they have been following bad advice for years and their diet is actually nor suitable for their goals and needs.

I am not sure that I am ready for one-on-one coaching, do you have beginner programs or group coaching options?

All of my coaching is designed to meet you where you are currently at and just move you in the right direction. Many of my clients are in the beginning stages of their journey and feel intimidated or unsure of drastic changes. This feeling is normal, and you do not have to go ALL IN right away.

If you want to start slowly and learn at your own pace, I would suggest checking out my online group program that is called The Get Real Challenge (www.TheGetRealChallenge.com). This is a great online self-study program that is packed with video tutorials, customized documents, recipes, guides, etc. It also allows you to have access to a private Facebook community and interact with other people from around the world who are going on this same journey. Additionally, there are other coaches and experienced participants who can offer you feedback and help answer your questions.

Is all of your nutrition coaching based around the Paleo Diet?

No, I meet my clients where they are currently at and we make steps in the right direction. Some people are ready to go “all in” and others need to take baby steps. I help clients make very minor steps, go gluten free, dairy free, implement a Paleo Diet, a Mediterranean Diet, a Ketogenic Diet, and elimination diets. I also help certain people explore intermittent fasting and time restricted eating.

Do you work with people who want to be on a very low carbohydrate or ketogenic diet?

Yes, this is a specialty of mine and many of my clients have achieved great results with this type of eating.

I am an athlete and I need carbs, can you still help me?

Yes, absolutely! I have worked with many professional athletes from many different sports including the NBA, NFL, MMA, CrossFit, and many more.

I am vegan or vegetarian, can you still help me?

Yes, I have helped vegans and vegetarians achieve optimal performance through diet and lifestyle changes.

Do you offer meal plans?

I do not specifically put together meal plans for clients. However, I do offer sample meal options, recipe videos, and recipe books. I also offer specific guidelines and documents that help you make the best choices while traveling and eating at restaurants. It is my goal to educate you and help you implement a lifestyle that you can live forever. I believe that meal plans are a short term solution to a long-term problem. If you travel, fail to meal prep, or you are out of your element for any reason, a meal plan becomes completely useless. It is my goal to prepare you for a lifestyle that you can live under any and all circumstances or the rest of your life.

Do you provide workout programs?

I do have a background in personal training and I am a Certified CrossFit Coach. However, I do not write workout programs for you, but instead, I advise you on the appropriate types of training and I help you devise a plan with what training you will be doing, the best recovery strategies, how to switch up your training, and assessing your workouts and movement in order to get optimal results.

What is your stance on supplements and will I have to buy nutritional supplements?

There is a time and place for nutritional supplements and I do believe in supplementation. However, you can never “out-supplement” a poor diet and lifestyle. Therefore, we will address your diet and lifestyle first. After that, I will offer you feedback on nutritional supplement protocols and research that I believe in. There are many toxic products that are poorly made, and I will also do my best to eliminate all of these from your life.

Do you go over blood work and/or run bloodwork for clients?

I have spent over a decade studying functional medicine lab work and this was a huge part of my success in changing my own personal health and wellness. I do not order or run lab work for you. However, I can share my research and experience with you and put together an exact list of lab work that you should request from your Physician. Additionally, I can help you find the proper Physician if you are not currently working with a Functional Medicine Practitioner.