Certified November 10, 2020.
Community Engagement Strategist + Culinary Nutrition Specialist
Lexi is a Registered and Licensed Dietitian and Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist. She received her Bachelor of Science in Coordinated Dietetics from Texas Christian University (’19). She interned with To Taste during her senior year at TCU and has enjoyed the first year of her dietetics career working with To Taste!
Personal Nutrition Philosophy
Lexi believes that eating healthfully should be enjoyable, sustainable, and fulfilling. Choosing plant-forward and minimally-processed foods is the best way that we can ensure that the foods we put in our body maintain our health. Learning basic culinary skills can help us along the path to health and is a fantastic tool to take with us throughout our entire lives!
Passions
Outside of cooking and teaching, Lexi’s passions include cycling, running, reading, listening to podcasts, and playing the cello.
Lexi and her husband, Tallon, live in Boise, Idaho. Both Idaho natives, they are happy to be back in the mountains of the Northwest!
Allison is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist with over two decades of experience. She has advanced training as a Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist and as a plant based chef.
Cumulatively, she has helped people lose hundreds of pounds and empowered them to commit to their health. This not only impacts her clients but also their families as well. She truly believes that every time we put something in our mouth, we have the opportunity to promote our health. She provides cooking demonstrations to her community to share how powerful it is to change your fate based on what is on your plate.
Allison provides you with the tools and resources so that you are learning what it takes day to day to create a fit lifestyle that creates the habits as opposed to just putting a band-aid on your problem.
Certified on November 17, 2017.
34761
Certified on November 15, 2017.
I am the dietitian for Cahaba Medical Care's four rural primary care clinics in Central Alabama. I have experience working in medical nutrition therapy in acute care, nutrition research, and nutrition education for weight loss & chronic disease prevention and management in both adult and pediatric populations. Competence in culinary medicine has increased my confidence in giving cooking demonstrations regarding therapeutic uses of functional foods.
Centreville, AL
35042
Certified on August 1, 2016.
Dr. Anne VanBeber, a Nutritional Sciences faculty member at Texas Christian University (TCU) since 1992, has served as department chair since 1998. She received a BS from Texas Tech University and earned the MS and PhD from Texas Woman’s University. A Registered and Licensed Dietitian, Dr. VanBeber was named a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2015. Current TCU teaching responsibilities include Food Preparation, Meal Management, Gourmet Foods, Food and Culture, and Veganism and Sustainability. Dr. VanBeber was named an Outstanding Dietetics Educator by the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2001 and was honored by TCU with the Dean's Teaching Award for significant and meritorious achievement in teaching in 2009.
Dr. VanBeber was instrumental in bringing the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine program to Fort Worth in 2014 where she has subsequently enhanced the nutrition training of medical and allied health students from the University of North Texas Health Science Center for the past five years. An accomplished author, Dr. VanBeber has published over 30 refereed articles in professional journals, 13 articles in professional newsletters/magazines, and five chapters in reference books. She has conducted numerous presentations at state and national professional meetings and enjoys presenting food and nutrition-related programs to community and public organizations. Dr. VanBeber is a sought-after nutrition expert who has been quoted in Today’s Dietitian, Better Homes and Gardens, Cooking Light, Yoga Journal, Arthritis Today, Family Circle, Woman’s Health, Fitness, Oxygen, Looking Good Now, She Knows Low Carb, and Fort Worth Texas magazines as well as in other electronic and print media.
Interests: Cooking, gardening, traveling, nature, reading, family, expanding my comfort zone.
Certified December 12, 2020
Education:
B.S., Animal Science - Auburn, 2007
M.S., Nutrition and Food Science - Auburn, 2010
Ph.D., Nutrition Sciences - Alabama-Birmingham, 2015
Annie Newton Kirby, Ph.D., R.D. is the Dietitian in the Auburn University Pharmaceutical Care Center. She is also an Assistant Professor at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine and a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.
Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, and she graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Animal Science in 2007 and a Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Science in 2010 from Auburn University. She went on to the University of Alabama at Birmingham to complete her Dietetic Internship in 2011 and Ph.D. in Nutrition Sciences in 2015. She is a Registered Dietitian.
Auburn University
Harrison School of Pharmacy
2155 Walker Building
Auburn, AL
36849
Certified June 1, 2018. As a Registered Dietitian (RD), nutritionist and chef, Barbara Kamp approaches culinary education with the desire to demonstrate that combining the art of food preparation with the science of nutrition results in food that is at once healthy, beautiful and delicious.
With an undergraduate degree from New York University, where she specialized in sculpture and silversmithing, an associate degree in Culinary Arts, and a master’s degree in Dietetics and Nutrition, Kamp joined the faculty of JWU’s North Miami Campus uniquely qualified to teach students how healthy can still be appealing.
As a Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist, Kamp encourages students to reimagine the role of food in their everyday and professional lives
1701 NE 127th St
North Miami, FL
33181
Certified November 7, 2018.
Dr. Dunn is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished professor in the Department Agricultural and Human Sciences, NC State University. She provides program expertise and state-wide leadership for nutrition and wellness for families and communities. She has 30+ years of experience in nutrition education and develops nutrition education materials that are used across the country to help people eat smart and move more. Carolyn is the author/developer for numerous programs and tools that address healthy eating and physical activity. She is the lead author of the award-winning Color Me Healthy, a curriculum that helps young children eat smart and move more. She and colleagues created Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less, a 15-week evidence-based weight management program that is being used across the country in both in-person and online formats. She is also the lead author for the CDC recognized diabetes prevention program Eat Smart, Move More, Prevent Diabetes.
Dr. Dunn and colleagues have published their work in Obesity, American Journal of Health Promotion, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior and others. She is the past chair of Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina, a 90-agency coalition that promotes increased opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity wherever people live, learn, earn, play and pray. She is a member of Sigma Xi the scientific research society and the Academy for Outstanding Faculty Engaged in Extension. She served under three governors as the gubernatorial appointee to the Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force.
Dr. Dunn earned her BS in nutrition from Meredith College and her MS and PhD in nutrition from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is a lifelong fitness advocate and enjoys walking, weight training, and yoga. She has a passion for cooking, food, travel, art, and design.
Box 7606
Raleigh, NC
27695
Certified on April 17, 2017.
Emily is a Registered Dietitian and a graduate of both Davidson College, with a degree in Anthropology, and most recently The Ohio State University with a degree in Medical Dietetics. Emily has been employed as a Registered Dietitian for 5 years with Ohio Health McConnell Heart Health Center working as an outpatient dietitian. With experience working in long term care before coming to the McConnell Heart Health Center, Emily works within multiple disciplines throughout the facility including Diabetes Education, Weight Management, Corporate Wellness and Cardiac Rehab. With interest in more experiential nutrition education, Emily and fellow colleagues have created a “Healthy Bites” program promoting more hands on recipe tasting and cooking demos in the Cardiac Rehab setting, with goals to expose patients to new ingredients and to encourage making more meals at home. Emily, with a recent certification in Culinary Medicine, hopes to combine her interests and expertise to better help the patient population that she is working with.
Interests: Nutrition, athletics, travel, and cooking.
Certified September 14, 2020.
Hema Alur-Kundargi is a native of Pune, India. She came to the United States in 1986.
Hema loves to cook. She developed a passion for cooking under the firm guidance of her talented mother. In her cooking shows, news & magazine articles and classes, she simplifies Indian cuisine and aims to remove the myths and mysteries associated with it.
Ms. Kundargi currently produces, edits and hosts an award-winning cooking show called "Indian Vegetarian Gourmet," that simplifies and demystifies Indian cooking. It is aired on the Cupertino Public Access channel.
Hema writes a food column for Cupertino's citywide newsletter, Cupertino Scene, and West coast Indian magazine India Currents. She has also written for the San Jose Mercury News, Los Angeles Times, Sunset Magazine, India West, and the national Indian magazine Veerashaiva. She volunteers her time to create heart healthy recipes for the South Asian Heart Center at El Camino Hospital in Mountain View.
Hema is also dedicated to building cultural awareness about Indian customs and traditions. She has constantly pursued to enrich her community through the arts, food, dance, music and fashion shows. As a Fine Arts Commissioner of the City of Cupertino for eight years, Ms. Kundargi has promoted children's art and art in public places. She was also instrumental in launching Cupertino's annual Indian holiday celebration, "Diwali - Festival of Lights."
Hema Kundargi has conducted several Sari shows, "Oh what a Wrap", at the Cupertino Library to educate the public about the history and draping styles of Indian costumes. She has hosted "Dances of India" programs for the Cupertino Senior Center.
Ms. Alur-Kundargi also serves on the Board of Directors for the Cupertino Library Foundation.
Awards
Ms. Kundargi's public access cooking show has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2001 and 2004 national Hometown Video Festival Award--presented to creative programs that address community needs and develop diverse community involvement. Her cooking show has also won the 1998 and 1999 Western Access Video Excellence (WAVE) awards.
Hema received the 2004 CREST - Cupertino Recognizes Extra Steps Taken, an award given to volunteers who have made outstanding contributions to the city of Cupertino. In 2006, she was awarded the coveted KQED Bay Area Local Hero Award for her leadership and commitment to community service as a 17-year resident of Cupertino. In 2007, Santa Clara County supervisor Liz Kniss selected Hema as one of the the 2007 Asian American Hero Star awards for "her role in educating the public about Indian culture and bridging the cultural differences in the community".
Certified November 17, 2017.
Holly Hill RDN, CD, CCMS is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist. She works in corporate wellness with an emphasis in nutrition education and counseling. Holly also provides recipe development, nutrition analysis, and food safety consultation services. She is training to be a specialist in non-IgE food sensitivity treatment and therapy and pursuing a certificate of training in culinary genomics.
Holly received her BS in dietetics and completed her Dietetic Internship through Brigham Young University in Utah.
Holly sits on the advisory board for the Culinary Medicine Specialist Certification through Health meets Food. She also serves on the Communications Committee of the Nutrition Education for the Public Dietetics Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
When not busy pursuing her work and interest in culinary nutrition education or raising her five children, Holly enjoys yoga, hiking, reading, and cooking. She shares culinary nutrition information and recipes on Instagram @hollyhilldietitian.
Certified on July 31, 2018.
Certified November 16, 2019
Ms. Jan Dowell joined the Benedictine University Nutrition Department as an adjunct instructor in 2008. She is the owner of Dowell Nutrition Communications, LLC, providing sports nutrition services to teams and athletes, as well as continuing education programs for professional organizations. In addition, Jan works as a Wellness Dietitian for two hospitals in the Chicago area. Ms. Dowell earned a Masters in Health Education from Governors State University and a Masters in Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics from Rosalind Franklin University/The Chicago Medical School. Ms. Dowell is an active marathon runner and Certified Personal Fitness Trainer, complementing her Board Certification as a Specialist in Sport Dietetics (CSSD).
Certified November 7, 2018.
I have had the pleasure of working with The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine (GCCM) program since early 2014 through a partnership between Texas Christian University and Moncrief Cancer Institute. As a clinical dietitian, I never felt at ease in a hospital, and became increasingly frustrated that people’s diets were rarely the starting point for their journey back to good health. My childhood experiences, and love of cooking and eating healthy food, inspired me to become a chef (Le Cordon Bleu), and then pursue my masters in Nutrition. After graduating, I struggled to find a business that did what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it, and I quickly realized there were no RDNs in my area who were also classically trained chefs. It just made sense to start my own business to fulfill my desire to help others learn healthy cooking to manage an illness, or condition, in a one-on-one training style.
That desire sparked Culinary Cures, a one-on-one culinary business that allows me to bring personal nutrition education and culinary coaching experiences to my clients’ home kitchens. Meeting people where they are is comforting for those in need, and it is much easier to do that in their familiar surroundings. I also teach cooking classes (8-10 participants) that revolve around many of the modules presented by GCCM. Culinary Medicine has helped me to use evidenced-based science to discuss health and nutrition with my clients and others interested in culinary dietetics. In addition to running Culinary Cures, I teach a Culinary Modifications class and act as the Culinology Liaison for Texas Woman’s University.
In my free time, I enjoy daily CrossFit classes, cooking, gardening, reading, and spending time with my husband of thirty-four years, my four kids, three grandchildren, and three dogs.
Certified on July 31, 2018.
Known as The Running Nutritionist®, award winning integrative sports & performance nutritionist Lisa Dorfman is leader to industry, academia, the public & press for more than three decades. Lisa has built a global practice, consulting to Olympian, professional, collegiate, & teenage athletes. She was the US Sailing Olympic and Paralympics Team Nutritionist for the ‘08 Beijing Olympics and Nutrition Expert for Zumba® Plate program. She is a Licensed Nutritionist, Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics, Board Certified Professional Counselor, Certified USAT & USAT&F Coach, Certified Reiki Practitioner, Certified Horticulturist, Certified Chef & Fellow of The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.
Lisa has worked with more than 15 hospitals & medical center food service departments and spent nearly a decade working with the law enforcement system as the designated dietitian for the Federal Correctional System. As a culinary educator, Lisa was Director of the Graduate program in Nutrition for Health & Human Performance at The University of Miami, Culinary Nutrition instructor at Johnson & Wales University, and Miami Culinary Institute’s Enthusiast Series Program, and taught Kids Cooking classes, ages 3-8 for The Real Food Academy.
The author of 8 books and numerous book chapters, Lisa is a sought after media spokesperson participating in dozens of TV, radio, print, media tours, representing companies and trade groups. She served as a National Media Spokesperson for The Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics and has appeared on 20/20, Dateline, Good Morning America Health, FOX News, CNN, MSNBC and ESPN and has been featured in hundreds of publications including: USA Today, Newsweek, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Food & Wine, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health & Runners World magazines.
In her spare time, Lisa is a competitive runner and triathlete who has competed in more than 34 marathons (PR 2:52:32), Ironman USA Lake Placid, and hundreds of running and multisport races. In 2004, she competed for the United States on Team USA at the World Long Distance Duathlon Championships. Lisa resides in Miami, Florida with her husband Bob of 38 years and is the mom of 3 children.
Recent Awards
‘18 Scholarship, Southern Peanut Growers, Women Chef’s & Restauranteurs (WCR)
’17 Homina PAN US Arepa Recipe Competition Finalist
‘17 National Excellence in Practice Award, DIFM, Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics
CREDENTIALS
Licensed Dietitian/ Nutritionist (LD/N)
Licensed/Board Certified Professional Counselor (LMHC)
Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist (CCMS)
Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD)
Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics (FAND)
(RD) Registered Dietitian - CDR, American Dietetic Association-1985-(CSSD)
Board Certified in Sports Dietetics- CDR
American Dietetic Association-2006-
Licensed Mental Health Counselor-State of Florida-1988-
Board Certified in Professional Counseling (APA)
Diplomat of the American Psychotherapy Association (APA)
Certified ISAK certified anthropometrist (ISAK)
Certified USAT&F and USA Triathlon coach
Certified US Swimming Level 1 & 2 Masters Coach
FNGLA Certified Horticulture Professional (FCHP)
ServSafe® Certified Food Production Manager
Certified Chef, Miami Culinary Institute
Certified Bartender—40 hr. course
Certified Reiki Practitioner
FSMA Produce Safety Certified, Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO)
Professional culinary memberships include:
American Culinary Federation (ACF) –National Conference Speaker, N. Orleans, ‘18
International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) (‘18 IACP Judge—Cookbook Awards)
Women Chef’s and Restauranteurs (WCR)
United States Personal Chef Association (USPCA)
National Restaurant Association (NRA)
Research Chef’s Association (RCA)
Food & Culinary Professionals (FCP) of Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics (AND)
James Beard Foundation (JBF)Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)
Certified March 30, 2019.
Milette Siler has been involved with the Culinary Medicine project since 2014, when a collaboration between Moncrief Cancer Institute and Texas Christian University first brought the program to North Texas. Her career is focused upon advancing Culinary Medicine in both a professional student and community setting.
In the Professional Student arena, Milette serves as Culinary Medicine dietetic instructor for UT Southwestern’s medical school, bringing enhanced nutrition education to medical students, residents, and other health professionals. She also enjoys her continued partnership with Texas Christian University, working as an adjunct preceptor collaborating with dietetic interns to bring nutrition education to students at UNT Health Science Center. In the Community setting, Milette teaches hands-on cooking classes for cancer survivor patients served at Moncrief Cancer Institute. Additionally, she networks with local food pantries and other organizations to bring Culinary Medicine to underserved populations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.nnMilette is an enthusiastic food scientist, and would like to take this opportunity to thank her husband and children for always being willing to try her kitchen “experiments” with a smile.
Certified on September 26, 2017.
Natalie Taft is a registered and licensed dietitian/nutritionist who earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences with a Concentration in Nutrition from NC State University in Raleigh, NC. She completed her Dietetic Internship and earned her Master of Science in Nutrition from Meredith College, Raleigh, NC.
Natalie currently serves as the Registered Dietitian at the Pediatric Healthy Weight Research & Treatment Center at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. Here she positively impacts the lives of youth and their families by providing medical nutrition therapy (MNT); collaborating with health care providers and community agencies; and supporting research related to childhood obesity prevention and treatment. Natalie has served as a Program Manager at the Alice Aycock Poe Center for Health Education, a Registered Dietitian with Personalized Nutrition, Inc and as an instructor with the Eat Smart, Move More, Weigh Less Program through NC State University, Cooperative Extension and the NC Division of Public Health.
Natalie has earned certificates of training in both Adult and Childhood & Adolescent Weight Management through the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Commission on Dietetics Registration. She is a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, an active member of the North Carolina Dietetic Association, serving on its Annual Meeting Planning Committee and as the Marketing Chair Apprentice, and served 3-year term as President of the Raleigh District Dietetic Association. Natalie received the 2011 Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award from the North Carolina Dietetic Association.
Certified on September 26, 2017.