About Melisa
Specialties
Digestive wellness
Food allergies & intolerance
Healthy cooking / meal planning
Diet and Detoxification
Elimination diets
My Story
I was born and raised in New York, and spent 10 years living in Istanbul. After living in Turkey, I ​moved back to the US for college, as I received a scholarship to study psychology and brain sciences at Johns Hopkins University. During my internships at Johns Hopkins Medical Institution-Kennedy Krieger Institute for kids, I noticed that a lot of the children and adolescents with behavioral problems had diets consisting of refined foods, and sugar sweetened beverages. After this experience, I began researching on the effects of diet and behavior. After taking a class in Nutrition Science at Bloomberg School of Public Health, I knew that I would become a nutritionist.
I took prerequisite and the required DICAS classes to pursue a Masters in Nutrition at Brooklyn College. During my masters I assisted in the research of the appetite suppressant affects of cocoa, and for my thesis I led research under the Department of Health in Food Pantries over NYC. I am passionate and deeply motivated to help individuals achieve their ideal weight goals, keeping in mind financial, cultural and emotional obstacles.