Whole30 Contributors
Whole30 Contributors
Carlos Gutierrez
Kai Kani
Kai Kani is a 22-year-old chef whose love of cooking started at the age of 3. Kai has cooked for many brands and celebrities, such as Nike, Givenchy, and Adidas. She has amassed a social media following of over 380k. Kai’s love of food and teaching others how to cook is a segue into her future cookbooks, television shows and product development.
Jasmine Westbrooks
MS, RD, LDN
Jasmine works as a Registered Dietitian at a Diabetes Outpatient Facility and believes in a realistic approach to improving nutritional habits for better quality of life. Her interest in nutrition blossomed from health problems dominating her family's life but could have been corrected through preventive diet measures. She earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Nutrition Dietetics from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and earned her Master’s Degree in Clinical Nutrition from Rosalind Franklin University. She has worked as a Nutrition Educator in the Florida Department of Health for 3 years while counseling patients concerning health issues impacting the community. Throughout her experience and service with the community and with the Florida Health Department, she saw there was a huge need of nutrition education in minorities through culture. She’s a director of Eat Well Exchange, Inc.
Ellie Yamanaka
Recipe Developer and Photographer
Ellie Yamanaka is a food photographer and recipe developer who loves making simple, feel-good plant-based recipes that don't compromise on taste or nutrition. She's been making messes in the kitchen since she was 12, and after finishing university 10 years later, she decided to trade in her nutrition degree for a camera and a kitchen. Through her food blog Ellie Likes Cooking, she hopes to inspire others to eat more plants and get creative in the kitchen.
Natasha Zygaczenko
Natasha Zygaczenko, formerly known as The Feisty Kitchen, is a food and product photographer and recipe developer who loves to create nutritious meals that also taste good. After years of struggling with her own health issues, she got certified as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner to understand how to use food as medicine. Today, she primarily works with brands to create beautiful images, reels, and recipe videos. As we all eat with our eyes first, making food look good is her forte. In her spare time, she loves playing tennis, exploring and hiking in nature, and traveling the world to discover new cuisines.
Sarah Steffens
Recipe Developer
Sarah Steffens, our Recipe Developer, has a B.A. in Business Administration, Public Relations from The Master's University in Southern California. After years of experimenting with nutrition and recipes in her own kitchen, she now works as a Personal Chef and Food Photographer in Sacramento, creating meals that support her client's intention to physically and mentally thrive. She has catered several independent film sets, making it her goal to optimize the energy and well-being of each creative crew. You can find many of Sarah's recipes in various Whole30, Paleo and Keto cookbooks. When Sarah is not cooking and styling recipes, you can find her enjoying a long walk, working on creative projects with loved ones or exploring beautiful Northern California.
Virginia de Vries
Whole30 Graphic Designer
Virginia de Vries is Whole30's graphic designer. With a passion for creativity, Virginia has always been excited to study and practice new forms of art and design. While mainly focusing on graphic design, her other favorites are photography and illustration. Since discovering Whole30 in late 2015 she has completed several rounds, and is continually learning of the deep role that food plays in each of our lives. In her off-time she enjoys doing projects around her home, caring for her growing collection of houseplants, or hiking in the desert. She, her husband, and five cats currently reside in Phoenix, Arizona.
Shannon Canaday
Whole30 Community Management
Shannon Canaday moderates the Whole30 forum and Facebook page. She lives in Chilliwack, British Columbia in Canada with her husband. Shannon comes to us from a 20-year career where she’s acted as an Account Manager for major national brands, a Customer Service Representative and an Administrative Coordinator. She enjoys a mostly quiet life of cooking, reading and entertaining and loving on family. She can also be found most often on a sunny day riding her Harley Davidson around the absolute glory that is the Fraser Valley.
Cristina Curp
Cristina Curp founded The Castaway Kitchen in 2015 to chronicle her personal health journey. Living with chronic inflammatory symptoms and autoimmune disease for many years, she took to the kitchen to improve her quality of life. This journey birthed her popular food blog, two best-selling cookbooks, and a career as a holistic nutritionist. When she's not in the kitchen you can find her at the beach with her family or trying out a new restaurant.
Dr.Carolina Arreola
Licensed Naturopathic Doctor
Dr. Carolina Arreola is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and founder of Arreola Naturopathic, a virtual practice focused on providing natural health solutions for chronic digestive health issues. She received her undergraduate degree in General Biology from San Francisco State University, her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University California and is currently licensed to practice medicine in the state of California. Dr. Arreola believes that true holistic medicine uses the best of both natural and conventional therapies to provide individualized treatment for her patients. Additionally, it is of the utmost importance to her to provide a safe space for her patients where they can ensure their voices will be heard. She is committed to empowering her patients and providing them with the information and tools they need to advocate for themselves, heal the mind, body, and spirit, and achieve optimal health.
Dr. Sayida Peprah
Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Doula/Birthworker
Dr. Sayida Peprah is both a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Doula/Birthworker. She specializes in multicultural psychology, trauma, suicide prevention and maternal mental health. Dr. Sayida has had a multifaceted career as a psychologist having worked in community-based, in-home, psychiatric hospital, prison and private practice settings. She is also a trainer and consultant on topics of cultural humility, implicit bias and trauma as they impact mental and maternal health. Dr. Sayida is the Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit organization Diversity Uplifts, Inc., focusing on supporting marginalized and minority communities, and increasing cultural competence and humility among providers who serve them. Dr. Sayida's work in maternal health includes serving as a co-director and trainer for the Frontline Doulas and the Sankofa Birthworkers Collective in Southern California. An advocate for human rights in childbirth, Dr. Sayida is a member of the Black Women Birthing Justice Collective and a Movement Partner with the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, promoting research, education and community-based services to positively transform the birthing experiences of black families. Dr. Sayida serves on several regional and national advisory aimed at identifying key risks and opportunities for quality improvement and prevention around disparities.
Tonya Rapley
Tonya Rapley is an award-winning millennial money expert and creator of My Fab Finance. Its mission is to help 100,000 people make at least one financial decision they’re proud of. As an internationally recognized speaker and sought-after media personality, Tonya helps educate and empower other people to break the cycle of living paycheck to paycheck – so they can live life on their terms and do what they enjoy. She is co-host of the Ashton Kutcher-produced show Going From Broke and is the author of the Amazon best-seller, The Money Manual. Tonya has worked with countless Fortune 50 brands and built a million-dollar financial education business that has impacted the lives of thousands across the world. She has been featured in Forbes, Vogue, Essence, and the Washington Post; and has been seen on Good Morning America, The Today Show, Headline News, and countless local media outlets.
Julie Lythcott-Haims
Degrees from Stanford, Harvard Law, and California College of the Arts
Her work encompasses writing, speaking, teaching, mentoring, and activism. She is the New York Times bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult which gave rise to a popular TED Talk. Her second book is the critically-acclaimed and award-winning prose poetry memoir Real American, which illustrates her experience as a Black and biracial person in white spaces. Her third book, Your Turn: How to Be an Adult, has been called a “groundbreakingly frank” guide to adulthood. Julie holds degrees from Stanford, Harvard Law, and California College of the Arts. She
currently serves on the boards of Common Sense Media, Black Women’s Health
Imperative, Narrative Magazine, and on the Board of Trustees at California College of
the Arts. She serves on the advisory boards of LeanIn.Org, Sir Ken Robinson Foundation
and Baldwin For the Arts. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her partner of over thirty years, their
itinerant young adults, and her mother.
Stephanie Gruenke
Master of Science in Nutrition, Registered Dietitian and Nutritionist, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified in Perinatal Mental Health
Stephanie lives in Wisconsin with her husband and two sons. Stephanie specializes in prenatal/postnatal nutrition, behavioral psychology, and holds additional certifications in perinatal mental health and fitness. Stephanie has been an advocate of the Whole30 program since 2010, using the program personally and professionally with her clients. She’s also the co-host of the “Doctor Mom” Podcast and the creator of Postpartum Reset, a virtual postpartum nutrition program and community. Stephanie is committed to building a community of parents who encourage each other and share their own experiences so they know they’re not alone and have resources to feel empowered.
Brad VanDyke
Brad’s journey with cooking began 7 years ago with his first Whole30. Excited to take on a new challenge, Brad began his own Instagram page which has transformed into both a creative outlet and platform to represent the LGBTQ+ community. Based in Portland, Oregon, Brad has spent the last seven years mastering the art of cooking and is now successfully running his own food blog and continues to conquer new frontiers in the culinary space.
Laura Black
Physical Therapist and Whole30 Certified Coach
Laura Black is a Physical Therapist and Whole30 Certified Coach in Houston, TX. She also has a degree in psychology and holds special certifications and training in areas of functional strength training, treatment of chronic and degenerative disease, orthopedic and neurologic impairment in the adult population. Her approach helps to bring people out of dependency and decline and give them back pieces of their life back through mobility. As a teacher, motivator and facilitator Laura equips and excites others to change their mindsets around food, find joy in a cleaner plate, heal their bodies and explore delicious real whole food without shame while claiming all the victories on and off the scale. Laura is also a busy mom of two amazing kids, Reagan and Brody. You can find her on Instagram @Whole30ptatx
Natalie Ohanessian
Whole30 Certified Coach
With a BS in Food Science from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Natalie Ohanessian began her career working for a large food company who focused on providing healthy food as their primary initiative. Intrigued with the world of wellness, she attended a yoga teacher training in Santa Monica, CA, where she became a certified bhakti yoga instructor. She continued to advance her career by graduating as a Certified Holistic Health Coach (CHHC), through the world's largest nutrition program, The Institute for Integrative Nutrition. In 2013, her business, Soul-bite, was launched. Soul-bite focuses on offering holistic nutrition and wellness coaching throughout Southern California and is dedicated to supporting its local community in sustainable, integrative wellness. Connect with Natalie via her website:
www.soul-bite.com
Laura Miner
Laura is the recipe creator behind the food blog Cook at Home Mom. She lives in Lynchburg, VA with her husband and three kids.
Priya Anavarathan and Deepshikha Ganjoo | Masala Paleo
Masala Paleo is the brainchild of Priya Anavarathan and Deepshikha Ganjoo, also known as Pri and Dee! We met virtually through a health and fitness community on Facebook and now we both are part of the amazing team that leads and runs the group. Spreading the love for fitness and nutrition to women in our community is a passion we feel very strongly about. We both ended up trying the Whole30 in our journey to heal our bodies through food. One suffering from PCOS while the other with an autoimmune disease called Hashimotos, we started being our own advocates and exploring how certain foods were affecting our bodies. The Whole 30 was an eye opening experience for us, and made us realize that eliminating certain foods from our diet helped us heal in ways that actual medicines couldn’t. Now we both are strong advocates of this food philosophy. Indian food is our soul food, so we have experimented and learnt how to make our soul food Whole 30 compatible. Through our food freedom, we also focus on gluten free Indian Food. During our Whole30, we realized there were very few resources out there for Whole30 India and Gluten Free food, so we decided to share what we learnt out through a lot of experimentation with you all. With Dee being from the very north of India and Pri being from the very south, we cover Indian recipes from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and everything in between. If you thought Whole30 Indian recipes were limited to just chicken tikka masala, you are in for a treat !
Ariane Resnick
Ariane Resnick is a special diet chef and certified nutritionist whose private chef clientele has included an array of celebrities. Ariane writes books and articles, and consults for individuals, brands, and chefs on nutrition, recipes, and wellness. She has been featured in media such as Forbes, CBS’ The Doctors, ABC News, and Cosmopolitan, and has written for platforms including HuffPost, Livestrong, and Simply Recipes. Ariane lives in Los Angeles, CA.
Irvin Lin
Irvin Lin established his nationally recognized blog Eat the Love in 2010. He is former graphic designer and art director turned IACP award-winning photographer, acclaimed food writer, experienced recipe developer, blue-ribbon baker, and in-demand public speaker. His blog was a finalist for the 2017 IACP Digital Media Award for Best Recipe Blog.Lin’s work has been featured in Best Food Writing 2014, Better Homes and Gardens, The Kitchn, Fine Cooking Magazine, O – Oprah magazine, Food 52, PBS Food, The Counter and the official Pinterest Blog. His first cookbook, Marbled, Swirled and Layered, was named one of the best baking cookbooks of 2016 by the New York Times. He is an ongoing contributor to Simply Recipes. He currently resides in San Francisco with his husband. When he’s not developing recipes or writing about food, he’s in the ceramic studio, making his own custom plates and props for his food photography.
VJ Reyes
VJ Reyes, also known as Ms. Panama, is a self-taught home cook from The Philippines that has been cooking rustic and hearty dishes since 2007. As a proud trans woman, banker and beauty queen, she uses food and knowledge to create passive income for organizations that she works with. Her passion in cooking grew while living in the streets of Manila, turning waste food to an appetizing meal to get through the day. Inspired by her history, and culinary mentors, she creates colorful and amazing Filipino dishes to maintain a healthy lifestyle and help her feel her best when competing in pageants.
Dr. Kirin Escher
Medical Degree (MD), Whole30 Certified Coach
Kirin Escher is a Family Medicine physician who serves underserved communities of Los Angeles, CA. She enjoys working with her patients focusing on creating healthy lifestyles to promote long-lasting health, happiness, and wellness. Both in medicine and as a Whole30 coach, she specializes in women's health and autoimmune conditions as she herself has an autoimmune disease and controls it with an anti-inflammatory diet and daily exercise. She also enjoys working with high school-aged children in underserved communities promoting the importance of eating the correct foods and exercising to prevent conditions such as diabetes and obesity. In her spare time, Kirin enjoys weightlifting and fulfilling her bucket list of hiking all sixty-three national parks.
Dr. Lippman-Barile
Clinical Psychologist, Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Hofstra University
Dr. Lippman-Barile is a licensed Clinical Psychologist and a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) who practices in New York. As a psychologist, Dr. Lippman-Barile specializes in treating anxiety and mood disorders, and she is an expert in treating Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related compulsive disorders. As a nutritional therapist, she specializes in treating blood sugar dysregulation, digestive health, and helping to improve mood using food and lifestyle modifications. Dr. Lippman-Barile intimately cares about the relationship between diet and mental health, and she applies evidence-based research in this field to optimize physical, mental, and emotional status. Dr. Lippman-Barile recently created a course called Building Mental Health that provides evidence based information about the lifestyle modifications and practices that influence and support mental health and well being. You can find more information about the course here: https://feed-your-mental.teachable.com/p/building-mental-health. Dr. Lippman-Barile holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Hofstra University and a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Certification. Dr. Lippman-Barile can be found on social media on instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn @feedyourmenta
Brian Kavanagh
Whole30 Contributor
Brian Kavanagh, also known as The Sophisticated Caveman, is a creative professional with a special place in his heart for food. After struggling with weight loss for years, he stopped counting calories and began to look at the ingredients in his food and where it was coming from. He believes that eating simple, clean, real food is universal. For more Whole30 recipes and meal ideas, check out his blog and follow him on Instagram.
Alex Snodgrass
Whole30 Contributor,Bachelor's Degree from Texas Christian University
Alex Snodgrass is a recipe developer, food stylist, health enthusiast, and founder of the popular blog and social media outlet The Defined Dish. Her first book, The Defined Dish, was an instant New York Times bestseller. Her recipes use clean ingredients and are known for being simple, easy, and full of flavor. In 2018 she was recognized as a finalist in the prestigious Saveur magazine Blog Awards in the category of “Most Inspired Weeknight Meals.” A graduate of Texas Christian University, she lives in Dallas with her husband and two young daughters.
Ashley Carter
Whole30 Contributor, BS in Dietetics, concentration in Health Informatics, Registered Dietician Nutritionist
Ashley and Jasmine are Co-Founders and Directors of EatWell Exchange, Inc. EatWell Exchange, Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that teaches low socioeconomic communities how to grow their own food, cook foods in a healthier manner and become more educated about their cultural foods. They find ways to help you continue to eat cultural foods but in a healthier manner, there’s no need to abandon cultural foods and swap them out for westernized alternatives. Together they teach communities how to make sustainable changes furthermore respecting and maintaining their culture. Over the past 3 years, they have educated over 4,010 people and fed over 2,137 including traveling to Grand Goave, Haiti for a mission trip in 2018 and initiating a community garden there that allows over 65 families to grow and harvest their own food. After learning more about the health disparities that communities of color were facing, it became their mission to decrease negative health outcomes using foods that are familiar and beneficial to them.
Meghan Fitzgerald
Whole30 Contributor, BA in English and Psychology,MS in Educational Leadership,Forest School leader
After 18 years as an educator, curriculum developer and school leader, Meghan has her dream gig—an entrepreneur/educator/mom who helps families everywhere, including hers, learn outside. Prior to Tinkergarten, Meghan worked as an Elementary School Principal, a Math/Science Specialist & and a teacher in public and private schools in NY, MA and CA. She earned a BA with majors in English and Psychology at Amherst College, an MS in Educational Leadership at Bank Street College, and was trained as a Forest School leader at Bridgwater College, UK. When she is with her kids, Meghan is that unapologetic mom who plays along with them in mud, dances in the pouring rain, and builds a darn good snow igloo with her bare hands.
Alexandra Sturgess
Whole30 Contributor, Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Alexandra Samuel-Sturgess is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 16 years of mental health experience. Alex is passionate about creating solutions to empower black women when it comes to better health care and birth outcomes. Alex is the founder of Spirited by Truth, a private practice located in Ontario, CA, and she specializes in perinatal mental health. Alexandra creates a safe space in her practice for black women to focus on their healing. Alex is the Postpartum Support International Coordinator for San Bernardino County and is a Black Maternal Mental Health Advocate.
Amy Hester
Whole30 Contributor, B.A. in Psychology from Alabama University, CrossFit L1
Amy Hester is a homeschooling mama of two girls. She is fascinated by and constantly researching all things health and wellness and loves every opportunity to geek out about what she has learned with anyone who will listen. Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Alabama and a CrossFit L1. She resides in Huntsville, Alabama, with her family. When she is not on the road driving her kids to activities she can be found drinking coffee, retrieving socks from her dog’s mouth, sweating at her local CrossFit box, cooking, listening to music, or watching college football.
Althea Brown
Masters in Public Administration
Althea Brown is a recipe developer and food blogger specializing in Guyanese and Caribbean food. She has a Masters in Public Administration and spent many years in Corporate Human Resources roles before taking time off to spend with her family. She spends most of her days recreating traditional Guyanese and Caribbean recipes into Whole30 recipes. She believes that culture and food traditions are important parts of your food journey. When she is not cooking up delicious meals for family and friends, she is caring for her three children and enjoying life in colorful Colorado.
Vickie Bhatia
Whole30 Contributor, M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, BA in Psychology, Certified Clinical Psychologist, Whole30 Certified Coach
Dr. Vickie Bhatia is a licensed clinical psychologist who has extensive specialized training in evidence-based treatments for a range of disorders, including depression, anxiety, trauma, disordered eating, and relationship dissatisfaction. In addition, she works with clients on issues such as self-esteem/self-worth, difficulty managing or coping with negative emotions, self-care, stress management, sleep difficulties, and coping skills (including emotional eating). As a Whole30 Coach, Dr. Bhatia helps individuals examine the relationship between physical and psychological health, and create meaningful and lasting change in their lives. Visit her at drvickiebhatia.com.
Ronny Lvoski
Whole30 Contributor, PhD in Art History
Ronny Joseph Lvovski is the author of The Primal Gourmet Cookbook, fully endorsed by Whole30. He is the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants and lives in Toronto with his wife, Catalina, and daughter, Sofia. In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with obesity, body image and failed diets, he began a health journey that rehabilitated his relationship with food and inspired his popular blog, CookPrimalGourmet.com, where he shares easy and delicious Paleo and Whole30 recipes. Ronny is a self-taught cook, photographer and food stylist. In 2018, he earned a PhD in Art History and Visual Culture, from York University, with a focus in Medieval Spanish Architecture.
