I've been a dietitian for more than 20 years and have focused on vegetarian nutrition for more than 15 years. My past work experience includes:

  • Nutrition instructor at Central Michigan University
  • Foods and nutrition specialist for the Michigan Cooperative  Extension Service, Michigan State University
  • Director of nutrition services for George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, DC
  • Nutritionist for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), Washington, DC.
  • Editor of the Vegetarian Nutrition and Health Letter, published for five years by the School of Public Health, Loma Linda University.

I've co-authored the two most recent versions of the American Dietetic Association's position on vegetarian diets and have written books on vegetarian diet for both consumers and health professionals. I've also written three vegan cookbooks. You can read more about my publications here.

Currently, I'm co-owner, with my husband Mark Messina, of Nutrition Matters, Inc, an international nutrition consulting company specializing in soyfoods nutrition. We run our business from a 1930s cottage on Washington State's wild and beautiful Olympic Peninsula–with views of water and snow-capped peaks. It's a very nice place to live and work!

When I'm not working, I love to garden and enjoy creating a little haven for wildlife on my property. I'm also president of the board of directors of my county animal welfare group and an enthusiastic volunteer for my local library. I have a particular passion for things of the past and I collect and sell vintage textiles through my ebay business UnderTheLilacs.