Meet Our Spokespeople

Since its inception in 1982, the Academy's Spokesperson program has been instrumental in bringing the Academy's messages of healthful eating and nutrition to millions of Americans each year via every form of news media — print, broadcast and digital.

The Academy's landmark volunteer Spokesperson program advances the Academy's mission and goals; increases the public's knowledge of food, nutrition and health; establishes the registered dietitian nutritionist as the public's best source for nutrition information; and increases the overall visibility of the dietetics profession and the Academy.

Academy spokespeople are skilled at speaking with the media and excel in translating nutrition science into information consumers can easily understand. To contact an Academy spokesperson, call Meghan Tisinger at 703-215-5761 or email the Media Relations team.

Recent Media Highlights: Our Experts in the News

Each week the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokespeople are interviewed for features in news articles about dietetics and nutrition. Sample published articles showcase this valuable knowledge:

• April 10, 2025, Chicago Health Magazine: "Precision Diets"
  • Discusses the emerging area of precision nutrition, which focuses on understanding metabolic differences among individuals and uses a person’s genetics, microbiome and metabolic profile in making targeted nutrition recommendations. Features Jen Bruning, who says the individualized nutrition recommendations within the precision model also work off tech advances such as artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize personalized nutrition and health outcomes.
• April 9, 2025,Verywell Health: "Artificial Sweeteners May 'Trick' Your Brian and Make You Hungrier, Study Finds"
  • Discusses study published in Nature Medicine that found sucralose can increase activation in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that helps regulate appetite. Features Sandra Arevalo, who advises having no more than one or two sucralose-sweetened drinks per day or limiting consumption to when you experience cravings for sweets. She also advises adding lemon or lime slices, mint, cucumber slices or berries to water for flavor or sweetness.
• March 19, 2025,Washington Post: "Eating Raw Spinach to Curb Snacking? Here's Why Experts Say It May Help"
  • Discusses ongoing social media trend of eating a handful of raw spinach in the morning and says, according to experts, spinach has enormous health advantages and may help hamper hunger, but there is no scientific evidence to suggest people should scarf it down. Features Theresa Gentile, who says while raw spinach has more lutein and vitamin C, cooked spinach better brings out the bioavailability of other vitamins; also, there are many factors that affect nutrient content, such as soil condition, length of storage, cooking method and cooking time.
• February 3, 2025,U.S. News & World Report: “Best Nutrients and Foods to Eat When Pregnant”
  • Discusses the importance of a healthy diet before and during pregnancy to support baby’s growth and development, and lists the top 11 nutrients for pregnancy. Features Jamie Mok, who says supplements like prenatal vitamins complement a healthy diet, but they don’t replace it.
• January 3, 2025, U.S. News & World Report: “9 Great Foods to Lower High Blood Pressure”
  • Discusses links between diet and high blood pressure risk and lists nine foods recommended by the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, such as avocados, beans, berries, beets, dark leafy greens, fatty fish, nuts and seeds, sweet potatoes and watermelon. Features Grace Derocha, who says most American adults eat more than 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day, and speaks to the nutrient content of beans, nuts and seeds, all of which support vascular relaxation and reduce blood pressure.
• December 27, 2024, Yahoo! Life: “There’s a trick for building muscle as you age”
  • Examines the importance of building and maintaining muscle mass at any phase of life and shares tips to help slow the decline of muscle mass as we age, including how to measure and consume enough protein and how to incorporate muscle-strengthening activities in weekly workout routines. Features Yasi Ansari, who says protein needs can depend on personal levels of exercise, gender, activity, health status, age, protein type, amount and quality.
• November 21, 2024,USA Today: “Blueberries are often called a 'superfood.' Here's why.”
  • Discusses the health benefits of blueberries, including their biotin, fiber, vitamins C and K, manganese, anthocyanins and calcium content, but says people with sensitive stomachs or digestive conditions such as IBS should watch how much they consume to avoid symptoms like stomach pain, constipation and cramping. Features Caroline Susie, who says blueberries are a blood-sugar friendly food, a nutrition powerhouse and easily portable for people on the go, and notes that in the U.S., the main types of blueberries are northern highbush, southern highbush, rabbiteye, lowbush and half-high.
• October 15, 2024, New York Times: “Is Bone Broth Really Brimming With Health Benefits?”
  • Segment aims to address potential bone broth benefits, explaining there is limited research on how bone broth may affect joint health, gut inflammation and skin health or appearance. Features Amy Bragagnini, who says store-bought bone broths can be high in sodium, so read nutrition labels carefully; also says bone broth is a good source of protein that’s easy on the stomach, making it helpful for hydration and nourishment while sick or lacking appetite.
• September 20, 2024,VeryWell Health, "This Micronutrient Might Hold the Secret to a Longer Life, Study Suggests"
  • Discusses benefits of selenium for healthy aging and protecting against heart disease risk, as well as daily intake recommendations and food sources; features Vanessa King, who offers insights and recommendations and says selenium helps with cell growth and thyroid function and is known to boost our immune function.