Lisa Ota

About Lisa

Lisa Ota, RD, MPH, MA

My message about the unbreakable links between the divine and food is the result of over twenty years of academic, professional and personal exploration. While the nutritional value as well as the pure delight of food have always been important and interesting to me, I've struggled with the fact that food is fraught with such anxiety for so many of us. I've wondered for years how something so basic could be the source of so many obsessions and inequities, small and large, and I'm confident that I've found a way to nurture our collective thinking on these issues.

As my own faith in the divine has grown, I've come to understand the significant changes we can make within ourselves and on earth by believing that food is a sacred gift from God. It is my aim to help you, the daily reader and the occasional web surfer, sift through the fad diets, the conflicting nutritional information, and the many options found on store shelves today. Together, we will create a more profound reason for nourishing our bodies and souls while caring for the earth.

My Qualifications
A Registered Dietitian with degrees in Nutritional Sciences, Public Health Nutrition, and Culture and Creation Spirituality, I am highly and uniquely qualified to help us understand our dynamic relationship with food. I have developed wellness programs for various non-profit organizations, governmental agencies, and corporations, including Safeway and Pacific Bell. Amongst my favorite projects was the direction of the first statewide distribution of UC Berkeley's The Wellness Guide to over one million English- and Spanish-speaking participants in California's Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program. Over the years, I have enjoyed giving countless presentations on a wide range of health-related topics and have led over 100 grocery store tours, including one with Dr. Nancy Snyderman for KPIX Channel 5 News.

Lisa loves salsa!

I currently serve on The Wellness Letter Fund Advisory Committee at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health and as Education Coordinator for The California Nutrition Council. A member of The California Dietetic Association and The American Dietetic Association, I participate in the following practice groups: Hunger and Environmental Nutrition, Vegetarian Nutrition, Food and Culinary Professionals, and Nutrition Entrepreneurs. I am also a member of the Slow Food Movement.

I am a proud native of the San Francisco Bay Area. When I'm not cooking, gardening, walking, reading, scrapbooking, or enjoying time with family and friends, you'll likely find me on the dance floor!

Contact Lisa for more information.

Education and Professional Training
Bachelor of Science with High Honors

University of California, Berkeley, 1987
Nutrition and Clinical Dietetics

Master of Public Health with High Honors

University of California, Berkeley, 1990
Public Health Nutrition

Master of Arts

Holy Names College, Oakland, 1996
Culture and Creation Spirituality

Registered Dietitian

American Dietetic Association, 1987-present

Special Studies

Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, 1993-94

Seton Medical Center

Assessed, implemented, and documented nutritional care for broad spectrum of patients. Provided patient counseling with emphasis on cardiac care.

Stanford Hospital Clinical Research Center

Designed three day research diet for a study relating carbohydrate intake to triglyceride levels in diabetics.

Doctors Hospital

Provided individual dietary counseling to outpatients regarding heart disease, weight loss, diabetes and hypertension. Designed and taught nutrition classes to cardiac rehabilitation groups.

Awards & Honors

Nutrition Fellowship, Better Health Foundation, San Francisco

Public Health Alumni Scholarship, University of California, Berkeley

Stacey and Walsh Awards — Honorable Mention

Lydia J. Roberts Fellowship in Public Health Nutrition, American Dietetic Association

Golden Key National Honor Society

Certificate of Appreciation, American Heart Association

Nutritional Sciences Departmental Citation Award University of California, Berkeley

Cambridge Who's Who, Hall of Fame>>