Sasha Silver MS, RDN
My Story: I went on my first diet at the age of 12. At the time, it was the “caveman diet,” otherwise known as a very low-carbohydrate diet. Ironically, I had all the tools to build a successful relationship with food. As the food provider in the family, my mother had a beautiful relationship with food. The house was stocked with nutrient dense foods and fun foods. No foods were off limits or in excess; it was a perfect balance. There was a balanced home-cooked, family meal nightly. There was no diet talk, fat phobia, or negative body image influences (ie instagram, facebook, etc) in my house. So how did I create such a dysfunctional relationship with food? How could I learn to create a more symbiotic relationship with food? This just goes to show, that it’s more than just the external factors that affect our relationships.
Education/Training: I started my young adult life wanting to be a teacher. I earned a BS in Child and Family Development from SDSU. I soon learned that while I always had a passion to be an educator, I wanted to educate in a different manner. After some soul searching, I found health and wellness. Selfishly, I wanted to know more about food and how it impacted my own body. I never expected this selfish motive to turn into a profound passion!
I started this new endeavor as a personal trainer in the fitness industry, while taking prerequisite courses on the road to become a registered dietitian. After completing my undergraduate degree in Nutrition and Dietetics from Point Loma Nazarene University, I knew it just wouldn’t be enough. I had a craving for this discipline and wanted more! I was accepted into the School of Allied Health at Loma Linda University, where I completed my Masters in Nutrition and Dietetics. After countless hours of studying for my exam, I became a registered dietitian (RD). Shortly after becoming a RD, I was given a once in a lifetime opportunity to work overseas. I packed my bags and moved to Amsterdam to work as a personal RD to a family with a young boy with Type 1 Diabetes. This year abroad, reinforced my food philosophy while substantiating my goals and objectives as a registered dietitian.
My Philosophy: My food philosophy involves creating a symbiotic relationship with food. We are individuals, and our nutritional needs are unique. We feed, fuel, and manage our bodies differently. The goal is twofold: managing our bodies efficiently/effectively and finding balanced nourishment to feed without restriction. Synergy is necessary to avoid feeling of defeat or succumbing to the many myths behind society’s view of “health.” It is imperative to create a sound relationship with food. Creating and defining this relationship can be challenging and time consuming. It is my goal and my pleasure to help people create, define, and nourish this relationship. I work with individuals and groups and, with my background in child development, I also work with families to help raise children with the tools and knowledge to build this symbiotic relationship.
