FOOD SAVED ME INSTITUTE

Nutrition Science You Can Trust

The world of nutrition is complicated and, often, confusing. Our team of experts sifts through all of the research and converts complicated nutrition science into practical strategies that you can easily implement at home, 

Our Medical Advisory Board

Dr. Niraj Mehta, DO Helical Health
Medical Advisory Board Member
Dr. Mehta, a Central Texas native, moved to Fort Worth for medical training and has called it home since 1996. After completing his internal medicine residency, he co-founded a successful practice in 2004, serving the community for over a decade. In 2016, he shifted focus to hospital care, treating the sickest patients. Missing the deep patient relationships from private practice, he founded Helical Health, a practice dedicated to personalized, hassle-free care that emphasizes listening to patients and balancing treatment risks and benefits,options and, most importantly, strengthening the patient-physician relationship.Online learning and training have become an essential part of our society. LearnWorlds is one of the top platforms to create and sell online courses.
Dr. Renata Joffe, MD
Medical Advisory Board Member
Dr. Renata Joffe is a board-certified dermatopathologist with over 15 years of experience. After completing her residency in dermatology and practicing in Copacabana, Brazil, she was invited to work alongside Dr. Bernard Ackerman, a world-renowned dermatopathologist based in New York City. Her interest in identifying and helping solve complex skin diseases led her to Columbia University, where she completed a residency in Pathology followed by a fellowship and board certification in dermatopathology. Her current areas of interest are skin cancers, inflammatory skin disorders, and infectious diseases. 
Dr. Joffe is an active member of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), the American Society of Dermatopathology (ASDP), and the International Society of Dermatopathology (ISDP), where she is the current Director of the Free Communications Sessions. Dr. Joffe has published numerous articles including co-authoring The Sun and The Epidemic of Melanoma: Myth on Myth with Dr. Bernard Ackerman.
Dr. Joffe is fluent in Portuguese, English, and Italian. In her spare time, Dr. Joffe enjoys traveling with her family, rock climbing, yoga, volunteering, and lifestyle medicine.
Dr. Alpa Nick, MD, MS
Medical Advisory Board Member
Dr. Alpa M. Nick, MD, MS, is a highly accomplished gynecologic oncologist with specialized expertise in treating cancers of the female reproductive system. She is board-certified in both Gynecologic Oncology and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Dr. Nick completed her fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, where she also earned a Master of Science in Cancer Biology. Her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology was at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she served as Chief Resident.Dr. Nick’s numerous accolades include being named Living Magazine’s Best Oncologist in Katy & Fulshear in 2024, and she has received prestigious awards like the Horace E. Thompson, M.D., Award for Excellence in Obstetrics and Gynecology and the Trainee Excellence Award at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is a fellow of The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and an active member of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Society of Gynecologic Oncology.With extensive experience as a gynecologic oncologist in both academic and clinical settings, Dr. Nick is committed to providing comprehensive, compassionate care to women battling gynecologic cancers. She has held faculty positions at MD Anderson and served patients in Nashville, TN, from 2016 to 2022.

Our Nutrition Experts & Supporting Team Members

Katherine Lawrence, BCAS
President & Founder
Katherine Lawrence, founder of FSMI, is a globally recognized nutritionist with 17+ years of expertise in plant-based nutrition and disease prevention. Certified by Stanford Medicine, Cornell, and Harvard, and a Board Certified Autism Specialist, she has worked alongside Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Neal Barnard, featuring in Dr. Barnard’s books.After reversing her own stage 4 endometriosis through plant-based nutrition, Katherine became dedicated to educating others. She has taught over 30,000 students and built a multi-million-dollar business through her engaging nutrition classes on topics like Sleep, Sex, and Food Addiction.In 2022, Katherine founded the Food Saved Me Institute, offering a host of online and in-person nutrition education programs along with a Certified Nutrition Instructor program. The program provides turn-key curriculums, teaching tools, and business strategies to help others promote WFPB nutrition while building successful ventures.

Learn more at www.KatherineLawrence.com
Patricia Thomson, PhD
Chief Executive Officer
Patricia R. Thomson, Ph.D. (Dr. T), is a certified nutritionist and expert in plant-based nutrition, medicinal plants, and nonprofit management. She holds a Ph.D. in Biological Sciences, with a focus on toxicology. Dr. T is the author of  WFPB20 and the Food as Medicine Five Day Lifestyle Plan. Dr. T co-founded major events such as The Best Plant-Based Conference Ever! and the Virtual Food as Medicine Summit which featured dozens of nutrition and wellness experts from around the world. She has over 25 years of nonprofit leadership and has taught 1000s of individuals about healthy nutrition and wellness lifestyles, Her expertise extends to chronic disease prevention, nutrition for neurodivergent individuals, and wellness education.  She is a board member of the Capital Region Vegan Network.
Clif Palmberg
Director of Engineering
Clif Palmberg is a technologist residing in Ft. Worth, Texas. His skills in technology and leadership have been honed working for enterprise-level companies in banking, law enforcement, publishing and commercial real estate. 
He is passionate about servant leadership and delivering quality technology products through an agile mindset. He's held roles of Project Manager, Senior Scrum Master and Product Owner. 
Palmberg has owned multiple small businesses and has well-practiced entrepreneurial acumen.
Palmberg is a graduate from Kansas State University with a degree in print journalism and minor in computer science. He also has certifications related to SAFe, AWS Cloud Computing, Scrum Master, Product Owner and executive leadership training through Harvard School of Continuing Education
Dana Thornburg
Communications
Dana Thornburg brings over 20 years of experience in leading global marketing strategies and is a Certified Holistic Health Coach. Dana helps strengthen the FSMI brand by developing creative solutions to engage both students and nutritionists. Her previous roles include leading global brand strategy teams to help drive growth in multiple markets and expand brand awareness to new consumers. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts & Science from the University of North Texas with fields of study in marketing, public affairs & community service. In 2017, Dana went on to receive her Holistic Health Coach certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. However, her biggest accomplishment is being a mother to her two sons, Easton and Jace, and golden doodle, Lilly. She is excited to support the Food Saved Me Institute family and bring her passion for nutrition and marketing led lead-generation strategies to truly help make a difference in local communities.
Julia Pasqueda
Education
A Texas native, born and raised in Keller, Julia graduated from The University of North Texas with a Bachelors in Biology, Business and Communication with a Marketing minor. She is also certified in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University and is a Certified Nutrition Instructor from the Food Saved Me Institute. Most recently, she has completed her Art Therapy Certification. An awarded sales professional and entrepreneur, Julia loves being involved in her community and was the 2024 Leadership Grapevine Class Valedictorian, Grapevine Chamber Rising Star Award Nominee, serves on the Grapefest & Main Street Fest Steering Committees, and was awarded Volunteer of the Year by Grapevine’s Mayor Tate. Her passion for serving others and talent for creativity helps to expand FSMI’s empowering and educational nutrition and wellness programs.
Julia daSilva
Marketing Intern
Julia is a senior in high school who wants to major in nutritional science this next fall! She loves to cook, crochet, volunteer, and hang out with friends. She has been a member of student council for the last two years, and has gained some skills in graphic design over that time. She is excited to bring those skills to FSMI to help promote its mission of sharing nutrition information to improve health and wellness.

Business Advisor

Rachel Brown currently serves as a Board Member for FSMI. She has over 20 years of experience in multi-billion-dollar Programs and Operations leadership. Despite working for a large Fortune 500 company, she is passionate about Strategy and Entrepreneurship as well as nutrition, which has brought her to FSMI. Her experience and leadership abilities along with her MBA (Master of Business Administration) have allowed her to provide guidance and stewardship for FSMI. She is dedicated to helping develop ways to scale the Institute to impact and save many lives, especially in many underserved communities.
Rachel Brown
Board of Directors Member

Our Mission

...

Food Saved Me Institute's mission is to take complicated nutrition research, simplify it, and bring it to the community....

A thriving community

20,000 students and counting

“Through FSMI, I learned several influential ways we can help ourselves to become healthier by using food as our tool of choice. You will learn which foods to consume that contain antioxidants and which ones help to promote a healthier lifestyle.
DAMITA C.
"This is a game-changing course...From the depth & sincerity of the education to the deliciousness of every plant-based meal, you will be empowered to own your health in ways that will impact generations to come. It's a class that will open your eyes, touch your heart & change your life."
JP M.
“Taking this class series is one of the best and life-changing things I have ever done - I am now a real believer!" 
ALICE S.
516 E Byron Nelson Blvd, #2071 Roanoke, TX 76262
Phone number: 817-269-8638
Copyright © 2024  Food Saved Me, LLC. All Rights Reserved.