About Marla Heller, MS, RD

Marla Heller is a Registered Dietitian, and holds a Master of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) where she completed doctoral course work in public health, specializing in Behavior Sciences and Health Promotion.

Marla is experienced in a wide variety of nutrition counseling specialties. She has been an adjunct clinical instructor in the Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics at UIC, teaching courses on food science and nutrition counseling, and has also taught at Dominican University, National-Louis University, and the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago (a chef-training school).

She has been on the advisory board for Chicago Health & Beauty magazine. She has been a civilian dietitian with the US Navy, in the Population Health department at Naval Hospital Great Lakes, north of Chicago, where she counseled active duty military, their dependents, and military retirees.

In addition to The DASH Diet Action Plan, Marla contributed the 4-week menu plan for Win the Weight Game by Sarah, the Duchess of York, and Weight Watchers Publishing, and wrote the healthy eating chapter in the recently published book, "I Always Start My Diet on Mondays!" by Janice Alpert.

She has been a featured nutrition expert for the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, the Daily Herald, Pioneer Press, Chicago Health & Beauty, Daily Herald, WGN-AM and WNUR-FM.

She frequently speaks at corporations, schools, health clubs, and athletic facilities. She has been a spokesperson for the Greater Midwest Affiliate of the American Heart Association.

She is a Past-President of the Illinois Dietetic Association, and is a Past President of the North Suburban Dietetic Association. She was recently awarded the prestigious Emerging Leader Award from the Illinois Dietetic Association.

Marla was diagnosed with high blood pressure in May of 2003 (blood pressure 145/95). Since that time she has managed to lower her blood pressure by following the DASH diet and exercising. Marla lives the program that is featured in her book, The DASH Diet Action Plan.

Educational Background:

• MS in Human Nutrition and Dietetics from the University of Illinois at Chicago
• Doctoral coursework at University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health (current)
• Dietetic Internship: Hines VA Hospital
• Didactic Program in Dietetics: Dominican University
• BA from Illinois Wesleyan University
• Registered Dietitian, Licensed for Practice in the State of Illinois
• Culinary Training at Kendall College, Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago, Santa Fe School of Cooking, and the Cordon Bleu.
• Professional Food Writers' Symposium at the Greenbrier.
• Advanced Clinical Pediatric Obesity Training.
• Expert Partners in Practice, a pediatric nutrition educational program (Marla was one of 9 dietitians nation-wide selected by the American Dietetic Association Foundation for advanced training in childhood obesity and infant feeding, in 2002.)
• Ellyn Satter's Treating the Dieting Casualty.