Our Team
Miriam Kalamian, EdM, MS, CNS
Miriam is the Dietary Therapies Team Leader for those with a cancer diagnosis.
Miriam is a nutrition consultant, educator, speaker and author specializing in the implementation of ketogenic therapies. She earned her Master’s in Education from Smith College and her Master’s in Human Nutrition from Eastern Michigan University. She is board certified in nutrition (CNS®) by the Board for Certification of Nutrition Specialists. Miriam is a leading voice in the keto movement and a frequent presenter at scientific conferences and events. Read her full CV here.
Miriam’s passion for helping others implement a ketogenic diet evolved naturally from her personal experience. In December of 2004, her young son Raffi was diagnosed with a brain tumor. After two years of treatment, it was painfully clear that even the best of conventional care couldn’t stop the relentless progression of his disease. At this critical juncture, she discovered Dr. Thomas Seyfried’s groundbreaking research supporting the use of the ketogenic diet in cancer. This key unlocked a door to a new understanding of cancer’s origin and a new paradigm for treatment that elevates the role of foods in treatment and healing.
Unfortunately, these new understandings around the role of nutrition came with a heaping helping of misinformation, some of it well-meaning but all of it adding layers of fear and confusion in Miriam’s mind. The big question: Would this diet help her son? And if so, could she implement it without harming him further? Backed into this corner, she made the fateful decision to move forward with the minimal amount of information and support she could cobble together on short notice. That decision was life-altering, for Miriam as well as for Raffi.
In 2012, Miriam founded Dietary Therapies LLC. Her passion, then and now, is to offer evidence-based guidance and loving support to others who are experiencing the same agonizing doubts and fears that she had to work through on her own.
Meg Hughey, MS, CNS, LDN, RN
Meg is a Certified Nutrition Specialist® and Oncology Registered Nurse focusing on the intersection of cancer and nutrition. A graduate of the University of Maryland School of Nursing and Maryland University of Integrative Health, Meg holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nutrition. Meg’s calling to care for others began at a young age when she served as an Emergency Medical Technician at her local fire department and then as a Registered Nurse at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Under the guidance of Medical Oncologist, Dr. Frederick P. Smith, MD, Meg became an expert in administering chemotherapeutic and immunologic agents to cancer patients. During this time, she discovered the growing need of high-level personalized nutrition therapy for those with cancer.
Motivated to help bridge the gap between conventional therapies and integrative practices — while also navigating the challenges of her husband’s cancer diagnosis — Meg began her clinical nutrition studies. To further her practical experience in functional medicine, Meg joined the Capital Integrative Health team, where she helped pioneer IV Nutrition Therapy protocols for those experiencing cancer, including high dose intravenous vitamin C.
Today, as the Founder of MLH Nutrition Counseling, Meg delivers personalized and complementary nutrition support to cancer patients. Meg’s goal and mission is to ensure that nutrition therapy becomes an addition to the standard of care for cancer diagnoses in the United States.
Martha Tettenborn, RD, PCH
Martha Tettenborn is a Registered Dietitian (RD: licensed in Ontario, Canada) with over 30 years of experience in clinical nutrition. Her conventional career path has centered on providing nutritional support for residents in long-term care; however, over the past 15 years, Martha’s personal approach to nutrition was more in line with low-carb and ancestral patterns, leading to her certification as a Primal Health Coach. She has also completed the training in the Nutrition Network’s Low Carb High Fat (LCHF) for Dietitians program.
When Martha was 18 years old, she lost her mother following a 10-year struggle with metastatic breast cancer. This experience played a huge role in Martha’s decision to enter the field of health care. Then in 2018, Martha was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She knew that if she wanted a better-than-standard outcome, she had to go beyond what was offered in standard-of-care treatment: that sparked her exploration of the intersection of nutrition and cancer cell metabolism. Soon, she had pulled together a personal protocol that combined ketogenic nutrition with targeted therapeutic fasting that protected normal cells from the expected side effects of toxic chemotherapy. Impassioned by her own journey, Martha brings kickass strength, wisdom, and self-love as a cancer doula to those on a similar path. As she writes in her book, Hacking Chemo, her goal for you (as it was for her) is to live your best life from this moment on.
A cancer thriver since 2018, Martha comes to the Dietary Therapies team ready to help you with your many questions as you step into your own journey with keto and therapeutic fasting.
Chiara Visconti di Modrone,
MS, CNS, CKNS
Chiara Visconti di Modrone came to the nutrition space after reevaluating her original career path. After earning her BA in Art History from Brown University, she had committed to managing a small biodynamic family winery and agricultural business in Italy. It was during this time that Chiara lost her brother to cancer, and soon after, both of her parents succumbed to cardiovascular disease. These tragic losses spurred her to take on a new path of self-study that led her towards nutrition and metabolic health.
That step led to the next and soon Chiara was pursuing a Master of Nutrition degree at Maryland University of Integrative Health. Here, Chiara saw opportunities to reduce the burden of disease that degrades both healthspan and lifespan. Further study led to credentials as a Certified Nutrition Specialist® and Certified Ketogenic Nutrition Specialist®. Eager to share her knowledge, she founded Intuitas Integrative Wellness, a private practice focused on improving women’s metabolic health.
As is often the case, learning begets more learning. It was the desire to acquire even more tools that inspired Chiara to complete several courses of study on the role that genetics and epigenetics contributes to overall health and wellness. As a member of the Dietary Therapies team, Chiara brings her ever-expanding foundation of support, including a “peek behind the curtain” on genetics, to clients or their family members whose eyes are opened (as hers have been) to the pressing need for prevention. Click here to learn more about her Metabolic Health services for new clients.
Beth McNally, MS, CNS, CKNS, LDN
Beth’s journey with nutrition began in 2015 when her 9-year-old son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She quickly learned that the standard of care was deeply flawed and essentially blind to the role that carbohydrate reduction could play in building a better future for her son. Stepping outside that box and into the low-carb community ignited her passion for driving meaningful change, empowering others with T1D to live a quality life fueled by optimal nutrition.
Beth earned her Certified Nutrition Specialist® credential after completing her Master of Science in Nutrition & Integrative Health. She then went on to earn the American Nutrition Association's Certified Ketogenic Nutrition Specialist certification.
At home and at work, Beth has seen for herself how powerful nutrition therapy is in improving quality of life for people with Type 1 diabetes (and their families). To that end, she has launched T1D Nutrition, providing education on the best evidence-based practices supporting normalization of blood glucose.
Nalan Lawson,
MS, CNS, LDN, NBC-HWC
As a teenager, Nalan lost her mother to breast cancer. That experience drove her deep desire to learn more about the nutrition and lifestyle factors that contributed to her mother’s early death- but it would be several more years before she began a formal study. First came a BA in History/Minor in Women’s Studies, then time spent working in banking. From there, she went on to teach English in Turkey (her mother’s country of birth) while also managing studio work for a famous U.S. death metal drummer! All this while simultaneously completing her Master of Science degree in Nutrition and Integrative Health from the Maryland Institute of Integrative Health.
With her growing toolbox of skills, Nalan has provided nutrition education and coaching for Noom where she excelled in supporting behavior change and mental wellness in her clients. To date, Nalan has earned credentials as a Certified Nutrition Specialist, Licensed Dietician Nutritionist, and Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach. Despite an already full plate, she is on track to earn certification as a Registered Dietician (RD).
Nalan brings her extensive experience and genuine caring to our clients here at Dietary Therapies. Learn more about how she can support you in your journey here.
Disclaimer: We are a strong team of dedicated professionals with a wide range of experience and credentials in health-related fields. At Dietary Therapies LLC, we practice as nutrition educators and coaches. We do not diagnose or treat disease and our services are not a substitute for medical consultation. There is no guarantee, express or implied, that the information we provide is safe, effective or appropriate for your needs now or in the future. Talk to your medical team before making any changes to your diet or lifestyle.