If you’re here, it’s likely that you found me on Instagram or Threads, you heard about me on a podcast, or someone you trust told you about me. Regardless, I’m glad you’re here.

Professionally, most people know me as a neuronutritionist, nutritional psychology researcher, public scholar, educator, writer and founder of Saluto Health (formerly Neuronutrition Centers of America) and the National Academy of Neuronutrition. I’m also the host of the upcoming podcast Brain Fried, which shares the same title as my bi-weekly newsletter.

My work explores how the brain and body’s neurobiological response to stress, specifically in the contexts of trauma, grief, and burnout, influence nutritional behavior and our relationship with food.

In other words: I study, teach, and support others about how te stressful life experiences they’ve endured influences how, when, why, and what we eat.

I’m particularly interested in this topic within the population of people who experienced early childhood trauma and toxic stress as a result of abusive and neglectful caregivers, grew up in a food insecure household or food desert, were diagnosed with a chronic, autoimmune, or neuropsychological condition in their early-adulthood after a profound loss or major life transition, spent years struggling with disordered eating, an eating disorder, and/or chronic dieting while bouncing from doctor-to-doctor and supplement-to-supplement, were diagnosed with PTSD/CPTSD, autism, and/or ADHD in adulthood, and now, they find it incredibly challenging to eat well, feel safe existing in their body, and meet their nutritional needs.

Why this population? Because I’m part of it.

Personally, I’m a gay guy who is blind in my left eye, was born into poverty, grew up in a rural area, lived in a food desert, experienced textbook child abuse and neglect, and in my late-twenties, I discovered that I have CPTSD, ADHD, and am on the autism spectrum. I struggled in silence for over a decade with multiple eating disorders, severe depression, and OCD (despite “looking healthy” and fitting the bodily ideal for a good part of my life). Throughout my early childhood, I saw my family members die too soon and too young from mental and physical health challenges that they didn’t need to die from—because we never learned how to take care of ourselves or each other, and we didn’t have access to the care we actually needed.

So much of what I have done and continue to do is rooted in and originates from my life experiences. I have a genuine desire to prevent others (or at least mitigate the harm) from experiencing what I did, and this desire motivates my work.

I do not see myself as an expert who knows better than anyone else—I just know what I know and sometimes, that means I know more about a particular topic than others. I do not see myself as being in a position to tell anyone else what to do with their health, nutrition, or body—I would much rather serve as a guide, strategist, consultant, educator, facilitator, and source of support for people who would benefit from trauma-informed, neuro-affirming, and integrative collaboration, connection, and care.

Through my programs, trainings, and work with people one-on-one and in groups (which includes patient and practitioners alike,) I walk alongside others as they expand their capacity and curiosity for exploring how their life experiences have shaped their relationship with their health, their body, and food.

I know from my own experience how essential it is to have someone else witness, hold, and support you as you do this work. So if you choose to work or learn with me in any capacity, please know that I truly see it as an honor and privilege to the have opportunity to be someone that you’ve chosen to witness, hold, and support you.

I live with my partner, also named Timothy (we have five Timothys in our family) and our dog Fern in the Athens, Georgia area, on the occupied lands of the S’atsoyaha (Yuchi) people.