OUR EXPERTS
Bob Greene
Bob Greene is an exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer specializing in fitness, metabolism and weight loss. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Arizona and is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise. For nearly 30 years he has worked with clients and consulted on the design and management of fitness, spa, and sports medicine programs.
Greene has been working as a personal trainer to Oprah Winfrey for more than 15 years. He has since become a contributing editor for O the Oprah magazine, and writes articles on health and fitness for Oprah.com. He is also the bestselling author of The Best Life Diet Cookbook, The Best Life Diet, The Best Life Diet Daily Journal, Bob Greene's Total Body Makeover, Get with the Program!, The Get with the Program! Daily Journal, The Get with the Program! Guide to Good Eating, Make the Connection and Keep the Connection.
Janis Jibrin, M.S., R.D.
Best Life Lead Nutritionist
Janis Jibrin writes regularly for TheBestLife.com and oversees the accuracy of all diet and nutrition information on the site. She is also a contributing editor for SELF magazine, and freelances for other publications, such as Good Housekeeping, Men's Health, Natural Health and Prevention. In her private practice, she specializes in weight loss and eating disorders.
She's currently working on a diabetes management book with Bob Greene; her previous books include The Supermarket Diet and The Supermarket Diet Cookbook. Prior publications include The Unofficial Guide to Dieting Safely. Jibrin is a registered dietitian with a Master of Science in Nutrition; she received her training counseling children and teens at Georgetown University Hospital.
Stephanie Clarke
Best Life Nutritionist
Clarke is the co-owner of C&J Nutrition, a New York City-based nutrition counseling and communications practice where she advises clients on nutrition issues specializing in weight loss, prenatal and postnatal health, and family nutrition. She also works with the food industry and other organizations to effectively communicate nutrition information to the public. In addition to the articles and tips she contributes to TheBestLife.com, Clarke also writes for many national publications, such as Shape, Fitness, and Nutrition Today.
Sidra Forman
Best Life Chef
After brief careers as an attorney and a filmmaker, Sidra Forman opened a restaurant called Rupperts in Washington, D.C., with her husband and brother in 1994. The restaurant received much critical acclaim, but closed in 2002 to allow Forman and her partners to pursue other projects. Since then, Forman has been developing recipes for TheBestLife.com. She also runs a cut-flower business, designs and plants small urban and potted gardens, and continues to do restaurant consulting and food writing
Forman has contributed to The Best Life Diet and The Best Life Diet Cookbook. She cooks regularly for herself, her friends and family, and her daughter.
Tracy Olgeaty Gensler, M.S., R.D.
Best Life Nutritionist
Tracy Olgeaty Gensler is the author of Probiotic and Prebiotic Recipes for Health, and the co-author of The Anti-Aging Fitness Prescription. She has collaborated on eight other books, including two New York Times bestsellers. Gensler has been spokesperson for CocoaVia, MilkPEP, and The Florida Department of Citrus. She has appeared on numerous television programs and radio programs. Tracy holds a Bachelor of Science in clinical nutrition from Syracuse University, a Master of Business Administration from Marymount University and an Master of Science in Nutrition Education from Rosalind Franklin University/The Chicago Medical School.
Michelle Hering, M.S.
Best Life Fitness Expert
Michelle Hering is a certified exercise specialist in Post Surgery Breast Cancer. She is also certified with the National Strength and Conditioning Association. She specializes in weight management and eating behaviors, and has contributed to the development of the exercise program for SEEC/VIA, a nonprofit group providing services for adults with developmental disabilities. Hering is currently working with the National Institutes of Health researching the effects of aerobic exercise on people with Pulmonary Hypertension. She holds a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology from George Washington University.
Willow Jarosh, M.S., R.D.
Best Life Nutritionist
Willow Jarosh is the co-owner of C&J Nutrition, a nutrition counseling and consulting practice in New York City that recently designed the nutrition curriculum for the Wounded Warrior Project's TRACK program, an integrated program that offers college preparatory classes and services to wounded soldiers to help them build career skills and continue recovery toward a more independent life. In addition to responding to member quesitons and contributing articles to TheBestLife.com, Jarosh writes for publications like SELF, Nick Jr., Good Housekeeping, and Crain's New York.
Heather K. Jones, R.D.
Best Life Nutritionist
Heather Jones is a publishing professional with more than seven year's experience working for the acclaimed Nutrition Action Healthletter, the nation's largest circulation health newsletter, published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Jones is an accomplished health journalist with numerous articles published in healthy-living magazines, such as SELF and Fitness Magazine. Jones is also the author of the upcoming book What's Your Diet Type? and the e-book The Grocery Cart Makeover (www.grocerycartmakeover.com).
Michael Scholtz, M.A.
Best Life Fitness Expert
Michael Scholtz has a Master of Arts in Exercise Physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He worked at the Duke University Diet and Fitness Center in Durham North Carolina from 1991 to 2001, including 3 years as fitness director. In 2001 Michael co-founded NOVO Wellness, a company dedicated to helping companies and individuals find a new path to weight loss through consulting and coaching. He is certified by the American Council on Exercise, the National Strength and Conditioning Association and the National Academy of Sports Medicine, and is also a licensed wellness coach and faculty member with Wellcoaches Inc.
OUR EDITORIAL TEAM
Donna Fennessy
Best Life Editor
Donna Fennessy has been writing about health, nutrition, diet, fitness and other lifestyle issues for nearly 10 years. Prior to working as editor of TheBestLife.com, she held various positions at SELF magazine; most recently, she served as their senior nutrition editor. Fennessy received her Master of Science in Journalism from Boston University in 2000. She also freelances for several magazines, including More, Parenting, Real Simple and Fitness.
Liz Plosser
Best Life Editor
Liz Plosser is a senior editor at Time Out Chicago. Before moving to Chicago, Plosser lived in New York City, where she held various editorial positions at SELF Magazine. In addition to writing for TheBestLife.com, Plosser also freelances for Women's Health, Runner's World, Prevention and SELF. Plosser graduated from Princeton University in 2001 with a degree in English. She has run nine
marathons, and recently completed a Half-Ironman triathlon.