Event Planner's Kit

Zonya's Biography (long)

Zonya Foco, RD, CHFI, CSP
America's Nutrition Leader

Print-friendly version

Zonya Foco, America's Nutrition Leader, is on a mission to win the war on obesity, type-2 diabetes and heart disease. A master of inspiration, motivation and visual humor; Zonya reaches millions of people each year with a common-sense approach to healthy eating through her TV show, "Zonya's Health Bites," best-selling cookbook, Lickety-Split Meals for Health Conscious People on the Go!, co-authored health novel, Water with Lemon, and national speaking calendar.

In January 2008 Zonya joined Bob Greene on a national tour as a guest nutritionist and presenter for “Oprah & Bob’s Best Life Challenge,” providing entertaining and educational cooking presentations. As a nationally recognized expert on nutrition and wellness, Zonya has partnered with Health Alliance Plan (HAP) of Michigan to develop and present HAP’s award-winning Weight Wise program, launched in 2004.

As the only Registered Dietitian (RD) and Certified Health and Fitness Instructor (CHFI) in the country to have earned the prestigious Certified Speaking Professional (CSP) designation, her boundless energy inspires audiences across North America to stop dieting and start living the healthy life they deserve.

Before launching her speaking, writing and publishing career in 1994, Zonya received her bachelor's degree from Eastern Michigan University and then worked for eight years as a clinical nutritionist for the Michigan Heart and Vascular Institute at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor. It is from these clients that she discovered the need for a "countertop coach" cookbook and in 1998 wrote Lickety Split Meals for Health Conscious People on the Go, filled with easy recipes and healthy tips for everyday families. In 2008, Zonya reworked the recipes and tips and created Lickety-Split Diabetic Meals (published by American Diabetes Association) to help those with diabetes in their quest for a healthier, happier life.

In 2005, "Zonya's Health Bites" began making converts to healthy eating across the nation. This 30-minute program airing on public television incorporates smart grocery shopping and lively cooking segments with practical exercise.

Launching Water with Lemon in 2007, Zonya joined forces with novelist Stephen Moss to introduce a new genre–the health novel–bringing readers an inspiring story of personal transformation that teaches her eight core habits for mastering diet-free, guilt-free weight loss for life.

In addition to spreading the word through her own books and TV show, Zonya has appeared on local newscasts across the country, nationally-syndicated daytime talk shows and QVC. She has been published in the popular magazines Prevention, Today's Dietitian, Total Health, and Fast and Healthy Cooking.