About Our Founder

 Dr. Elsa Ramirez-Brisson is a registered dietitian and active member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior. Her professional expertise is in Food Service Management, Gerontology and Childhood Obesity with a research focus in Cultural Foods and Culture especially in the Mexican American population. Her professional interest were inspired  by her culture and upbringing in West Texas and Northern Mexico & New Mexico. She is fluent in Spanish and learned German while living there. She is an Alum of the University Of Maryland College Park, M.P.H.; University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; and Walden University, Minneapolis Minnesota, Ph.D.  She considers herself blessed  to teach nutrition surrounded by the Salad Bowl of the United States and the moderate climate of the Central Coast. 

Our History

Food FUNdamentals was founded with a a diveristy grant to promote heart healthy lifestyle for Mexican Americans from the American Heart Association.  Food FUNdamentals became a familiar location for food service workers  and others to find certification exams and information about food safety, recipe support and wellness. Gaps in services have always been our go to services. Dr. Brisson had a career in public health and education while growing Food FUNdamentals and in 2019 it is the focus of her work.   Since her college days in Maryland, Dr. Brisson has beleived in the power of the internet to pursue education and services, in 1996 she founded the volunteer web site, www. dietitian.org  for the California Detietic Assoication. It was the third website dedicated to dietitians in the nation. Today, she continues in this direction with video conferencing to allow persons with limited transportation and time constraints to recieve services in English and Spanish.