Meet The Nutrition for Optimal Performance Team
OWNER & FOUNDER
Theresa DeLorenzo
Dr. DeLorenzo has been a Registered Dietitian (RD) since 2001. She received her Bachelor in Science in Food Science and Dietetics from the University of Rhode Island and her Master of Science and Doctorate of Clinical Nutrition from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. She has worked in a variety of academia settings, including her current position as Adjunct Professor at Russell Sage College in SUNY Oneonta, Program Director at Logan University as Director of Master of Science in Nutrition, and Human Performance and the Master of Science in Applied Nutrition and Dietetics.
In addition to dietetics, Dr. DeLorenzo is a 200 hour trained yoga teacher and is currently obtaining her certification in yoga therapy with an emphasis on improving body image. She teaches online yin yoga and power yoga and provides yoga therapy for clients with anxiety, body dysmorphia, and pain.
As owner and founder of Nutrition for Optimal Performance, Dr. DeLorenzo works with athletes to help them to make sure they are eating the correct proportion of macro and micro-nutrients to perform their best. She also helps athletes come up with a race day nutrition and hydration plan to feel and race as good as possible. Looking to lose or gain weight or improve your gastrointestinal health? Dr. DeLorenzo can help with this as well. Dr. DeLorenzo is a former gymnast and diver and currently spends her spare time running and training for the next marathon while also staying flexible with her own yoga practice. While not working or exercising, you will find Dr. DeLorenzo cooking or creating a new recipe.
Dr. DeLorenzo speaks at local, national, and international conferences on how to help people find their own healthy by speaking about her story and the dangers of restriction.
NUTRITION TEAM
Gabriella Rao
Gabby is a Registered Dietitian experienced in private practice and biotech. She graduated with her Masters in Nutrition from Tufts University in 2022 and completed her dietetic internship at Bastyr University in Seattle, WA in 2024.
As an avid runner and RRCA-certified running coach, Gabby works with athletes in private practice, helping to guide both their nutrition and training. One of her major ambitions in entering the field of Nutrition and Dietetics is to refute the misinformation spread by diet culture, such as the idea that leanness begets faster race times. Gabby aspires to help athletes understand the importance of nutrition in reaching their greatest athletic potential, and more importantly, to value, not fear, food.
In her spare time, Gabby can be found running, frolicking outdoors, eating ice cream, trying new restaurants, or daydreaming about future travel plans.
FITNESS TEAM
Marta Dauphinee
Movement and exercise have always played an important part in Marta's life. Running her first race in the 6th grade sparked something. She loved the competition and running with the team. Later competing at collegiate level, she ended up burnt out and injured. Searching for that "runner's high", she fell in love with indoor cycling and group exercise classes. She found this was a perfect complement to running and fun. Nowadays she finds some way to move daily to clear the mind, reduce stress or just to get out of the house. She is grateful for the ability to move her body each day - it's truly a gift!
Marta is excited to help you on your fitness journey and is passionate about making fitness fun and accessible to everyone. Her classes will focus on muscular strength and endurance by utilizing high-quality movement and proper form.
Marta holds a certification from YMCA Foundations of Group Exercise through ACE, as well as specialty certs in Spinning (Mad Dogg Athletics) and PLYOGA. She is currently working on her NASM Personal Training Certification.
“I highly recommend Dr Theresa Delorenzo as a nutritionist. When I first started to meet with her, I had high triglycerides and my goal was to lower this through nutrition. I have an active lifestyle which also helped me with the decision to work with Dr Lorenzo since she does too. She has a thorough academic understanding of nutrition and can explain how food affects our body. She is extremely knowledgeable about nutrition and so compassionate about food. She introduced me to many new foods and alternatives I would have never tried on my own and opened a whole new world. She worked with my needs and helped me gearshift these into daily habits that also fueled my athletic needs. I’m happy to report that I hit my goal and the triglycerides are now closer to the normal range! ”