I’m Silvana, your food lifestyle alchemist and MSW candidate. I take a holistic approach to the mental health and well-being of women 40+, understanding and addressing gender-specific issues at the intersection of psychological, biological, and social constructs—including the powerful hormonal shifts that occur during life stages such as perimenopause and menopause, which contribute to significant mind-body changes.
Mental and physical health are interconnected. Our psychological state affects our body through biological processes and mind-body feedback loops—how our thoughts and emotions directly influence our physical health. When we have an imbalance in our lives, this can manifest in our mind and body as chronic stress and burnout, increasing our risk of anxiety and depression with implications for our well-being.
My approach highlights the significance of lifestyle factors, including stress, energy, movement, sleep, nutrition and social support. It also emphasizes the positive impact of self-awareness as a healing tool for our mental and emotional health. By consciously integrating research-backed practices into our daily lives, we can nourish and build our resilience.
We aren’t machines, we’re humans—and we’re perfectly imperfect. We live in a time of information overload, conflicting facts and hacks that put us on an exhausting, anxiety-fueled rollercoaster.
MY FOUNDATIONAL BELIEFS
There is no one-size-fits-all solution. I seek to close the health gap by identifying and addressing underlying nutritional imbalances through active listening and personalized lifestyle protocols, assessing health inequities and building accessible, sustainable solutions.
I’m compassionately committed to protecting our quality of life. I hope to inspire a “well-feeling” generation that recognizes when we nourish ourselves, we evolve exponentially, creating shifts in our mental health, physical well-being, energy, social connections and sleep cycles that result in positive, lasting change.
I meet people where they are, listen intentionally and view each person holistically, considering synergistic factors that influence our health, including upbringing, culture, trauma, environment, stress, lifestyle and community—critical sources of intentional well-being.
My lived experiences have taught me about the interdependent relationship between the mind and body,
which affects our mental health, energy, metabolism, skin, sleep, immunity, endocrine and nervous system.
Your life events, habits, emotions, behaviors, beliefs, environment and daily choices impact your health. Science matters, but it doesn’t tell the whole story—you do.
EMBRACE
SINGULAR
PERSONAL EVIDENCE
SELF-CONNECTION
GRACE
ENERGY GAIN
PROGRESS
REFLECTION
LOW-FI
BIO-INDIVIDUALITY
SOCIAL LIFE
INNER PEACE
REVIVAL
MORE
endure
generic
quantitative data
self-competition
grind
energy drain
perfection
deflection
high-tech
bio-hacking
social media
inner chaos
survival
LESS
QualificationS
University at Buffalo School of Social Work: Master of Social Work Candidate (in progress)
Functional Nutrition Alliance: Functional Nutrition Practitioner Candidate (in progress)
Body Patterns: A Somatic-Based Toolkit for Tending to Body-Based Ailments with Alexis Florentina (in progress)
Northwell Phelps Hospital Practicum Placement: Thomas E. and Alice Marie Hales Caregivers Center (in progress)
Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPCP) Foundations Certificate of Award
NYS Office of Children and Family Services Mandated Reporter Certificate
New York Times and NPR-Featured Bestselling 6x Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free Cookbook Author
Award-Winning National Food Lifestyle Magazine Editor
200-Hour Heart-Centered Yoga Teacher Training with Julie Dohrman at Brooklyn Flow
Food Network-Featured Owner of Fanciulla Bakery in Brooklyn
Tufts University: Bachelor of Arts, International Relations
Tufts University: Bachelor of Arts, French
