Monica Salafia

In her spare time, when she’s not consulting with the Denver Nuggets of the NBA, or offering her services as a sports and fitness dietitian, or doing work as a certified personal trainer, or appearing on TV, Monica Salafia likes to powerlift.

Just hearing about her life makes you believe in the benefits of good nutrition.

Monica is a graduate of Russell Sage College’s bachelor’s program in Nutrition Science and graduate-level Dietetic Internship program. Successful graduates of Dietetic Internship program are eligible to take the registration examination for dietitians, which Monica did with success. 

“Everything I’m doing is because of Sage,” Monica says.

And obviously she’s doing a lot.

This story actually begins back when Monica was 15 years-old. That’s when she started powerlifting with her two older brothers and fell in love with the sport. 

“I felt so strong and athletic,” she says. “Ever since, I’ve never really stopped.”

And ever since she’s had an interest in nutrition and exercise. 

After earning her associate degree at SUNY Adirondack , near her home in Queensbury, New York, Monica transferred and spent her junior and senior years at Sage in the nutrition science program, graduating in 2015. 

“I just loved my Sage professors,” she says. “Professor Colleen McCrief is the queen of dietitians. She taught so well and was so positive. And Professor Sonya Hauser, she’s brilliant. And Professor Ryan Mitchell, he knows sports nutrition. We’d have conversations like, ‘Let’s talk carbs after high intensity workouts.’ Each of these people had a role in some facet of my career.”

That career has led to her ownership today of Mind on Nutrition, a coaching and consulting company in Denver, where Monica works with athletes of all levels. She is the consulting dietitian for the Denver Nuggets, appears on local television stations, works with a steady roster of individual clients, and holds nutrition workshops.

And continues to powerlift, of course.

“I’m doing exactly what I want to do,” Monica says. “And everything I’m doing is because of the base of knowledge and experience I got at Sage.”