Our Team
CHOW's expert staff of registered dietitians consult with each restaurant to find menu items that meet the nutrition criteria outlined below. CHOW’s nutrition staff review all menu items before they are posted on the site to determine the nutritional breakdown of the menu choice.
Stefan van der Merve RD (SA)
Founder / director and Dietitian
Stefan van der Merwe is a dietician who is passionate about new ideas within the health industry. He is the co-owner of Lungile Health, a healthy lifestyle company with Biokineticists & Dieticians. His other passion is running. He is the owner of I Love Running, Lungile Trails, Chairman of Born 2 Run running club, concept creator of the vida va va voom run and the regional director for parkrun in KZN and co-host of the parkrun South Africa podcast.
His special interests are sports nutrition & diabetes management and developing easy ways for people to access health info. He truly loves food and is relentless in his quest to create good food in a healthy way. He studied BSc. Sports Science at the University of Stellenbosch and completed his BSc Medical Honours post graduate degree in Nutrition & Dietetics at the University of Cape Town.
Jenna van der Merve
Founder / Director and Biokineticist
Jenna van der Merwe is a biokineticist and exercise specialist focusing on rehabilitation of injuries and chronic diseases. Her passion for health is infectious. She uses a science based approach in all aspects of her work and translates this so that it is applicable, specific and fun for each client.
She studied BSc. Sports Science at the University of Stellenbosch and completed her BSc Honours post graduate degree in Biokinetics (cum laude). She completed her internship at the Sport Science Institute of South Africa and remained there for a further 3 years before opening up her own centre in KZN.
She is also on the Board of Directors for Born 2 Run South Africa, Director of parkrun in KZN & is the co-owner of Lungile Health, a healthy lifestyle company with Biokineticists & Dieticians. She is the national manager of SUNfit South Africa brining FREE exercise to the public every day of the week.
Shelley Tolmay RD SA
Dietician
Shelly did her undergraduate degree at Rhodes University where she studied a BA in Human Kinetics and Ergonomics and Psychology. She then went to The University of Cape Town and did a BSC Medical Honours Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics which she completed at the end of 2011. She did her community service year at EG & Usher Memorial Hospital in Kokstad and continued working for government at EG & Usher Memorial and RK Khan Hospital until the end of Febuary 2014. During this time she did numerous short courses but her special interests lie in sports nutrition, paediatrics and disordered eating. She is currently working at Lungile Health in Durban North, KZN
Ashleigh Smith RD (SA)
CHOW Project manager and Dietitian
Ashleigh did her undergraduate degree at the University of Cape Town in Human Bioscience. She then completed her medical honours degree in Nutrition and Dietetics. She has worked in the government sector in Mpumalanga and Kwa-Zulu Natal with special interests in paediatrics and surgery. Ashleigh has a passion for food and has worked for numerous years in the hospitality industry.
