iamgeekfit

mc - Why food georgie? ok, let's back up a bit. You did an undergrad degree, then your RD - what motivated the RD?

Georgie: I was interested in nutrition from the time I was in high school, though of course it's developed over the years. Like many teenage girls, I thought being skinny was paramount in life, so I cut back on food until I was unhealthy, weak, and miserable. Luckily I got past my disordered habits by learning the science behind nutrition, as well as observing the direct correlation of how well or poorly I fed myself with my athletic achievements. I've always been an athlete, and it was plain to me to see how severe food restrictions were making me thin, yes, but also weak, tired, and generally less vibrant. I knew I could do better. "I'm smarter than this", I told myself.

But that was all personal, I really was planning upon entering college to be either an MD, biologist or a chemist, I always was very into science. It was actually at Freshman Orientation, when someone else said they were majoring in nutrition, that I said, "Wait, you can study nutrition as a major? Oh hell, I'm doing THAT!"

mc - What is an RD? i mean we hear a lot about various "nutrition certifications" but the RD is not that - it's the real thing. What's special about the RD?

Georgie:The RD is more comprehensive. In short, an RD is always going to be the best prepared, after 5 years of full time education and a stringent exam.

To obtain an RD, you have to first complete a Bachelors degree in Nutritional Science, specifically dietetics, and take some nationally recognized core courses. It is a lot more science than people think - biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, and also knowledge of food. You take some Basic Foods classes to learn about food characteristics, and also Experimental Foods, where you can fiddle with experiments like decreasing the sugar in cakes, using fat substitutes, etc. You also take psychology and sociology, classes on metabolism of macro and micronutrients, cultural foods, and counseling classes. It all rolls together in one heck of a background, and I feel like I was immensely prepared after college. The next step is to complete a one year internship, for which I went to Cornell University and did my clinical rotations at University of Rochester Medical Center. Somewhat of a "trial by fire", the internship was very long hours, very hard, but you learn quickly when thrown into a hospital environment. During that year I got a good taste of what it would be like to work in a hospital, and I remember thinking I wanted to do more preventative nutrition, and work with people who are currently WELL, to keep them from becoming the cases I was handling. After the internship, you take an exam, call youself an RD, and start figuring out how to pay all those loans off!

mc - Exhausting! ok after your RD you went to the real world for awhile, and then research called? what drove you back to school?

Georgie: I always wanted to know more, more, more. I'd come home from the hospital after 12 hours seeing patients, and read journals online. I'm a geek, though and through. I wanted to have more understanding of cellular biology and nutrition, and I thought I'd work and taking some graduate classes in cell bio back at RU. So back I came to NJ. It was only after getting back here that Isaid, no, there will years of my life to work, I'm not done learning, and I want to do that full time for a bit longer. Luckily I received a fellowship to Rutgers, so financially it was a real blessing.

mc - Congratulations on the scholarship. No small thing to a great school. What's your research topic (has that topic changed? more than once? since you started?)

Georgie: My research topics have changed a lot! The first lab I worked in was based on drug discovery and nutraceuticals from plants, and I did projects including protease and amylase inhibitors, as well as anthocyanin research. It was an exciting time; I traveled to Tanzania to harvest plants for bioassays, as well as to Alaska to do some work on the native berry species up there. However when a new position opened up with a research group doing exercise and nutrition studied, i decided to change course. My current work (and no I'm not changing it again!) involves physical activity barriers - what factors keep people from becoming more active or staying active, and how can we use that information to educate people for nutrition and health interventions.

mc - How are you blending your professional training practice with your research?

Georgie: I've been doing private counseling for a couple years at a personal training studio and with private clients. I also teach fitness and nutrition classes for Rutgers Recreation, including Kettlebell Technique, Nutrition For Endurance Sports, Weight Loss Workshop, and Food For Fitness. And recently I've been hired as the Sports Dietitian for Rutgers Athletics. As you can imagine, I'm busy! I've had to stop seeing personal clients for the time being, so I can manage all the athletes and keep my classes going. It doesn't "blend with my research" as much at it all bleeds together until I can't tell it apart, and have no need to tell it apart.

My life is nutrition, fitness, food, and sport. When I'm not working with an athlete, *I'm* training, when I'm done giving a grocery tour, I go buy MY healthy grcoeries. I cook recipes and post them for a blog, but it's my dinner. My work is my life, because it's my passion and greatest talent.

mc - And speaking of recipes on your blog, the new AskGeorgie.com, and the previous blog Nutrition Solutions, that has for ages had tons of recipes. I love the fact that you're not afraid to pull something in a can off a shelf and try it. what inspires you (a) to pick that thing off teh shelf and (b)what inspires the recipes - how do you know what amounts of STUFF to put in?

Picking new foods off the shelf, I look for somethign interesting, new, and not full of sugar, fat, or something else I dont want ot be eating! I love spices, because they allow me to experiment with new flavors that aren't high calorie or unhealthful. I'll add a touch of honey or molasses to bring a sweet note to a recipes, but I'm not going to buy a sauce that's more sugar than anything else. Predominantly, my favorite new ingredients come from the produce section. I love finding a new veggie or fruit, and finding a way to cook it or enjoy it. Some of the recent newbies in my kitchen include Chipotle peppers, Fennel, Acorn Squash, escargots, kale, and yes, I'll admit it: Tripe. Blame my Romanian husband, he wanted some traditionally cooked tripe soup for his birthday. Hahaha, You didnt see that on the blog for a reason! I didnt want to scare my readers off!

As for what stuff to put in, some of its experience, such as "these cookies are too dense, they need more baking powder. Too dry? Try more liquid and maybe more fat. For flavors and textures, pairing contrasts always works well, something crunchy with something creamy, cool with spicy, sweet with tart. I made a vegetarian-sausage stuffing last night: dried cranberries (sweet) and a pinch of hot pepper (spicy) took it over the top. When you can get flavors from natural ingredients, or some creative procedure, you don't need to add lots of fat, sugar, etc.

mc - And a recipe book seems like a cool idea, but that also takes time. how did you find the time to do this book!!! that's awesome. Grad student does BOOK!

Georgie: Running marathons, I learned to not look at the whole stretch before me, just one block at a time. Thus the book congealed one recipe at a time.

mc - Ok with that stunned amazement, what i dig about this book is that there are very low tech requirements. someone living in a dorm with a kitchen - not even an oven - you can make almost all these recipes.

Indeed for our readers, here's the complete gear list for Dig In:

The essentials:

Fridge/Freezer
Measuring Cups & Spoons
Blender
Stove
Large Frying pan (1)
Sharp knife
Cutting board
Spatula
Oven
Bowl/Plate to eat off of
Big mixing bowls (2)
Large baking dish (13x9)
Cookie sheet (1)
Can opener
Pot (for pasta, soup, etc)
Microwave
Muffin Tin

(According to Georgie, other than the mixing bowls, you really only need one of everything)

So was that deliberate on your part? i will create no recipe that requires an oven?

Not at all! The recipes were my meals, so when I'm in a rush I use time saving means like the microwave. I also hate heating up the apartment in the summer with the oven, so I dont use it in the hot months. Now that its cold, that baby's on daily.

mc - What was the inspiration for this particular collection?

Georgie: I wanted to make recipes that were interesting enough to make you want to eat them, without being so complicated that you don't want to cook them. I try to keep ingredients short, procedures brief. WHen I make muffins: it's dry stuff in one bowl, wet stuff in one bowl, add one to the other. Stir. Bake. I like streamlined, so if I dont think it makes a difference, say, what order you add ingredients, heck just chuck them in.

mc - Everything in the book is really pretty healthy. What's your philosophy in Recipe Design?

Georgie: I stick to a low glycemic meal plan, in which virtually all my carbohydrates come from vegetables. I do eat grain foods right after workouts, but generally I don't include many grains in my recipes. When I make sweets, muffins, etc I only eat them after a workout, and I stick to about one whole grain food a day. I emphasize a lot of vegetables, protein, and reliance on healthy fats. No trans fat whatsoever. Minimal sugar, no refined grains. There's more on this inside the book in the "about this book" section.

mc - Who's your competition in this space and what sets Dig In apart?

Georgie: There's a lot of "healthy recipe books" out there - but the word "healthy" can be used pretty loosely. I've found that most recipe sources I've found either miss the mark on my nutritional standards, or my taste standards. Most people who would venture to writing recipes come from a culinary background, and they're "light" recipes may taste divine, but still contain too mch sugar sugar, too mch fat, or just too much work for me. On the opposite spectrum, some people like bodybuilders tend to go the other way, where they'll sacrifice taste for function and it's not appealing, varied, or fun enough for me. On a formatting standpoint, I'm visual. I have Gourmet Nutrition, and I'm a bg proponent of Precision Nutrition, but I've never cooked a thing from it. Why? No photos. Visually boring.

mc - Is the veggie edition a sub edition of the main cook book or is it a distinct cook book?

Georgie: It is subset, so I caution people to NOT buy both. It wasnt planned, but someone wrote and asked if I'd give them a price break and just send pdf's of the veggie recipes. So I thought, why not? Good idea! Likewise I never planned on having an ebook, until YOU suggested it!

mc - What's your fave recipe in the book? why?

Georgie: Wow. That's hard! I'll have to name a few. The Ceviche with Avocado (pictured on the cover), the Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken, and the Power Cookies would be my top three. In terms of frequency - the Power Cookies get made the most often.

mc - Are you already thinking about your next book, or is it back to the books?

Georgie: Oh the recipe files are going in a folder in my desktop. I've actually been cranking them out faster than ever the past month or so! Most end up on the blog lately, but some I keep for the next installment.

-----------------

To give you a flavour of Georgie's recipe panache, here are two great original, geek friendly recipes.

Chocolate Oatmeal Power Cookies -protein rich portable meals in a bite.

I know how it is, trying to manage a busy schedule, fit in workouts, and find healthy food can be cumbersome!

Like many people looking for protein rich portable meals, I eat a fair amount of protein bars. But I also have found that little time invested in the kitchen can yield some great tasting and less expensive alternatives. Here's a recipe for Power Cookies, a great protein + healthy carb meal that's ideal for post-workout nutrition or breakfast on the run. If your goals include weight loss, making them with Splenda saves a significant portion of calories and still produces a great tasting cookie. For the hard gainers out there, using regular sugar will give you more carb calories to maximize gains after a workout. And if you can't decide...half and half works too. :)

   * 2 cups oats, (quick or old-fashioned)DSC_0566

   * 1 cup whole wheat flour

   * 1 cup chocolate whey protein powder

   * 1 c Splenda granular (or sugar, if you prefer)

   * ½ tsp salt

   * ½ T baking soda

   * 1 T baking powder

   * 2 T unsweetened cocoa powder

   * ¼ c milled flaxseed

   * ¼ cup raisins

   * ½ c egg substitute (such as Egg Beaters)

   * 5 oz plain Greek Yogurt

   * 1 T canola oil

   * 2 T water

Preheat oven to 375. Mix dry ingredients, (oats through raisins) in a large bowl, and stir well. Add egg substitute, yogurt, oil, and water, and mix. Drop into 8 mounds onto well-sprayed cookie sheets. Makes 8 enormous (meal-size) cookies.

Bake at 375 for 8 min. Take out when the cookies are still soft. (They will continue to dry and get more solid as they cool) Let them cool for 10 minutes, then wrap each cookie in plastic wrap or a ziploc bag, and store in the refrigerator or freezer. (To reheat a frozen cookie, simply unwrap and microwave 30-45 seconds).

Nutrition Facts:

Per cookie (with Splenda) 256 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated), 35 g carbohydrate (5 g fiber), 18 g protein

Per cookie (with sugar) 340 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated), 58 g carbohydrate (5 g fiber), 18 g protein

Cali Burgers with Chipotle Avocado spread

What is a chipotle? (no, not the restaurant) Chipotles are smoked jalapenos, commonly used in Mexican cuisine. They come in a variety of forms: dried whole, ground into powder, or canned in adobo sauce (a mixture of tomato, garlic, vinegar, salt and spices). I've enjoyed several chipotle-inclusive things, like chipotle salad dressing, or chipotle Tabasco, but have been meaning for some time to hunt down the chipotle itself, to use in my kitchen.

I bought a small can of chipotles in adobo, and upon first tasting almost burnt my tastebuds off! They have a delicious, wonderful, smoky heat, but man they are hot! After reviving myself with some antacids, I decided to use them sparingly, and pair with some cool and creamy ingredients.

Here's the result, I hope you enjoy! Now if I can figure out some use for the other 90% of the can.... drop a line if you have a suggestion!

1/2 avocado

2 oz Philadelphia fat free cream cheese

1 chipotle (canned in adobo sauce) finely chopped + 1 tsp sauce

2 Vegetarian burger patties (I used Boca)

2 oz Cabot 75% reduced fat white cheddar cheese, sliced

2 Arnold Sandwich Thins

2 pieces roasted red peppers

1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced

To make the sandwich spread, mash the avocado and cream cheese well with fork. Add the chipotle pepper and blend well with fork. Taste it.

Stir in 1 tsp of adobo sauce from canned chipotles if you think it can use a bit more kick. I found that to be just about right, but brave souls could add more.

Grill burgers using indoor (George Forman) or outdoor grill. Place grilled burgers on bottom half of Sandwich Thin, and top with cheddar cheese, cucumber slices, 2T avocado spread, red pepper, and other half of bread. Makes 2 sandwiches. (you won't use all the spread, so store the extra in the fridge, covered.)

Cali Burger Nutrition Facts: (for the whole sandwich) 326 calories, 8 g fat (3 g saturated), 34 g carb (13 g fiber), 35

g protein

Chipotle Avocado Spread Nutrition Facts: (per 2 T, 1/4 whole recipe) 55 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated, 3 g carb (2 g fiber), 3 g protein

See how easy Georgie makes, making good food? Step by step instructions that take very small time slices but that result in fabulous food from snacks to full on meals for all occasions.

Why not consider doing yourself or someone you love a favour favour as the holiday season kicks up. Give yourselves the gifts of great, fresh, home made food. Made by a (really smart, food geek, knowledgable) student geek for students/geeks. And heck, you're supporting a fellow geek at the same time. The book is "Dig In." You can order the paper version or download the ebook RIGHT NOW, and begin2dig in.