When people ask me what I do, I usually just say that I’m a “nutritionist” – it’s easier – and it’s usually enough at a party or networking event to get a nod, a smile, and a “very interesting” before moving on to the important stuff.
Every once in awhile, someone will ask, “what kind of nutrition?” – which allows me to explain that I’m trained in nutritional biochemistry (PhD Rutgers) and exercise physiology (MS Umass Amherst) – so I study how nutrition/exercise influence the body. Often, they’ll assume that I’m a “sports nutritionist” – and while I’m also a diplomate in sports nutrition with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), I don’t really “do” sports nutrition per se.
Rather, most of my research and writing (13 books) centers around how nutrition/exercise can change our biochemistry/physiology – and how those changes make us FEEL (psychology). I guess that makes me more of a pyscho-nutritional biochemist? Or a nutritional biopsychologist? Or maybe just a psycho? ;^)
At any rate – whatever you call me – the work that I do is nicely encapsulated in the two audio files below. One is a 20-min Keynote lecture that I gave at a Behavioral Medicine conference a few years ago (Stress and Cortisol – Walking the Tight Rope) – and the other is a 90-min Tutorial from the same conference (Vigor 7 Days to Unlimited Energy, Focus, and Well-Being). The keynote is high-level and the tutorial gets into the details of stress physiology/biochemistry, nutrition/lifestyle interventions, and overall impact on psychological mood states such as vigor/burnout, depression, anxiety, and overall mental wellness.
If you’re curious about the inter-relationships between biochemistry, physiology, and psychology, then please take a listen and let me know your thoughts?
Thanks,
Shawn
