“Have the courage to live a full, healthy lifestyle! Diet and lifestyle goals coincide with a positive attitude.” – Susan Irby
Certified in Food Healing and Fitness Nutrition, Susan Irby is one of the nation’s foremost experts in food nutrition, recipe creation, and media. An award-winning author, media personality, and public speaker, Susan holds a particular expertise in the areas of individualized nutrition programs and recipe development. Her 24+ years in the culinary industry include 11 published works, a writer for notable fitness and nutrition magazines, teaching basic cooking techniques in schools, established grocery chains, culinary arts programs nationally and abroad, an advocate for nutrition, wellness, and active lifestyles which have earned Susan recognition as a leading lifestyle expert. Susan’s work empowers others to better understand their personal health needs and achieve lasting lifestyle change through her trademark 3-prong approach to mindful healing, health, and an active lifestyle.
Susan’s Books
“It’s not what you eat today… it’s what you eat and drink day after day after day that counts.” ~ Susan Irby, CFH
Susan is an award-winning author of 11 books that include over 3,500 recipes collectively. Her 6-week Food Healing Nutrition Program has been celebrated with numerous success stories and led to the development of one of her favorite customized plans, the 6-week Food Healing Kitchen Makeover. Susan’s programs promote a balanced diet through the PFFs – lean Proteins, high Fiber foods, and healthy Fats.
Among her published works are: Substitute Yourself Skinny, ranked twice by FOXNews.com in the Top 10 Best Diet Books and Amazon quinoa recipe book top sellers, The Complete Idiot’s Guide Quinoa Cookbook.
Her Work and Awards
Susan’s work as a freelance wellness and nutrition author has been published in Max Sports and Nutrition (9 years). Wellness features span prestigious media outlets such as FIRST for Women, Self, The New York Post, Bask, Jolie magazine, and numerous media outlets both in the USA and internationally acclaimed outlets such as The Mail on Sunday and BBC Radio. She was the Executive Producer and Host of the award-winning The Bikini Lifestyles® Show on PBS TV and KABC Radio Los Angeles garnering 6 (six) The TASTE Awards for “Best Health and Fitness Television Program”, “Best Healthy Lifestyle Show Host”, Producer, as well as awards in food photography.
An Internationally Recognized Leader
Internationally recognized as leader in nutrition and wellness, Susan has worked with noted schools, colleges, professionals, families, and national grocery markets to demonstrate simple, delicious recipes with foods known to promote positive health. Susan also encourages self-care through spiritual wellness, a balanced diet of plant-based foods, lean proteins, and an active lifestyle. Among the prestigious outlets are: Los Angeles Unified School District, Cooking Up Change, American Federation of Teachers, Women Chefs and Restaurateurs, Whole Foods Markets, Gelson’s Markets, and Dole Foods. Susan has appeared on FOX11 Good Day LA, ABC7, CBS2, KCAL9, NBC, nationally syndicated radio shows, international conferences, national magazines, newspapers, websites, and more.
An Award-Winning Television and Radio Host
Susan continues to thrive in her passion as a journalist interviewing noted celebrities and individuals such as Venus Williams, Billy Bush, Wolfgang Puck, Giada De Laurentiis, Sara Moulton, Chef Art Smith, Gene Simmons, Bill Engvall, Duff Goldman, Barbara Fairchild, Nancy Silverton, Olympic Gold Medalist and LA Sparks’ DeLisha Milton Jones, Cincinnati Bengals’ Coach Chip Morton, Cincinnati Reds Coach Matt Krause, reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump, teen star Reed Alexander, Captain Mark Symonds of Windstar Cruises, and more culinary, fitness and celebrity stars.
College Degree, Certifications and Training
Susan holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Georgia, is Certified in Food Healing, and is a Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist. She originally developed her culinary skills by working with master chefs in Italy and France. Susan is the creator of and driving force behind the successful brand, The Bikini Chef® which promotes “figure flattering flavors”. She is the creator, producer and host of the former The Bikini Lifestyles® Show on PBS TV, KABC Radio, CBS Radio, and Clear Channel radio. Extensions of her brands include Bikini Cuisine®, Bikini Cuisine Power Snax®, and Skinny Cuisine®. Susan resides in Southern California where she is in pre-production on several upcoming television shows, a feature film, and recently completed her first children’s picture book, Will You Be My Family? The story of Homer, the little tan chihuahua.
Where bikini cooking all began…
Southern-born Susan Irby learned from the best, her mom! “My mom was, and still is, a great cook. My love for cooking came from her and my grandfather. At the age of 2, my grandfather introduced me to restaurant chefs where we toured their kitchens of all shapes and sizes for fun.” says Susan. “It’s no wonder I love everything food.” As the bikini cooking story goes, my family water skied on Lake Martin, Alabama from dawn til dusk. We’d be starving and end up cooking in our bathing suits. When I told these lake stories to guests at cooking classes, they instantly nicknamed me the bikini chef and The Bikini Chef® brand was born.”
After teaching southern cuisine from my first book, Cooking With Susan, Southern Family Favorites, guests wanted to know what I ate on a regular basis that helped me to stay fit and trim. “My shift from cooking southern comfort foods turned toward creating comfort foods that are healthy and still delicious. I was cooking “bikini” before it was hip,” exclaims Susan. “Fans kept calling me The Bikini Chef®. The name stuck and has become the signature of my trademark Bikini Cuisine® which emphasizes delicious, metabolism friendly ingredients that nourish and heal the body while burning fat. In other words, the PFFs! Lean Proteins, High
Fiber foods, and Healthy Fats.”
Trained in Europe
Restaurant trained in Europe with Italian Chef Francesco Berardinelli and French Master Chef Marc Meneau, Susan has shared the culinary stage with Master Chef George McNeill, Ming Tsai, Todd English, Rocco Dispirito, and many well known chefs and celebrities.
Susan is an avid runner and completed her first marathon, the Kauai Marathon, at 50 years of age. She followed 2 years later with the Los Angeles Marathon and has her sights set on completing at least 1 more marathon. In the meantime, Susan enjoys strength and endurance classes 5 days a week, water aerobics (and often teaches the class!), and yoga.
One of her all-time favorite annual vacations is to Lake Martin, Alabama where bikini cooking all began. As The Bikini Chef®, her utmost desire is for God to use the talents He has blessed her with to help others live a healthy, full, and pain-free life filled with joy, hope, and courage.
