Exam Room Nutrition: Practical Nutrition for Healthcare Professionals

Infant Feeding: Gagging, Choking, and First Foods

Starting solids can feel surprisingly complicated for parents, especially when the advice they receive from healthcare providers, social media, and well-meaning family members doesn't always agree.

Purées or baby-led weaning? Four months or six? And is food before one really just for fun? In this episode, I'm joined by Kinzie Matzeller, a registered dietitian and PhD candidate at Colorado State University who researches infant feeding, nutrition, and growth. 

What We Talk About: 

Folic Acid, Inositol, and Choline Explained

Folic acid or methylfolate? Does inositol actually help with PMOS? And why is choline missing from so many prenatal vitamins? Prenatal nutrition has become surprisingly controversial, and social media isn't making it any easier for clinicians to separate evidence from marketing.

In this episode, I'm joined by Ayla Barmmer, MS, RDN, founder, formulator, and CEO of FullWell, to unpack the nutrients that matter most before and during pregnancy. 

Key takeaways:

Nutrition Red Flags in Young Dancers

In this episode, I'm joined by registered dietitian and former ballet dancer Maura Fowler to talk about relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) and the unique pressures young dancers face around food, performance, and body image. 

You'll Learn:

Tick Bites, GI Symptoms, and Hidden Triggers

A patient comes in with recurrent diarrhea, abdominal pain, or unexplained hives. Could a tick bite be responsible?

Alpha-gal syndrome is an unusual food allergy that can develop after a tick bite, causing delayed reactions to mammalian meat and sometimes other animal-derived products. But recognizing it isn't always straightforward, especially when patients have GI symptoms without the typical signs of an allergic reaction.

In this episode, I'm joined by Jerry Simons, PA-C, a nationally recognized medical educator with more than 25 years of experience treating complex GI...

 Picky Eating, Food Pressure & Body Trust

“Just take one more bite.” “Finish your vegetables, then you can have dessert.” “That’s junk food.”

These comments may seem harmless, but the messages kids hear around food can shape how they eat and think about their bodies years later.

In this episode, I’m joined by registered dietitian Kerry Miller to talk about how parents and clinicians can help kids build body trust and a healthier relationship with food.

Key takeaways:

 Help Patients Define They're WHY 

What does your patient actually mean when they say, “I just want to be healthy?” Because “healthy” can mean something completely different to the clinician, the patient, and the parent sitting next to them. In this episode, I’m talking with registered dietitian Allison McKeany about why defining health may be one of the most important steps in nutrition counseling. 

Key takeaways:

 Hunger, Habits and Sustainable Weight Care 

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Rees Checketts, an internal medicine physician specializing in metabolic and obesity medicine, to talk about what nutrition education in medical training gets right, and where it still falls short. We also dig into the conversations clinicians are having every day about weight, hunger, GLP-1 medications, cortisol, processed foods, and the latest wellness trends.

You’ll learn:

This episode is part of our four-part Avocados in Practice mini-series, sponsored by Avocados – Love One Today®.  Today, we're exploring practical family nutrition strategies from first foods to family meals. Helping families eat well isn't about creating the perfect meal, it's about finding realistic strategies that work through every stage of childhood. In this final episode of our mini-series, Patricia Bannan, MS, RDN, and I discuss common nutrition gaps, first foods, picky eating, and practical approaches to building family meals that support healthy eating without becoming short-order cooks, including simple ways versatile foods like avocados can fit across ages and...

This episode is part of our four-part Avocados in Practice mini-series, sponsored by Avocados – Love One Today®. Today, we're asking whether we're focusing on the right things when it comes to diabetes nutrition. 

When someone is diagnosed with prediabetes or type 2 diabetes, nutrition conversations often become all about sugar and carbohydrates. But are we missing the bigger picture? In this episode, Patricia Bannan, MS, RDN, joins me to discuss glycemic load, diet quality, and why overall eating patterns deserve just as much attention as individual nutrients when supporting healthy blood sugar management and type 2 diabetes risk reduction. 

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This episode is part of our four-part Avocados in Practice mini-series, sponsored by Avocados – Love One Today®. Today, we're tackling one of the most common nutrition conversations in practice: cholesterol. Nutrition counseling often focuses on what patients should stop eating, but what should we encourage them to eat more of? Patricia Bannan, MS, RDN, joins me to discuss the types of food substitutions that can impact cholesterol, how current heart health guidelines support a food-first approach, and what the latest research tells us about improving cholesterol through practical, sustainable nutrition changes such as swapping foods with saturated fat for avo...

Many patients believe that feeling hungry is simply part of losing weight, but it doesn't have to be. In this episode of our Avocados in Practice mini-series, sponsored by Avocados - Love One Today®, Patricia Bannan, MS, RDN, joins me to discuss why satiety matters, what the research says about fullness and foods and nutrients that influence it, and how clinicians can help patients build meals that are both satisfying and nutrient-dense. We also explore common misconceptions about higher-fat foods, practical nutrition strategies for patients taking GLP-1 medications, and simple ways to incorporate avocados into everyday meals to support f...

Apricot Kernels, Amino Acid Diet & Fasting in Cancer Care. 

In this episode, I’m joined by oncology dietitian Ginger Hultin to break down some of the biggest cancer nutrition myths circulating online and explain what clinicians should actually be telling patients.

We discuss:

 CGMs, Carb Counting and GLP-1s in Type 1 Diabetes 

Type 1 diabetes care has changed a lot. From earlier screening and diabetes staging to diabetes technology, clinicians have more tools than ever, but also more to keep up with.

In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah Hormachea, RDN, CDCES, to break down what clinicians need to know about modern type 1 diabetes management.

Key takeaways:

 We Were Taught Eating Disorders Wrong 

A patient can be purging, restricting, hiding food, or obsessing over their body and still have a “normal” weight and normal labs. That’s exactly why eating disorders are so easy to miss.

In this episode, I sit down with eating disorder expert and dietitian Jessica Setnick for a conversation that completely challenges the way many of us were trained to recognize disordered eating. We talk about the stereotypes that keep patients from getting diagnosed, the well-intended things adults say and do around food that can backfire, and the subtle s...

Fiber, Fermentation, and the Gut Microbiome

Healthcare practitioners can request free samples of NeuroFiber here

We’re all guilty of telling patients to “eat more fiber,” but that recommendation is often too basic. Fiber type, diversity, tolerance, and the patient’s specific health goal all matter.

In this sponsored episode, with support from NeuroFiber, you’ll learn why relying on one isolated fiber may not provide the same benefits as eating a variety of fiber-rich foods and how to give patients more practical, targeted guidance.

Key takeaways:

Nutrition, supplements, and what the evidence says

In this episode, I’m joined by Chelsey Hoffmann, PA-C, RDN, who specializes in pain medicine at Mayo Clinic, to break down where nutrition fits into chronic pain management and how to evaluate supplements without overpromising results.

We cover:

Fertility Care for Both Partners 

Infertility affects both partners, yet fertility evaluations and lifestyle advice often focus primarily on women. In this Summer School replay, Colleen talks with infertility PA Jessica Boone about taking a more complete, compassionate approach to fertility care.

They discuss why both partners should be evaluated, what may be missing from a standard infertility workup, and how nutrition, sleep, movement, hydration, and environmental exposures can support overall reproductive health. Jessica also shares practical questions clinicians can ask to better understand a couple’s history, family-building goals, and next steps.

Res...

Foods to support focus, memory, and long-term brain health

In this Summer School replay, I talk with Dr. Jenna Stedman, a cognitive performance dietitian, about the connection between nutrition and cognitive health across the lifespan. 

You’ll learn:

Resources Mentioned: 

Episode 150: How to reduce dementia risk with daily habits 

Dr. Stedman’s Brain Power Plate breakdown

Blog: 9 Questions to Ask Abou...

Nutrition To Support Post-Operative Healing

In this Summer School replay, Colleen talks with Erin Scherer, a surgical PA and registered dietitian, about the role nutrition plays in tissue repair, infection prevention, and recovery. They discuss which patients may need additional nutrition support, the key nutrients clinicians should prioritize, and simple opportunities to bring nutrition into the conversation.

Grab the FREE Post-Surgical Nutrition Guide Here

You’ll learn:

 Food Triggers, Hydration, and Supplements 

Welcome to Summer School! In this Summer School replay, Colleen talks with Kelly, a registered dietitian specializing in migraine nutrition, about the complicated relationship between food and migraines. They discuss why there is no universal list of “migraine trigger foods,” how hydration and caffeine may influence symptoms, and why overly restrictive elimination diets can create more confusion than relief.

You’ll learn:

 You Are Not Your Struggle

So many women are trying to eat better, lose weight, meal plan, feed their families, manage busy schedules, and somehow not feel guilty about every food choice along the way. In this episode, I’m joined by Kelsey Wickenhauser, PA, homeschooling mom of four, Christian health coach, and founder of Kingdom Fit Moms, for a conversation about what it really looks like to pursue health in the middle of real life.

Key Takeaways:

CKD Food Rules That Need an Update 

Kidney nutrition has a reputation for being restrictive, confusing, and honestly… a little intimidating. But for many patients with chronic kidney disease, the biggest problem isn’t that they’re eating a banana or adding tomatoes to dinner. It’s that they’ve been handed outdated food rules that leave them scared to eat.

In this episode, I’m joined by renal dietitian Lauren Budd Levy, MS, RDN, CSR, to talk about what clinicians need to know about kidney nutrition, especially if you don’t work in nephrology.<...

 Give Nutrition Advice Without Making Patients Feel Punished 

Have you ever asked, “Do you have any other questions?” at the end of a visit and immediately regretted it?

Same.

Because of course they have more questions. Important questions. Questions that probably should have been asked 15 minutes ago, except now you’re already behind, the next patient is waiting, and you’re trying to be compassionate without completely derailing the visit.

In this episode, I’m talking with Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN, registered dietitian, author of Eating From Our Roots, and f...

What Really Happens Inside an Obesity Clinic 

GLP-1 medications are everywhere right now. Patients are asking about Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, compounded medications, muscle loss, “Ozempic face,” insurance denials, and what happens when the weight loss slows down.

But what does obesity medicine actually look like inside the clinic? In this episode, I’m joined by Joseph Zucchi, PA-C, clinical supervisor and physician associate at Transition Medical Weight Loss in Salem, New Hampshire. 

This is not your typical GLP-1 conversation. We’re going beyond protein goals, nausea tips, and constipation management to talk about...

Nutrition Advice Needs More Nuance.

Your patients are hearing a lot online: fix your gut, avoid processed foods, buy organic, take a probiotic, and eat the “right” foods if you want to be healthy.

But nutrition is rarely that simple.

In this episode, I’m joined by Registered Dietitian Manju Karkare to talk about how clinicians can respond to common nutrition questions with more nuance, less fear, and advice that actually fits the patient’s life.

We cover gut health, probiotics, processed foods, organic produce, cultural food traditions, food access...

Injured Athletes Still Need Fuel.

When an athlete gets injured, the instinct is often to eat less. But according to sports dietitian Emily Barnhart, recovery still requires fuel.

In this episode, we talk about how nutrition needs change after injury, surgery, ACL repair, stress fractures, and periods of immobilization. Emily explains why under-fueling can delay healing, how to think about protein during rehab, and what clinicians should know before recommending supplements for injury recovery.

What You’ll Learn:

“I’m doing everything right, but nothing’s working.” 

I bet you've heard that before!  In this episode, I’m joined by registered dietitian Devin Breedon to talk about the hidden barriers that impact weight loss, blood sugar, and overall health.

We also pull back the curtain on what registered dietitians actually do during a patient session, why behavior change matters more than meal plans, and how medical providers can make stronger, more effective referrals to dietitians.

What You’ll Learn:

3 Mistakes We Make When Talking About Nutrition

I spoke at 2 different conferences, 4 lectures in total, this weekend and all of them had a similar thread: HOW we communicate our recommendations matter.

Enjoy this quickie episode summarizing one of my presentations at the American Association of Physician Associates in New Orleans. 

Shoot me a DM @examroomnutrition and vote:

T/F: When you Know Better, You Do Better.

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