Exam Room Nutrition: Where Busy Clinicians Learn About Nutrition
As a clinician, your patients are asking:
“What should I eat for diabetes?” “How do I lose weight?” “My child is so picky. What do I do?” But here’s the problem—you probably didn’t learn much about nutrition in school. The National Academy of Sciences recommends 25 hours of nutrition education for med students. Most of us? We got maybe 5.
Enter Exam Room Nutrition. Hosted by Colleen Sloan, a PA and RD with over a decade of experience, this podcast gives you clear, actionable strategies to tackle those tough nutrition questions with confidence—even when you’re pressed for time. From picky eaters to diabetes management, I’ll renew how you approach nutrition.
Episodes
163 episodes
158 | The Nutrition Mistake Every Injured Athlete Makes
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 n...
157 | I Hate Meal Plans: What Dietitians Do Instead
“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...
156 | LIVE From Today's Dietitian: 3 Nutrition Counseling Mistakes and What to Say Instead
3 Mistakes We Make When Talking About NutritionI 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 su...
155 | Unstuck: Strategies for Sustainable Weight Loss
Weight loss doesn’t fail overnight.It usually happens slowly… through all-or-nothing thinking, unrealistic expectations, and patients feeling like they have to “start over” every Monday.In this episode, I’m joined by registered di...
154 | Diabetes in the Age of Social Media: Are Glucose Spikes Really the Problem?
Social Media Is Confusing Your Patients. In this episode, I’m joined by endocrinology PA Emily Stevens to discuss diabetes, insulin resistance, and blood sugar control and help you explain it in a way your patients will actually und...
153 | Teen Sports Nutrition: Adult Nutrition Rules Don't Work
Teen Athletes Need Different Fuel.What happens when well-meaning parents apply adult nutrition rules to teenage athletes? You get under-fueled kids, missed performance potential… and a whole lot of confusion in the exam room.<...
152 | Overeating Explained: Hunger, Habits, or Emotions?
Why Patients Overeat and Feel Out of Control What’s really driving overeating: hunger, habit, or emotions? In this episode, I’m joined by Kate Johnston, a physician assistant turned eating habits and weight loss coach, to unpa...
151 | Are GLP-1s Masking Undiagnosed Eating Disorders?
When Weight Loss Hides Something Deeper In this episode, I’m joined by Shawna Melbourn, a Registered Dietitian with over 20 years of experience in eating disorder care, to unpack whether the most celebrated effects of GLP-1 me...
150 | How to Reduce Dementia Risk with Daily Habits
Daily Habits Your Patients Need For Brain Health. If your patients are asking how to protect their brain, and you’re defaulting to “eat better and exercise more”, this episode will challenge that in the best way.In this episo...
149 | Why Kids Feel Anxious Around Food and How to Help
"It’s not just what children are eating. It’s how they’re experiencing food that shapes their habits."In this episode, I’m joined by Alicia Eaton, a behavior change therapist and author, to unpack what’s really happening beneath...
148 | Ultra-Processed Foods Explained: Science vs. Social Media
Processed Food “Kills”. That message is everywhere right now. Social media posts, viral headlines, even Super Bowl commercials warning that processed foods are dangerous.But what do we actually mean when we say “ultra-processed food”?
147 | GLP-1s vs Bariatric Surgery: How to Choose the Right Treatment
How To Decide Between Bariatric Surgery and Obesity MedicationsI’m joined by Kate Fuss, PA-C to unpack how GLP-1 medications and bariatric surgery actually work together, when each option makes sense, and what primary care clinicians sho...
146 | When Culture Is Erased from Nutrition Guidelines
Did the Dietary Guidelines ignore culture?In this special roundtable episode, I’m joined by four registered dietitians from Indian, Mexican, Filipino, and Nicaraguan backgrounds to unpack a major concern in the latest Dietary Guidelines ...
145 | A Nutrition Framework for Depression & Anxiety
Mental Health Nutrition Starts Here. When a patient opens up about their mood, we think therapy. We think medication. But do we ever pause and ask… are they eating enough to support their brain?In this episode, I’m joined by ...
144 | Pediatric Obesity Care: Protecting Kids in a Body-Obsessed Culture
Discuss Pediatric Weight Gain Without Triggering ShameWhat would you say if a parent asked, “Can you tell my son he needs to lose weight?”That question sits at the center of one of the hardest conversations in pediat...
143 | Analyze Nutrition Studies Like a Scientist
Randomized controlled trials. Cohort studies. Abstracts. Methods sections.If your brain starts spinning just hearing those words, you’re not alone.In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Carlene Starck, a protein biochemist and nutrition ...
142 | Marathon Nutrition After 35: Preventing Injury Through Fueling
If you’ve ever had a patient training for a marathon (or you are that patient) this episode will change how you think about fueling, injury risk, and longevity in running. In this episode, you’ll learn:Wh...
141 | 6 Reasons Patients Struggle to Lose Weight
Patient-Centered Weight Management | Dr. Robert Kushner on the Six-Factor Questionnaire, GLP-1s, and Lifestyle Counseling “Eat less, move more” might be the fastest way to lose your patient’s trust, according my my guest Dr. Robert ...
140 | Obesity Care Through a Mental Health Lens
What’s missing in obesity care? It’s not another diet plan or more willpower. In this episode Colleen is joined by Dr. Robyn Pashby, clinical health psychologist and co-author of The New Fo...
139 | The New Food Pyramid: Experts React to the Dietary Guidelines
The 2026 Dietary Guidelines for Americans just dropped and the new upside-down food pyramid caused quite the chatter online this week. In this special Nutrition Newsroom roundtable, Colleen Sloan, PA, RDN,
138 | 8 Lessons Every Clinician Should Bring Into 2026
Today’s episode is a mashup of my favorite moments, quotes, and “clinic gems” from the year. These are the tools that made conversations easier, built more trust, and helped patients actually follow through… and I’m bringing all eight ...
137 | Cholesterol in the Brain: Connecting Heart Health and Alzheimer’s
"What’s good for the heart is good for the brain." Can better cholesterol management in midlife actually lower your patient’s risk of Alzheimer’s disease? In this episode, I’m joined by returning guest Josh Wageman, PhD, PA-C,...
136 | Pork’s Role in Modern Obesity Treatment
GLP-1 medications are changing the game in obesity care. Patients are losing weight, feeling full faster… and often eating less overall. But less food can also mean less muscle, unless we guide them toward the right nutrition. In t...
135 | Nutrition for Menopause: Weight, Hormones & GLP-1s
Menopause nutrition and weight management aren’t as simple as “eat less, move more.” In this episode, menopause expert and RD Dr. Su-Nui Escobar breaks down what’s really driving midlife weight changes and what clinicians s...
134 | Weight Doesn’t Equal Worth, But It Still Impacts Health. Here’s How to Talk About It.
How To Address Weight In A Body Positive CultureIn this episode, I sit down with Dr. Tzvi Doron, a board-certified Family and Obesity Medicine physician and lipidology expert, to unpack the middle ground between body neutrality and evide...