What happens when a dietitian and a PA sit down to talk about heart disease—from both sides of the exam room?

In this episode, Colleen brings together two heart health experts: Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, a cardiovascular dietitian known for her evidence-based prevention strategies, and Josh Wageman, PA-C, PhD, a clinical lipid specialist who’s spent his career studying cholesterol disturbances and Alzheimer’s.

Together, they tackle one of medicine’s most common (and confusing) topics—heart health. You’ll hear how each expert thinks, what they prioritize, and how they talk with patients who are juggling elevated LDL, inflammation, insulin resistance, or menopause-related changes.

By the end, you’ll see how bridging nutrition and medicine leads to smarter, more patient-centered care—because this is how the healthcare team should work anyway.

Resources:

Episode 38 | Love Your Heart with Michelle

Episode 111 | HDL Good, LDL Bad with Josh

Episode 117 | The Best Diet to Lower Cholesterol with Josh

Connect with Michelle

Buy Josh's Book

Any Questions? Send Me a Message

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Disclaimer: This podcast is a collection of ideas, strategies, and opinions of the author(s). Its goal is to provide useful information on each of the topics shared within. It is not intended to provide medical, health, or professional consultation or to diagnosis-specific weight or feeding challenges. The author(s) advises the reader to always consult with appropriate health, medical, and professional consultants for support for individual children and family situations. The author(s) do not take responsibility for the personal or other risks, loss, or liability incurred as a direct or indirect consequence of the application or use of information provided. All opinions stated in this podcast are my own and do not reflect the opinions of my employer.

What happens when a woman in menopause, a man considering bariatric surgery, and a young adult on a GLP-1 all walk into clinic?

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Leslie Golden, a dual board-certified physician in Obesity Medicine and Family Medicine and founder of Weight in Gold Wellness.

She brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to her work—helping patients heal their relationship with food while addressing the complex biology of weight.

Together, we walk through how she approaches three very different obesity cases, what she prioritizes first, and the exact language she uses to keep patients motivated and supported.

Join the Obesity Medicine Nutrition Course here and use code POD15 for 15% off at checkout.

Connect with Dr Golden

Episode 5 | Bariatric Nutrition Basics

Any Questions? Send Me a Message

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Disclaimer: This podcast is a collection of ideas, strategies, and opinions of the author(s). Its goal is to provide useful information on each of the topics shared within. It is not intended to provide medical, health, or professional consultation or to diagnosis-specific weight or feeding challenges. The author(s) advises the reader to always consult with appropriate health, medical, and professional consultants for support for individual children and family situations. The author(s) do not take responsibility for the personal or other risks, loss, or liability incurred as a direct or indirect consequence of the application or use of information provided. All opinions stated in this podcast are my own and do not reflect the opinions of my employer.

In this episode, I sit down with Julie Duffy Dillon, RDN, therapist, and author of Find Your Food Voice, to help clinicians replace diet-culture with practical, patient-centered coaching. We dig into what a “food voice” is, why so many people get disconnected from it, and how you can guide patients back to hunger/fullness cues without meal plans, shame, or quick fixes.

You’ll leave with language you can use tomorrow in clinic—plus simple interventions (like CHiPs check-ins and “letters to food”) that help patients quiet the noise, honor body diversity, and focus on behaviors that truly move health forward.

Resources Mentioned:

The Obesity Medicine Nutrition Course (this has a fantastic module on Intuitive Eating and use code POD15 for 15% off)

Episode 104 Body Diversity

Find Your Food Voice book

Connect with Julie

Any Questions? Send Me a Message

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Disclaimer: This podcast is a collection of ideas, strategies, and opinions of the author(s). Its goal is to provide useful information on each of the topics shared within. It is not intended to provide medical, health, or professional consultation or to diagnosis-specific weight or feeding challenges. The author(s) advises the reader to always consult with appropriate health, medical, and professional consultants for support for individual children and family situations. The author(s) do not take responsibility for the personal or other risks, loss, or liability incurred as a direct or indirect consequence of the application or use of information provided. All opinions stated in this podcast are my own and do not reflect the opinions of my employer.

If your prenatal visit keeps getting hijacked by TikTok misinformation (hello, “folic acid causes autism”), this is the episode you’ll want in your back pocket.

In this epsiode, I sit down with women’s health dietitian Jane Leverich to map out exactly what to cover from preconception through postpartum: realistic calorie needs, how to talk about weight gain without harm, what prenatals actually do (and why the neon-yellow urine), the folic acid vs. methylfolate debate, five high-impact nutrients, smart food-safety coaching, and what to prioritize after delivery for healing and mood.

Links & related episodes

• Episode 22: Journey Through Pregnancy with Type 1 Diabetes
• Episode 44: Bounce-Back Culture: The Truth About Postpartum Nutrition

Guest: Jane Leverich, RDN — @janelevnutrition | janelevnutrition.com

Any Questions? Send Me a Message

Support the show

Connect with Colleen:
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Sign up for my FREE Newsletter - Nutrition hot-topics delivered to your inbox each week.

Disclaimer: This podcast is a collection of ideas, strategies, and opinions of the author(s). Its goal is to provide useful information on each of the topics shared within. It is not intended to provide medical, health, or professional consultation or to diagnosis-specific weight or feeding challenges. The author(s) advises the reader to always consult with appropriate health, medical, and professional consultants for support for individual children and family situations. The author(s) do not take responsibility for the personal or other risks, loss, or liability incurred as a direct or indirect consequence of the application or use of information provided. All opinions stated in this podcast are my own and do not reflect the opinions of my employer.

For years, parents were told to delay introducing allergenic foods like peanuts and eggs. Now, the advice is the complete opposite—and your families are confused, anxious, and looking to you for answers.

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Carina Venter—one of the world’s leading experts in pediatric food allergies. Together, we unpack the science, the guidelines, and the practical “how-to” steps clinicians need to confidently guide parents through early allergen introduction.

From maternal diet during pregnancy to the exact portion sizes and order of allergens to introduce, Dr. Venter gives you clear, evidence-based strategies you can take straight into clinic.

What You’ll Learn:

• Whether maternal diet in pregnancy or breastfeeding impacts allergy risk
• The safest timing for introducing peanut, egg, and other top allergens
• How many days (if any) to wait between allergens
• Appropriate portion sizes
• Practical ways to introduce tricky foods like nuts and eggs safely
• What to say to anxious families—especially those with a strong allergy history

Resources Mentioned:

Allergen Introduction Cheat Sheet - I took all the notes from this episode for you!

Cozyearth.com Use code EXAM at checkout for 40% the softest sheets ever.

Link to the book May Contain Anxiety

Article: Association between gut microbiota development and allergy in infants

Allergen ImmunoButters

Any Questions? Send Me a Message

Support the show

Connect with Colleen:
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Sign up for my FREE Newsletter - Nutrition hot-topics delivered to your inbox each week.

Disclaimer: This podcast is a collection of ideas, strategies, and opinions of the author(s). Its goal is to provide useful information on each of the topics shared within. It is not intended to provide medical, health, or professional consultation or to diagnosis-specific weight or feeding challenges. The author(s) advises the reader to always consult with appropriate health, medical, and professional consultants for support for individual children and family situations. The author(s) do not take responsibility for the personal or other risks, loss, or liability incurred as a direct or indirect consequence of the application or use of information provided. All opinions stated in this podcast are my own and do not reflect the opinions of my employer.

Meal replacements are an excellent tool for weight management. But they aren't the same as protein shakes.

Medical weight-loss dietitian Julia Axelbaum joins me to clear up the confusion, define the difference (they are not interchangeable), and map out exactly when to use each—on their own or alongside evidence-based tools like GLP-1s. You’ll walk away with a 3-step label checklist you can teach patients, practical strategies to curb evening cravings, and a step-by-step plan for transitioning patients back to real food without the weight regain.

Join the Obesity Medicine Nutrition Course! Use POD15 for 15% off!

Get 40% off Cozy Earth Sheets here. Use code EXAM at checkout.

Resources:

Episode 93: Contaminated Protein Supplements

FREEBIE: How to Choose a Protein Supplement

Connect with Julia at https://www.formhealth.co/

Got a nutrition question? Send me a voicemail.

Any Questions? Send Me a Message

Support the show

Connect with Colleen:
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Disclaimer: This podcast is a collection of ideas, strategies, and opinions of the author(s). Its goal is to provide useful information on each of the topics shared within. It is not intended to provide medical, health, or professional consultation or to diagnosis-specific weight or feeding challenges. The author(s) advises the reader to always consult with appropriate health, medical, and professional consultants for support for individual children and family situations. The author(s) do not take responsibility for the personal or other risks, loss, or liability incurred as a direct or indirect consequence of the application or use of information provided. All opinions stated in this podcast are my own and do not reflect the opinions of my employer.

Coaching Skills for Clinical Practice. Because if you want patients to actually change, you need to coach—not just prescribe.

I’m joined by Annie Wildermuth—RD, PA, PhD-trained researcher, and certified leadership & performance coach. Annie breaks down what real coaching is (and isn’t), how to spot legitimate coach training, and the exact questions that open patients up—without adding time to your visit. You’ll walk away with a pocketful of phrases to build trust, reduce defensiveness, and get to the real barrier faster.

HERE ARE 3 TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1. Coaching ≠ mentoring, consulting, or therapy. Coaching is forward-looking and non-prescriptive—designed to help patients surface their own best next step (not adopt ours).
2. Swap “why” questions for “what” or “how.” “Why” invites judgment; “what/how” lowers defenses and yields a deeper understanding in less time.
3. Three levels of listening. Move beyond content-only listening to “complete” listening—words + tone + context + body language—so you don’t miss what the patient is saying without words.

Want to ask me a question? Leave me a message here!

Transform obesity care in your practice and master the skills to help patients make lasting changes. Join the Obesity Medicine Nutrition Course here. Use code POD15 for 15% off!

Connect with Annie:

Website: First Road Leadership
LinkedIn
Instagram: @anniethePAC

Any Questions? Send Me a Message

Support the show

Connect with Colleen:
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Sign up for my FREE Newsletter - Nutrition hot-topics delivered to your inbox each week.

Disclaimer: This podcast is a collection of ideas, strategies, and opinions of the author(s). Its goal is to provide useful information on each of the topics shared within. It is not intended to provide medical, health, or professional consultation or to diagnosis-specific weight or feeding challenges. The author(s) advises the reader to always consult with appropriate health, medical, and professional consultants for support for individual children and family situations. The author(s) do not take responsibility for the personal or other risks, loss, or liability incurred as a direct or indirect consequence of the application or use of information provided. All opinions stated in this podcast are my own and do not reflect the opinions of my employer.

Today’s episode will change how you think (and talk) about food. Instead of obsessing over calories or cutting carbs, what if we taught patients to focus on nutrient density?

I’m joined by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, bestselling author of Nutrivore. You’ll learn how to shift the conversation from restriction to addition—and give patients permission to enjoy their food and improve their health.

What You’ll Learn:

• How to explain nutrient density in 60 seconds (using a car analogy your patients will love)
• The 5 foods to focus on first—without overwhelming your patients
• What to say when a patient claims healthy eating is “too expensive” or “not for them”
• Why “eat less, move more” can actually backfire—and how to reframe weight conversations
• One tiny habit that can radically improve a patient’s nutrient intake

Resources:

Connect with Dr Sarah

Buy the book: Nutrivore

Join the Obesity Medicine Nutrition Course - use code POD15 at checkout!

Any Questions? Send Me a Message

Support the show

Connect with Colleen:
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Sign up for my FREE Newsletter - Nutrition hot-topics delivered to your inbox each week.

Disclaimer: This podcast is a collection of ideas, strategies, and opinions of the author(s). Its goal is to provide useful information on each of the topics shared within. It is not intended to provide medical, health, or professional consultation or to diagnosis-specific weight or feeding challenges. The author(s) advises the reader to always consult with appropriate health, medical, and professional consultants for support for individual children and family situations. The author(s) do not take responsibility for the personal or other risks, loss, or liability incurred as a direct or indirect consequence of the application or use of information provided. All opinions stated in this podcast are my own and do not reflect the opinions of my employer.