Real World Nutrition Podcast
Move past the fads, gimmicks, trends, detoxing, cleanses, fasting, and other unrealistic ideas about eating in the real world. If you want to eat and enjoy food without being deprived because you live in the real world, join Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Shelley A. Rael as she sorts through the hype and gives real talk about eating healthier.
Launched October 2021 with new episodes weekly, each Friday.
Available on your favorite podcast app/platform, including Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music/Audible, Google Podcasts, I Heart Radio, PodBean, Spotify, and Stitcher.
The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines: What They Got Right and Where They Fall Short
The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans influence far more than individual food choices. They shape nutrition policy, school meals, and public health messaging.
In this episode, the third in an ongoing series, the Guidelines are examined from both perspectives. What they got right includes clearer messaging about added sugars, a stronger emphasis on dietary patterns, fiber, and life-stage nutrition. And where they fall short, including confusion around saturated fat, mixed messaging on dietary fats, and the shift toward more rigid language around sugars and additives.
This episode provides context, clarity, and practical takeaways to help interpret the Guidelines without oversimplifying the science.
Carbohydrates, Sugar, Fiber, and Chronic Disease
Carbohydrates are often blamed for chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. But science tells a much more nuanced story.
This episode continues the carbohydrate series by looking at what the evidence actually shows about carbohydrates, sugar, fiber, and chronic disease risk. Topics include common myths about sugar and diabetes, how carbohydrates influence blood glucose management, the role of fiber in metabolic health, and how dietary patterns affect heart disease and cancer risk.
Chronic diseases are complex and multifactorial. No single nutrient causes them. This episode focuses on distinguishing myths from evidence and understanding how carbohydrate quality and overall dietary patterns play a much larger role than individual foods do.
Part of the ongoing carbohydrate series.