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 stages. 

We Cover

• Nutrients children and families commonly fall short on
• What we know about maternal nutrition and infant outcomes
• Characteristics of a nutritious first food
• Practical strategies for navigating picky eating
• How to build family meals that work for every age and stage

Resources Mentioned:

Healthy Beginnings (Toolkit)

The Role of Lutein in Child Development: From Prenatal to Early Childhood

Avocado Consumption During Pregnancy Linked to Lower Child Food Allergy Risk: Prospective KuBiCo Study

How to Freeze Avocados for Smoothies

Don't miss the rest of the series:

• Episode 1: Why Feeling Full Matters for Weight Loss
• Episode 2: Rethinking Cholesterol Counseling 
• Episode 3: The Bigger Picture of Blood Sugar 

About Today's Sponsor

Avocados – Love One Today® is a leading source of the healthiest reasons and tastiest ways to enjoy fresh avocados. Backed by science, Love One Today provides turnkey solutions that make it easy for health professionals to stay on top of the latest research and confidently recommend fresh avocados to patients. Embracing the diversity of Latin flavors and traditions while promoting a healthier lifestyle, Aguacates - Love One Today® also offers culturally inspired recipes, tips, and educational handouts para Latinos. Visit LoveOneToday.com for free evidence-based resources, recipes and patient education materials.

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. 

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. 

What You’ll Learn

• How to shift the conversation from restriction toward overall diet quality
• The difference between glycemic index and glycemic load
• Nutrients to consider beyond total carbohydrates, such as unsaturated fats and fiber
• Research exploring avocados, diet quality, blood sugar management, and diabetes risk
• Practical ways patients can incorporate avocados into balanced meals

Resources Mentioned:

The Role of Avocados in Managing Type 2 Diabetes

Know the Difference: Natural Sugars vs. Added Sugars (Handout)

The Effect of Including One Avocado Daily in a Habitual Diet on the Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load in Free-living Adults with Overweight/Obesity

Associations Between Avocado Intake and Measures of Glucose and Insulin Homeostasis in Hispanic Individuals With and Without Type 2 Diabetes

Associations Between Avocado Intake and Lower Rates of Incident Type 2 Diabetes in U.S. Adults with Hispanic/Latino Ancestry

Avocado Banana Dairy-Free Ice Cream (Recipe)

Don't miss the rest of the series:

• Episode 1: Why Feeling Full Matters for Weight Loss
• Episode 2: Rethinking Cholesterol Counseling

About Today's Sponsor

Avocados – Love One Today® is a leading source of the healthiest reasons and tastiest ways to enjoy fresh avocados. Backed by science, Love One Today provides turnkey solutions that make it easy for health professionals to stay on top of the latest research and confidently recommend fresh avocados to patients. Embracing the diversity of Latin flavors and traditions while promoting a healthier lifestyle, Aguacates - Love One Today® also offers culturally inspired recipes, tips, and educational handouts para Latinos. Visit LoveOneToday.com for free evidence-based resources, recipes and patient education materials.

Any Questions? Send Me a Message

Support the show

Connect with Colleen:
Instagram
LinkedIn
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. 

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 avocado

We Cover

• Why restriction alone often isn't enough for cholesterol counseling
• The science behind swapping saturated fat with unsaturated fats
• The types of food swaps that may improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels
• Nutrients that support cholesterol management and overall heart health, including fiber and unsaturated fats
• Creative ways patients can incorporate avocados to get more unsaturated fats and fiber beyond avocado toast

Resources Mentioned:

Avocados and Cholesterol

Reduce Saturated Fat Intake With Fresh Avocados

Avocados and Plant Sterols

Avocados, Cholesterol and You (Handout)

Effects of Replacing Solid Fats and Added Sugars with Avocado in Adults with Elevated Cardiometabolic Risk: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Controlled Feeding, Crossover Trial

Don't miss the rest of the series:

• Episode 1: Why Feeling Full Matters for Weight Loss

About Today's Sponsor

Avocados – Love One Today® is a leading source of the healthiest reasons and tastiest ways to enjoy fresh avocados. Backed by science, Love One Today provides turnkey solutions that make it easy for health professionals to stay on top of the latest research and confidently recommend fresh avocados to patients. Embracing the diversity of Latin flavors and traditions while promoting a healthier lifestyle, Aguacates - Love One Today® also offers culturally inspired recipes, tips, and educational handouts para Latinos. Visit LoveOneToday.com for free evidence-based resources, recipes and patient education materials.

Any Questions? Send Me a Message

Support the show

Connect with Colleen:
Instagram
LinkedIn
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. 

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 fullness and satisfaction.

What You’ll Learn

• Why hunger is one of the biggest barriers to sustainable weight loss
• The role of satiety and meal satisfaction in weight management
• What research tells us about avocados, weight, and body composition
• Why fiber and unsaturated fats  matter alongside protein, especially for patients eating less overall
• Practical ways to incorporate avocados for satisfying meals and snacks

Resources Mentioned

Avocados, GLP-1 and Weight Loss Medications: Making Every Bite Count

Avocados and Satiety: A Deep Dive Into Fullness and Weight Management

Effect of Incorporating 1 Avocado Per Day Versus Habitual Diet on Visceral Adiposity: A Randomized Trial

Using the Avocado to Test the Satiety Effects of a Fat-Fiber Combination in Place of Carbohydrate Energy in a Breakfast Meal in Overweight and Obese Men and Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial

About Today's Sponsor

Avocados – Love One Today® is a leading source of the healthiest reasons and tastiest ways to enjoy fresh avocados. Backed by science, Love One Today provides turnkey solutions that make it easy for health professionals to stay on top of the latest research and confidently recommend fresh avocados to patients. Embracing the diversity of Latin flavors and traditions while promoting a healthier lifestyle, Aguacates - Love One Today® also offers culturally inspired recipes, tips, and educational handouts para Latinos. Visit LoveOneToday.com for free evidence-based resources, recipes and patient education materials.

Any Questions? Send Me a Message

Support the show

Connect with Colleen:
Instagram
LinkedIn
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. 

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:

• Whether sugar really “feeds” cancer and what the Warburg effect actually means
• The truth about soy, phytoestrogens, and hormone-sensitive cancers
• Processed meat, red meat, and which foods are actually linked to cancer risk
• Aspartame, artificial sweeteners, and what “possibly carcinogenic” really means
• Alcohol and cancer risk—and why there seems to be some discrepancy
• Whether fasting during chemotherapy improves treatment outcomes
• Emerging research on restricting amino acids to slow cancer growth
• Apricot kernels and the serious risks behind viral “natural cancer cure” claims
• Supplements during cancer treatment, including potential interactions, over-supplementation, and when supplements may actually be helpful
• How clinicians can address cancer nutrition misinformation without dismissing or shaming patients

Nutrition absolutely matters in cancer care. But restrictive “anti-cancer diets” and viral food cures can distract patients from what may help most: adequate protein, maintaining nutrition status, eating more fiber-rich plant foods, managing treatment side effects, and getting individualized support.

Resources Mentioned:

Episode 57: Cancer Survivorship and Nutrition

Episode 75: Are Your Patients Taking Too Many Supplements?

Connect with Ginger

The Good Clean Nutrition Podcast

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. 

 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:

• Who should be screened for type 1 diabetes and what autoantibodies to look for
• The difference between stage 1, stage 2, and stage 3 type 1 diabetes
• Why diabetes technology is changing how we teach carbohydrate counting
• How to interpret CGM data without making patients fear every glucose spike
• Where low- and non-nutritive sweeteners fit into diabetes care
• Why weight management is different for patients with type 1 diabetes
• What clinicians should know about GLP-1 medications in type 1 diabetes

If it’s been a while since you reviewed type 1 diabetes, this episode will get you caught up on what’s changing and what matters most in clinical practice.

Peas and Hoppy Meal Guide  - use EXAMROOM for 20% off. 

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Sarah

ADA Guide to Nutrition Therapy for Diabetes 4th Edition

Type 1 Diabetes and Pregnancy 

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. 

 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 signs clinicians should be paying attention to long before the weight or labs change.

Key takeaways:

• Why weight is not a reliable screening tool for eating disorders
• Why restricting sweets, controlling portions, or labeling foods can make certain foods even more desirable
• What you need to ask when a parent says their child "sneaks food" 
• Simple screening questions clinicians can use during a well visit
• What to say when a patient discloses purging, restriction, or body image concerns

Connect with Jessica 

Resources Mentioned:

Episode 41: Silent Battles

Any Questions? Send Me a Message

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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. 

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:

• A better way to classify different types of fiber
• How viscosity and fermentability affect what fiber does in the body
• Why fiber diversity may help support microbiome diversity
• How to make fiber recommendations more specific and practical
• When a convenient fiber product can help bridge the gap

This episode was sponsored by NeuroFiber, a bar that provides 11 grams of fiber from 14 prebiotic and whole-food fiber sources, including a five-fiber prebiotic blend. NeuroFiber bars are gluten-free and made with real, whole food ingredients. Their formula was developed to support digestive health, microbiome diversity, and the gut-brain axis while offering a convenient option for patients who struggle to consistently meet their fiber needs through food alone.

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. 

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:

• Why a Mediterranean-style diet should come before supplements for pain
• Supplements with evidence for neuropathic pain vs. musculoskeletal pain
• What we know about alpha-lipoic acid, turmeric/curcumin, glucosamine, chondroitin, collagen, omega-3s, magnesium, vitamin D, and PEA
• Chelsey's algorithm for experimenting with supplements 
• How to define whether a supplement is actually “working”
• Medication interactions and patient populations that require extra caution
• When nutrient deficiencies should be investigated before adding another supplement

Resources mentioned:

• Episode 75: Are Your Patients Taking Too Many Supplements and Don’t Even Know It?
• Episode 73: Is That Supplement Worth It? 
• Connect with Chelsey Hoffmann on LinkedIn

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. 

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.

Resources mentioned:

Episode 47: Nutrition and Infertility- Is Your Diagnosis Wrong?

Connect with Jessica

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.