RD Exam Made Easy Podcast
Wow. What can I say! This has been such an incredible journey. When I started the podcast, I had no idea where it would go, how many episodes I'd release, or what the next steps were. I only had one goal: To help RDs2Be get across the finish line and pass the RD Exam I wanted to teach through stories. I love stories. Stories are relatable and they build bridges and connection. It's so much more fun remembering something through a story than it is to remember facts. So that was my primary focus when creating episodes for this podcast. Over time, the podcast evolved. I never planned to...
info_outlineRD Exam Made Easy Podcast
I get asked a lot from RDs2Be what study material they should choose. There used to be very few options but now, there are more options which is great. But with more options, it means you have to make more decisions. And that can be exhausting when you're this close to wrapping up this chapter of your educational career. So I wanted to do a review of the study materials available and give a little advice that I hope will help you with this question. And remember, the goal is to simply pass. Even if you JUST pass. Even if you just squeeze by. No one cares. Once you're a dietitian,...
info_outlineRD Exam Made Easy Podcast
No matter what happens in life, things will change. It's inevitable. Often times, things change without you having any control over it. When that happens, you have to be resilient, adapt, and move on. But not all change is forced. Lots of change happens because people realize they have to make a change and can't continue things status quo. You've likely gone through the stages of change at some point in your own life too. As dietitians, your job is often to help people through the stages of change and to meet them where they're at. It's also important and helpful to be able to identify...
info_outlineRD Exam Made Easy Podcast
Community nutrition is a rotation in every dietetic internship. It may look different for each intern but you need to have exposure and a basic understanding of programs and resources available in our communities that promote and support good nutrition. As a dietitian, you need to know how to help people who don't have access to good nutrition. Even if you don't work in public health, having knowledge of these programs will help your clients and patients. Plus...they might show up on the RD Exam. This is what you'll learn in this episode: An overview of different programs...
info_outlineRD Exam Made Easy Podcast
It's a lot to balance everything in life. And sometimes things can feel heavy and overwhelming. This is especially true when studying for a big exam, like the RD exam. That's why I felt it was important to be open about how I ended up with mental fatigue and worked through it. And share some strategies you can do to avoid it while juggling so many things at once. This is what you'll learn in this episode: Tips and strategies to avoid mental fatigue How to use these tips when studying for the exam Here's a glance at this episode: [05:50] Why creating a study plan helps keep...
info_outlineRD Exam Made Easy Podcast
As of 2024, the field of dietetics requires Registered Dietitians to have a Master degree which means a bigger emphasis on research. Research methods is also part of the study guide for the RD Exam. This is what you'll learn in this episode: A closer look at qualitative and quantitative research studies A breakdown of independent and dependent variables A review of different types of research studies and designs as well as the pros and cons of each type of research study Here's a glance at this episode: [00:33] An overview of qualitative and quantitative research studies [04:50]...
info_outlineRD Exam Made Easy Podcast
Regardless of where you work, it's a good idea to have a basic understanding of developmental stages. Plus this is something that could be asked on the RD exam. This episode of the RD Exam Made Easy Podcast covers developmental stages. This is what you'll learn in this episode: What to keep in mind of with each developmental stage and how it influences that individuals nutrition and well-being. A review of each developmental stage from infancy through geriatrics How you, the dietitian, can help individuals through the life cycle Here's a glance at this episode: [04:00] A...
info_outlineRD Exam Made Easy Podcast
If you’re looking for a quick review of DRI’s (Dietary Reference Intakes), the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and Healthy People 2030, this episode’s for you. It's a short and sweet episode to review these concepts that are fair game on the exam. So grab your walking shoes, or plug in your phone for your commute to your next internship site. A little studying note. Reminder that studying includes listening, reading, restating, and writing. So don't be afraid to take notes, re-write things over and over if you need to, and paraphrase what you learned. This is...
info_outlineRD Exam Made Easy Podcast
Eating Disorders are something all dietitians should have baseline knowledge of because you never know when you'll meet someone who needs your help. In this episode, I have a conversation with Kate Machado, MS, RDN, CSSD, CEDS, from SD Nutrition Group (), who's an expert in Eating Disorders. She knew from day one that working with eating disorders was her passion and she's been working with that population ever since she became a Registered Dietitian. She shares a lot of wisdom. Two things she said really stood out: "Everybody who has an eating disorder dieted at some point, but...
info_outlineRD Exam Made Easy Podcast
Remember learning about vitamins and minerals for the first time? Maybe it was fun and exciting or maybe it was overwhelming - or possibly both. Regardless of how you felt, there's a lot of them. And remembering all them isn't easy. So I broke them up into two episodes - one on vitamins and one on minerals. In this episode, I cover the minerals - both the major and trace minerals. Normally, you'd have a whole semester on micronutrients so this episode is a summary - a review. This is what you'll learn in this episode: A review of the major minerals, electrolytes, and...
info_outlineEating Disorders are something all dietitians should have baseline knowledge of because you never know when you'll meet someone who needs your help.
In this episode, I have a conversation with Kate Machado, MS, RDN, CSSD, CEDS, from SD Nutrition Group (www.sdnutritiongroup.com), who's an expert in Eating Disorders. She knew from day one that working with eating disorders was her passion and she's been working with that population ever since she became a Registered Dietitian.
She shares a lot of wisdom. Two things she said really stood out:
"Everybody who has an eating disorder dieted at some point, but not everyone who has dieted has an eating disorder."
AND
"Eating disorders exist because of the rules."
This is what you'll learn in this episode:
- An overview of the different types of Eating Disorders (ED): Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), Night Eating Disorder, and OSFED (Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder)
- Treatment plans for the different eating disorders
- The progression of eating disorders
- How to screen and identify athletes with eating disorders
Here's a glance at this episode:
[08:00] The criteria for diagnosing Anorexia Nervosa and the different types such as restricting type and bingeing/purging within Anorexia Nervosa
[10:40] The criteria for diagnosing Bulimia Nervosa and the compensatory behavior
[12:30] An overview of Binge Eating Disorder
[14:40] A discussion of ARFID
[17:40] An overview of eating disorders that don't meet other criteria, which are referred to as OSFED
[20:00] Our role as dietitians when assessing someone who is showing signs of an eating disorder and why dietitians shouldn't be afraid of working with people with eating disorders
[26:00] A review of outpatient screening and what treatment typically looks like
[32:10] The different treatment plans for people with eating disorders and what a meal plan might look like for someone with Anorexia Nervosa versus Bulimia Nervosa versus ARFID
[43:50] What a treatment plan for someone with night eating disorder would look like
[49:10] What to do when helping someone who doesn't want to be in treatment in the outpatient setting
[52:04] An overview of Family Based Treatment (FBT)
[55:27] The screening process for athletes suspected of having eating disorders and the importance of having a treatment protocol in place
I also give a shout out to 3 incredible new RD's.
Summary of terms:
PHP = Partial Hospitalization Program
IOP = Intensive Outpatient Program