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.

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Episode 64: Think Goals, Not Resolutions

Show Notes:

Episode 64: Think Goals, Not Resolutions

With the new year comes the inevitable talk of resolutions. Do you make resolutions? Do you keep them? Do you even bother? What is the big thing about January and the new year? The fresh start? First, I encourage people to make goals rather than resolutions. And make these goals SMART.

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Episode 63: Eating Is Not Cheating

Show Notes:

Episode 63: Eating Is Not Cheating

Stop the Cheating Mindset! I often say, “eating is not cheating.” It is the title of my signature webinar. And, sometimes, people think it means something different than my intent.

Many times, people tell me that they have a CHEAT DAY. And others may be even more proud to tell me they only have a CHEAT MEAL. I am not a fan of this word or this idea regarding food.

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Special 6 2022: Which Diet to Choose

Special 6 2022: Which Diet to Choose?

This is the sixth of six special episodes for the holiday season 2022. These are extra episodes dropping on Tuesday in addition to the regular Friday episode.

This sixth episode addresses eating through the holidays and a mindset shift that can help with not letting it get out of hand.

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Special 5 2022: Eating Through the Holidays

Special 5 2022: Eating Through the Holidays

This is the fifth of six special episodes for the holiday season 2022. These are extra episodes dropping on Tuesday in addition to the regular Friday episode.

This fifth episode addresses eating through the holidays and a mindset shift that can help with not letting it get out of hand.

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Special 4 2022: Eat What You Love

Special 4 2022: Eat What You Love

This is the fourth of six special episodes for the holiday season 2022. These are extra episodes dropping on Tuesday in addition to the regular Friday episode.

This fourth episode is addressing eating what you love and enjoying food without guilt. It is okay to eat what you love. Any day of the week.

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Episode 60: Do You Need a Sugar Detox?

Episode 60: Do You Need a Sugar Detox?

This is part 7 of a series about sugar with today covering the topic of detoxing from sugar. It this an “addictive” substance that one needs to “detox” from.

Sugar is not a drug or a toxin - or is it?

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Special 3 2022: Your Immune System, Nutrition, and Exercise

Special 3 2022: Your Immune System, Nutrition, and Exercise

This is the third of six special episodes for the holiday season 2022. These are extra episodes dropping on Tuesday in addition to the regular Friday episode.

This third episode is addressing your immune system and how you eat and regular exercise can help or hinder a healthy immune system.

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Episode 59: What Are Sugar Alcohols?

Episode 59: What Are Sugar Alcohols?

This is part 6 of a series about sugar with today covering sugar alcohols. What are they? What foods have them? How can we see if they are in our foods? And, are there negative consequences of consuming sugar alcohol? For some people, potentially yes.

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Special 2 2022: Stress, Your Health, and the Holidays

Special 2 2022: Stress, Your Health, and the Holidays

This is the second of six special episodes for the holiday season 2022. These are extra episodes dropping on Tuesday in addition to the regular Friday episode

This second episode is addressing stress and how it affects your health overall. Stress can have a negative impact on your health and increase your risk of getting sick.

What can you do to minimize this?

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Episode 58: Low-Calorie Sweeteners - Are They Safe?

Episode 58: Low-Calorie Sweeteners - Are They Safe? This is part 5 of a series about sugar with today covering some of the low-calorie sweeteners - also called non-nutritive sweeteners or “artificial” sweeteners. These are some of the more “feared” things in our food - but should we fear them? This episode covers four “tabletop” sweeteners and whether you should have concerns about them.

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Special 1 2022: Self-Care, Nutrition, and Fitness for the Holiday Season

Special 1 2022: Self-Care, Nutrition, and Fitness for the Holiday Season

This is the first of six special episodes for the holiday season 2022. These are extra episodes dropping on Tuesday in addition to the regular Friday episode

This first episode is addressing your self-care during this time of year (and always), and I provide a nutrition tip with an actionable item and a fitness tip with an actionable item.

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Episode 57: Types of Added Sugars

Episode 57: Types of Added Sugars This is part 4 of a series about sugar - with today covering various aliases of added sugars and how to distinguish between added sugar and naturally occurring sugar. And, sugar has more than 60 aliases - you might be getting some added sugar because it is going by a different name in some foods. What are the various sugar aliases and how do you find them?

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Episode 56: Healthier Sugar Alternatives

Episode 56: Healthier Sugar Alternatives This is part 3 of a series about sugar - with today covering perceived healthier sugar alternatives. When people refer to sugar, they think of or refer to white granulated table sugar. And people will often assume or mistakenly think that if they use a sugar alternative – such as honey or agave nectar- they are making a healthier choice or something more “natural.” But are any of these healthier alternatives to white sugar? Let’s take a look at the facts.

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Episode 55: Natural vs Added Sugars

Episode 55: Natural vs Added Sugars This is part 2 of a series about sugar - with today covering natural vs added sugars. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans have included recommendations to reduce added sugars in our diets for several years. It recommends choosing an eating pattern low in added sugars - limiting added sugars to less than 10% of calories per day for ages two and older and avoiding added sugars for infants and toddlers. Now the key phrase here is ADDED sugars. So, how can you determine the difference between natural vs added sugars in food? Listen to find out.

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Episode 54: Carbohydrates vs Sugar

Episode 54: Carbohydrates vs Sugar This is part 1 of a series about sugar - starting with carbohydrates vs sugar. Sugar in the form of glucose is THE fuel for the brain, the fuel for all our cells, and the fuel for our muscles. So, when people make a blanket statement such as “sugar feeds cancer cells,” that is true, but only because sugar feeds ALL cells in the body. Get the scoop on carbohydrates vs sugar, a mini biochemistry lesson on sugars, the difference between carbohydrates and sugar, and simple vs complex carbohydrates.

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Episode 53: Vitamin B

Vitamin B? Something I see (and hear) is referring to “vitamin B” as a single nutrient. I am not getting enough “vitamin B.” I need more “vitamin B.” This food is a good source of “vitamin B.” If you know even a bit about vitamins, you probably already know that there is more than one B vitamin. There are eight, and some have more than one name. But do you need to supplement them - or are you doing okay?

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Episode 52: Why Do Nutrition Recommendations Keep Changing?

Episode 52: Why Do Nutrition Recommendations Keep Changing?

Have you ever said or thought this: Nutritionists are constantly changing their minds? If people are allowed to change their minds, and dietitians are human, aren’t they given the same freedom as other humans? The field of nutrition, a science, is supposed to have the answers and never be allowed to deviate from the original recommendation or supposed solutions from the start. Nutrition is a science with biology, chemistry, anatomy, physiology, and biochemistry components. So, like many science fields, there is still a lot to learn and understand. Recommendations aren’t changed on a whim - I guarantee it.

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Episode 51: Stop Judging Food Choices

Episode 51: Stop Judging Food Choices

Have you ever found yourself judging food choices? The food choices of others? Your own food choices? Both? This isn’t just observing what other people are eating but also commenting on their choices, either in your head or out loud. In today’s episode, I address why we should not shame people about their food choices and even consider how we judge our choices.

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