Ask the RD | January 2026

Our registered dietitian, Jamie, offers answers to nutrition-related questions our community have submitted over the past month.

The information shared within this blog is meant for informational purposes only and should not be received as medical advice.

If you have a question to submit, please click the button and watch for a response the following month. Before submitting a question, we invite you to visit the main page for Ask the RD and enter a keyword into the search box — your question may already be answered!

• Top 5 Topics To-Date

  We are sharing a brief recap of the most popular topics over the past 2.5 years. Did you know we’ve answered more than 109 unique questions? The most common themes centering on healthy eating patterns, macronutrient balance, chronic disease management, weight control, food allergies and sensitivities, specific foods, practical meal planning, supplements, lifestyle factors, and tailored advice for special populations.

  From that information, we gathered the top 5.

  1. Healthy Eating Patterns & Diets. This includes questions related to various diets and their heart health benefits. Additionally, it offers a focus on balanced, minimally processed meals and the Healthy Plate method.

  2. Macronutrients and Nutrient Timing. There is a plethora of questions related to specific nutrition categories and terminology to include: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Many of these topics dove further into needs for varying audiences, the role of each, and balancing for different life stages, activity levels, and health conditions.

  3. Chronic Disease Prevention & Management. Though we aren’t experts in all fields of disease management, our experts leaned on colleagues within those specialties while discussing the commonalities all individuals can follow for a healthy dietary plan. We covered diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol osteoporosis, and cancer and offered actionable advice to lower A1C, control cholesterol, and support bone health.

  4. Weight Management & Metabolism. Guidance for healthy weight loss, managing weight during menopause, and boosting metabolism were the most requested. We also addressed fad diets, sustainable habits, and the pitfalls of restrictive eating.

  5. Food Allergies, Sensitivities, & Special Diets. With so much information floating about the internet, you leaned into the opportunity to hear what a trusted expert had to say on managing food allergies and intolerance, and special diets like gluten-free, low-FODMAP, and vegan/vegetarian. Advice was given for navigating dietary restrictions while maintaining adequate nutrition, along with consulting personally with experts to best support the individual needs.

  If any of these topics pique your interest, it’s easy to navigate our blog. Simply find the “search box” located toward the top of the main Ask the RD page, enter your keyword(s), and you will be provided with a link to each monthly blog containing relevant information.

Jamie Libera, RD, LD, CCTD, is a clinical dietitian within the Providence health system. She works closely with the heart programs in offering consultations for heart failure patients, cardiac rehab patients, and serves as the nutrition consultant for Basecamp Prevention + Wellness. Jamie offers monthly nutrition-based classes and a monthly heart-healthy recipe as part of Basecamp’s free community programming.