RD Exam Ready Podcast

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down Endocrine Disorders MNT to help you feel confident tackling these topics on exam day. This episode focuses on key non-diabetes endocrine conditions you’re expected to know — including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, pituitary disorders, adrenal disorders like Addison’s and Cushing’s, and PCOS.You’ll review core physiology, lab patterns (T3, T4, TSH), common signs and symptoms, medical management, and the Medical Nutrition Therapy that matters most for the RD Exam. Zak connects hormone imbalances to nutrition implications like changes in metabolic rate, insulin resistance, sodium balance, and energy needs — then wraps up with practice questions to help you apply what you learned.Join us live on YouTube March 4, 2026 at 7:00 PM Central (5:00 PT | 6:00 MT | 7:00 CT | 8:00 ET) as we review foodborne illnesses together: https://youtube.com/live/273roYBV4Y8?feature=shareWant the notes from live sessions and updates on new episodes? Join the email list here: http://eepurl.com/jvGxaAWhen you subscribe, you’ll get notified about new podcast episodes, upcoming YouTube Lives, and receive PDF notes from live review sessions directly to your inbox.Follow RD Exam Ready for more exam prep:Instagram: @RDExamReadyTikTok: @RDExamReadyYouTube: RD Exam ReadyListen or watch the podcast anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcastSubscribe, rate, and share with your study group.Happy Studying, RD2Be 💙

*Sorry for the poor audio on this one folks. Turns out forgetting to plug in the correct microphone can decrease the quality! We'll get it right for next time, and this seemed like a fine topic for audio issues. Thanks!* In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down Menu Development and why it matters for the RD Exam. From menu types (static, cycle, and single-use) to pricing styles like prix fixe and à la carte, we review the key concepts you need to recognize on exam day.You’ll also learn how menus impact the entire foodservice system — including staffing, equipment, cost control, sustainability, cultural considerations, government regulations, and nutritional adequacy. We walk through menu psychology, aesthetics (color, texture, shape, and balance), and the Star, Plow Horse, Puzzle, and Dog framework for evaluating menu items.If menus feel straightforward but you’re not always sure what the exam is really asking, this episode will help you connect the dots and approach these questions with more confidence.Follow RD Exam Ready for more exam prep:Instagram: @RDExamReady TikTok: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam ReadyListen or watch the podcast anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcastDon’t forget to subscribe, rate, and share with your study group.Happy Studying, RD2Be 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak reviews key Nutrition Assistance Programs you’ll want to understand for the RD Exam and real-world community nutrition practice. We break down what each program provides, who is eligible, and the income guidelines that determine benefits — from SNAP and WIC to school meals, older adult nutrition programs, CSFP, CACFP, and more. 📺 Upcoming RD Exam Ready YouTube Live — 2/18/26 Mark your calendar! We’ll be going live on Wednesday, February 18th at 7:00 PM Central Time with another review session designed to help you study smarter. More practice questions, explanations, and real-time support. You don’t want to miss it!📲 Follow RD Exam Ready Instagram: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready🎧 Listen or watch the podcast anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) and staffing calculations, a topic that often causes confusion in foodservice management. You’ll learn how FTEs fit into the management functions, how to calculate FTEs per day, week, and year, and how to account for relief employees and adjusted FTEs. Zak walks through common exam-style scenarios, highlights unit-tracking tips, and finishes with practice questions to help you apply these concepts with confidence on exam day.📺 Upcoming YouTube Live – EN & TPN Calculations Join us Wednesday, February 4th at 7:00 PM Central Time (5:00 PM Pacific | 6:00 PM Mountain | 8:00 PM Eastern) 👉 https://www.youtube.com/live/rhQiFfnCVd4?si=UQygvJ_tVdvPesZL📲 Follow RD Exam Ready for more practice questions & live updates: Instagram: @RDExamReady YouTube: RD Exam Ready🎧 Don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast to help spread the word and support fellow RD2Be’s.Happy studying 💙

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak reviews the major types of bariatric surgery and the nutrition considerations you need to know for the RD Exam. You’ll learn how each procedure changes digestion and absorption, what vitamin and mineral deficiencies to watch for, and how these concepts show up in exam-style questions. The episode wraps up with practice questions to help you apply the material with confidence on exam day.📲 Follow RD Exam Ready Instagram: @RDExamReady YouTube: @RDExamReady🎧 Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast📺 Upcoming YouTube Live: February 4th at 7:00 PM Central https://youtube.com/live/rhQiFfnCVd4?feature=share

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down fixed, variable, and semi-variable costs in a clear, exam-focused way. You’ll learn how to identify each type of cost, avoid common points of confusion, and apply these concepts to calculation and break-even style questions. This episode is designed to help you think more confidently through foodservice finance questions on exam day.📺 Join RD Exam Ready Live 🗓 January 21, 2026 at 7:00 PM Central Time 👉 https://youtube.com/live/yE5PpAN18SI?feature=share📲 Follow RD Exam Ready Instagram: @RDExamReady YouTube: @RDExamReady🎧 Listen or watch the podcast anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak focuses on one of the most important skills for passing the RD Exam: QUESTION STRATEGY. You’ll learn how to approach every question with confidence using process of elimination, smart calculation techniques, and structured thinking for more complex clinical scenarios. This episode is all about improving performance on questions—not just memorizing content—so you can put the odds in your favor on exam day.📲 Follow RD Exam Ready Instagram: @RDExamReady YouTube: @RDExamReady🎧 Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down the organizing function of management in a clear, student-friendly way. You’ll learn how managers group tasks, delegate authority, structure organizations, and manage staff through concepts like organizational charts, line vs. staff authority, span of control, and centralized vs. decentralized organizations. The goal is simple: help you recognize where these concepts fit so you feel confident on exam day.📺 Join RD Exam Ready Live January 7, 2026 at 7:00 PM Central Time We’ll be reviewing minerals live on YouTube. 👉 https://youtube.com/live/C7A6KrCYl8A?feature=share📲 Follow RD Exam Ready Instagram: @RDExamReady YouTube: @RDExamReady🎧 Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down stress, inflammation, and the labs you’ll see in acute illness. Learn how acute phase reactants work, how to interpret albumin, prealbumin, transferrin, and CRP, and why inflammation—not nutrition alone—drives many lab changes in hospitalized patients. This episode helps you connect inflammation, metabolism, and nutrition care with confidence.Follow & Listen 📲 Instagram: @RDExamReady ▶️ YouTube: @RDExamReady 🎧 Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak walks through common gastrointestinal disorders and the nutrition therapy used to manage them. You’ll review conditions affecting the esophagus, stomach, and intestines, with a clear focus on understanding etiology, signs and symptoms, medications, and nutrition interventions. The episode wraps up with practice questions to help you apply what you’ve learned and strengthen your clinical reasoning for exam day.Follow & Listen: Instagram: @RDExamReady YouTube: @RDExamReady Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast

YOUTUBE LIVE: 12/17/25 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time  [VITAMINS WITH Q&A] Link:https://youtube.com/live/za_riY2HouY?feature=share  In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down behavior change and educational theories you need to know for the CDR Exam. Learn how major models explain patient motivation, readiness to change, and counseling strategies—without getting lost in the details. The episode focuses on how to recognize these theories in exam questions and apply them confidently on test day, with practice questions to reinforce key concepts.Follow & ListenFollow on Instagram: @RDExamReadySubscribe on YouTube: @RDExamReadyListen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast

Episode Description: In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down the key equipment and facility standards you’ll need to know for the RD Exam. From understanding equipment requirements and dishwasher basics to lighting standards and common exam traps, you'll learn how to identify what matters most on test day. The episode wraps up with practice questions to help you apply and reinforce the material.Follow & Listen: Instagram: @RDExamReady YouTube: @RDExamReady Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast

Episode Description: In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down the major types of research you’ll need to recognize for the RD Exam. You’ll learn how to distinguish descriptive vs. analytical studies, understand common designs like case–control, cohort, cross-sectional, qualitative research, and RCTs, and use simple examples to keep them straight. The episode wraps up with practice questions to help you apply the concepts with confidence.Follow & Listen: Instagram: @RDExamReady YouTube: @RDExamReady Listen or watch anywhere: https://feeds.transistor.fm/rd-exam-ready-podcast

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak covers the essential employment laws and union concepts you’ll need for the exam. Learn his proven method for identifying Pro- and Anti-Employee acts, then put your knowledge to the test with focused practice questions designed to reinforce what you’ve learned.IG: @rdexamreadyYT: @RDexamready

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down medical nutrition therapy for critically ill patients. You’ll review the metabolic stress response and how to identify the ebb, flow, and recovery phases, along with key nutrition considerations for patients with sepsis and major burns. Zak also covers calorie and protein prescriptions, when to use predictive equations, and why early enteral nutrition is preferred whenever possible. The episode wraps up with practice questions to help you apply what you’ve learned and feel more confident on exam day.

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak breaks down Carbohydrate Counting for Diabetes in a clear way to apply to your exam day. You’ll review how to calculate carbohydrates in common meals and snacks, and what to know about starches, fruits, dairy, and non-starchy vegetables. Zak also walks through lean, medium-fat, and high-fat proteins to help you see how they fit into diabetes meal planning. The episode wraps up with practice questions to test your knowledge and help you feel more confident for exam day.

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak reviews the key ingredient functions tested on the CDR Exam. From flour, eggs, and fats to sugar, salt, and leavening agents, you’ll learn how each ingredient contributes structure, flavor, stability, and tenderness to baked goods. Zak also breaks down common baking issues — like low volume, fallen centers, and tunneling — and explains how ingredient balance affects final product quality. The episode wraps up with practice questions to help you apply the material and strengthen your food science knowledge for exam day.

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak reviews the key concepts of infant nutrition you’ll need to know for the CDR Exam. From growth assessment standards and nutrient needs to feeding recommendations, you’ll learn what’s tested and how to apply it. Topics include energy, protein, fat, vitamin D, iron, and fluoride requirements, along with how to interpret WHO growth charts for infants. The episode wraps up with practice questions to help you apply these concepts on exam day.

In this episode, Zak reviews the biochemistry of fats — what you need to know for the CDR Exam. From fatty acid structure and saturation levels to digestion, absorption, and metabolism, this episode breaks down how fats move through the body in both fed and fasted states. You’ll learn how triglycerides, phospholipids, and sterols function — and how to connect these concepts to real RD Exam practice questions.

In this episode of the RD Exam Ready Podcast, Zak reviews key leadership and management theories tested on the CDR Exam. From Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Model to Expectancy Theory, Reinforcement Theory, and McGregor’s Theory X & Y, you’ll learn the essentials of how each theory explains employee motivation and management styles. The episode wraps up with practice questions to help you apply the theories directly to exam scenarios.