Registered Dietitian, Founder of Positive Change Nutrition
Registered dietitian Rachel Rood explains intuitive eating as something both intentional and flexible, and why restriction so often sets up the very patterns women are trying to escape.
In this conversation
Rachel Rood, MS, RD, earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Nutrition Science from Utah State University and has worked as a dietitian across a wide range of settings. She spent time with the WIC program, did hospital work, taught undergraduate nutrition for Utah State and the Community College of Vermont, and then moved into the field of eating disorders at a residential treatment facility. She began private practice in 2018 and has worked exclusively in private practice since 2021.
As the founder of Positive Change Nutrition, Rachel specializes in treating individuals with eating disorders and also works with clients who want to improve their relationship with food, manage nutrition-related health concerns, and make sustainable lifestyle changes. Through individualized counseling, she meets clients where they are with food and body concerns and collaborates on realistic goals. Her approach is non-diet and weight-inclusive, grounded in evidence-based nutrition and Intuitive Eating principles. Outside of work she enjoys her family, travel, Broadway musicals, and sporting events.
With Bree Allred, Rachel traces how diet trends cycle through fat, carbs, keto, and protein while the underlying message stays the same, and offers her own definition of intuitive eating as eating and moving in a way that feels good, supports your health, and stays flexible. Their conversation on nourishing women through life covers the restrict-binge cycle, fueling through pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause, and how digestion and fiber connect to pelvic floor symptoms.
EP. 17 · Nov 5, 2026
Dietitian Rachel Rood explains intuitive eating, why restriction backfires, and how to fuel your body through pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause.
Watch, listen, and read the episodeA few grounded takeaways from Rachel’s conversation with Bree.
The intentional part is consistent fueling with regular meals and snacks. The intuitive part is listening to hunger and fullness inside that structure, noticing which foods leave you steady, and allowing room for flexibility.
Rachel describes a common pattern: a woman eats very little while being "really good" all day, then feels ravenous and out of control by night. The overeating gets blamed when the undereating came first.
Rachel pairs adequate fueling with permission, sometimes starting with gentle structure such as enjoying ice cream out before keeping it at home, so the restrict-binge loop loses its grip.
Without enough total calories, carbohydrate, and fat, protein gets burned for energy instead of used for repair. Rachel also notes that variety matters and a multivitamin is insurance, not a substitute for eating.
Rachel adds nuance to standard fiber advice, pointing to variety of fiber sources and noting that chronic restriction can slow digestion because you have to put something in to get something out.
Explore more guest features or hear the full episode with Rachel Rood.
