Press Release · Health Policy Podcast
Monique Yohanan, MD, MPH of Independent Women on Health Policy Podcast: Understanding the New Dietary Guidelines with Monique Yohanan
Published · Featuring Monique Yohanan, MD, MPH of Independent Women
Monique Yohanan, MD, MPH, discusses the new dietary guidelines and their implications for health in a recent Health Policy Podcast episode with Independent Wome
Monique Yohanan, MD, MPH, a Senior Fellow at Independent Women, discusses the new Dietary Guidelines on the Health Policy Podcast. The episode covers significant shifts in nutrition policy, focusing on food science and the implications for public health.
WASHINGTON — May 25, 2026 — Monique Yohanan, MD, MPH, a Senior Fellow at Independent Women, joined the Health Policy Podcast to discuss the recently released Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The guidelines emphasize a shift towards protein, healthy fats, and fiber while moving away from traditional low-fat recommendations. Yohanan highlights the importance of real foods and the impact of these guidelines on nutrition policy.
Yohanan explains that the new guidelines represent a significant departure from the old food pyramid model. "Big picture, think about the old food pyramid and flip it upside down," she said. The focus now is on incorporating more protein, healthy fats, and fiber into diets, while minimizing ultra-processed foods. This approach aims to help individuals feel fuller and manage their weight more effectively.
The episode also addresses the political implications of dietary recommendations. "The reality is the old dietary recommendations were a setup for people to eat more calories and to gain weight," Yohanan stated. She emphasizes that there is no one-size-fits-all diet, as individual dietary needs vary. "We are all very different," she said, highlighting the importance of personalizing dietary choices.
Independent Women is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the interests of women through policy advocacy, research, and education.
About the Health Policy Podcast
The Health Policy Podcast focuses on energy, infrastructure, policy, and economic growth, providing insights and discussions on current health policy issues.
About Independent Women
Independent Women is an advocacy and policy organization focused on issues including economic opportunity, healthcare, education, workplace policy, and individual freedom, often promoting market-oriented and limited-government policy solutions.
About the Guest
Monique Yohanan, MD, MPH — Senior Fellow
Monique Yohanan, MD, MPH, is the director of the Center for Better Health at Independent Women. As a physician executive and healthcare innovation leader, Yohanan has more than 20 years of experience at the intersection of clinical medicine, technology, and health policy. She formerly served as Chief Medical Officer at Adia Health, where she led the development of AI-powered clinical decision support systems that enhance diagnostic accuracy and patient care. Before that, she led Change Healthcare’s InterQual division as Chief Medical Officer, overseeing clinical decision support solutions used by more than 100 payers and 6,000 providers nationwide. Dr. Yohanan received her medical degree from the Dartmouth/Brown Program in Medicine and a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins. Dr. Yohanan completed her residency in Internal Medicine at Harvard and a fellowship in Geriatrics at Stanford. She has held faculty appointments at UCSF and Stanford, and maintains active licensure and board certification in Internal Medicine.
About the Health Policy Podcast
The Health Policy Podcast hosts conversations on energy, infrastructure, policy and economic growth — interviewing the operators, regulators, and innovators powering America's grid, gas, nuclear, and industrial future. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Related Topics