Diet Notes with Susie Burrell

Why is it that we can have the very best intentions when it comes to our diet, yet still find ourselves falling back into the same old habits?

In this episode of Diet Notes, Susie takes a closer look at self-sabotage and some of the deeper reasons we struggle to make lasting changes to the way we eat. From early experiences with dieting and deeply ingrained food beliefs, to all-or-nothing thinking, emotional eating and simply being too exhausted to prioritise ourselves, there’s often much more going on than a lack of willpower.

Susie explores how familiar patterns can keep us stuck, why overly restrictive approaches so often backfire, and how creating more time and energy for yourself can make healthy choices far easier to sustain.

Plus, she finishes with one very simple piece of advice that can make an immediate difference: if you don’t want to eat it, stop buying it.

A practical and thought-provoking episode for anyone who feels like they’re constantly starting over with their diet and wondering why nothing seems to stick.

With summer and party season just around the corner, now is the time many of us start noticing those extra winter kilos - but the good news is, there’s still plenty of time to make a difference.

In this episode of Diet Notes, Susie shares her practical tips for shifting the last few kilos and getting fat loss moving in the right direction. From tightening up your diet and getting comfortable with a little hunger, to increasing cardio, rethinking dinner portions and cutting back on eating out, Susie breaks down the small changes that can have the biggest impact.

Plus, why your food environment matters more than willpower, when it may be worth seeing a dietitian for a personalised plan, and why the best time to start is now rather than waiting for summer to arrive.

There’s no shortage of nutrition advice online - but not all of it comes from people with the training to be prescribing diets.

In this episode of Diet Notes, Susie takes a slightly tongue-in-cheek look at five popular nutrition recommendations that you’re very unlikely to hear from a qualified dietitian.

From extremely low-calorie diets and expensive greens powders to cutting out gluten and dairy, protein bars and the idea of “cleansing” your liver, Susie explains why these approaches deserve a little more scrutiny - and why context and individual needs matter when it comes to nutrition advice.

In this episode:
Why 800-calorie diets aren’t an appropriate everyday weight-loss strategy
The health halo surrounding greens powders
Why eliminating gluten or dairy shouldn’t be a blanket recommendation
Whether protein bars are really as healthy as their marketing suggests
Why your liver doesn’t need a “cleanse”
The importance of evidence-based, individualised nutrition advice
A practical look at some of the nutrition trends Susie continues to see crossing her path in clinic - and why a qualified dietitian may take a very different view.

Being told you have fatty liver can be alarming - particularly if you don’t drink much alcohol, aren’t significantly overweight and generally eat well. But is fatty liver really as simple as cutting out alcohol, losing weight or following a “liver cleansing” diet?

In this episode of Diet Notes, Susie takes a closer look at the complex metabolic factors that can influence liver health and explains why an isolated elevated liver enzyme doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story.

She explores the role of family history, insulin resistance and metabolic health, along with the potential links between liver function and thyroid health, vitamin D, iron and ferritin levels, cholesterol and menopause.

Susie also discusses why popular liver cleanses and supplements may miss the underlying issue, when medications such as metformin and GLP-1s may form part of the conversation, and why getting a comprehensive blood profile and the right professional advice can be so important.

If you’ve ever been told you have fatty liver and the diagnosis just didn’t seem to make sense, this episode will help you understand why it may be worth looking a little deeper.

Do you really have a “slow” or broken metabolism - or is something else going on?

This week on Diet Notes, Susie takes a deep dive into how metabolism actually works, what influences your metabolic rate and why changes in muscle mass, activity levels and hormones can make weight management feel increasingly difficult as you get older.

Susie also clears up some of the most common metabolism myths, including whether skipping a meal will slow your metabolism, whether you need to eat every few hours, and why simply lifting weights isn’t always enough to improve metabolic efficiency.

Plus, she explains why muscle mass, insulin resistance, meal timing, protein intake and the intensity of your training can all play a role - and why rebuilding metabolic health is often a gradual process rather than a quick fix.

In this episode:
What actually makes up your metabolism
The difference between a “slow metabolism” and metabolic inefficiency
Why muscle mass becomes increasingly important with age
How strength and higher-intensity exercise can affect the way your body uses fuel
Why skipping the occasional meal won’t “damage” your metabolism
Whether you really need to eat every three hours
Why Susie recommends eating more earlier in the day and less later
How long it can take to improve metabolic health and body composition
If you’ve ever wondered why your body seems to respond differently to food and exercise than it once did, this episode will help unpack what may actually be happening.