Diet Notes with Susie Burrell

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.

On today’s episode, Susie tackles one of the most common questions after successful weight loss: how do you actually keep the weight off?

Whether you’ve lost a few kilos through changes to your diet and exercise, completed a structured weight loss program or used a GLP-1 medication, maintaining that loss requires a different mindset than simply reaching your goal weight.

Susie shares five key strategies for preventing weight regain and explains why your new habits need to become your new normal.

You’ll learn:
Why returning to your old eating and exercise habits can quickly lead to weight regain
Why changing up your diet and exercise routine can be important over time
Simple ways to spot weight creep early without becoming obsessed with the scales
How small “extras” like snacks, alcohol, treats and mindless munching can gradually add up
Susie’s approach to GLP-1 medications, exercise and long-term weight management
The biggest takeaway? Maintaining weight loss isn’t about being permanently “on a diet” - it’s about finding a sustainable way of eating and living that supports the weight you want to maintain.

There’s more information about perimenopause than ever before - but is all of it actually helping?

In this episode of Diet Notes, Susie cuts through some of the increasingly noisy advice surrounding nutrition, exercise and supplements during perimenopause. Drawing on her clinical experience working with women, she questions some of the blanket recommendations now dominating social media and explains why what works for one woman may be completely inappropriate for another.

Susie discusses why weight and calorie needs can become complicated as our lifestyles change, why more protein isn’t necessarily always better, and why focusing exclusively on strength training may mean an important piece of the exercise puzzle is being missed.

She also takes a closer look at the booming perimenopause supplement industry, the importance of considering who your health advice is coming from, and why individualised guidance from appropriately qualified professionals matters.

In this episode:
Why perimenopause has become such a crowded health conversation
The changing relationship between calories, lifestyle and body weight
Why protein recommendations shouldn’t be one-size-fits-all
Strength training vs cardio - and why Susie believes women need both
Walking, movement and getting your heart rate up
Supplements including creatine, magnesium, collagen and protein powders
Why qualifications matter when taking nutrition and supplement advice
GLP-1 medications and the importance of appropriate, individualised care
How to quieten the noise and focus on what is actually relevant to you
If you’ve found yourself overwhelmed by conflicting perimenopause advice online, this episode is a reminder that more information isn’t always better - and that your nutrition, training and health strategy should ultimately fit you.

Feeling bloated, uncomfortable or a little backed up? You’re certainly not alone.

In this episode of Diet Notes, Susie takes a closer look at the common causes of bloating and explains why improving digestive health involves more than simply adding extra fibre.

From finding the right balance of cooked vegetables, fruit, wholegrains and soluble fibre, to drinking enough fluid and keeping your body moving, Susie shares practical strategies to help support regularity and reduce digestive discomfort.

She also explores why high-protein diets and GLP-1 medications can make constipation and bloating more common, when food intolerances such as FODMAP sensitivity may be involved, and why suddenly loading up on beans, legumes and raw vegetables can sometimes make symptoms worse.

Plus, with travel notorious for disrupting digestion, Susie shares her best tips for preventing “holiday gut” - including what to eat before a long-haul flight, how to time your meals in transit, and how to keep your fibre intake consistent while away.

In this episode:
Why so many Australians are falling short on fibre
The relationship between fibre, fluid and movement
The best foods to introduce when you’re already bloated
Why high-protein diets can affect digestive regularity
Common triggers including sweeteners, chewing gum and FODMAPs
How to gradually increase fibre without making bloating worse
Simple strategies for keeping your digestion on track while travelling
This episode is brought to you by Metamucil.