Diet Notes with Susie Burrell

Blood sugar control isn't just important for people with diabetes - it plays a key role in our metabolic health, appetite regulation and healthy ageing.
In this week's episode of Diet Notes, dietitian Susie Burrell explores the connection between blood glucose, insulin and longevity, and shares five simple strategies to help improve blood sugar control through everyday diet and lifestyle habits.
From choosing savoury breakfasts and managing sugar cravings to spacing out meals and moving after eating, Susie explains how small changes to your daily routine can make a meaningful difference.
In this episode, Susie discusses:
Why blood glucose and HbA1c levels are worth monitoring as we age
How savoury breakfasts may help with appetite control and sugar cravings
Why limiting sweet snacks throughout the day can be beneficial
The importance of allowing time between meals and snacks
How a short walk after eating can support healthy blood glucose levels
The role of muscle mass, carbohydrate portions and meal balance in metabolic health
Plus, Susie takes a closer look at the growing longevity trend, explaining why the foundations of good metabolic health may be far more valuable than expensive supplements and wellness fads.
Tune in for practical, achievable ways to support your blood sugar control and long-term health - without overcomplicating your diet.

Gestational diabetes may disappear after pregnancy, but does the underlying metabolic risk disappear with it?

In this episode of Diet Notes, Susie explains why a history of gestational diabetes should be treated as an important long-term warning sign for metabolic health, particularly as women move through their 30s, 40s and into perimenopause.

After seeing several women in a single week struggling with weight gain and insulin resistance years after having gestational diabetes, Susie explores why early monitoring and prevention matter so much.

She discusses the importance of keeping an eye on blood glucose and HbA1c levels over time, changes in waist measurement and weight, and the signs that glucose regulation may be becoming less efficient.

Susie also looks at the role of diet and lifestyle intervention, Metformin and GLP-1 medications, and why acting early may help prevent more significant metabolic issues later in life.

Plus, she explains why women with a history of gestational diabetes should continue having their glucose levels checked annually, even if they are young, lean and otherwise feeling well.

Next week, Susie continues the conversation with a closer look at carbohydrate loads and glucose control.

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.