Meet the Hosts, Dietitians Susie Burrell and Leanne Ward

Published Apr 27, 2021, 7:21 AM

This episode is a quick introduction to the ladies behind The Nutrition Couch, dietitians Susie Burrell and Leanne Ward. 

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Welcome to our introduction episode where we tell you all about the ladies behind the nutrition couch.

So tell us who is Leanne Ward.

Well, Leanne Wood is a thirty one year old health foody, you know, lover of life. I'm up here and I live in Brisbane with my husband. Recently got married last year and we've just bought our own house which were looking forward to either renovating or potentially building.

You and you're a dietitian by trade.

Where did you study?

So? I first did my undergraduate degree at QT in Brisbane. So I did a Bachelor of Health Science and I majored in nutrition. And then I went and I worked as a public health.

Nutritionist for a while.

I came back and I started a Master's of Public Health. I didn't really enjoy that, Susie. So then I went back to UNI and I enrolled in the Masters of Dietetics and I did that through the University of Queensland.

And you've worked clinically run us through your work history today.

Yeah, so I was very fortunate. Once I graduated.

As I mentioned, I worked for about a year and a half as a public health nutritionist out in the country. So I've got some of that, I guess like the health experience behind me as well, which I love and that really helps me create you know, different types of content for population health on social media. And I started as a clinical dietitian at Qwitwo Hospital up here in Brisbane, so I was doing just acute medical I was also on the surgical wards and I was in the Gasho trology clinics as well, and also running some of the women's health and weight loss clinics as well. So very fortunate to spand you know, a good five or six years as a clinical dietitian, and about two years ago launched my own business and Ward Nutrition, and I've been doing that ever since.

Because I think when we first met you were specializing in gut health. But I also really know you as the first big dietian on Instagram. What are your key areas of nutrition interests now with your work?

Yeah, sure, so I work with females only at the moment, so I really work with females looking for fat loss, help with emotional eating, and also help to improve their gut health as well. They're my three sort of niche or specialty areas.

And what do you love most about what you do as a dietitian.

Oh, Susie.

I love that every day is different. No day is the same, particularly when you run your own business. I'm sure if there are some business owners listening. Every day is different, every day is crazy. I get to do really really fun stuff. There's some boring, more admin type sort of things in there as well, but I meet so many different people. I can help people all over the world versus when I was at the hospital, I didn't feel like I was making that bigger difference because I was sort of just seeing the same unwell clientele over and over again. But I love that I'm able to help people reach their pinnacle of health if that makes sense, or really optimize where they are. It's not just once they're sick in there unwell, because I was feeling like a lot of the time that for some people it was almost a little bit too late, like they were too unwell to do the things that they needed to do. So I really love that I'm able to work with people and just optimize their health all around the world.

And what are you most excited about as we launch the Nutrition Couch.

I'm excited to really let our listeners know Susie about topical and trending nutrition topics. So, you know, I've got my own podcast. I do a lot of interviews with experts on there, and I get really great feedback about people learning new things from other experts. I really just want to talk about you know, there's so much BS nutrition messages in the media. I wanted to spell some of that, you know, when I got around this podcast, But some of those BS messages, Susie and I want to let people know, like is this a trendy nutrition topic, is it great?

What about this product?

Let's talk about a little case study today, really showcase the lives of what to dietitians go through, like what we work through, what are we seeing in our practice, and what are people talking about online with us? And really let people know the ins and outs of the nutrition news and the nutrition world.

So bring on episode one, can't wait and Susie tell us a little bit about yourself. Who is Susie Burrow?

So I am forty three years old and I live in Sydney. I am married to a radio broadcaster who is very keen to give me tips on how to be a good podcaster. And I have five year old twin boys, and I'm just coming out of that period of full on motherhood. I've got a bit more time and hence embarking on some new projects.

Wonderful.

And tell us about your background as a dietitian. Where did you study and how do you get started?

I always wanted to be a dietitian right from when I was fifteen. I studied at the University of Woongong Nutrition and Dietetics long time ago now, and I, like you, work clinically for many years in community health and also childhood obesity, and then I dabbled in media and always had a private practice. In recent years back in Sydney, I have worked in sports nutrition, primarily weight control, and I've gone on to study and master's of coaching psychology. So I really really enjoy behavioral change aspects of work and working with women primarily as well helping them to get to their nutrition goals. And yeah, that's it.

And at the moments, use what interests you in the area of nutrition. What are you currently working in the nutrition space?

I think the area that shifted most in the past five seven years has been an increasing understanding of the role of hormones and weight control. So women working, juggling a lot of things, and the impact on hormones and the impact on weight control, that's probably a real area of interest to me. And behavioral change. You know, you talked about helping people be their best self, and I guess that's where I see nutrition fitting as a platform to feeling, looking and performing at your best. But clinically, yeah, it would definitely be I guess hormones and weight control is probably the key real interest area for me.

And you do a lot of media work as well, don't you.

Yeah, just by chance of doing quite a lot of writing keeps me up to date with what's happening. I think when you see clients clinically, you're constantly aware of what people are interested in and what they're reading, and makes you keep up to date with all the latest diet trends. And my husband's in the media, so we're sort of always on and looking what's new and exciting. And I guess that's why we thought it would be great to come together and the Nutrition Couch to bring that to people who are also interested in nutrition.

Absolutely, And Susie, what do you love most about being a diet or what you do at the moment. What's your favorite thing about that.

I think I really like talking to people and hearing the ins and outs of their lives. Maybe I'm just really nosy, but nutrition Everyone eats, and everyone's interest in food to a certain extent, and it's an easy way to get to know people and relate on a common basis. And yeah, I guess that's the underlying interest. I'm not as interested in the nutrients and the technical science of nutrition as such. Oh we need to know that as dietitians. But I am really interested in people and helping people be their best self and feel better. And I think, you know, getting to know people intimately as you do when you're consulting nutrition is really enjoyable, fulfilling part of what we do.

And tell us.

With the launch of our podcast and Nutrition Couch, what are you most excited about? Oh?

Yeah, I have wanted to do this podcast, I think for about three years now, and it's taken me a while to find the right person in the sense of someone who I really like, has got great energy, but also someone who's a clinician, because I really respect clinicians who are doing the going in the trenches with clients and really working through issues and taking them from where they are to goal. And I think there's just a massive opportunity in the market. There's a lot of podcasts out there with amazing interviews. Of course you have one of them, but I think there's no one really covering the news of nutrition regularly, and I think it's just I know people are going to love it. They're going to love hearing about what's new in the supermarkets. They're going to love to bring their listener questions to us to discuss. They're going to love the insights of two practicing dieticians who do this every day. And I cannot tell you how excited I am to launch The Nutrition Couch.

Oh I cannot wait for Episode one.