Eating more fibre but feeling more blocked, bloated or sluggish than ever? You’re not imagining it, and you’re definitely not alone.

This week Leanne and Susie explain why piling on more fibre so often backfires. It’s especially common if you’re in a calorie deficit or taking a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic or Mounjaro. Leanne breaks down the three types of fibre your gut actually needs and how each one works. She also explains why your lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad isn’t doing as much for your bowels as you think.

Then they dig into a brand-new JAMA Psychiatry trial that found cutting back on ultra-processed foods improved depression scores in just four weeks, and how it builds on Australia’s landmark SMILES trial. Plus there’s Leanne’s $7 supermarket pizza find, with an ingredient list she says she couldn’t beat at home. And a listener question has Leanne and Susie (rarely!) disagreeing: can peanut butter be your main fat?

In this episode:
Why more fibre can make constipation worse, and the low and slow rule that fixes it
The three types of fibre:

gel-forming fibre (psyllium, chia, oats, kiwifruit)
roughage (bran, wholegrains, skins left on)
fermentable fibre and resistant starch, which feed your gut bugs
Why two kiwifruit a day is great, but not enough on its own
Why the 20g of fibre in your protein bar isn’t the same as fibre from whole foods
Susie’s gut tips for GLP-1 users: cooked veggies over salads, wheat bran vs oats, moving through the day, and eating little and often
The new study on ultra-processed food and depression, and what the SMILES trial already showed us
The La Napoli Wood Fired Margherita pizza from Woolworths: four simple ingredients and about 20g of protein per half pizza
Peanut butter as your main fat: how much you need, and why Leanne and Susie land on different daily fat targets

Research mentioned:
Chagwedera DN et al. Reducing Ultraprocessed Foods From the Diets of Patients With Depression: A Pilot Crossover Trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 2026.
Jacka FN et al. A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression (the SMILES trial). BMC Medicine, 2017.

New episodes drop every Wednesday. If this one helped, send it to a friend who’s been battling a sluggish gut. A rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps more people find the show.

Follow Leanne on Instagram @leannewardnutrition and Susie @susie_burrell.

Eating more fibre but feeling more blocked, bloated or sluggish than ever? You&rsquo;re not imagining it, and you&rsquo;re definitely not alone.
This week Leanne and Susie explain why piling on more fibre so often backfires. It&rsquo;s especially common if you&rsquo;re in a calorie deficit or taking a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic or Mounjaro. Leanne breaks down the three types of fibre your gut actually needs and how each one works. She also explains why your lettuce, tomato and cucumber salad isn&rsquo;t doing as much for your bowels as you think.
Then they dig into a brand-new JAMA Psychiatry trial that found cutting back on ultra-processed foods improved depression scores in just four weeks, and how it builds on Australia&rsquo;s landmark SMILES trial. Plus there&rsquo;s Leanne&rsquo;s $7 supermarket pizza find, with an ingredient list she says she couldn&rsquo;t beat at home. And a listener question has Leanne and Susie (rarely!) disagreeing: can peanut butter be your main fat?
In this episode:
<ul dir="ltr">
<li>Why more fibre can make constipation worse, and the low and slow rule that fixes it</li>
<li>The three types of fibre:
<ul dir="ltr">
<li>gel-forming fibre (psyllium, chia, oats, kiwifruit)</li>
<li>roughage (bran, wholegrains, skins left on)</li>
<li>fermentable fibre and resistant starch, which feed your gut bugs</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Why two kiwifruit a day is great, but not enough on its own</li>
<li>Why the 20g of fibre in your protein bar isn&rsquo;t the same as fibre from whole foods</li>
<li>Susie&rsquo;s gut tips for GLP-1 users: cooked veggies over salads, wheat bran vs oats, moving through the day, and eating little and often</li>
<li>The new study on ultra-processed food and depression, and what the SMILES trial already showed us</li>
<li>The La Napoli Wood Fired Margherita pizza from Woolworths: four simple ingredients and about 20g of protein per half pizza</li>
<li>Peanut butter as your main fat: how much you need, and why Leanne and Susie land on different daily fat targets</li>
</ul>
Research mentioned:
<ul dir="ltr">
<li>Chagwedera DN et al. Reducing Ultraprocessed Foods From the Diets of Patients With Depression: A Pilot Crossover Trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 2026.</li>
<li>Jacka FN et al. A randomised controlled trial of dietary improvement for adults with major depression (the SMILES trial). BMC Medicine, 2017.</li>
</ul>
New episodes drop every Wednesday. If this one helped, send it to a friend who&rsquo;s been battling a sluggish gut. A rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify helps more people find the show.
Follow Leanne on Instagram @leannewardnutrition and Susie @susie_burrell.

Unlock your best health in just 30 minutes a week. Join the thousands of listeners who’ve transformed their lives with The Nutrition Couch, Australia’s top-ranked nutrition podcast. Each Wednesday at 6am AEST, dietitians Leanne Ward and Susie Burrell deliver powerful, bite-sized advice that’s easy to implement and designed to make healthy living simple and enjoyable.

Ready for a healthier you? Subscribe now and start your journey with actionable tips that fit seamlessly into your busy life. Don’t wait—your path to better health begins here with The Nutrition Couch.

Unlock your best health in just 30 minutes a week. Join the thousands of listeners who’ve transformed their lives with The Nutrition Couch, Australia’s top-ranked nutrition podcast. Each Wednesday at 6am AEST, dietitians Leanne Ward and Susie Burrell deliver powerful, bite-sized advice that’s easy to implement and designed to make healthy living simple and enjoyable.
Ready for a healthier you? Subscribe now and start your journey with actionable tips that fit seamlessly into your busy life. Don’t wait—your path to better health begins here with The Nutrition Couch.

The Nutrition Couch

Welcome to The Nutrition Couch, a weekly podcast from two of Australia’s leading dietitians & nutritionists, Susie Burrell & Leanne Ward. This is the first nutrition podcast that looks at weekly food & health trends. Every Sunday at 7am AEST, we will be uploading an episode that covers nutrition news, trending food products, case studies and we will also be answering our listener questions. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode and follow us on social media @the_nutrition_couch_podcast to ask us questions & see our food product reviews.

Dietitians Leanne Ward and Susie Burrell explain why eating more fibre can make constipation worse, the three types of fibre for gut health, and how to ease constipation on GLP-1 medications. They also cover new research linking ultra-processed food and depression.

Why Eating More Fibre Can Make Constipation Worse

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