Ever been told your blood tests are “normal”, but you’re still exhausted, flat, foggy, struggling with weight changes, or just not feeling like yourself?

In this episode of The Nutrition Couch, Leanne and Susie unpack the difference between normal and optimal blood test results, and why women need to look beyond a quick “everything’s fine” from the doctor.

They break down the key markers worth tracking over time, including glucose, HbA1c, ferritin, vitamin D, cholesterol, thyroid, and estrogen, especially for women in their 30s, 40s and beyond.

They also dive into a new warning linked with GLP-1 medications, including how appetite suppression can reduce diet quality and increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies if you are not actively protecting your intake.

Plus, they review a high-protein granola topper and answer a listener question on the healthiest takeaway options.

In this episode, we cover:
Why normal blood tests are not always optimal
The blood markers women should track over time
Low ferritin, fatigue, brain fog and poor exercise tolerance
Glucose, HbA1c and the early signs of insulin resistance
Vitamin D, cholesterol, thyroid and estrogen changes to watch
Why women in perimenopause and menopause need to pay closer attention
The new GLP-1 nutrient deficiency concern
Why eating less can still mean poor nutrition
Product review: Coastal Crunch Protein Crunch
Listener question: the healthiest takeaway choices

If you’ve ever felt dismissed by “normal” results, this episode will help you ask better questions and understand what to look at more closely.

Ever been told your blood tests are &ldquo;normal&rdquo;, but you&rsquo;re still exhausted, flat, foggy, struggling with weight changes, or just not feeling like yourself?
In this episode of The Nutrition Couch, Leanne and Susie unpack the difference between normal and optimal blood test results, and why women need to look beyond a quick &ldquo;everything&rsquo;s fine&rdquo; from the doctor.
They break down the key markers worth tracking over time, including glucose, HbA1c, ferritin, vitamin D, cholesterol, thyroid, and estrogen, especially for women in their 30s, 40s and beyond.
They also dive into a new warning linked with GLP-1 medications, including how appetite suppression can reduce diet quality and increase the risk of nutrient deficiencies if you are not actively protecting your intake.
Plus, they review a high-protein granola topper and answer a listener question on the healthiest takeaway options.
In this episode, we cover:
<ul>
<li>Why normal blood tests are not always optimal</li>
<li>The blood markers women should track over time</li>
<li>Low ferritin, fatigue, brain fog and poor exercise tolerance</li>
<li>Glucose, HbA1c and the early signs of insulin resistance</li>
<li>Vitamin D, cholesterol, thyroid and estrogen changes to watch</li>
<li>Why women in perimenopause and menopause need to pay closer attention</li>
<li>The new GLP-1 nutrient deficiency concern</li>
<li>Why eating less can still mean poor nutrition</li>
<li>Product review: Coastal Crunch Protein Crunch</li>
<li>Listener question: the healthiest takeaway choices</li>
</ul>
If you&rsquo;ve ever felt dismissed by &ldquo;normal&rdquo; results, this episode will help you ask better questions and understand what to look at more closely.

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.

Leanne Ward and Susie Burrell unpack why “normal” blood test results may still miss issues affecting women’s energy, metabolism, hormones and healthy ageing, including ferritin, glucose, vitamin D, cholesterol, thyroid and estrogen. Plus, a new GLP-1 warning around nutrient deficiencies, a granola review, and the healthiest takeaway options.

Your Blood Tests Are “Normal”… So Why Do You Feel So Bad? Plus a New GLP-1 Warning

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/25949a7b-5ee2-449d-8f8b-b40900b96b85/transcript

Inflammation is everywhere right now. On Instagram, in wellness spaces, in your DMs. Everything from weight gain to brain fog to sore joints is being blamed on cortisol and chronic inflammation, and a growing number of people are convinced they cannot exercise, eat in a calorie deficit, or live normally because it will make their inflammation worse.

So is any of this true? And is an anti-inflammatory diet actually a real thing?

This week Leanne and Susie take on one of the biggest buzzwords in nutrition right now and give it a proper evidence-based look. They unpack what inflammation actually is and why the way it is being described online is often completely inaccurate, what the research on polyphenols and anthocyanins actually shows, and which foods are genuinely worth prioritising if reducing inflammation is your goal.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Queen Garnet, Australia's antioxidant plum. Leanne and Susie share the research behind Queen Garnet throughout this episode, and you can find the full range at queengarnet.com.

In this episode:
The two types of inflammation and why they are completely different: why acute inflammation from exercise, injury, or illness is a normal and healthy response, and what chronic low-grade inflammation actually looks like and why it develops
Why a single weekend of eating badly, a glass of wine, or a slice of pizza is not putting your body into a chronic inflammatory state, and the specific lifestyle patterns that do contribute to inflammation over time
The misinformation that is actively harming people: why telling someone with PCOS that they cannot exercise or diet because it spikes cortisol and causes inflammation is not only incorrect but counterproductive
Why the Mediterranean dietary pattern consistently outperforms every other approach when it comes to reducing inflammatory markers, and the specific foods driving that result
A review of a randomized, double-blind controlled trial on Queen Garnet plum juice: what happened to blood vessel function and vascular inflammatory markers when participants consumed a high antioxidant juice alongside a high fat meal, even in a single meal occasion
A 12-week randomized controlled trial on anthocyanin-rich foods and adipose tissue function: what researchers found about how polyphenol-rich whole foods may influence metabolic processes in fat tissue and why this matters for metabolic health
What anthocyanins and polyphenols actually are, which foods contain the highest concentrations, and why the bright red, purple, and orange colours in fruits and vegetables are a direct indicator of antioxidant content
The Queen Garnet Antioxidant Plum Nectar reviewed: why it has approximately six times the antioxidant content of blueberries, how to use it, who it is most beneficial for, and where to find it year-round when the fresh fruit is out of season. Available at queengarnet.com, with a 20% saving on subscription
Practical daily habits that genuinely shift inflammatory pathways: extra-virgin olive oil, walnuts, herbs and spices, green tea, brightly coloured vegetables, and the case for seven to ten serves of fresh produce every day.

 

Inflammation is everywhere right now. On Instagram, in wellness spaces, in your DMs. Everything from weight gain to brain fog to sore joints is being blamed on cortisol and chronic inflammation, and a growing number of people are convinced they cannot exercise, eat in a calorie deficit, or live normally because it will make their inflammation worse.
So is any of this true? And is an anti-inflammatory diet actually a real thing?
This week Leanne and Susie take on one of the biggest buzzwords in nutrition right now and give it a proper evidence-based look. They unpack what inflammation actually is and why the way it is being described online is often completely inaccurate, what the research on polyphenols and anthocyanins actually shows, and which foods are genuinely worth prioritising if reducing inflammation is your goal.
This episode is proudly brought to you by Queen Garnet, Australia's antioxidant plum. Leanne and Susie share the research behind Queen Garnet throughout this episode, and you can find the full range at queengarnet.com.
In this episode:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">The two types of inflammation and why they are completely different: why acute inflammation from exercise, injury, or illness is a normal and healthy response, and what chronic low-grade inflammation actually looks like and why it develops</li>
<li dir="ltr">Why a single weekend of eating badly, a glass of wine, or a slice of pizza is not putting your body into a chronic inflammatory state, and the specific lifestyle patterns that do contribute to inflammation over time</li>
<li dir="ltr">The misinformation that is actively harming people: why telling someone with PCOS that they cannot exercise or diet because it spikes cortisol and causes inflammation is not only incorrect but counterproductive</li>
<li dir="ltr">Why the Mediterranean dietary pattern consistently outperforms every other approach when it comes to reducing inflammatory markers, and the specific foods driving that result</li>
<li dir="ltr">A review of a randomized, double-blind controlled trial on Queen Garnet plum juice: what happened to blood vessel function and vascular inflammatory markers when participants consumed a high antioxidant juice alongside a high fat meal, even in a single meal occasion</li>
<li dir="ltr">A 12-week randomized controlled trial on anthocyanin-rich foods and adipose tissue function: what researchers found about how polyphenol-rich whole foods may influence metabolic processes in fat tissue and why this matters for metabolic health</li>
<li dir="ltr">What anthocyanins and polyphenols actually are, which foods contain the highest concentrations, and why the bright red, purple, and orange colours in fruits and vegetables are a direct indicator of antioxidant content</li>
<li dir="ltr">The Queen Garnet Antioxidant Plum Nectar reviewed: why it has approximately six times the antioxidant content of blueberries, how to use it, who it is most beneficial for, and where to find it year-round when the fresh fruit is out of season. Available at queengarnet.com, with a 20% saving on subscription</li>
<li dir="ltr">Practical daily habits that genuinely shift inflammatory pathways: extra-virgin olive oil, walnuts, herbs and spices, green tea, brightly coloured vegetables, and the case for seven to ten serves of fresh produce every day.</li>
</ul>
&nbsp;

Leanne Ward and Susie Burrell cut through the inflammation trend dominating social media, explain what chronic low-grade inflammation actually is versus how it is being misrepresented online, and share the research on anthocyanins and polyphenols that shows which foods genuinely make a difference to inflammatory markers. Plus: two clinical trials on Queen Garnet plum juice reviewed, a practical guide to anti-inflammatory eating, and the honest truth about whether an anti-inflammatory diet is actually a real thing.

Is the Anti-Inflammatory Diet Actually Real? What the Science Says and the Foods That Genuinely Make a Difference

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/e6a02011-0c15-4a63-8c9f-b4b600c6dcfa/transcript

Fast food chains are now launching burgers with 80 grams of protein and calling it high performance. But is that actually good for you, or has the protein craze officially gone too far?

This week Leanne and Susie answer the question the fitness industry does not want to talk about: how much protein is actually too much, what your body does with the excess, and why the race to push protein higher in every product on the market is starting to work against the very goals it claims to support.

Then they cover a brand new study published in JAMA Network Open that identified two very different dietary patterns linked to weight management through the menopausal years, including one that most people have never heard of and that contradicts almost everything being said about menopause diets online right now.

In this episode:
The new Grilled High Performance burger range: 80 grams of protein, over 700 calories, and why Leanne thinks even her beloved Grilled has gone too far with this one
How much protein the body can actually utilise in a single meal, why the old 30-gram rule has been updated by recent research, and what happens to protein calories your body does not need
Why small women are often overdoing protein at the expense of good fats, and why the macronutrient ratio matters as much as the total protein number
A brand new 12-year study of over 38,000 women from the Nurses Health Study published in JAMA Network Open: the two dietary patterns most effective at preventing weight gain through the menopausal years, and why their results are surprisingly contradictory
The planetary health diet and the low insulinaemic diet: what they actually are, how differently they approach carbohydrate and fat, and what Susie thinks the contrasting results reveal about the two main metabolic subtypes in perimenopause and menopause
Why there is still no single magic menopause diet, and why working with a dietitian to personalise macronutrient ratios to your own glucose regulation and metabolic response remains the most effective approach
A high-fiber vanilla custard from the South Australian Gourmet Food Company reviewed: who this product is actually for, why inulin is not Leanne's favourite fiber type for digestive health, and why she would reach for kiwi fruit or oats first
How to take collagen and creatine consistently every day without having to force yourself to drink a shake: the coffee method, the yogurt method, the supplement stack, and why the research really does require eight to twelve weeks of daily use before results appear
Why collagen peptides dissolve perfectly well in hot drinks despite what you may have heard, and the simple trick for avoiding clumping

Fast food chains are now launching burgers with 80 grams of protein and calling it high performance. But is that actually good for you, or has the protein craze officially gone too far?
This week Leanne and Susie answer the question the fitness industry does not want to talk about: how much protein is actually too much, what your body does with the excess, and why the race to push protein higher in every product on the market is starting to work against the very goals it claims to support.
Then they cover a brand new study published in JAMA Network Open that identified two very different dietary patterns linked to weight management through the menopausal years, including one that most people have never heard of and that contradicts almost everything being said about menopause diets online right now.
In this episode:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">The new Grilled High Performance burger range: 80 grams of protein, over 700 calories, and why Leanne thinks even her beloved Grilled has gone too far with this one</li>
<li dir="ltr">How much protein the body can actually utilise in a single meal, why the old 30-gram rule has been updated by recent research, and what happens to protein calories your body does not need</li>
<li dir="ltr">Why small women are often overdoing protein at the expense of good fats, and why the macronutrient ratio matters as much as the total protein number</li>
<li dir="ltr">A brand new 12-year study of over 38,000 women from the Nurses Health Study published in JAMA Network Open: the two dietary patterns most effective at preventing weight gain through the menopausal years, and why their results are surprisingly contradictory</li>
<li dir="ltr">The planetary health diet and the low insulinaemic diet: what they actually are, how differently they approach carbohydrate and fat, and what Susie thinks the contrasting results reveal about the two main metabolic subtypes in perimenopause and menopause</li>
<li dir="ltr">Why there is still no single magic menopause diet, and why working with a dietitian to personalise macronutrient ratios to your own glucose regulation and metabolic response remains the most effective approach</li>
<li dir="ltr">A high-fiber vanilla custard from the South Australian Gourmet Food Company reviewed: who this product is actually for, why inulin is not Leanne's favourite fiber type for digestive health, and why she would reach for kiwi fruit or oats first</li>
<li dir="ltr">How to take collagen and creatine consistently every day without having to force yourself to drink a shake: the coffee method, the yogurt method, the supplement stack, and why the research really does require eight to twelve weeks of daily use before results appear</li>
<li dir="ltr">Why collagen peptides dissolve perfectly well in hot drinks despite what you may have heard, and the simple trick for avoiding clumping</li>
</ul>

Leanne Ward and Susie Burrell tackle the question the fitness industry avoids: how much protein is actually too much, prompted by a new fast food burger with 80 grams of protein per serve. Plus: a brand new JAMA Network Open study on the two dietary patterns most effective at preventing weight gain through menopause, including one that has never been discussed in mainstream menopause content, a high-fiber custard reviewed, and practical strategies for taking collagen and creatine consistently every day.

How Much Protein Is Too Much? The 80-Gram Burger That Prompted the Question, Plus New Research on the Best Diet for Menopause

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/c8f7886b-4f98-4c9a-9eba-b4b200c3b28e/transcript

If you have switched to oat milk because you think it is healthier than dairy, this episode has some important information for you. And if you saw Miranda Kerr's diet advice doing the rounds in the media this week, Leanne and Susie have thoughts.

This week the team does a full ranking of every milk on the market, from full cream dairy to oat, soy, almond, coconut, and the new high-protein dairy milks, covering protein, calcium, fortification, what to check on the label, and who each one is actually best suited to. Then they respond to Miranda Kerr's widely covered restrictive diet recommendations with the specific nutritional corrections the media cycle did not bother to include.

In this episode:
Every milk ranked by protein, calcium, and overall nutritional quality: dairy milk, soy, oat, almond, coconut, high-protein dairy blends, and why the answer to which is healthiest is not what most people assume
Why oat milk is higher in carbohydrate, lower in protein, and often sweetened without people realising, and why the barista varieties from cafes are frequently not calcium-fortified at all
Why soy milk is Leanne's personal choice and her preferred dairy alternative for clients, including the phytoestrogen angle for women in perimenopause and menopause
The one thing to always check when buying any plant milk, why 300 milligrams of calcium per cup is the number to look for, and what most people are missing when they pick up almond milk thinking it is a nutritious swap
Miranda Kerr's diet recommendations fact-checked: no eggs, no kale, no sushi, no salmon, no sourdough, venison for breakfast, and caviar as a protein source. What is actually wrong with this, why it is a concern when mainstream media amplifies it, and why the foods she is avoiding are among the most nutritionally valuable you can eat
Why you can absolutely cook with extra virgin olive oil and always could, and the claim about salmon and mercury that is not supported by the evidence
The new Philadelphia Protein Cream Cheese exposed: why the regular light Philadelphia and the protein version are nutritionally near-identical per 100 grams, and why the only meaningful difference is that the serving size has been increased
How to find leaner and cheaper cuts of meat as beef prices continue to rise, why pork is underrated as a high-protein budget option, why slow cooker cuts are one of the best investments in your weekly food budget, and what to do if the supermarket sells you a fatty cut you cannot use

If you have switched to oat milk because you think it is healthier than dairy, this episode has some important information for you. And if you saw Miranda Kerr's diet advice doing the rounds in the media this week, Leanne and Susie have thoughts.
This week the team does a full ranking of every milk on the market, from full cream dairy to oat, soy, almond, coconut, and the new high-protein dairy milks, covering protein, calcium, fortification, what to check on the label, and who each one is actually best suited to. Then they respond to Miranda Kerr's widely covered restrictive diet recommendations with the specific nutritional corrections the media cycle did not bother to include.
In this episode:
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">Every milk ranked by protein, calcium, and overall nutritional quality: dairy milk, soy, oat, almond, coconut, high-protein dairy blends, and why the answer to which is healthiest is not what most people assume</li>
<li dir="ltr">Why oat milk is higher in carbohydrate, lower in protein, and often sweetened without people realising, and why the barista varieties from cafes are frequently not calcium-fortified at all</li>
<li dir="ltr">Why soy milk is Leanne's personal choice and her preferred dairy alternative for clients, including the phytoestrogen angle for women in perimenopause and menopause</li>
<li dir="ltr">The one thing to always check when buying any plant milk, why 300 milligrams of calcium per cup is the number to look for, and what most people are missing when they pick up almond milk thinking it is a nutritious swap</li>
<li dir="ltr">Miranda Kerr's diet recommendations fact-checked: no eggs, no kale, no sushi, no salmon, no sourdough, venison for breakfast, and caviar as a protein source. What is actually wrong with this, why it is a concern when mainstream media amplifies it, and why the foods she is avoiding are among the most nutritionally valuable you can eat</li>
<li dir="ltr">Why you can absolutely cook with extra virgin olive oil and always could, and the claim about salmon and mercury that is not supported by the evidence</li>
<li dir="ltr">The new Philadelphia Protein Cream Cheese exposed: why the regular light Philadelphia and the protein version are nutritionally near-identical per 100 grams, and why the only meaningful difference is that the serving size has been increased</li>
<li dir="ltr">How to find leaner and cheaper cuts of meat as beef prices continue to rise, why pork is underrated as a high-protein budget option, why slow cooker cuts are one of the best investments in your weekly food budget, and what to do if the supermarket sells you a fatty cut you cannot use</li>
</ul>

Leanne Ward and Susie Burrell rank every milk on the market by protein, calcium, and nutritional value, explaining why oat milk is not the health upgrade most people think it is and what to actually look for on the label. Plus: Miranda Kerr's widely covered restrictive diet recommendations fact-checked with specific nutritional corrections, the Philadelphia Protein Cream Cheese exposed as misleading marketing, and practical tips for finding leaner cheaper cuts of meat as beef prices keep climbing.

Every Milk Ranked by Two Dietitians: Dairy, Oat, Soy, Almond and More, Plus Miranda Kerr's Diet Advice Fact-Checked

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/fa326977-3de5-4283-9b8b-af3500c58607/clips/fd5a4cb2-b8e2-42c7-a4b5-b4aa00d0a681/transcript

Your Blood Tests Are “Normal”… So Why Do You Feel So Bad? Plus a New GLP-1 Warning

In 1 playlist(s)

The Nutrition Couch

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips