A Healthy Shift
A Healthy Shift Podcast with Roger Sutherland
Shift work and night shift can be brutal—but they don’t have to be.
Join veteran shift worker Roger Sutherland, a former law enforcement officer with 40+ years of experience in Melbourne, Australia, and a certified nutritionist.
In A Healthy Shift, Roger shares evidence-based nutrition, health, and well-being strategies to help shift and night shift workers boost their energy, improve sleep, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
If you're ready to thrive—not just survive—while working shifts, this podcast is your go-to resource for a healthier, happier life.
Episodes
257 episodes
[260] - Nuts About Shift Work - A Small Snack with Big Benefits
Shift work wrecks your body. Long hours. No sleep. Crappy food. But what if one of the simplest things you could do for your health... fits in your pocket?In today’s short but powerful episode, Roger dives into why a small handful of ...
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Season 2
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Episode 206
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11:30
[259] - Your host on Radio 3AW - Australia Overnight - Talk Back Radio 12-06-2025
In this episode of A Healthy Shift, I take you through my journey—from being a 16-year-old Kiss fan camping outside Waverley Park to spending 40 years with Victoria Police. Along the way, I saw just how hard shift work can be on your b...
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Season 2
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Episode 205
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42:38
[258] - The Danger of Normalising Exhaustion
Burnout has silently become the baseline for too many shift workers—especially those in healthcare and emergency services. You're waking up exhausted, pushing through gruelling 12-hour shifts, barely eating properly, and your sleep is completel...
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Season 2
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Episode 204
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13:47
[257] - Jack Hallows - Coaches in Conversation - Life, Lifting & Looking After Yourself
In this candid episode, fitness coach Jack Hallows and I dive deep into the transformative power of resistance training—especially for those juggling the challenges of shift work. Beyond just physical gains, we explore how strength training bui...
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Season 2
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Episode 203
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1:34:22
[256] - Where Is My Shift Work Education and Support?
Feeling Burnt Out from Shift Work? You’re Not Alone — And It’s Not Your Fault.Most organisations expect 24/7 workers to navigate tough schedules without any guidance on how to protect their health.After 40+ years as a polic...
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Season 2
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Episode 202
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14:25
[255] - How Shift Timing Impacts Your Health - What the Science Informs Us
Shift work disrupts our body's natural 24-hour clock (circadian rhythm), affecting metabolism, hormones, and how we process food, which increases risks of weight gain, diabetes, and heart disease.• Insulin sensitivity drops at night, ma...
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Season 2
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Episode 201
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15:45
[254] - How Your Indoor Lighting Is Making You Sick, Fat, and Tired
Blue light exposure at night disrupts our biology beyond sleep, causing serious health issues that shift workers need to understand and address to protect their wellbeing.• Blue light isn't actually blue – it's hidden within white light...
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Season 2
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Episode 200
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18:36
[253] - Chloe Spring - It All Falls Apart If Management Don't Support It
What if we told you that the very people keeping our society running 24/7 — emergency workers, nurses, first responders, and other shift workers — are silently suffering due to outdated systems, toxic workplace culture, and dangerous health con...
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Season 2
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Episode 199
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1:09:20
[252] - 8 Hours Pffft – A Better Way to Think About Sleep for Shift Workers
Are you tired of being told you need eight hours of sleep—when your shift schedule makes that nearly impossible? You're not alone, and more importantly, you're not failing.In this episode, we’re flipping traditional sleep advice...
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Season 2
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Episode 198
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14:50
[251] - Shift Shock: What I Wish I Knew When I Started Shift Work
Shift shock hits like a tidal wave when your entire life gets flipped upside down by irregular work hours. That overwhelming feeling when sleep patterns crumble, dietary choices deteriorate, and you find yourself constantly out of sync with eve...
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Season 2
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Episode 197
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19:16
[250] - Radio 3AW - Australia Overnight - Special Guest Dr OIivia Walch - 15-05-2025
When was the last time you experienced real darkness—so dark you couldn’t see your hand in front of your face? According to mathematician and sleep expert Dr. Olivia Walch, our modern “light diet” may be silently sabotagin...
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Season 2
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Episode 196
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40:07
[249] - Matt Newlands - Checking in on your mates, but what are we looking for?
The mental health challenges of shift work extend far beyond simple fatigue. In this powerful conversation with Matt Newlands, former police officer and co-founder of Frontline Mental Health, we delve into the subtle warning signs of declining ...
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Season 2
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Episode 195
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1:18:39
[248] - Your host on Radio 3AW - Australia Overnight - Talk Back Radio 01-05-2025
Forty years of night shifts taught me one crucial lesson—our bodies were never designed for midnight meals.As the founder of A Healthy Shift and a former law enforcement officer, I’ve seen firsthand how eating habits can ...
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Season 2
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Episode 194
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32:43
[247] - The Ideal Wake-Up Routine for Shift Workers
Ever wake up feeling like you’ve already lost the day before it even starts?If you’re a shift worker, that feeling isn’t just common—it’s a sign your body clock is out of sync. But the fix doesn’t come from supplements or strict routines...
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Season 2
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Episode 193
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13:48
[246] - Why I Don't Just Say Shift Work Will Kill You
Here’s the hard truth most people won’t tell you about shift work: It’s not the roster that's ruining your health—it’s what you do around it.After more than 40 years working rotating shifts in law enforcement, I’ve seen firsthan...
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Season 2
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Episode 193
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31:34
[245] - Creatine Not Just for the Gym — What Every Shift Worker Over 40 Should Know
Are you grinding through night shifts, battling brain fog at 3AM, and wondering if there’s anything that can actually help? You might be overlooking one of the most powerful – and affordable – tools out there: creatine monohydrate....
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Season 2
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Episode 191
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12:41
[244] - Dr Charlotte Gupta - Factors influencing the eating behaviour of shiftworkers
Shift work disrupts our natural eating patterns, impacting how our bodies process food, particularly overnight when our systems aren't primed for digestion. Dr. Charlotte Gupta discusses her groundbreaking research on the factors influencing sh...
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Season 2
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Episode 190
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1:07:04
[243] - You Don't Have to Do Shift Work Alone Anymore
Feeling like you're doing shift work on your own? That ends here.In this episode, I’m sharing something really close to my heart—something I wish existed decades ago when I was deep in the thick of rotating shifts, missed birthdays, slee...
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Season 2
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Episode 189
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12:06
[241] - Your host on Radio 3AW - Australia Overnight - Talk Back Radio 17-04-2025
Roger Sutherland, former law enforcement officer of four decades, returns to discuss how shift workers can maintain health and energy despite irregular schedules.• Building an online community for shift workers to connect, share experie...
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Season 2
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Episode 187
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38:27
[240] - Methylene Blue - Brain Booster or Biohacking Hype
You’ve probably seen it on social media—people swishing around bright blue tongues, swearing by methylene blue as the next big thing in brain health. But is it all hype, or is there actually something to it?As a long-time shift worker an...
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Season 2
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Episode 186
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12:35
[239] - Understanding Circadian Rhythms and Menstrual Health in Shift Work
If you're a woman working shifts and struggling with irregular periods, painful cramps, mood swings, or unexplained fatigue—this episode is your wake-up call.We’re diving into one of the most overlooked health issues in women’s wellness:...
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Season 2
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Episode 185
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21:35
[238] - The Midnight Munchies – How to Avoid Junk Food on Night Shifts
If you’ve ever found yourself face-to-face with a vending machine at 2 AM, half-asleep and craving something sweet or salty, you’re not alone—and there’s real science behind it.In this episode, we’re breaking down what’s really going on ...
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Season 2
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Episode 184
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12:27
[237] - Behind the Mic: The Untold Story of 911 Dispatchers with Deborah Green
What happens after the emergency call ends? For 911 dispatchers, the trauma doesn’t just stop when they hang up – it sticks with them, call after call, year after year. And over time, it takes a serious toll on their mental and physical health....
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Season 2
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Episode 183
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1:00:29
[236] - Shift Work & Insomnia Magnesium vs Melatonin – Which One Works Best
Are you a shift worker struggling to get quality sleep? In this episode, we break down the key differences between melatonin and magnesium, helping you make an informed decision on which supplement can best support your sleep. While melatonin s...
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Season 2
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Episode 182
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16:52