A Healthy Shift

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A Healthy Shift

Roger Sutherland | Veteran Shift Worker | Coach | Nutritionist | Breathwork Facilitator | Keynote Speaker

329 episodes

23 hours ago

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We unpack why day sleep so often fails for shift workers and how to align rest with biology instead of willpower. Practical rules cover darkness, cooling, expectations, caffeine timing and a simple wind-down that sticks. • circadian misalignment makes daytime sleep lighter and shorter • abandon seven to nine hours as a day-sleeper target • plan a core sleep block plus a top-up nap • make the room pitch black and eliminate LEDs • cool the room and beddin...

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Self-Improvement,

Health & Fitness

All content for A Healthy Shift is the property of Roger Sutherland | Veteran Shift Worker | Coach | Nutritionist | Breathwork Facilitator | Keynote Speaker and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We unpack why day sleep so often fails for shift workers and how to align rest with biology instead of willpower. Practical rules cover darkness, cooling, expectations, caffeine timing and a simple wind-down that sticks. • circadian misalignment makes daytime sleep lighter and shorter • abandon seven to nine hours as a day-sleeper target • plan a core sleep block plus a top-up nap • make the room pitch black and eliminate LEDs • cool the room and beddin...

Show more...

Self-Improvement,

Health & Fitness

Episodes (20/329)

A Healthy Shift

[332] - Why Daytime Sleep Never Works And How to Fix It

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We unpack why day sleep so often fails for shift workers and how to align rest with biology instead of willpower. Practical rules cover darkness, cooling, expectations, caffeine timing and a simple wind-down that sticks. • circadian misalignment makes daytime sleep lighter and shorter • abandon seven to nine hours as a day-sleeper target • plan a core sleep block plus a top-up nap • make the room pitch black and eliminate LEDs • cool the room and beddin...

7 hours ago

16 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[331] - She's a Nurse Working Nights and Then Came the Diagnosis

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 A raw look at how artificial light at night raises cancer risk for shift workers, told through the story of a veteran nurse and the science of melatonin. We share practical steps to protect circadian health at work and at home, and why workplaces must act. • known links between blue light at night and hormone‑sensitive cancers • melatonin as darkness signal, DNA repair and immune support • night work as an occupational health and safety issu...

4 days ago

21 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[330] - Guest Appearance on 6PR Perth with Christina Morrisey - 04-01-2026

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 In this episode, I guest on 6PR Perth weekend radio with Christina Morrisey We dig into why shift work collides with human biology and how to reclaim energy, sleep, and family life with small, smart changes. Practical steps on light, meals, hydration, and boundaries make brutal rosters more livable without fancy gear or gimmicks. • costs of night shift on body and mood • eating on sun time and fasting overnight • why catching up on sleep bac...

4 days ago

13 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[329] - How Creatine Helps Your Body and Brain Work Better

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 Creatine isn’t just for athletes. In this episode, we explore how creatine supplementation supports cellular energy, brain function, and decision-making during night shifts, long hours, stress, and sleep loss. You’ll learn how creatine helps keep ATP (cellular energy) available when sleep is short, why this matters for focus and reaction time on long shifts, and how to use creatine safely alongside good sleep, nutrition, and hydration. In this episode, w...

1 week ago

12 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[328] - Guest Appearance on 3AW Melbourne "Nights" with Karalee Katsambanis - 29-12-2025

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 A guest appearance on 3AW "Nights" with Karalee Katsambanis We share practical tips for making shift work sustainable using light, timing, movement, and breathwork. I explain how to anchor your body clock, fuel smarter, and use naps to crush fatigue without wrecking sleep. • why anchoring wake time resets energy and mood • the light diet for circadian alignment • timing meals over macro obsession • protein and fibre breakfast for satiety • the 25-minute...

1 week ago

44 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[327] - The Quiet Cost of Frontline Work No One Talks About

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We call out the quiet signs that shift work is changing you, from short fuse to numbness, and lay out simple, science-backed steps to get you back to steady. Sleep, light, movement, food, boundaries, and connection form the plan you can start today. • Year-end reality check on frontline stress • Subtle warning signs across sleep, mood, patience • Why distraction and busyness can mask depression • The three-question self-audit to get honest • Light diet ...

1 week ago

16 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[326] - 3 Health Markers Shift Workers Must Track

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 Shift work disrupts circadian rhythm and quietly increases the risk of heart disease, hormonal imbalance, fatigue, and metabolic disorders. In this episode, we explain The 176 Rule for shift workers - a simple health framework designed to detect hidden stress before symptoms appear. You’ll learn how tracking resting heart rate, blood pressure, and regular blood tests can reveal early warning signs caused by night shift work, rotating shifts, and irr...

2 weeks ago

17 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[325] - Fatigue and Burnout Will Not Wait For The Next Budget Allocation

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We make a direct call to leaders of 24/7 teams to stop relying on recruitment and start building real support that reduces fatigue and burnout. Practical education, risk-aware supervision, and retention-first strategy create safer, more stable workplaces. • Why recruitment cannot fix fatigue and burnout • The compounding loop from errors to understaffing • Evidence-based education on sleep, circadian rhythm, nutrition, recovery • What genuine support...

2 weeks ago

15 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[324] - Shift Work Health Risks - How Long-Term Shift Work Impacts Your Body and What You Can Do About It

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We break down how shift work disrupts circadian rhythms and why that drives metabolic, cardiovascular, gut, immune and mental health risks. Then we lay out practical, evidence-based steps for sleep timing, light control, meal timing, movement and routines that protect your body. • Circadian disruption as the root driver of health risks • Metabolic strain, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes • Cardiovascular load, elevated blood pressure and resting h...

3 weeks ago

26 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[323] - Shift Work, Circadian Disruption And Its Impact On Your Mental Health

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We unpack how circadian disruption drives low mood, anxiety, and poor sleep for shift workers and why timing—not willpower—is the real lever. Roger shares lived experience and simple anchors that steady the mind: light, routine, food, movement, and deep sleep. • circadian rhythm as a mood and hormone regulator • how desynchronisation raises stress and lowers emotional control • frontline roles and increased vulnerability to mental ill health • common co...

3 weeks ago

19 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[322] - Managing Night Shift Better

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We challenge the myth that you can flip your body clock and share a practical plan to work with biology instead of fighting it. Simple changes to food timing, light exposure, caffeine, sleep setup, and training can make night shifts survivable and your days off feel human again. • Why nights never fully adapt to your rhythm • Mistakes that ruin alertness and recovery • Light management for alertness and sleep • Meal timing and snack ideas that digest we...

4 weeks ago

22 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[321] - Your host on Radio 3AW - Talk Back Radio 11-12-2025

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We unpack how light shapes sleep, mood, and performance, then connect it to the real strain on shift workers and police. Practical tools for anxiety, pain, and late-night routines give listeners immediate steps while we challenge how systems value frontline health. • why daylight calibrates circadian rhythm and melatonin • hidden harms of indoor LEDs, screens, and blue-heavy light • day lenses versus full blue blockers and when to use each • simple morn...

4 weeks ago

41 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[320] - The Real Cost of Night Shift for Women And How to Protect Yourself

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 In this episode, we break down what’s really happening when women work nights and why the research shows a higher risk of breast cancer in long-term night shift workers. More importantly, you’ll learn what you can do right now to reduce that risk in a practical, realistic way. Here’s what we cover: • How night shift disrupts your circadian rhythm and hormone balance • What large long-term studies are showing about elevated breast cancer risk ...

1 month ago

19 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[319] - Jesse Stathakis - The Glass Bowl Method for Shift Workers

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We show how structure beats willpower for eating well on a chaotic roster, then unpack the Glass Bowl Method: simple one-bowl meals that keep you full, reduce decision fatigue, and help weight loss stick without obsessive tracking. • Jesse’s 40 kg loss, relapse after travel, and mindset shift • Why calories matter but food quality drives satiety • Three meals, two to three snacks as a default template • Plan B meals and non-perishables for chaotic shift...

1 month ago

52 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[318] - What Are IPRGCs and Why They Matter for Shift Workers

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 Light is the most powerful signal for your body clock—but most shift workers never train it on purpose. In this episode, I explain how your eye’s light-sensing cells set circadian timing and show you exactly how to use morning light, controlled darkness, and smart lighting habits to stabilise sleep, mood, digestion, and energy across any roster. What You’ll Learn: What IPRGCs are and how they differ from rods and conesHow light signals reach the SCN and ...

1 month ago

19 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[317] - Why You Can’t Catch Up on Sleep, But You Can Bank It

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 The idea of “catching up” on sleep with a long lie-in sounds helpful, but it actually disrupts your body clock. In this episode, I explain why it backfires and share a simple plan to stabilise your sleep timing across nights, early starts, and rotating shifts. You’ll learn how to anchor your wake time, use light and movement to reset your clock, nap strategically, and bank sleep before tough runs. What You’ll Learn: Why weekend lie-ins disrupt circadian ...

1 month ago

14 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[316] - Your host on Radio 3AW - Talk Back Radio 27-11-2025

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We unpack the real mechanics of Triple Zero while sharing practical night shift nutrition, and we dig into ambulance ramping, hospital bottlenecks, and why culture and policy shape ED overload. Roger brings frontline stories from policing and coaching to map fixes that actually work. • Treating mindset to improve shift worker health • Fruit, antioxidants, and smart snacks for nights • Why dispatch questions don’t delay ambulances • Misuse of Triple Zero...

1 month ago

41 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[315] - Let's Sabotage Your Sleep - 5 Proven Steps

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 Most shift workers are unknowingly wrecking their sleep—and it’s fixable. In this episode, I break down the most common sleep mistakes and turn them into simple habits you can repeat on any roster. Early daylight, movement, a caffeine cut-off, skipping the nightcap, and real stress care become a toolkit you can rely on to improve sleep depth, energy, and recovery. What You’ll Learn: How early daylight resets the circadian clockWays to build sleep pressur...

1 month ago

11 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[314] - A Proven 3-Step Process to Depression

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 If you’re feeling flat, unmotivated, tired, or just not yourself… it’s not because you’re broken. It’s because shift work quietly pulls you into a spiral you don’t even see happening. I’m talking about three behaviours stopping movement, relying on ultra-processed food, and missing daylight, that slowly drag your energy, mood, and resilience downhill. The good news? You can turn this around far more easily than you think. And today I’m walking you throug...

1 month ago

16 minutes

A Healthy Shift

[313] - Vending Machine or Victory? - 3 Simple Rules for Night Shift Nutrition and Beating Midnight Cravings

Text me what you thought of the show 😊 We share a simple, evidence‑based plan to beat midnight cravings by aligning food timing with your body clock. Learn how a pre‑shift dinner and a 2–4 a.m. snack swap stabilise energy, protect gut health, and end the vending‑machine spiral. • Why circadian misalignment drives cravings and weight gain • The case for a main pre‑shift dinner with lean protein and complex carbs • How digestion slows overnight and what that means for food choices • The 2–4 a....

1 month ago

15 minutes