Sarah Di Lorenzo on Blood Sugar, Healthy Ageing and the Warning Signs You Shouldn’t Ignore

For many Australians, the warning signs of poor blood sugar control can be easy to overlook.

Feeling tired after meals, struggling with cravings, carrying extra weight around the middle or finding it harder to lose weight are often dismissed as part of getting older, being busy or dealing with stress. According to clinical nutritionist Sarah Di Lorenzo, those symptoms may be telling a much bigger story.

Di Lorenzo, known to many Australians through her regular appearances on Sunrise, has spent years helping people improve their health through nutrition.

Now, in her latest book, The Blood Sugar Repair Plan, she is turning her attention to what she sees as one of the most misunderstood health issues facing Australians today.

Having written nine books, built a successful nutrition clinic, launched a protein bar business and hosted a podcast, Di Lorenzo says she never planned for her career to unfold the way it has.

“If I am honest, I never sat down and mapped out this exact career path,” she says.

“I feel like the career found me. I was presented with opportunities that I wholeheartedly embraced when they came my way.”

What has remained constant throughout that journey is her desire to help people understand their health and make changes that are both realistic and sustainable.

“Everything I have done – from my clinic, to writing books, to television, to launching products – has grown from that same purpose,” she says.

“For me, it has never been about doing lots of different things for the sake of it. It has been about finding different ways to reach people with practical, evidence-based health information that can genuinely improve their lives.”

That practical approach is especially important when it comes to blood sugar and type 2 diabetes.

Di Lorenzo says she was motivated to write The Blood Sugar Repair Plan after seeing more and more people struggling with blood sugar issues, insulin resistance and the side effects of weight loss medications.

“I see the impact of blood sugar issues every single day in my clinic,” she says.

“Blood sugar imbalance, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes are affecting an enormous number of Australians, but the conversation often starts too late.”

One of the biggest challenges, she says, is that insulin resistance can develop gradually over many years before a diagnosis is made.

During that time, people may experience fatigue, brain fog, sugar cravings, poor sleep, increased belly fat, difficulty losing weight and low energy levels, but often attribute those symptoms to ageing or a busy lifestyle.

“The important message is that these symptoms are not things people should simply accept as normal,” she says.

“The symptoms are often early signals from the body that something is out of balance.”

Di Lorenzo believes there needs to be greater public awareness of what happens before someone develops type 2 diabetes.

“We need far more education around metabolic health, insulin resistance and the early warning signs people can act on before things progress,” she says.

Many people understand diabetes as a condition involving blood sugar, she explains, but may not fully understand the role of insulin or how insulin resistance develops over time.

In the book, she explains that type 2 diabetes often begins with insulin resistance, where the body’s cells become less responsive to insulin, forcing the body to produce increasing amounts to keep blood sugar levels under control.

For years, blood sugar readings may appear relatively normal while the body’s systems are working harder behind the scenes.

“What is so important for people to understand is that this process offers a window of opportunity,” she says.

“The years before diagnosis are not a passive waiting period. They are a chance to identify risk, improve insulin sensitivity and potentially prevent progression.”

Di Lorenzo says many of the patients she sees arrive feeling frustrated after years of dieting and trying different health trends without success.

One misconception she regularly encounters is the belief that weight loss is simply a matter of eating less and exercising more.

“In reality, when blood sugar and insulin are out of balance, the body can work against people in very powerful ways – increasing hunger, cravings, energy crashes and fat storage, particularly around the middle,” she says.

She also challenges the idea that healthy eating needs to be extreme.

“Blood sugar management is much more about food quality, balance, timing, protein, fibre, exercise and consistency rather than about punishment or perfection.”

Perhaps one of the most encouraging messages in the book is that meaningful improvements are possible, even for people who feel they have left it too late.
Di Lorenzo points to both scientific evidence and her own clinical experience as reasons for optimism.

“We now know that type 2 diabetes is not always an inevitable one-way pathway,” she says.

“In many cases, particularly when it is identified early, meaningful lifestyle changes can dramatically improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood sugar levels and, for some people, lead to remission.”

The key, she says, is focusing on progress rather than perfection.

“People often think if they cannot do everything perfectly, there is no point starting. That is simply not true.”

To help readers put theory into practice, the book includes a structured nine-week program designed to guide people through gradual, sustainable change.

“Most people do not need more random health tips – they need a clear, practical roadmap that helps them translate knowledge into action,” she says.

Rather than asking readers to overhaul their lives overnight, the program introduces changes step by step, with each week focusing on a different aspect of health.

For Di Lorenzo, the ultimate goal is to help people maintain their health, independence and quality of life as they age.

“The one thing I hope readers take away from this book is that it is never too late to improve your health, and small changes can have a very powerful impact,” she says.

“So many people believe they have to accept low energy, weight gain, rising blood sugar or feeling unwell as an inevitable part of ageing, but that is not the full story.”

“This book is really about giving people back a sense of control. Not through extremes or fear, but through knowledge, practical steps and the confidence to know that meaningful change is possible at any age.”

The Blood Sugar Repair Plan by Sarah Di Lorenzo is available now (Simon & Schuster, $39.99).

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.