A Holistic Approach to Nutrition with Samantha Williams

A thought‑provoking episode in which, host Michael Millward talk to nutritionist and holistic health practitioner Samantha Williams to explore how science, psychology and spirituality come together to shape a healthier relationship with food.

Samantha’s journey from biology teacher to Ayurvedic‑inspired nutritionist spans continents and disciplines. After struggling with her own health during the isolation of COVID‑19, she discovered the transformative power of lifestyle‑based nutritional healing, an experience that reshaped her career and now informs her work with clients across the UK and Thailand.

Together, Michael and Samantha unpack:

• Why so many of us have complicated, often subconscious relationships with food
• How childhood conditioning shapes lifelong eating habits
• The difference between physical hunger and emotional hunger
• Why comfort eating feels soothing—but never truly satisfies
• The impact of ultra‑processed foods on metabolic health
• How intuitive eating helps reconnect mind and body
• Why personalised nutrition matters more than one‑size‑fits‑all diet culture
• How science, psychology and spirituality combine in Samantha’s holistic practice

Samantha also shares insights from her work at a Thai healing centre, which featured in the TV show The Retreat and explains how her business, Natural Nutrition, helps people build sustainable habits that support long‑term wellbeing.

This episode is ideal for anyone curious about improving their relationship with food, understanding their body more deeply, or exploring a more holistic path to health.

Audience Offers - listings include links that may create a small commission for Fit For My Age that help keep Fit For My Age free to air.

Proactive Positive Ageing.

We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test, because knowing the risks early means you can take appropriate actions to maintain good health. Use discount code AGE25.

Fit For My Age is made on Zencastr, because Zencastr makes making podcasts so easy.

Ultimate Travel Club members enjoy travelling at trade prices on flights, trains, hotels, holidays and so many other travel related purchases. Use the link to access discounted membership.

Matchmaker.fm is where great hosts and great guests are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

Being a Guest

If you would like to be a guest on Fit For My Age, please contact Abeceder.co.uk.

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Buddhism’s impact on well-being

In a very personal episode of Fit For My Age, Michael Millward speaks with Saw K Myrit founder of the Australian charity Wake Up Limited, about how Buddhist principles can support self‑care, emotional healing, and long‑term mental well‑being.

Drawing on her childhood trauma, Saw explains how discovering Buddhism in adulthood helped her understand suffering, rebuild confidence, and develop a practical, compassionate approach to mental health.

Saw says “good things don’t last, bad things don’t last… what we feel is the side effect, the memory” a simple but powerful idea that underpins her method for moving beyond painful experiences.

Michael and Saw explore:

• How childhood experiences shape adult mental health
• Why acknowledging the past, but not living in it, is essential
• The Buddhist view that life’s value lies in the present moment
• The importance of supportive listeners who “just listen, without judging”
• The five core Buddhist principles and how they guide a “good life”
• Practical steps anyone can take to begin healing, regardless of faith or background

Saw’s message is universal: we cannot change the past, but we can choose how we live today and tomorrow. Her blend of Buddhist philosophy and lived experience offers a grounded, science‑aligned framework for anyone seeking clarity, calm, or a new way forward.

This episode is reflective, humane, and quietly uplifting; a conversation that doesn’t tell you what to think but certainly encourages you to think.

Find out more about Saw Myrit and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk.

Audience Offers - listings include links that may create a small commission for Fit For My Age that help keep Fit For My Age free to air.

Proactive Positive Ageing.

We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test, because knowing the risks early means you can take appropriate actions to maintain good health. Use discount code AGE25.

Fit For My Age is made on Zencastr, because Zencastr makes making podcasts so easy.

Ultimate Travel Club members enjoy travelling at trade prices on flights, trains, hotels, holidays and so many other travel related purchases. Use the link to access discounted membership.

Matchmaker.fm is where great hosts and great guests are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

Being a Guest

If you would like to be a guest on Fit For My Age, please contact Abeceder.co.uk.

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.

Vulnerability can mean many things, including empowerment

This episode of Fit For My Age brings together host Michael Millward and psychotherapist Carol Smaldino,author of Vulnerability Protected, for a deeply human conversation about what it really means to feel — and safely express — vulnerability.

Across the discussion, Carol traces her journey from a turbulent childhood, through her early work in residential treatment centres, to the development of her professional philosophy: that vulnerability is not weakness, but a messy, courageous, and essential pathway to empathy. Drawing on vivid experiences, including moments when she herself felt overwhelmed, frightened, or unexpectedly reactive, she explains how acknowledging our own emotional fragility can actually protect us, strengthen relationships, and create genuine connection.

Together, Michael and Carol explore:

• ·The difference between physical and psychological vulnerability
• Why many people cannot afford to be vulnerable — and what happens when they try
• How owning your emotional reactions can defuse conflict and build trust
• The role of vulnerability in leadership, parenting, therapy, and everyday relationships
• Why empathy begins with understanding your own inner world
• How psychological safety enables deeper thinking, curiosity, and authentic dialogue
• The cultural discomfort with vulnerability — and why it urgently needs dignity

Carol’s reflections are warm, candid, and often surprising. She challenges the idea that vulnerability is fashionable or performative, arguing instead that it requires space, patience, and environments where people feel genuinely safe enough to think, feel, and speak openly.

This is an episode that will stay with you — one that doesn’t tell you what to think but will certainly make you think about how you relate to yourself and others.

Find out more about Carol Smaldino and Michael at Abeceder.co.uk.

Audience Offers - listings include links that may create a small commission for Fit For My Age that help keep Fit For My Age free to air.

Proactive Positive Ageing.

We recommend The Annual Health Test from York Test, because knowing the risks early means you can take appropriate actions to maintain good health. Use discount code AGE25.

Fit For My Age is made on Zencastr, because Zencastr makes making podcasts so easy.

Ultimate Travel Club members enjoy travelling at trade prices on flights, trains, hotels, holidays and so many other travel related purchases. Use the link to access discounted membership.

Matchmaker.fm is where great hosts and great guests are matched and great podcasts are hatched. Use our offer code MILW10 for a discount on membership.

Being a Guest

If you would like to be a guest on Fit For My Age, please contact Abeceder.co.uk.

We recommend the podcasting guest training programmes available from Work Place Learning Centre.

We appreciate every like, download, and subscriber.

Thank you for listening.