Transform Your Health: Ditching Diets and Embracing Balance with Clinical Nutritionist Samantha Jackson
EP. 22
In this episode, Hannah Mae sits down with health coach and clinical nutritionist Samantha Jackson to discuss how to eliminate fear around food, understand the impact of a balanced diet, and develop a healthier mindset toward eating. Together, they explore the importance of releasing restrictive beliefs about food and how cultivating a positive relationship with eating can be transformative for the mind, body, and spirit. Hannah and Sam share their personal journeys with food and well-being, revealing strategies to live in alignment and nourish your body without fear or guilt. This episode also unveils their exciting upcoming offer: the Integrative Health Kick, a five-day journey starting this December, designed to help you end the year strong and enter the next with renewed energy. Sam will guide you on fueling your body without restrictive diets, while Hannah shares mindset shifts to inspire an inner transformation that complements physical wellness. Don’t miss this empowering conversation and the chance to join their journey towards a healthier, more balanced life. Listen now to embrace a new paradigm of health and well-being, and check the show notes for details on joining the Integrative Health Kick!
Sign up for the newsletter and be the first to know when the Integrative Health Kick launches!
Listen to the full episode:
Stay connected! Follow and subscribe on your favorite platform by clicking any of the icons below.
Episode Transcript:
Hello, everybody! Welcome back to the Mae B Mindful Podcast. I'm your host, Hannah Mae, and today, I’m so excited because I have a really amazing guest. So, go ahead and get a snack or a good drink and get ready—this conversation's going to be a little longer than normal since we have some good stuff to talk about. Samantha Jackson, everybody! She is a health coach, clinical nutritionist, master personal trainer, and—side note, but not a side note—also a radiologist. She’s trained and certified in both the U.S. and Australia, with a pretty massive client base. She works with people all over the world, and I’m just so excited that she’s here today because we want to talk about taking the fear out of food. So, Sam Jackson, everybody! Welcome, Sam!
Thank you so much for having me! I feel so blessed to be here and to talk to you and your audience. I think this is fabulous—it’s about time we collaborated on something!
It is about time! Well, we’ve talked about it for so long and about doing programs together that incorporate nutrition with mind coaching. We’re probably still going to do that—PS, side note, stay tuned, everybody!
But we thought it would be... well, actually, this was your idea to talk about taking the fear out of food because that’s a big stumbling block for a lot of people in your work, right?
Yes, it really is. Almost everyone I work with has some fear around food. It might not always be about food specifically; it could be image-driven, an appearance-based fear, or something like that.
I just need to say before we go further—my listeners are really used to hearing me talk about the mind and soul, but I haven’t really gotten into the body piece yet. It’s something that’s profoundly important in my life, obviously, because how could it not be? We have these amazing bodies, these vessels for our souls, and you can’t address one without the other. I think one impacts the other, and we're really a mind-body-soul system. You can’t separate them. So when you’re good to yourself in one area, it can create a positive impact in other areas. We all have our areas of expertise, which I think is amazing because there are so many different pieces to the puzzle, and so many tools we can use to support our health holistically.
It's true, and you’re right. We treat our cars better than we treat our bodies sometimes, right? We're constantly putting good fuel in the tank, getting the car serviced, rotating the tires. But when it comes to our bodies, the vehicle that carries us around every day, we don’t give it the same level of care. It’s like we’re lucky if we even wipe the seats down!
Exactly! And I think when we’re afraid of something, we actually give it more power. It’s like there’s an environmental paranoia around food—like, yes, there are hazards out there, but we forget that we can cultivate our inner environment too. When we’re equipped with the right information, we can step into agency over our choices, which is where your expertise really shines.
Thank you, and yes, that’s a great point! But it’s true—fear around food is huge, and I was just talking to a guy three days ago who was having tea with a cookie. He said, “Oh, we’re not allowed to have these in the house.” There it is—he has this fear that if he eats one cookie, he’ll eat the whole pack, or that it’ll immediately impact his appearance. It’s sad because food is just food. We’ve been conditioned to believe that some foods are "bad," but it’s all just food.
Right, and I think anytime we attach fear to something, we give it more control over us. When I met you years ago, I had such a massive fear around food, and I was dealing with body dysmorphia too. After having my sixth baby, I was really out of balance and gaining weight. I was frustrated because I’d already tried all the popular advice like keto and intermittent fasting, but it just wasn’t helping me. I know intermittent fasting works for some people, but for me, it wasn’t the answer. I was tired, I was sick all the time, and the shame from my past eating disorder was getting triggered again.
And that’s the thing—every person is different. Some methods work well for some people, and for others, it just doesn’t fit.
Yes! I had this idea in my head that starch was the enemy, and I restricted it for over 20 years. I was so starch-restrictive! But I reached a point where I knew I needed change. You taught me about balanced eating and encouraged me to add starches back in. I remember you telling me, “Trust me, just eat this way,” and it was hard to do at first. But I did it. By the end of the first week, I felt more energetic and balanced, and in a couple of months, everything I didn’t need just fell off. I was amazed, and I didn’t have to think about it constantly anymore.
And that’s the beauty of it—it’s not restrictive. It’s actually quite freeing. I see this all the time. People doubt it at first, and they’re scared because it goes against everything they’ve been taught about eating less and moving more. They’ve been told to view foods as “good” or “bad.” But there’s so much freedom when you can eat intuitively and not obsess over every bite.
It’s amazing, and it really changed my life. People started noticing. They’d ask, “Did you start working out?” and I was like, “No, I just started eating more food consistently.” It was so freeing, and it gave me my vibrancy back.
I see this all the time. When people start eating balanced meals, they’re amazed at how much better they feel. It’s counterintuitive at first, and many people worry, “Am I eating too much?” But as they continue, they feel energized, they stop craving, and their bodies begin to respond positively.
And it parallels other areas of life too. When I started feeling good physically, it impacted my spiritual and personal growth. I had more energy to dive deeper into my work with clients and in my own spiritual journey. It’s like everything was elevated.
Yes! Around week three, the magic really happens. That’s when people begin to see the benefits—they feel balanced, their moods stabilize, and they find that things that used to stress them out don’t have the same power. Blood sugar levels are balanced, they feel more centered, and they have energy. Life isn’t suddenly easy, but their response to it becomes easier because they’re nourished.
Right. And it’s interesting because it’s not that we’re avoiding foods forever. It’s about choosing wisely, and if you want a treat once in a while, it’s okay! But when it becomes a regular habit, that’s when you have to reassess.
Exactly. I love food, and I make my meals colorful and beautiful. It brings me joy, and I think it’s all about cultivating a healthy relationship with food and treating yourself well.
Absolutely. It’s like the difference between a habit and a dependency. Many people use food to cope or as a reward, which becomes a dependency. But when you’re truly balanced, food doesn’t control you. You have freedom, and you can make conscious choices.
Yes! And when people come to me, I start by helping them get balanced. The changes might feel foreign at first, but over time, they realize it’s working. Their blood sugar stabilizes, and they’re able to make intuitive choices. That’s when they’re ready to take the reins and make it their own.
That’s so powerful. And it reminds me of the work I do with people on mindset. When they start letting go of limiting beliefs, it’s like a detox for their minds. I tell them to expect discomfort because they’re detaching from an old identity, but on the other side, there’s freedom.
Yes, exactly! And it all comes back to self-care. Knowing what works for you and sticking with it. Some people can have treats and not be affected, but for others, it’s like an addiction. And if you know that about yourself, you can make choices that serve you best.
Exactly. I’m in recovery, and food is a part of that journey for me. I don’t eat refined sugar anymore because I know I’m sensitive to it, but I’ve found other ways to enjoy food that don’t trigger those issues for me. Knowing yourself and honoring what’s best for you is so important.
It really is. And the freedom that comes from taking care of yourself is amazing. You don’t feel deprived; you feel empowered. And it’s the same with movement too. Moving your body in ways that feel good and keep you healthy is so powerful.
Yes, and it’s about embracing your body and celebrating it. I hear people say, “I deserve junk food because I’ve worked hard.” I say, “How about you deserve to nourish yourself?” That’s a mindset shift.
I love that. And honestly, it’s so true—our bodies deserve to feel great, and when we prioritize health, everything else just clicks into place.
It really does. And I love seeing my clients reach that point. They’re glowing, they’re confident, and they’re free from the fear and guilt that used to come with food.
Thank you so much, Sam, for being here. This was such a valuable conversation, and I know it’s going to help so many people.
Thank you! I loved being here, and I hope it encourages people to see food differently and to embrace a balanced, nourishing lifestyle.
Alright, everyone, thank you so much for joining us on this episode of the Mae B Mindful Podcast. Remember, you can find Sam online and learn more about her work. And don’t forget to tune in next time for more inspiring conversations. See you soon!