In this episode we look at why we should be ensuring we get a greater variety of foods into our diet and how we can do so. 

To discuss these issues we welcome back registered nutritional therapist Martina Cowen. 

Martina and Rob talk about:

• why we need variety in our diet and probably more than we are getting

• the nutritional value of more locally grown foods 
• the impact of food variety on our health and immune systems 
• processed foods and why they are not all bad for us 
• and how we can achieve the recommended 30 varieties of fruit and vegetables a week - and why we may not be far off achieving that in our diet already. 

We end with a couple of quick tips from Martina for upping our food variety which we can all achieve. 

You can find out more about Martina here: FreedomfromCravings.co.uk

If you like what we are doing with the podcast please do click on the follow button to be the first to hear about our next episode. We publish weekly, with the odd Bonus episode thrown in too.

Our thanks and appreciation to everyone who has followed the podcast to date. 

Take care of yourselves and we’ll see you in the next one. 

Important information

Please note that the content in the podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or medical condition, including diet and supplementation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast.

A KGR Media Services Ltd production.

LiveYourBestLifeafter60 has passed its 10th episode, which, according to AI, means we have already surpassed some 90% of new podcasts that launch. 

So, we thought we’d mark this milestone with a bonus episode, taking extracts from some of our first sessions to give people a flavour of what we’re doing with the podcast and maybe pique your interest in listening to any of those you might have missed.

If you are new to LiveYourBestLifeafter60 this is the perfect place to start.

You’ll hear from:

Connor Chatfield of Potential Personal Training on why exercise and coming to a gym doesn’t have to be intimidating and how once we start to exercise, we quickly move from thinking about how we look to thinking about how we feel 

Our resident nutritionist Martina Cowen, talking supplementation and which vitamins and minerals we may need to boost ourselves generally and in particular during winter.

In our first episode on personal finances we spoke to Jude Gardner about her new pension-demystifying service called When I’m…  Jude talks about why it’s never too late to get to grips with our pensions and our retirement planning. 

Episode 6 featured Chartered Financial Planner Rebecca Lucas. She talks about how she starts the conversation when people come to see her about their retirement plans.

In episode 10 we returned to talking about fitness and exercise, with Anna Banton, owner of route1fitness, who talked about resistance training, and why it is particularly important for us over 60-year-olds, and how when people come to the gym, they can surprise themselves about what they can achieve. 

Our final two clips come from what we are calling our Peace of Mind series, looking at actions we can take that once done, can give us the peace of mind that we’ve dealt with an important issue and we can then get on with living our best life. 

The first topic we dealt with was estate planning and inheritance tax, with more and more people finding the taxman knocking on their door. Here, Kristian Manton, Chartered Financial Adviser with Octopus Money, talks about the incidences of people having to pay IHT and the approach people can take to start examining whether or not their estates might be liable for this tax. 

Our last clip is from an interview with James Mabey, partner and private client solicitor at London law firm Winckworth Sherwood. We discuss the peace of mind can that come from having a well structured Will in place and one of the key areas of concern for people, which is making sure our assets go to the people we want to have them. 

Please note that the LiveYourBestLifeafter60 podcast is for educational purposes and information only, it is not personal financial, legal, health, medical, or fitness advice. For that you should seek appropriate help from regulated, qualified, professionals who can advise you on your individual circumstances. 

A huge thank you to everyone who has listened and subscribed to the podcast to date. 

If you like the what we are doing please do hit that follow button to be the first to learn about our new episodes. 

In the meantime, take care of yourselves and enjoy being in your 60s and beyond.

A KGR Media Services Ltd production.

We all know we need a Will, don’t we? But how much control over our assets can we really have after our death? And what happens if we don’t have a Will - who gets our wealth then? What can a Will actually cover? How important are Wills in tax planning? What are the common mistakes people make that could see part or all of a Will invalidated? And what are the benefits of putting a Will in trust?

To answer these questions and more, this episode Rob is joined by James Mabey, partner and private client solicitor at London law firm Winckworth Sherwood.

It seems fairly straightforward to set up a will – we write down what we want to happen, where and to whom we want our assets to go, and we get a couple of people to witness it. Job done. But as this conversation reveals, it is rarely as simple as that. There is plenty more to consider and if we get things wrong, we can leave part or all of our Will invalidated. 

This is another episode in what we’re calling our Peace of Mind series, where we look at areas which if we tackle them now, can give us the peace of mind that we’ve dealt with an important issue and we can get on with living our best life. 

James Maybe can be contacted at: [email protected]

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please note that this episode is for general information only and does NOT constitute personal legal or financial advice.

A KGR Media Services Ltd production.

The NHS and other medical and sporting authorities recommend we do 2-3 sessions of resistance training a week. But what is resistance training and how much should we do?

In this week’s conversation, Rob talks to Anna Banton, owner of Route1Fitness based in Crawley in Sussex. They discuss what resistance or strength training is, why it becomes more important as we get older and how much resistance training we should do post 60?

Anna tells how she moved from Sweden, where she was a nurse, and became a gym owner, and explains why resistance training is about growing stronger now while also preparing ourselves for the decades ahead - including why it’s good for our knees, backs and hips - and how Anna incorporates resistance training into programmes for her clients.

They also touch on society’s deep-rooted beliefs around female aesthetics and how gyms are empowering women to feel its okay to go to gym in their 60s and older and lift weights, which doesn’t mean bulking up.

And finally, why resistance training really is all about quality of life.  

You can find out more about Route1Fitness Here.

If you are enjoying the podcast please follow us on Apple and Spotify to keep up-to-date with everything we are doing and be the first to know when we publish the next episode.

Important note: Before starting any form of exercise, check with your doctor or other qualified health care provider to ensure you can exercise and what you can and can’t do.

A KGR Media Services Ltd production. 

The is the first episode in what we’re calling our Peace of Mind series, where we look at areas which if we tackle them now, can give us the peace of mind that we’ve dealt with an important issue and we can get on with living our best life. 

In the Autumn 2025 Budget, the then UK Chancellor of the Exchequer moved the goalposts on pensions’ tax status, making pensions money unspent on death part of an individual’s estate and so potentially liable for inheritance tax - as of April 2027.

The number of people now liable for an IHT bill has been increasing every year, and the forecasts suggest many more are likely to see their beneficiaries landed with an IHT bill in the years ahead, with the tax allowance thresholds frozen until 2031.

In this episode Rob talks to Kristian Manton, a Chartered Financial Adviser from Octopus Money.

They discuss:

The effect of the recent changes for UK tax payers whose estates are likely to be liable for IHT. 

Recent research by Octopus Investments showing the potential monetary impact of tax planning as early as we can.

The importance of getting to grips with tax planning and having discussions with family about it.

The starting point for people in their 60s wanting to tackle this issue.

Some solutions a financial adviser might cover when talking about inheritance tax.

Further areas of which to be aware.

As Kristian points out in the interview, IHT is a tax that is an individual problem which requires an individual solution for every family. It is important to know whether you have a potential IHT issue and the evidence is that dealing with it as soon as possible can be beneficial. Where gifting, it is important to ensure we don’t give away more than we can afford to, bearing in mind known and potential needs, such as long term care costs – as once that money is gifted, it is gone and out of our control. IHT planning is a key area where having the help of a professional, qualified and regulated financial planner can be money well spent - especially where more complex entities such as tax-efficient investments and trusts are being considered.  

If you enjoyed the episode please do follow us to keep up-to-date on everything we do and join us next time for more conversations around living our best lives after 60.

To find out more about Octopus Money go to: https://www.octopusmoney.com

Find out How Inheritance Tax works: thresholds, rules and allowances on the GOV UK website here: https://www.gov.uk/inheritance-tax/gifts

Important note: Inheritance tax planning is a complex area of financial planning and this podcast is for information purposes only; this is NOT nor should it be construed as financial advice. If you think IHT will become an issue for you, do seek professional financial advice so you get the right solution for your particular circumstances. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change.

This episode is a response to a listener’s question: “What is a Best Life?”

In the episode I proffer my thoughts on this question, covering what I mean by a Best Life, how I approached it in my own life, and what I wanted to bring to this podcast, in the hope that it would give people food for thought as to what their Best Life might look like for them.

And included is a killer question that we all should answer in our 60s.

The episodes on retirement referenced in the episode are: 

The Retirement Planning questions that really matter

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

Preparing for retirement - a personal journey

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

In this episode Rob follows up on a previous episode titled 'Our changing nutritional needs and eating well after 60' to talk in more detail about protein. 

The conversation covers: 

• What protein is and why we need it

• Why we need more protein as we get older

• How much we need as we age; and 

• The best sources to get it from.

So both an insightful and practical episode this one. 

You may be surprised to learn of the range of sources we can call upon for protein to satisfy our nutritional needs.  

To discuss this topic, Rob welcomes back Registered Nutritional Therapist Martina Cowen.

If you’d like to listen to the previous conversation with Martina: Our changing nutritional needs and eating well after 60 you can do so here:

on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/live-your-best-life-after-60/id6790416088?i=1000778621625

on Spotify: 

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1aHkL6IHIzAzPxvVIapOzZ?si=zPSp9EXFTaapgQ_8RnMyjg

You can find out more about Martina here.: FreedomfromCravings.co.uk

https://freedomfromcravings.co.uk/

Click here for Martina's starter guide: 3 powerful strategies for freedom from cravings

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please note that the content in the podcast is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition, including supplements. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast.

In this episode Rob talks to Chartered Financial Planner Rebecca Lucas about the questions she asks of her clients when planning for their retirement.

For many of us, retirement is stepping into unknown territory, so it’s important that we have our ducks in a row - the obvious one is ensuring our financial security but as Rob and Rebecca discuss, there are plenty of others too. 

The conversation ranges across 

• the importance of working out what retirement means to us 
• what to consider when calculating how much we will need in retirement
• the psychology of money and how we need to think differently in our retired years
• short and long term life planning
• spending patterns through retirement and how that affects our decisions
• Rebecca’s experience of clients a year on from retiring.

  If you enjoyed the episode please do follow us to keep up-to-date on everything we do and join us next time for more conversations around living our best lives after 60.

The ONS personal inflation rate calculator can be found here

If you are interested in preparing for your retirement years then other episodes you may want to listen to are:

Preparing for retirement - a personal journey

On Apple  

On Spotify

Pensions and better planning for our retirement

On Apple  

On Spotify

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please note that this episode is for general information only and does NOT constitute financial advice. Retirement planning, pensions and investments depend on your individual circumstances. We cannot be held responsible for the consequences of any actions you take having listened to this information. The value of investments can fall as well as rise. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. Retirement, pension and investment decisions should be based on individual circumstances and, where appropriate, regulated financial advice. 

Hosts: Rob Kingsbury

A KGR Media Services Ltd production.

In this episode Rob speaks to Jude Gardner, founder of a brand new business - WhenI’m – which helps people learn what they need to know and how to get to grips with their pensions and retirement planning, so they can make informed decisions ahead of their retirement date. 

Rob and Jude discuss:

• Why we should be getting to grips as soon as possible with our retirement planning — especially if we’ve left it until our 60s

• The barriers to taking action on retirement planning that often put us off doing something about it?

• How we can better tackle our retirement planning. Good places to start.

• The challenges of the sandwich generation. 

• The importance for couples of planning together - and the dangers if we don’t. 

• State Pension entitlement and helpful places to start getting information

• One final tip

Find out more about Jude’s new WhenI’m service here: https://www.whenim.co.uk/

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please note that the content in the podcast and on our webpage is for general information only and does not constitute personal financial advice. Retirement planning, pensions and investments depend on your individual circumstances. The value of investments can fall as well as rise. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. Retirement, pension and investment decisions should be based on individual circumstances and, where appropriate, regulated financial advice.

In this episode, Rob is joined by Registered Nutritional Therapist Martina Cowen. 

Their discussion centres around whether our nutritional needs change as we move into our 60s and beyond, if so how, and what action we can take to help ensure we are getting the best from our food. It covers, among other things:

The key element in ensuring we absorb the nutrients we need

The importance of good nutrition for muscle mass and bone health

The effects of good nutrients on our energy levels and cognitive health

Which vitamins and minerals become more critical for us in our 60s and beyond  

The make-up of a good plate of food to ensure we are getting the nutrients we need

The influence of environment on our digestion

Misconceptions around fats  

Supplementation - yes or no?

Putting on weight as we age

YOUR CHALLENGE THIS WEEK: Look at your plate of food and see if the proportions of protein, carbohydrates, fibre and fats match with what Martina suggests. 

Martina’s website: FreedomfromCravings.co.uk

Click here for Martina's Starter guide to 3 powerful strategies for freedom from cravings

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Please note that the content in the podcast and on the webpage is not intended to constitute or be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding your health or medical condition, including diet and supplementation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have heard on the podcast or on our website.

Please note that the content in the podcast and on this webpage is for general information only and does not constitute personal financial advice. Retirement planning, pensions and investments depend on your individual circumstances. The value of investments can fall as well as rise. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may change. Retirement, pension and investment decisions should be based on individual circumstances and, where appropriate, regulated financial advice.

Before starting any form of exercise, check with your doctor or other qualified health care provider to ensure you can exercise and what you can and can’t do.