In this episode, Diane covers some questions that have been sent into the Balanced Living for Busy Professionals podcast over the last year. These are things she regularly gets asked about food, lifestyle, balance and keeping healthy. This is the last episode for 2016 as the show is taking a break from October – December and will return in a new bi-monthly format with some amazing and informative new guests and solo episodes in January 2017. In the mean time Diane will be re-releasing some of the most popular shows from the last year.

Diane explores the most important factors for self care, uses some personal experience to talk about quietening that inner voice and explains exactly what a plant based diet is and how to travel and negotiate a busy life on this plan.

What you will learn:

• Don't think about work life balance as something separate; it should become your whole life.
• Take 10 minutes, 3 times a day to go for a walk.
• Find a quiet empty meeting room at work and spend 10 minutes meditating.
• Notice how long you spend each day on your phone or gadgets.
• Set priorities for when you will reply to emails during the day.
• Stop replying to emails at night.
• Finish work when you get home and instil an after work ritual to help you unwind.
• Getting control of your life means to have to remove yourself from the "do-all" position.
• Take the words willpower and discipline out of your vocabulary.
• Decide what's important to you and set priorities.
• Processed food is full of sugar that will keep you addicted.
• Choose foods that support you.
• Stop watching food commercials that encourage you to eat and eat.
• You can get enough protein on a plant-based diet.
• Use the following websites to get great plant based recipes; plantpurenation.com, foroverknives.com. onegreenplanet.com
• Veestro is a great delivery service for people who don't like to cook and all the food is GMO free.

Quotes: 

"You need courage to set boundaries in your life."

"It's in your mind, just let it pass."

"I am where I am in my journey."

Contact Diane:

Email Diane:

[email protected]

Website:

http://www.dianerandallconsults.com

Let us know what you think about this episode by leaving a voicemail or comment: http://www.balanced-living-for-busy-professionals.com/

There are practical ways you can be more appropriately engaged in your life. In fact, research studies reveal specific methods that you introduce into your daily life can help boost personal and stress-free productivity.   When we talk about productivity and getting things done; it's important to note it is so much more than time management.  It's about becoming present with everything you do with your life.

In this episode, Diane speaks with her guest, David Allen about managing your focus, agreements, commitments and more.  David Allen is the author of, Getting Things Done.  His book has become one of the most influential business books of its era.   He is an expert on personal and organizational productivity. David's approach has helped individuals and organizations bring order to chaos. His mission is to coach and educate people on how you can take your busy schedule and get things done in your life.     

What you will learn:

• Getting started, gaining control and focus
• Get out of your own head
• Making better decisions based on priorities
• How to alleviate the feeling of overwhelm
• How to decide, take action and overcome
• How to manage your life and thoughts
• Tackling the chaos that is your email inbox
• The 2-Minute Rule

Quotes:

"It's not about managing time, it's about managing your focus, managing your agreements, managing your renegotiated commitments with yourself."

"How do I surf on top of this game of complexity without having to check out from it."

"Make sure you have a review and reflection process that sees the inventory of all of your commitments."

"This is a lifestyle art and craft of how you manage the flow of life's work."

Contact David Allen:

http://gettingthingsdone.com/

Books:  

Getting Things Done, by David Allen

Resources:Ted Talks: Getting Things Done, Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, with David Allen http://ed.ted.com/on/oqfsvelw

Contact Diane:

Email Diane:

[email protected]

Website:

http://www.dianerandallconsults.com

Let us know what you think about this episode by leaving a voicemail or comment: http://www.balanced-living-for-busy-professionals.com/

Research studies reveal that eating 100% plant-based food works.  This means that you don't eat any animals, dairy products or eggs, as well as, any refined or processed foods. One study in particular took a 50-year look of the predominantly plant-based eating habits of the rural Chinese.  They discovered that the participants of the study showed no signs of breast cancer, colon cancer; and heart disease was almost nonexistent.  

Other benefits of a plant-based lifestyle include weight loss, discontinuation of blood pressure medications or insulin treatment; and may reduce or eliminate symptoms of Type-2 Diabetes.

Today, Diane welcomes Kim Campbell, author of, The PlantPure Nation Cookbook.  Kim has developed over 150 whole food, plant-based recipes using no processed oil.  Most recently, Kim has worked with her husband, Nelson, at PlantPure Nation promoting a whole foods plant-based lifestyle.  She has contributed recipes, developed and tested products, helped in daily food production, and taught culinary classes.  Kim's mission, much like Diane's, is to teach and educate people on how they can embrace plant-based living in an affordable and easy way.

What you will learn:  

• How to get started with plant-based living

• The benefits of plant-based health

• How to live a plant-based life, affordably

• Results of people who focus on a plant-based lifestyle with whole foods

• Why you need to get rid of processed oil in your food

• BONUS: Plant-based foods, cooking classes, recipes, and resources

Quotes:

"I recommend you create your meal plan for the week, to plan ahead, create your grocery list and prep things; as much as possible."

"The bottom line is, we need to eat more plants."  

"This is a delicious way of eating and a simple way of eating."

"Once you release your food addictions and embrace the plant based diet, the freedom alone from not being addicted to food is freedom."

Contact Kim Campbell:

http://www.plantpurenation.com

Books:  

The PlantPure Nation Cookbook,  by Kim Campbell

The China Study,  by T. Colin CampbellResources:

PlantPure Nation Documentary: http://www.plantpurenation.com/the-film/

For plant-based recipes and resources, visit these websites:http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/

http://www.mrsplantintexas.com/

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/healthy-eating/engine-2

http://www.plantpurepods.com/recipes/

Nutritional facts and information:http://nutritionfacts.org

Contact Diane

Email Diane:  

[email protected]

Website:

http://www.dianerandallconsults.com

Let us know what you think about this episode by leaving a voicemail or comment: http://www.balanced-living-for-busy-professionals.com/

Today Diane Randall talks to Sharon Palmer about starting a plant based lifestyle, changing your eating habits and how to make cooking fun and easy. Diane also changed to a plant based lifestyle so they discuss the health benefits and lifestyle changes they had to make and how much better food tastes when it's not over processed.

Sharon has a lot of advice for people who are tempted to make the change but don't know where to start. All the myths surrounding plant based eating can scare people off and make it more difficult to make the change so Sharon addresses these stories. Diane and Sharon examine the best foods to fulfill your protein requirements and the quickest way to create a "go-to" meal from scratch.

Sharon is a Registered Dietician with other 25 years experience, she has also written two books about plant based living and writes a daily blog on her website. Sharon is a plant based expert and even went to a meat-free campus college.

What you will learn:

• Moving to a plant based lifestyle can be done in small easy steps
• Blue zones are places on Earth where people live the longest.
• Cutting out meat doesn't need to be difficult.
• Keep a small larder of canned pulses, herbs, nuts and seeds which can be used as a meal base.
• You don't have to have a recipe for every meal
• Food prep won't take longer and you can create a meal in less time than getting a takeaway.
• You will need to plan ahead.
• Beans, lentils and soy foods are all high in protein.
• Start by planning a meal around a plant protein, eg lentils
• Aim for two servings of vegetables per meal.
• Breakfast can be porridge, peanut butter on toast or wholegrain cereal.
• Make a week's worth of porridge and reheat small portions.
• Make sure you get your whole grains in your diet to keep you full.
• Have fruit for dessert and wean yourself of high sugar puddings.

Quotes:

"You have to make your food work for you."

"It doesn't have to be so complicated."

"You can put meals together in minutes."

"People on a 100% vegan lifestyle often live longer."

Contact Sharon:

http://sharonpalmer.com Books:Plant-Powered for Life (The Experiment)

Contact Diane:

Email Diane:

[email protected]

Website:

http://www.dianerandallconsults.com

 Let us know what you think about this episode by leaving a voice mail or comment:

http://www.balanced-living-for-busy-professionals.com

Today Diane Randall talks to Dr. Dorothy Martin-Neville about finding your dreams and taking 100% responsibility for your choices. Together they discuss the methods you can use to discover what your dream is and how to pursue that goal and turn it into a fulfilling life. Diane talks from the perspective of a generation who chose the "safe" career option and are now trying to follow their dreams. 

Dr. Dorothy talks about her tumultuous upbringing and how that affected her choices of career at every turn. Dorothy reminds us that even if you change your dream after 5 years of achieving it, this isn't a mistake because every choice builds you as a person. She also reveals that the best way to find your dream is through meditation, a clear mind and focusing on the last time that you felt truly alive. 

Dr. Dorothy is a speaker, author, interviewer and psychotherapist who achieved a BA, MA and PhD after a tough upbringing in the housing projects of south Boston. She is a regular guest on both TV and radio and has appeared on the Oprah network. Life has taken Dorothy along a winding road and she has been a Catholic nun, social worker, airline hostess and has written a book Dreams Are Only The Beginning Of Becoming Who You're Meant To Be. 

What you will learn: 

• Dr. Dorothy was placed in an orphanage until she was 3 years old. 
• She lived the majority of her life aged 3-6 outside her home in a playpen. 
• She left home at 17 to join a convent in Quebec. 
• When she left the convent she re-trained as a air hostess. 
• To get through life you need to develop a sense of humor. 
• Life is all about the perspective you take. 
• Many of us live life or survival; we need to make the choice to really live. 
• We are most filled with joy and vibrancy when we do what our heart calls us to do. 
• All humans are intrinsically good. 
• To find your dream you must ask yourself; when was the last time you felt truly alive? 
• Once you make a choice you have to take responsibility for it, you can't have power without responsibility. 

• When you're choosing your dream go through it with someone you trust and don't ask for permission. 
• When we work together, everybody wins. 
• When you attain your dream you have the freedom to be more philanthropic. 

Quotes: 

"Very few of us walk straight simple paths."

"We can't play victim."

"I listened to learn more to me."

"There's no reason a dream can't be achieved."

Contact Dorothy:

http://www.askdrdorothy.com

Contact Diane:

Website: http://www.dianerandallconsults.com

Send Diane an email: [email protected]

Leave a voice mail or comment, telling us what you think about this episode:

http://www.balanced-living-for-busy-professionals.com

Today Diane Randall talks to Pam Bradford about healthy living eating plant-based foods. This means only consuming things that don't have a face or a mother and grown in the ground. Pam inspired Diane to change her eating habits when Diane was feeling at her worst; this inspiration came through the documentary DVD "Eat".

The American diet has very little fiber, so an important part of plant based nutrition is increasing the levels of nutritious micronutrients in the body. Fiber will help you feel satisfied and fuller for longer. Meat and seafood are high in fat and other unknown chemicals that are being pumped into our seas and both Pam and Diane have noticed a marked difference in their mental health, alertness, productivity and waistlines since beginning this lifestyle change.

Pam Bradford has been a close friend of Diane's for 25 years and now lives in North Carolina after growing up in Chicago. She is a contractor in the training and development sector and although she doesn't try to enforce her diet onto anyone, many people have been converted after seeing her so healthy.

 What you will learn:

• After Diane changed her lifestyle she attended the Institute for Integrative Nutrition to learn more and spread the word.
• Food is addictive.
• This can't be a short-term diet; it's a lifestyle change.
• Plant based is more than just salads.
• Pam sets a new goal each year to eat more vegetables and less sweets.
• Keep it simple and find new ways to eat vegetables.
• The only way to improve your life and health is to quit meat.
• Pam relies on Whole foods Market for healthy snacks and raw broccoli.
• If you can't find a vegetarian meal at a restaurant, order a selection of sides.
• Ask the chef to make you something.
• You need to plan ahead or carry a small bag of healthy snacks.
• Get used to not eating as much.
• Processed food is a like a drug to the brain.
• Many people are not willing to make the sacrifice, but see their family suffering from disease.
• The taste you love was probably created in a laboratory.
• Go for deserts with a low GI.
• Start small, slow changes at first.
• This isn't about being skinny; it's being healthy for your body type.
• Take everything in moderation.
• People want you to eat what they eat because it makes them feel good.

 Quotes:

• I'm constantly looking for ways to keep it interesting and find new ways to eat 
• Just be open to change and take small steps
• Its up to us to not allow people to force us to eat junk
• There's a difference between holding back on something and releasing addictions
• Its all about you taking control

Contact Diane

Email Diane:

[email protected]

Website:

http://www.dianerandallconsults.com

 Let us know what you think about this episode by leaving a voice mail or comment:

http://www.balanced-living-for-busy-professionals.com

Detroit-based cardiologist Dr. Joel Kahn joins Diane Randall to discuss heart disease – the #1 killer in America - in this episode titled How to Not Die at Work. Being one of America's leading holistic heart doctors and founder of The Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity, Dr. Kahn approaches heart health care as a whole with focuses on preventative, early detection, treatment, and reversal approaches.

During the discussion Dr. Kahn explains that many do not know they have a slowly progressing or silent blockage developing. A stress test or an EKG will not always pick up a developing silent blockage. These tests simply can't see inside the arteries. But, there are two tests that are recommended that can get a good look at the heart's three main arteries to determine if hardening of the arteries is present or developing and you need to know what these tests are.

Career minded people, and others in general, lack eating well, getting enough sleep, and exercising. What others don't realize is that heart disease can progress inside the three main heart arteries for months, years, or even decades with a blockage or building up without any warning signs or symptoms. Learning how to handle stress and live a healthier lifestyle can help prevent 85% of heart attacks, strokes, and heart disease. Dr. Kahn's book, Dead Executives Don't Get Bonuses: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Your Career With A Healthy Heart, covers this topic in depth.

What you will learn:

• How the #1 killer in America develops.
• How we can detect it very early; know the two tests that best detect hardening of the arteries and calcium levels.
• How we can prevent it with a lifestyle adjustment; there are 6 lifestyle habits for anyone with an abnormal heart test.
• How we can reverse it with nutrition and exercise.

Quotes:

"I always taught patients I can put in stents and balloons but you may not need anything with a lifestyle change." – Dr. Joel Kahn

"Heart disease is the #1 killer in America."

"Heart disease is a tough disease and we need to up the mechanisms to find it." – Dr. Joel Kahn

"Even if you don't have calcification showing in your arteries lifestyle changes can be preventative." – Dr. Joel Kahn

"Eating plant-based is good for your heart especially for a heart blockage or silent heart condition." – Dr. Joel Kahn

"Eat your beans and rice. You can't find a less expensive, health related menu." – Dr. Joel Kahn

"When you can't shop a farmer's market, buy frozen. Frozen tends to be a good option that contains nutritional value." – Dr. Joel Kahn

Contact Dr. Joel Kahn:

http://www.DrJoelKahn.com

Twitter @DrJKahn  http://www.twitter.com/drjkahn

Books:

Dead Executives Don't Get Bonuses: The Ultimate Guide to Surviving Your Career with a Healthy Heart, by Joel K. Kahn, M.D.  ©2015

The Whole Heart Solution: Halt Heart Disease Now with the Best Alternative and Traditional Medicine, by Joel K. Kahn, M.D.  ©2013

Resources:

http://www.greenspacecafe.com   GreenSpace Café in Fernsdale, Michigan is Dr. Kahn's family restaurant which features an all plant-based menu.

http://www.forksoverknives.com  Forks Over Knives is science-based research and a documentary that educates people about the benefits of eating a plant-based diet. The website includes the full length documentary, recipes, meal planners, and nutrition information.

http://engine2diet.com  Engine 2 Diet is a simple, easy-to-follow four-week program, developed by an actual firefighter (yes, real men eat plants), that will enable you to reach whatever goal you choose, whether it's losing weight, becoming physically fit, or reducing the precursors to disease, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, blockage of the arteries, high blood sugar, insulin resistance ripper or all of the above.

http://www.21DayKickstart.org    21 Day KickStart is a free online program starting the 1st through the 21st of each month! Explore and experience the health benefits of a plant-based diet with free menus, recipes, and shopping lists. Based on research by Neal Barnard, M.D., one of America's leading health advocates, this program is designed for anyone who wants to explore and experience the health benefits of a vegan diet.

http://www.22daysnutrition.com  22 Days Nutrition delivers nutritional products that help you stay focused on what you need to accomplish by feeding your body with the best possible ingredients. We believe that foods should satisfy both your body and your spirit. That's why we create ways to inspire you through taste, attitude, and a global conscience.

Contact Diane:

Website: http://www.dianerandallconsults.com

Send Diane an email: [email protected]

Leave a voice or email, telling us what you think about this episode:

http://www.balanced-living-for-busy-professionals.com

Joining Diane Randall from Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada is her guest Registered Social Worker, Certified Professional Coach, and Author, Lynda Monk of Creative Wellness Works. Lynda shares with the listeners how expressive writing and journaling practices help reduce stress and bring balance into the lives anyone who craves more tranquility in their day.

Research studies reveal that writing helps people to reduce blood pressure, deal with chronic pain, improve immune function, and all types of tangible health benefits are happening simply from the profound practice of writing around our feelings and surroundings. Diane inquires about what someone needs to write about or how to get started. Lynda shares some ways to break into this type of therapeutic writing that is easy and painless. Lynda offers a free download gift for listeners to help them get started.

Results from reflective writing practices can be achieved after as little as 5 minutes of writing. She removes all excuses of not having time to write and busts the myths that meaningful writing takes large commitments of time. Picking up a pen, or sitting before a blank commuter screen, to write with one of Lynda's writing prompt starter sentences means you are moments away from tapping into creativity, breaking through burnout blockages, or discovering things about yourself that once seemed far away.

What you will learn:

• The writing wellness connection.
• How writing can help you check in with yourself.
• How writing can help you access great clarity, calm, and perspective.
• How writing can tap into creativity you may not have realized.
• How writing can move you past burnout.
• How journaling both through challenges as well as triumphs will lead to more life balance.
• What to do with the content you've written after you've put the pen down.
• BONUS: A resource for starting a group journaling circle with your writing friends.

Quotes:

"We need each other, inspiration, and balance to have a better connection." –Lynda Monk

"You're writing from within. You're not worrying about grammar or syntax. You're writing for yourself." –Lynda Monk

"Writing invites us to pause. To listen. To be present. To reflect." –Lynda Monk

"Writing has holistic benefits." –Lynda Monk

"The role of curiosity in writing becomes a tool in achieving balance in your life." –Lynda Monk

Contact Lynda Monk

Website:  http://www.creativewellnessworks.com

Her Book

Writing Alone Together: Journaling in a Circle of Women for Creativity, Compassion and Connection by Wendy Judith Cutler, MA; Lynda Monk, MSW; and Ahava Shira, PhD ©2014

Free Gift

Writing for Wellness Kit which helps you get started in writing. The kit includes:

• 10 healing benefits of expressive writing
• 20 journaling writing prompts
• 1 guided Celebrate You mini journaling retreat

 Sign up is on her website at http://www.creativewellnessworks.com

Contact Diane

Email Diane:

[email protected]

Website:

http://www.dianerandallconsults.com

Let us know what you think about this episode by leaving a voice mail or comment:

http://www.balanced-living-for-busy-professionals.com

Today Diane asks an important question about when you should step up to a challenge and when you should hold your values at a higher importance than the task in front of you. To exemplify this decision Diane talks about an experience from her past where she was asked to take on a job last minute and help a client effect change in 5 days!

Diane explores the thought process of realizing that completing a job badly would actually compromise her integrity and how she made the decision to walk away with her credibility intact. This was despite being offered even more money to stay on the job. Sometimes you have to value yourself and your mental health more than any money.

 What you will learn:

• Diane teaches change.
• She was given a job where she had to turn a company around in 1 week.
• There was no foundational training or consultant support.
• Diane felt bad about leaving and stated her case to the consulting company.
• She was offered more money to stay.
• You know you're not living your values if something doesn't feel right.
• You need to be honest with yourself about what you can and can't do.
• All the stress left Diane's body when driving home – this was a sign she was doing the right thing.

 Quotes:

• I was out of integrity with myself
• You have all the tools inside of you
• We all want to be in alignment with life and what we have to do

Contact Diane

Email Diane:

[email protected]

Website:

http://www.dianerandallconsults.com

 Let us know what you think about this episode by leaving a voice mail or comment:

http://www.balanced-living-for-busy-professionals.com

In this final episode of the Cheryl Morgan Young interview series Diane Randall and Cheryl talk about how to quiet the mind and clear out the day's worries. Cheryl has a rather unusual method to calm her mind and a lovely story to explain why it works.

As well as quieting the mind Cheryl and Diane discuss how to exercise the body and how to find moderation with your workout schedule. It can be tricky to find the time to fit exercise into a busy schedule so Cheryl has some advice about how she makes the time. Exercise is a necessary part of a lifestyle to maintain a healthy mind however both Diane and Cheryl have experienced what happened when you take this too far and they have some advice for finding a balance.

Cheryl and Diane end with some wonderful advice about learning who you are which will help in relationships, work and for your own mental health.

What you will learn:

• Cheryl quiets her mind using Farmville
• Cheryl's first pet was a fish – but you can't stroke a fish!
• You have to look after yourself but too much time in the gym can end you up in hospital.
• Do lots of walking to keep your body going.
• Learn to define yourself, by yourself.
• Don't define who you are by who you're attached to.
• You often don't learn to love yourself until you've had some bad experiences.

 Quotes:

You name it, you go after it and it becomes yours

I've always been an optimistic person, because often that's all I had

Contact Cheryl: 

http://www.letstalkwithcheryl.com

Contact Diane

Email Diane:

[email protected]

Website:

http://www.dianerandallconsults.com

 Let us know what you think about this episode by leaving a voice mail or comment:

http://www.balanced-living-for-busy-professionals.com