My Instruction Manual

Allison Melody, host of the Food Heals podcast, talks about the healing power of food. And host Keith McArthur speaks with fitness contributor Kathleen Trotter about the best exercise for weight loss.

Feedback / Connect:

• Subscribe to My Instruction Manual on Apple Podcasts or on Android
• Visit MyInstructionManual.com for shownotes, more great content and to sign up the email newsletter
• Email: [email protected]
• Keith on Twitter: @KeithMcArthur
• Join our Facebook page and our Self-Help Book Club on Facebook
• Find us on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube
• Buy 18 Steps to Own Your Life: Simple Powers for a Healthier Happier You on Amazon

Episode 43 Show Notes [00:00] Welcome and Intro [2:14] Featured interview with Allison Moody

Allison Melody is host of the Food Heals podcast. By her 25th birthday, Allison lost both her parents to cancer. This led her to explore non-traditional healing methods, including nutrition.

In this conversation, Keith and Allison discuss:

• How her parents' untimely deaths led to Allison's interest in healing foods [2:15]
• Food elimination diets [3:45]
• How to know when to trust your doctor and when to look at other alternatives [4:58]
• Muscle testing [11:35]

[14:05] Allison's Instruction Manual

1. What are the habits you maintain every day to stay happy and healthy? [14:23]

• Getting enough sleep
• Drinking enough water
• Write gratitude journal
• Don't check cell phone when first wake up
• Healthiest possible smoothie 

 2. What personal development book do you recommend? [16:28]

• The Universe Has Your Back: Transform Fear to Faith by Gabrielle Bernstein   

3. Favorite personal mantra / inspirational quote [18:15] 

• "Let thy food be thy medicine; let thy medicine be they food."
• "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us." --- Marianne Williamson

4. What's your one guilty pleasure? [19:18]

• Wine

5. When your time comes, how do you want to be remembered? [21:21]

• As someone who truly made a difference in helping people heal themselves. 

[21:55] Where to find Allison

• Website: FoodHealsNation.com

[22:56] Fitness contributor Kathleen Trotter on the best exercise for weight loss

Kathleen Trotter is author of Finding Your Fit: A Compassionate Trainer's Guide to Making Fitness a Lifelong Habit

In this conversation, Keith and Kathleen discuss:

• Why exercise is more about overall health benefits than weight loss [24:20] 
• The importance of getting really specific with weight loss goals [26:10]
• Kathleen's weight loss recipe [27:25]
• Where to find Kathleen [33:03]
  • KatheenTrotter.com
  • Instagram: KathleenTrotterFitness
  • Twitter: KTrotterFitness
  • Facebook: KathleenTrotter 

[33:31] Closing words

Shaun Francis, author of Eat Move Think reveals how we can add years to our lives, while adding life to our years. And host Keith McArthur speaks with mindfulness contributor Joelle Anderson about his personal meditation struggles.

Feedback / Connect:

• Subscribe to My Instruction Manual on Apple Podcasts or on Android
• Visit MyInstructionManual.com for shownotes, more great content and to sign up the email newsletter
• Email: [email protected]
• Keith on Twitter: @KeithMcArthur
• Join our Facebook page and our Self-Help Book Club on Facebook
• Find us on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube
• Buy 18 Steps to Own Your Life: Simple Powers for a Healthier Happier You on Amazon

Episode 42 Show Notes [00:00] Welcome and Intro [4:01] Featured interview with Shaun Francis

Shaun Francis is author of Eat Move Think: The Path to a Healthier, Stronger, Happier You. He is the CEO of Medcan, a Toronto-based company that provides holistic health services.

In this conversation, Keith and Shaun discuss:

• Is a healthy life really as simple as Eat Move Think? [9:54]
• What's the best diet? [11:35]
• Biggest Losers aren't long-term winners [13:45]
• Can what I eat affect my mental health? [20:23]
• How many glasses of wine are okay on a Friday night? [22:07]
• What's the fastest way to get in shape? [24:35]
• Is it okay to sit all day if I still work out? [27:58]
• How do I exercise the willpower muscle? [31:00]
• Can I learn to be more optimistic? [35:00]

[39:00] Shaun's Instruction Manual

1. What are the habits you maintain every day to stay happy and healthy? [39:20]

• Prioritize a workout each day
• Try to get seven hours of sleep
• Don't snack much; eat plenty of plant-based, non-processed food

 2. What personal development book do you recommend? [42:59]

• Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

3. Favorite personal mantra / inspirational quote [46:44]

• "It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." --- Theodore Roosevelt

4. What's your one guilty pleasure? [47:59]

• Chocolate Chip Cookies

5. When your time comes, how do you want to be remembered? [48:10]

• As a positive influence to those closest to him. 

[49:30] Where to find Shaun

• Website: ShaunFrancis.com 
• Instagram: shauncfrancis
• Email: [email protected]

[50:34] Mindfulness contributor Joelle Anderson helps Keith with his meditation struggles.

Joelle Anderson is a therapist specializing in mindfulness meditation and creator and host of the Kernel of Wisdom YouTube channel.

In this conversation, Keith and Joelle discuss:

• Keith is doing better with finding mindfulness in the moment, but having a harder time with meditation [51:19]
• Joelle explains that it's not uncommon to struggle with meditation after a great start. [52:30]
• Joelle offers tips to break through the meditation wall [54:00]
  
  • • Kernelofwisdom.com
    • YouTube.com/KernelofWisdom1

[56:05] Closing words

With $27,000 in credit card debt, Chris Browning and his wife decided it was time to get serious about their finances. They cut cable, stopped going out to eat, and cancelled vacations. After they paid off their debt, Chris launched the popular Popcorn Finance podcast. He joins us in this episode to talk about how to budget, how to save, and how to get out of debt. And host Keith McArthur speaks with nutrition contributor Michelle Jaelin about iron in the first of a new series about minerals.

Feedback / Connect:

• Subscribe to My Instruction Manual on Apple Podcasts or on Android
• Visit MyInstructionManual.com for shownotes, more great content and to sign up the email newsletter
• Email: [email protected]
• Keith on Twitter: @KeithMcArthur
• Join our Facebook page and our Self-Help Book Club on Facebook
• Find us on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube
• Buy 18 Steps to Own Your Life: Simple Powers for a Healthier Happier You on Amazon

Episode 41 Show Notes

Chris Browning, host of the Popcorn Finance podcast, explains how he and his wife got out from under $27,000 in credit card debt. And host Keith McArthur speaks with nutrition contributor Michelle Jaelin about iron in the first of a new series about minerals.

[00:00] Welcome and Intro [00:57] Featured interview with Chris Browning

Chris Browning is the California-based accountant behind the popular Popcorn Finance podcast. He launched the podcast after he and his wife got out from under $27,000 in debt.

In this conversation, Keith and Chris discuss:

• What is Popcorn Finance? [1:40]
• What do most people get wrong [2:53}
• How Chris and his wife lost track of their debts [4:59]
• How they got themselves out of debt [7:07]
  • Chris mentions free website mint.com
• Is buying a house a good investment? [11:45]

[15:00] Chris' Instruction Manual

1. What are the habits you maintain every day to stay happy and healthy? [15:16]

• Reading

 2. What personal development book do you recommend? [16:06]

• The Year of Less: How I stopped Shopping, Gave Away My Belongings, and Discovered Life is Worth More than Anything You Can Buy in a Store by Cait Flanders

3. Favorite personal mantra / inspirational quote [17:30] 

• "The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now" --- Chinese proverb

4. What's your one guilty pleasure? [18:50]

• Technology

5. When your time comes, how do you want to be remembered? [20:35]

• "As someone who was approachable and giving and someone people could come to as a resource."

[21:29] Where to find Chris

• Website: PopcornFinance.com
• Twitter: @PopcornFinance
• Facebook: /PopcornFinance

•  

[22:18] Nutrition contributor Michelle Jaelin on iron

Michelle Jaelin is both a trained artist and a Registered Dietitian who is known as The NutritionArtist. She appears regularly as in newspapers, magazines and on television as an expert in healthy eating.

In this conversation, Keith and Michelle discuss:

• How a math error led Popeye to each so much spinach in search of iron [22:46]
• Why do we need iron and how much do we need? [23:32]
• Where do get iron? [24:05]
• We need red meat for iron, but isn't it bad for us? [24:30]
• Why women need extra iron [26:40]
• Iron for vegans [28:34]
• Where to find Michelle:
  • Twitter: @nutritionartist 
  • Instagram: /nutritionartist
  • Facebook: /nutritionartistRD

[31:50] Closing words

 

What's the most important life lesson you ever learned?

I love to ask this question when I meet amazing and inspirational people.

Women's Leadership Coach Sally Helgesen tells me her most important life lesson was to claim her place in the presence of powerful men. And emergency room doctor Brian Goldman says an error early in his career taught him that mistakes in medicine can be deadly.

You can hear from Sally, Brian and eight more of the most inspirational people on the planet in this episode of the podcast.

Feedback / Connect:

• Subscribe to My Instruction Manual on Apple Podcasts or on Android
• Visit MyInstructionManual.com for shownotes, more great content and to sign up the email newsletter
• Email: [email protected]
• Keith on Twitter: @KeithMcArthur
• Join our Facebook page and our Self-Help Book Club on Facebook
• Find us on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube
• Buy 18 Steps to Own Your Life: Simple Powers for a Healthier Happier You on Amazon

Episode 40 Show Notes: The Most Important Life Lesson. Ever. [00:00] Welcome and Intro [2:45] Sally Helgesen: "Claim Your Place" [5:58] Jonathan Rauch: "There is no chance of success without the risk of failure." [9:39] Jason Richardson: "Start Yesterday." [12:09] Alison Green: "You don't have to be right." [13:33] Allison Task: "It's okay to be your best." [16:29] Todd Davis: "Happiness is a choice." [20:04] Dr. Brian Goldman: "Mistakes can be deadly." [27:44] Chantal Heide: "Meditation is the key." [31:04] Tara Mackey: "Hope is Everything." [33:47] Stephanie McArthur: "Compassion and generosity --- even to yourself."

Tara Mackey, author of WILD Habits, talks about growing up with an addict, and how she got hooked on prescription drugs before giving them up cold turkey. And host Keith McArthur speaks with fitness contributor Kathleen Trotter about exercise without equipment.

Feedback / Connect:

• Subscribe to My Instruction Manual on Apple Podcasts or on Android
• Visit MyInstructionManual.com for shownotes, more great content and to sign up the email newsletter
• Email: [email protected]
• Keith on Twitter: @KeithMcArthur
• Join our Facebook page and our Self-Help Book Club on Facebook
• Find us on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube
• Buy 18 Steps to Own Your Life: Simple Powers for a Healthier Happier You on Amazon

Episode 39 Show Notes [00:00] Welcome and Intro

• Keith shares a funny story from Podcast Movement

[4:14] Featured interview with Tara Mackay

Tara Mackey is author of WILD Habits: Unlock Your Mind, Improve Your Health, and Release Your True Power. Tara lives in San Diego. She is an author, singer, speaker, and entrepreneur behind organic skin care brand Genetix.

In this conversation, Keith and Tara discuss:

• Tara talks about her childhood growing up with a mother who was an alcoholic and drug addict [5:38]
• Tara attempts suicide and decides to quit her meds cold turkey [10:16}
• Tara explains what are WILD Habits [15:19]
• Tara's number one tip for healthy eating [16:59]

[18:57] Tara's Instruction Manual

1. What are the habits you maintain every day to stay happy and healthy? [19:18]

• Take a walk
• Read
• Spend time with her dogs

 2. What personal development book do you recommend? [19:33]

• Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
  • "It was the first book that really got me off my ass and made me realize that miracles in everyday life are possible."

3. Favorite personal mantra / inspirational quote [20:10] 

• "Stay Open"

4. What's your one guilty pleasure? [20:59]

• Binge watching The Handmaid's Tale

5. When your time comes, how do you want to be remembered? [21:37]

• "I want to be remembered for giving people hope."

[22:50] Where to find Tara

• Website: TheOrganicLifeBlog.com
• Instagram: @Taraamackey
• Twitter: @taraamackey

[23:24] Fitness contributor Kathleen Trotter on Exercising without equipment

Kathleen Trotter is author of Finding Your Fit: A Compassionate Trainer's Guide to Making Fitness a Lifelong Habit

In this conversation, Keith and Kathleen discuss:

• Best exercises without equipment including squats, step ups and lunges [24:25]
• Finding ways to do back-of-body exercise without equipment is challenging but super important [27:52]
• Make the workout time-based [28:40]
• Where to find Kathleen [30:37]
  • KatheenTrotter.com
  • Instagram: KathleenTrotterFitness
  • Twitter: KTrotterFitness
  • Facebook: KathleenTrotter

[30:32] Closing words

 

Dr. Brian Goldman, author of The Power of Kindness, explains why empathy is essential in everyday Life. And host Keith McArthur shares an essay about his special needs son Bryson with music by Julie Maxwell.

Feedback / Connect:

• Subscribe to My Instruction Manual on Apple Podcasts or on Android
• Visit MyInstructionManual.com for shownotes, more great content and to sign up the email newsletter
• Email: [email protected]
• Keith on Twitter: @KeithMcArthur
• Join our Facebook page and our Self-Help Book Club on Facebook
• Find us on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube
• Buy 18 Steps to Own Your Life: Simple Powers for a Healthier Happier You on Amazon

Episode 38 Show Notes [00:00] Welcome and Intro [4:03] "Grateful for Hope." An essay by Keith featuring music by Julie Maxwell.

• Read the essay here
• Music is used by permission of the composer Julie Maxwell. She also provides a more limited license under Creative Commons.
  • Title "I Miss You"
  • Author "Julie Maxwell"
  • Source: http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Julie_Maxwells_Piano_Music/
  • License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/
  • Website: http://www.juliemaxwell.com
  • bandcamp: https://juliemaxwellspianomusic.bandcamp.com/

[10:02] Featured interview with Dr. Brian Goldman

Dr. Brian Goldman is author of The Power of Kindness: Why Empathy is Essential in Everyday Life. He's an emergency room doctor and host of the radio program and podcast White Coat, Black Art.

In this conversation, Keith and Brian discuss:

• What led to Bryan's interest in kindness and empathy [10:54]
• The mistaken idea that doctors need to sacrifice their kindness in order to be brilliant [12:10]
• Shame in the health-care profession [15:00]
• The connection between shame and empathy [18:10]
• Kindness vs empathy [22:06]
• Why are we becoming less empathetic [30:27]
• Why Brian was worried he wasn't empathetic [35:09]
• Keith shares his family's experiences in the medical system [42:02]
• Brian shares tips to build empathy muscle, including gratitude [45:25]

[52:44] Brian's  Instruction Manual

1. What are the habits you maintain every day to stay happy and healthy? [53:03]

• List things he's grateful for
• Re-frame bad experiences
• Abdominal box breathing
• Exercise

  2. What personal development book do you recommend? [56:02]

• Man's Search for Meaning By Viktor Frankl
• Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado

3. Favorite personal mantra / inspirational quote [1:01:23] 

• Stop Now

4. What's your one guilty pleasure? [1:02:27]

• The Toronto Maple Leafs

5. When your time comes, how do you want to be remembered? [1:03:53]

•  "I want to be remembered as the guy who wrote a book about kindness and ended up being a kind man."

[1:04:14] Where to find Brian

• Website: DoctorBrianGoldman.com
• Radio show / podcast: cbc.ca/whitecoat

[1:05:08] Closing words

Kathleen Trotter, author of Finding Your Fit, talks about the importance of being positive when we talk to ourselves. Mindfulness contributor Joelle Anderson explains what it means to eat mindfully. And host Keith McArthur does something scary.

Feedback / Connect:

• Subscribe to My Instruction Manual on Apple Podcasts or on Android
• Visit MyInstructionManual.com for shownotes, more great content and to sign up the email newsletter
• Email: [email protected]
• Keith on Twitter: @KeithMcArthur
• Join our Facebook page and our Self-Help Book Club on Facebook
• Find us on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube
• Buy 18 Steps to Own Your Life: Simple Powers for a Healthier Happier You on Amazon

Episode 37 Show Notes [00:00] Welcome and Intro [1:04] Keith's Update

• Why Keith is feeling scared [1:04]
• Reminder that podcasts every two weeks over the summer [3:19]
• Find a curated list of 47 personal development books here [4:44]
• Join My Instruction Manual's Self Help Book Club on Facebook. In July, we're studying Brené Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection [5:39]
• Keith's son Bryson has a rare genetic condition known as GRIN1. This weekend he's hosting a conference for families with GRIN1 from around the world. [6:38]
• Update on Keith's Resolutions book [9:18]

[16:32] Fitness contributor Kathleen Trotter on mindful eating

Kathleen Trotter is author of Finding Your Fit: A Compassionate Trainer's Guide to Making Fitness a Lifelong Habit

In this conversation, Keith and Kathleen discuss:

• Why talking nicely to yourself is so important [16:44]
• How Kathleen motivates herself with "Kathleenisms"  [18:03]
• Self-talk is a muscle we need to build [21:25]]
• Where to find Kathleen [24:19]   
  
  • KatheenTrotter.com
  • Instagram: KathleenTrotterFitness
  • Twitter: KTrotterFitness
  • Facebook: KathleenTrotter

[25:06] Mindfulness contributor Joelle Anderson on Mindful Eating

Joelle Anderson is a therapist specializing in mindfulness meditation and creator and host of the Kernel of Wisdom YouTube channel.

In this conversation, Keith and Joelle discuss:

• What is mindful eating? [25:36]
• How to get started [26:34]
• How to balance eating mindfully with the benefits of social eating [28:25]
• Where to find Joelle [30:00]
  • • Kernelofwisdom.com
    • YouTube.com/KernelofWisdom1

[30:25] Closing words

Just a quick note to let you know that the My Instruction Manual podcast will be publishing every two weeks over the summer. I’ll be back with a full episode next week.

Feedback / Connect:

• Subscribe to My Instruction Manual on Apple Podcasts or on Android
• Visit MyInstructionManual.com for shownotes, more great content and to sign up the email newsletter
• Email: [email protected]
• Keith on Twitter: @KeithMcArthur
• Join our Facebook page and our Self-Help Book Club on Facebook
• Find us on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube
• Buy 18 Steps to Own Your Life: Simple Powers for a Healthier Happier You on Amazon

In this special episode of the podcast, host Keith McArthur gets summer reading recos from some of the world's most inspiring people. Guests include Rick Hanson, Sally Helgesen, Morra Aarons-Mele and Greg Wells.

Get the whole list:

You can download a PDF list of every recommended summer reading book, or find Amazon links to every book at:

myinstructionmanual.com/summerbooks/

Feedback / Connect:

• Subscribe to My Instruction Manual on Apple Podcasts or on Android
• Visit MyInstructionManual.com for shownotes, more great content and to sign up the email newsletter
• Email: [email protected]
• Keith on Twitter: @KeithMcArthur
• Join our Facebook page and our Self-Help Book Club on Facebook
• Find us on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube
• Buy 18 Steps to Own Your Life: Simple Powers for a Healthier Happier You on Amazon

Allison Task, author of the book Personal (R)evolution, joins host Keith McArthur to share her tips to help you reach your biggest goals and wildest dreams.

Feedback / Connect:

• Subscribe to My Instruction Manual on Apple Podcasts or on Android
• Visit MyInstructionManual.com for shownotes, more great content and to sign up the email newsletter
• Email: [email protected]
• Keith on Twitter: @KeithMcArthur
• Join our Facebook page and our Self-Help Book Club on Facebook
• Find us on Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube
• Buy 18 Steps to Own Your Life: Simple Powers for a Healthier Happier You on Amazon

Episode 35 Show Notes [00:00] Welcome and Intro [00:57] Featured interview with Allison Task

Allison Task is author of Personal (R)evolution: How to Be Happy, Change Your Life and Do That Thing You've Always Wanted. Allison has worked with dot-com startups, as a TV chef, and now as life and career coach.

In this conversation, Keith and Allison discuss:

• Allison's career: from dot-com to celebrity chef to life coach [1:38]
• Rejection as a gift [7:30]
• Allison's on her book Personal Revolution [9:31]
• The one thing all of Allison's clients have in common [10:50]
• The Pigmalian Effect [14:14]
• The Disney model: Creatives, Planners, Critics [19:56]
• Identifying your stakeholders   [23:56]

[25:35] Allison's Instruction Manual

1. What are the habits you maintain every day to stay happy and healthy? [26:00]

• Go to sleep by 9:30 every night

 2. What personal development book do you recommend? [26:43]

• The Kama Sutra
  • "Having good sex can be fun. And are you connecting to the people closest to you?"

3. Favorite personal mantra / inspirational quote [27:42] 

• "If you want to increase your success rate, double your failure rate." --- Thomas J. Watson

4. What's your one guilty pleasure? [28:35]

• Chocolate
• Hugging and kissing her kids too much

5. When your time comes, how do you want to be remembered? [30:24]

• "As someone who had a positive impact on others." 

[31:06] Where to find Allison

• Website: Allisontask.com
• Twitter: @allisontask
• Facebook: /allisontask

[31:46] Closing words