Project Big Life Podcast

Beliefs affect every area of your life. They affect your thoughts, emotions and behaviour. Your beliefs determine the decisions you make and the actions you take. They are a critical factor in achieving your goals. Believing in yourself and your ability to achieve your goals will keep you on the right track and moving forward regardless of the challenges ahead. If you don’t believe in yourself, then you are more likely to quit when things get tough. It’s a simple equation. In this episode, we are talking about belief and failure, the link between the two, and how this relates to success in business. 

Douglas Kruger is the author of eight books on business and wealth creation, including the highly acclaimed ‘Virus Proof Your Small Business’. He is a business coach and multiple award-winning speaker, with clients including senior management at companies like BMW, Liberty and HP.  Douglas’s thought-leadership ideas have been featured repeatedly on CNBC Africa and he has been published in Forbes and Entrepreneur magazines. He is also the host of the popular YouTube channel called ‘From Amateur to Expert’ which has nearly 84,000 subscribers. In this episode, we explore the practical things you can do to help your business survive the COVID-19 crisis as well as some of the principles of wealth creation.

In today's show, we are talking about perseverance and to persevere means to pursue a goal or outcome steadfastly even if faced with challenges, obstacles, doubt and discouragement along the way. Perseverance relates to your ability to keep on keeping on, even when the going gets tough. In this episode, we take a closer look at strategies and techniques to develop more perseverance.

On the show this week, we are picking up where we left off last week with part 2 of the conversation with Rosemary Conley, In this episode, Rosemary talks about the achievements in her life and what it takes to be successful and on living a fulfilling life. We also talk about Rosemary’s work with the Steps charity and some of the very heart warming stories about the difference this is making to young children with Cerebral Palsy and Downs Syndrome. Rosemary also shares her most fun experiences in life including her time on the Dancing on Ice show.  It’s an emotional and inspiring story from one of the UK’s leading diet and fitness experts.

In this episode, we are in conversation with Rosemary Conley, Rosemary is one of the UK’s leading diet and fitness experts with over 40 years’ experience of helping people lose weight and get fit. Rosemary has presented her own TV series on BBC and ITV as well as appearing on ‘This Morning’ with Richard and Judy for seven years. She continues to have a high media profile with many regular appearances on national television and Radio. Rosemary appeared on ITV’s Dancing on Ice, where, at 65 years of age, she was the oldest celebrity to make it the furthest in the history of Dancing on Ice – an outstanding achievement.  In 2004, Rosemary was awarded a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) in the New Year’s Honours, for her services to the fitness and diet industries. She has also been granted the Freedom of the City of Leicester, the first woman to receive this honour. In this episode, which is part one of the conversation, Rosemary talks about the current COVID situation and her self isolation as well as the potential impact on society. Rosemary also talks about healthy ageing and the importance of mindset, nutrition and fitness. Rosemary also talks to us about some of the adversity in her life and her approach to bouncing back. It’s a fascinating and inspiring story from one of the UK’s leading diet and fitness experts.

As we journey through these challenging times, many people are feeling that their lives have become quite a bit smaller as many nations across the world have gone into a state of lockdown in order to suppress COVID-19.  So it seems that life right now is anything but a big life as we adapt to what is essentially a societal paradigm shift. The events unfolding before us have simply not happened before so we are in uncharted territory. It seems to me that we’ll need to be resilient in the face of this adversity, but this is how we grow isn’t it. We become stronger as we overcome adversity. So in this episode, we are talking about resilience.

In this episode, we are talking about worry, and let's face it, with the Coronavirus pandemic, there is a lot of uncertainty and worry at the moment from both a health perspective and an economic perspective as we see nations going into lockdown. The word “worry” comes from a Greek word which can be translated as “divided mind” This is quite apt as worry can often feel like your thoughts are pulling in different directions. The mind starts thinking about future possibilities and naturally, starts jumping to conclusions and these may not be based on fact, but on imagined events. Quite often this can be the worst-case scenario. In this episode, we take a closer look at worry, it's evolutionary roots and a few simple strategies for dealing with worry.

In this episode, we are turning the spotlight on vitamin D and what we need to know about it. Vitamin D is known as the sunshine vitamin because we synthesise this important vitamin from exposure to the sun, and we also derive some from our diet too. Vitamin D deficiency is so widespread these days with an estimated one billion people across the world with low vitamin D levels. There is an increasing amount of research that shows a link between a deficiency of this hormone-like vitamin to numerous diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, stroke, and metabolic disorders including diabetes. In this episode, we take a closer look at vitamin D, it's health benefits, measuring your vitamin D levels, supplementation and safety guidelines.

In this episode, we are in conversation with Dr Romie who is a neurologist, integrative medicine specialist, and mindfulness expert who has impacted over 1.1 million lives across the world through her keynotes and corporate workshops on mindfulness and brain health. Dr Romie entered neurology at a time when less than 5% of neurologists were women. After reaching the pinnacle of “success” while working 80-100hr weeks and achieving her career milestones, she developed a rare, near-lethal health disorder. This experience sparked a shift towards mindfulness, meditation, and integrative medicine. In this show, Dr Romie is talking to us about BrainSHIFT and how this protocol can help us to improve our health and wellbeing.

On today’s show, we are in conversation with Rebecca Dent. Rebecca is a dietitian specialising in the area of sports nutrition and has many years of evidence-based practice in health, sport and adventure. Rebecca has worked with the British Olympic Curling Team for the Vancouver Winter Olympics and as a performance nutritionist at the Scotland Institute of Sport (SIS) working with national and Olympic athletes. Since then, Rebecca has set up her own business and is focused on helping her clients understand the difference between nutrition fallacy and nutrition fact. In this episode, we talk about some of the common myths of nutrition and the truth of the matter.

In this episode, we have part 2 of the conversation with Phil Olley, a focus coach, speaker and author, who is talking to us about mindset and what it takes to be successful. In last week’s episode, Phil was talking to us about his near-death experience and how this shaped his life. We also had a great conversation on values, beliefs and identity in the context of achieving our goals, realising our vision and becoming a better version our ourselves. In this week’s episode, we are continuing the conversation with Phil and talking about goal setting, taking action, key factors and result areas, as well as procrastination, taking responsibility, enabling structures and being extraordinary. 

On this show, our special guest is Phil Olley, speaker, author and coach, who is talking to us about mindset and what it takes to be successful as well as his near-death experience. Phil has been involved in performance coaching since 1999 working with a wide range of businesses and individuals to help them set goals, generate peak performance and improve their results. A life-threatening (and life-changing) near-death experience has helped him to distil the ingredients of success into clearly understandable principles. Phil quickly became a sought-after inspirational speaker and has worked with business people throughout the world, from company owner-managers to strategic leaders in international brands, as well as people from all walks of life seeking to achieve their goals and reach greater fulfilment.

There are times in life when even the most enthusiastic, motivated and positive person can find themselves lacking in the proverbial mojo. Have you ever set yourself a goal and you think you really want it, only to find yourself lacking enthusiasm and motivation after a few short weeks? Why does motivation fizzle away like that for many people? In this episode, we take a closer look at both the art and science of motivation.

Have you ever been so immersed in what you were doing that you lost track of time? This is the state of flow and during this time, you may have felt alert and focused and the work felt effortless and enjoyable. The challenge in front of you is neither too demanding nor too simple for your abilities and you are operating at the peak of your abilities. The state of flow is a place where you can find inspiration, focus, productivity, creativity and innovative thinking as well as dissolve stress and anxiety. In this episode, we take a closer look at achieving a state of flow.

Our guest on the show this week is Joseph O Connor who is talking to us about neuroscience, personal development and coaching. Joseph is an internationally recognised author, executive coach and coach trainer. He has written over 20 books on coaching, Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and management. His books have been translated into 30 languages and have sold over half a million copies worldwide. Joseph’s latest book is called ‘Coaching the Brain’ and explores the practical applications of neuroscience in personal development and coaching. It seeks to answer the question: ‘How can we use our knowledge of the brain to help ourselves and others learn, change and develop?’  Joseph is also the co-founder of the International Coaching Community (ICC) which is one of the largest and most respected coaching organisations in the world.​

Why do we get fat? From an evolutionary perspective, storing fat gave humans an advantage because we could survive through times when food was scarce. These days, evolution doesn’t seem to have caught up with modern civilization, where generally speaking, food is plentiful. For most people, getting fat is a simple equation. Too many calories coming in and not enough going out. The energy equation is not balanced. In this show, we are taking a closer look at why we get fat and what you can do about it.

There has been a lot of media attention on detox diets in recent years and hundreds of so-called detox products are available on the market that promise to cleanse and flush your system, so you feel revitalised and healthy. Is there any truth to these claims or are they just myths and clever marketing? There isn’t one specific supplement or practice that will miraculously ‘detox’ our system! The human body eliminates toxins every day as part of normal functioning. It’s a natural ongoing process. However, when the level of toxins we are putting into the body outstrips the body’s capacity to deal with these toxins, it gets overloaded and this can cause a build-up of toxins that can lead to negative health outcomes. In this podcast, we take a closer look at detox, diet and nutrition with an evidence-based approach.

Aligning your goals and values gives you a bigger ‘why’ for achieving those goals. There are more compelling reasons and you are more ‘fired up’ to take consistent, daily action in order to move towards your goals. You’ll also enjoy the process more which will help you stay motivated and to work around obstacles as they arise, helping you to achieve your goals faster. In this podcast, we are looking at how to align your values and goals to give you the best chance of success.

In this episode, we are talking about diet and nutrition and our guest is Matt Lovell. Matt is a performance nutrition consultant and has worked with clients such as the English Rugby team, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City Football team, as well as the British Olympic team, and Georgia National Rugby Team. Matt also works with individuals from all walks of life with clients, both past and present, including Vic Wild - Olympic Gold Medalist, Jodie Taylor - international footballer. Arnold Oborotov - professional kickboxer. Phoebe Robinson-Galvin - professional actor and stunt performer and also Ed Skrein - Hollywood actor.  In this episode, Matt is talking to us about his journey into the world of nutritional coaching and his experience with some of the World’s biggest sporting names. Matt also provides some tips and advice on what is important in terms of nutrition, training performance and physique transformation as well as the common pitfalls to avoid. 

Despite the rapid advances in medical science in the last 100 years, there is no effective vaccine or antiviral drug to prevent or cure the common cold. ​Since ancient times, extracts from various herbal products have been used to reduce symptoms of the common cold. ​In more recent times, we see various vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements being touted as a means to either prevent colds or reduce the symptoms. Can we really prevent and treat the common cold with nutritional supplements such as vitamin C, zinc or Echinacea? In this episode, we take a closer look at the evidence and learn about the most promising nutritional supplements that can help to prevent and treat the common cold.

The Mediterranean diet has long been considered to be one of the world’s healthiest dietary patterns for its benefits on cardiovascular and heart health. It is the combination of the traditional cooking styles of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea from Spain to the Middle East and it is influenced by the cultural, historical, social, and environmental aspects of the Mediterranean region. In this episode, we'll be taking a closer look at the health benefits of the Mediterranean Diet, the research that supports these health benefits, and how we can adopt a Mediterranean style diet into our daily lives.

Claire Dorotik-Nana is the author of the book LEVERAGE: The Science of Turning Setbacks into Springboards and she also writes the popular blog Leveraging Adversity on Psych Central. Claire is a licensed marriage and family therapist with over 16 years experience and she specializes in optimal experiences and positive self-growth. Claire has had to deal with a horrendous ordeal earlier in her life which she talks about in this show. However, she chose to make the best of her life. Since then, Claire has completed over fifty marathons and frequently competes in ultra running events.  Claire has also written over fifteen continuing education courses for the Zur Institute and the International Sports Science Association on the topics of therapy, running and transformation. In this episode, Claire shares her story about how she struggled with her own adversity and how she has helped many individuals and families realise that growth can result from setbacks by leveraging their adversity.

In this episode, we are in conversation with Kev McNamara from "Get Out of Your Comfort Zone". Kev is an author, entrepreneur, natural nutrition advocate, a long-time practitioner of meditation, and a keen swimmer and runner. Kev has had to deal with an incredible amount of adversity in his life, and it's fantastic that he lives every day with such a positive mindset, helping others to live a healthier, more fulfilling life. In this show, you’ll hear Kev talk about overcoming prostate cancer naturally with nutrition and meditation. He also talks about the tragedy of losing his daughter and his mindset for managing adversity. Kev’s story, while very sad and emotional at times, is also incredibly inspiring and uplifting.

In this show, we are focusing in on environment and health and we're taking a closer look at the health benefits of going to the beach. You may have heard about negative ions and many of the reported health claims about these. There is a higher density of negative ions at the beach caused by the waves crashing onto the shore, and these are claimed to be responsible for many health benefits. We'll be asking the question: "Do negative ions really have health benefits or is it just media hype?" We'll also take a closer look at how the sea air and the sounds of nature can benefit our health and the science behind this.

Project Big Life is about living life to the full, striving for excellence and realising our full potential. It's about mindset, nutrition and fitness that all contribute to a healthy, active and long life. It's about optimum physical, psychological and emotional conditioning. Cultivating our strengths, transcending our weaknesses, and rising to the challenges, enjoying a state of empowerment and mastery. It's ultimately about the freedom to live life on our own terms and follow our own path to fulfilment, being authentic to ourselves. ​In this podcast, we'll be challenging the status quo, cutting through the noise and shining a light on the truth so that we can make more informed decisions that will help us to grow.     

Health is wealth and we know all too well when we are struck by illness or injury, just how much we take our health for granted. However, there is a sinister threat that has become pervasive throughout modern society! Inflammation. It's ironic that the inflammatory response is designed to help us heal and repair our bodies from injury and illness. Yet, the same response in chronic form is associated with serious health conditions and diseases in the 21st century. In this episode, we take a closer look at inflammation and we'll be asking the questions: What is inflammation? How does the inflammatory response work and what causes it? 

Many studies show that low volume, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can improve aerobic capacity and cardio-metabolic health. Indeed, there is increasing evidence to suggest that shorter and more intense exercise may be just as good as, if not better than longer and less intense workouts such as traditional aerobic sessions. In this episode, we'll be taking a closer look at the health benefits of HIIT and asking the question: Is it better than traditional cardio? 

Saturated fats and cholesterol have been slated as the big villains of modern society with claims that they are responsible for the majority of cardiovascular disease. However, more and more research on this subject is showing that this isn't actually the case! So what is the real deal here? Who should we listen to? What is fact and what is fiction? In this episode, we take a closer look at the evidence in search of the truth.

Having a positive, high-performance mindset is a quality that provides benefits to every aspect of our lives. Everything starts in the mind, so this is pivotal to realising your life vision. Getting clarity on your vision is so important to living a fulfilling life and a life of purpose. This episode provides some ideas on how to go about creating a life vision and also explore some of the science behind vision, goals and action.