In today's global economy of 24-hour news, BlackBerrys and increasingly long work hours, many executives don't slow down until something devastating happen in their lives to snap them back to attention. This can come in the form of a major health problem or even the death of a family member or associate.

Roslyn Franken recounted the turning point in her life that led her to change the direction she was headed. She had survived cancer at 29, was overweight, and her mother had just died after a 23-year battle with cancer.

"It really hit home when my mom passed away in 2004, my dad had had quintuple-bypass surgery in 1989, and I was at my heaviest weight ever. It's strange to think that this was 10 years after being diagnosed with cancer. You'd think that that would be enough," she said.

"I had already had cancer. I had already lost my health, so what else needed to happen? We all have turning points where we say enough is enough."

Motivated by the death of her mother and her own deteriorating health, Ms. Franken made the jump to return to school to get her master's degree in human systems intervention from Concordia University and certification through the Professional School of Psychology in California. Ms. Franken now lives in Barrhaven, where she runs her own consulting services as a counsellor, personal coach and motivational speaker. Out of that business came her new book The A List: 9 Guiding Principles for Healthy Eating and Positive Living.

The A-List refers to nine factors Ms. Franken said are crucial for success in improving health: ambition, attitude, attainability, awareness, activity, assessment, accountability, appreciation and acceptance.

"I hear all the time, 'I just don't know how to slow down.' But trust me, once you've been sick, you'll figure out a way to do it. I never say that it's simple, but it can be done," she said.

"I myself have struggled with food and weight issues as well as health issues. I realized that this was not about looking a certain way, this is about my health. (And) it's not just about your physical health, but your mental health, your emotional health – it's all levels."

Ms. Franken had been working as an executive coach, providing guidance and support in strategic planning and team development, but what she found was the line between professional and personal issues was often blurred. "What I found was when dealing with professional problems, it often went into their personal issues. I was more interested in their personal lives," she said.

"Their problems were all about stress management – managing work and home life when trying to meet expectations and manage their responsibilities. When you hear about execs having heart attacks, it's because their stress levels can be so high. Things are always changing, they always have to adapt and to have a normal home life, the things that get left behind are your health and your family."

This is something echoed by many other medical professionals who work with executives and other busy professionals.

Sanjay Shah of ExecHealth Inc, a private preventative care clinic in Ottawa, sees cases of that all the time.

"CEOs' lives are extremely busy and their travel schedules can be intense. Regularly eating at airports and restaurants as well as frequent changes of time zones can have a negative impact on both their nutrition and exercise regimes – both of which are critical to continued good health," he said.

"The unfortunate side-effect is that these people may be missing out on the benefits that a healthy lifestyle brings – such as reducing stress, and avoiding heart disease and some cancers. Part of the issue is education."

Ms. Franken said clients come to her when they have reached their own turning point in their lives.

"Sometimes it's a health issue, like a doctor will tell a client, if you don't smarten up, you're going to get diabetes. I have one client going in for knee surgery and he has been told he needs to lose some weight. For every pound of weight you lose, you take five pounds of pressure off your joints," she said.

Ms. Franken said high-achieving people, whether executives or not, can benefit from her book as the program is designed for people individually.

"It's flexible, so it changes depending on each person's lifestyle. The book helps anybody figure out their own challenges . . . It's such a personal thing, it's not a one-size-fits-all," she said.

One thing she is very passionate about is the need to treat people with compassion and understanding. Her clients are used to seeing instant results, especially in their careers. Health management doesn't work that way, she said.

"If people were more focused on their health we would see less stress leave and sick leave and turnover," she said.

"Our society is paying a price for this need to perform, perform, perform. We are not machines. We all know that but we overlook it for productivity and performance sometimes."

Ms. Franken will host a book signing fundraiser Aug. 18 as part of the Dancing in the Street with Cancer Survivors event at The Glebe Pharmasave Apothecary at 778 Bank St. She will donate $5 for every book sold to the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation.

For more information on Roslyn Franken's book visit www.healthandweightlosscentral.com