The 2010 TV Detox officially ended on Sunday and now that we’ve had time to catch up on some of our shows, it’s time to reflect on what we’ve learned from during our 31 days of detoxing.

Anything come up for you? Take some time right now to think of at least one revelation from your TV detox.

If you’d like to hear what I jotted down on my list, I vlogged it on YouTube:

If you’re using Internet Explorer, you may see a white box rather than the video. I’m looking into how to fix this but for now, please access the video directly from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQToWL1TtCk.

Special thanks goes to Emmanuel Lopez – Motivatorman for contributing his video production (lighting was poor – my apologies!) and original music score for this video! Please visit http://motivatorman.com/ to learn more about Emmanuel’s varied talents as an award-winning illustrator, motivational specialist and social media consultant.

For all of you readers out there:

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Celebrities look great all the time. It’s their job. And they pay good money for coaches to whip them into shape. So tell me, would it be easier to meet your health and fitness goals if you had your very own personal coach by your side throughout the entire day?

Your personal health coach would be there to remind you of healthier choices, push you just enough so you can improve a little each day and kick your butt into high gear when you’re slacking.

That’s why I’m excited about my new M2 personal health coach (given to me as a Christmas gift from my thoughtful, wonderful and beautiful cousin. Thank you, Tina!).

The folks over at MyTrak have designed a health solution that fits on your hip and tracks your movement throughout the day. It’s interactive and customized, so you go online and set up your profile. After a few questions about your current state of health and your goals, you’re ready to rock and roll!

Here is a 2:48 minute video introducing the M2 personal health coach:

I registered and configured my M2 on January 15, so it’s only been about 20 days since my personal health coach has been by my side. I’m aiming for a more intense lifestyle!

Stay tuned for an upcoming M2 review post where I share my experience with it and the MyTrak online community.

What do you think of the M2 so far, Readers? Do you think it’ll help you achieve your health & fitness goals?

Are you happy? Or do you feel stuck in a reoccurring nightmare which you call your life? This post is in honour of Groundhog Day and several lessons learned from the inspiring 90’s movie named after it.

This past weekend I attended a private movie screening of Groundhog Day, starring Bill Murray as Phil Connors, a cantankerous weatherman stuck in a time loop where he relives the same day (one he was dreading to begin with) over again.

(This movie screening was hosted by motivational specialist, Emmanuel Lopez – Motivatorman, and included a lively discussion afterward concerning the lessons presented in the movie. For another movie message, read his latest post, Tip #326: The Power of Acknowledgment – Groundhog Day.)

The day, place, people and main events remain the same and no matter what Phil does (including several suicide attempts) he cannot break free from this frustrating cycle.

Sound familiar?

This movie is enlightening (and funny as hell!) for it’s many inspiring messages but the one that’s most significant to this post is it’s mirror of reality: tomorrow never comes.

Think about it: when tomorrow does come, it’s today!

This is a great representation of the wisdom passed on by sages: the past is gone, the future is unknown and today is all we have, that’s why it’s called a gift: the Present.

How does focusing on today help us get what we want?

Although it remains Groundhog Day for Phil Connors throughout the movie, the way the day plays out changes in response to his behaviour, attitude and words. He affects his world everyday based on his choices.

The lesson here is to make daily choices that will bring you closer to the future you want.

“Be, do and say today what you want to experience tomorrow.”

Every day is a new day. You have a chance to change what you do today, for a different tomorrow. You may not see these changes right away, but they will come.

Once you develop a consistent, daily practice of what you want to see in your tomorrow, you’ll wake up one day with exactly what you want!

The trick to getting what you want
(Warning for those who haven’t seen Groundhog Day: do not read this next paragraph.)

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This is it, TV Detoxers! We’re coming to the end and this is the last check-in of The 2010 TV Detox. Let’s review our challenges and successes and gear up for the weekend as we wrap up this new year’s resolution alternative.

Let’s hear how you did this week, TV Detoxers!

For me, if you’ll remember from last video I said my intention was to detox ALL of my TV time. It was… interesting. If you have 1:05 minutes, I vlogged it on YouTube:

If you’re using Internet Explorer, you may see a white box rather than the video. I’m looking into how to fix this but for now, please access the video directly from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uZB_zH-abw.

Special thanks goes to Emmanuel Lopez – Motivatorman for contributing his creative content consultation, video production and original music score for this video! Please visit http://motivatorman.com/ to learn more about Emmanuel’s varied talents as an award-winning illustrator, motivational specialist and social media consultant.

For all of you readers out there:

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Do you believe in the healing powers of nature? Do you believe we have the right to choose what we put into our bodies?

Last week, raw food advocates celebrated a major victory here in Canada with the acquittal of Michael Schmidt, Ontario dairy farmer and milk co-op owner, who was charged with selling and distributing unpasteurized (raw) milk.

In Canada, it’s legal to consume raw milk. Basically, anyone who owns a cow has the  choice whether or not to kill harmful bacteria (along with the beneficial micro-organisms and enzymes) through the pasteurization process before they drink it. You become an outlaw when you sell it to others for consumption.

The raw milk vs. pasteurized controversy rages but when you sift through the research, you’ll find there are benefits and risks to consuming both raw and pasteurized milk.

(Randolph Jonsson has created a well-written and thoroughly researched website dedicated to enlightening folks about raw milk. He proudly announces his passion for raw milk and yet manages to present the information in an objective and respectful manner.)

For the pro-choicers out there, Mr. Schmidt’s case is a legal loop hole gone right.

From healthzone.ca:

Art Hill, professor and chair of the University of Guelph’s Department of Food Science, said the ruling, which provides a legal way for Ontarians to consume raw milk and for farmers to sell their farm-fresh product, will likely prompt changes in the dairy industry.

“This ruling signals that it is time to create a system where the sale of raw milk is legalized, but controlled,” said Hill. “We have to work now at finding ways to make raw milk available as safely as we can.”

Hill noted the sale of raw milk is not uncommon in other jurisdictions, including the United Kingdom. About half of U.S. states have legislation that allows consumers access to raw milk, either directly from farms or at grocery stores.

Mr. Schmidt fought the law and won because he runs a cow-share program which essentially entitles consumers part-ownership in the cows he raises and milks. The article says that current legislation fails to account for this instance; however, health ministries in Canada have said they may appeal the decision down the road.

Agencies like Health Canada are against legalizing the sale of raw milk because of the potential risks of food poisoning from pathogens like salmonella. Proponents say that not all raw milk is created equal; that in hygienic, knowledgeable farms, the risks are minimized and the health benefits (as well as the taste) are incomparable to processed milk.

Mr. Schmidt and his supporters were pleased with the court’s ruling. Not only did it save his farm and business, but according to the Ontario farmer, this win was for the freedom to choose what we consume. (Source: YouTube)

What do you think: Is this a step in the right direction? And, just for curiosity’s sake, do you drink raw milk?

Healthy living is much more than nutrition and exercise (as we saw in last week’s post, “What is Balanced Living?“). Today’s holistic health article, contributed by Shireen Qudosi of The Logical Native, covers the importance of “being green”.

With our global emphasis on green and sustainable living, many people are actively doing their part to engage in “green acts”. Whether it’s recycling, toting reusable grocery bags, there are a number of ways to engage yourself in balanced living.

Seeing Differently

Step 1 to realigning your lifestyle using eco-principles is to begin seeing differently.  See your entire existence as emerged within eco-living, rather than you as an individual acting out green acts.

Stuart Haygarth would have taken this advice literally, inventing a sustainable eye glass chandelier that uses 620 pairs of discarded lenses to form a globe-like chandelier.  For the designer, perhaps his living art is not only an example of using creativity to craft lifestyle choices, but also symbolizes the visionary work we can accomplish if we begin to see a little differently.

Turning a Domestic Green Leaf

Turning over a green leaf begins with ourselves, in how we think and then in how we carry out those thoughts.  Once we have internal balance, our focus can shift smoothly to an external balance.  And while you may not be able to go save the rain forest, you can begin by changing how you view your home.

View your home as an eco-habitat in itself, and once you perceive your home this way, you’ll treat it with more green care.  The simplest way to begin thinking this way is to look at what toxic elements could be in your home – perhaps in your vacuum cleaner, carpet, paint, whether you have energy-efficient appliances, or even checking to see if the plastics you use to cook and eat with are made with toxic chemicals.  It’s really very simple and just takes a small effort in reprogramming how you think.  Once you shift how you think, your new thought patterns become healthy lifestyle habits.

The Mind Body Equation

Equally as important as your home is another vessel that you inhabit daily – your mind and body.  These two are just as relevant in your eco thinking as your actions. When it comes to eco thinking, your habits aren’t just about what products you use or what daily habits you have that save that extra little bit of energy or water.  It’s about how you think.

Eco thinking is about harmony with one’s environment. And one of the most important things that should be in a harmonious state is our central selves.  If we cannot achieve this, then in essence our eco habits are just frustrated (but not natural) extensions of ourselves.  Achieving an eco balance internally through meditation, exercise, and intellectual stimulation is the simple solution to turning a truly balanced green leaf.

Shireen Qudosi is a freelance writer at Babel Fish Communications. Follow her on Twitter @ShireenQ or email her at shireen.qudosi [at] hotmail [dot] com.

Who wants to live longer? This green detox blender meal is souped-up with powerful, age-defying antioxidants and phytochemicals!

The nutrients found in green cabbage and POMx Tea pack a powerful assault to disease and age-causing free radicals. Studies have shown that both these ingredients have cancer-fighting abilities. (Click here to access POMx studies which say it has more antioxidant potency than red wine, green tea, grape and acai extracts.)

The POMx Teas come in 5 flavours, I chose the delicious pomegranate blackberry for this green detox drink and just enough of it to lend the slightest hint of blackberries to this POMWonderful health concoction!

POM-Powerful Cabbage Detox Drink

Makes: 1-2 servings (4 cups)

Ingredients

• 2 cups green cabbage, chopped
• 2 stalks celery
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 apple, quartered and cored
• 3/4 cup POMx Pomegranate Blackberry Tea
• 1 cup filtered water (or to desired consistency)
• 1 tbsp almond butter

Preparation

1. Blend ingredients.
2. Pour and enjoy!

If you’re as much of a fan of POMx Teas as I am, join them on Facebook! And stay tuned for an upcoming review on their Pomegranate Lychee Green POMx Tea.

We’re finishing up week 3 of our New Year’s resolution alternative, The 2010 TV Detox. It’s time to look back over the week and assess our results, celebrate our successes and rev up for the final week!

How did you do this week, TV Detoxers? Please leave a comment and share your challenges and successes with the community. Perhaps we can help you out or your challenges may help someone else.

This past week for me was much like my last week’s report. If you have 1:09 minutes, I vlogged it on YouTube:

If you’re using Internet Explorer, you may see a white box rather than the video. I’m looking into how to fix this but for now, please access the video directly from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B275XgxZeek.

Special thanks goes to Emmanuel Lopez – Motivatorman for contributing his video production and creating an original music score for this video! Please visit http://motivatorman.com/ to learn more about Emmanuel’s varied talents as an award-winning illustrator, motivational specialist and social media consultant.

For all of you readers out there:

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“It’s all about moderation and balance.” We hear that a lot, don’t we? But what does that mean? In this post we investigate the definition of the ever so elusive and attractive `balanced living’.

So far on Live Lighter, when we talk about balanced living, we’ve meant attending to our health in all areas of our life: body, mind and soul. But this definition falls short. Real short.

Or so I found out after reading The Law of Attraction: Making It Work For You by Canadian authors, Deborah Morrison and Arvind Singh. (Click here for the authors’ Facebook fan page.)

The Law of Attraction has been described and popularized in the hit movie, The Secret. However, many critics have suggested that the movie message is misdirecting and only skims the surface of how this Universal Law really works.

This is where Ms. Morrison and Mr. Singh come in. They clear up many of the misunderstandings resulting from The Secret and provide practical exercises to integrate the concepts of prosperity into every aspect of your life.

It’s their definition of `true prosperity’ that hit me like a brick: they’re describing the end result of balanced living!

The authors contend that true prosperity is composed of the manifestation of abundance in 5 key elements of your life:

1. Physical
2. Intellectual
3. Emotional
4. Social
5. Spiritual

If you’ve ever wondered why you feel unhappy or that there’s something missing in your life, despite having much to be grateful for, then the following excerpt from The Law of Attraction: Making It Work For You may be as revealing for you as it was for me: Read the rest of this entry

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Life happens and our good intentions of living a healthy lifestyle often tend to fall to the wayside. What if you could break free from the daily grind, visit a tropical island and instead of the vacation blues, you return home revitalized and armed with a new, healthy routine?

This is what Retreat to Healthy Living in Barbados aims to do. Surrounded by the untouched Caribbean island of Barbados, retreat-goers will embark on a 7-day transformational journey with the assistance of various health & wellness practitioners and the inspiring, 2-time Olympic gold medalist, Catriona Le May Doan.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the demands of life and when we are, it’s hard to break out of our old, destructive patterns. According to the press release:

Those participating in this exclusive women’s health retreat, surrounded by relaxing, pristine Barbados, will be primed for learning new, constructive ways of dealing with stress. Between varied engaging outings, like island tours, experiencing Barbados culture and delighting in scrumptious, healthy cuisine, health practitioners will teach participants how to live a healthy lifestyle and achieve remarkable fitness success.

Women, the nurturers of the world, are especially vulnerable to neglect in the self-care department. Ms. Le May Doan reminds us in the press release, we’re usually too busy taking care of others that we either forget or simply run out of time to take care of ourselves.

As a successful athlete, mother, wife and entrepreneur, Catriona lends a unique perspective to the retreat itinerary. And she’s pumped for this health & wellness retreat!

She says, “…not only do we plan to have a lot of fun in Barbados while we’re there, we’ll also learn how to stay healthy, achieve individual goals and have plenty of energy left over for others!”

A Vacation for Learning, Motivation and FUN!

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