Welcome back to Live Lighter! It’s been about 2 weeks since we signed off for vacation (i.e. moving the blog to another hosting provider and server) and it was an amazing experience. Not only did I learn a lot about the technical end of blogs, but I discovered many parallels to life in the process.

A little background: Before moving the blog, I had extremely limited technical knowledge. For those who are technically-minded, I learned a “normal” blog transfer is very easy. What complicated things for Live Lighter was that it was owned by someone else (who set up the blog for me). For this reason and because their server held other web properties, I was restricted in accessing the cpanel (the main control panel of the blog on the server end).

Here are a few life lessons revealed in moving Live Lighter to a different hosting provider/server:

1. Source the right partner in crime. No matter what you do in life, it’s always pays to have a partner who complements your knowledge. In this case, my partner was technically inclined but had no experience with blogs or WordPress. It was a phenomenal pairing because with my WordPress knowledge, we rocked it! I am forever indebted to my loving hubby for assisting me in Live Lighter’s move.
2. Get by with a little help from friends. Just like life, the blog transfer couldn’t have happened without the help from some very special friends. Darius Bashar and Luciano Sampaio of Daily Challenge were instrumental in my success. In addition, the sales and tech support of Canadian Web Hosting were invaluable at any given moment throughout the whole process. About 8 different CWH employees (and 1 person from the old hosting provider) helped over the past few months.
3. Things rarely work out as planned. This is an important life lesson because when you put too much stock into “plans going the way they should”, you end up getting stuck. You’re so emotionally invested in your plan that your creativity is stunted and your mind is closed to different (and usually better!) ways of achieving your goal. Here’s a great ZenHabits post that covers a more relaxed, simplified way of attaining your goals.
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Ya, right! There’s no rest for the wicked.

Besides, even if I went on vacation, I’d prepare interesting health posts for your enjoyment while I was away. That’s the people-pleaser in me coming out.

We’ve been having some technical difficulties and since we’re about to switch Live Lighter over to a new hosting provider, I thought this was a good time for a slight pause in posting. We’re aiming to be back  by July 24th but “it’s summer time and the livin’s easy”…

(see below to see Janis Joplin’s rendition of this groovy song)

Moving hosting providers will not affect you in the long-term, Live Lighter’s address will remain: www.livelighter.org.

On Friday morning (July 17th), I will be placing the blog on maintenance and shutting down comments so we won’t miss any good ones while we’re transferring the files. The site will be down until it’s been safely moved, restored and upgraded.

When we’re fully functional again, we’ll have some great posts for you, including:

• Amazing Changes! My First USANA Product Review
• Garden Vegetable Detox Drink Recipe
• Access Your Inner Child & Succeed
• A post series on the Subconscious
• And guest posts from mystery contributers!

Thanks for your understanding during this process. As always, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Steph Miller
Head Health Nut

P.S.

Here’s some vacation type music to go with this post:

Birthdays are important days and they are healthy for you. They mark the special event when you were born into this world. They should be a celebration of your life!

This post is in honour of my good friend, Emmanuel Lopez (a.k.a. Motivatorman), who was born onto this crazy planet on this very day, 46 years ago. He is an amazing person and has brought much joy to more than just his family and friends.

Emmanuel is one of those rare people who have recognized his unique abilities and has shared them with the rest of the world. In the first part of his life, he built an incredibly successful career as an award-winning illustrator, telling stories and entertaining others through his colourful, juicy art.

Since then, Emmanuel has been motivating others through his passion for movies, helping us realize that we are heroes in our own, personal real-life movies. He is an inspirational speaker and blogger.

Here are 3 short videos which chronicle his talented, generous life so far:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMMANUEL! And thank you to the Powers That Be for sharing him with us!

Technology is supposed to make life easier. What it ends up doing is freeing our lives up for more stuff to enter, sort and manage. Although this creates endless opportunities, wouldn’t it be ideal if technology could help us relax?

Well, our friends over at the Ultrasound Technicians Schools have compiled a spectacular list of iphone applications that do this!

Customize your own yoga routine with the YOGA Instructor app, track and study the factors that effect your mood with the iMood Tracker or take the iAspirin which “manipulates brain waves to make you drowsy, relaxed, and free of pain.”

Really, these are too cool. And they’ve separated all the apps in categories:

• Exercises and Healing
• Visual and Simulation
• Audio
• Meditation and Sleep
• Mood
• and Health

Check out the entire list on their blog post, “50 Incredible iPhone Apps to Relax Your Mind and Body“.

Sex is a natural instinct. Sure, we can live without it, just like we can also technically survive without much exercise or whole foods. But when you start fulfilling these basic needs for your body, you quickly discover why healthy living is worth the effort.

Whether you are flying solo or with a partner, here are a few of the health benefits of regular sex from The Hormone Diet by Dr. Natasha Turner:

Note: most of the following arise from increasing and/or balancing sex hormones (testosterone and estrogen) or from the general benefits of exercise. To reduce repetition, benefits without further explanation are attributed to these factors.

1. Enhances libido. Our sex drive naturally lowers as we age. But if we keep using it, like lean muscle mass, we won’t lose it!
2. Adds fire to sexual desire.
   
3. Gives us more sex appeal.
4. Improves mood, motivation and memory.
5. Increases fat burning, bone density, muscle mass and strength.
6. Indirectly supports fat loss and can prevent abdominal fat.
7. Depending on your effort in the session, improves the fitness of the heart.
8. Curbs appetite and food cravings. “Apparently, the dopamine pathways in the brain involved in stimulating desire for both sex and food are shut down by the hormones released immediately after we have an orgasm.”
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The United States of America will be celebrating their Independence Day tomorrow, hot on the heels of Canada Day and my birthday (today!). In honour of our neighbours, please enjoy this red, white and blue smoothie recipe.

Extremely simple and yummy, this smoothie is made from red, white and blue ingredients. The fruit is seasonal, so hopefully you’ll have ‘em in the fridge so you can cheers America bright and early for breakfast!

(For next year, I’ll work on a layered smoothie!)

Red, White & Blue Smoothie

Serves: 1 (20 oz glass)

Ingredients

1 cup fresh Strawberries  (RED)
1/2 cup plain Yogurt (WHITE)
1 cup fresh Blueberries (BLUE)
1 cup Rice Dream Vanilla rice milk
1 serving of your fav Protein Powder
2 tbsp. Flaxseed, ground
1 tsp Honey (optional, to desired sweetness)
4 ice cubes

Directions

1. Blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy.

Nutritional Info

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Happy Birthday, Canada! So besides honouring the birth of my country with some fabulous friends, a raspberry Stoli and juice, and spectacular fireworks tonight, I wondered what type of gift I could give her.

Then I saw it: a poster sponsored by The Health Council of Canada asking us to voice our opinion on the current health care system and how the government has been spending our money. What a wonderful gift for Canada!

By joining the conversations on the Canada Values Health discussion board, we can help our entire country as well as ourselves and all of our loved ones. Current topics  range from `Unnecessary Use of the Health Care System’ and `Preventing Illness & Promoting Health’ to`Prescription Drugs’ and `Seniors Care’.

If you’re looking for a constructive gift for Canada, please consider posting and commenting your thoughts about the Value for Money in our publicly funded health care system.

Happy Canada Day!