Today’s guest post is a doozy! Karen Lee is a health blogger after my own heart as she encapsulates a simple guide to complete and total health in this post. Who doesn’t want to live longer on this gorgeous planet? If you’re one who does, then keep on reading…

We all want to live longer; about this there is no dispute. But more than anything, we want to live better as we get older. We want to be healthy and active and happy, and not stuck at home with nothing to do but watch TV; or worse yet, be forced to move to a nursing home because we can no longer care for ourselves.

There is no magic formula that can guarantee us a life that is long in both years and enjoyment. Nevertheless, if you are willing to practice the activities outlined in this article, you will be able to improve your physical, mental, and emotional health dramatically. These activities have the power to increase your longevity, and they will also increase your fun quotient at the very same time.

Finding Your Bliss in the Body

Aging is far too often associated with illness, as if the two were somehow inseparable companions. But it doesn’t have to be this way at all. Disease and chronic physical maladies are opportunistic, meaning they only swoop in when bodies are unhealthy and vulnerable. In other words, bad health comes first, and then diseases will strike.

So, what can we do to protect our bodies from the vultures of illness? Here are four good methods that can help us do so:

Exercise

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Hobbies? You might be wondering first, how this factors into healthy living and second, how the heck to make time for them (yes, plural) when you barely have time to take care of your physical needs. Well, today’s guest blogger, Melissa Cameron, shares with us her 3 new hobbies and why she’s so excited about making time for them! 

I was dreaming last night about this hobby thing. It’s weird how a small thought can capture your imagination, isn’t it? I think that I must have been much more affected by this lack of `me time’ than I had imagined. Anyway, after my dream last night, I know exactly what hobbies I’m going to do. Namely scrapbooking, gardening and piano playing.

I won’t be able to do all 3 of these hobbies every day but I’ve looked at my schedule and I know that I can find the time. In personal productivity people say that in order to be clear about commitment you have to actually write it on the schedule because if it’s not there, you are more likely not to do it.

So it’s done. I have marked in big red letters HOBBY TIME on my schedule. My husband, of course, laughed and told me that I won’t stick to it, that I’ll find some more laundry to fold, or bills to pay at that time. What do you think?

He could be right that other things will distract me, but it’s not going to work. I haven’t even started with the hobbies yet and already I feel completely re-energized, like I have new batteries, a new lease on life!

For me, the hobbies I’ve chosen will let me not only revisit my creative side, but they are all things that I can share with the kids if they are interested to come and watch what I’m doing. The only danger is that I start to turn all “my” creative time into teaching experiences and quality time with the children.

Scrapbooking for Memories

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Back in December Live Lighter reader, Emmanuel, asked about the dangers of cordless phones in Cell Phone Radiation: Are You in the Know? Guest blogger and author of that post, Lloyd Burrell, is back today to answer that question more fully! 

First we had the telephone. When it first came out that we were able to speak with someone when they weren’t even in the same room as you, wow that really was something!

The next great progress was the cordless phone. You could actually walk round the house, if not garden, while speaking on the phone. Amazing!

But now as we advance into the 21st century, more and more people are looking to give away or even throw away their cordless phones, in favor of a convenient cellular phone plan. Getting a family plan often makes for sound reasoning economically speaking, as well as being super-convenient.

Don’t do away with your land-line too soon because many people, and a growing number in the scientific community, believe that cordless phones can induce serious health issues due to the radiation they emit.

In a report just out, John Wargo, PhD and a professor at Yale University for Environmental Risk & Policy, says: “The scientific evidence is sufficiently robust showing that cellular devices pose significant health risks to children and pregnant women.”

Any electrical device produces electromagnetic fields (EMF radiation), but cordless phones are some of the worst offenders. If you don’t believe me you can see for yourself using an EMF Acoustimeter or similar device, which can give you accurate readings of EMF radiation.

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Ooo… you’re in for a treat today, Live Lighter Readers! Our guest blogger today, Reshma, shares with us tips that she used to stop the diet madness and her negative emotions around food, as well as turning her tastes around so she actually prefers healthy meals over processed food.

Hello Readers! My name is Reshma and I’m a whole-foods culinary enthusiast and avid cook. My style of “EatFree Cooking” evolved out of the challenge of creating exciting meals for myself that were both nutritionally sound and would finally put an end to the eternal “diet train” that many of us (including myself at one point) seem to be perpetually riding.

This “diet train” seemed to me to be fraught with too much emotional negotiation around eating: calorie counting, “cheat” days, strict regimented diets, “guilt-free” treats, and the like. Over the years I’ve developed recipes that incorporate whole-food ingredients to create dishes that use a balanced and impactful array of tastes and textures.

I’ve now reached a place in which I’m able to eat whole food-based dishes without feeling deprived or unsatisfied. And because these healthy dishes are so tasty, my diet has been consistent and my palate now craves whole foods. I no longer crave processed junk foods, not through strict self-discipline or wishing to ward off unnecessary feelings of guilt, but rather it’s become a lack of desire altogether.

If you want to walk away from your favourite red velvet cake with no problems at all, here are 5 steps to overcoming “guilt” with food: [click to continue…]