The easiest ways to beat stress is exactly the same way you can grow yourself a younger bod : with NUTRITIOUS FOOD!

A balanced diet directly influences stress since nutrition controls total body functioning, from the central nervous system and immune system to hormone production and all our major organs. In fact, vitamins like magnesium actually relax muscles but a diet in high fats inhibits the absorption of this very important vitamin, leading to muscle tension.

Furthermore, stress depletes vitamins! So it’s a vicious cycle that may start off with nutrient deficiencies, but each stressful event exacerbates the problem. The unfortunate part is that it doesn’t seem that much of a problem at the time. You can easily live with nutrient deficiencies and not realize it. But people with nutrient deficiencies are operating at a sub-par level and are more prone to stress.

When your body is functioning optimally, life is easier! Stress is a natural and necessary part of life, so why not consider doing the easiest and kindest thing you can do for yourself: eat a more nutritious diet?

If you have time, check out this 15 minute video about vitamin deficiencies and stress, “Nutrition by Natalie”.

If you don’t have time to watch the video, follow this link to find out which vitamins and minerals stress sucks out of you. This way, you know which ones to consume to help you control your stress.

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Oh, wow. Me next, please.

Anyone have any massage tips to add?

These videos are hilarious! Those shorts, that ohm chant…thank Heaven that I haven’t come across an inappropriate yoga guy in real life!

Here’s an introductory clip:

And check out this one, even funnier! HAHA!

So if you’ve been following Live Lighter for the last few weeks, we’ve been on an elimination diet adventure . The Holy Grail in this story is healthy digestion! Come on, I bet you’ve experienced digestive discomfort a time or two.

It’s estimated that approximately 1 in every 5 Canadian has chronic digestive problems. (Source: Canadian Society of Intestinal Research ). So have you ever wondered about your poor digestion?

Here is a 10 minute clip by Paul Check , holistic health expert and founder of the C.H.E.K. Institute, explaining how a healthy digestive system works, some tips in how to achieve it, and what happens when we ignore our digestive problems:

An artistic and incredibly ingenious method for reducing calories consumed over this long weekend full of family and food.

Happy Celebrations, Live Lighter Readers!

This post is for those who have been following Live Lighter’s detox and cleansing articles and who are still unclear about the reasons why we should actively help our body detoxify.

Here’s an interview between Total Health magazine Editor and a Wholistic Rejuvenist that explains how our body’s toxic load turns into health issues, such as allergies, skin conditions, digestive issues and life-threatening chronic illnesses.

The video also suggests that YOU have the power to heal yourself by simply unloading this toxic burden, which reverses the aging process so you can live a healthier, happier and longer life.

A few posts ago, we defined detoxing and body cleansing . We’ve also covered why we should detox and the warning signs our bodies show to tell us when a detox might help make life a bit easier. In that last post, I promised this one would cover how to detox.

How to Detox.”

However, faithful Readers, I thought you might enjoy a break from reading. In keeping with the theme, the following video is a Fox news segment covering Isagenix , a body cleansing system currently out on the market.

MY ISAGENIX REVIEW:

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One of the main ingredients to making it easy to get healthy is pleasure. I tell ya, I LOVE this workout DVD. I crave it weekly now. It’s fun and full of variety. I feel a marked stress reduction in mid-workout and it’s made me stronger both physically and mentally.

One of the videos from SELF Magazine’s Body Bonus workout series , “Your Best Butt Fast” has been the best workout video I’ve encountered so far. The following is a list of why I can’t get enough of this workout:

• It consists of 3 parts: exercises inspired by kickboxing, dance and yoga.
• If you’re time crunched, you can skip to your favourite part.
• It involves muscle building, stretching, cardio and active, deep breathing.
• The instructor is positive and motivating without being annoying.
• It’s great for beginner, intermediate and advanced fitness levels.
• The music is well-suited, the moves well-choreographed.
• It’s filmed on a tropical beach…ahh…

Why not check out this minute clip to see for yourself:

This is the first post in Live Lighter’s Health Made Easy Series and it’s meant to ease you into the idea that maybe healthy living can be easy.

If you’re like most people, say the words, “healthy living” and your brow furrows as you imagine the sweating, extra baggage, extra showers, time, money, lettuce-based meals, hunger, guilt, suffering…well, no wonder you don’t want anything to do with a healthy lifestyle!

It doesn’t have to be that way. Check back in two days to hear about the secret to making healthy living easy . To help prepare you for the mind-bending suggestions in the following posts, please watch this introductory, 2 minute video on quick and easy health tips:

It’s Friday night and it’s been a long, challenging and very fulfilling week. I’m exhausted. So what am I doing? Chilling out to some mellow tunes.

Sometime over the weekend, I highly suggest you turn the lights down low and play the following video. Actually, if you close your eyes, you might be able to intensify your sense of sound.

Go ahead, I dare ya: Just forget everything for 4½ minutes. Nothing else exists but you and right now. Get lost in the beats, sing along to the words, move to the rhythm…just forget.