If you’re after a full-featured theme that still has the ease of customization and viral linking powers that you’ve come to love about Launch Effect Lite be sure to check out Launch Effect Premium!

Please feel free to contact us at our support forums if you have questions about setup or are experiencing any issues with the theme.

Setup in Two Easy Steps

Step 1 — Set Your Launch Page as your Homepage

Go to Settings > Reading.
Where it says, “Front page displays,” choose “A static page,” and select “Sign-Up” from the dropdown menu. When you refresh this page, it will disappear and your launch page will appear instead.

Step 2 — Start Designing!

Go to Launch Effect > Designer.
Now for the fun part! The Designer is now divided into three sections: Global Styles, Sign-Up Page, and Theme (premium only). That submenu is located directly under the giant Designer/Integrations/Stats tabs. The best way to get started here is to just start playing around and gaining an understanding of what selections affect which parts of the design. Good luck!

Are you ready to Face the Fat? Check out Grace Soldato’s new article on healthy fatty foods and their natural beauty benefits!

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Not all fat is created equal! It has been scientifically proven that eating certain fats, in particular monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats (found in nuts/fish/avocado) are good for your when consumed in small amounts, and help you stay slim (all in time for a certain challenge on May 17th!)  One of these fats I am going to talk about is extra virgin coconut oil. Before I even begin, I just want you to note that gorgeous supermodel Miranda Kerr has endorsed extra virgin coconut oil and said, ‘I will not go a day without coconut oil. I personally take four tablespoons per day, either on my salads, in my cooking or in my cups of green tea.’ As if that didn’t already convince you (see picture below), I urge you to read on… 

What is it?

Extra virgin coconut oil is extracted from the coconut mea, and the unrefined coconut oil turns clear with a relatively low melting point of 75 degrees Fahrenheit.   When heated above 75 degrees it looks like a clear liquid. At room temperature it resembles a thicker almost butter like consistency, and when chilled it hardens like cold butter (usually not easy to use so keeping at room temp is best.) I personally prefer organic extra virgin coconut oil and there are a number of brands available at your local health food store or Whole Foods. Not all coconut oil is created equal

Quality is extremely important as well as reading the label! Coconut oil that has been partially hydrogenated contains trans fats, which increase bad cholesterol. Unprocessed coconut oil known as ‘extra virgin’ or ‘virgin’ coconut oil, on the other hand, contains lauric, capric and caprylic acids. These are medium chain fatty acids that are really good for your body! Also, caprylic acid is anti-fungal and is often used to treat digestive issues for those with sensitive stomachs. Another plus? The lauric acid in the fat in the coconut can actually help boost metabolism. It is metabolized so fast that the fat is more readily burned off for energy, rather than sticking to unwanted areas on the body (like traditional naughty fats.)

Extra Virgin Coconut Oil vs. Coconut Butter

As if life weren’t confusing enough, a new product hit the market called ‘coconut butter.’ It really is more like a cream and it contains the oil, plus the fiber from the whole coconut meat and gets soft with a milky white color (but never liquid) when melted and works very different in recipes that call for coconut oil. So when in doubt, just be sure to look for the words ‘extra virgin coconut oil.’

Cooking with Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Extra virgin coconut oil can be used in a number of ways, such as adding a tablespoon to your smoothie, instead of olive/nut oils in salad dressings or even to sauté vegetables. My personal favorite is to use it in baking by replacing traditional butter or oil with this wonder ingredient. I also recently tried it with popcorn! Usually I am one to have dry, oil-free popcorn but the coconut oil brought out the sweetness and nutty flavors of the corn and when drizzled with a little raw almond butter (yes, minor indulgence) it was absolutely delicious!

Beauty benefits

Instead of consuming extra virgin coconut oil and you need some at home, do-it-yourself beauty solutions, coconut oil is great for under nourished skin and perfect either as a lotion before bed, or perhaps a body moisturizer in the shower. It also makes a great mask for your hair and I tend to leave it on for an hour and let it soak in. After showering it off, my hair is left looking just like Miranda’s in one of her Victoria’s Secret commercials! Okay…so not exactly…but it is worth a try!

To conclude…don’t be put off by the fat content of extra virgin coconut oil. I personally believe in eating natural fats for optimum health. They balance your hormones, metabolism and revitalize your skin, nervous system and brain. The fact it doubles as a beauty product is sheer genius! Also, natural high fat foods like extra virgin coconut oil are rock stars for the body and tend to stop you craving the naughty non-natural fatty things (ick potato chips!). Good news our body…and for our booty!

Recipes Using Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Coconut-Blueberry Smoothie 1 tablespoon extra-virgin coconut oil

1 cup blueberries

½ banana

½ cup ice

1 cup water or almond milk (or nut milk of choice)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Purée all the ingredients in a high speed blender for about 60 seconds. 

No-Bake Date Bars 

Note:  If dates aren’t your thing you can always try using dried figs or dried prunes (prunes contain less natural sugar than dates/figs).

Crust:

1.5 cups whole raw almonds

1.5 cups regular oats (for Gluten-free, use GF oats)

½ tsp kosher salt

10 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil (melted)

Date filling:

25 Medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped (around 2.5 cups)

1/2 cup water

Crust: Line a square pan (8×8 inches) with two pieces of parchment paper. In a food processor (or blender) process almonds, salt and oats until a fine crumble forms. Then, add the 10 dates and process until crumbly again. Melt the coconut oil and add to the mixture until sticky. Remove from the processor and set aside ¾ of the mixture for later and press the remaining mixture in to the bottom of the pan (firmly and evenly) to create the crust.

Filling: In the food processor, process the dates and water until a paste forms. Usually I have to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl but you should end up with a thick paste. Scoop out the mixture and gently spread on top of the crust with the back of a wet spatula.

Sprinkle the remaining ¾ of the crust mixture on top and press down with your fingers. Refrigerate for at least an hour, preferably overnight and cut in to squares. Store in fridge/freezer. 

Happy Healthy Love! -Grace

Check out Grace Soldato’s article on Alternative Natural Sweeteners

In order to satisfy my sweet tooth and not sacrifice my health in the process I have found natural substitutes for sugar that satisfy my cravings and give me all the wonderful sweet flavors I need. I don’t have to tell you again that refined sugar doesn’t benefit our bodies and with many products today containing high-fructose corn syrup, evaporated cane juice, glucose or dextrose (all forms of refined sugar) it’s no wonder it’ so hard to give up!

Refined sugars are ‘bad’ carbs and cause our blood sugar to spike throughout the day. The alternative natural sweeteners I use have a relatively low glycemic index  (ranked from 1-100). The glycemic index ranks food’s effect on our blood sugar level, and a higher rating means the faster the food’s glucose is broken down by the digestive process and sent to the blood stream. For example sugary jelly beans have a GI rating of 78 for 1 ounce! (very high!)

In my opinion, everyone deserves something sweet during the day and I have listed a few of my favorite natural alternative sweeteners that provide sweet notes to any snack or meal including a yummy recipe with each! The fact that they are not only tickle my taste buds but also help my body’s wellness is a serious bonus! So before you reach for the packet of sugar or artificial sweetener think about using some of these!

Coconut Palm Sugar

Coconut palm sugar or simply known as palm sugar is the crystallized nectar of the coconut sugar palm blossoms. It looks and performs very similarly to brown sugar and can be used as a 1:1 replacement for cane sugar and in my opinion is best for baking.  It has a low glycemic index (GI 35) which is lower than cane sugar, agave or honey and is high in minerals such as potassium, magnesium and zinc and rich in B vitamins. To understand more about coconut palm sugar and the glycemic index see the link: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/coconut-palm-sugar-best-new-sugar-alternative

Triple coconut blueberry muffins 

(Note: For a gluten free and/or vegan option substitute the whole wheat pastry flour for your preferred flour of choice. I like Bobs Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour. For an egg substitute try half a mashed ripe banana+1/4 teaspoon baking powder for each egg or try a flax egg: 2 tablespoons ground flax meal+1/8 teaspoon baking powder+3 tablespoons water for each egg called for.)

1 ¾ cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon cardamom

¼ teaspoon salt

1 large egg

½  cup palm sugar

¾ cup coconut milk

½ cup coconut oil melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup shredded coconut

½ cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and in a large bowl mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. In a separate bowl lightly beat the egg and mix with the palm sugar, coconut milk, coconut oil and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to wet and mix gently and then fold in the coconut and blueberries. Divide mixture in to 12 muffins cups and bake for 20 minutes and let cool 5 minutes.

Stevia Extract

Stevia extract is made from the leaves of the stevia plant and should be used in moderation since the extracts are 250 to 300 times sweeter! Stevia has no effect on blood sugar and contains no calories and no carbs! It can be purchased in either liquid form or in granulated form (usually in a small packet with each packet being as sweet as 2 teaspoons of sugar). I tend to use a packet of stevia in a hot drink or a smoothie and use liquid stevia to sweeten my plain greek yogurt or oatmeal!

 Sweet-Tangy Stevia Smoothie

 3-4 oranges peeled (no rind)

½ small pineapple

½ large banana

½ cup fresh or frozen raspberries

1 packet stevia extract

Place the oranges in the blender until liquefied. Add the rest of the ingredients and puree until smooth!

Agave nectar

Agave nectar has become very popular these days and has become a common ingredient in bottled teas, energy drinks and nutrition bars. This could be due to the fact it is 1.4 times sweeter than sugar, therefore if you use less you save calories and it has a very low glycemic index. My favorite is organic raw agave nectar that is created at a low temperature and has a rich (similar to brown sugar) flavor but there are also other types depending on the taste you crave. Amber agave nectar has a maple like flavor and light agave nectar has a neutral and mild flavor. To substitute in baking use 1/2 cup to 2/3 cup of nectar per 1 cup of sugar but I also like to use in savory dishes and snacks like my recipe below:

Protein Packed Sweet Potato Dip

I like to eat this with carrots or celery or even Ezekiel tortilla bread that I cut in to strips, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and a few pinches of salt and put in the oven at 375F for 4-5 minutes until golden.

1 large sweet potato (or you can sub butternut squash)

1 cup navy beans drained and rinsed

Few pinches of salt

1 tablespoon raw agave nectar (to taste)

Handful raw pecans (toasted to garnish)

Chop the sweet potato into one-inch chunks. Steam for about 15 minutes, until tender. Allow to cool for about five minutes. In a food processor, process all ingredients together until smooth. Makes about two cups. Sprinkle the raw toasted pecans on top!

HAPPY  HEALTHY LOVE! –Grace Soldatos

Become.

Your.

Dream.

1. Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You, Lauryn Hill, watch?v=FJ5BXfXUYwM

2. Shake It Out, Florence + The Machine, watch?v=WbN0nX61rIs&ob=av2e

3. Rack City, Tyga Rack City, watch?v=knWnMKKEt88

4. Funk With Me (Original Mix), Afrojack, watch?v=FZFVLspxWc8

5. Get It On the Floor, DMX & Swizz Beatz Grand Champ, watch?v=Vvofs3n2ZmY&ob=av2n

6. 1901, Phoenix, watch?v=kiQppszlXrg

7. Rockstar 101 (feat. Slash), Rihanna, watch?v=eMOIUUS8GWo&ob=av3e

8. Teeth, Lady GaGa, watch?v=vk5vRoc0_nk

9. Say Aah (feat. Fabolous), watch?v=Z__FHAG1Jk8

10. Starships, Nicki Minaj Starships, watch?v=3wzq6xzITnI

11. Take Care (feat. Rihanna), Drake Take Care, watch?v=dS7BopTi8VA&feature=fvst

12. Everlasting Light, The Black Keys, watch?v=2QzGvoUMBoA

Usually when one thinks of chocolate, one think of happiness! We all crave it and we all ‘need’ it at some point.  However commercialized processed chocolate doesn’t benefit our body and usually makes us feeling guilty after we treated ourselves to a chocolaty treat. Ick! Who says chocolate has to be an indulgent splurge? Not me!

The answer simply is raw cacao (pronounced ka-kow) which is the ingredient chocolate is made from and is the purest form of what we consider ‘chocolate’. Raw cacao is full of health benefits and a considered to be a superfood full of antioxidants and minerals that our bodies absorb. It can be paired with other nutritious ingredients that combine to give you the rich chocolaty taste you crave! Did I mention it also comes minus the guilt and all the heavy calories that are created from added creams, sugars, fats and flours normally found in chocolaty treats?

I thought I would share with you some of my favorite uses of raw cacao and yummy treats featuring this amazing ingredient! For those of us who are chocolate lovers, but live a healthy lifestyle raw cacao is ideal, and trust me you won’t be sacrificing taste with these goodies. Once you try some of these, you will never be reaching for that piece of processed chocolate from the fridge before bedtime ever again! We really can have it all! 

The most popular forms of raw cacao are in powder form and nibs. The raw cacao powder (not to be confused with processed cocoa powder) is created by cold-pressing raw cacao beans that removes all the cacao fat. The nibs (photo on the left) are formed by cracking the skinned cacao seed in to small pieces and are tasty to try on top of Greek yogurt or in your favorite cereal. My favorite way to use raw cacao powder?

A sweet, thick and creamy energy boosting smoothie that you can make to by combining in a blender: 

2 cups unsweetened almond milk (or your milk of choice)

2 tablespoons raw agave nectar (or honey)

1/4 cup raw cacao powder

1 1/2 tablespoons raw cacao nibs

1 banana

Cacao Confections

Fine and Raw Chocolate: I am in love with the two-piece bon bon, and with only 5 pure ingredients it’s a low calorie treat with a creamy chocolate center layered with a darker raw chocolate. www.fineand raw.com

For a less decadent alternative try Nibmor Chocolate: www.nibmor.com 

Navitas Naturals Cacao Goji Super Food Power Snack: These small bites of chewy chocolaty superfood goodness are perfect to cure that chocolate craving and are full of nutritious ingredients like cacao, chia, goji berries and sunflower seeds creating a satisfying on the go snack. www.navitasnaturals.com (Available at Whole Foods)

Emmy’s Organic Dark Cacao Macaroons: I have posted about Emmy’s before, so I wasn’t kidding when I said I was obsessed. I love the dark cacao macaroons as they really give you that intense chocolate flavor (the taste reminds me of a brownie). The choco-orange flavor reminds me of chocolate covered orange peel candies and are a delicious alternative. www.emmysorganics.com (Available at Whole Foods)

Uli Mana Dark Cacao Truffles: These raw truffles are smooth, creamy and slightly chewy and are delicious when kept in the fridge. The chocolate taste is bittersweet and one or two of these totally satisfies my craving and doesn’t overload on calories either! www.ulimana.com.

For other cacao truffles that are equally as delicious try Brazilian Chocolate Ecstasy by Superfood Snacks. These have more ingredients and superfood ingredients than the Uli Mana truffles with a fruitier taste. www.superfoodsnacks.com

Living Intentions Cacao Crunch Superfood Cereal: This crunchy chocolate cereal has a texture like granola and brings back memories of eating coco puffs when I was little. This is infinitely better and is made from buckwheat (not wheat, actually a fruit seed) and is a chocolaty dream when paired with almond milk, in yogurt or just to pick on when you’re hungry! www.shop.livingintentions.com 

Writing about of all these treats has got me craving some cacao confections myself! Happy Healthy Love! -Grace

This Workout Wednesday we are hooking you up with another playlist for you to rock out to while being active outside. Get your bike, running shoes, pogo stick, skateboard, or rollerblades ready and GO.

1. Heartbeats, The Knife, watch?v=4ow0bA4H3BQ

2. Somebody Told Me, The Killers, watch?v=Y5fBdpreJiU

3. Miami 2 ibiza, Swedish house mafia, watch?v=LCH1AsUydSc&ob=av3e

4. Naughty Girl, Beyoncé, watch?v=qr0QfPFWVqw

5. No Love (ft. Lil Wayne), Eminem, watch?v=KV2ssT8lzj8&ob=av3e

6. In for the Kill, La Roux, watch?v=JZ1Mi77nogQ

7. Only Girl (Paul David + Barletta Remix), Rihanna, watch?v=UkaGdK9kgts

8. Pursuit of Changes, Tupac vs Kid Cudi DOSVEC, watch?v=RLZzNmrh4i4

9. Ass Back Home (Sex Ray Vision Remix), watch?v=ltOR2VzDZFM&ob=av3e

10. Amazing (feat. Young Jeezy), Kanye West, watch?v=PH4JPgVD2SM&ob=av3n

11. Great DJ, The Ting Tings, watch?v=FH6wpO66J4k&ob=av3e

12. Son’s Gonna Rise, Citizen Cope, watch?v=ZUfh5mbjjrw

13. Gimme Freaks, Rolling Stones vs. Moguai & Tocadisco, watch?v=RVMfT-noR5c&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL00DD95B2F371E111

14. Revolver (David Guetta Remix), Madonna, watch?v=vD1OzGjHVyo&feature=fvst

SEAK Foundation’s The Sports Bra Challenge is made possible by the incredibly life-changing SoulCycle, Lululemon, City of Hope, and now, National Women’s Health Week. We can’t thank our supporters enough for promoting and standing behind The Sports Bra Challenge. We hope that you will share the experience with all of us on May 17th!

The Sports Bra Challenge is officially a National Women’s Health Week Event! Checkout their site, National Women’s Health Week

Let’s jump right into this week with a splash of motivation. Here’s a playlist for you that will give you some energy to get through your work. I hope this helps you get out of your head or at least makes you dance while you respond to emails.

-Jenny Gaither

1. Ocean Breathes Salty, Modest Mouse, watch?v=TPhnOKmhbBw

2. Don’t 69 In The Dark Without Jagger, titusjones.com

3. Change Clothes, Jay-Z, watch?v=j6G1uwe20wg

4. Take Care (Lady Bee Bootleg), Drake, watch?v=MOsEy4b5_m4

5. Ass (D!RTY AUD!O Moombahton Remix), Big Sean, watch?v=1jDx1VD3kLY

6. One Minute Man (featuring Ludacris) (LP Version), Missy Elliott, watch?v=1cy22Woq_Ls

7. Starships, Nicki Minaj, watch?v=_ZfyqO3tQsI

8. You Be Killin ‘Em, Fabolous, watch?v=z8Nmip4sPHM

9. There Is No Competition 2 (EP),Tinie Tempah, watch?feature=player_embedded&v=X-p5g1bGuCU

10. All Of The Lights”, (Ellie Goulding), watch?v=HPUIErzmths

11. Let the Drummer Kick, Citizen Cope Citizen, watch?v=xAuQmJzt_q0

12. The Motto, (feat. Lil Wayne) [Bonus Track], watch?v=0V2VVEH6AX4&ob=av3n

13. Lighters up, Lil kim and biggie Rap, watch?v=giEQHyRuNkE

14. ¿Wheres The Bass?, soundcloud.com/dveloped D.veloped, wheres-the-bass

15. Let’s Go Surfing, The Drums, watch?v=6OsTUnkqSi4

16. Rude Boy, Rihanna, (FAV), watch?v=e82VE8UtW8A