PGX is looking for the healthy truth!

UBC and the Dietitions of Canada are out to bust those nutrition myths!

Wondering if energy drinks are the best way to get energized? Here's the quick answer: probably not. You may feel enerized in the moment but it's important to be aware of the possible side affects and risks that come with them.

How about fat free foods? If you only eat fat free, will that lead to weight loss or better overall health? Again, probably not. Being healthy and maintaing a healthy BMI takes more than just eating low in fat or fat free foods.

Nuts are fattening. Does that mean they're bad for us? Nuts contain unsaturated fats (the good kind of fat) and are a good source of protein and fibre. However they're best enjoyed in moderation.

Have more of these nutrition myths on your mind? Visit UBC's Student Update blog (you definitely do not need to be a student to find these tips useful!) and the Dietitions of Canada Nutrition Month 2012 page for the myth-busting answers to all those common health questions.

Stay healthy everyone!

Image source: The Scarborough Hospital

PGX Investigates Tabata Training...

Is it possible for a four minute workout to be effective?

The other day, my friend and I were talking about how difficult it can be to avoid "couch potato-hood" and make fitness a priority rather than something we forfeit to a busy schedules. That's when she mentioned the intense, amazingly short workout called Tabata Training.

Tabata is a high intensity interval training program that was first developed by Japanese scientist, Izumi Tabata and his fellow colleagues at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo. Lasting for only four minutes (I know it seems too good to be true right?), this type of interval training has been shown to produce much better results than the average hour-long cardio session.

Studies have shown that high intensity interval training like Tabata produced as much muscular endurance as 45 minutes of normal cardio training in the subjects as well as substantial increases in anaerobic capacity and aerobic fitness. What is even more surprising about these results is that the test subjects were all athletes and already in excellent shape and still experienced these improvements in their fitness levels!

So what does a four minute workout look like? The typical tabata workout follows the formula of eight rounds of intense training for 20 second intervals of intense training followed by 10 seconds of rest. It may sound easy but some people swear it feels like the longest four minutes of their lives!

You can learn more about Tabata Training at tabatatraining.org and intervaltraining.net.

Want to see Tabata in action or try it out? Check out this video! If you've got four minutes today, skip the couch potato club and do a session of this super-powered cardio! Ready, set, go!

Image source: Georgia Magazine

PGX & Julia Havey's Call to Arms: Fight to End Obesity!

How can we make obesity a thing of the past? The answer does not lie in a weight loss drug. 

The other day I found an article over at The State Column, FDA warns against second attempts at weight loss drug approvals, and I started to think.

Obesity is a huge problem in the US. It's an issue we must address, not only to help save individual lives but also to help our economy. However, I don't know a single person who is obese or overweight because they are lacking Qnexa or any drug that companies are feverishly trying to develop and market.

According to that article, "about 35 percent of Americas are obese, creating a tremendous need for weight-loss therapies." But the solution to obesity does not lie in a chemical with side effects that can cause eye problems, fetal toxicity… When you see the list of potential side effects, would you really risk all that for a possible short cut to weight loss? Especially when the real solution is safe and possible for everyone!

So what if one were to drink water rather than soft drinks? What if one were to consume healthy portions of real foods such as oatmeal, lean protein, fruit, vegetables, and get 30 minutes of exercise a day. Add 2.5-5 grams of PGX into the mix to ensure a good daily intake of fiber, satiety and blood sugar stability and you've got quite the recipe for health! What if that scenario became the norm? Would we need Qnexa, or would we do just fine on our own? We would do just fine on our own!

A lifestyle change can be daunting but, I think, much less terrifying than the possibility of serious side effects from weight loss drugs. I don’t know about you, but I would rather avoid any possible side effects commonly associated with the diet drugs of today and those in the works for tomorrow. The choice is yours but I urge you to choose wisely because, literally, your life depends upon it!

Instead of waiting for the FDA nod to ingest something as potentially dangerous as Qnexa, try the less risky route. Make a healthy lifestyle change! Don't know how to start? PGX and I are here to help you,100 percent free -- free of charge and free of dangerous side effects. Sign up for free e-books, recipes, access to nutritional support at a simple click of the mouse.

Not eating fast food won't kill you. You are going to have to do a little bit of work on your own and make that first step to change. But no worries, I am right here to help you along the way!

Julia

Image Sources: The New York Times, Julia Havey

Looking for ready made 'diet-friendly' foods? Think twice before you buy.

We've all seen them before: breakfast bars and shakes, meal replacement smoothies, reduced fat, reduced sugar frozen treats, ready made salads... Diet food. But do these foods actually help our journeys to healthier weights, or do they hinder them? A recent study from Purdue University takes a look at how these foods affect your efforts to lose weight...

Read the article at the Daily Record online.

Image source: Twins that Blog

We've got a special shout out to our California PGX fans!

Where will you be in January? Check out our upcoming PGX events featuring Dr. Michael Murray!

Ever wanted to know how you can achieve extreme wellness? This coming January, Dr. Murray will be visiting Whole Foods Market and Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins in Glendale, California and talking about extreme wellness! Don't miss these fabulous and very informative events!

Upcoming Dr. Michael Murray Lectures

Whole Foods Market, Glendale (Consumer Seminar)

Date: January 24th 2012

Time: 12 pm to 1pm

Topic: Extreme Wellness

Location: 331 N. Glendale Ave., Glendale, CA 91206

Lassens Natural Foods & Vitamins (Consumer Seminar)

Date: January 25th 2012

Time: 6:30pm to 9pm

Topic: Extreme Wellness

Location: The Residence Inn Oxnard River Ridge, 2101 West Vineyard Ave., Oxnard, CA 93036

We hope to see you there! Image source: The Fab Day