PGX is getting weight wise and taking tips from the newly crowned Miss USA 2012!

So what does the newly crowned Miss USA, Olivia Culpo, eat to keep her pageant figure?

I'm not a beauty pageant fan and I almost never watch them. However, every once in a while, when the television air time coincides with a family gathering, we turn it on and start betting on who will win. For the second time that I can ever remember, this happened and we watched the end of the Miss USA competition last weekend, all of us vieing for the prestige of choosing the winner correctly. This year wasn't as much fun since we chose the same girl, Olivia Culpo and this year's Miss USA.

I can imagine that being in a pageant must take quite a bit of discipline, especially when it comes to health. So what does Miss USA eat to keep her trim and toned figure? Shape Magazine shares Olivia's top ten must have snacks that keep her going without piling on the pounds!

Stay awesome everyone!

Image source: Shape Magazine

Check out PGX's posts from the past!

It's been a while since we've shown these articles some love. Rewind and read on for some great content!

Whether you are a new fan or a long time PGX'er, I thought it would be fun to reminisce and do a rewind post! Remember the days of mood rings and scrunchies, dial up internet, Will Smith as the Fresh Prince, cassette tapes and boomboxes? Let's rewind! Okay, maybe we won't be rewinding that far back. Let's just head back a few months into 2011.

Here are five posts from the past...

Sprouted-grains, whole grains, white, 12 grain... What's the difference? If you're memory is like mine, refresh it and read, Getting the Scoop on Sprouted-Grains.

Looking for a fun way to exercise? Relive your childhood and whip out your hula hoops! Hula Hooping Your Way to Health

Whether it's a rising trend or not, Interested in Barefoot Running? Take Baby Steps.

Body oddities! They happen people: hiccups, brain freeze, yawning... Read all about them in Brain Freeze and Other Body Oddities.

Apples with peanut butter is my favourite snack! Spruce it up with Williams-Sonoma's Fancy Apple Sandwiches!

That's all from our mini blast to the past. Stay tuned for more awesome content in the future!

Image source: www.gethatched.ca

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

Explore nut butters with PGX! 

Soy nuts, pecans, walnuts... There's more than just peanut butter to spread on your toast and apples!

In honour of yesterday being Peanut Butter Day, I've decided that today, we should honour the other nuts! Let's show some love to all the cashews, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans and pistachios of the world! Try something different like almond soy nut butter! Keep it healthy with natural, reduced-fat butters and enjoy them on toast or, my favourite, apples!

Want to know more? This Weight Watchers article gives us 'The Skinny on Nut Butters!'

Image source: glutenfreehelp.info

Peanut Butter Crunch Cookie Time!

Celebrate peanut butter and this fabulous day with PGX and a delicious recipe!

Happy National Peanut Butter Day! Yes. It's true. It's National Peanut Butter Day and to celebrate this I've found a healthy and delicious peanut butter recipe! But first, a few facts about peanut butter!

Peanuts are native to the tropics of the Americas and were first mashed into a paste by the Aztecs hundreds of years ago. Over time the paste developed into the creamier peanut spreads we buy today.

In 1884, a patent was issued to Montreal native, Marcellus Gilmore Edson, for the finished product of the process of milling roasted peanuts between heated surfaces until they reached a semi-fluid state - the initial steps to making our modern peanut butter. It's hard to say for sure who invented peanut butter but suffice it to say, it was a group effort between the Aztecs, Edson, George Washington Carver (often credited) and Dr. Ambrose Straub and his peanut butter making machine!

And now, on to that recipe! Taste of Home's Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies are quick, easy to make and are only 56 calories and diabetic friendly!

Who would have thought a cookie could be all that?! One downside to this cookie is its trace amount of fiber. Add PGX into the mix and you've got an even healthier, "fiberful" treat!

Enjoy!

For more healthy peanut butter recipes, visit Taste of Home Peanut Butter Recipes and add your PGX.

Image sources: The Sustainable Scribe , Taste of Home