Another fabulous (and easy!) PGX SatisFast shake recipe from nutritionist, Kristin Metvedt, RHN.

Made with PGX SatisFast's delicious French Vanilla flavour and coconut water, try this new shake recipe from Kristin Metvedt! Nutritional sidenote: Coconut water from young coconuts provides minerals and electrolytes that provide valuable nutrition, so this smoothie is both yummy and healthy!

Ingredients:

• 240 ml  100% pure coconut water (e.g. O.N.E. Coconut Water or Blue Monkey Pure coconut water)
• 60 ml cold water
• 1 scoop PGX Satisfast French Vanilla
  
• Option: 2 ice cubes

Method:

1. Measure liquids into a shaker or blender cup.
2. Add 1 scoop of PGX Satisfast Very Vanilla. If using a blender, add 1-2 ice cubes if desired.
3. Shake or blend until smooth.
4. Drink an additional glass of water (375-500 ml) after taking PGX.

Nutritional Information:

Each serving contains: 146 calories; 1 g fat; 23 g carb (2g fibre, sugar 11 g); 10 g protein; 220 mg sodium; 330 mg potassium.

Have questions for Kristin about the smoothie? Or a nutrition question? Ask her here!

Enjoy!

Image source: http://secretsofnaturalhealing.blogspot.ca

Another post from Richard Martinez on how he's making time for Movement with the help of a Plan, Music & PGX!

From the man that brought you Movement, Music & PGX, comes some easy tips on how to motivate yourself to maintain your weight loss goals!

Now that school is back in session we all have a lot less time on our hands. We have to think about things like packing lunches and backpacks, ensuring that homework is done and getting the kids to school on time. Throw on top of that guitar lessons, soccer, baseball training and, before you know it, you're left with little time for yourself and your workouts.

As a result, it's easy to forget about your workout routine and rely on takeout for nutrition. But I'm here to tell you: don’t do this. Stop yourself right now! It will only result in you losing ground in your weight loss journey.  

Fortunately for me, PGX continues to be a part of my diet. I take it right before every meal and I have not felt the need to have seconds of anything. However, over the past few weeks, I've been overwhelmed with work and have been finding it incredibly difficult to get back into my workout routine. But I promised myself that I would not falter. I kept reminding myself about all that progress that I've made and I remembered how great it felt to lose 50 pounds. (And, by the way, I haven’t gained any of it back!)

Time is precious and I’d rather spend any extra time I have with my sons. So, as is required of parents sometimes, I quickly devised a plan. I scheduled a 30 minute bike ride into my calendar on my iPhone and, by increasing the tension on my stationary bike, I worked out my muscles and still burned fat as the same rate as when I was doing about an hour on the bike before. And guess what? Keeping a shedule, is working.

With that said, you can’t forget about the music! I never do. So, in this series I’ll tell you that I’ve been really into what label owner, Veronika Vasika, is doing with her archive label, Minimal Wave. My interest was sparked when I recently had a chance to see her at New Forms Festival 12. Since then, I’ve been listening to her compilations Minimal Wave Tapes 1 and Minimal Wave Tapes 2 and each compilation is filled with great beats and pulsing rhythms to get your heart moving and give some extra push during your workout!

Image source: Amazon

Feeling thirsty PGX'ers? Drink water!

Skip the sugary drinks!

When you are really thirsty, what better drink to quench that thirst but water? As delicious as juices and sodas can be, they are almost always loaded with sugar. Check out this visual comparison! From left to right: soda, fruit nectar, sports drinks, orange drinks, juice punch, and water!

Muscles cramping after your workout? Drink more water?

Just the other day, my dad mentioned to me how he woke up in the middle of the night with a severe leg cramp. It didn't sound like a lovely way to wake up and roll over for a new comfortable spot on the pillow, that's for sure! Why did this happen? Well, here's a little back story to the midnight muscle cramp episode...

My dad exercises regularly and like any good workout, it leads to a healthy sweat. Post workout, he, like anyone else who exercises, feels thirsty; that need to replenish the water and electrolytes the body looses. He would satisfy that thirst with water and cue end of workout session. So what went wrong? Why did that severe muscle cramp happen? I suggested to him that he was short on electrolytes in his system due to his vigorous exercise routine and needed to replenish them. As excellent as it is for you, water just isn't enough when you need electrolytes.

What can you do to get more electrolytes? There is the usual option of sports drinks such as Gatorade. But these drinks, as our visual diagram shows, are full of sugar. If you want to replenish your electrolytes without all the excess sugar of sports drinks, try to get them through nutrition! Make sure you are getting enough potassium (banana's anyone?), calcium and magnesium by eating the right foods.

For potassium, try eating bananas. Potassium is an excellent mineral, promoting a healthier metabolism, balanced blood pressure and better nerve health! Since my father increased his potassium intake by adding more bananas to his diet, he has been able to avoid episode two of severe muscle cramps without affecting his exercise routine! Did you know that baked potatoes can be a good source of potassium as well?

Calcium and magnesium-rich foods are also useful in restoring your electrolytes and can be included in your diet by drinking milk and by eating more leafy green vegetables, cheese, kale, broccoli, nuts, and avocados (just a few examples).

Want to learn more about restoring your electrolytes the natural, less sugar-laden way? Check out LIVESTRONG's article, How to Restore Electrolytes in My Body Naturally.

Image found on Tumblr. Original source unknown.

Welcome back to Weight-Wise Wednesday with a look at proper fitness technique at the gym!

PGX takes a look at how doing an exercise with the correct form could make all the difference to the outcome of your routine.

We've all been there. You're eating well, you're fitting in regular exercise sessions but for some reason, your workout routine is just not working for you. Chances are, a small mistake, such as not taking a long enough rest period, as explained by shape.com, is coming between all your hard work and the results you derserve! So, let's master those moves!

Shape.com's list includes:

• Proper posture on cardio machines
• How to correctly execute sit-ups on an exercise ball
• Working on your core to improve your form in all areas of your workout
• Proper kettleball technique
  

All it takes are a few tiny adjustments to your form. So, adjust, apply and get out there PGX'ers and show those exercises who's boss!

Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adriarichards/2798736890/

Master Motivator, Julia Havey, and PGX want to help you pursue a healthier lifestyle.

Last night, while watching TV, I took notice of a commercial that came on several times. The commercial was advertising a product that salvages saggy couch cushions. It sounded like a pretty good invention: plastic boards that you place underneath the cushions which reinforce the cushions’ foam so that you won't sink into the couch. I went along with the concept until they demonstrated how they tested out their product. At this point, they brought out a 400 lb. and a 600 lb. sumo wrestler and claimed that the newly reinforced couch “was able to hold 1000 pounds of sumo!” Unfortunately, rather than telling a 400 lb. and 600 lb. person to pursue a healthier lifestyle, we are creating products that will simply bear the burden.
 
There is an economic relationship between obesity and expenses, such as the costs of diabetic tools like blood sugar monitoring, needles, and insulin. So, instead of putting your money towards fixing your couch, I would rather you spend that money on a new gym membership or a home exercise video.
 
Or you could let me and PGX help you lose weight for FREE! You don't have to pay shipping or handling and through my free program, endorsed by Dr. Oz and Dr. David Katz, I can help you lose up to 50 lb. in the next 26 weeks and it won't cost you a dime!
 
Julia