Leigh Matthews, Author at PGX®

Cooking With Kids

Written by Leigh Matthews - Posted on 8 June 2015

Cooking With Kids: How to Get Kids Into the Kitchen

Teaching kids to make tasty and nutritious food from an early age helps to set them up for a long and healthy life. Getting your kids into the kitchen isn’t easy though, especially when you have to fight against video games, and smartphones to get your kids’ attention.

The trick is to make something that seems desperately boring, look like a lot of fun.

Harness Childhood Curiosity

This is where you can use the power of natural childhood curiosity. Together, take a trip to the grocery store and pick out the weirdest, fun looking vegetables and fruits. Work with your kids to design a meal around the foods they’ve picked, and use the opportunity to teach your kids about the vitamins and minerals in those foods, and how they help them grow. By learning to associate healthy food choices with having enough energy to do their favourite things, and grow up big and strong, kids are more likely to end up as adults with healthy habits.

Get Crafty!

Combine cooking with craft-time by making potato stamps (don’t eat the potatoes after!), using beet juice as a natural paint or dye, or simply by painting a picture of the inside of a tomato or pomegranate. You can also put a range of fruits and vegetables into a covered box with a hole for your hand and ask your kids to take turns working out what each one is, simply by feel and touch.

Challenge Your Kids – Junior Masterchef-Style

Once your kids are a little older, let them loose with your cookbooks and challenge them! Encourage them to come up with new and improved names for the recipes, or to switch out ingredients for things they think are healthier or tastier. For really adventurous kids, create your own version of Masterchef by giving them some basic ingredients and asking them what they’d make. Then put on your apron, and help them make it!

Give Up (some!) Control

To get younger kids more engaged with the process of choosing healthy foods, have them help you make their lunches for school. Present your kids with a range of healthy options and have them pack their own lunchbox – they might surprise you! This can mean giving them a range of healthy dips, a choice of vegetable crudités, and different protein options for sandwiches such as smoked tofu, houmous, or black bean burger crumbles. By around grade 5 kids are old enough to be taking full responsibility for what they pack into their lunchbox, but make sure you’re on hand to answer any questions about balance and nutrition.

Take the Pressure Off for Picky Eaters

Giving kids a sense of control can also be great for picky eaters. When kids feel like they have choices, they’re more likely to try new and different foods.You might find that by simply presenting a novel food as an option time and again, instead of repeatedly pressuring a child to try something, they may choose to give it a go one day on their own.

Give the Gift of Food

Kids are also more likely to try something they helped prepare, and more likely to value that food if it took a little while to make. This can work really well if you’re cooking as a family or making food-based gifts for a special occasion. Try inviting your child to help make grandma’s favourite food, or something none of you have tried before, and return the favour by helping them to make their favourite food another time. This gives kids the chance to see you having fun with food while being adventurous and generous.

And, finally, remember that if you want your kids to learn how to make healthy food, you have to take things slow and be prepared for some hilarious disasters and bizarre meals along the way!

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Routines: Good Habits for Good Health

Written by Leigh Matthews - Posted on 4 June 2015

Routines: Good Habits for Good Health

Every day we face a seemingly endless stream of decisions; what to wear, what to eat, do I have time for the gym? Over time, these choices can wear us down and lead to what some psychologists have termed ‘decision fatigue’. The result is that we are actually less productive and less happy than we feel we should be, given all our options. The solution? Set up some healthy routines, stop sweating the small stuff, and give your brain a break to focus on the bigger picture.

By establishing a well-thought out schedule that takes care of many of the smaller decisions in life, you can give yourself a reprieve from the continual mental effort of figuring things out as you go. Healthy routines can help you eat well, sleep better, get regular exercise and stay on top of health issues. Basically, if you get into the mindset of seeing more healthy behaviours as akin to brushing your teeth, you’ll expend less mental effort convincing yourself to do them each day, and you’ll feel healthier for it.

Making Healthy Eating a Healthy Habit

Not everything needs to be regimented of course, but if you consistently find that you run out of time to exercise, or run out of fresh vegetables and are living on takeout, it’s probably time to reassess your schedule. If the latter sounds familiar, then set time aside on the weekend to plan your weekly meals, write a shopping list, and figure out which day works best for you to shop.

Knowing your meal schedule can help prevent unnecessary store visits and reduce the temptation to pick up unhealthy snacks. It also saves you from the despair of staring blankly at the open refrigerator when you arrive home tired from work. Having a meal in mind and the ingredients on hand means that you can eat early and have more time to relax with your family.

You might also consider signing up for a Community Service Agriculture (CSA) box to deliver healthy, local, organic fruits and vegetables on a chosen day of the week. Many schemes include recipe ideas involving the contents of the weekly box, providing the added benefit of a healthy new recipe each week. These boxes are also great for kids to learn about different whole foods, and the local food economy. Another healthy habit to get into is to double up on healthy meals and freeze the extra portion so you always have something wholesome and easy on hand.

A Sustainable Sleep Schedule

Getting on top of healthy eating usually means you can start establishing a regular bedtime routine which, in turn, makes it more likely you’ll get a good night’s sleep and wake feeling refreshed. This means you have the energy upon waking to get out of bed and go for a morning run, rather than hitting snooze and feeling guilty.

Having a pre-established, carefully thought out schedule helps you recognize that veering from that schedule equates to self-sabotage, especially if pressing the snooze button makes you late for work, so you skip the gym and breakfast, and grab a coffee and sugary pastry for the road.

Making Healthy Habits Routine

A healthy routine is only a routine if you follow it day in day out, so don’t miss more than two days in a row, and aim to get to a point where healthy behaviours are the new norm. If you know that you have problems being accountable only to yourself, create a schedule where you are also accountable to someone else. This might mean having a jogging partner, or car-pooling with a friend who goes hiking twice a week after work.

Each new day is the chance to start building a winning streak, so get up, stick to your exercise schedule, and drink your morning smoothie packed with healthy fibre, courtesy of PGX®. It might seem unadventurous to eat the same thing for breakfast every weekday, but it will save you from wasting time deliberating over what to eat, while ensuring that you are well nourished and better able to think clearly about the bigger decisions in life, like where to go to college, whether to move across the country, or how to reorganize your novel so it actually makes sense to your editor.

Scheduling Regular Health Check-Ups

On top of the daily routine, make sure to set up a schedule for regular health check-ups, so you don’t find yourself apologizing to your doctor for not having seen them in five years. Making health appointments routine is also a great model for kids as it can help take the fear out of these visits, and allow you to spot any potential problems early.

Health check-ups shouldn’t just be for you and the family though. It’s also wise to schedule routine maintenance on bikes and other sports equipment so that your exercise regimen can stay on track. Also schedule routine maintenance of household appliances, like carbon monoxide detectors, gas boilers, and similar items that have the potential to cause serious health problems. Again, setting recurring reminders for these things, rather than simply assuming you’ll remember, can really help keep you on top of everything without feeling like you’re always forgetting something.

Healthy Habits for Life

Routines might look boring from the outside, I mean, who really wants to admit that they have seven identical pairs of socks and always eat soup on a Tuesday? The truth is though, that following a routine until it becomes a healthy habit can help ensure that you consistently eat nutritious meals, barely skip exercise, keep in touch with friends and family, and still have time for much-needed relaxation.

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How Daily Meditation Supports Body and Mind

Written by Leigh Matthews - Posted on 25 May 2015

How Daily Meditation Supports Body and Mind

For long-term practitioners of meditation, it’s pretty much a given that daily practice benefits both mind and body. Simply making time to meditate can significantly improve our ability to handle stress and cope with the pace of modern life.

Meditation is a great way to learn how to quiet anxious thoughts and create a sense of safety and empowerment that allow us to feel safe and positive when reflecting on past hurts. By practicing meditation regularly, we are better equipped to figure out how to move forward with peace and contentment. Experienced meditators have long recognized the practice of regular meditation as a great way to shield ourselves, to some extent, from the physiological impact of stress.

But how does meditation actually affect the body? Can learning to control our thoughts help to enhance our overall health?

The Benefits of Meditation

For many years the precise physiological effects of meditation have remained relatively elusive, largely because it’s difficult to monitor blood pressure, brain activity, and other factors without being obtrusive to the actual practice of meditation.

Now, thanks to new wireless technology, researchers in California have at last begun to describe the effects of meditation on mind and body, with the publication of a study in the “Journal Frontiers of Human Neuroscience” generating plenty of interest among long-term practitioners of the meditative arts.

The scientists behind this study devised discreet ways to detect the effects of meditation on the autonomic nervous system, the major mediator between mind and body. They recruited 20 experienced meditators, and 20 novices at a week-long wellness retreat and used non-invasive devices to collect data on heart-rate and brain activity during meditation and at rest.

Meditation and Cardiovascular Health

The majority of the volunteers in the California study had small, but significant decreases in blood pressure associated with meditation, despite most having normal baseline blood pressure. The effects of meditation on blood pressure were most pronounced in novices, with an average 3 mmHg decrease; experienced meditators had an average 2 mmHg decrease.

Earlier studies have also shown that practicing transcendental meditation regularly over the longer term can have significant benefits for maintaining healthy blood pressure already with the normal range (Brook et al., 2013), but this is the first time a study has successfully captured the immediate effects of meditation.

The Brain, Pain, and Meditation

The research in California also showed that even on their first day at the retreat novice meditators had significant changes in brain activity during meditation. Both novice and experienced meditators had significant changes in brainwave patterns, with the greatest effects seen in experienced meditators. Novice meditators had noticeable changes in brain activity between their first session at the retreat and their last session.

In one recent review, scientists concluded that meditation can help inhibit or relieve pain perception (Nakata et al., 2014). . Meditation is thought to modulate activity in areas of the brain associated with the perception of pain, including the anterior cingulate cortex, insula, secondary somatosensory cortex, and thalamus.

There is evidence of an association between long-term practice of meditation and anatomical changes in the brain that could influence the perception of pain.

Yoga’s Benefits for Mood Support

Meditation and yoga often go hand in hand, and scientists have recently reported significant psychological benefits of hot yoga (Bikram; a heated form of Hatha yoga). In this study, women who engaged in two 90 minute Bikram yoga sessions each week had greater decreases in anxiety and stress, scores compared to women assigned to a control group.

The California study involved 52 women, aged 25-42, who had slight elevations in anxiety, occasional depression, and high stress scores on a range of tests. None of the women had done any yoga or similar mind-body exercise over the 12 months prior to the study.

Interestingly, the most significant effects were seen in the 11 African American women in the study. Although the study group was small, this does suggest that yoga may be especially beneficial for African American women, where stress tend to be higher than in white women, and where access to and use of mental health resources is often poorer.

So, if you’re affected by stress and anxiety or are living with occasional pain, why not talk to your health care practitioner about the benefits of meditation and yoga?

References

Nakata, H., Sakamoto, K., Kakigi, R. (2014). Meditation reduces pain-related neural activity in the anterior cingulate cortex, insula, secondary somatosensory cortex, and thalamus. Front Psychol, Dec 16;5:1489.

Steinhubl, S. R., Wineinger, N. E., Patel, S., Boeldt, D. L., Mackellar, G., Porter, V., Redmond, J. T., Muse, E. D., Nicholson, L., Chopra, D., Topol, E. J. (2015). Cardiovascular and nervous system changes during meditation. Front Hum Neurosci. 2015 Mar 18;9:145.

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Seven Sneaky Exercises for People Who Hate the Gym

Written by Leigh Matthews - Posted on 20 April 2015

dog running

Hate the gym?

If you’re anything like me, the idea of going to a gym crowded with fitness fanatics is enough to make you break out in a cold sweat rather than a healthy, exercise induced glow. So, if gyms aren’t your thing, or if you face barriers in terms of mobility, finance, comfort and safety, what else can you do to stay active and healthy? One of the best ways to stay active without actively thinking about exercise is to build physical work into your daily routine. To do that, here are seven sneaky exercises for people who hate the gym.

Garden!

Now the sun is out and spring is here, this is the perfect time to dig over flower beds, pull up weeds, and do a dash of hoeing. Year-round, there’s always garden and yard work to do, be it pruning, planting, or raking up leaves. An hour in the garden can get the heart rate up and help keep you limber, and all while you synthesise some vitamin D and commune with nature.

Take the Stairs

If you live in an apartment building, work in a high-rise office, take subways or otherwise encounter the choice between stairs, elevators and escalators, take the time to take the stairs. You’ll likely get to your front door just as quickly, and you’ll be supporting your health and the environment at the same time.

Walk a Dog

If you have the time, love, and inclination to give a forever home to a dog in need, head on over to the local shelter and adopt. You and your new best friend will soon be exploring the neighbourhood on long walks that, if they’re anything like my walks with my pup, are a little like interval training (run, stop, sniff the fire hydrant, run again!). Can’t commit to a new family member for the rest of their life? Sign up as a volunteer dog-walker at the local shelter instead, or offer to take a friend’s dog for a walk.

Wrestle the Kids!

Most kids are bundles of energy, so combine family time with exercise by play-wrestling, having a game of chase, playing an interactive video game, or having an impromptu kitchen dance party. You’ll be improving your fitness, strengthening those laughter muscles, and teaching your kids that exercise can be fun!

Volunteer

Finding time to exercise can sometimes feel like it necessitates a choice between charitable work and personal fitness goals. Combine the two by volunteering with a local organisation that help kids and adults with mobility barriers to engage in physical activity. There’s probably a club near you that needs people to help take kids to swimming lessons, on nature walks, or to interpretative dance classes. Or, see if a local seniors’ home or community centre needs people to help with activities or manual labour, such as grounds-keeping.

Get a Standing Desk

Office workers tend to spend around 75% of their day sitting, Fortunately, research shows that people who switch between a standing and sitting workspace can actually increase productivity and concentration, as well as improve their overall health and wellbeing. In one study, people who spent a week switching every half hour between working standing up and sitting down (using an adjustable workstation) felt less tired, compared to people who sat down all day at work.

Sexercise!

The last suggestion in this list of seven sneaky exercises is the one you’re probably going to like the most: sex. Regular sex can help you and your relationship(s) stay in shape, depending on what you and your partner(s) get up to. In an article published in the open access journal PLoS One in 2013, Julie Frappier and colleagues reported on their study looking at energy expenditure during sexual activity in young healthy, heterosexual couples in Montreal. They found that, on average, men expended 4.2 kcal/min (an average of 101 kCal per sex session), while women expended 3.1 kCal/min (69.1 kCal in total). The researchers concluded that sex could be considered, in some cases, to be a moderate form of exercise equivalent to about a 25-30 minute workout. Anyone keen to make the most of their bedroom workout might consider incorporating planks, bridge, pull-ups, and a little zumba music. See, exercise needn’t be a dull, solitary activity! References Frappier, J., Toupin, I., Levy, J.J., Aubertin-Leheudre, M., Karelis, A.D. (2013). Energy Expenditure during Sexual Activity in Young Healthy Couples. PLoS ONE 8(10): e79342.

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Healthy Desserts You Can Indulge In

Written by Leigh Matthews - Posted on 17 March 2015

healthy desserts recipes

Some people are more than happy to eat a kale salad for dessert, but for anyone with a sweet tooth it can be a little harder to maintain a healthy diet. Not all desserts are laced with sugar and fat however, some are downright good for you! As well as healthy desserts you can indulge in, there are plenty of easy ways to turn a decadent dessert into a nutrition powerhouse, without losing any of the flavour or sumptuousness.

Simple Substitutions for Healthy Desserts

Here are just a few simple substitutions for the highly calorific ingredients often found in dessert recipes:

Mashed banana or apple sauce for sugar (reduce overall liquid in the recipe)
Cinnamon and vanilla extract for sugar
Flaxseed (1tbsp) mixed with water (4tbsps) to replace one egg
Almond meal mixed with apple juice for frosting
Dried fruit or cacao nibs for chocolate chips
Refrigerated coconut cream for heavy cream
Soy or almond milk curdled with apple cider vinegar for buttermilk

With these replacements you can turn muffins, cookies, cheesecakes and all sorts of desserts into vitamin and mineral packed, reduced calorie, reduced fat healthy indulgences.

Eating the Rainbow

Plenty of desserts are simply healthy to start with, such as rainbow popsicles made with an array of brightly coloured, antioxidant rich fruits such as watermelon, pineapple, oranges, kiwis, blueberries and strawberries. Just puree and freeze the fruits in sequence and you’ll have popsicles even your kids will love, with no added sugar!

To make them a little more like creamsicles, mix coconut cream with the pureed fruit – they will take a bit longer to freeze though.

You can also make rainbow fruit skewers – perfect for kids birthdays and for Pride!

Moroccan Spiced Oranges

Moroccan spiced oranges is another healthy dessert that can be made in minutes. Peel and slice 6 oranges into half-inch pieces, and mix with 1/4 cup slivered almond, 1/3 cup chopped pitted dates, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, and 1tbsp of coconut sugar if you like things a little sweeter. Cover and chill for 5 minutes before serving.

A Healthy Raw Dessert

There are even healthy desserts for those who like a good cream pie. Courtesy of Chocolate Covered Katie, you can quickly whip up a <a href=”http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2010/12/06/raw-coconut-cream-pie/”>Raw Coconut Cream Pie</a> that includes coconut meat and raw zucchini, offering a fantastic array of vitamins and minerals, including potassium (great for keeping blood pressure healthy), and beta-carotene (to keep your eyes, ahem, looking good). †

Indulgent Chocolate Seed Balls

Or, how about making some <a href=” http://ohsheglows.com/2013/07/29/super-seed-chocolate-protein-bites/ “>chocolate seed balls</a> like Angela at Oh She Glows? These are choc full of antioxidants and have no added sugar. Simply throw your chosen ingredients into a food processor and when the dough is tacky enough (add a little water or apple juice if it’s too heavy), form the dough into inch-round balls and then freeze for about 15 minutes.

Use a cup of dates to about 3/4 cup of ground nuts and/or seeds, add a 1/4 cup cocoa powder, a dash of vanilla extract (or try peppermint extract!), a 1/4 tsp of cinnamon for a little added sweetness, and a dash of salt.

These nutrient-dense balls can be made nut-free by using a mixture of hemp hearts, chia, pumpkin and sunflower seeds. Use ground almonds for a little more sweetness, and add extra nutritional punch with cacao nibs, spirulina or protein powder (beware adding too much spirulina, lest they end up tasting too healthy!), flaxseed, and unsweetened coconut.

More Healthy Dessert Ideas

Other simple ways to make healthy desserts you can safely indulge in while keeping sugar and fat intake low include those that include plenty of plant fibre and natural sweetness, such as:

Chocolate zucchini bread
Banana bread
Beet brownies
Apple oatmeal muffins
Ground walnuts and dates for pie crust
Apple crumble with a date and oat topping
Black bean chocolate brownies
Pineapple and cashew ice cream

The plant fibre in these desserts helps to reduce their glycaemic index and leave you feeling full and satisfied even when eating fewer calories.† In addition, the nutrients in these plant foods support healthy metabolism and can provide protection against free radical damage.† For a simple way to lower the GI of a recipe and help cut calories, try adding a scoop of PGX* protein, or sprinkle PGX granules onto desserts.

Explore PGX recipes for other healthy options!

*Drink additional water (8 fl. oz.) after ingesting PGX®. If you are taking medications, take one hour prior to or two hours after taking PGX®.

† This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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The Best Exercises You Can Do At Home

Written by Leigh Matthews - Posted on 3 March 2015

home exercise workout

There are plenty of good reasons not to go to the gym, but most of those are not good reasons to skip exercise. If the idea of a gym membership leaves you in a cold sweat, be it for financial reasons, anxiety, health, lack of nearby facilities, or time constraints, then take a look at these simple ways to get a great workout at home.

Reimagine Everyday Objects

The key to an inexpensive and simple home workout is to repurpose household objects into exercise equipment. That way, you’ll save money, space, and the environment!

Some top contenders include:

Walls – we all have them, and they are the ideal back prop. Stand with your back against the wall and bend your knees into a squat. Hold for a minute (or longer) and you’ve just turned your wall into a quadriceps workout tool.

Doorframes – great for isometric exercises. Simply stand in the doorway with your arms extended right and left and push your hands against the doorframe as hard as possible for a minute or so to work out your shoulders, biceps and triceps.

Stairs – for a great calf workout, stand on your tiptoes on the edge of a step and lower your heels as far as you can before pushing back up again. Repeat five to ten times and soon your calf muscles will be fantastically toned.

Chairs – set two dining chairs slightly more than shoulder width apart and use them to do semi-push-ups. Place one hand on each chair while kneeling and then lower yourself down between the chairs. Put a towel under your knees for comfort if you have hardwood floors, and make sure to exhale as you carry out the push-up.

Laundry bag – if household chores are getting in the way of your exercise routine then it’s time to multitask. A heavy laundry bag is an ideal weight for deadlifts. And, if you’re feeling brave, repeat the deadlift when the laundry bag is full of wet laundry as it will be a lot heavier then.

Laundry detergent – those big bottles of laundry detergent are excellent for bicep curls. Save old bottles and fill them with water or sand (which is heavier), and gradually increase the number of repetitions you can do to tone your arms.

Shampoo bottles – everyone has to shower, so why not use the time for a few triceps presses. Just remember to make sure the bottle is closed, raise it above your head with your arm straight up and then lower the bottle down behind your head, keeping your elbow right next to your ears the whole time.

Towels – stepping out of the shower gives you another great opportunity for exercising at home. Fold your towel into a long, thin roll and with your arms straight up at the side of your head hold the towel so that your hands are about 18 inches apart. Pull as hard as you can with each hand and hold the stretch for 5 seconds, repeating the exercise 5 times in each set.

Cans – tinned food is ideal for a home workout as it tells you exactly how much you’re lifting and you’re pretty much always guaranteed to have a couple of cans somewhere in a cupboard. It might not seem much, but doing 15 reps each of bicep curls and triceps presses with a can of beans in each hand will soon have your arms tired and on their way to toned.

PGX* shaker bottles – if you’re making a protein shake with PGX then you may as well use the shaker bottle as an exercise tool. Just like with the cans, you can fill these up and use them for triceps and bicep exercises. Or, if you’re getting really fancy, make sure they’re well sealed and do some controlled arm swings. For daredevils, use tea towels to tie the bottles to both ankles and then do some leg lifts while sitting on a dining chair. Voila! Your smoothie is all shook up!

Other household items you can repurpose as exercise equipment include brooms, water bottles, and paper plates (use them as sliders for your feet when doing gliding abdominal tucks).

Set Up a Training Circuit

Once you’ve figured out your home exercise tools you can set up a training circuit. Running between the kitchen, bathroom, front stoop, and laundry to get to your next set of reps is a great way to mix up your resistance training with some simple cardio.

Get the kids involved and you’ve just saved yourself a whole heap of cash on a family gym membership, as well as having prevented another landfill getting clogged up with discarded dumbbells and exercise bands.

*Drink additional water (8 fl. oz.) after ingesting PGX®. If you are taking medications, take one hour prior to or two hours after taking PGX®

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Heart Health Month

Written by Leigh Matthews - Posted on 23 February 2015

February-is-Heart-Health-Month

February is Heart Health Month, which means we’ll be looking at some simple changes you can make and healthy habits you can adopt to keep your ticker in good working order.

One of the best things you can do for your heart is to exercise regularly. After all, the heart is a muscle, so giving it a good workout help keep it stronger. Staying active can help you maintain optimal health, but it’s essential to talk to your health care practitioner before engaging in any new types of exercise.

Great ways to stay active include:

Going for a 30 minute walk after dinner
Cycling to work and back a couple of days a week (or more!)
Taking the kids swimming, and sneaking in some full lengths while they’re on the water slide
Getting a rebounder trampoline and jogging at home (this is also great for bone density!)
Using a stationary bike (catch up on your audiobooks and podcasts!)
Taking the dog for a lengthy weekend hike
Joining a local tennis club
Going on a treasure hunt with friends around your neighbourhood

How Much Exercise Is Enough?

Ideally, you’re aiming for around 90 minutes of exercise each week that gets your heart rate up a little and leaves you slightly breathless. You can do this in three 30 minute sessions, or a number of shorter sessions – whatever fits your schedule. The important thing is to get up and get moving as even a little extra exercise can help cardiovascular health. All is not lost if you skip the gym one day, just make up a little time by going for a short walk after dinner and getting off transit a stop earlier the next day.

Stay Safe and Start off Slow

For anyone returning to exercise after being ill or inactive for a while, it is a good idea to start off slowly and gradually increase your level of exertion. Not only does this reduce the shock to your system, it will also help you keep motivated as you’ll see an increase in fitness.

It’s unrealistic and unhelpful to expect to go from the couch to champion swimmer overnight. Setting reasonable goals can help you avoid frustration, as can partnering up with a friend so you can help motivate each other.

Shaping Up for Heart Health

Another great way to look after heart health is to maintain a healthy body weight. This looks different for all of us, but the benefit of carrying around less adipose (fat) tissue includes help for maintaining healthy inflammatory responses and optimal heart health.

Nutrition for Heart Health

Like any muscle, the heart needs a good intake of protein, essential fats, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and other antioxidants. Making sure you eat a predominantly plant-based diet that contains plenty of phytonutrients and fibre, with little refined sugar or unhealthy fats can help keep your appetite satisfied and your nutrient intake high while keeping calories low.

To help maintain energy while exercising, try fuelling up with a PGX protein shake before you begin!

Like us on Twitter and Facebook for more heart healthy tips!

Drink additional water (8 fl. oz.) after ingesting PGX®. If you are taking medications, take one hour prior to or two hours after taking PGX®.

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5 Healthy Ways to Lose Weight Over Winter

Written by Leigh Matthews - Posted on 22 January 2015

5 Ways to Lose Weight from PGX If the winter marks the time of year where you’re more likely to stay indoors and drink hot chocolate by the fire rather than exercise, it might be time to learn to love snowshoeing, overhaul your diet, and borrow a dog. Read on for 5 healthy ways to lose weight over winter.

1. Make Exercise Fun!

Many of us find it difficult to exercise for exercise’s sake, meaning that over the cooler months we pack on the pounds, lose some of our fitness, and feel more sluggish and unhealthy.

Rather than concentrating on what the weighing scale says, focus on having fun and staying active and soon you’ll stop seeing your skis as a guilt-trip and start seeing them as your passport to fun! All it takes is a little change of mindset, so to avoid unhealthy weight gain and stay healthy and fit over winter, how about:

Exercising to socialize! Start a snowshoeing or cross-country skiing club with friends old and new!
Finding out of the way hot-springs that you have to hike into – the perfect reward for your efforts!
Getting the right equipment – if you have gear that’s a pain to use, you won’t use it, so invest in your success!
Signing up as a volunteer dog-walker at your local shelter – or taking your friends’ pups on hikes if you can’t commit full-time to an animal companion
Checking out your local community center for badminton, tennis, squash, swimming or indoor volleyball opportunities – you’ll be in great shape for beach volleyball!

Of course, it’s not all about exercise, especially as it can be tempting to indulge in warming comfort foods in winter. Pies, puddings, and other hearty fare typically contain an excess of calories from simple carbohydrates and fats and, added to the excess alcohol and treats that you’re likely to consume over the festive period, this can see you starting out the new year with a few more pounds than you might like.

2. Try Plant Proteins

One great way to stay in shape over winter is to try plant proteins. Vegetables, fruits, grains, nuts, legumes and seeds are all great sources of protein and, unlike meat and dairy, plant proteins are accompanied by fibre, phytonutrients and healthy fats, in addition to essential vitamins and minerals.

Some great choices include:

Quinoa – 8g of protein per cup, excellent added to salads and baked goods
Buckwheat – 6g of protein per cup, a great substitute for regular flour
Hempseed – 10g of protein per 2 tbsps, great for salads, yoghurts, cookies, and smoothies
Chia seed – 4g of protein per 2 tbsps, add to salads, smoothies and desserts
Rice and beans – 7g of protein per cup
Spirulina – 4g of protein per tbsp, add to smoothies and energy bars

3. Know Your Nuts

Many weight-loss articles say to eat nuts as a health snack, but there are so many types of nut available and they can have wildly different calorie counts.

For example, 200 calories equals:

8 walnuts
10 macadamia nuts
10 pecans
22 cashews
22 peanuts
29 almonds
62 pistachios

So, when you’re snacking on nuts, mix it up so you get a good intake of nutrients from a variety of nuts, but don’t go overboard on calories.

4. Substitute High Calorie for Low Calorie, Nutrient Dense Foods

Cutting calories can quickly lead to a cut in essential nutrients, so it pays to learn some handy substitutions that mean you’re still getting the vitamins and minerals you need but without the surplus energy.

Some great nutritious replacements to consider include:

Cacao nibs for chocolate chips
Chia seeds for butter in baking – 2-3 tbsps chia soaked in a cup of water for 15 mins can replace a cup of butter
Mashed banana (1 cup) for a cup of oil or butter
1 cup pureed avocado for 1 cup butter
1 cup unsweetened apple sauce for 1 cup sugar (ideal for oatmeal cookies, just reduce the rest of the liquid by about a 1/4 cup)

5. Increase Fibre and Water Intake

Our wintertime food cravings are often the result of dehydration as many of us forget to drink enough water over the cooler months. Staying hydrated with herbal teas, mulled apple juice (in moderation), and warm water with lemon slices can help take the edge off hunger as well as help keep metabolism working nicely.

Along with drinking enough water, a good intake of fibre can also help combat food cravings. To help you feel full while cutting calories increase your fibre intake by eating more fresh fruits and vegetables, pulses, legumes, and whole grains. You can also add PGX to your morning oatmeal or cereal, as well as in soups and stews, or simply mix it with a glass of water or juice and you’ll get that same satisfied feeling of fullness but with significantly fewer calories.

*Remember to drink additional water (8 fl. oz.) after ingesting PGX. If you are taking medications, take one hour prior to or two hours after taking PGX.

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Strategies for Seasonal Meals – Resisting Temptation to Avoid Holiday Weight-Gain

Written by Leigh Matthews - Posted on 17 December 2014

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The holidays are a great time to enjoy fantastic food in good company, but for some of us it can be difficult to maintain healthy eating habits and avoid over-indulgence. Edible gifts, office parties, and seasonal markets typically mean calorie dense, but nutrient-poor food choices, which can lead to temporary, undesirable and unhealthy seasonal weight-gain, lethargy, and ill-health.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to ensure that your diet includes plenty of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and fiber to enhance energy, support boost immunity, and prevent undesirable weight gain.

Top Tips to Stay Health at Office Parties

Office party buffets are almost always loaded with saturated fat, salt, simple carbohydrates, sugar and pro-inflammatory, artery clogging animal products. If you’re on a diet it may be tempting to avoid the party altogether, but with a few simple strategies you too can socialize and quaff champagne without feeling hungry as you pick at a lackluster salad.

For the organizers and planners among you, try having a discussion in advance with the party organizer. Request more nutritious options that will actually enhance employee health, and perhaps find a few local catering companies that provide healthy business buffets. Or, how about suggesting a potluck where everyone brings their favorite healthy seasonal dish?

If these aren’t options then consider eating before the party or taking some high protein and high fiber foods to add in to the fruit and vegetable dishes on offer. Great options include falafel, nuts and seeds, seasoned chickpeas, hemp hearts, and PGX granules.

The food at the office party may be free, but you’ll pay for it later if it’s unhealthy and leaves you feeling temporarily sluggish, ill, and bloated.

Avoiding Comfort Eating During the Holidays

Seasonal stress can sabotage a healthy diet, but instead of grabbing the nearest high-fat, high-sugar, salty and nutrient-poor foods during times of stress, try to plan ahead and have delicious things on hand that actually nourish your brain and support elevate mood.

Some key nutrients to consider in mood-boosting foods include those that reduce the production of cortisol, such as:

Phosphatidylserine – found in beans and barley
Vitamin C – found in mandarins and other fresh fruits and vegetables
Omega 3 fatty acids – found in nuts, seeds, and some oily fish and algae

Other nutrients that can be helpful during the holidays include 5-HTP and theanine. These amino acids have mood-boosting and relaxing effects and can significantly reduce the temptation to use food as a coping mechanism for occasional stress. Theanine is found in green tea (and black tea), or in supplement form without the caffeine.

5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) has been found to have appetite-suppressing effects because it can increase feelings of satiety and help lessen comfort eating. This amino acid is present in bananas, kiwi fruit, sour cherries, plums and tomatoes, as well as flaxseeds and beans. It’s also available in supplement form and is a popular supplement for occasional winter blues, which can also play a role in winter weight-gain.

Filling Up on Fiber

Finally, one great way to avoid overeating during the holidays is to give fiber intake a boost. Fiber is necessary to keep the bowel healthy, but it also slows down the rate at which the carbohydrates in food are broken down, thereby supporting better blood sugar regulation. In turn, this helps us to manage appetite and decrease cravings related to erratic glucose and insulin levels.

PGX granules are a great way to boost fiber intake on the go as they can be added into yogurt, smoothies, juice and water, and even sprinkled on cereal, salads and in soups. This innovative fiber complex has been found in studies to help people better balance blood sugar, reduce food cravings, and achieve weight management goals. Just make sure to drink additional water (8 fl. oz.) after ingesting PGX®, and, if you are taking medications, take one hour prior to or two hours after taking PGX®.

The holidays need not be a time of worry, especially over maintaining healthy eating habits. Plan in advance and avoid hunger and stress. With just a few seasonal strategies for healthy eating, you can approach the office party, family dinners, and other events with confidence.

What are your top tips for staying healthy during the holidays? Let us know in the comments below!

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5 Cold Weather Exercise Tips

Written by Leigh Matthews - Posted on 2 December 2014

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As the hours of daylight drop in winter so can our enthusiasm for exercise, and even the most hardened runners and cyclists can have a tough time when the temperature plummets. Staying active in the cooler months helps to improve our energy levels and mood, though, so to help you stay safe and on the move here are 5 top tips for cold weather exercise.

Layer Up!

You may be surrounding by people grumbling about the cold but once you start climbing that hill you’ll soon be working up a sweat. Layers aren’t just for the fashionable, they’re essential for exercising in the fall and winter as multiple layers means you can quickly cool down during a strenuous stretch and then seal in that heat by adding a layer of clothing as you barrel down the hill into an icy wind.

Warm Up and Warm Down!

Your muscles will really complain if you go from a cold standstill to a demanding full out run. Make sure to do at least five minutes of stretching, increasing in intensity, before even thinking about tackling that hill on your bike or running around the seawall. Then, when you get home, make sure to stretch again as otherwise your muscles can cool down too quickly and cramp up.

Get Reflective!

It’s always good to reflect on your actions, but that’s not what this tip is about. Make sure you are visible to drivers and other road users by sticking strategically placed reflective strips on your bike panniers, cycling clothes, running shoes, bike helmet, and even your backpack, especially if you tend to run at dawn or dusk as these are times when poor visibility and tired eyes increase the risk of accidents.

Buddy Up!

Not only is it easier to rouse yourself from a warm and cosy bed when you know your running partner is waiting for you, it’s also a good idea to avoid running alone in the dark. Consider joining a running group for motivation and safety, or at least make sure someone knows your route and that you have a check-in buddy for the end of your run.

Get a Grip!

Your summer cycling and running gear might not be best suited to exercising in winter, when roads and sidewalks can become slippery with frost and ice. Treat yourself to some shoes with a better grip, and check the tread on your bike tires to make sure you’re not liable to slip and slide.

These are just a few ways of staying safe and active when exercising in cold weather, but don’t forget that this is the perfect time of year to try out something new. Maybe you can switch your daily runs for indoor climbing. Perhaps it’s time to try out seasonal sports like cross-country skiing or snowboarding. Or, how about joining a snowshoeing group so you can see those hills and mountains in a whole new light?

What’s your favorite way to stay fit during winter months? Let us know in the comments below!

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