Healthy Eating Hacks

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Healthy Eating Hacks

If you think eating a healthy diet means eating meals that you don’t like, think again! Fresh, nutrient dense food packs much more flavor than nutrient poor or overly processed options, hands-down. With a little creativity, you can boost the nutritional value of all your favorite recipes – and still enjoy eating them.

Get started with these healthy eating hacks:

Add Colour

Adding naturally colorful foods to your meals will make them more appealing and flavorful. For a colourful flavour punch try the following: raw beet cubes into your salad, fresh strawberry slices on your oatmeal, chopped red bell pepper in your scrambled eggs!

Dessert-ify Your Day

Nothing appeals to your tastebuds quite like a sweet treat – ans they don’t even need to be calorie laden, sugar-filled treats to entice either! Curb mid-day hunger with quinoa cocoa balls, wake up to breakfast cookies, or treat yourself to a Rich Chocolate PGX® Satisfast™ Whey Protein drink anytime.

Sneak in Veggies

If your mom can sneak veggies into your meals, so can you. Substitute steamed cauliflower for one third of the cheese in baked mac & cheese, spread a layer of mashed yam under the tomato sauce on your pizza, or add half a cup of frozen cooked squash to your banana smoothie.

Healthy Ingredient Swap

Swap the mayo in your sandwich for a spread of homemade hummus, swap out French fries for baked sweet potato spears, or swap the sour cream in your homemade onion dip for plain Greek yogurt.

How do you make your healthy meals taste delicious? Let us know in the comments section below.

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The Benefits of Biking

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The Benefits of Biking

I’d like to preface this post with the admission that I do not consider myself a hardcore cyclist by any means. Although I rarely get out and about on my bike these days, I have cycled from Montreal to Vancouver, BC. As such, I know that one of the major benefits of biking is getting to see a country in a way that simply isn’t possible when driving.

Biking for Your Mind

Cycling is a great way to learn to go slow and appreciate the little things, especially in a big country like Canada or the US. Days spent cycling across the prairies lend themselves to mindful reflection. The big skies foster big thoughts, helping to push away the daily grind of answering emails, taking calls, making to-do lists and feeling overwhelmed by the minutiae of life.

Cycle-touring also offers a crash course in prioritizing, valuing, and jettisoning material possessions. When your thighs are burning as you ascend a mountain on your bike, it’s a good time to really consider whether it was necessary to hold onto that sweater, book, or metal paperweight in the shape of a cat. Being able to pack light, leave unnecessary baggage behind and make do with what you find on the road is good practice for life in general.

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Biking for Your Body

In addition to the psychological benefits, cycling is fantastic all-round exercise. You can go at your own pace, meaning that it is easy to gradually increase your fitness level by choosing a short route that avoids steep hills initially, and working up to conquering the mountains (if you so wish). It is also low impact, so it’s ideal for runners who want to maintain their cardiovascular fitness without constantly jolting their joints.

The health benefits of biking include:

  • Improving overall muscle tone and strength
  • Increasing stamina (helping with other fitness and leisure activities)
  • Enhancing cardiovascular fitness and heart health
  • Supporting mental health by decreasing stress
  • Aiding weight management (burns about 300 calories an hour)
  • Enhancing joint flexibility and coordination

Biking for Your Environment

Not only does cycling help to keep cars off the road, thereby reducing air pollution, it also leads to healthier, happier employees. Many companies actually offer incentives, both financial and otherwise, for people who regularly cycle to work. Some companies will even give employees a rebate for a new bike as part of their commitment to health and the environment. So, be sure to ask your colleagues about any such initiatives, or help your company set up a program so that everyone can experience the benefits of cycling!

Biking for Your Enjoyment!

Cycling is an enjoyable way to incorporate exercise into your daily routine; you’re more likely to exercise when it’s fun! Getting the whole family to cycle to school and work together is also a wonderful way to keep kids active and healthy. Just be sure everyone is wearing a helmet and reflective gear

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Summer Family Fitness: 5 Ideas

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Summer Family Fitness: 5 Ideas

We all know that ingraining healthy habits in kids is important for their health as adults, but what can you do to keep the whole family active in summer? If your kids are more inclined to spend their summer break inside playing video games or chatting with friends online, it’s time for emergency measures.

Here are five ways to stay fit with the whole family this summer:

1. Stay Playful!

How many cartwheels can you do in a row? Who’s up for some tug of war? Is your sidewalk crying out for a hopscotch race? Who’s the best at hide and seek? Can you finish a pillow-case race?

Staying active doesn’t always have to include well known, heart-pumping activities like swimming, hiking or sports. Create little games or challenges throughout the day for bursts of healthy fun, and your whole family – mom and dad included – will be getting lots of fun-loving exercise.

2. Indulge Their Whims!

Kids are fickle creatures, so if you want to encourage them to be healthy, indulge their whims. This might mean taking a spontaneous trip to the lake to swim, to the beach to play volleyball, or to the local courts to play tennis as soon as you get home from work, and why not? A couple of minutes into it, and you’ll be enjoying spending time with your kids, while feeling good about getting exercise.

3. Learn Together

What have you always wanted to learn? Tap dancing, karate, kayaking? Summer is the perfect opportunity to engage your kids in something new, as they’re likely to be looking for ways to avoid boredom. So seize the opportunity and sign up for a fun, new activity with your kids!

4. Bike! Bike! Bike!

Teaching kids to cycle, biking with kids in tow, or going for a family bike ride, are all great ways to stay active in summer. Getting out and about on two wheels will also help give your kids a sense of independence and freedom!

5. Make Yard Work Fun

No, seriously. Chores may not sound very fun, but it’s all in how you frame it. Ask your kid if they’d like to build a new pond in the back yard, or set up a picnic bench. What about planting a new row of their favourite vegetable, or building a basketball net, treehouse, or obstacle course? Yard work can be a lot of fun with kids!

The beauty of exercising with kids is their ability to turn everyday things into playful, bonding activities. Their constant state of wonder, and their willingness to try new things, allow them to find the fun in just about anything.

Have you found any ingenious ways to shake up your routine and stay fit with the kids in summer? Let us know in the comments below!

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What to do With all That Fresh Fruit!

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What to do With all That Fresh Fruit!

Melons, plums, blueberries, peaches, strawberries, nectarines, grapes – it’s easy to get carried away in the summer when so many local fruits are fresh and perfectly ripe. While most fruits taste best when eaten at their peak, they do have a tendency to spoil quickly in the warm summer air, leaving you to wonder – what can I do with all this fresh fruit?!

Here are 4 tips for enjoying your fresh fruit for as long as possible:

1. Handle With Care

Every bruise, scratch, or bruise in your fruit will make it more susceptible to spoilage and off taste. Handle your fruit carefully, and avoid the temptation to check its ripeness by squeezing it!

2. Store in a Cool Location

Storing fruit in the low-humidity section of your refrigerator will slow the ripening process and deter the growth of yeasts and molds that accelerate spoilage. Keep your fruit covered or in its packaging to help maintain freshness and prevent damage.

3.Wash it Right Before Eating

Fruit should always be washed to remove unwanted chemicals, dirt, and insects – but wait to give it a good rinse until you’re ready to actually eat it. Washing fruit too early can increase the rate of mold growth, and decrease its shelf life.

4. Freeze Into Smoothie Packs

As hard as you try, fruit can only last so long. But don’t fret – whatever you can’t eat now can be washed, cut, and frozen into single serving smoothie packs. Speed up your prep and boost the flavor and nutritional value of your *PGX® smoothies all year round!

Blueberry Mint Smoothie

Ingredients

Procedure

Measure liquid, mint leaves, and blueberries and pour into a blender. Add 2 scoops of Double Chocolate SlimStyles® Meal Replacement Drink Mix, then secure the lid and blend until ingredients are well mixed.

What’s your favourite fruit to eat this summer? Let us know how you keep it fresh in the comments section below.

*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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Summer Sippers: 4 Healthy Beverages

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Summer Sippers: 4 Healthy Beverages

Chilled, fruity beverages are a pleasing way to cool down on a hot day. These 4 healthy and hydrating options will help you beat the heat this summer:

1. Iced Green Tea

This classic summer thirst buster will give you a gentle energy boost and a burst of antioxidants.

Directions: Brew 1L (4 cups) of strong green tea, strain, and allow to cool. Transfer to a glass jug, add about six slices of lemon, and store in the refrigerator for up to two days. For optional sweetness add 1-2 tablespoons of honey or agave syrup. Serve over ice.

2. Frozen Fruit Infused Water

Infusing your water with frozen fruit is a healthy and delicious way to stay hydrated and feel like you’re having a summer treat.

Directions: Cut your favorite fruits into large sections and freeze them. Immediately before serving, add at least ½ cup of the fruit each to 2 cups of water. Add ice and enjoy.

Four great combinations to try:

  1. watermelon, raspberry, and blueberry
  2. banana and  pineapple
  3. strawberry, peach, and kiwi
  4. orange and mango

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3. Sparkling Peach Smoothie With PGX®

To help you stay full and energized throughout your busy summer, include French Vanilla SlimStyles Meal Replacement Drink Mix in your summer beverage menu. It contains 4 g of PGX* per serving to help curb cravings and promote healthy blood sugar levels already within the normal range.†

Directions: Measure 250 mL sparkling water and 250 mL regular water into a blender. Add 1 pitted peach and 2 scoops of French Vanilla SlimStyles Meal Replacement Drink Mix. Secure lid and blend until mixed well.

4. Lime Shandy

When your summer social calls for an alcoholic cocktail, but you want to keep it light and hydrating, make a shandy.

Directions: Combine the juice from 3 freshly juiced limes with 500 mL  (2 cups) of sparkling water. Stir in 1 tablespoon of honey or agave syrup until dissolved. Combine with your favorite pale lager in a 1:1 ratio. Add ice, a slice of lime, and enjoy. For a virgin shandy use non-alcoholic beer.

What’s your favorite way to stay hydrated in the summer heat? Let us know in the comments section below.

*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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