2016 - Page 3 of 6

Easy to Make Summer Protein: Chickpea Frittata

Written by Leigh Matthews - Posted on 16 August 2016

image-blog-PGX-Easy to Make Summer Protein_ Chickpea Frittata-20160816

Summer protein comes in a whole host of healthy forms, without all the saturated fat found in meat and with more fibre, vitamins, minerals, and polyphenols than some skewered chicken. What’s more, by skipping the grilled meat, you’ll also be minimizing your intake of heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chemicals that form when certain foods are cooked at very high temperatures.

Chickpea Frittata

Chickpea flour is high in protein, tastes delicious, and is gluten free, making it a hit for summer potlucks! This frittata can be eaten straight from the skillet and is also ideal for a fancy picnic if prepared ahead – just let it cool and cut it into slices to serve with a quinoa or wild rice salad.

Ingredients:

1 cup of chickpea flour
2 cups of water
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
Tomatoes
Garlic scapes
Chard
Mushrooms

Directions:

To make the frittata, sauté tomatoes, garlic scapes, chard, and mushrooms in a cast iron skillet.
Mix chickpea flour with water, and add in dried rosemary, salt, and olive oil (use a whisk to ensure there are no lumps of flour).
Pour the chickpea mixture over the vegetables and cook for two minutes over the heat before transferring the skillet to the oven.
Bake for 15 minutes at 375 degrees.
Let stand for two minutes, then ease the frittata out of the skillet in slices.

Summer Protein: Chickpea Frittata

Easy Vegetarian Summer Protein Ideas

Some other excellent options for summer protein include:

Vegetable Skewers With Cubed Tofu

Shallots, zucchini, peppers, mushrooms – the options for vegetable skewers are endless! Simply pick your veggie combo, slide on skewers, add in some firm, cubed tofu, drizzle with your choice of barbecue sauce, and roast away!

Festive, flavourful and full of colour, vegetable skewers are a surefire hit at any summer potluck or BBQ!

English Podded Peas

Delicious raw in a salad, or lightly steamed, English podded peas are also fun for the kids to pick and pop!

Cashew and Beetroot Dip

This dip is as simple as throwing some cashews (soaked overnight and drained) and cooked beets into a food processor, blitzing, and then serving with fresh bread, crackers, or pita.

Falafel Plate

Nothing says summer more than a plate heaped high with fresh falafel, hummus and carrot, celery, and cucumber sticks for dipping!

Sesame Three Bean Salad

Whip up a tasty three bean salad for an easy summer side dish that compliments almost all meals!

Simply combine a handful of kidney beans, pinto beans, and haricot beans into a large bowl. Add in fresh chopped parsley, diced cucumber, peppers, and tomatoes, and drizzle with sesame oil and lemon juice.

Summer Smoothies

Summer is resplendent with wild and organically farmed raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries. Pick your favourite berry combination, add peanut butter, almond milk, and a scoop of PGX vanilla vegan protein, for a 100% plant-based protein drink that tastes delicious!

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How to Work Exercise into Your Vacation

Written by Kara Hamada - Posted on 9 August 2016

How to Work Exercise into Your Vacation

You may find it hard to fit in exercise on your vacation between all the adventuring, exploring, and relaxing you’re doing. But logic dictates that a little maintenance when you’re away will help you stay on track with your long-term health and fitness goals. Luckily, we have a few simple ways to work exercise into your vacation, while still leaving plenty of room for fun and adventure.

Track Your Steps

While playing tourist you will likely be doing a lot of walking, so keeping track of your steps is an excellent way of gauging how much exercise you’re getting. As a basic fitness guideline, aim for a daily minimum of 10,000 steps.

Resistance Bands

Resistance bands are light, easy to travel with and have the ability to give you an awesome full body workout, all within the comfort of your hotel room!

Partner Exercises

The benefits of working out with a partner are pretty great. It’s a fun way to spend time together, you can execute many different types of exercises you aren’t able to do solo, and you can provide each other with motivation when needed. If you’re vacationing with someone, partnering up to get your workouts done can be a refreshing change of pace from your every day routine.

Here are two partner exercises to try:

1. The Abdominal Workout

Lie on the ground and hold your partner’s ankles
Bring your legs straight up while your partner throws your legs down
Try to slow your legs down as quickly as possible without letting them touch the ground

2. Partner Pushups

Face your partner and as he/she goes down into a pushup, follow
When you both push up, reach across and high five each other with your right hand
Repeat the movement, the high five each other with your left hand

Mindful Food Choices

Exercise is key of course, but nutrition is just as important to your long-term health and fitness goals. Try to eat as many whole foods as possible, keep up the fruit and veggie intake, and hydrate often!

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A Complete Light and Healthy Summertime Meal

Written by Kara Hamada - Posted on 26 July 2016

Cooking nutritious, light, and tasty meals, to compliment the hot and sunny days of summer is one of my favourite things to do! Today, I am going to share my go-to healthy summertime meal with you – complete with an appetizer, main dish, and dessert!

1. The Appetizer: A Summer Salad

Starting a meal with dark, leafy greens like spinach is a simple and delicious way to increase your intake of protein, fibre, and minerals.

This summer salad makes use of an assortment of fresh veggies, nuts, dried fruit, and a healthy homemade dressing, for the perfect green appetizer.

Salad Ingredients:

Spinach
Chopped carrots, onions, snap peas, tomatoes
Dried cranberries
Diced avocado
Sliced cashews

Dressing Ingredients:

2 tbsp unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp fresh orange juice

Directions:

Mix all dressing ingredients in a bowl and sprinkle over salad.

2. The Main Dish: Salmon

Salmon is a known superfood boasting omega-3 fatty acids, B vitamins, iron, and more.

Perfectly seared, and paired with grilled asparagus and naturally sweet mashed yams, salmon is the perfect summer meal to leave you feeling full and satisfied, but not heavy.

Ingredients:

Wild-caught salmon
Asparagus
Lemon
Garlic
Olive Oil
Yams

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Line a pan with foil and place salmon skin side down. Rub with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. For every ½ inch of salmon, cook for 4–6 minutes.
While the salmon is cooking, rinse and chop off the hard ends of asparagus. Mix with olive oil, lemon, and garlic. Let stand for a few minutes to absorb the juices.
Reduce oven to 400 degrees and cook asparagus for 15–20 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork.
Meanwhile, cut the yams into ½-inch round pieces (skin can stay on).
Bring ¾-inch of water to a boil in a pan, place yams into boiling water and cover, reducing heat to low – for 15 minutes or until yams are easily pierced with a fork.
Once done, mash yams with a fork and remove the skin (per preference).

3. The Appetizer: A Summer Smoothie

A healthy, fruit smoothie, using your choice of nut milk, is the perfect sweet treat to cap off a great meal.

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana
1 cup coconut milk or almond milk
Handful of frozen berries
Handful of spinach

Keep in mind the fruit-to-liquid ratio. Too much liquid and your smoothie will be very runny. Not enough, and it will be too thick. Depending on how big your banana is and how many berries or spinach you put in – you may need to use more or less – adjust as needed and enjoy!

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How to Exercise Safely in the Heat

Written by Kara Hamada - Posted on 19 July 2016

image-blog-PGX-How to Exercise Safely in the Heat-20160719 During the sunny days of summer, a lot of people like to take their workouts outside. But with all that glorious sunshine also comes the heat, and the need to be extra cautious and smart about the way you exercise out of doors.

Follow these five tips on how to exercise smartly and safely outside during the summer:

1. Avoid the Hottest Times of the Day

One of the simplest things you can do to exercise smartly in the summer is to avoid the hottest parts of the day.

Usually, the hottest point of the day is the early to late afternoon – when the sun is blazing above – but a quick glance at your local weather forecast should help pinpoint more exact times.

Ideally, you’re able to schedule your workout in the morning, before it gets too hot, or in the evening once it’s started to cool off a little.

2. Pick the Right Clothing and Accessories

Opt for lightweight, light coloured, breathable clothing. If you’re going to be working up a sweat, look for tops and bottoms that are designed to wick away sweat and moisture, and have vents or mesh built in. And don’t forget about your feet! Make sure your socks are also moisture wicking, light, and comfortable.

You’ll also want to invest in a good hat. Look for something made from light materials, with a decent brim, and vented panels that will allow for air flow and help to keep you cool. And don’t forget to protect your face and other bare limbs with sunscreen!

3. Have Water On-Hand

This should really go without saying, but water is a must-have when exercising in the heat. If you’re worried about a water bottle being cumbersome, you can buy belts that hold little water bottles in them while you workout. You can also buy slim, lightweight water bottles that are easy to hold if you’re doing an exercise like running, where your hands aren’t required.

If you’re worried about a water bottle being cumbersome, you can buy belts that hold little water bottles in them while you workout. You can also buy slim, lightweight water bottles that are easy to hold if you’re doing an exercise like running, where your hands aren’t required.

You can also pour a little water over your head, neck our shoulders to help you cool down.

4. Pick a Shaded Route/Spot

Finding a workout spot or route that is partially or fully shaded is a great option to keep cool. Parks, rural areas, and local athletic fields are a great choice, as they often provide wide open areas and trails that offer shade.

5. Cool Down

A 10–15 minute cool down will help naturally bring your temperature back down after exercising in the heat. To cool down, take a slow walk for 10–15 minutes while sipping on some water.

To cool down, take a slow walk for 10–15 minutes while sipping on some water. Add in a few upper and lower body stretches afterward, and you’re good to go!

Working out in the heat of summer can be a fun and rewarding way of keeping in shape. Just remember to be thoughtful of your body and how you’re feeling during the exercise.

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Workout Food: 6 Snacks to Energize and Replenish

Written by Patience Lister - Posted on 7 July 2016

image-blog-PGX-Workout Food_ 6 Snacks to Energize and Replenish-20160712 Are you ready to conquer your workout? What about your recovery? To make the most of your exercise regime, you need to eat the right foods. This means eating pre-workout foods that support long-lasting energy and hydration, and post-workout foods that support muscle recovery and replenish energy stores.

There’s no “best” food for fulfilling these needs, but sports nutrition experts agree that protein and carbohydrates are key. Protein supplies energy and helps repair and build new muscle tissue, while carbohydrates provide energy and help replenish muscle and liver glycogen [1] [2].

Pre-Exercise Foods

Eating a healthy snack 30–45 minutes before a workout will help you sustain your energy – but keep it light! A full meal is bound to cause an upset stomach or cramps.

Keep these three options on your pre-workout menu:

1. Oatmeal

A pantry staple, steel cut oats provide carbohydrates and protein. In addition to being a quick and easy snack, oatmeal is relatively easy to digest and has a low-glycemic index for steady, longer lasting energy.

2. Banana and Almond Butter

A satisfying and energizing combination, a pre-workout snack of banana and almond butter supplies carbohydrates, protein, and healthy fats, as well as the electrolytes potassium and magnesium.

3. Greek Yogurt with Blueberries

Toss a handful of juicy blueberries into a ½ cup of plain Greek yogurt for a delicious balance of carbs, protein, and antioxidants. To bump up the energy value and mineral content, sprinkle on a spoonful of chia seeds!

Post-Exercise Foods

Eating healthy foods that contain protein and complex carbohydrates soon after a workout will help your body replenish its glycogen stores and rebuild muscle tissue.

Keep these three options on your post-workout menu:

1. PGX Satisfast Organic Vegan 15 g Protein Bar*

PGX Satisfast Organic Vegan Protein Bars are a delicious ready-to-eat recovery snack that offers 15 g of organic vegan protein and 270–280 calories of gluten-free energy.*

2. Hummus with Veggie Sticks

Garbanzo beans are a quality source of protein, iron, and complex carbohydrates. Pair them with juicy vegetables, such as sweet peppers and cucumber slices for added hydration and micronutrients.

3. Salmon Fillet and Yam Wedges

Salmon will satisfy your protein needs while also supplying the omega-3 essential fatty acids DHA and EPA. Round your meal out with a side of yam wedges for complex carbohydrates.

*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.

References:

[1] Moore, Daniel. “Nutrition to Support Recovery from Endurance Exercise: Optimal Carbohydrate and Protein Replacement.” Nutrition and Ergogenic Aids 14.4 (2015):294-300. Web. 4 July 2016.

[2] Ormsbee, Michael, Christopher Bach, & Daniel Baur. “Pre-Exercise Nutrition: The Role of Macronutrients, Modified Starches and Supplements on Metabolism and Endurance Performance.” Nutrients 6 (2014): 1782-1808. Web. 4 July 2016.

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4 Moves to Strengthen and Tone Your Arms

Written by Kara Hamada - Posted on 6 July 2016

Arm day – one of my favourites! Help strengthen and tone your arms with these four exercises targeting your triceps and your biceps.

Working with weights is not only mentally stimulating and energizing; it also helps maintain healthy muscle groups. As we age, we begin to lose muscle, which is why your workout plan should include lifting weights as it can help combat early muscle loss.

2 Exercises to Tone Your Biceps

Your biceps are the front muscle in the upper arm, with its main purpose being to flex the arm. To give your biceps muscles the best workout, we will be doing pulling actions.

1. Standing Bicep Curls (3 sets, 10–12 reps)

For this workout, you’ll want to have two weights that feel moderate-to-heavy to you, and that you can lift 10–15 times.

Stand shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, core engaged. Hold weights in both hands at the sides of your body. Your elbows should never move, they should stay tight against your body and simply flex to bring the weights up.
When you flex your arms, bringing both weights up, your arm should stop when it’s bent at a 45 degrees angle before slowly lowering back to the start position.

If you get too tired doing both weights at once, you can alternate arms. For a visual representation of this exercise, watch How to Do Standing Dumbbell Curls.

2. 21s (3 sets, 21 reps)

Stand shoulder width apart, knees slightly bent, core engaged. Hold weights in both hands at the sides of your body. Your elbows should never move, they should stay tight against your body and simply flex to bring the weights up.
When you flex your arms, bringing both weights up, your arm should stop when it’s bent at a 90 degrees angle. Do this movement for 7 reps.
Next: Start with the weights all the way up (arms bent), then lower to 90 degrees. Do this movement for 7 reps.
Next: Complete the movement in full. Do this movement for 7 reps.

For a visual representation of this exercise, watch How to do 21s

2 Exercises to Tone Your Triceps

Your triceps are the large muscle at the back of your arms. It’s primary purpose is arm extension. To give your triceps muscle the best workout, we will focus on executing pushing exercises.

Tricep Dips (3 sets, 8–12 reps)

For this exercise, you’ll want to find a bench, low table, or workout step up.

Position your back against the bench, arms extended shoulder width apart, and holding onto the edge of the bench.
Slowly lower your body till your arms are angled at 90 degrees before pushing back up again

For a visual representation of this exercise, watch Bench Dips.

2. Standing Dumbbell Extensions (3 reps, 15 reps)

You’ll only need one dumbbell to complete this exercise, so it should be a bit heavier than the ones you use when doing an exercise that involves two weights.

Hold the weight with two arms and lift above your head
Lower the weight behind your head (only bending at the elbow) to about 45 degrees before pushing your arms back up.

For a visual representation of this exercise, watch Standing Dumbbell Triceps Extension.

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A Canada Day Recipe: Southwest Steak Salad

Written by Staff Writer - Posted on 30 June 2016

Happy Canada Day!

Kick up your Canada Day festivities a notch with this crowd-pleasing, healthy take on a Southwest steak salad! It’s gluten-free, chock full of colour, flavour, and crunch, and has just a little bit of a kick. It’s basically the perfect salad for a party.

Southwest Summer Steak Salad

Southwest Steak Salad

Ingredients
• 1 lb. ribeye steak
• salt & pepper to season
• 1 head of green leaf lettuce, thinly sliced
• 1 piquillo pepper, julienned
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• ½ cup unsalted sweet corn
• ½ cup low sodium black beans
• ½ cup orange bell pepper, diced
• ½ avocado, sliced
• cilantro for garnish
Cilantro Avocado Dressing:
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• 1 avocado
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Grill the rib eye steak to your liking and let rest
Combine all ingredients for salad dressing in a food processor or blender and combine.
Assemble all ingredients for salad, add dressing and mix well.
Add steak slices on top and enjoy!

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7 Tips to Pump You up When You Lack Motivation

Written by Patience Lister - Posted on 23 June 2016

7 Tips to Pump You Up When You Lack Motivation

Feeling unmotivated? That’s okay! But it doesn’t mean you should pass up your workout. After all, exercise is one of the best motivators – you just need to get started.

Keep your fitness in check with these seven tips for working out when you lack motivation:

1. Crank Up the Tunes

It’s hard to resist moving to the beat of a great song. Keep a playlist of your favourite energizing tunes on hand to help get you pumped up to workout.

2. Try a New Workout

When your regular workout just isn’t cutting it, opt for something new like a Zumba class, power walking, or challenging yourself to a 20-minute Tabata workout!

3. Watch a Sports Clip

There’s something inspiring about watching other athletes in action, so queue up a short clip of extreme surfers, sprinters, or ultra-endurance athletes and soon you’ll be out the door.

4. Schedule a Friendly Game

An hour playing beach volleyball, tennis, or soccer with friends sounds a lot more fun than working out – yet that’s exactly what you’re doing. The key is committing to the game ahead of time so that you’re accountable for showing up — even when you feel unmotivated.

5. Envision Your Goal

Research shows that visualizing your goal increases your motivation to reach it. Take a few minutes to envision how wonderful you’ll feel after your workout and how much fitter and stronger you’ll look after one month of regular exercise sessions.

6. Commit to Ten Minutes

Ten minutes of exercise sounds more appealing than 45. To get myself out of bed for early morning runs, my mantra is that I only need to put on my running clothes and run for ten minutes. If I don’t enjoy myself, I can go back to bed. But 99% of the time I keep going.

7. Reward Yourself

No matter your age, rewards are great motivators. The trick is to keep them healthy! Some possible rewards include a new book, a massage, or a Dark Chocolate *PGX® Satisfast™ Vegan Protein smoothie.

*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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Conquer Your Post-Workout Hunger with These 3 Meals

Written by Kara Hamada - Posted on 14 June 2016

image-blog-PGX-nConquer Your Post-Workout Hunger With These 3 Meals-20160614

During exercise, your body is burning calories and depleting stored energy. To replenish your energy, and to help your body get the protein and other nutrients it needs, healthy and satisfying post-workout meals are key.

It’s important to keep in mind that food can take a while to digest, so ideally you’re aiming to eat as close to completing your workout as possible. However, for the times when that’s simply not possible, remember to pack a light snack, like an apple or a healthy bar, to help stave off big hunger urges until you get home and can prepare a healthy meal.

3 Healthy Post-Workout Meals

Conquer your post-workout hunger with these three healthy, hearty, and mouth-watering meals:

1. Salmon With Yams and Kale

Yams are a versatile superfood and a tasty way to add fibre and potassium to your diet. Salmon is a delicious protein that adds omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins to your plate. This savoury and nutritious dish is an easy option for busy weeknights.

Instructions:

Cut the yams into ½-inch slices (you can peel the skin off if you’d like), fill a pan with ½-inch of water and steam until easily pierced with a fork. Mash together. *You can sprinkle with cinnamon prior to steaming for added flavour.
Sprinkle wild salmon with lemon, salt, and pepper. To bake: for each inch of thickness, the salmon will take about 8 minutes in the oven at 425 °C.
Sauté the kale in a frying pan with olive or coconut oil, and garlic for 3–5 minutes.

2. Almond, Banana, Spinach Shake

Oftentimes, you’ll see bodybuilders drinking their post-workout meal. This is because liquid doesn’t take as much time to digest as solid food, and they want to get protein into their systems quickly to get the most benefit out of it.

Try whipping up this tasty smoothie for a quick post-workout meal:

Unsweetened almond or coconut milk
Frozen banana
Almond or peanut butter
Spinach
Hemp seeds (optional)
Chia seeds (optional)

Almond Banana Smoothie

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Depending on your taste, you can play around with how much of each ingredient you like.

3. Brown Rice Burrito Bowl

Brown rice is a great source of fibre. Black beans also offer a lot of fibre, protein, and vitamins.

The following are the basics of a good burrito bowl, but you can spice yours up any way you like it. With burrito bowls, anything goes!

Brown rice or quinoa
Black beans or white kidney beans
Refried beans
Salsa
Guacamole
Cheese (cheddar, jack, havarti, etc.)
Sour cream
Olives
Lettuce or spinach
Cilantro
Green or red onions

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How to Make the Most out of Your Treadmill

Written by Kara Hamada - Posted on 8 June 2016

image-blog-PGX-How to Make the Most out of Your Treadmill-20160608

A treadmill can offer a great workout; they keep you at a consistent, controlled walking or running pace, can be done indoors, and can be modified to focus on specific exercise goals.

Many people have a love/hate relationship with treadmills. When it’s rainy and cold treadmills are awesome, but when it’s warm and sunny who wants to be stuck running inside when they could be getting their workout outside.

When jumping on the treadmill begins to feel like just another boring workout, try some of these ideas to shake up your routine and make the most of your treadmill:

HIIT the Treadmill!

Consistent running or walking can get boring, so it’s a great idea to spice up your treadmill workout every now and then with circuits and new movements, like this HIIT cardio circuit:

Please ensure that you have been cleared by your doctor for cardio exercise prior to doing this workout.

HIIT Cardio Treadmill Workout

2–3 min fast walk (warm up)
1 minute at 5.0 speed
30 seconds at 4.0 (slow jog)
1 minute at 6.0 speed
30 seconds at 4.0 (slow jog)
1 minute at 6.5–7.0 speed
30 seconds at 4.0 (slow jog)
30 seconds at 3.0 (walk)
Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4

Shake Up Your Moves

If you’ve been sticking to simply walking and running on your treadmill, it may be time to shake things up! Here are three movements I love to do with clients that you can try:

1. Walk Backwards

Walking backwards puts more pressure on your quads and calves, which generally take a back seat when walking (glutes and hamstrings are more so used for walking). For an even bigger challenge, increase the incline!

2. Side Steps

Side stepping focuses more on your hips and inner/outer thighs. It’s a fun way to add a little variety and flavour to your routine, with the benefit of focusing on different parts of your legs.

3. Hold Your Arms Up

Holding your arms above your head can elevate your heart rate while also giving your upper body a great workout. For an added challenge, try adding light weights, or moving your arms in a circular motion.

Whether you like a steady walking pace, a major incline, or a decline jog, a treadmill can be the source of many great workouts – not just walking and running!

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