Author Archives: Staff Writer

PGX and Colour Psychology

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PGX Investigates Colour Psychology and Your Well Being

Can the colour of your home affect your efforts for healthy living?

You may be surprised to discover that the colours you surround yourself with may have an affect on your health and well being. Usually we pick the colours of our home based on personal preference, but now colour experts believe that hues of our homes can have an effect on our emotions.

So how does this relate to making healthy choices and keeping fit? Our emotions have a lot to do with the choices we make. If the colour of your kitchen or the gym walls can help you choose healthy snacks and run that extra mile, then why not give yourself that extra help?! Read on to get a taste of what colour can do for us!

Blue is a colour of calm, promoting physical and mental relaxation. What comes to mind when you think of blue? Blue skies and beach getaways? When you are stress free, your fitness efforts will always be more effective.

Yellow is a bright and cheerful hue that has often affected people in a positive way. It has been shown to help people with better decision-making and adopting a positive attitude. Positivity, however attained, goes a long way in helping us achieve our fitness and health goals. Like yellow, orange is considered to be one of those “happy” colours as well.

Red is a vibrant and stimulating hue associated with energy and activity. It can be a strong colour for your walls that is very well suited to spaces of movement like the stairwell, hallways or the exercise room! A splash of red might give you more of boost than you realize!

Green (my personal favourite) is the colour of nature, relaxation and wellness. Greens of various shades can be inspire calmness or in it’s lighter tones, create an atmosphere of lightness and joy! Whatever shade it is green can bring back a touch of nature and often has positive effect on your mood, which can mean the world of difference to your health.

Making healthy choices can be challenging at times. Positivity and inspiration can make or break a healthy lifestyle. You may not even notice how the colours around you affect your mood, but if yellow in a kitchen can inspire a rush of positivity or if that red exercise ball can get you pumped for your workout, why not surround yourself with mood-lifting colour?!

Want to know more about colour psychology? Visit Pittsburgh Paints’ Voice of Color.

 

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Workout Wednesday: Getting and Staying Motivated

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We’ve all been there.

You might be trying to get motivated to go to the gym for the very first time, the first time this year, or just sitting there staring at your running shoes wondering if you should go or not. It really doesn’t matter what your fitness background is, we’ve all been there. Sometimes you just want to go home and forget all about it.

But the key to getting motivated is to visualize and have some strategies to combat those sluggish thoughts. Here are some tips to help you get and stay motivated.

Sluggish thoughts:  I just don’t have the time. 
Instead think:  A 30-minute workout is only 2% of my day! If I want to give up after 30 minutes that’s okay but let’s get going. Visualize how good you will feel after your workout.

Sluggish thoughts: I hate working out, running, the treadmill, etc.
Instead think:  I love my workout playlist! Distract yourself with something you do like and divert your thoughts while you’re working out. Are you working out for an upcoming vacation? Visualize your vacation and how much you’ll enjoy it. Are you working out because your health care provider recommends it? Picture yourself in their office with a healthier checkup. I visualize that I’m winning a race.

Sluggish thoughts: I should stop early – I have work to do! 
Instead think:  After my workout I’ll be much more productive and smarter! According to this article in Men’s Health , “one of the first studies to find that exercise improves brain performance was a 1986 investigation of 30 women at Purdue University. During the study, the women boosted their fitness levels by 17 percent and simultaneously netted a 12 to 68 percent improvement in their ability to process information and make sound decisions.” So let’s get fit and smart at the same time!

Change what you’re doing until it works. If you’re too busy, try shorter workouts. If you’re feeling tired and sore from too many workouts, scale it back and take a rest day 24 hours after a workout. Schedule time to fit your exercise program and don’t forget to reward yourself for all your hard work!

In 12 weeks time you could be ringing in 2013 in a new, fitter body! Let’s do it!

 

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Healthy Weekend Barbecue Recipe

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Grilled Oyster Shooters 

The weekend is almost here, so we asked PGX staffers what they planned to do this weekend. A surprizing number were pulling out the BBQ for some summertime grilling.

We found this high rated recipe on AllRecipes and at only 32 calories per oyster this is a healthy, grilling treat. The oysters are cooked right in the shell and seasoned with lemon juice, hot sauce and  Worcestershire sauce. You could substitute hot sauce for salt and pepper if you like your spice on the mild side.

Always be careful when you shuck an oyster. Here are some great step-by-step instructions on how to shuck an oyster. Once you get the hang of it you’ll be enjoying oysters in no time!

Got a great recipe you’d like to share? Sound off in the comments or let us know on our Facebook page!

 

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Tasty Tuesday : Overnight Oats for Breakfast

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When it’s hot and humid outside, who really wants to cook?

Here’s a breakfast recipe that I rely on that is super easy and requires NO cooking. Summer is here and I’m melting during the nights and the last thing I really want to do is cook when I get up. Thinking about even pulling out a frying pan makes me want to run for the pool. You can whip these ingredients all together the night before and it sets overnight. The crisp and cold oats are ready and waiting for you to eat in morning.

What is also great about this recipe is you can customize it in so many ways. Add in different fresh fruit each morning and it’s a whole different breakfast meal! I like to make it into a breakfast parfait. I layer the overnight oats with fresh fruit and honey drizzled on top. My favourite tip I’ve learned is to add PGX singles. This helps me feel full long into the morning. Make sure to add the PGX into the oats right before you are going to eat them. I’ve heard others are using the PGX Satisfast (Protein Powder) in the oats just like the PGX singles I added. This gives them an extra dose of protein in their meal. Perfect for building those strong muscles and keeping you full longer! I think I’m going to try the Chocolate PGX Satisfast in my next batch.

Recipe Source: Oh She Glows

Classic Overnight Oats

Ingredients (1 serving)

?1/3 cup regular oats

?1 cup almond milk, and more if needed

?1-2 tablespoons chia seeds

?1 ripe banana, peeled and smashed

?1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl and place in fridge overnight. In the morning, add your desired toppings and serve without heating!

Let us know how you create your breakfast meal with overnight oats in the comments below or on our Facebook Page.

 

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The Unsugar-Coated Truth

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14 (Not So) Sweet Facts About Sugar and Your Health

Linked to conditions such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and more, sugar may not be so sweet after all. Read the infographic to gain insight on how much sugar you should limit yourself to per day – if any.

Add PGX to your meal routine for support with weight loss and in balancing and controlling your blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

 

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How to Make a Smoothie with PGX!

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Build the Perfect Smoothie with PGX!

Read on and discover what goes into the blender!

This image says it all! When I make  smoothie, I always put in frozen berries, plain Greek yogurt, orange juice and PGX Daily Singles for fibre. But sometimes, I just want a different flavour! This infographic is full of options to pick from and will inspire a whole new smoothie, tailor made just for you!

Don’t forget to add PGX to that list of smoothie power boosts! Give your smoothie a fibre boost! Don’t know how much to add? Check out our post from the past, How Much PGX Should You Be Adding to Your Food, for more info!

Oh and one more thing! Right now you you can get a free BONUS pack of PGX Singles with purchase of PGX Daily in Canadian stores! Have a great Tuesday! Blend on, my friends.

 

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The London 2012 Olympics

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Welcome back to another week of PGXs’ Thursday Obsessions!

PGX is obsessed with the London 2012 Olympics and the inspiration that it provides the world.

The London 2012 Olympics are finally here, so it’s no wonder that this week we’re obsessed with The Games! Like many people around the world, I’ve been tuning into the 2012 Olympic Games since they began last Friday in London. And like many people, I’ve become obsessed with watching the world’s greatest athletes achieve the seemingly impossible, day after day!

Personally, I find that witnessing these extraordinary athletes achieve their personal bests is incredibly inspiring (nevermind that some of their bests are breaking Olympic Records!). Watching an athlete who has given a sport their all, finally reap the benefits of all of their hard work is inspiring. Not that I believe that the Olympic Games are anywhere in my future, but I find myself wanting to challenge myself in my workouts. I want to run faster, longer and train harder. Here’s to hoping that I can hang onto that Olymic Inspiration when the Games are finished!

Some of my favourite Olympic sports to watch are gymnastics (how DO they do all that?!) and volleyball. What are your favourites to watch? Do you find that the Olympics inspire your workouts?

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Salad in a Jar!

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This is an easy and convenient way to make salads-to-go!

Bring your salad to have along side a sandwich at lunch, on a picnic or anywhere. You can either eat the salad from the jar or tip it out into a bowl or onto a plate. Just take it and shake it when you?re ready to eat.

The secret to jar salads is to keep the dressing on the bottom, then layer your ingredients from most hearty, such as carrots to least. Just make sure your greens are on top! Here are a couple of recipes ideas to get you started. Sprinkle with PGX Daily Singles for a great source of fiber and much more.

Balsamic Chicken Salad
 Dressing: Mix balsamic vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Layer it with: Cold, cooked chicken, chopped walnuts, apple, celery and onion. Top with leaf lettuce. For a vegetarian option, use tofu instead of chicken.

Hearty Spinach Salad??
Dressing: Select your favorite dressing.
Layer it with: Carrots, cucumber, celery, hard-boiled egg, tomato, walnuts or almonds. Top with baby spinach.

Summer Salad
Dressing: Mix in 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/8 cup lemon juice and dash of salt.
Layer it with:  Cold, grilled chicken, pecans, fresh raspberries and blueberries, and crumbled goat cheese (optional). Top with arugula or Boston lettuce. For a vegetarian option, use grilled tofu instead of chicken.

 

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Homemade Snack: Beet Chips!

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Got a craving for chips? Try something different!

Let’s give the potato a break and try homemade beet chips instead!

Every once in while I just crave that satisfying crunch of chips. But when you buy them from the store, most of the time all you can find are potato chips.  Maltodextrin, monosodium glutamate, modified corn starch, swiss cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes)… not exactly typical ingredients you can find in the store, right?

So let’s go back to the root of the potato chip and use beets instead! All you need are beets, vegetable oil and an oven! The best thing about making these at home is that you can control how much oil you use. Not a fan of frying? Try a straight to baking method and let us know how it goes!

How To Make Beet Chips :

  • Peel and slice beets very thinly or use a mandolin
  • Fry beets in vegetable oil at 350 degrees, for about 2-4 minutes
  • Transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes

Cool and enjoy!

 

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Learn to Love Exercise with PGX!

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Guess what?! Exercise can be fun!

Here are 7 tips for people who hate to exercise…

I’m pretty sure we’ve all experienced, at some level, the lack of motivation to exercise. In fact, I don’t really like exercising. I like the idea of it but when it comes down to actually working out, I am a professional procrastinator and avoider! But exercise doesn’t have to be draining, tricky, frustrating or dreaded. Here are seven very easy to follow tips that will help those of us who do not like exercising!

Best Tip for Couch Potatoes (like me!):

If you don’t like to work out or go to the gym, choose an activity that is fun! I don’t go to the gym, so I get my exercise by dancing regularly, at least three times a week! I go to dance classes but who says you can’t work up a sweat dancing in the kitchen?!

For six more tips, check out Oprah’s 6 Tips for People Who Hate to Exercise and you might just find yourself falling in love with regular exercise!

 

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