Friday Fitness Trend: Ugi Fit

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Today’s PGX Friday Fitness Trend is: Ugi Fitness!

Need to workout but don’t have time? This is the fitness trend for you…

Pronounced “you-gee,” Vancouver-based trainer, Sara Shears developed a workout formula that combines strength, cardio and core training into a sequence of 30 exercises. It’s a short, rigourous workout of different exercises performed in one minute intervals that, combined with balanced eating and your daily fiber, can produce amazing results.

A 30 minute workout with only one piece of equipment? Sign me up!

And that’s what Ugi Fit is: a 30 minute workout with only one piece of equipment and it’s making waves in the fitness communities.

So what is this essential piece of equipment? The Ugi ball. Sara Shears and her design partner, Melanie Finkelman, designed this squishy non-intimidating ball that you can stand on, kneel on, sit on, plank on, toss to a friend, or even use as a weight. It’s got the squish of a beanbag and the resistance and bounce-back of a stress ball all in one simple design.

One of the positive features of this fitness trend is that you aren’t limited to working out in a gym or in your living room. Only 15 inches in diameter, the Ugi ball is easy to store or to bring to an outdoor workout at the beach! Not only is the location of this workout flexible, the length and frequency is just as easy to adjust to your busy schedule. Got only 15 minutes? Cut down the intervals to 30 seconds each. Maybe you prefer a longer workout only hree times a week. You can turn your Ugi Fit workout into an hour by repeating your sequence of exercises.

Why Ugi? Because it’s time to be you. “Ugi. U got it. Show it off.” Visit the Ugi Fit website to learn more.

Remember everyone: eat healthy, get your fiber, stay fit and do it all for you.

The Benefits of Drinking Tea

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Can tea help you be healthy? Yes!

So pour yourself a cup and read on to learn the possible benefits of drinking tea…

Whenever you are in desperate need of energy and looking to stay awake, what do you reach for: coffee or tea? For me, it’s both. I love coffee but I’ve never been one to brew an excellent cup of coffee; so unless I’m willing to spend three dollars on a latte or have the time to sip an espresso, I reach for tea.

Did you know that tea can do more than just warm us up on a chilly day? Tea, especially green tea is full of antioxidant polyphenols called catechins. These catechins are what scientists and researchers have linked to anti-cancer activity. I’m not saying tea can cure but if the antioxidants in tea can help fight free radicals then why not give it a swig?!

Many people also say that tea can help with weightloss. Whether that is true or not I think the simple act of replacing fatty snacks with tea can definitely help that particular statement to be true!

Want to know more about how tea can help us on the road to lasting health? Check out Huffington Post’s, Tea Health Benefits: 8 Ways It Could Benefit Our Bodies and Time’s 13 Reasons Tea is Good for You.

I’m off to give my tea bag his great moment of glory and brew a mug of chai (made from black tea, which is supposedly good for the lungs and reduce the risk of stroke).

 

Weight-Wise Wednesday: Olympic Inspiration

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A tasty new recipe for you to try from the other side of the world; inspiration provided by the Olmpics!

For this week?s Weight-Wise Wednesday post, I set out to write about out how to eat like an Olympian. However, in my search across the net, I stumbled upon this truly unique and fun blog, Eat The Olympics. Having no idea how one might ?eat the Olympics? I decided to check it out ? and boy was I happy I did!

What I found was a blog full of recipes. But not just any recipes ? these were recipes from all over the world. In fact, the writers of the blog, two Londoners, have set out to make a dish from all 204 countries that are currently participating in the London 2012 Olympic Games. Quite a challenge!

The blog is filled with beautiful pictures of each dish they?ve made, along with the recipe of the dish and country that it’s from. Each recipe is even given a rating on a scale of Bronze to Gold (or in some rare cases Disqualification).

One of the healthier choices I came across is a dish from Lesotho, an African country located within South Africa, called Lesothan Chakalaka. Made with delicious veggies, such as peppers, tomatoes and chillies, and served over rice, this dish is definitely on my To Try list!

You can find the full recipe here! Give it a try and let us know what you think! And, remember, don?t forget to add in your PGX!

 

Friday Fitness Trend: the Tracy Anderson Method

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Looking for new fitness ideas? PGX is too!

Today we’re checking out the celebrity favourite, the Tracy Anderson Method…

What do Gwyneth Paltrow, Kristin Davis, and Courtney Cox have in common (aside from acting)? Their fitness routine and today’s Friday Fitness Trend, the Tracy Anderson Method. In her GOOP newsletter, Gwyneth Paltrow is all praises for this method, attributing her Iron Man figure to Tracy’s videos. Tracy Anderson is a highly sought after trainer based in Los Angeles who has come up with a fun way to target muscles and tone without the bulk, incorporating aerobics, strength training and dance.

After some investgation into Tracy’s latest regime, Metamorphosis, I have to say, I’m not a fan of the restrictive and extremely low calorie meal plan and don’t recommend any form of crash dieting (I can’t stress that enough). However, meal plan aside, I see how her exercises can be effective. Tracy Anderson claims that she can help you avoid bulking up by regularly changing your exercise routine. Whether this is how you avoid bulk or not, mixing up your fitness routine and keeping it fresh is definitely one of the best ways to keep your metabolism up and avoid those pesky plateaus!

So if you are looking for some new moves to mix up your routine workout, check out this video of Tracy’s arm workout or this video of lower body exercises. Add some variety to your workout and you will definitely be taking another step closer to your goals. Keep on moving everyone!

 

Friday Fitness Trend: Kangoo

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Jump your way to fitness with this Friday’s Fitness Trend, Kangoo!

These shoes are going to bring you to whole new fitness heights, literally…

I’m back with another installment in the PGX Friday Fitness Trend series and I’m bouncing in with a funny, intriguing, maybe even absolutely hilarious but looks-like-so-much-fun fitness trend in the form of Kangoo! So what is Kangoo and how does one do it? Well, it’s all about the shoes!

Kangoo Jumps are bouncy rebound shoes that will have you, quite literally jumping higher than ever without impacting your joints! Three scientific studies have shown that with their patented Impact Protection System, these bouncy boots have the ability to reduce impact on the knees by up to 80%! If you suffer from a sports injury or the effects of one in the past, these shoes might be something to consider.

“Their impact reduction also significantly enhances the healing process after sport injures or surgery, relieves pain, and provides the opportunity to exercise in a way that will also alleviate some of the symptoms of diseases such as arthritis, diabetes, etc.” More information (a lot more) and the scientific papers from these studies are available on the Kangoo Jumps Health page.

Without reading through the details of the many benefits of Kangoo Jumps, I think it’s safe to assume that these shoes will give your muscles a decent workout. If you wear them running, you’ll get cardio exercise combined with the core muscle engagement required to keep you balanced on spring loaded shoes!

If you’re close to any Kangoo classes why not give it a try? If anything, it does look like a lot of good, laugh out loud, silly fun. That sounds like the best way to work out! Read about New York Times writer, Daniel Krieger’s experience with Kangoo and enjoy this hopping video of Kangoo featuring NYC trainer, Mario Godiva.

 

Vanilla-Spice Shake with PGX

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Try our delicious Vanilla-Spice Shake, made with PGX SatisFast!

It’s that time of year when everyone starts to crave those lovely warming spices, like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. So, what better time to try our delicious Vanilla Spice Shake!

Spices, such as cinnamon , are packed with nutritional benefits. In particular, cinnamon is a common kitchen spice that tastes delicious and possesses health benefits. Not only is it associated with keeping blood sugar levels stable, a ? tsp per day benefits individuals who tend to feel the ups and downs that are associated with low blood sugar when meals are missed.

Mmm, spices…they’re delicious and nutritious 🙂

Ingredients:

Other spice options include: All Spice, clove or nutmeg, ? tsp alcohol-free vanilla extract

Method:

  1. Measure out liquid into a shaker or blender cup.
  2. Add a serving of PGX Satisfast, ground cinnamon and other spice if desired.
  3. Secure lid and shake vigorously until ingredients are blended well.
  4. Drink immediately or let sit for 2-5 minutes for a smooth and creamy texture.
  5. Drink an additional glass of water (375-500 ml) after taking PGX.

Nutritional Information:

Each serving contains* 150 calories; 4 g fat; 11 g carbohydrate (3 g fibre, 6 g sugar); 16 g protein; sodium 340 mg; potassium 420
*Calculated with Soy Nice Original beverage

 

5 Ways to Spread Out Your Calories

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Stay satisfied, eat healthy and lose weight by spreading your caloric intake throughout your day.

Although eating healthy, nutritious food is half the batltle with weight loss, sometimes one of the biggest challenges people face is figuring out portion and calorie control. With many of us, overeating may happen by accident: waiting too long before eating something and then ravenously consuming more than our body needs; or eating too fast in general.

So, we thought that we would put together a quick guide with 5 simple ways to help you spread your calories throughout your day, enabling you to intake less calories total and, ultimately, shed those pounds!

5 Ways to Spread Your Calories

  1. Have a good breakfast with adequate protein and fibre (if your breakfast is lacking fibre, sprinkle on some PGX!)
  2. Have a small healthy snack mid-morning
  3. Have a healthy lunch
  4. Have another healthy snack in the afternoon (a serving of plain yogurt with bran cereal, for example)
  5. Go head and “spoil your appetite”; eat a high volume, low calorie snack to reduce your appetite before your dinner

And don’t forget! When purchasing PGX Daily products, look for the ones with a BONUS pack of PGX Daily Singles!

 

Tasty Tuesday: Easy Fish Fillets

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It’s Tasty Tuesday!

When it’s hot outside and you don’t feel like making a big complicated meal, try this easy fish fillet for dinner. Any white fish such as cod, halibut, haddock, or grouper will work well.

We found this great recipe that only calls for lime juice, some light mayo, onion powder, pepper, breadcrumbs, margarine and parsley.

You could add a squeeze of lemon if you’re not a fan of lime. Or combine lemon and lime for a zesty flavour! Approximately 1 1/2 pounds of white fish will yield 4 servings. Half the recipe and you’ve got a nice meal for date night!

Pair it up with some asparagus and rice for a light, healthy and tasty meal. Enjoy!

Check out our Pinterest board for even more tasty recipes!

 

PGX and Spaghetti Squash!

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Try something new! How about spaghetti squash?

Ditch the simple carbs of pasta and get your veggies and fiber!

I love spaghetti. I love pasta. In fact I am a very happy camper when I have all sorts of simple carbs! Bread, cereal, toast, pasta, sweets…you name it! Unfortunately, having a smorgasbord of breads and pasta is really not the best idea for your health or waistline. Luckily I’ve got at least one very awesome alternative to pasta: Spaghetti Squash!

Putting on my infomercial voice: not only is it delicious and nutritious (details at Nutrition Data), it’s super easy to prepare! Here’s my method:

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.

Place the halves, cut side up, in a large microwavable/oven safe container that has water in it.

Cover it with saran wrap and microwave until the squash is tender. This all depends on the strength of your microwave. It can take anywhere from sx to ten minutes.

When it’s finished cooking, scrape the squash with a fork and it will come apart in spaghetti-like strings.

There are an infinite number of ways to enjoy this squash. Prepare your favourite spaghetti sauce or try something new and mix.

Voila, it’s ready to eat!

 

Train Like an Angel: Jet Set

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Get your model on and train like an angel!

Travelling and need a portable workout? The Victoria’s Secret Angels know all about that!

It’s a busy time of year with plenty of people travelling to be with family and friends. As much fun as that is, it can be disruptive to our regular fitness routines or even just our plans to get fit! That’s why I’m loving this full body workout from the Victoria’s Secret Angels and their trainer, Justin Gelband! Yes, it’s true. These models actually workout and eat well in order to have the strength to carry those wings and look healthy!

In their fitness series, Train Like an Angel, they dedicated one week to an easy-to-follow, no-gym-necessary, workout routine that will allow you to easily stay in shape, even if you are flying all over the place this season! Check out this jet setting workout below and stay fit. You’ll be able to freely enjoy this winter’s activities and tasty eats!