Tag Archives: food cravings

Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

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It’s true! Healthy and cookie can appear in the same sentence!

Satisfy your sweet tooth with this tasty and actually healthy cookie recipe from The Skinny Fork!

You an give in to your inner cookie monster without regret. It is completely possible! I know it seems rather oxymoronic to think of cookies as healthy but it’s a fabulous thing to think of and know to be real. What it is really that makes cookies so unhealthy? Tons of sugar, oil, white flour, butter… all things that can actually be replaced!

The Skinny Fork recipe for Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies does just that: food substitution! For example, instead of butter or oil, you’ll find this recipe calls for apple sauce!

Try this recipe and add a dash of PGX Daily Singles for an even healthier treat and that extra fibre kick!

So without further ado, click to view the Skinny Fork recipe for Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies (it has some chocolate in it too!).

 

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Healthy Snacking on the Go!

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Hey PGX’ers! It’s Tasty Tuesday and we’re snacking smartly on the go!

Keep it healthy even when you have no time to plan…

We’ve all been there before: you’re running around doing errands, you’re at the airport waiting for your next flight, you’re at a rest stop, or you’re at the movies, and then your stomach begins to talk. What do you do when you’ve forgotten to pack a snack and there’s no way you’ll make it to your next meal without a bite of something to tide you over? What do you buy when you feel the need to munch on something at the cinema?

It’s simple to write a strict diet plan, but it’s another thing entirely to follow it to perfection. This is where a little bit of knowledge can go a long way in helping you reach your goals and avoid sabotaging your efforts to live a healthy life. If you are at the movies, a gas station, the mall, in front of a vending machine, or other such fast food stops, knowing what to avoid will help you maintain healthy eating habits.

Learn the best picks, good options and the worst picks for snacking from Real Simple’s Make Nutritious Snacking Choices on the Go!

 

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How to Avoid Summer Weekend Weight Gain

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5 Tips and Links to Keep You From Gaining Weight Over the Summer Weekends

It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and fun of the summer but with longer days and more socializing there’s usually more BBQ’s and dining with friends. Often these social events can lead to eating foods that you usually wouldn’t even think about indulging in. Being caught up in the moment and not planning ahead can leave you with a couple extra pounds by the end of the summer.

Here are 5 helpful tips to keep you on track with your diet and some healthy recipes to bring with you to BBQ’s and dinners. Not only will the host love you for bringing along a dish but it will also be your sneaky way of staying fit and healthy.

  1. Don’t Skip Meals: If you skip meals during the day it will only lead to you binge eating later. You will be grabbing anything and everything to gain some energy by the time you arrive at the event. Ensure that you have a protein packed breakfast to start your metabolism.
  2. Drink Lots of Water: Not only is it summer and your body requires more water but it can control cravings and leave you feeling full. Try to drink a glass of water when you first arrive at the event to keep you stomach full.
  3. PGX Travel Packs: Packing these small pill packs in your purse or bag and taking them before a meal can keep you feeling full and satisfied. This will help you avoid going back for seconds.
  4. Eat Before Leaving Home: It’s a good idea to have a small snack before you leave the house to control your cravings when you arrive at the event. Try having a small plate of veggies and hummus.
  5. Choose Wisely: Don’t rush when you are in line at the BBQ. Make smart choices about what you are eating. It may seem simple but choosing a green salad over mayo packed potato salad can make a huge difference by the end of the summer.

?How do you avoid the Summer Weekend Weight Gain? Share your tips here in the comments or join the chat on Facebook and Twitter.

 

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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!

 

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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!

 

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Meatballs with PGX Daily!

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Looking for a delicious and healthy recipe for dinner?

Try this meatball recipe with PGX Daily Fiber!

The classic spaghetti and meatballs dish that could possibly become a kids favorite dinner dish. Served with a fresh green salad and homemade vinaigrette dressing to make it complete! Remember to choose high fiber pasta and choose to make your own tomato sauce or find organic pasta sauce that is low in sugar, sodium and fat.

Yield: 30-45 meatballs

Prep Time: 15-25 minutes

Total Time: 30-45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Egg
  • ? tablespoon Paprika powder
  • ? tsp Chili powder
  • ? Sage powder
  • ? tablespoon Garlic powder (or 1 medium size clove of crushed garlic)
  • 2-3 tablespoon of Barbeque or marinating sauce (or ketchup)
  • ? tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ? pound lean ground pork, (naturally raised-pastured)
  • ? pound lean ground beef or bison (grass fed, organic)
  • 1//3 cup oatmeal, dry
  • 4 PGX Daily Singles sticks (PGX = 10 grams)

Ingredients (Optional)

  • Replace oatmeal with cooked brown rice (leftover from a previous meal)
  • 1-2 tablespoons of fresh herbs such as basil, cilantro or chives
  • ? cup finely chopped Swiss chard or kale leaves (no stems)
  • Sesame seeds: 1/3 sesame seeds on a flat plate. Once you form the meatball, roll it around the plate to coat it evenly with the seeds

Directions

Line 2 baking tray with tin foil.

Preheat oven to 400? F (204?C).

In a metal mixing bowl, add the first 7 ingredients and mix with a spoon or whisk.

In the same bowl, add the ground pork, beef, and oatmeal and if using PGX Daily Singles, add granules in at this time.

Use your hands to mix the remaining ingredients.

Take approximately 1 tablespoon of meat mixture between your palms and make a ball. Place on the foil lined baking tray. Leave ? inch space between meatballs on the baking sheet.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until the meat begins to slightly brown on the outside. Let cool for 5 minutes so they firm up before serving.

Beef and pork cooked temperature should reach 160-170? F (71.1-76.6? C) or until the meat?s juice runs clear.

And there you have it! Scrumptious and healthy, home-cooked meatballs! Bon appetit!

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Stress and Your Weight

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PGX wants you to relieve your stress!

Your health, weight and stress: a bad combination.

Have you reached a plateau in your weight loss efforts? You may be surprised just how much stress has to do with that! Stress. Even the word sounds scary.

Stress causes our body to secrete cortisol which in turn, prompts our body to release stored glucose, increasing our blood sugar. Unfortunately for our waists, all the excess sugar that we don’t use gets stored as fat! Essentially, having too much stress in your life is like eating too much dessert, not too mention the sugar rush usually leads to food cravings. It seems a cruel and revealing trick of the English language that stressed spelled backwards is desserts!

Real Simple has three quick ways that you can relieve stress and, consequently, help you stay trim.

Work, school, family obligations, meetings and appointments, housework, projects… Life can get busy and overwhelming. So, my two main tips for this sunny Monday? Don’t stress the little things and get your daily fiber!

 

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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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PGX and Green Tea!

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There are more ways than one to enjoy green tea!

PGX checks out new ways to enjoy green tea…

I’m sure by now you’ve heard about the health benefits of green tea: antioxidant power, cancer cell inhibitor, headache aid, weight loss benefits, harmful bacteria-killing properties… To sum it all up, green tea is good for you. But what if you don’t like the flavour? What if you aren’t really a tea drinker?

Here is a useful slideshow for those of us who aren’t fans of steeping leaves in our water. Shape Magazine shares 20 New Ways to Enjoy Green Tea.

Reap the benefits of green tea and cook with this super antioxidant power! And don’t forget to get your daily fiber!

 

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Find the Spa in Your Refrigerator: Easy Face Mask Recipe

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Want to make your skin glow? We’ve found an easy homemade mask you can try.

Steven and Chris and Peggy Kotsopoulos share an easy, skin rejuvenating recipe for a homemade face mask.

Happy Monday afternoon folks! With the change of weather and the stress of work or school, our skin takes a pretty good beating now and then. I’ve found a super easy recipe for a homemade face mask that will help your skin feel fresh and rejuvenated again. There’s no artificial colours or ingredients that you can’t pronounce the name of in this mask! Just open your refrigerator and you’ve got a spa treatment waiting to be made!

Here’s a recipe that will make you as happy as this young lady and her avocado, and as green as the Wicked Witch of the West (in a good way though)!

Check out this video to see how it’s made.

Skin Rejuvenating Face Mask Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 banana

1/2 avocado 1 kiwi, peeled

1/4 cup buttermilk

Mix in your blender and apply to the face. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes and rinse.

Beauty bonus: Follow up the mask by moisturizing with extra-virgin olive oil.

 

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