Shop Yourself Healthy

No more aimless walking in the grocery store. It’s time to shop ourselves healthy!

I can’t even count how many times I walk over to the refrigerator, stare at its contents and close the door empty handed. From there, I cruise over to the pantry and start inspecting it’s contents!

The crave monster has just surfaced and it’s forcing me to begin the hunt for snacks! All too often this leads to snacking on things like chips and dip or if nothing else, buttered toast (I swear I could live on toasted bread with butter and I would be quite happy!). So what can one do to prevent this kind of craving grazing? It all starts at the grocery store…

Check out this infographic and learn how to shop yourself slim and healthy! Don’t forget to add some fibre into your diet! PGX can help control that blood sugar roller coaster for you 😉

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The Many Benefits of Exercise

Did you know that exercise does more than slim your figure?!

Read on to discover 24 fabulous benefits of getting your exercise groove on!

We often talk about how exercise will help you control those cravings and lose the weight you want to lose. But there really is so much more to exercise than that! Exercise comes with many benefits, both physical and mental! For example, it makes you strong, physically yes but also mentally. Think about it: when it would be so much easier to just plop yourself onto the couch after work or stay bundled up in blankets early in the morning, and you stll get yourself up and moving? Mental strength!

In my internet searchings for interesting tidbits to share, I came across an article at BC Living, 24 Awesome Benefits of Exercise. Here are 24 awesome (like they said) reasons why we should all get at the very least, 30 minutes of exercise three times a week. If you are like me and looking for some motivation, this article will be a big help!

Until tomorrow everyone! Get your exercise on!

 

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Tips to Get More Zzz’s!

Sound sleep and sweet dreams!

Here are some useful tips to help you get better sleep every night…

Okay, we all know how important sleep is for rest, rejuvination, balancing appetite regulating hormones, avoiding irritating eye twitches that may frighten others around you, avoiding that unattractive selfish streak (studies show that when people don’t sleep well, selfishness can kick in more than usual and can affect their relationships), keeping the cranks away and the happy bubble unpopped… You see what I mean. But what if, try as you might to get the recommended six to eight hours of sleep everyday, you just can’t seem to get some shut eye?

Well before you go speak to a specialist about insomnia, we’ve got a couple of tips and ideas for you to try…

Turn off the gadgets. Give yourself at least one hour before bedtime of iPad, computer, cell phone and television-free time to unwind after a busy day. Why is this important? All of these electronics emit a blue light that mimics daylight, which then leads your body to produce less of sleep hormone, melatonin. Try grabbing a book or a magazine instead!

Avoid caffeine. Did you know that caffeine can linger in your system for up to 12 hours? It’s true. If you find that caffeine has a strong effect on your, make sure that you don’t have any after lunch!

Exercise regularly. Getting your daily exercise is one the best ways to destress, which is often the culprit of sleep troubles. Exercising in the morning is especially good because it gives your time to cool down and keeps you energized throughout the day (needing less caffeine to function). When you exercise, your core heats up and isn’t normally a cue to your body to drift off to dreamland. If you must exercise in he evening, the experts at Shape Magazine recommend a nice steamy shower that will heat your skin. This will help kick your body into cool down mode and help it wind down towards sleep.

Invest in your bed. We spend half of our lives sleeping, so why not spend a little money on your mattress and sheets? Mattresses usually have a lifespan of five to ten years. If your mattress is sagging in the middle, no amount of flipping it over will change the fact that it’s saying goodbye to you. Also, look for quality bed sheets made from natural materials (like cotton or silk) that will breathe. And don’t forget to make your bed in the morning! Coming home to a messy room can actually bequite stressful and affect how well you sleep.

Have a routine and bedtime. Try to follow a more regular schedule of winding down and falling asleep and waking up in the morning. Also, create a normal bedtime ritual that will help you to relax and put away the stress of the day.

If you can’t fall asleep, get out of bed. It seems rather counterintuitive but don’t stay and in bed trying to sleep. This hardly ever helps. In fact, it could create even more anxiety for you if you are constantly checking the clock and counting the minutes, wondering why you can’t sleep and how this will affect your day tomorrow. Get up and change your environment, but keep it low light.

Eat the right foods. There are certain foods that you can eat that contain more tryptophan or melatonin such as tart cherry juice, nonfat popcorn, turkey, garbanzo beans, and chamomile tea.

Lavender. The scent of lavender is really quite relaxing and studies have shown that people who smelt these purple blossoms (or an aromatic oil) slept deeper and woke up with more energy. In any case, it just smells lovely!

And there you have it! Get more great sleep tips from Shape Magazine and happy snoozing to you!

 

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Weight Wise Wednesday: Hidden Calories in Salads

This Weight Wise Wednesday, we’re sharing some salad know-how!

Are hidden calories in your salad sabotaging your healthy diet?

Here on Weight Wise Wednesday we have a look at where the hidden calories sneak their way in and what are some healthy alternatives to include in your salad.

Salad Ingredients to Try to Avoid:

  • Croutons, tortilla chips and large amounts of cheese (a touch of cheese is better)
  • Processed meats: deli meat, fried chicken, and beef.
  • Creamy or sugar filled salad dressings. The average Caesar salad dressing contains 150 calories in 2 tablespoons and 15 grams of fat*.

?Healthy Alternative Ingredients to Include in Your Salad:

  • Boiled eggs (contains protein and Omega 3’s)
  • Fresh vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, onions)
  • Black beans and garbanzo beans – chickpeas (high in fiber)
  • Lean protein (baked chicken, turkey and salmon)
  • Edamame beans (high in protein, iron and fiber)
  • Balsamic dressing – see our easy recipe below.

?Balsamic Olive Oil Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil
  • 4 tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar
  • Pinch of Sea Salt and Pepper
  • Pinch of Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard (or to personal taste)

Shake in bottle and store leftover dressing in the fridge.

Easy way to add a few more healthy benefits:

  • Chia Seeds (Omega 3’s)
  • PGX Singles (sprinkler over the salad – helps control hunger and control blood sugar levels)
  • Flax Seeds or Flax Oil (high in Omega 3’s and Fiber)

What are your favourite ingredients to include in your salad? Let us know in the comments below or on our Facebook Page. Join our healthy salad conversation.

 

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Get Your Morning Energy Boost!

PGX wants you to start your day with energy!

Not a morning person? Here are 5 easy tips to give you a blast of energy!

I am not a morning person. Plain and simple. I love the quiet of the morning and the idea of waking early to watch the sunrise, but when it comes right down to actually waking up and getting out of bed, I am not a morning person. I do not just naturally wake up at 6 am, and if I do? I promptly go back to dream land.

So what can we night owls, and anyone else feeling sluggish in the morning, do to get that much needed energy boost?

Here are five fabulous tips from Real Simple to wake us up in the morning!

    • Enjoy a pop of colour! Bright colours like yellow and orange are known to have invigorating effects on your mood and can give you that shot of energy. So be bold and don that bright yellow raincoat or use those fuzzy orange towels!
    • Let in the natural light! When you wake up, resist the urge to keep your room dark. Throw back the curtains, open the window and blink in the light! Enjoy breakfast outside. Dr. Joyce Walsleben, Ph.D. says, ?If you can go outside within 15 minutes of waking for 20 minutes and face east, even on a cloudy day, you?ll get enough light to energize yourself for the day.?
    • Need a morning shower to wake up? End it with a blast of cold water! That will definitely wake you up!
    • Laugh! Laugh and laugh some more! Laughter can give you the recharging benefits of a good workout, help reduce stress and help boost immunity. So turn on your favourite morning sitcom because a little laughter goes a long way…
    • Dab on some jasmine-infused scent. According to neolorologist Alan Hirsch, jasmine helps increase beta-waves which make you more alert.

Looking for more ideas that will keep you energized throughout the day without the unhealthy energy drinks? You can find more great energy boosting tips in the Real Simple article, 25 Easy Instant Energy Boosters by Eleni Gage.

 

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The Benefits of Drinking Tea

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).

 

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Stress and Your Weight

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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Workout Bloopers!

It’s PGX’s Weight-wise Wednesday and we’ve got a quiz!

Take the quiz and spot the workout bloopers!

Quiz time! Don’t worry it’s not scary. Have you ever gone religiously to the gym, had what seemed like the perfect workout, and then got stuck on a weight loss plateau? You could be eating healthy food and exercising, but if you aren’t seeing the results that you hoped for, you might be committing some workout bloopers!

When I took the quiz, I discovered the mistakes I was making in the gym and now that I have an answer to my plateau troubles, I feel more motivated to change things up! Take Fitness Magazine’s Can You Spot Workout Bloopers? quiz and test your gym know-how!

Good luck and keep on moving!

 

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PGX Office Tip: Desk Exercises

Stuck at desk all day? Here’s a simple desk exercise!

Relieve the tension in your legs with this easy desk exercise we’ve found for you!

Do you sit at your desk all day, staring at your computer, hunching and tense all over without even realizing it?  Work can be a really busy place that doesn’t always allow you the luxury of a midday stroll. We’ve done some internet sleuthing and found how you can loosen up stiff leg muscles without leaving your desk or disrupting your productivity!

Wellness Matters and BC Living have come together to share this easy exercise to relieve the tension in your legs.

It’s always best to get up from your desk, stretch and take a short walk around to keep your muscles limber, but when short on time, try this desk exercise!

 

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Hula Hooping Your Way to Health

Remember those young hula hooping days? PGX says get your hula hoop on today!

Exercise doesn’t have to be boring. Just grab a hula hoop (or two or three or even four) and start moving!

Not only does it make a great workout, playing with hula hoops can be a lot of fun! No wonder kids are in such great shape. It’s not just all that energy they seem to be bursting with, it’s their choice of activity. The hula hoop is a great way to get your body moving.

What does this kind of activity do for you? With just one hula hoop, you can have a low-impact, calorie-burning workout that doesn’t require a gym membership. The movement that keeps the hoop spinning around your waist is excellent for toning your core, strengthening your back, and improving your balance and flexibility. Plus it’s way more fun than running on a treadmill, watching a TV station that the person next to you picked.

If one hula hoop can do all that for you, imagine what two or three or four can do! Want to know how many calories you can burn with a hula hoop?

The Chicago Tribune’s Joan Cary has got the numbers and a little bit of hula hooping history for you.

Happy Hula Hooping!

 

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