Strategies for Seasonal Meals – Resisting Temptation to Avoid Holiday Weight-Gain

PGX-USA-blog-strategies-for-seasonal-meals-20141217

The holidays are a great time to enjoy fantastic food in good company, but for some of us it can be difficult to maintain healthy eating habits and avoid over-indulgence. Edible gifts, office parties, and seasonal markets typically mean calorie dense, but nutrient-poor food choices, which can lead to temporary, undesirable and unhealthy seasonal weight-gain, lethargy, and ill-health.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to ensure that your diet includes plenty of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients and fiber to enhance energy, support boost immunity, and prevent undesirable weight gain.

Top Tips to Stay Health at Office Parties

Office party buffets are almost always loaded with saturated fat, salt, simple carbohydrates, sugar and pro-inflammatory, artery clogging animal products. If you’re on a diet it may be tempting to avoid the party altogether, but with a few simple strategies you too can socialize and quaff champagne without feeling hungry as you pick at a lackluster salad.

For the organizers and planners among you, try having a discussion in advance with the party organizer. Request more nutritious options that will actually enhance employee health, and perhaps find a few local catering companies that provide healthy business buffets. Or, how about suggesting a potluck where everyone brings their favorite healthy seasonal dish?

If these aren’t options then consider eating before the party or taking some high protein and high fiber foods to add in to the fruit and vegetable dishes on offer. Great options include falafel, nuts and seeds, seasoned chickpeas, hemp hearts, and PGX granules.

The food at the office party may be free, but you’ll pay for it later if it’s unhealthy and leaves you feeling temporarily sluggish, ill, and bloated.

Avoiding Comfort Eating During the Holidays

Seasonal stress can sabotage a healthy diet, but instead of grabbing the nearest high-fat, high-sugar, salty and nutrient-poor foods during times of stress, try to plan ahead and have delicious things on hand that actually nourish your brain and support elevate mood.

Some key nutrients to consider in mood-boosting foods include those that reduce the production of cortisol, such as:

  • Phosphatidylserine – found in beans and barley
  • Vitamin C – found in mandarins and other fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Omega 3 fatty acids – found in nuts, seeds, and some oily fish and algae

Other nutrients that can be helpful during the holidays include 5-HTP and theanine. These amino acids have mood-boosting and relaxing effects and can significantly reduce the temptation to use food as a coping mechanism for occasional stress. Theanine is found in green tea (and black tea), or in supplement form without the caffeine.

5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) has been found to have appetite-suppressing effects because it can increase feelings of satiety and help lessen comfort eating. This amino acid is present in bananas, kiwi fruit, sour cherries, plums and tomatoes, as well as flaxseeds and beans. It’s also available in supplement form and is a popular supplement for occasional winter blues, which can also play a role in winter weight-gain.

Filling Up on Fiber

Finally, one great way to avoid overeating during the holidays is to give fiber intake a boost. Fiber is necessary to keep the bowel healthy, but it also slows down the rate at which the carbohydrates in food are broken down, thereby supporting better blood sugar regulation. In turn, this helps us to manage appetite and decrease cravings related to erratic glucose and insulin levels.

PGX granules are a great way to boost fiber intake on the go as they can be added into yogurt, smoothies, juice and water, and even sprinkled on cereal, salads and in soups. This innovative fiber complex has been found in studies to help people better balance blood sugar, reduce food cravings, and achieve weight management goals. Just make sure to drink additional water (8 fl. oz.) after ingesting PGX®, and, if you are taking medications, take one hour prior to or two hours after taking PGX®.

The holidays need not be a time of worry, especially over maintaining healthy eating habits. Plan in advance and avoid hunger and stress. With just a few seasonal strategies for healthy eating, you can approach the office party, family dinners, and other events with confidence.

What are your top tips for staying healthy during the holidays? Let us know in the comments below!

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Workout Nutrition [Infographic]

We’ve got the ultimate guide to workout nutrition!

Don’t undermine your efforts to get in shap with poor eating habits!

We’ve found an excellent infographic to share. So often I hear people say, “I’m exercising regularly but I can’t see anything changing!” Well, I’m sure on the inside, plenty of good things are happening, but if you can’t seem to lose the weight, then it could be your nutrition. Check out this infographic and get the skinny on workout nutrition!

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Healthy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

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!).

 

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Recipe: Banana Chai Protein Smoothie

If you are in the mood for a sweet and spicy smoothie, this is the recipe for you!

Cozy up after your workout with this nutritious protein smoothie from Alive Magazine!

There is something especially appealing about chai teas during the cold winter months. I don’t know what it is. Maybe it’s the warming, spicyness of the aromatic herbs that mix together to create the chai blend…Or maybe it is its exotic origins of the far and warm east that gives chai its appeal. Whatever it is, chai tea is my favourite tea for the cold weather!

But even in cold weather, we need to keep our bodies moving and exercising! So why not go, workout, sweat and then recover with a tasty and nutritious Banana Chai Protein Shake?! With all the flavour kick of chai and the health power of protein, post workout, you really can’t go wrong with this recipe. Try adding some PGX Daily Singles (2.5 grams or 1 stick per shake) and get your fibre in there as well!

Get this Banana Chai Protein Shake recipe and all the nutritional facts for this smoothie from Alive Magazine.

Enjoy!

 

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Tasty Tuesday: Berry Summer Salad

Enjoy this delicous berry summer salad!

What better way to enjoy fresh summer produce than with a simple, tasty recipe?!

My mouth is actually watering for a delicous, homemade salad like this one. And it’s full of healthy ingredients like spinach, avocados, mushrooms, goat cheese and, of course, berries! Lots of berries!

So what’s so great about these ingredients? Well berries are full of antioxidants, powerful substances that can help protect your cells against free radicals. Goat cheese provides some protein, riboflavin and phosphorus. Avocados are a good source of vitamin C, vitamin K and dietary fibre. Spinach is also an excellent source of vitamin A, calcium, vitamin C and iron!

So what’s not to love about this recipe? Thanks to The Primitive Foodie, we have a delicious Berry Summer Salad! (click for recipe).

 

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

The Eatery App & PGX

There’s an app for that! Change your eating habits for the better with help from PGX and The Eatery app.

Empower yourself with the tools you need to achieve your weight loss goals!

Now a days, there’s pretty much an app for everything. Whether it’s for Facebook, Twitter, or that awesome app that tells you the name of the song that’s playing on the radio, smart phones and their applications play a large part in how we socialize and spend our free time. So, why not start using one to help you lose weight!

Allow me to introduce (drum roll, please), The Eatery! Getting started is easy: Just take a picture of your food (don’t forget to sprinkle your PGX on top or into the mix!), rate your meal on how healthy it is, and record how much of your meal you ate. Then invite your friends to follow you for support, encouragement, or to strive for the same goals along side you. As The Eatery says, “You never have to eat alone.” Finally, The Eatery will provide you with feeback and stats on your eating habits, forcing you to see the facts on what you’ve been eating – this, maybe more than anything, will push you to eat healthier.

Why we like The Eatery:

It gives you a sense of community by allowing your friends to follow your progress, and vice versa. You can achieve your goals together, and have a buddy (or multiple!) to support and encourage you on your weight loss journey!

Have you used this app or something similar to help you achieve your weight loss goals? Let us know in the comments below.

 

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Eat Like an Olympic Athlete!

Today’s Thursday Obsession: Eating Like an Olympic Athlete!

The 2012 London Olympics are almost here! Let’s learn to eat like an Olympian!

We’re 14 days away from watching the world’s greatest athletes compete in the summer olympics and I wondered, “What do these incredible people eat to keep themselves in tip top, spit spot shape?!” Luckily for me and anyone else who was wondering, Canadian National Olympic team dietician, Kelly Anne Erdman shared her knowledge on how these and probably all other athletes are keeping healthy to prepare for the games!

Check out the fabulous article from BCLiving.com and learn how to eat and maintaina the healthy lifestyle of an Olympic athlete!

As always PGX’ers, stay healthy!

 

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

Healthy Snacking on the Go!

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!

 

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

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.

 

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)

400 Calories in the Stomach

Make smart choices at meal times. Fill up on the good stuff!

How much space does 400 calories occupy in the stomach?

I truly dislike the thought of dieting. But with a looming deadline to fit into a costume that doesn’t quite zip up all the way for a performance, I really have no choice but to make a conscious effort to change my eating habits.

What is it about diets that have people dreading them? Hunger? Cravings? Guess what?! You don’t need to feel hungry when you are making the change for a healthier lifestyle. And if you aren’t feeling hungry, you will most likely have fewer cravings as well! There is no need to fear healthy eating! All we need to do is learn how to make smart choices. If we look for low calorie but dense foods full of nutrients and fibre (think low-GI foods), we’ll definitely be better off! Take a look at what 400 calories of various foods look like in the stomach!

Add PGX to your food and the fibre will help you feel full and you won’t feel the “diet hunger and cravings.” Right now you you can get a free BONUS pack of PGX Singles with purchase of PGX Daily in Canadian stores! Stay healthy everyone; make smart food choices and be sure to get your daily dose of fibre!

VN:F [1.9.22_1171]
Rating: 0.0/5 (0 votes cast)