Can we talk about YOUR back???

I happen to think that a lean back and toned and tight abs are super sexy on a woman! Anytimes I look around the gym, the first things I notice on a woman are her back muscles, if exposed and her abs. I believe both are a sign of being FIT!  Think about it! An open back dress, a bikini, when you see lean muscles to me, it's a sign of FIT!

Everyone has their favorite body parts, and for me, these two are it! I also love my abs. When I am running around 20-30 miles a week, they are SO defined. Right now, since I have taken time off from running, you can still see my external obliques & my anterior superior iliac spine. My obliques are quite strong and I feel my abdominals and back are my STRONGEST body parts!

Abs are made in the KITCHEN, NOT the gym...YES, you can make the muscles stronger by doing crunches, leg raises, planks etc...but the only way you will see s defined tight and toned stomach is to WATCH WHAT YOU PUT IN YOUR MOUTH! There is no secret exercise, no diet pill, and hours of cardio WON'T make your abs show either! You MUST work your core, do cardio and eat a super clean diet.I know a lot of people who don't train what they can't see, like their backs, glutes and hamstrings, however, those muscle groups are SUPER important to incorporate in your training routine.

Ever notice a woman who is slouched over? That is a sign of a weak back, tight pectoral muscled and weak shoulders, not to mention the drooping boobs! YIKES! But if you ask that women (as I do with clients) to stand up nice and tall and pull their shoulders back and pull in their bellies, they look taller, stronger and more fit! Here are some of my FAVS!

I LOVE doing pull ups! I feel so empowered when I am doing them. Most women can NOT do them, nor do they try, because they think they can't. I am the opposite! I will do something I can't do until I CAN DO IT!

I started by just doing one each time I went into the gym...and little by little I became so much better at them! Now I can do 8-10 and my goal for 2011 is do be able to get to 15! YIKES!

Aside from the aesthetic parts, having a strong back and core are essential in everyday life...not just in your 20's or 30's but also for women or men in their 40's and 50's including our baby boomers! 

Before you start your workout, girls or guys, you MUST start with a proper warm up! Get on the bike or the elliptical and get the blood flowing through your muscles. The WORST thing I always see is some guy or girl comes running into the gym, and RIGHT AWAY, they start lifting heavy weights or they start SWINGING heavy weights using momentum. NOT GOOD, and an easy way set yourself up for an injury. Starting with exercises like Swinging lateral raises, front leg swings, side bends, scorpions, and butt kicks will help with a great warm up and get your hips and joints more flexible!

Working your back is very hard, and it's especially hard to focus and put you mind on the EXACT muscle you are trying to hit. You have to be in tune with your body, not just with your back, but with every muscle you work. You can't just go through the motions, because you won't get anywhere. You need to also have a plan. I always map out my workouts in a small journal each Sunday for the entire week.

As I always tell my clients and especially MEN, WEIGHT is NOT important as FORM is! If you have great form, you will make great gains in your physique and strength, HOWEVER, if you have bad form, and jerk your body and use momentum, again you won't make the necessary changes and you will get HURT!

Sample workout:Chin Ups - 4-12 reps
push ups- 15 reps
Dead lifts - 12 reps
renegade rows - with dumb bells 15 reps
Pullovers - on a bench- 15 reps
chest press- on a Swiss ball- 15 reps

Sample two: 15 reps for each exerciseSuper set
Chin Ups -
pull Downs -

Super setBent Over Rows -
Dead lifts -

Super setrenegade rows - with dumb bells
Hyper extensions -   

A Miracle Food! One of my Fav's!

How much do you LOVE the smell of yams cooking on Thanksgiving? Well in my houe it's a REAGULAR everyday smell! OMG! To die for! The best part about yams or sweetpotatoes is that you just bake them and don't need to add ANYTHING to them. Sometimes I will peel them into stripes, lay them on a baking sheet and sprinkle cinnamon on them and bake for an hour, and PRESTO! I can add them to any dish and they work!
According to Epicurious, the Sweet Potato is the Veggie of the new year! 2011! Mario and I have had sweet potatoes as a staple in our diet since before we met almost 9 years ago! I bake them, mash them, add them to stews and soups, slice and make oven sweet potatoe fries, etc!

This gorgeous orange and sometimes yellow veggie is bursting with both beta-carotene, which is converted by the body into Vitamin A (an anti-oxidant), and fiber, which is great for digestion.

Did you know this super star veggie also has protein? The Center for Science in the Public Interest ranked them the #1 most nutritious vegetable (in the world).

The New York Times labled the sweet potato as the QUEEN of weight loss because it helps regulate blood sugar, satisfies cravings, and boasts an impressive nutritional profile.

How will YOU have your Sweet potato?
XOXOXO Tina

Bzzzzzz!!!!!

I have been using Bee Pollen now for about 2 years everyday in everyone of my Fit Green Goddess Shakes! Ever try it? Oh boy! I get some weird faces and comments when I mention it to people! I am going to share with you some SCIENCE and some benefits of Bee Pollen. If you are allergic to bee stings, then this post is not for you, sorry.

Bee pollen is one of the healthiest and most powerful “superfoods” on this BEAUTIFUL EARTH! It’s been around and used for thousands of years! Back in the day, the  early Egyptian Chinese  used it as a physical rejuvenator and medicine. The Greek physician Hippocrates- A.K.A- father of modern medicine, used bee pollen as a healing substance over 2,500 years ago. Today natural health practitioners  refer to bee pollen as an herbal “fountain of youth” that can be used for everything from weight loss to cancer prevention.


here are some benefits to using Bee Pollen:

• increase energy, vitality and stamina
• enhance the immune system
• lose weight
• relieve allergy and asthma symptoms
• correct digestion problems
• improve sexual function
• slow the aging process
• prevent cancer and other diseases

 When I consume high quality bee pollen, I  almost always experienc an increase in energy, zest, and physical endurance. I am not the only one, this happens to thousands of people who consume Bee Pollen at high levels daily!

Do you know what Bee Pollen is?
It's the dust-sized seed found on the stamen of all flower blossoms. The pollen collects on the legs of honeybees as they move from flower to flower looking for nectar. The bees secrete nectar and special enzymes into the flower pollen to create what we know as “bee pollen”. The pollen is usually collected by placing a special device at the entrance of beehives that brushes it from the hind legs of the bees into a collection vessel.

What’s in it?
Bee pollen contains an enormous amount of different  vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, co-enzymes, and hormones. It is especially rich in B vitamins and antioxidants, including lycopene, selenium, beta carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and several flavanoids. It is composed of 55% carbohydrates, 35% protein, 3% vitamins and minerals, 2% fatty acids, and 5% other substances. Overall, it's one of the most nutritionally complete natural substances found on earth.

Want to know what it will do for you?
When you first start taking bee pollen you may feel a huge increase in your energy right away,  within a week or so. Over time the consistent use of pollen will improve your energy, stamina, and endurance. You'll also probably notice a greater feeling of general well-being. Over the long-term, regular consumption of bee pollen will help alleviate many different health problems, slow down the aging process, and improve your quality of life.

Is there a better Bee Pollen to take?
Bee pollen is available in powdered forms, granules, tablets and capsules.I use the granules, which are these super tiny balls that when you bite into them, they taste like honey. I love the taste so much, sometimes I will just scoop out a teaspoon and eat it!  Capsules usually contain other bee hive products such as royal jelly, propolis and honey. Pollens that come from multiple sources contain more nutrients than single source pollens. Because of the negative effects of air pollution the highest-quality bee pollens comes from extremely clean natural environments.

Check out these facts! Found on http://www.beepollen.com/

• Bee Pollen has a dramatic effect upon mental perception during athletic performances.
  
• The I.Q.’s of mentally-handicapped children taking bee pollen have been nearly doubled during documented clinical tests.
  
• Experiments by French doctors have revealed that pollen contains both natural antibiotic properties and significant growth factors.
  
• Bee pollen provides those chemical substances from which are used to create glands, muscles, hair and vital organs. In addition, it also furnishes those essential materials that are necessary for the repair of any worn-out cells or tissues.
  
• Bee pollen also produces regulatory (amphoteric) activity upon the gastro-intestinal functions, both in relation to chronic constipation and certain cases of diarrhea that are highly resistant to synthetic antibiotic therapy. Bee pollen regulates the intestines by destroying or weakening any harmful bacteria while simultaneously promoting the growth of health-giving species (intestinal flora).
  
• Bee Pollen is extremely valuable as an adaptogen by assisting in both weight gain or loss, as well as in the reduction of hypertension or increasing the overall metabolic functions. Bee pollen both regulates and stimulates the metabolism in the human organism by supplying the missing factors (or catalysts) that other foods do not provide while neutralizing the catabolic effects of various toxins, environmental pollutants, synthetic drugs or food additives, thereby producing healthier cells, improved health and well-being and a longer life-span.
  
• Bee pollen enhances the metabolism by creating endless chain reactions throughout the entire system. The essential minerals and other natural elements in bee pollen act as catalysts, and are responsible for the assimilation of that portion of foods which would normally have been eliminated without yielding the energy, essential nutrients and other benefits (which usually occurs on a regular basis with most adulterated foods).
  
• Bee Pollen accelerates the normal cellular processes throughout the entire organism, and acts as a catalyst in order to stimulate intercellular metabolic activities without profoundly modifying normal physiological activity.
  
• The overall effects of bee pollen are multiple, i.e., it does not appear to possess only one specific physiological function but, rather, activates the systemic biological functions.
  
• Elements that exist in microgram quantities (such as those found in bee pollen) can interact with co-enzymes as catalysts, or can act synergistically (i.e., the elements' action combined is greater than the sum of their actions taken separately).
  
• During many years of testing, bee pollen has been notable for its lack of harmful side-effects. Few medications rank with bee pollen in terms of its lack of toxicity. It is a completely natural product that is well tolerated by the body and compatible with all other forms of therapy. In addition, it is easy to digest and suitable for all ages. Furthermore, it provides increased protection and greater resistance against any invasive or harmful pathogenic bacteria, and provides increased and sustainable energy-levels throughout the entire organism.
  
• In convalescents, bee pollen creates a rapid increase in both weight and energy-levels, and from 1 to 3 tablespoonsful should be taken daily by invalids or those in a poor state of health who require total rejuvenation (such as the elderly).
  
• Bee pollen is also successful in treating hypertonic illness, as well as disorders of the nervous or endocrine glandular systems. It produces the desired stabilizing effects of either increasing low blood pressure or reducing high blood pressure. In addition, it provides a calming and tranquilizing (sedative) effect without any contraindications or harmful side-effects.
  
• Bee pollen is highly recommended for both mentally-retarded and anemic children, as well as for those suffering from rickets. Test results indicate a significant increase in red blood corpuscles (up to 30 percent) and an increase in the hemoglobin count (averaging about 15 percent). When these children are given supplementary doses of bee pollen and glutamic acid, their overall improvement is dramatically accelerated. The action of glutamic acid reacts directly upon the brown cells of the brain. Improvement is generally observed within the first 6 months, and reaches its peak towards the end of one year. The prescribed dosage is approximately 4 grams, 3 times a day.
  
• Pollen contains large quantities of acetylcholine, which plays a varied and important role in the functional capabilities of the entire organism by provoking increased adrenaline secretions. It also acts as a chemical mediator for the transmission of nerve impulses, which may explain why pollen stimulates increased glandular secretions while acting as a tonic to the entire nervous system.
  
• By stimulating the secretion of hormones from the adrenal cortex, bee pollen assists in regulating (1) salt and water metabolism, (2) neuromuscular function, (3) carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism, (4) resistance to many physical and chemical agents or infections, and (5) increased activity upon hair growth, skin and sexual functions (including the improvement of secondary sexual characteristics).
  
• Bee pollen also stimulates both adrenal and liver secretions in order to allow the liver to secrete additional quantities of glycoge, thereby elevating the blood sugar levels (which greatly benefits those with symptoms of hypoglycemia).
  
• Allergy attacks brought on by bee pollen are normally produced by wind-carried pollens, and not by bee-collected pollens. Wind-generated pollens usually stimulate a cleansing process throughout the entire respiratory tract, especially among those who consume excessive quantities of mucus-producing foods during the winter months.
• Additional medical properties found in pollen include: (1) bacteriostatic (arrests the growth of harmful pathogenic bacteria), (2) cytophylactic and cytotoxic (cellular defense against infection and toxins), and (3) anti-anorexic (stimulates increased appetite, but only for those who lack it).
  
• Bee pollen also displays an effect similar to that of the drug amphetamine in that it acts as a "psycho-tonic". However, it does not manifest any depressive side-effects.
  
• Bee pollen allows significantly increased amounts of oxygen to reach the brain and the cells in general, thereby resulting in improved overall health and mental capabilities.
  
• Bee pollen will also accelerate increased tissue repair throughout the entire organism, thereby making it extremely effective in the removal of scar tissue following surgical operations.
  
• Bee pollen is extremely effective in small doses, and its overall effects are usually quite prolonged.

I usually have 2 tbsp in my Fit Green Goddess Shakes! DELISH! For more recipes including Bee Pollen, email me at tinaguaglianone@gmail.com

GRASTON!

I can't believe I haven't mentioned my Graston treatments! Have you heard about Graston? DO you go to a chiropractor? I haven't in such a long time, but recently with all of the issues with my arthritis in my ankle & kness, I decided to search for a CURE so I can RUN with no pain!
I ended up going to Greenwich Wellness in Greenwich CT . I saw Tom. Tom was super knowledgeable, friendly and caring! Basically, he told me my whole right side kinetic chain was OFF! YIKES. my hips are a quarter inch uneven, my IT band is extremely tight, my ankle doesn't dorsi flex, OY!!!! I am broken.
The treatment didn't hurt while he was doing it, but the next day, I looked like I got hit by a BUS! I was all bruised...NORMAL, but still scary to see!

Graston Technique is:  successful in effectively treating all soft tissue conditions, whether they are chronic or acute and post surgical. The Graston Technique^® offers many advantages to the patient such as:

• Decreases overall time of treatment
• Fosters faster rehabilitation/recovery
• Reduces need for anti-inflammatory medication
• Resolves chronic conditions thought to be permanent

The Graston Technique incorporates a patented form of instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization that enables clinicians to effectively detect and treat scar tissue and restrictions that affect normal function.

The Technique: Separates and breaks down collagen cross-links, and splays and stretches connective tissue and muscle fibers Increases skin temperature Facilitates reflex changes in the chronic muscle holding pattern Alters spinal reflux activity (facilitated segment) Increases the rate and amount of blood flow to and from the area Increases cellular activity in the region, including fibroblasts and mast cells Increases histamine response secondary to mast cell activity.

The Graston Technique Instruments are used to enhance the ability to detect adhesions, scar tissue or restrictions in the affected areas. stainless steel instruments are used  to comb over and "catch" on fibrotic tissue, which immediately identifies the areas of restriction. Once the tissue has been identified, the instruments are used to break up the scar tissue so it can be absorbed by the body.

I had two treatments with Tom, and I have to tell you, I feel better! You gotta try this technique. It isn't just for IT bands! If you have arthristis and or  tightness in your shoulders, give them a call!

For my workout today, I am running 4 miles. I will be running nice and steady! I will also be doing lots of stretching! NO WORKOUT TODAY! :O) Ahhhhhh