WORK IS A PAIN IN THE NECK

Spend a lot of time in a chair hunched over your computer? Chances are you have over stressed trapezius muscles. The trap is the muscle that extends from the back of your head, across your shoulders and down the back. Women with tight shoulder muscles and neck were given simple exercises as a remedy. The level of pain was cut down by 50% after a few weeks. What are those exercises?
1)SHRUGS
2)ONE ARM ROW
3)UPRIGHT ROW
4)REVERSE FLY
5)SHOULDER ABDUCTION


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ADD AN HOUR - BLAST AWAY FAT
Want to burn 3 times more fat? The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research published a study that could help exercisers burn 3 times more fat. Simply add 2 half hour sessions of exercise to your routine. Researchers found that those women who exercised for 8 weeks, 30 minutes twice a week lost 4 lbs of fat. Those that added two more sessions per week lost 13 lbs of fat

WHY JUMP ROPE?

Blame it on the Egyptians. They started with using vines to jump.
The benefits of this simple but yet complex training technique ranks as an ideal brain exercise, bone builder, and as one of the most efficient ways of improving cardiovascular fitness in as little as ten minutes.

According to research jump rope for a minimum of five minutes a day can improve physical fitness and when you build to ten minutes of nonstop jumping at 120 RPMs it can provide the same benefits as the following:

• 30 minutes of jogging
• 2 sets of tennis singles
• 30 minutes of racquet and handball playing
• 720 yards of swimming
• 18 holes of golf
• ACRO-JUMPING
• JUMP ROPE ENTERTAINMENT

In addition, jumping helps to develop the left and right hemispheres of the brain, to further improve spacial awareness and reading skills, and increases memory and mental alertness. Jumping on balls of the feet requires the body and mind to make neural muscular adjustments to imbalances created from continuous jumping. As a result jumping improves dynamic balance and coordination, reflexes, bone density and muscular endurance.

Turn stressed in to desserts

Busy mind?
Meditate

Negative internal banter?
Music

Unspoken anger?
Journaling

Sore back?
Yoga

Sluggish?
Reduce alcohol intake

Tight muscles?
Massage

Belly bulge?
More sleep

A NEW SPIN ON REHAB

Platelet-rich plasma treatments are growing in popularity. “Blood-spinning” or PRP is platelet rich plasma therapy. Tiger Woods underwent the procedure to help recover fast from surgery on his left knee. PRP therapy treatments have been used for over a decade. It is used for sport-related injuries; sever tendinitis, plantar fasciitis and muscle and ligament tears. The procedure takes less than 45 minutes and is less invasive than injections. It is a great option for older athletes because of the slower healing time.
Blood is taken from a vein near the elbow; about 20-6 milliliters. In a centrifuge, platelet-rich plasma is separated from re-blood cells in about 15 minutes. A concentrate of platelets, which promote repair and growth are injected into the injury. The athlete can recover faster because the healing of powers of platelets has been applied to the injury.

How sweet it is!

Have you heard of Stevia or Agave nectar?

With the desire of many who want a "natural" artificial sweetener, you will hear or see these two products soon.

Stevia is taken from the leaves of a South American herb. It is calorie free. The color of the packets are green or green and white. It is about 300 times sweeter than sugar. Many find it appealing to use a sweetener that is derived from a plant, rather than a laboratory. It is great for anyone who must watch sugar intake.

Agave nectar is another natural sweetener. It comes from the same plant that makes tequila. It is NOT calorie free. It has more in common to honey. But it has a very low glycemic index. A warning to diabetics! Agave is still a sugar.
Agave nectar comes in light~amber and caramel flavor. Its thin consistency lends itself to be a great replacement for high-fructose corn syrup.

You say polenta I say cornmeal....

I have a favorite story about my Dad.
My husband and I took my parents to a fancy Italian restaurant when we lived in New York. My Dad looked at the menu and laughed! Polenta was one of the expensive dishes listed.
He told us that polenta was a staple to all poor Italians during the depression. My Nona would heap the polenta on the plates of her kids. She would put one piece of meat and sauce on the top. The rule was you had to eat the polenta first~then the meat.
It was filling, delicious and CHEAP!

I love polenta! I hated to make polenta..... Until I found an easy recipe that makes creamy polenta~ free of lumps.

Pour water into a wide deep pot, stir in the polenta bake; stir; bake; stir done!
Add your sauce and enjoy..

8 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups polenta
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil(butter)
1/4 cup fresh Parmigiana-Reggiano

Heat oven to 350. In a 3 or 4 quart oven proof pot combine water, salt, polenta and olive oil. Bake uncovered for 1 hour 20 minutes. Stir the polenta and bake 10 more minutes. Remove the pot and stir in the grated cheese. Let it rest for 5 - 10 minutes and serve it...
It may also be cooled and sliced, wrapped in wax paper and frozen.