I am dedicated to helping women all over the world to achieve their fitness goals. I found that it's very difficult for busy women to fit exercise into their hectic schedules. My method targets women's trouble areas like glutes, legs, abs, and arms with precise exercises and specific equipment that will chisel the muscles to perfection. The best part is that it only takes 30 to 45 minutes. It is the perfect workout: precise, efficient and time-saving!

Wednesday 11 April 2012

Pregnancy: To swell or not to swell...

Pregnant? Check out my article: http://www.thebabablog.com/article/2012/04/02/to-swell-or-not-to-swell
This new Website: The BABABLOG will answer all your questions about pregnancy and more!!!

Monday 27 February 2012

De Stress Yourself

DE-STRESS YOURSELF!

We live a busy life, running around like crazy, stressing about what to eat, what to wear, what to do, even which nail polish to choose ... in fact most of the time we stress about  silly things. It seems that the more "important" we are, the more stress we have.  But stress brings sleepless nights, binge eating and raised cortisol levels that cause us to retain fat. Don’t let stress to mess up your life! Bite it, slap it, and punch it in just 10 little steps!


Ready? Follow me!


Enjoy simple things in life: as you sip your morning coffee, smell it, taste it, take a deep breath and think about all the good things that the day is going to bring to you. Enjoy and focus on the sensation of the dark aroma...

Smile at a stranger: while you’re queuing at the grocery store, while you are walking in the street, while you are sitting at your local restaurant: just SMILE! Spread love and light out to the universe and see how much better you feel for it.

Take a Breath: in the middle of the day, just take a long, deep breath and get in contact with your inner soul...


Cook your Granny's Soup: food from childhood always brings back lovely memories and makes you feel at ease...  comfort on a plate to warm up your heart.

Brew some Green Tea: Did you know that Green tea contains a calming amino acid?? Thanks to Nicky Summer’s new range of food supplements, ‘Beauty on the Inside’, I take my green tea in a tablet! If you wish to do the same, please contact nickyandco@aol.com (for a 10% discount on online sales please quote the code: FG111)

Omega 3: include magic food into your diet such as salmon, flaxseed, walnuts, and olive oil and see your heart rates decrease during the most stressful time of your day!
Move: go for a run, a boxing class, lift some iron, just move your body and let go of all tensions!!! Shake it off baby!


Pilates or Yoga: to stretch and strengthen body, mind and soul. Pilates allows you to focus on your body and meditate within, while yoga allows you to travel outside your body to find your peace of mind... choose the one that works best for you!
Massage: get an aromatherapy massage and relax with all the different lush oils that the therapist will use according to your needs.... choose from lavender, lemon grass, hazelnut, almond and my favourite Ylang-Ylang and many more!

Shopping: my favourite cardio... always helps me in the most stressful moments... Reward yourself with your honey’s credit card... shift the stress to someone else!

Most of all, please be happy and remember that everything happens for a reason,for good and for bad; in the end everything always works out, so just try to stop worrying!!!
I’m always listening, because you are my priority.

Beautiful Body, Sharp Mind, Clear Soul.

In Health and Fitness,

FG


Visit my nutrition page for more.

Tuesday 24 January 2012

NEVER COUNT CALORIES!!!

I think that counting calories is so last year!

The word ‘calorie’ comes from the Latin ‘calor’, which means heat. A calorie is a measure of heat. We should think of our bodies as furnaces that require fuel to continue burning.  Just as a car will not run without the right petrol, so the body can not function properly without the right food.

With good food you feed the body's natural furnace and keep your metabolism running fast, like a Ferrari!  When you eat and what you eat makes all the difference.

Perhaps a low fat chocolate cake has fewer calories than a steak with sweet potatoes and salad, but the two meals definitely do not have the same nutritional values: the cake will give you an initial buzz before a crash that will increase your sugar craving.

Whereas the steak will feed your muscles, and will not reappear on your hips, thighs and tummy. Have you ever tried to put petrol in a car that runs on diesel? If you do, I bet that it will not take you far and will definitely ruin your engine....

Also I beg you to never to starve yourself or go on a low calorie diet.  The only result will be that you compromise your energy levels and deplete your body of vitamins and essential nutrients. You will also lose muscle tone, and by doing so, you will decrease your metabolic rate and end up fatigued and prone to rapid weight gain. Instead, eat 5 to 6 small meals per day with the right ratio of protein, fat and healthy carbs and thus, not only will you feed your body, but also your soul and your mind.

Another mistake is to spend too much time in the gym.  This may lead to over training, resulting in muscle injury, stress,  and from there to an increase in cortisol levels, well known for increasing body weight and fat storage.  Instead, train every day for 30 to 45 minutes, be intense, but steady and focused.

Make sure you take 1 day off per week: train hard and rest hard. You could also take an active rest day, go for a walk, play with your kids, and go for a bicycle ride in the park.... move your body, move your soul!

SOME TRICKS FOR YOUR WAIST LINE:

Eat Italian style by using OLIVE OIL rather than butter. Cut the saturated fat and replace it with healthy fat. Italians are known for their skills in the kitchen as well as on the cat walk.  Why shouldn’t you follow suit?

Go carb free when you eat in a restaurant: move away the bread basket and reach for the crudités: bring sunshine onto your plate and vitamins into your body.

Skip your full fat latte and go black. Have you ever seen a sommelier putting sugar or milk into their wine?  The true coffee lover never adds to her coffee: drink your espresso like a PRO and show the world what it takes!

Go solo and keep the stress away by meditating for 10minutes per day.  Only by taking a short time out to think in peace will you be able to take care of yourself and so care too for the important people in your life.

Focus on positive thinking.  Remind yourself how good it feels to stay lean and clear headed, and how good you look in your LBD.  Most of all REWARD YOURSELF once in a while, because you deserve it! Anybody fancy some shopping? It’s still cardio isn’t it?

I’m always listening because you are my priority!
Beautiful Body, Sharp Mind, Clear Soul.
In health and fitness,
FG

If you have any further questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact me: fg@fgpilates.me
(Please make sure you consult your doctor prior to making any changes in your diet or exercise plan... better to be safe than sorry...)

PS. (If you are curious about the differences between Yoga and Pilates, please check out my interview for the Sunday Times STYLE Magazine on Sunday 29th of January.... at your nearest newsagent.... don't miss it!)

Saturday 7 January 2012

DETOX IN 5 STEPS!

2012 has started and with it come all the good intentions: eat more healthily, drink less, exercise more...
Enough with the promises! Let's just DO IT. You don't have to wait for the New Year to start your resolution, make a change now.

Let's start with a nice DETOX, much needed after the holiday season. In fact everybody ate and drank a little bit more, exercised less and all the stresses associated with Christmas tend to bring cortisol levels right up, a notorious cause of weight gain...

Here are your 5 KEY POINTS for a healthier and happier you:

1) Drink more water.
Start the day with a glass of warm water and put a slice of lemon in it if you want to spice up your drink. Your body needs water to function correctly. Water is a zero calorie drink that is not only refreshing but acts as a natural detoxifier by flushing away unwanted toxins from the body.  It improves circulation, fat loss, and keeps your body temperature regulated. Keep yourself hydrated:  drink, drink, drink and be beautiful!!

2) Say NO to Alcohol
Just take a break from alcohol. While drinking in small doses can have good effect on your health (red wine is full of antioxidants, for example), if abused, alcohol will dehydrate your body (not good for a glowing skin), damage your liver and increase calorie intake, which is linked to obesity. Alcohol is a depressant, not a stimulant, and since it is likely you have been indulging in it during the holiday, It will be good if you take a break for 3 or 4 weeks. You will feel recharged and your skin will benefit too... save money on the facial!

3) SUGAR=ANTIFOOD
Sugar is evil, it is a fake food, empty in calories, it will mess up your metabolism and your mood, by giving you a kick to start with and then crushing you right down by playing with your insulin level and leading to dramatic spikes in blood sugar. The key to a toned and streamlined physique is to maintain your blood sugar level STABLE at all times. Current research links sugar to some type of cancer and diabetes. Therefore dump sugar:  you are sweet enough honey bee!!! Believe me!!!
 
4) EAT PLENTY...
Detox with these fruits:

PAPAYA: extremely high in fibre, it will help you to cleanse your gastrointestinal track, flushing away all the toxins from your body, leaving you energized and rejuvenated. Papaya is also a great form of Vitamin C, so it fights your winter cold! Buy 1 and get 2!!!  Squeeze on a little lime to make it even more delicious. Yummi!
 
BERRIES: full of vitamin C and antioxidants: eating any type of berries is like Botox on your plate! Because they are very low in sugar, berries will not mess with your blood sugar level, especially when eaten with lean protein or nuts.  Eat berries, live longer, detoxify faster, and look younger!

CRUCIFEROS VEGETABLES: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, cabbage and cauliflower contain plenty of sulphur, which is among the top elements to help detoxify the liver. A healthy liver is essential for the detoxification process. A healthy liver= a healthier YOU!

5) MOVE!
Keep your body in motion:  run in the park, power walk on the treadmill at your gym, take up that spinning class. Just go, move, be happy, feel your body...
By adding cardio to your routine you will burn more calories and start to promote fat loss. Plus sweating is a good way to flush all the bad toxins out of your system!
Cardio is not my favourite form of exercise... I must admit I prefer to lift weights, but it is great for burning calories and you will not only exercise your body, but your heart will get a workout too! Double gain for health and double loss for fat!

You can use these tips in addition to your detox plan. Remember to consult a doctor prior to starting any exercise programme or making dramatic changes to your diet.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to contact me: fg@fgpilates.me 
I'm always listening because you are my priority.

Beautiful Body, Sharp Mind, Clear Soul...

In health and fitness,

FG

(Special thanks to Fiona Macleay for the edting and CGDesign for Design and DoodleIT for my website development... my beautiful TEAM!)

Wednesday 4 January 2012

Welcome to my blog

Originally from Rome, Italy, I’m now based in London, where I work and live. I’ve been in sports since at a young age, then focus on acting and directing, specialising in physical theatre. I’m now a full time Pilates Specialist, Celebrity Trainer, Nutritionist Advisor, Fitness Model and Fitness Writer.

Please subscribe to my blog for updates.

Francesca x

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