Monica Cardone

Drinking too much water ‘can be bad for your health

May 14, 2013 – 10:07 AM

It is said to help us prevent kidney damage, lose weight and increase concentration levels.

But experts now warn that drinking eight glasses of water a day is not good for you after all – and could be harmful.
They say that scientific claims behind long-standing government guidelines are worse than ‘nonsense’.
The NHS – along with leading doctors and nutritionists – advises the public to drink about 1.2 litres (or two-and-a-half pints) of water per day.
However, a report describes the danger of dehydration as a ‘myth’ and says there is no evidence behind claims that water prevents multiple health problems.
Whenever you disregard your sense of thirst and strive to ingest several glasses of water a day just because you have been told that doing so is good for your health, you actually put unnecessary strain on your body in two major ways:
1. Ingesting more water than you need can increase your total blood volume. And since your blood volume exists within a closed system (your circulatory system), needlessly increasing your blood volume on a regular basis puts unnecessary burden on your heart and blood vessels.
2. Your kidneys must work overtime to filter excess water out of your circulatory system. Your kidneys are not the equivalent of a pair of plumbing pipes whereby the more water you flush through your kidneys, the cleaner they become; rather, the filtration system that exists in your kidneys is composed in part by a series of specialized capillary beds called glomeruli. Your glomeruli can get damaged by unnecessary wear and tear over time, and drowning your system with large amounts of water is one of many potential causes of said damage.

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Fat Burning

What is the best sleep position to burn the most fat?

December 25, 2012 – 9:02 AM

The best position is whichever you find the most comfortable, and that gives you enough lasting sleep without waking due to position changes.

As you sleep, your body is very busy working to revitalize your internal systems. This process does burn calories – more than many may believe. But if you’re not in a deep restful sleep, this process slows and even stops.

Keep in mind though, you won’t see any measurable reductions in specific body fat due solely to sleep or sleep positions. The calories you burn during the recuperative process come from your blood and liver – not stored fat…but this can make a noticable difference around your midsection!

So is there a sleep posittion that helps you burn more fat? For the most part, this is actually a myth. If you really want results, try adding a little resistance training to your schedule.

One of the best tools I have found aligns with the adage of keeping it simple! If you really want to lose weight, start with obeying some simple rules – The Seven Laws of Weight Loss…

  1. Make a commitment to do whatever it takes
  2. Start from a foundation of happiness…make this decision because you really want to
  3. Design your own healthy diet plan
  4. Manage your emotions. This one can be a killer if not handled!
  5. Find a way to exercise daily
  6. Keep a Journal (from my experience, the most important item here!)
  7. Be persistent
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Fat Burning Monica Cardone Weight Loss Tips

Signs that you consume too much caffeine

November 20, 2012 – 8:10 AM

If you rely on caffeine to wake you up and keep you going, you aren’t alone. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system, alleviating fatigue, increasing wakefulness, and improving concentration and focus.
However, too much caffeine consumption can cause a range of side effects. For most people, about 300 mg of caffeine a day is a healthy level of caffeine consumption. That is roughly equivalent to three cups of coffee.

Here are the signs that you consume too much caffeine:
1. You hit an afternoon slump.
If you can’t get through the day without a Diet Coke fix, you may be hooked on the caffeine.

2. You’re peeing orange.
that is dark Urine yellow or orange is a telltale sign of dehydration.

3. You can’t sleep.

If it takes you longer than 30 minutes to doze off at night, you might try cutting out caffeine once the clock strikes 12 p.m. to see if it helps you get more restful sleep.
4. You feel anxious.
Sweaty palms, a racing heart, restlessness, and feeling jittery are all clues that you’ve overdosed on caffeine.

5. You have heartburn.
Acid reflux happens when the muscle at the end of the esophagus, known as the lower esophageal sphincter, allows food and stomach acid to come back up, causing a burning feeling under your chest. If this happens to you, caffeine could be a culprit

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Monica Cardone Tid Bits Articles Weight Loss Tips

Does eating egg whites before bed really increase HGH production?

November 5, 2012 – 7:33 AM

Egg whites are low in calories and high in protein, making them a good food for those watching their weight. Egg whites are also an inexpensive source of complete protein, meaning they provide all the amino acids the body cannot produce on its own. Egg whites make a healthy addition to any meal of the day.It is a common belief that if you eat egg whites before bed it helps you increase human growth hormone; but why? Human Growth Hormone is a polypeptide hormone produced by the pituitary gland that affects weight regulation, the aging process, energy levels, sexual function and muscle mass. Naturally, HGH is seen as a great weapon in the battle to lose weight, erase wrinkles and increase sexual and athletic performance. For those who do not wish to take drugs by injection, there are natural ways to trigger excretion of HGH and thereby benefit from what has been called the “master hormone…so yes, egg whites really can help us to increase HGH – but instead of before sleeping we should eat them after daily exercises.

But eating egg whites is not the only thing that can increase HGH. Here’s a list of items that also help:

  • Get eight to 10 hours of restful, uninterrupted sleep. In order for your pituitary gland to secrete the highest amounts of HGH, you need to have high-quality sleep. Turn off all distractions such as televisions and phones, darken your room, make sure you ate a balanced dinner, and try to go to bed at the same time every night.
  • Eat a protein bar or drink a protein shake immediately after exercise for the equivalent of 25g protein. Alternatively, you can eat lean meat or egg whites. Eating protein instead of carbohydrates will ensure that you avoid hyperglycemia, which shuts down HGH production.
  • Reduce your alcohol and fat consumption. Alcohol interferes with the production of HGH, particularly right before bedtime or right before taking your supplement (either arginine or glutamine). Eating fatty foods, especially before exercise, reduces HGH secretion and should therefore be avoided.
  • Last but not least, get regular excersise and don’t forget about weight training! Weight training is one of the best methods for naturally increasing the production of HGH.
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Monica Cardone Tid Bits Articles Weight Loss Tips

Why do sit-ups make you look fatter?

October 17, 2012 – 9:10 AM

Are you trying to lose that annoying Belly Fat? I’m sure you have heard that sit-ups and crunches are the way to do it, because those exercises make use of the abdominal muscles. However while it is absolutely true that sit-ups will strengthen the abdominal muscles and make you stronger in that area, and you may look thinner because your improved muscles hold in the fat better, this does not actually reduce belly fat!  

If you think endless sit-ups are going to get you the flat, lean tummy you desire, you might be wasting your time.

Sit-ups actually aren’t doing the job because your stomach’s made up of three layers, only one of which gets worked from doing sit-ups.

People who do heaps of sit-ups but don’t prime the deep layer first will get a hard, bulging stomach.

But  there’s good news:  simply changing the way you sit is an effective tummy workout in itself.

You can actually work your stomach all day by changing your posture . Every time you slump, deep muscles turn off.

Situps and ab work will not do anything to help the “belly fat”. If anything, it can make it look worse because you will be building muscles underneath and actually “push” your stomach out. The only real thing you can do is to continue to work on the cardio.

The key to losing belly fat is actually quite simple, and there really is no secret or special program – exercise more, and eat less (and eat well). So the two key action points are firstly to reduce the calories you eat with smaller amounts of food or lower calorie foods. Secondly, every day perform some physical exercise. Do this and you WILL lose that belly fat once and for all!

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Weight Loss Tips

Signs that your eating too much sugar

October 8, 2012 – 11:18 AM

The scary truth is that health experts believe even those of us who don’t take sugar in tea or eat lots of sweets may be consuming far more sugar than is healthy. For example, a shocking report by Which? recently revealed that some savoury foods on our shelves contain more sugar than ice cream – and that ready meals, breakfast cereals and even low-fat ‘diet’ ranges are often packed with it.

 

Another recent report found that, over the past 30 years, food manufacturers have doubled the amount of sugar they add to products.  One of the reasons for this is because it hides the chemical taste found in prolonging food additives and preservatives.

 

 We all know that high sugar consumption is connected to weight gain, but most would consider this is only due to the increase in calories.  Truth be told, the reason is not as clear cut. This is because sugar is a simple carb meaning that it’s used for energy and is readily available for the body to use. A complex carb is used for energy but is difficult for the body to store as fat (that in itself takes energy). However with sugar, any unused energy is very quickly turned into fat cells.

Some people insist that children who consume sugar can develop hyperactivity and other behavior problems…the verdict is still out for scientific proof. But refined sugars and carbohydrates can cause rapid fluctuations in blood glucose levels because they enter the bloodstream rapidly – as a result adrenaline can get activated and end up causing a fight or flight response (i.e., hyperactivity).

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Monica Cardone

How many times should you chew each bite, before you swallow food?

September 24, 2012 – 5:16 AM

Chewing your food thoroughly is great for your health. Not only does it aid

digestion, but it helps you limit your portion size.

 

Chewing more can give your brain that extra time it needs to really account

for the food you are eating – the results are, you eat less because you allow yourself the time to feel full faster.

The following steps explain a rather simple and

effective way to lose weight and aid digestion and thereby increase natural energy.

 

  • One of the easiest ways to eat less and lose weight is to simply slow down while
you eat, and chew your food well before swallowing. Without even realizing it,
we consume huge portions of food, because we eat too quickly to think about
it.
  • Make an effort to slow down while you eat. Chew each bite 25/30 times and
swallow it before you pick up your food or your fork again. You’ll probably find
that slowing down not only helps you to eat less, but also enjoy your food more.
  • Chewing a food long enough can also decrease the previous craving you  might have had for it, before you took that bite.
Here’s some additional advantages you probably didn’t know…

- Chewing slows down the rate at which you eat. You will feel full well before you
finish your plate. This means you will consume less calories than normal, but you
will feel more satisfied.

- Chewing breaks down food and initiates the release of digestive enzymes,
which helps your body assimilate nutrients more effectively.

- Chewing creates saliva, which makes the food more alkaline, creating less gas
after the meal.

- Chewing will relax you. If you tend to binge when you get stressed, it will
greatly benefit you to chew well during stress-induced eating fests.

- Chewing helps you enjoy the taste, aroma, sensation, and texture of the entire
meal.

- The more you chew carbohydrates, the sweeter they will become.
- Chewing well will prevent that heavy, bloated feeling after a meal.

Let’s face it we might look like a cow chewing up to 50 times per bite, but as ironic as it seems – the more you do it, the less chance you have of becoming one! lol

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Diet Diary

How long does it take to see benefits of a healthy diet, in terms of hair, skin and nails?

September 11, 2012 – 4:36 AM



You are what you eat…While it takes up to six months to see the effects of your diet in your hair and nails; skin is almost immediate. Skin is the largest organ and is responsible for eliminating a variety of toxins. Through the skin we will immediately see what is going on inside the body.

Case in point; diet can dramatically change the health and appearance of your hair, skin and nails. Avoiding carbohydrates, saturated fats, sugar, caffeine and stimulants and increasing your intake of antioxidants is very important if you are looking for improvement.

Keep it organic. Try and avoid toxins or chemicals, and keep it fresh.

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Atkin Diet Diet Diary

Signs that your eating too much fat

August 7, 2012 – 12:22 PM

Fat is essential for the proper functioning of the body. Fats provide essential fatty acids, which are not made by the body and must be obtained from food.
Eating too much saturated fat is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. A diet high in saturated fat causes a soft, waxy substance called cholesterol to build up in the arteries. Too much fat also increases the risk of heart disease because of its high calorie content, which increases the chance of becoming obese (another risk factor for heart disease and some types of cancer).
A large intake of polyunsaturated fat may increase the risk for some types of cancer. Reducing daily fat intake is not a guarantee against developing cancer or heart disease, but it does help reduce the risk factors.

SYMPTOMS OF EATING TOO MUCH FAT

  • Lack of energy
  • No desire to exercise
  • Candida
  • Lack of concentration
  • Feeling “spacey” especially when eating fruit
  • Blood sugar problems
  • Weight gain or the inability to gain weight

Eating too much fat also means eating not enough carbohydrates, so you’ll probably also experience:

  • Food cravings
  • Desire to eat late at night
  • Feeling of not being satisfied after a meal
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push-ups

Power Off Push-Ups!

July 25, 2012 – 12:07 PM

push-up

Can you really get your entire body in great shape by ONLY doing 15 amount of push-ups each day?

A push up routine is one of the best natural exercises a person can do to for strength training, symmetry, balance, endurance, definition and to increase metabolism. Some of the strongest upper bodies in many gyms were built by doing push-ups as a primary exercise. The regularity and intensity of push-ups are dependent on your fitness level. Start with a few and gradually work up.

If you are new to strength training, the National Strength Conditioning Association recommends that you do two to three sets of pushups two or three times a week, increasing in volume as you get stronger. With that type of schedule, you should see increases in strength every week! Once you have passed the novice stage, you should add more repetitions to each set until it is nearly impossible to complete the last few pushups. This type of muscle exhaustion will help build muscles.
What most people don’t know is that push-ups, not as popular as situps and crunches, are also great for toning the ab muscles. In fact push-ups actually work those muscles more safely and effectively. Nature designed your abdominal muscles to support your spine to keep it straight and provide you with a firm center to support your body’s movements. Situps and crunches unnaturally force your abs to go against their purpose, while push-ups force them to do what they were meant to do.

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