Metabolism Booster Foods - natural metabolism booster in the foods you eat Fat Burning Foods - High Protien, citrus fruits and more:
http://www.exercise4weightloss.com

This is a very good site about weight loss, excercise and health. Lots of information touching on many of the items that you need to know about.

The reason you cannot lose weight by starving yourself is because your metabolism will detect any major drop in calories and it will then adjust itself by burning fewer calories each day.

Did you know that your brain controls the release of Fat Burning Hormones after each meal? It's true.

Every time you eat something there are 2 types of hormones released into your bloodstream, and together they control Fat Burning and Fat Storage.

Also, did you know that these 2 hormones are controlled by the foods that you eat? It's true.

CALORIE SHIFTING.

your body will be given different types of calories each day...........which confuses your metabolism and forces FASTER fat loss to happen. Your body always "attempts" to burn the exact number of calories that you eat each day (this makes weight loss nearly impossible for many people).
the human body takes several days to "sense" any change in calories -- so if you SHIFT your calories (in a VERY special way)then your body gets "confused" and begins burning extra fat tissue

Healthy Tuna Recipes

Try these great healthy tuna recipes as an appetizer, lunch or dinner. Tuna is a great source of Omega-3 fatty acids and is high in protein. These tuna recipes are great for anyone trying to lose weight or just plain tuna lovers.

List of Recipes

Simply scroll through the page to see all these healthy recipes or use the links below.

Tuna Salad with Lemon French Dressing

Tuna Stuffed Potato

Tuna Melt Sandwich

Tuna Tacos

Healthy Tuna Recipe #1

Tuna Salad with Lemon French Dressing

Start your next dinner with this healthy tuna salad. It's light yet tasty. This is a slight twist on one of my favorite Weight Watchers recipes. What's my twist, I take away the onions (sorry I don't like onions) and add some additional flavor with natural sesame seeds which have no calories but great flavor.

Ingredients

2 Medium tomatoes, chopped
8 romaine lettuce leaves (tear into pieces)
4 ounces chunk white tuna (drained and flaked)
1 tablespoon chopped green onions (optional)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons each red wine vinegar and water
Dash of salt and pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsely
4 ounces Natural sesame seeds

Directions

In salad bowl, combine tomatoes, lettuce, tuna and onions (optional).
In a small bowl, combine oil and mustard and whip until creamy
Add lemon juice, vinegar, water, salt and pepper.
Stir to combine
Pour dressing over salad and toss
Sprinke with parsley and sesame seeds

Nutritional Information per Servings

Number of servings: 2
Calories: 208
Fat: 12.0 g
Carbs: 9.0 g
Fiber: 2.0 g
Protein: 16.0 g
Weight Watcher Points: 5

Back to List

Healthy Tuna Recipe #2

Tuna Stuffed Potato

This Weight Watchers recipe can be used as an appetizer or make it a meal. This is a yummy twist on a twiced backed potato.

Ingredients

1 backing potato (cut in half lengthwise)
1 can (6 ounces) chunck white tuna (drained)
2 teaspoons reduced fat margarine
1/4 cup minced onion
2 teaspoons flour (divided)
1/2 cup plain low fat or fat free yogurt
2 ounces low fat cheddar cheese (shredded and divided)
2 tablespoons chopped drained canned pimiento
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of pepper and paprika

Directions

Preheat over to 350ºF
Using a nonstick baking sheet, place potato halves cut-side down
Bake until tender but not soft (about 20 - 25 minutes)
Remove from oven and let cool
Scoop out insides of each potato half, leaving 1/4 inch thick shell
Place potato scoopings in food processor or blender
Add tuna and pulse mix potato and tuna until finely ground (do not puree). Set aside
In a skillet, sautee onions in margarine. Add 1/2 the flour and stir quickly to combine. Continue cooking for about 1 minute.
In small bowl, stir yogut until smooth. Add remaining flour and stir.
Put yogurt mixture in skillet and stir in 1 ounce cheese, pimiento, salt, pepper, paprika and tuna mixture.
Spoon half of tuna mixture into each potato shell. Spinkle each potato half with remaining cheese.
Bake at 350ºF until cheese is melted and potato is heated (about 10 to 15 minutes)

Nutritional Information per Servings

Number of servings: 2
Calories: 468
Fat: 10.5 g
Carbs: 24.0 g
Fiber: 4.0 g
Protein: 34.0 g
Weight Watcher Points: 9

Back to List

Healthy Tuna Recipe #3

Tuna Melt Sandwich

Kids will love this quick, easy and healthy tuna melt sandwich. This healthy tuna recipe was submitted by Debbie from Montana. Thanks Debbie for sharing this great healthy recipe.

Ingredients

2 6 ounce cans of tuna (packed in water and drained)
3 tablespoons mayo or miracle whip
1 tsp celery salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped red, yellow or orange pepper
2 tablespoons butter
3 whole wheat english muffins
6 slices low fat american cheese
6 slices fresh tomatoes

Directions

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 200 degrees
Stir tuna, mayo, celery salt, onion powder, garlic powder, chopped celery and chopped peppers
Butter english muffins and place butter side up on cookie sheet
Bake for 3 minutes or until golden brown
Remove from oven and top english muffin with tuna mix. Top with cheese slices
Return to oven and back until cheese is melted
Top with tomato slices and serve

Nutritional Information per Servings

Number of servings: 6
Calories: 335
Fat: 19.2 g
Carbs: 16.8 g
Fiber: 0.7 g
Protein: 23.7 g
Weight Watcher Points: 8

Back to List

Healthy Tuna Recipe #4

Tuna Tacos

If you like mexican food, then this healthy tuna recipe is a must try. This tuna recipe may not be your typical mexican dish, but it's a nice change to the traditional beef taco (and tuna is healthier!).

Ingredients

1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon olive oil or vegetable oil
1 cup sliced onions
3 galic cloves, minced
1 cup each chopped tomatoes and tomato sauce
1/8 teaspoon each oregano leaves, salt and pepper
Dash of hot sauce
8 ounces canned white chunk tuna, drained and flaked
4 taco shells
4 ounces low fat shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce

Directions

In a 10 inch skillet, heat oil
Add onions and garlic and satee until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes)
Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and seasonings
Cook stirring occassionally for about 5 minutes
Stir in tuna and cook until heated through
Fill each taco shell with 1/4 tuna mixture
Top with shredded cheese and lettuce

Nutritional Information per Servings

Number of servings: 4
Calories: 375
Fat: 13.5 g
Carbs: 18.0 g
Fiber: 2.0 g
Protein: 24.0 g
Weight Watcher Points: 8

Custom Search Tool

Use this custom search engine to find healthy recipes from these selected sites.

Be sure to change your google preferences to open links in a new window so that you don't lose your search page results.

To do this, just go to google.com and select search preferences. Towards the bottom of the page, place a checkmark in the "open search results in new browser window".

Custom Search

The websites for this search include;

Allrecipes.com Eatingwell.com Foodnetwork.com Mayoclinic.com

Recipe Finder Gadget

Use the recipe gadget below to find a new recipe for breakfast, lunch, dinner, appetizer, dessert or snacks.

Seven Layer Salad Recipe

Healthy Salad Recipe

This seven layer salad recipe makes for an easy, quick and delicious dish for any occasion.

This is perfect for a picnic or cookout. Use it as a side dish, quick lunch or a healthy snack anytime of the day.

You can make this one for Mother's Day to show her how much you care, or try it for your next holiday event.

No matter when or what the special reason is, this seven layered salad recipe is healthy and tasty.

Daily Recipes - Powered by Allrecipes.com

Gadgets powered by Google

Seven Layered Salad Recipe

This is such an easy, fun and delicious salad recipe for any occasion. Make it for Mom on her special day, take it to your next picnic or add it as a healthy side for your dinner. You can even make it a light and healthy main dish for lunch or dinner.

Recipe Type: Appetizer, Main Dish, Salad, Side Dish

Degree of Difficulty: Very easy

Ingredients

1 head Lettuce, shredded

1 cup Green Peppers, chopped

1 cup Tomatoes, diced

1 cup Cucumber, thinly sliced

1 cup Peas, frozen or fresh

20 ounces Chicken Breasts, cut into chunks

1 cup Miracle Whip, non fat

1 cup Cheddar Cheese (reduced fat), shredded

Directions for Seven Layer Salad Recipe

1 Layer the vegetables in a dish in any order you prefer.

2 Put the chicken on the top layer after the veggies.

3 Cover the chicken with miracle whip from edge to edge.

4 Top off this seven layer salad recipe with the shredded cheese.

Cooking Times

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe

Servings: 6

Amount Per Serving
Calories	233.15
Calories From Fat (18%)	41.39
% Daily Value
Total Fat 4.67g	7%
Saturated Fat 1.19g	6%
Cholesterol 72.74mg	24%
Sodium 830.48mg	35%
Potassium 665.62mg	19%
Total Carbohydrates 19.54g	7%
Fiber 4.26g	17%
Sugar 12.17g
Protein 28.83g	58%

Weight Watchers Points

NOTE

The vegetables in this recipe were not included in the points calculations.

Orig. WW Pts: 4
Points Plus: 4

Tips

You can swap out any of the vegetables for your favorites without impacting the Weight Watchers points since veggies are zero points.

There are a few exceptions so be careful if you add any veggies that do have a points value.

In addition to this seven layer salad recipe, check out these healthy fruit salad recipes.

More Recipes

Strawberry Yogurt Parfait

Try this healthy breakfast recipe layered with straberries, yogurt and granola.

You can try different fruits and/or flavors of yogurt to make it a new meal each time. Instead of granola, you can even add some nuts or other healthy crunchy items.

Parmesan Tilapia Recipe

Add this healthy main course to your seven layer salad for a complete meal full of goodness. These fish filets are broiled and topped off with the delicious taste of the parmesan. Try adding some fruits and whole grains to complete the meal.

Asparagus Turkey Roll-Ups

This healthy appetizer recipe has the proteins, dairy and veggies all wrapped up into one tasty snack. Use fat free or reduced fat cream cheese to make it a healthy dish to add to any meal.

Tortilla Pinwheels Recipe

These snack size appetizers will add lots of flavor to any party. Make them with whole wheat tortilla shells to make them even healthier.

Diabetic Diet Guidelines

A diabetic diet does not mean having to eat specialized foods or expensive organic or prepackaged foods. In fact, a diabetic diet is not much different than simply eating healthier, selecting the right foods and sticking to regular meal times.

A diabetic weight loss diet is not a restrictive diet but is rather rich in nutrients and low in calories and fats. Your diet should be rich with vegetables, fruits and whole grains.

You need to be consistent with your meal plan and avoid excess calories and fats in the foods you select as this can create an increase in blood sugar levels.

Diabetic Diet Meal Plan

A proper diabetic diet meal plan can help you manage your diabetes and blood sugar levels. Your plan should include scheduling and establishing a routine for eating your meals. You should focus on eating about the same amount of carbs each day and meal.

Having consistency in your meal plans and carbohydrate and calorie intake can help control blood glucose levels.

Consuming too many carbs or calories at any given time or a given day can cause fluctuations and make it more difficult to manage your diabetes.

Secondly your meal plan should plan out portion sizes of the foods you eat.

By eating smaller meals more often you are helping keep your blood sugar under control.

You should have about 50% - 55% of calories from carbs, 30% from fats and about 10% to 15% from proteins.

Lastly your meal plan should include food selections. The key to managing diabetes is choosing the right foods especially your carbohydrates.

You want to focus on complex carbohydrates versus simple carbs. Simple carbs are primarily sugars and offer very little nutritional value.

On the other hand, complex carbs are starchy foods that break down into sugars slowly so the blood sugar levels rise gradually.

For diabetics, the body is able to manage complex carbs easier even with insulin resistance. paragraph here

Counting Carbs or Calories?

With your diabetic diet plan, you may be wondering if you should count carbs or calories - or both. Because carbohydrates are what effect the blood glucose levels the most, many diabetics choose to count carbohydrates versus counting calories. However, if you are a diabetic and overweight, then one of your goals should be to lose weight.

To lose weight you must consume fewer calories than you burn, so counting calories may be what you choose in order to achieve weight loss.

If you learn to eat healthier foods, watch your portions and manage when you eat, you may not need to count either calories or carbohydrates. However, until you have fully adjusted to eating healthier you should probably count one or the other until you get a feel for what your meal plans should be.

Although counting either carbs or calories, or both, can seem like a pain and extra work, it is a great way to get control of what foods you are eating.

Knowing just how many calories, carbohydrates, fats, etc. you eat will help you adjust and learn to eat healthy.

If you want to track the foods you eat, just use this excel spreadsheet to track calories, fats, protein, carbohydrates and net carbs. This file will even calculate the Weight Watcher points value if you are a Weight Watchers member. If you do not have Microsoft Excel, visit the weight loss tools for a link to a free, compatible software that will open this file.

Diabetic Diet Food Tracker

To save this file to your computer, simply right mouse click on the link and select "save as".

Selecting Healthy Foods

Many people with diabetes choose their foods based on the Glycemic Index (GI).

The Glycemic Index is used to measure carbohydrates and the rate in which they breakdown in your body and how it impacts blood sugar levels.

A GI of 55 or less is a low index food and does not impact the blood sugar level to the same extent a high GI food does. Carbohydrate foods with an index of 70 or greater should be avoided if at all possible for diabetics.

You don’t have to understand or use the glycemic index in order to select good carbs. Starting with just some good common sense can go a long way to eating healthier and selecting better foods.

We all know that cupcakes, cookies and candies are high in sugars and are not a good choice. We also know that meals rich in vitamins and other nutrients are healthier for us and a better selection.

Adding veggies, fruits and protein to every meal is yet another way to use some common sense and eat healthy. Carbohydrates can sometimes be more difficult in what to select. The American Diabetes Association has created the Diabetes Food Pyramid to make it easier for you to the right choices and build your diabetic diet.

Check out this article on the Diabetes Food Pyramid for your diabetic diet needs.

Understanding Diabetes

Diabetes is a disease where the body either cannot produce insulin or does not properly use insulin.

There are approximately 17.9 million children and adults in America diagnosed as a diabetic and another 5.7 million undiagnosed with this disease.

Although the cause for this disease remains a mystery it is believed that genetics, obesity, lack of exercise and even stress can contribute to the onset of this disease.

Learning to understand the different types and how to manage this disease is critical for your health as a diabetic.

Types of Diabetes

There are several different types of diabetes. Each one is explained in more detail below.

Type I

Type I diabetes is generally diagnosed in children and young adults. As a Type I diabetic your body is unable to produce insulin which is a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches and other foods into energy.

Type 2

This is the most common form for those people who have been diagnosed as a diabetic. As a type 2 diabetic you have an insulin deficiency combined with insulin resistance which means your body does not properly use the insulin produced. Those diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic can benefit by weight loss. Losing weight can keep your blood sugar levels lower, improves your health and you will feel better.

Gestational

Gestational diabetes occurs in pregnant women usually late in the pregnancy. This happens to about 4% of pregnancies in America. Women who are prone to this are those that may have had high blood sugar prior to becoming pregnant but were not a diabetic. Although experts are unsure of how this happens they have some clues. During a pregnancy the hormones in the placenta help the baby grow but these same hormones can block the action of insulin in the mother’s body.

Pre-Diabetic

This is a condition where your blood glucose levels are high but not yet at a level to be considered a type 2 diabetic. Almost all type 2 diabetics first had pre-diabetes first.

If you have an elevated blood level you can take action to manage these levels and prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes. If you suspect you have elevated blood sugar levels you should check with your doctor. Additionally, eating healthy, exercising and losing weight are key to helping manage your blood sugar levels.

Diabetes Symptoms

Over 5 million Americans are believed to have this disease but are yet to be diagnosed.

This is primarily because many people do not recognize the symptoms. Studies show that by recognizing and diagnosing this disease early can minimize the risk of diabetic complications.

Many of the symptoms are the same for Type I and Type 2 diabetics. In both cases, there is too much glucose in the blood and not enough in your cells.

This can result in warning signs which include;

Frequent Urination

Constant and Unquenchable Thirst

Unexplained Weight Loss

Extreme Hunger

Fatigue

Irritability

Blurred or Changed Vision

Tingling or Numbness in Hands, Legs or Feet

Other symptoms include dry itchy skin, frequent infections or cuts and bruises that take a long time to heal.

If you have any of these symptoms you should contact your doctor immediately so the appropriate tests can be run and the diabetes treated.

There are several different tests that can be run to help your doctor with the proper diagnosis.

Types of Testing

There are several tests that you doctor could run to help determine if you are a diabetic or at risk for this disease. All tests are generally confirmed by retesting on another day.

Fasting Blood Glucose Test

This test is the most preferred test and is best done first thing in the morning. However it can be done after more than an 8 hour fasting period. If the results are 126 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) this would indicate a diagnosis of diabetes pending confirmation of retesting on another day. If the results are 99 or lower this is considered normal and 100 to 125 are considered pre-diabetic.

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

This test involves drinking a beverage that contains 75 grams of glucose dissolved in water. If after 2 hours from drinking this beverage the mg/dl is 200 this would be an indication of being diabetic. Results that are 139 and below are normal and 140 to 199 are considered pre-diabetes. Again all test results are usually confirmed by running a second test on another day.

Random Test

A random test is taken at any time of the day to measure the blood sugar levels. If the results of this test exceed 200 mg/dl along with demonstrating symptoms of diabetes this would be a good indication that you are at risk or have this disease. Your doctor would probably run the oral glucose test to confirm the results of the random testing.

Type 2 Diabetics - Managing Blood Glucose

Because type 2 diabetics still produce insulin there are ways you can help manage blood glucose levels in addition to any medication your doctor may prescribe.

Weight Loss with Diabetes

If you are a type 2 diabetic you should consult with your doctor and nutritionist before starting any weight loss program.

You want to lose weight the right way that will keep your blood sugar balanced during the full day. Skipping even one meal for a diabetic can upset the balance of blood sugar, medications and insulin in your body.

Experts recommend reducing calories by 500 per day which is a safe level for diabetics. Reduce calories from all areas to maintain a healthy balanced meal.

The ideal ratio would be 50% - 55% carbohydrates, 30% fat and 10 to 15% protein according to Christine Gerbstadt, MD, a spokesperson for the American Diabetic Association.

The key for diabetics is to choose their foods wisely, especially the carbohydrates. Be sure to read this article for more on diabetic diets.

Diabetes and Stress

Stress has been linked to the onset of diabetes that dates back to the 16th century. Stress for a diabetic also can throw your blood sugar levels and insulin levels all out of whack. Most diabetics are aware of the foods they eat and the impact they can have on their blood sugar level. But unfortunately this is not always the case with stress. In fact, many diabetics and those with pre-diabetes may not even be aware that stress can cause elevated blood sugar levels. If you are a diabetic, then you need to understand stress and diabetes in order to help manage your insulin and blood sugar levels.

Exercise for Diabetics

Getting more active has health benefits for just about everyone but can be especially beneficial for type 2 diabetics. Exercising helps manage type 2 by improving your body’s use of insulin, promoting weight loss and muscle strength. Additionally, exercise can benefit you by reducing risks of heart disease, lowers blood pressure and helps relieve stress.

Although any exercise can be beneficial, there are times where you may want to wait to exercise or select a different exercise routine if you have elevated blood glucose levels. Read this article on exercise and diabetics to learn more.

If you are concerned that you may be diabetic, then you should consult your doctor so you can start to manage your blood glucose levels.

Diabetes Food Pyramid

Understanding the Diabetes Food Pyramid is a key component in building your diabetic meal plan.

The American Diabetes Association has created the this food pyramid for diabetics to make it easier for you to choose the right foods and build your diabetic diet.

The Food Pyramid

This food pyramid is divided into 6 food groups with each group varying in size.

The bottom of the pyramid (largest group) represents the foods that you can have the most servings.

The top of the pyramid (smallest group) represents the foods that you should limit servings.

Breads, Grains and Other Starches

This is the largest group and where most of your calories should come from for your diabetic diet. These foods contain mostly carbohydrates and include bread, rice, cereal and pasta. Also included in this group are the starchy vegetables like potatoes, peas and corn.

In this group also are dry beans like black eyed peas and pinto beans. The reason these foods are in this group is they contain about the same amount of carbs per serving.

You should aim for 6 – 11 servings a day from this group aiming for the lower end of the number of servings. A typical serving size is 1 slice of bread, ¼ bagel, ¾ cup dried cereal, 1/3 cup rice or pasta and a ½ cup of potato, peas, corn or cooked beans.

Vegetables

This group of the diabetes food pyramid includes broccoli, spinach, cabbage, bok choy, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. Remember the starchy veggies are included in the breads and grains food group.

For the most part, all vegetables are fine choices for a diabetic diet and offer dietary fiber, vitamins and nutrients. Most veggies are low GI foods, however, some are a bit higher like carrots, potatoes, corn and beets.

You should aim for 3 – 5 servings a day from this food group with half of this coming from leafy green veggies.

Fruits

Fruits like vegetables offer lots of nutritional value and are generally considered a healthy food. Experts say to get 2 – 4 servings of fruit a day. These include berries, cantaloupe, oranges, apples, pears, bananas, etc. Most fruits are low on the glyecimic index but watermelon is high and mangos, apricots, raisins and pineapple are a medium GI fruits.

Milk

This is the next food group in the diabetes food pyramid. Milk products offer lots of vitamins, calcium and protein. When selecting your milk products make them low fat or fat free to minimize saturated fats. You should try to get 2 – 3 servings per day from this group.   A typical serving size is 1 cup of milk or 1 cup of yogurt.

Meat and Meat Substitutes

This group includes your meats like chicken, beef, turkey, and pork. This group also includes other sources of protein like eggs, peanut butter, fish, tofu, cheese, cottage cheese and dried beans. For your diabetic diet, your protein servings should be spread out amongst all your meals and you should get about 4 – 6 ounces a day. A 3 ounce serving is about the size of a deck of cards so be careful not to get all your servings in just one meal. Other serving sizes are ¼ cup cottage cheese, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon peanut butter and ½ cup tofu.

Fats, Sweets and Oils

This last group is the smallest group for your diabetic diet and should be saved for those special occasions. Foods in this group include potato chips, cookies, candy, cakes and fried foods. These foods contain a lot of sugar and/or fat. Many of these foods offer little or no nutritional value. Keep your portions small like ½ cup ice cream, 2 cookies or 1 small cupcake. In this group is also alcohol as alcohol contains a lot of sugar. So avoid drinking alcoholic drinks as much as possible.

When building your diabetic diet, work with your doctor and nutritionist and use the diabetes food pyramid as a good guide for selecting the right foods. If you want to monitor and select your carbohydrates using the glycemic index, use this link to search their database - glycemicindex.com.

On this page, just select the link to their database and type in the food item you want to find.

In addition to understanding the Diabetes Food Pyramid, learn more about building your diabetic diet with this article

Stress and Diabetes

Stress and Diabetes is not a match made in heaven.

As a type 2 diabetic, I am always aware of the foods I eat and the potential these foods have on my blood sugar level.

But did you know that the foods you eat are not the only things that can have a negative impact on your blood sugar level?

That's right! Stress can play havoc on your glucose and insulin levels.

So if you have diabetes, be sure you understand the effects of stress and learn ways to prevent your stress.

Understanding the Impact of Stress on Diabetics

Understanding stress and diabetes can help you better control your glucose levels. Our body is an amazing thing that is designed to protect itself from many different things.

For example, if a person consumes too few calories, then the body will go into survival mode and begin to store the foods you eat as fat, using this fat as potential food for later.

sugar

Similarly, our body also prepares itself when in stressful situations.

When the body senses stress, it releases an increased level of different hormones which in turn makes excess energy available in the form of glucose and fat.

For those of us with diabetes, this excess energy often equates to an increase in our blood sugar level.

This is because there is either no insulin or the insulin level is not sufficient to allow the excess energy to move to our cells.

Instead the excess glucose piles up in our blood which in turns increases the blood sugar level.

Effects of Stress

Stress for anyone can cause higher risks of medical problems such as increased risk of heart disease and stroke.

stressed out man

But stress and diabetes increases certain risks in addition to causing increased blood sugar levels.

This increase can be caused by a couple of things.

First, people who are stressed are often too focused on the stressful event and forget to focus on what they eat and/or drink.

As a diabetic, we all know that the foods and drinks we consume can have an adverse effect on our blood sugar level.

But when stressed, we may forget to monitor our food intake or increase our alcohol intake.

Additionally, we may forget to monitor our blood sugar level.

This happens because our minds are mostly consumed with the stressful situation.

Secondly, as mentioned above, our bodies will automatically alter itself in order to protect it from a potentially dangerous situation.

In a stressful situation, our body prepares to handle the stress by readying itself for a fight or a flight. This increases the energy available to the cells.

However, stress and diabetes reacts differently and often takes this excess energy to the blood stream. This is because a diabetic’s insulin level cannot move this excess glucose to the cells, where the body needs it for the stressful moment.

In addition to the body creating excess energy in the form of glucose and fat, for a person with type 2 diabetes, the body also blocks insulin from being released while in the stressful moment.

Therefore, if you have type 2 diabetes, learning to handle your stress can have a positive impact on the release of your insulin.

Although for those people with Type I Diabetes that cannot produce insulin, regardless of stress or not, learning to handle stress and diabetes can benefit all diabetics.

Managing Stress

Managing stress and diabetes is always easier than said. But there are techniques that you can use to keep you from turning into a sour puss and instead be a “sweet” and calm person, helping to keep your blood sugar level in check.

Here are some simple but helpful ways to deal with everyday stress.

Breathe
Taking deep breaths in and out is a great way to relax. As you breathe, focus your mind on the breathing, pushing out any other thoughts. Begin to relax your muscles as you do your breathing.

Exercise

Exercise has many benefits such as helping to lose weight, increasing energy and reducing the risks of medical diseases. But exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress.

If you are having a stressful moment, try to take some time out and go for a brisk walk. Even a leisure walk will help. Focus on your footsteps and not the event that caused you stress.

In addition to understanding stress and diabetes read this article on exercise and diabetes.

Adjust your thinking

Try to alter your behavior of how you deal with stress. If you tend to be overly passionate things that stress you and explode, try to count to ten before you respond.

If you take these few seconds, you may learn to handle the situation better and instead of exploding, you can calmly address the stress.

Relaxation Therapy

If you have tried breathing, counting, walking and find yourself still stressed, you many want to try relaxation therapy. You can learn this in a clinic, audio tape or video tape.

Free Weight Loss Tools

Weight Loss Tools for Success

If you are looking to lose weight, then you probably also want to find the right tools.

Many exercise and weight loss websites now offer interactive free weight loss calculators and other online tools to help you track your progress.

On this site you can find many tools like a Target Heart Rate Calculator, BMI Calculator, Weight loss Calculator, free exercise calculator, calorie counter and more.

In addition to the many online weight loss calculators, there are lots of free downloads.

You can download a weight loss chart, calorie intake chart, diabetic diet food tracker and a free printable weight loss journal.

Just scroll through this weight loss tools page to find the online exercise and weight loss calculators or free download files you need. You can use the links below to jump directly to the online or offline tools.

Online Tools

Offline Tools

Online Weight Loss Tools

Weight Loss Calculator

NOTE

These interactive online weight loss tools require javascript to be active with the exception of the target heart rate chart.

Use this free weight loss calculator to calculate your BMR and to determine daily calorie intake for weight loss.

Calorie Intake Calculator

This calculator allows you to search for over 35,000 foods.

Use this calorie intake calculator to find out how many calories are in the foods you eat.

Exercise Calculator

Find out how many calories you burned during your exercise routine with this exercise calorie calculator.

Weight Watchers Points Calculator

Here is a free online Weight Watchers Points Calculator to determine the points in your foods.

Food Portion Sizes

This neat little food portion sizes gadget lets you visualize what an actual serving size looks like.

Using common objects as a frame of reference, it's easy to know exactly how much you should be eating for a serving size.

More Online Tools

BMI Calculator
BMR Calculator

Body Fat Calculator

Target Heart Rate Calculator

Offline Weight Loss Tools

These are free downloadable weight loss tools that you can download and save to your computer. Use them as is or modify them to fit your needs.

Weight Watchers Points Tracker
Download your free points tracker. You can use the spreadsheet for tracking a full week or print off the PDF file for daily tracking. These files will work with either the original Weight Watchers points system or the new Points Plus Plan.

Find out more about the free Weight Watchers Points Tracker File here.

Free Calorie Intake Chart

The Excel version of this chart now includes tracking your calories burned during exercise and daily charts.

Track your progress with this downloadable Calorie Intake Chart.

Check out the calorie intake chart page for more information on this file and the link to download to your computer.

Be sure to check out this article on calorie intake.

If you are between 13 and 18 years old, then be sure to read teen calorie intake.

Remember, you don't have to have Microsoft Excel to use this file.

Just download OpenOffice. This is a totally free software that is compatible with Excel, Word, etc.

Free Exercise Calorie Counter

If you don't want the full calorie intake chart to track your exercising, then use this exercise calorie counter instead. You can track your weekly exercise routine and how many calories you burned during exercise.

These files allow you to track just your exercises for the week. There is an Excel version (zipped file) and a PDF version. Go to the exercise calorie counter for more information on these files and the links for the free downloads.

Free Printable Weight Loss Chart
This weight loss chart allows you to track your weight, your measurements and your body fat.

There is an Excel file that allows for up to 24 weeks of tracking and a PDF weight loss chart that allows you to track weekly for up to 26 weeks.

Go to the weight loss chart page for more details and the links for downloading the files.

Printable Weight Loss Journal

Looking for a printable weight loss journal? Download this PDF file or Microsoft Word version. Be sure to read how I use some of these weight loss tools here.

Microsoft Word Journal - The file size is 39 kb

PDF Journal - The file size is 6 kb

To download, right mouse click on the file you want and select "save as" to save to your computer or click open to view and print.

Diabetic Diet Food Tracker

New on this site!

This Excel file tracks it all; Calories, Fat, Protein, Carbs, Fiber, Net Carbs and will even calculate Weight Watcher Points. Be sure to read this article for more information on a diabetic diet.

Diabetic Diet Food Tracker

To download, right mouse click on the link above and select "save as" to save to your computer. This is a zip file. Once you have saved to your computer, simply unzip the file and start using it.

NOTE

If you do not have Microsoft Office, try this free software fromOpenoffice.org. It is a great free alternative to Microsoft Office tools.

I downloaded this software and have verified that the above Microsoft files will open with the Openoffice.org software.

Is there a weight loss tool you would like to see? Just contact me and I will try to create it or find it to put on this site.

Free Fitness Videos Online

This page will guide you to free fitness videos on this site.

These exercise videos are generally a short clip to show you how to perform the exercise correctly.

The links below will direct you to the fully illustrated exercises plus a step by step how to instructions.

When exercising you want to make sure you are doing it correctly to get the most benefit from your workout.

This is especially true for strength training exercises.

The exercise videos are sorted by type of exercise.

Simply scroll through the page or select the link below to jump to that section of the page.

Abdominal Exercises

Resistance Band Exercises

Dumbbell Exercises

Back Strengthening Exercises

Stretching Exercises

Senior Exercises

Free Fitness Videos Daily

Abdominal Exercise Videos

This group of free fitness videos targets your abdominal muscles.

Do a variety of these exercises to help flatten your stomach and get your six pack abs.

Click on the link below to go to the page that has instructions and exercise videos for those abdominal exercises.

Top 3 Abdominal Exercise Videos

Bicycle Crunch

Captain's Chair

Exercise Ball Crunch

Common Abdominal Crunches Exercise Videos

Traditional Crunch

Reverse Crunch

Vertical Leg Crunch

Long Arm Crunch

Six Pack Ab Exercises (the Rectus Abdominis Muscle)

Bent Knee Abdominal Hip Raise

Abdominal Leg Pull Ins

Abdominal Leg Raises

Flutter Kicks

Misc. rectus abdominis exercises

Oblique Exercise Videos

Fingers to Heels Oblique Touchers

Oblique Crunch

Elbow to Knee Oblique Crunch

Lying Side Oblique Crunch

Isometric Side Bridge

Transverse Abdominis Exercises

Plank Pose

Plank Pose Leg Lift

Plank Pose Twist

Transverse Pull Ins

Back Extensions

Back to the Top

Resistance Band Fitness Videos

Resistance bands are inexpensive and easy to take with you when you travel. These exercise videos cover both the upper and lower body using resistance bands.

Click on the link below to see instructions and exercise videos for these resistance band exercises.

Lower Body Resistance Band Exercise Videos Group1

Squats

Lunges

Kick Back

Lower Body Resistance Band Exercises Group2

Standing Calf Raise

Outer Thigh Hip Abduction

Inner Thigh Hip Abduction

Upper Body Resistance Band Exercise Videos

Bicep Curl

Hammer Curl

Tricep Extension

Reverse Fly

Shoulder Front Raise

Chest Press

Back to the Top

Strength Training Exercises with Dumbbells

Strength training the upper and lower body helps build lean muscle and speeds up your metabolism. Using dumbbell weights for resistance is a great way to tone those muscles without having to buy expensive equipment.

Click on the link below to see instructions and exercise videos for these dumbbell exercises.

Lower Body Dumbbell Exercise Videos

Backward Lunge

Forward Lunge

Squats

Side Lunge

Stiff Leg Deadlift

Misc. Lunges

Upper Body Dumbbell Exercise Videos

Bicep Curl

Hammer Curl

Tricep Extension

Tricep Curl

Shoulder Row

Chest Press

20 Minute Complete Dumbbell Exercise Video

Back to the Top

Back Strengthening Videos

Keeping your back strong and healthy can help minimize injuries from everyday activities. These free fitness videos address both the upper back and the lower back.

Upper Back

Lower Back

Back to the Top

Illustrated Stretching Exercises

Stretching is essential to keeping your muscles prepared for your aerobic workouts. So don't forget to give your body a full stretching workout. This will help lengthen and tone the muscles.

Lower Back Stretches

This page includes lower back stretching exercise instructions and videos. There are a couple of instructional only upper back stretches.

Upper Back Stretches

On this page you will find some great stretches for the upper back. These have instructions and videos to watch so you can ensure you are doing them correctly.

Upper Body Stretches

Bicep Stretch

Tricep Stretch

Forearm Stretch

Shoulders

Chest

Neck

Lower Body Stretches

Glutes

Hip Flexors

Outer / Inner Thighs

Quads

Hamstrings

Calves

Desk Stretching Exercises

This page does not have free videos but does have detailed instructions on how to perform desk stretching exercises in order to relieve office stress.

Toning Exercises

There are no videos on this page but it does have step by step instructions for several toning exercises. There are toning workouts for the upper body, lower body and your abdominals.

Back to the Top

Free Fitness Videos for Seniors

This set of free fitness videos are aimed at the senior citizens.

Of course these are also helpful for beginners as well as if you have some restrictions for your workouts.

Senior Strength Training Exercise Videos

These strengthing free fitness videos include strengthening the lower back, arms, ankles and more for healthy bones and improved balance.

Senior Balance Exercises
These are simple yet effective exercises to help improve balance and prevent injury from falls.

Seated Senior Stretching Exercises

Many of these illustrated stretching exercise videos are demonstrated while seated in a chair. You can do many of these standing up as well.

Endurance Exercises for Seniors

Although there are no fitness videos for this category there are several helpful articles. Be sure to check them out.

Walking for Exercise
Water Aerobics
Fun Activities and Calories Burned

Back to the Top

Daily Free Fitness Video

This is a streaming fitness video updated daily from physicalfitnet.com

Free fitness videos online are a great way to find out how to do a particular exercise. However these free videos are generally short clips; just enough information so you do the exercise correctly and get the most out of your workouts.

But if what you really want is a full length fitness video to add to your collection of exercises, then you probably want to purchase a fitness DVD.

My favorite place to shop online is Amazon.com. I have bought both used and new DVD's from Amazon and have always been satisfied with my online transaction.

Search for Fitness and Exercise Videos on Amazon.

The Top Fat-Burning Foods

Certain foods have a very high thermogenic effect, so you literally burn calories as you chew.

Credit: Getty Images

1 OF 8

Boost your metabolism

From Health magazine

It’s true: Certain foods have a very high thermogenic effect, so you literally scorch calories as you chew. Other eats contain nutrients and compounds that stoke your metabolic fire. Feed your metabolism with these.

Next: Whole grains