A Silent but Serious Health Problem

Published May 22, 2010

There is a health problem that almost 47 million people may already suffer from but not be aware of. We can have it for years but not know it until something serious happens. It goes by various names – metabolic syndrome, syndrome x or insulin-resistance syndrome.

How do you know if you have it? Check to see if you have three or more of the following symptoms:

a waist measurement exceeding 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men
a HDL cholesterol level of 50mg/dL or less for women
a HDL cholesterol level of 40mg/dL or less for men
a triglyceride level of 150mg/dL or higher
a blood pressure reading over 130/85
a fasting blood glucose level of 110 mg/dL or more

However, if you don’t have it you can prevent it and if you do have it a few lifestyle changes will help reverse it.

One very effective strategy is to totally eliminate trans fats from your diet. Trans fats are believed to be a primary factor in developing metabolic syndrome and even a few grams a day can effect the changes in our cell membranes that render them resistant to insulin. Insulin resistance is one of the major causes of metabolic syndrome. Trans fats are present in many foods such as cereals, margarine, bread, cookies, candy bars and even some instant coffee mixes.

The FDA now requires all food manufacturers to include them in their list of ingredients on package labels. However, you do have to read carefully. Many food items will specify “No Trans Fats.” But if you look at the list of ingredients you will see the words, ‘hydrogenated,’ ‘partially hydrogenated,’ or ‘fractionated.’ Any food that has these words on the label has trans fat. And it is to your advantage to leave them on the grocery shelf.

Other foods to avoid are white rice, white pasta and white breads. Switch to whole grains instead.
Begin your day with a healthy breakfast that includes whole grain cereal or bread. Eating breakfast not only helps balance blood sugar levels, it also prevents you from overeating later in the day.

You should also include at least three servings of dairy foods in your daily diet. Try drinking skim milk, or eating yogurt or cheese.

Instead of sodas, indulge in green tea. Green tea contains powerful antioxidants and has been found to lower blood sugar and triglycerides. You need to drink up to seven cups a day or consume 250 mg of green tea extract. Green tea extract can be purchased in health food stores. If drinking green tea, it is best to avoid sugar and either use an artificial sweetener or drink it without any sweetener. It may be difficult to drink tea without sugar at first but if you try adding a little lemon, you will soon get used to and enjoy the taste.

And finally, allot some time in your daily schedule for physical activities such as walking, running or swimming. Research has found that people who exercise regularly have lower weight, lower blood pressure and better control of their blood sugar. You do not have to aim for long workouts. Just a half an hour a day will yield the same benefits.

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