What is Metabolic Syndrome and WHY YOU DON'T WANT IT!

The Metabolic Syndrome

ACE Certified News April / May 2008

 The metabolic syndrome is characterized by a cluster of risk factors common to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  These two diseases collectively represent a $650 billion healthcare cost burden in the United States.  The metabolic syndrome consists of a group of metabolic disorders for which the root causes are being overweight, physical inactivity and genetic factors.   The most widely used definition is that one needs at least three of the following to have the metabolic syndrome: increased waist circumference, elevated triglycerides, reduced high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), high blood pressure, and impaired fasting glucose.

This often leads to Insulin Resistance.  Insulin Resistance is a growing health issue and robbing people of energy and health.  Insulin manages the fuel for your body.  When insulin becomes impaired, it is defined as insulin resistance.  Insulin resistance interferes with fuel storage and energy production.  Fat cells turn into fat magnets, making it easy to gain weight and very difficult to lose it.  

What is the Significance?  Individuals with the metabolic syndrome are at TWICE the risk for cardiovascular disease when compared to those without the syndrome.   Individuals with this syndrome are FIVE times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.  Although the pharmaceutical industry is developing numerous new drugs and drug classes to manage the syndrome and risk factors, the firs step must be lifestyle changes, especially in physical activity.  Recent evidence demonstrates that moderate lifestyle changes can significantly delay the onset of type 2 diabetes.  

What can you do? 

1 - Modifications to your diet – modify one or two food group components per month.  Reduce fatty and high-glycemic foods and beverages. Avoid processed carbohydrates (crackers, white breads, cookies, etc). Limiting starchy carbohydrates is a good idea!

2 – Look into the Mediterranean Diet – this diet has been shown to affect the prevalence of the metabolic syndrome.  Beyond weight control and reduction to total calories, the diet is low in saturated fats, cholesterol, sodium and simple sugars.  The diet’s high-fiber content, omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants might be responsible for its beneficial effect on health. 

3 – Marine Omega-3 Fatty acid Therapy - these may be helpful in reducing triglycerides when dietary and physical activity strategies fail. 

4 - Physical Activity – you need to be exercising most days of the week.  This does not mean you have to be doing a structured workout every day, but you need to be physically active each day and engaging in intense exercise 2 to 4 days per week.

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How the Compound Effect can Help You Lose Weight

One of the most dangerous traps that you can fall into while dieting is having the “It’s all or nothing” attitude.  But sadly, this is why many people who are trying to lose weight fail at their attempts.  They make a mistake here and there, whether that is missing a day of exercise or indulging in treats too frequently, and end up so discouraged that they just give up completely. 

Losing sight of the big picture is deadly if you are on a weight loss journey.  But it is sometimes hard to see the big picture when you get mired down in the day to day grind of little decisions.  The truth is that everybody fails sometimes.  Everybody.  If you expect perfection from yourself, you will certainly be disappointed, because it is not possible.

You see, focusing on occasional failures is like looking at snapshots rather than the entire movie.   If you went to see a movie that was two hours in length, you would see a whole story complete with plot, background, character development, suspense, and conclusion.  In other words, you would come away with a full scope of the big picture. 

But suppose your friend, rather than seeing the movie, only saw a handful of still shots from it.  Would your perception be different?  Of course it would.  You might even disagree about what happened in the movie.  This is because she can only focus on a few aspects of the movie, whereas you can see the big picture.  Sure, the main character might have made a mistake at some point, or perhaps things looked really bad for part of the movie, but that is only part of the movie.  It is not the final outcome.

Looking at your own journey to health in the same way is critical if you are going to get through the bad days and the periods of discouragement.  Your failures are only a still shot within a fully developed screen play.  The extra dessert you ate yesterday is a snap shot; it is not the whole picture.  The whole picture includes the one hundred times last month that you resisted unhealthy food!

This is why the compound effect is so helpful when you are making hard lifestyle changes.  Every single good decision you make adds up to a magnificent outcome.  Sure, maybe you did skip your workout three times last week.  Okay, that happens; it was a rough week.  But remember how many workouts you have accomplished over the last six months?  Remember how you took the stairs instead of the elevator several times last week ?  Flex your muscles—see that bicep that you have developed from lifting heavy dumbbells? 

Healthy choices compound together to create a tapestry of health.  They are cumulative.  They are the movie, not the snap shot. You will fall occasionally.  Just pick yourself up, acknowledge that you are not perfect, remind yourself of how far you have come and file that snap shot away.  You don’t need it:  you have an entire movie to watch.

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Clearing up Carb Confusion!

Don’t be confused anymore.  Forget low carb!  Think good carb vs. bad carb!   

THE BAD CARBS

The bad carbs are the white carbs, or as we like to refer to them, The Great White Hazards!  Some good examples of white carb sources are white bread, white potatoes, white rice, or anything made from white flour.  These quick-digesting carbs are high glycemic carbs.  They can cause a sudden and dramatic elevation in blood sugar and over time can lead to weight gain, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and even cancer.

Once you have all that insulin in your system, your blood sugar can plummet, causing more hunger.

Glycemic index vs. Glycemic load 

The Glycemic Index measures how various foods affect your blood sugar level.  Foods are ranked on a scale from 0 to 100, based on the extent to which they can raise blood sugar levels.  Foods that are digested quickly and converted into sugar have a high number, while slower digesting foods have a low number.  A trick to slowing digestion of bad carbs is to eat a protein with them.  For example, eat hummus with your pita chips or peanut butter with a white flour bagel.

When researchers initially calculated the Glycemic Index ranking, it was based on how quickly 50 carbohydrate grams of each food raised blood sugar levels.  The Glycemic Load was added to the mix.  The Glycemic Load takes both the index and the average number of carbohydrate grams per serving into account.   This is a better measure of the foods and the impact they have on your blood insulin as opposed to just using the index. Take a carrot for example.  You would have to eat 1.5 pounds to get 50 carbs from carrots.  Carrots are GOOD!

SUGARS - Sugar in food and beverages can bypass the digestive process and zip straight to the blood stream.  Over the past 20 years there has been a dramatic increase in the consumption of dietary fructose (mainly from high fructose corn syrup).  It makes up 15% of all calories consumed in America.  Sugar comes in many forms and you should be aware of the different names for smart label reading.  The American Heart Association recommends that added sugars make up no more than 100 calories a day for women and 150 for men.

Fructose from high fructose corn syrup is immediately delivered to the liver because our bodies are not capable of using it.  The liver then converts this to either glucose or fat.  The buildup of fat in the liver is a step toward the development of insulin resistance. This also prompts our desire for food.

Insulin Resistance:  What it is and Why You Don’t Want it

Insulin is responsible for the storage of fuel and the use of fuel to produce energy at the cellular level.  Insulin resistance develops when there is interference with your fuel storage and energy production. Excess fuel (fat and glucose) builds up in the blood stream and cannot get into the cells that need it.  This makes you tired and leads to higher blood glucose and blood fat (triglycerides).  Fat then gets deposited in places that it normally shouldn’t be like your muscles, liver and heart. 

The fat cells that accumulate in these areas are unique and dangerous and spew out chemicals called adipokines.  These are pro-inflammatory substances that ignite inflammation throughout the body.  Scientists believe adipokines released from the unnatural fat built up in the liver, muscles and around the heart explain the direct relationship between overweight / obesity and disease.  Adipokines drive the development of high blood pressure, abnormal blood lipid levels, Type 2 diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease.  This is a deadly cycle.

Type 2 Diabetes

The most common risk factors for developing this include being overweight, a lack of physical activity, a history of diabetes in your family and an unhealthy diet.  Refined carbs (white carbs) are the foods eaten most commonly by people who develop this condition.

The underlying problem in Type 2 Diabetes is insulin resistance.  If your insulin doesn’t work well and you eat the Great White Hazards, your pancreas has to work extra hard and is forced to release more insulin to get all of the blood sugar into your cells.  This repetition can wear on your pancreas causing it to not produce as much insulin.  As a result, you develop insufficient blood insulin levels and your cells are not able to absorb the blood glucose they need to survive.  Blood glucose levels then rise abnormally high, signifying the development of full blown Type 2 Diabetes.

THE GOOD CARBS

Whole grains, beans, vegetables and fruits. 

BEANS AND GRAINS – beans, peas and lentils are versatile, convenient, cheap, tasty, and very good for you.  Beans are a source of key minerals and a great source of fiber – 12 grams of fiber for 1 cup.  Beans help control your appetite and body weight with the high protein, high fiber make-up.  They have antioxidant phytochemicals, including flavanoids (powerful antioxidants).  Beans have soluble fiber that is a powerful cholesterol lowering fiber.  Soluble fiber also helps keep blood sugar level lower. 

GREATEST OF WHOLE GRAINS 

Whole Grains are among the most powerful, disease-fighting foods nature has given us.  People who eat the most whole grains weigh less and are less likely to develop heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancers and insulin resistance.  Study subjects who consumed just 2.5 servings of whole grains daily reduced their risk of cardiovascular disease by 25%.  Whole grains retain their natural fiber and have not been processed.  Choose from 100 percent whole grain varieties with the grain physically intact. 

Choosing a healthy cereal – make sure it contains 5 grams or more of fiber per serving and 10 grams or less of sugar per serving.  Always choose 100% whole grain or whole wheat.  Strive for 3 or more servings a day – which is ½ cup cooked brown rice or oatmeal or a single slice of bread. 

ACTION PLAN – Do your Carbs Right

1.  ENJOY BEANS REGULARLY

·         Strive to have one serving every day (1/2 cup)

·         Any variety of beans is fantastic – black beans, kidney, lentils, peas, cannellini beans, etc.

·         Any form of beans is fine – canned, fresh, frozen or dried. 

2.  ALWAYS CHOOSE 100% WHOLE GRAIN OR WHOLE WHEAT VARIETIES FOR ALL GRAIN PRODUCTS

·         Look for 100 percent on the label or package

·         Strive for three or more servings a day (1/2 cup cooked grains)

·         Physically intact whole grains are the healthiest choice – oats, brown rice, barley, etc

·         If you are overweight, diabetic, pre-diabetic or have metabolic syndrome, it is best to stick to physically intact grains and high fiber cereals.

 3.  MINIMZE THE GREAT WHITE HAZARDS

·         The white hazards are quickly digested, high glycemic carbs that spike your blood glucose and insulin levels, which promote weight gain, Cardiovascular Disease, Type 2 Diabetes and certain cancers.  Sugary foods and beverages also spike your blood fructose levels.

·         Avoid foods made from white flour.  This includes white breads, cakes, cookies, pasta, pastries, bagels, biscuits, rolls, crackers, etc.

·         Avoid white rice – choose brown rice – it is a physically intact whole grain.  Avoid white potatoes in any form.

·         Restrict sugars and sweets

·         Strictly avoid sugary beverages – soda, fruit drinks, dessert coffees, sweet tea.

 4.  CHOOSE AND PACK HEALTHY SNACKS

·         Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, fresh veggies, hummus, etc.

·         100% whole grain crackers like Triscuits or pita chips.

·         Low-fat yogurt with fresh fruit, low fat cheeses and trail mix.

5.  CURB CRAVINGS

·         Recognize sugar cravings.

·         Restrict foods that will drop your blood sugar – the Great White Hazards.

·         Eat three meals a day and two snacks and have a protein with each!

·         Regularly include the slow digesting carbs.

·         Avoid artificial sweeteners - they make you crave more sweets.

·         Recognize there are healthy ways to satisfy the sweet tooth - dark chocolate (60% or more cacao) is very healthy when consumed in moderation, 100% fruit sorbet or fruit bars.

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