Metabolic Syndrome – Risks and Prevention
One of the most increasing disease diagnoses in the US today is Metabolic Syndrome – sometimes called syndrome X – and is affecting nearly one-third of American adults today (Mayo Clinic).
If you have not yet heard of Metabolic Syndrome, it is a combination of risk factors combined to make one powerful, dangerous disease. In other words, if you are diagnosed with any of these conditions, you are at a much higher risk for Metabolic Syndrome:
- Increased blood pressure
- High blood sugar
- Excess body fat around the waist
- Abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels
Once you’ve been diagnosed with this syndrome, you’re also at risk for Type 2 Diabetes and Heart and Blood Vessel Disease which increase your risk of heart attacks and strokes. Therefore it’s an extremely dangerous condition that 23% of adults are affected by (Heart.org).
Among the issues we have in the US with our health, you probably already know that heart disease is the number one cause of death in the US as well as globally (MedicalNewsToday). The good news is that it can sometimes be prevented if you’re not only aware of your symptoms, but aware of your diet and healthy (or not-so-healthy) habits.
What symptoms should I look out for?
If you have not been diagnosed with Diabetes, you should acknowledge any signs of it such as increased thirst and urination, fatigue, and blurred vision.
Another sign is a larger than average waist circumference. Measuring your body fat percentage, your waist measurements, and your BMI (body mass index calculated by kg/m2 where kg is a person’s weight in kilograms and m2 is their height in meters squared). Keeping tabs on your overall health will be vital to seeing the signals of this syndrome approaching.
What can I do if I am at risk for Metabolic Syndrome?
Read, learn, learn some more, then implement into your lifestyle.
This may sound ultra-simplified, but the fact is that if you don’t make a change to the way you eat, move, and think then these symptoms will only progress. You’ve taken the first step already by learning about this syndrome, how to look out for it, and what it does to your body. Now all you have to do is figure out the best way for you to work improvements into your daily life.
The good news is, you don’t have to do it all at once! Figure out what’s best for you, what you know you’ll stick to.
For instance, if your daily life is going to work to sit at a desk only to come home and sit on the couch, try things like parking farther away from your office door, using the stairs if you can, or taking a walk around the building twice a day. Start slow and it will increase the likelihood of you sticking to it and *gasp* maybe even enjoying it!
Overall your goal is to eat better, be more active, and/or lose weight (Heart.org). These may seem like pipe dreams, but there are small steps you can take to progress your healthy lifestyle every day.
Improve your eating habits
Essentially this is “eat better,” and while this may sound vague, it’s actually subjective to your current situation. If you’re only eating deep fried chicken for lunch or dinner every day, start with reducing that to once per week, then making it grilled instead of fried.
Scaling down your poor eating habits slowly makes it much more likely that you’ll stick with it long term. If you’d rather cut all of the ‘bad’ foods out immediately, try being aware more of how you are feeling. If you have more energy, feel lighter, sleep better, etc. then you are more likely to stick with it anyway!
Another opportunity is the speed of your eating habits. We’re so conditioned to eat quickly while rushing back to work or watching TV, but if we focus on our food and eat more slowly using custom-made tools like the Portion Fork, you can feel fuller, longer. Perhaps even appreciate the fact that you have healthy, body nourishing options, maybe even where it came from (research farmers, get interested in it), you may even find that the food you eat is much more interesting.
Take care of yourself
In order to prevent Metabolic Syndrome, this could mean anything from seeing a mental health professional to walking 30 minutes a day to running a marathon. This, of course, also includes those unhealthy habits you’ve held on to like smoking since your body is meant to take in nutrition rather than chemicals.
Here are a few options that you can consider to take better care of yourself:
- Meditate or breathe deeply for 1 minute
- Cook at home more often than you eat out
- Walk 5 minutes for every hour you’re working
- Set a big goal like running a marathon and start training for it (if you’re at risk for injuries or have heart issues, please consult your physician first)
- Shop in the perimeter – produce, meat, dairy, etc are most often on the outside edges of a grocery store while the processed/boxed foods are in the center
Whatever you choose, stick to it! Make it something that actually helps you feel better and the reward will be healthier living. The best part of instituting these new activities? It will likely help you lose weight if you’re overweight or obese.
Key Ingredients
Some of the key things to note about your diet include what’s IN the food you’re eating in addition to the item itself. In order to keep this simple, look up the nutrition on your favorite food and ensure there is no saturated fat preferably, or shoot for no more than approximately 20 grams per day.
The other focus you’ll want to have is on salt/sodium. This item is sneaky and is in much more food than you’d expect, so check the nutrition facts to make sure you can keep track of your intake as the ideal limit is no more than 1,500 mg per day for most adults (Heart.org).
A good rule of thumb though: the fewer ingredients, the better!
Focus on health
Ultimately, whatever method you choose to reduce your likelihood of getting this disease will be what is best for you. As long as it’s something that makes you feel better, it’ll also be easier to stick to. Just focus on the way you feel, healthy meals, and simple foods instead of the scale and your mental health will also be protected!
