Four Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that puts you at high risk for diabetes and heart disease. The syndrome includes a combination of high triglyceride levels, low HDL levels, high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, and a large waistline.

If you take steps to prevent metabolic syndrome, you’ll also be lowering your risk of developing adult-onset diabetes and heart disease. Fortunately, there are some simple things you can do that will drastically reduce your chances of developing metabolic syndrome and improve your overall health.

First up is exercise. There’s no escaping it. Your body needs to move in order to be healthy. The good news is that you don’t have to go to extremes. New research out of the University of Illinois shows that moderate exercise successfully reduces your risks of metabolic syndrome. Researchers found that walking for a half hour a day five days a week is enough to help you reduce your belly fat—a major risk factor for metabolic syndrome.

The next step to preventing metabolic syndrome is to make sure you get enough chromium. Chromium is a mineral that your body uses to regulate blood sugar and insulin. People who get enough chromium are less likely to develop insulin resistance. Studies show that chromium may also help to control blood pressure levels. Most people get enough chromium from their diet. This is especially true if you eat a diet rich in natural foods rather than processed foods.

If diabetes and heart disease run in your family or if you are already showing signs of insulin resistance, then a chromium supplement is something to consider. Chromium is a mineral, so you want to use care when you supplement—you can get too much. Take 50 to 100 micrograms a day for the best results.

Alpha lipoic acid is another important supplement in the fight against metabolic syndrome. ALA also helps to promote insulin sensitivity and good blood sugar regulation. It has the added benefits of working as a powerful antioxidant and promoting good brain function.

Finally, cut down on the refined grains that you eat. Refined grains are the number one cause of spikes in triglyceride levels. If you choose foods rich in fiber and protein then you will see a dramatic reduction in your triglyceride levels. Eating such a diet will also promote healthier cholesterol levels, lower inflammation levels, and a healthier weight.

Taking steps to prevent metabolic syndrome now will help to protect you from dangerous diseases later on in your life. You know the saying—an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure every time!

Stay well,
Heather Robwell

Breaking a Sweat

Something as simple as really pushing yourself for a couple of minutes off and on during your next workout—I mean really breaking a sweat—could save your from devastating chronic diseases.

Sometimes health problems don't happen one at a time. Often they come in groups. Metabolic syndrome works like this. It's a group of health risk factors that includes high levels of abdominal fats, triglycerides, blood pressure, and blood glucose levels and low levels of HDL cholesterol.

If you have any three of these risk factors in combination, then you have metabolic syndrome.

And you're not alone. Nearly one in four adults has metabolic syndrome. It's a serious condition that puts you at high risk for diabetes and heart disease.

You can reverse metabolic syndrome if you take the right steps. One of the best things you can do is to change the way you work out. Interval training, where you really push yourself for a couple of minutes and then work at a moderate pace for a few minutes and then repeat the cycle, can help you get rid of metabolic syndrome and restore your health.

People who do interval training instead of endurance training lose weight, improve their blood sugar control and boost their HDL cholesterol levels by up to 25%.

So next time you work out, take a stopwatch. After you warm up, take two minutes and work hard. Then for four minutes, ease off a little, but don't stop. Repeat the two-minute/four-minute cycle three to five times. This kind of workout can provide a number of health benefits… and it's shorter than your usual workout. Enjoy!

Stay well,
Danny Wallace