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Metabolic syndrome can put you at risk for serious heart diseases, diabetes and it can make it difficult to lose weight.

According to the National Cholesterol Education Panel, The American Heart Association and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, metabolic syndrome is present if you have three or more of the following signs:

1.  A waist size greater than 35″ for women and 40+ for men

2.  Triglyceride levels of 150 or higher

3.  HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) of less then 50 in women, 40 in men

4.  Blood press of 130/85 or higher

5.  Faster blood sugar of 110 or more

Listed below are common ways to prevent and/or reverse metabolic syndrome:

1.  Stabilize your sugar by eating foods which are rich in magnesium. Research shows that eating magnesium-rich foods cuts your overall risk of metabolic syndrome 31% and also minimizes other risk factors. A great food rich in magnesium is sunflower seeds. Try to include fish, preferably oily fish, at least twice a week.

2.  Lift weights to drop pounds. Research shows that little weight as infrequently as 45 minutes a week will speed up metabolism and help maintain current weight or drop a few pounds. Lose weight so that your body mass index (BMI) is less than 25.

3.  Strive to get regular exercise, at least 30 minutes of moderate activity almost every day.  Walking 5 – 7 days per week is an excellent option.

4.  Keep stress hormones at bay. Relaxing 30-60 minutes a day will help balance cortisol levels which can reduce risk of metabolic syndrome. It will also help you manage your blood pressure which needs to be monitored closely. 

5.  Add 200 mcg of chromium and 400 mg of folic acids to your daily nutrients to neutralize metabolic syndrome.

6.  Monitor your blood sugar and avoid spikes. Switch from refined grains to whole grains in order to minimize development of metabolic disease.

7.  Drinking a daily glass of a variety of red wines tends to lower metabolic syndrome risk by more than 66%. Wines can also lower spiking triglyceride levels as well as improving insulin sensitivity by 7% and raising HDL cholesterol by 10%.

8.  Eat foods low in fat and rotate in a variety of fruits, veggies and whole-grain products.

9.  Stop smoking which can make all of the risk factors much worse.

If you’re unsure whether or not you have or are at risk for metobolic syndrome ask your health care provider to perform the following test:

• Blood pressure measurement
• Glucose test
• HDL cholesterol level
• LDL cholesterol level
• Total cholesterol level
• Triglyceride level

Summary

Metabolic syndrome is a name for a group of risk factors which more often than not occur together.

Metabolic syndrome increases the risk for coronary artery disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Unfortunately metabolic syndrome is becoming more and more common in the United States.

Researchers are not sure whether the syndrome is due to one single cause, but all of the risks for the syndrome are related to obesity.

Image courtesy Haap Media, Ltd