What is metabolic syndrome?

What is  Metabolic Syndrome?

There seems to be a fair amount of confusion when it comes to the causes of a sluggish metabolism.

and If you've ever thought to yourself...

"my metabolism must be slow because no matter what I do, I just can't seem to lose weight."

you're in the right place, my friend.

Today, in this article I'll discuss the reasons your metabolism might be a bit sluggish.

more specifically, I'll walk you through the causes of metabolic syndrome and outline simple strategies that you can use to fight this condition.

here's what we'll cover

• What is metabolic syndrome?
• how do you know if you have metabolic syndrome (how it's diagnosed)?
• what causes metabolic syndrome?
• how you can prevent or reverse metabolic syndrome

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What is metabolic syndrome?

Alright, so let's get to it.

What is metabolic syndrome?

First and foremost it's not just one thing.

Metabolic syndrome is a blend of health risks that increases your chance of developing

• heart disease 
• stroke 
• and diabetes

yeah, it's pretty serious stuff, right?

and It's increasingly common in young adults due to the surge in the number of people who are

• overweight 
• obese 
• or normal weight metabolically obese.

Don't worry I'll explain later, just keep reading to learn how metabolic syndrome is diagnosed.

How do you know if you have metabolic syndrome

(How is metabolic syndrome diagnosed)?

If I'm being 100% honest, my time as a nurse has taught me that it's not often that an exact diagnosis of Metabolic syndrome is given to a patient.

There are multiple reasons for this.

One of these reasons is that there are a number of conditions that cause metabolic syndrome and what makes it more interesting is that They don't always present themselves at the same time.

Lastly, depending on the severity, there may be a specialist treating each condition along with your primary care doctor.

So, for the reasons listed above and many more, it may be a bit more difficult to get a firm diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.

but you likely have metabolic syndrome if you have 3 or more of the following:

1.Large waistline

- 40 inches or more in men

- 35 inches or more in women

- Abdominal obesity, or having an "apple" shape

there are also an increasing number of cases of people who appear to have a normal weight but tend to store fat in their mid-section this is called:

-Central adiposity (women)

-Male type body fat (men)

and this population has the same metabolic risk as those who are overweight or obese.

2.High triglyceride levels

- Over 150 mg/dL

- On medication for high triglycerides

3.Low HDL (good) cholesterol

- For Men Less than 40 mg/dL  

- for women Less than 50 mg/dL

- On medication for low HDL

4.High blood pressure

- Greater than 130/85 (if either number is high)

- On medication for high blood pressure

5. Pre-diabetes or insulin resistance

- Blood sugar 100 mg/dL or more

- On medication for high blood sugar

what causes metabolic syndrome?

Research suggests that the underlying causes are

• overweight 
• obesity 
• inactivity
• your genetic make-up and age
• and Insulin resistance. 

Insulin is a hormone that helps sugar (glucose) from your food enter your cells to be used for energy.

When your insulin isn't able to do its job it's called insulin resistance and With insulin resistance, sugar builds up in your blood stream.

This can lead to diabetes and other problems, including damage to your heart and blood vessels.

now that you're well aware of the factors that may lead to metabolic syndrome, let's talk about the simple steps that you can take to prevent or reverse metabolic syndrome all together.

How can I prevent or reverse metabolic syndrome?

If you're ready to take control of your health, build your physique, prevent or beat metabolic syndrome, then you'll have to commit to a healthy lifestyle.

and because I know you value your time, I'll try to keep it short, sweet, and to the point.

the most important things you'll need to do are:

1.Lose weight

moderate weight loss—even just 5-10% of your body weight—can improve your blood pressure, reduce your waistline, and decrease your risk of diabetes

2.Increase your activity

30 minutes a day, 5 days a week improves your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as the way your body uses insulin (decreasing insulin resistance).

3.Improve your diet: 

this will provide benefits that go beyond just losing weight. Increase vegetables and fruit; limit or avoid unhealthy fats, fried and processed foods, and animal products.

4.Stop smoking: 

smoking makes the conditions associated with metabolic syndrome worse.

5.Stress management:

being physically active and practicing yoga or meditation can improve your emotional and physical well-being. 

I know it may seem daunting to put together all at once, but that's where we come in.

our proven process programs help make transitioning to a better you, seamlessly fit your lifestyle with 1-on-1 coaching every step of the way.

be sure to check out our programs here.

what is metabolic syndrome? Wrap-up

by now you understand that metabolic syndrome increases the risk of heart disease but more importantly that losing weight and increasing your activity are powerful ways to fight this condition.

of course if you you have

• high blood pressure
• unhealthy cholesterol levels
• or insulin resistance

your doctor may prescribe medications to manage these problems so they don't become worse, however, you understand that weight loss and working out are powerful things that you can do to reverse it.

if you're ready to take the next step, tap the image below to take our free health and physique quiz to find the best diet and training program for your health and physique phenotype.

Alright ladies and gents, that's all I got for today.

Be sure to drop a comment below to let me know your thoughts on metabolic syndrome.

Until next time...

signing out

Joe G -  your Elite Health & Physique Leader