The Metabolic Syndrome

by: John D Zelem, MD

THE METABLIC SYNDROME

Consider these questions:

* Having trouble losing weight?
* Are you slowly gaining weight
* Is your blood pressure elevated?
* Is your cholesterol going up?
* Are your triglycerides going up?
* Is your HDL going down?
* Do you get sleepy after eating?
* Have you developed a pattern of nighttime eating?
* Is your blood sugar rising?

If you have answered three or more of these with a "yes" answer you may have the Metabolic Syndrome.

Do you find yourself having trouble losing weight even with exercise and, for all intents and purposes, watching what you eat? I suspect that you have been told to eat a low fat, high carbohydrate diet and you have done that. So why is there still a problem? You probably have thought of every possible reason for your lack of success. You may have thought that your thyroid gland is not working properly or your metabolism has slowed down: probably not. Possibly your hormone levels are off or maybe you need to step up your exercise program, or maybe you need one of these more dramatic diets to go on: not likely. That sounded like me and how I was thinking.

Normal Energy Production And Storage
You may or may not have been aware of something called "The Metabolic Syndrome." What is it, you may ask? Allow me to give you a little background of basic information before I define this syndrome.
Our bodies need fuel for energy just like any machine. Sugar is that source. We need to get down to the cellular level where this energy production actually occurs. Glucose is the sugar utilized by the cell for the production of energy in the furnaces of our cells, which are called mitochondria. The entry of glucose into the cells is facilitated by the hormone insulin, which is produced in the pancreas. This hormone also will drive glucose into muscle and the liver for storage in a more complex form called glycogen. This will be used as a source of energy at other times such as periods of starvation and exercise. Any amounts over and above normal usage for immediate energy and storage in liver and muscle are sent to fat cells for greater storage of energy sources.

There is an opposing hormone, glucagon, which is also produced in the pancreas and is responsible for releasing fat for energy when stimulated by the intake of protein. The intake of carbohydrates and excessive levels of insulin suppress it. 

Normally these hormones work in conjunction with each other maintaining a balanced situation of energy substrates utilization and storage. Situations such as dieting, starvation, exercise and the Metabolic Syndrome will alter this balance.

Glycemic Index
Whenever we ingest sugar or carbohydrates our bodies react with a rise in the blood sugar inducing the secretion of insulin to get the sugar into our cells and produce energy and store the excess in muscle, the liver, and eventually, fat. The Glycemic Index is a measurement of the rate of the rise of blood sugar following the ingestion of a particular test food relative to that of a standard food such as glucose. The measurement for glucose is 100. This index will quantitate the rate of secretion of insulin. Under 55 is generally considered to be a low-glycemic food and over 70 is high-glycemic.

Low GI = 55 or less
Medium GI = 56 - 69
High GI = 70 or more

Our diet today is mainly composed of over-processed carbohydrates in the form of our modern-day flour. This flour is the result of removing all of its complex components, leaving us with a pure, super-fine white powder that, when ingested, causes our blood sugar to rise rapidly to higher than normal levels. This leads to an exaggerated insulin response. This rapid rise in insulin will cause blood sugar levels to drop precipitously to relatively low levels, lower than normal, causing drowsiness, and fatigue. The subsequent rebound also results in a desire to eat again to restore blood sugar levels. Long term this becomes an uncontrollable craving for carbohydrates. This roller coaster effect occurring over and over, leads to carbohydrate addiction, carbohydrate craving, nighttime eating, insulin resistance, and the beginning of the Metabolic Syndrome. These high insulin levels also shut off the glucagon response and leave no way that fat can be utilized as a source of energy. This is when weight gain occurs and weight loss becomes almost impossible.

Eventually, this syndrome will cause inflammation and narrowing of the small arteries going to the muscles of your body causing them to constrict. This leads to a decreased ability of insulin to deliver glucose to the muscles for use and storage. Insulin levels will then increase significantly to try and accomplish this task but, eventually, most of the glucose will be diverted to fat cells causing what is called "insulin resistance." Glucagon is totally shut off at this point.

Some of the other effects of the Metabolic Syndrome are high blood pressure, increased triglyceride and cholesterol levels, and decreased HDL, all leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. This Syndrome has been said to occur in about 20-25% of the population. A significant portion of this group will go from insulin resistance to full blown Diabetes as the Metabolic Syndrome causes a "burn-out" of the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas. This is also one of the reasons why we are seeing a lot more obesity and diabetes, especially in our young. It is getting to epidemic proportions.

Low-Glycemic Response
There is hope! There is an answer. It is called a low glycemic diet. This must be considered a lifestyle change, not a temporary eating habit. Traditional diets do not work because they are designed to be an acute solution to a chronic problem. Also the faster one loses weight, generally, the faster it comes back. The chances of losing up to 10% of your total body weight and keeping it off for 5 years is the same as the 5 year survival rate for cancer of the lung, 5%. This is a very sobering statistic. You will find that it may, and should, take 18-24 months for you to achieve your end results. You should set short-term goals along the way. I have actually chosen to let my body decide what its end-point will be and take as long as it needs to get there since my program also involves exercising, which yours should too. 

You need to understand that this syndrome is reversible with time while the alternative of not making this change is diabetes, which is never reversible. Remember, if you continue to do what you have always done, you will continue to get what you have always gotten.

When an individual eats a low-glycemic meal there is a totally different metabolic response. Eating foods such as fruits, vegetables, good carbs that do not cause a rapid rise of your blood sugar, good protein and fat is the answer. The "whites" are out: the white breads, the white potato, and the white rice. Even most whole wheat bread is not our friend. It cannot be enriched wheat flour; it must be stone ground. 

These types of carbs will allow a slow rise of blood sugar, leading to a more modest release of insulin balanced with a proper release of glucagon. The insulin encourages the muscle to take up the sugar and the rest goes to the liver and fat. On the other hand, glucagon is also present in normal levels and will break down the fat, at about the same rate it is created, initially at a greater rate. The result of this equation is no weight gain or possible weight loss. Even if you have the Metabolic Syndrome, the start of a low glycemic lifestyle, not diet, may allow a reversal of all of the bad effects of this syndrome. Eventually, exercise must become a part of this healthy lifestyle.

Conclusions
So how do we summarize this complex bit of information and put it into a useful tool that is easy to follow. First of all, how badly do you want the results, the goals that you set? If the goal is important enough the work will follow and you will accomplish it. Remember that the Metabolic Syndrome is reversible with time, and Diabetes is never reversible.

Here are some general guidelines to follow. Low glycemic food will not raise your blood sugar as high and as rapidly as high glycemic foods will and, at the same time, will start to increase your body’s sensitivity to insulin. Low glycemic diets will help you to lose weight, help those who already have diabetes maintain better control of their blood sugar. Low glycemic foods will help you to stay full longer. Finally, high glycemic foods may replenish carbohydrate stores after exercise but low glycemic foods will improve physical endurance.
Foods that have a low glycemic index generally had a low glycemic load. Eliminate foods with both high glycemic indexes and high glycemic loads. Optimize your insulin levels by eating fruits and vegetables and whole grains. The fiber in these foods will both be healthy and release sugar into your bloodstream slowly.

I want to reiterate for you that I have changed my lifestyle to low-glycemic index, low glycemic load and have seen a significant change in myself. I am not hungry all the time anymore. I am free of carbohydrate addiction and cravings. I can actually sit in front of the TV at night or read a book and not have a high-glycemic snack next to me. I have not been doing it long enough to get off all of my meds but I see that in the near future and I recently was able to reduce my high blood pressure medication. Remember, getting healthy is a process and this is just one of the steps. It is not about what has happened to me, but I do know this can work for you.

I am not saying that this is the lifestyle change that you have to make, but if you see yourself in a similar situation, take a good look. Obviously you will need to discuss this with your doctor and see if it is a fit for you. You should also work out a program with your personal physician to regularly check your labs, weight, and blood pressure. Remember, if you continue doing what you are doing, you will continue to have what you have. If you want to make some changes in your life, you must make some changes in your life. I wish you success and good health.

Dr Zelem is a practicing General Surgeon with a passion for health & wellness. For more information you can visit:streamlineintelligence.com Dr Zelem is also available for seminars and lectures on this topic.

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Dieting: Essential Truths

by: Patricia R. Moynihan

If you appear to be overweight, there are certain truths you must absorb. I say "appear to be overweight" because you and I know that you are NOT overweight. There are people heavier than you and there are people slimmer than you. That's all.

Now, the self evident truths you need to absorb are set out below. They're very important, so learn them well:

1. Big hair, slim hips. You need to deflect attention from your 60" hips. This is really easy. Back comb you hair unto the point of death. Make it big, bigger, biggest. All attention will now be riveted to your very precarious hair style. See how that works? Brilliant!

2. If you eat standing up, it doesn't count. I'm always amazed that people don't know this. It is surely the most important truth of all. You absolutely must have a gallon of chocolate ice cream? No problem! Just stand in your kitchen and consume the whole thing standing up. Simply doesn't count. You don't need to include it in your list of calories consumed for that day.

3. Walking backwards doubles the calories consumed by this exercise. This is another truth most people don't seem to know. I'm amazed. It's so obvious.

Now that you've absorbed these self evident truths, there is another, very minor, truth you need to know. No diet food corporation will tell you this. They need to sell diet products. And the drug companies will not tell you this. They need to sell harmful so-called weight reducing chemicals that they expect you to consume forever to keep their coffers full. No, probably the only person who will tell you this truth is me. And here it is:

Expend more calories than you consume. It's easy. In order to lose weight, you don't need special food; you don't need harmful, addictive drugs. All you need is to use up more calories than you consume. If you don't take any exercise at all now, take a short walk every day. Nothing dramatic. NO need to climb Mount Everest or even run 200 yards. Just add a short walk to your day. If you already take some exercise, increase this exercise marginally. Again, nothing dramatic. Just add about 10 minutes to your preferred form of exercise. And do all this witout increasing your food consumption. I'm from the old school. Exercise always requires a chocolate bar as a reward. Don't do this. Drink a glass of water. Or chew some gum. And last of all, the most difficult truth for many people; Soda is BAD. Cut it out cold turkey. Just stop drinking it. These very minor truths will absolutely guarantee that you lose weight. Isn't that amazing? Let me know how you get on!


Patricia R. Moynihan is the Irish lawyer who founded Dealon Bracelets. Deaalon Bracelets are the world's premier therapeutic bracelets. She is a noted writer and speaker on alternative health and internet marketing. You can reach her at her web site http://www.dealonbracelets.com

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Dieting on a Shoestring

by: Bruce Kimball

Officially the “recession” is over, but that doesn’t mean that all of a sudden we’ve got loads of cash pouring out of our pockets. (At least I don’t—if you’ve got tips, let me know!) We’re all trying to stay fit and free of fat, but that means spending exorbitant amounts of money on gym memberships and healthy, organic food doesn’t come cheap either.

Here are few ways to save money and maintain a healthy lifestyle:
1.    Check out deals that your gym may offer. Special weekend rates, class-only rates, student discounts, etc. Also, getting any sort of job at the gym will generally get you free membership.
2.    If a gym isn’t in your budget, work out in the beautiful world around you. Find a friend with a pool and swim some laps, go for jogs, or play tennis at an open court. Also, start relying your car less and your legs more. If your video store is a 20 minute walk, consider leaving your car at home for a change and power-walking or running to the store.
3.    Buy your fruits and vegetables at farmer’s markets. It depends on where you live, but generally local farmer’s markets (or pick up trucks on the side of the road) offer higher quality fruits and vegetables than in large grocery stores.
4.    Make a grocery list. People spend way too much money on groceries when they leave their lists at home. When you browse, you buy things that you’re in the mood for now, and that could be anything and everything. Stick to the list, buying only things you’ll need and you’ll likely come out with healthier food and not too much of it.
5.    Buy in bulk. Make a run to Costco and stock up on brown rice and olive oil in bulk. This is also a good place to buy fruits and vegetables.
6.    Cook your own food. Prepackaged food is never as healthy as home-cooked and can cost double or triple the price.
7.    If your doctor suggests you try a diet pill, make sure you check out the generic versions (like generic Xenical or generic Meredia/Reductil. They can save you a ton of money, curb your appetite so you eat less food, and ultimately help you lose weight!
Tring to lose weight? Theres so many diets out there its hard to know which one to choose. Thats why taken the work out of it for you, by reveiwing them all here. Find out which diet is right for you by visiting www.dreamalean.com .

To find other free health content see e-healtharticles.com

Dieting for Success

Dieting is far too often approached from the mindset of impending failure. Too many people have tried and failed so many diets in their past that they try the next new diet with the absolute knowledge that they will fail in this attempt as well. Guess what? They will.

Henry Ford once said, "If you think you can or think you can't you will always be right." If you think you are going to fail at this diet you are dooming yourself to failure before you even deprive yourself of the first bite. Think about that before you begin because only a true masochist could find pleasure in perpetuating this vicious cycle without ever stopping to wonder why none of the other diets have worked for you. Henry Ford also said, "Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently". In case you were wondering I would say his words are quite profound. Seriously though, if you do not examine the reasons for your failures you are certainly dooming yourself to repeat them and if you are already planning to fail why on earth would you even try?

You are the only person who can take control of your need to eat. You are the only one who can pay attention and notice when you are eating for emotional fulfillment and when you are eating from necessity. You and you alone can get yourself out of your chair and on your feet. You are the only one that can take the responsibility for the condition in which you find yourself. There are medical exceptions but even in these situations if you are trying diet after diet and failing over and over again then you must at some point in time realize that it is quite likely not the diets that aren't working.

We must all be accountable for our successes and failures in life. It is no different when it comes to dieting. There are few better feelings in the world than for someone to notice and compliment your efforts. If you are very obese unfortunately, it may take a little more time for people to actually notice the weight you've lost. Too many men and women give up simply because no one noticed and that is an incredible shame. Give your dieting practices an opportunity to work before you decide they are a failure and you just might surprise yourself with a roaring success.

The truth is far too few people hold themselves accountable to their dieting and weight loss goals. This means that far too many people are giving up without really ever bothering to give it an effort. If you have an issue holding yourself accountable to your dieting plans, perhaps you would do well to diet with a partner. This helps you not only set goals but also to meet and exceed challenges along the way. A partner can also benefit from the partnership as he or she will be challenged and feel the need to perform better than if he or she were dieting alone.

You must hold yourself accountable to your stated dieting and weight loss goals in order to achieve any lasting results. If you have not had dieting success in the past, then perhaps it is time to bring some degree of accountability into the picture and make it happen.

3 Hour Dieting

When it comes to the world of dieting you will find that there are many diet, weight loss, and fitness plans on the market. It takes years for some to become a contender and others remain a best-kept secret of sorts. One such 'best kept' secret would be the 3 Hour Diet that was designed by Jorge Cruise. I am sure that there are many reading along and chuckling under your breath that there is no way one can lose weight by eating every three hours however the science behind the theory is fairly common and Jorge Cruise is a mainstay in the fitness industry.

The long and short of this diet operates with the knowledge that if you do not feed your body accurately and regularly your body will go into what is called 'starvation mode'. In this mode your body holds onto the fat rather than burning it up and consuming it for use. This means that your body is burning muscle rather than fat to take the energy it needs in order to function.

With the 3 Hour Diet you will not feel hungry all the time, in fact, there are many who claim they are constantly setting alarms and reminding themselves to eat. You will also learn the proper foods to eat in order to achieve the best possible results. The key is in learning which foods are right for you when dieting with this plan. You can purchase the book The 3-Hour Diet by Jorge Cruise and you can sign up online for more information about the weight plan itself and how to incorporate it into your busy routine.

I do recommend purchasing the book if you are seriously considering this as your method of dieting as there are many wonderful hints, tips, and tricks that are mentioned in the book to help you keep things going no matter how busy and hectic your lifestyle may be. One thing you need to keep in mind is that dieting with a program such as this is no small commitment. You need to stick to the timetable as much as possible in order to achieve the results this plan is famous for. If you aren't willing to eat every three hours then this plan really may not be the plan for you.

Otherwise, if this is something you would be interested in, I highly recommend it. There are special considerations based on the amount you weight currently and the amount of weight you are hoping to lose. It is best if you are honest throughout the process in order to achieve the best possible and most immediate results. The claim is that you can lose as many as 10 pounds in the first two weeks and there are those that have claimed to do just that over and over again. This is a diet that even many celebrities endorse for quick and immediate results.

The good and the bad about 3 hour dieting is that it is effective but takes a very real commitment on the part of the one that is dieting. This diet is one that is taking the world by storm. If you haven't heard of it before now, please take the time to check it out and see if this is something you could incorporate into your life. The results that have been reported as a result of this diet as nothing short of phenomenal. If there were one diet I would recommend above others for those who hate feeling hungry, it would be this diet.

Holiday Weight Gain

The final two months of each year can add on the pounds. Weight Gain in November and December is a national pastime in the good old USA. Two of the greatest festivals of food (not to mention the extra alcohol consumed thrown in for good measure) Thanksgiving and Christmas will add unwanted calories to anyone's normal diet.

It is difficult to avoid this train wreck, but you can limit the damage to an acceptable level. A good method to keep calories consumed from escalating is to pay attention and tract daily intake. Most people get caught up in the individual numbers and miss the huge amount in the overall number.

In a brief amount of several weeks, you are tempted by many holidaymakers'  traditional gourmet delights that are very high in fat and low in nutritional value. High sugar content, many food items are smothered in gravy and sauces with high levels of fat, and tempting alcohol concoctions all contribute to the number of calories.

Enjoying a piece of pumpkin pie with whipped cream or apple pie ala mode (750 calories approximate figure - just for example) is not different from a normal dessert. But then you add a meal with 7 courses, wine and nibbles before that and you win the prize of 2800 or even more calorie meals. We won''t even discuss the snack of leftovers later that night.

Then add a few parties in the mixture and you add several events with this kind of meal, and calories add up fast. Treats people bring to work, you shop and eat out more, and your normal exercise routine may get kicked to the curb too. Avoiding all these extra calories and those tempting treats is darn near impossible.

It is well known that many people gain at least 10-12 pounds during this holiday period. And if you're already a little over your desired weight, it can be a killer to get that extra weight off in January.

Let's say you were already at least 8 pounds over your desired weight at the start of the holiday season, so in January if you acquired additional 12 pounds over the holidays, bingo, you now have a whopping 20 pounds to lose, instead of the original 8. It's a big difference and, according to many authorities, each pound equals 3,500 calories - so that means you need to lose around 70,000 calories. Ouch!

Coming to grips with an extra 12 pounds or 42,000 calories to lose in January is not a good thing. Nothing to look forward to for anyone. Most experts recommend a low enough calorie intake to lose 2 pounds a week, so at that rate, those 12 extra pounds will take at least 6 weeks to lose.

A good way to avoid this problem is to maintain a daily count of calories you take in every day. The numbers don't need to be exact, but you need to know the general amounts. Take a look at a guide to calories and check the calories of popular items. It's also important to know how many calories you can have per day to maintain your desired weight (the amount you can eat every day and stay at your current weight).

The size of servings can be a huge factor in having some of your favorites, but never go way over on your base number of calories. Adding a brisk walk for about an hour whenever you have time can burn away an extra 320 calories, running will burn up to 700 calories per hour. The choice of meat rich in protein reduces the calories and requires more effort to digest so they can actually get rid of a few extra calories too.

Each day you can do a total count of calories and if it is high, you can reduce the next day's calories or up the exercise to burn those additional calories. Use the stairs instead of the elevator, park far away from building entrances, walking after each meal for 10-15 minutes is good, drink water, not a soft drink, do not snack while cooking, take the dog for a walk, all these small activities will help burn up some calories.

It is far easier to compensate for 500 extra calories at a time than let them add up and deal with a whopping 42,000 to lose in January. Try not to go into absolute denial on the good stuff that just makes you cranky. Have fun but keep an eye on the number of calories you eat each day and determine how best to compensate.

Dieting Without Sacrifice

So many people view dieting as some sort of cosmic punishment for not having the perfect body. They believe that enjoying food is somehow bad for them, which couldn't be further from the truth. If you want to be completely honest with yourself, when it comes to dieting, it isn't about giving up food or flavor; it's about discovering new foods and flavors. At least that is what it is for those who truly love food as well as adventure.

There are many spices out there that can make even the blandest of foods a little exciting. Fish and chicken are popular diet foods because they are lean meats. However, adding a little blackening seasoning is a great way to put a little punch in your meal that will make it taste great without packing on the calories of dressing marinades or soaking in butter before broiling. You do not have to stop there. Italian seasoning can also add a little flavor to your kitchen without adding the extra calories that you are working so hard to avoid.

There are all kinds of seasonings that will work well in this instance. Many great seasonings for chicken also make great additions to chicken that will be included in salads for healthier lunches or salad wraps. Grains are good for you when you concentrate on whole grains. They are quite often the primary source of fiber in a diet and you need fiber almost as much as you need water. At any rate, simple things that spice up the same old lunch can have a huge impact on your enjoyment of food.

You can even enjoy the occasional treat when dieting as long as you do so sparingly. The key when dieting is to learn about proper portions and moderate indulgence. You can find all kinds of low sugar or low carb desserts on the market that you can enjoy sparingly. You can even find sugar free or low calorie candy in some cases though you should keep in mind that calories, particularly when it comes to candy you eat unconsciously add up quickly and you must pay close attention to those things you put into your mouth.

My point in all this though is that you do not have to sacrifice flavor in order to diet. You can live without butter; there are many substitutions on the market that are quite remarkable. But seasonings are a great way to add a lot of flavor for a tiny bit of effort on your part. Desserts are also great and you can find many dips and sauces that can be made with fat free or low fat mayonnaise or sour cream in order to cut a few more calories during your dieting process.

These dips and sauces can often make a great substitution, when paired with vegetables, for those chips and dips we love so much and often miss when dieting. Cucumbers, green, red, and yellow peppers, broccoli, and carrot sticks all have a nice little crunch to them that when combined with a good low fat dip can help cure the crave beast for greasy chips that often rears its head when dieting.

If you watch your calories carefully during meals you should be delighted to know that there are many little snack treats that are prepackaged in 100 calorie packs for your enjoyment. This means that you can indulge on occasion in those treats that you love most without sacrificing all your dieting efforts in the process. These snack packs have become one of the best marketing ploys since the invention of diet colas. We all want the benefits of losing weight and will readily admit that if it were a simple process we'd all be thin. However, having something like these hundred calorie snack packs to carry you through the worst of your cravings can mean the difference between dieting success and failure. They are definitely the difference in the old way of dieting and the new way of dieting without sacrificing flavor.