Almost half of the population over the age of 60 suffers from a very debilitating condition known as metabolic syndrome. It’s not a single disease, but a cluster of commonly associated diseases including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, abnormal cholesterol levels and excess fat in the mid-section. The American Heart Association describes it as, “a combination of factors that multiply a person’s risk for heart disease, diabetes and stroke… metabolic syndrome is dangerous because when individual risk factors are seen together in a person, the likelihood increases for cardiovascular problems and diabetes.”

Metabolic syndrome goes by a few other names—dysmetabolic syndrome or the more ominous sounding “syndrome x.” Some call it insulin resistance syndrome. It’s very common in people with diabetes; upwards of 85 percent of diabetics also have it. This is particularly problematic for them, as they are more at risk for heart disease.

But enough of the science and stats. Essentially, it means that pretty much all of your vital systems are out of whack. However, it’s pretty simple (not necessarily easy, mind you) to avoid coming down with metabolic syndrome, and if you have it, you can still bounce back—despite what your doctor or the medical establishment might tell you.

Traditional treatment is pretty standard—tons of medication. Medication for the diabetes. Medication for the blood pressure. Medication for the triglycerides. However, doctors are starting to get on board with really pushing lifestyle changes (of course any doctor worth his or her salt will tell you to get in shape, but we’re talking that the main prescription is to push for healthier lifestyles). Still, it can be rather vague: manage your stress, lose weight, exercise more and (perhaps the most specific), quit smoking.

How do I know if I have metabolic syndrome?

The biggest telltale sign of metabolic syndrome is your waistline, that is not to say your hips. If you’re carrying most of your body fat around your waist, that’s a bad sign. For men, the cutoff number is between 38-40 inches. For men, it’s between 33-35 inches. Unfortunately, that’s really the only overt and outward sign. The rest of your symptoms are only detectable with testing. This includes:

• High blood pressure – you should be below 130/85 mmHg. If you’re taking blood pressure medication already, there’s a good chance you’ve got metabolic syndrome.
• Low HDL cholesterol – doctors will often be alarmed if your cholesterol is high. But we’re not often told that we need “good cholesterol” levels to be relatively high. Don’t let it get below 50mg/dL for women and 40mg/dL for men. We’ll talk later about what sort of foods you need to be eating to get more good cholesterol.
• High levels of triglycerides – this is essentially bad fat taking up space in your bloodstream. You need to keep your levels below 150 mg/dL to stay out of the zone of risk.

How do I get metabolic syndrome?

It’s pretty simple really: little to no physical activity and being overweight. These are the two primary factors that lead to the development of metabolic syndrome. It’s a combination that leads to all sorts of different ailments: insulin resistance, diabetes, heart disease, vascular disease and much more.  Conversely, stay in shape and you will drastically reduce your chances of developing metabolic syndrome.

That being said, some other factors do enter into play. For example, people of Hispanic and Asian descent are more likely to develop the disease, as are those whose parents were diabetics. And the chances of developing metabolic syndrome  increases with age. There is some evidence (though it isn’t totally conclusive) that having gallstones increases your risk, as does having sleep apnea.

As you might imagine, it’s a growing problem as Western society becomes more and more unhealthy. Thankfully, rates of cigarette smoking are falling dramatically—a major risk factor—but we are still a largely overweight society.

What you can do to avoid or reverse metabolic syndrome

Avoiding it is as simple as staying within a healthy weight range, getting enough exercise and eating your veggies while staying away from the this list of foods:

• Sugar – it’s terrible for you in nearly every way. Metabolic syndrome is only one aspect of that.
• Artificial sweeteners – So you eat less sugar, but these sweeteners actually increase your cravings and appetite. Also, they don’t really serve their purpose. A big study of diet soda drinkers found that they gain weight just as much as regular soda drinkers.
• Peanut butter – “Oh no!” you say. It’s true. It’s not peanut butter that’s the problem, per se. It’s the fact that almost all peanuts are contaminated with a type of fungi called aflatoxins, which causes inflammation throughout your body.
• Whole grains – That’s another tough one for a lot of people. But grains cause inflammation and your body pretty much sees any sort of bread as exactly the same as sugar.
• Granola – It’s the same concept as grains—well, it is a grain. On top of that, most granola sold today is loaded with sugar.
• Sugary drinks – This includes most fruit juice! And definitely soda, even diet soda. Refer to artificial sweeteners above.
• Processed foods – If it comes in a box, it’s probably not good for you. A shocking percentage of the food on offer at your average grocery store is loaded with added bad fats, sugar and salt, not to mention all sorts of preservatives and other additives. These man-made chemicals are going to increase your risk of developing metabolic syndrome.
• Trans fats – The biggest culprit is fried foods, but trans fats are found in high levels in baked goods as well.
• Alcohol – Drinking too much raises your blood pressure and your triglycerides.

What should I eat?

Before, we mentioned that we’d talk about raising your good cholesterol. That’s the tip of the iceberg. Food is medicine, and so much more effective than conventional medications. Here are the big ones:

• Vegetables – You’ve heard it your whole life. Maybe it’s time to start listening. Vegetables are going to go a long way in maintaining and repairing your health regardless of your condition. This needs to include a healthy dose of dark, leafy greens (spinach, kale, collard greens, cabbage, etc.). And avocado is what we call a “superfood.” It’s going to give you that good cholesterol and they have been linked to lowering the risk of developing metabolic syndrome.
• Fruits – These need to be handled with care. Fruits are very good for you, but in smaller doses than we were raised to believe. They are often loaded with sugar—natural sugar, yes—but sugar nonetheless. Berries are your best bet. But throw bananas and pears and apples (especially granny smith apples) into the mix in moderation.
• Fish – Emphasis on fatty fish like salmon, mackerel and tuna. The important ingredient here is the Omega-3 fatty acids (good cholesterol). You can also get a good dose of Omega-3s from nuts and seeds.
• Beans – Black beans, white beans, kidney beans, lentils, etc. Beans really help to regulate your blood sugar, one of the main components of metabolic syndrome.

A quick note on supplements: There are several that can help you ward off or reverse metabolic syndrome. Several are very useful in regulating glucose levels (blood sugar). Specifically, those are holy basil, berberine, bitter melon and ginseng. Beyond that, spirulina is a great natural remedy for high blood pressure and maca root has been shown to help quite a bit with diabetes.

Your lifestyle is equally important. One of the two major risk factors for developing metabolic syndrome is a sedentary lifestyle. So get moving! Not only will you lose weight (the other big factor in developing metabolic syndrome), you will feel SO much better. It really feels good to exercise (more specifically, it feels good after you exercise, but you get the point).

Burst training in particular is a great tool for losing belly fat.

Oh, and if you smoke, quit. But you already knew that.

So that’s the skinny on metabolic syndrome. Stay healthy folks!