Metabolic Syndrome was defined in 1998 as a cluster of symptoms related to how your body processes the food you eat each day. A person with Metabolic Syndrome has the following symptoms:
• A waist measurement more than 36 inches
And two of the following measures:
• Low HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol)
• High Triglycerides (more than 150 mg/dl)
• High Blood glucose (more than 110 mg/dl)
• High blood pressure (more than 130/85 mmHg)
If you are diabetic or have been taking blood pressure medicine for many years, or have been using statin medication, these are some of the first indications leading to Metabolic Syndrome. According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, more than 34% of adult Americans have Metabolic Syndrome. Conditions associated with Metabolic Syndrome include: heart disease, gout, fatty liver disease, gall stones, depression, and arthritis. Within medical literature, these conditions are described as “lifestyle diseases,” which means our choices in daily living result in these conditions. However, very few medical doctors have the time to coach lifestyle changes, so you may think medication is the only answer to control these health conditions, but this is not the case. The right information can help you make real changes in your health and lifestyle.
Insulin is the key hormone that regulates the metabolic processes in your body. Insulin’s job is to signal the cells in your body to store sugar and get the sugar out of the blood stream. In a healthy body, insulin is made every time you eat and signals the cells to store the sugar that has been eaten. When insulin levels are increased you are not able to lose weight or burn off extra calories because your body is receiving the signal to “store up” and not to “burn off.” When a person snacks frequently, or has five to six small meals each day, the body is always receiving the signal to “store” and never allowed to “burn off” calories. In order to reverse Metabolic Syndrome, we need to understand how to control the master hormone insulin.
Insulin affects many processes in the body. When insulin is high, the body stores fat, stress hormones are increased, and fat in the blood is increased. When insulin is high, inflammation increases and the body ages faster. When a person practices healthy lifestyle patterns insulin signals are more regulated, and the symptoms and conditions associated with Metabolic Syndrome can be reduced.
The Metabolic Balance Program was developed more than 20 years ago to provide a lifestyle plan to control insulin and improve an individual’s quality of life. The program was developed by a medical doctor, a food scientist, and a nutritionist. Metabolic Balance has become one of the most successful lifestyle programs available to address the global health issue of Metabolic Syndrome.
There are eight principles within the Metabolic Balance program that are important for improving health and controlling insulin. These eight principles are:
1) Eat three meals each day. No snacks.
2) Keep a 5-hour break between meals. No snacks.
3) No meal should be longer than 60 minutes.
4) Begin each meal with one or two bites of protein.
5) Eat only one protein with each meal, and do not repeat that protein the rest of the day.
6) No eating after 9 pm.
7) Drink the quantity of water calculated for you. (Half your body weight in fluid ounces.)
8) Eat an apple each day.
In addition to these eight principles, a personal food plan is developed by a certified coach based on your blood chemistry to determine exactly what foods your body will thrive on. When you are eating the foods your body needs, cravings will disappear, satisfaction will increase, and your quality of life can increase. The Metabolic Balance Program is a positive solution to the challenge of Metabolic Syndrome.
As a certified coach, I have personally followed these eight principles since 2017 and have seen the benefits for myself, my family members, and hundreds of clients. You can find out more about this program at the website www.metabolic-balance.us or contact me at nutritionproportion@gmail.com and request a video presentation to review at home.
