5 Risk Factors That Will Take Years Off Of Your Life

Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that occur together and increase your risk of things like heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

In short, metabolic disease makes you sick and unhealthy and if you have it, you are much more likely to die early.

It’s not a single disease like diabetes or congestive heart failure.

It’s a group of risk factors that, when present together, signal that your body is struggling to maintain normal metabolic function.

A few quick stats:

• 1 in 3 adults in the US have metabolic syndrome
• 50% of those over 60 have metabolic syndrome
• 80%+ of cases of metabolic syndrome are directly caused by lifestyle factors like poor diet, physical inactivity, and smoking

If you have metabolic syndrome, you are:

• TWICE as likely to have a heart disease
• THREE times as likely to have a heart attack or stroke
• FIVE times more likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes
• Reducing your life expectancy by up to 15 years

In this blog post, I’ll explain what metabolic syndrome is, what causes it, and how you can take steps to manage or even prevent it.

Defining Metabolic Syndrome

First off, what does “metabolic” mean?

Imagine your body is like a busy factory.

Inside this factory, lots of tiny workers (your cells) are doing different jobs, like turning food into energy, helping you grow, and keeping you healthy.

These workers need instructions to do their jobs right, and those instructions are called "metabolism."

When I say something is "metabolic," I’m talking about how well your body’s factory is working to keep everything running smoothly.

So, in "metabolic syndrome," it means that the body’s factory isn't working quite right, and it's having trouble doing some important jobs, like handling sugar and fat.

This can make the body feel tired or not as healthy as it should be.

Metabolic syndrome is defined by the presence of three or more of the following risk factors:

1. Increased Waist Size:
• Waist measurement greater than 40 inches, and for women, greater than 35 inches.
• *Note: This is NOT the same as your pants waist size. Your actual waist size is almost always 2-3 inches larger than your pants waist size. For example, if you wear 36” waist pants and they fit well, your actual waist size is likely 38-40”.
2. High Blood Pressure (Hypertension):
• Blood pressure of 130/85 mmHg or higher, or the use of medication to control high blood pressure.
3. High Blood Sugar Levels:
• A fasting blood glucose level of 100 mg/dL or higher.
4. High Triglyceride Levels:
• These are fats in your blood. Levels greater than 150mg/dL are a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.
5. Low HDL Cholesterol (the "Good" Cholesterol):
• Less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women are risk factors.

Having 3 or more of these means you have metabolic syndrome, but even if you currently only have 1 of them, you are still well on your way to poor health.

What Causes Metabolic Syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is primarily driven by insulin resistance.

Insulin regulates blood sugar levels.

It’s like a key that helps sugar from the food you eat get into your body's cells, where it's used for energy.

Without insulin, the sugar can't get into the cells and just stays in your blood.

This is “insulin resistance.”

It’s like the doors to your cells are locked and insulin no longer has the key to get in.

When this happens, your blood sugar levels continue to rise, eventually leading to type 2 diabetes and a host of other health issues.

Over time, insulin resistance leads to higher blood sugar levels, prompting your body to produce more insulin, creating a vicious cycle that can contribute to other metabolic problems.

What Factors Lead to Metabolic Syndrome?

• Obesity, Especially Abdominal Obesity: Excess weight, particularly around the abdomen, is a major contributor to insulin resistance.
• Sedentary Lifestyle: Lack of physical activity can exacerbate weight gain and negatively impact insulin sensitivity.
• Poor Diet: Diets high in processed foods, sugars, and unhealthy fats can contribute to obesity, high blood sugar, and poor cholesterol levels.
• Genetics: A family history of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or cardiovascular disease can increase your risk.
• Age: The risk of metabolic syndrome increases with age, especially after age 40.

The good news?

The first 3 risk factors can be fully reversed with a few simple changes to your diet, exercise, and lifestyle.

Why Does Metabolic Syndrome Matter?

Metabolic syndrome matters because it significantly increases the risk of several severe health conditions, including:

• Type 2 Diabetes: Insulin resistance can progress to type 2 diabetes.
• Cardiovascular Disease: The combination of high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, and abdominal obesity can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes.
• Fatty Liver Disease: Excess fat in the liver, often associated with metabolic syndrome, can lead to inflammation and liver damage.
• Chronic Inflammation: Metabolic syndrome is linked with low-grade chronic inflammation, which contributes to many diseases, including cancer.

In short, all of these things will greatly reduce your quality of life and greatly increase your chances of dying early.

Main Signs and Symptoms Of Metabolic Syndrome

1. Big Waist (>40” in men and >35” in women)
2. High Blood Pressure (>130/85)
3. High Blood Sugar (>100 fasted)
4. High Triglycerides (>150)
5. Low HDL (<40 for men, 50 for women)
6. Fatigue and Lack of energy
7. Darkened Skin Patches (around neck, armpits, or groin)
8. Frequent Sugar Cravings

How Can Metabolic Syndrome Be Managed or Prevented?

The good news is that metabolic syndrome can often be managed or even prevented with lifestyle changes.

The best changes you can make are to lose weight, quit smoking, and start exercising.

Here are more steps you can take:

1. Maintain a Healthy Weight.
   • Losing just 10% of your body weight can significantly reduce your risk factors.

1. Adopt a Balanced Diet:
• Eat plenty of vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
• Limit processed foods, sugary drinks, and foods high in saturated and trans fats.
2. Increase Physical Activity:
• Aim for at least 20-30 minutes of exercise, such as walking or cycling, 3-5 days per week.
• Strength train 2-3 times per week to build muscle and improve insulin sensitivity.
3. Manage Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels:
• Medication may be necessary in some cases, but lifestyle changes can get you off medication for good. Seriously.
4. Control Blood Sugar Levels:
• Control your carbohydrate intake based on activity levels and severity of your current metabolic dysfunction.
• Exercise! This helps your body use insulin more efficiently.
5. Quit Smoking:
• Smoking increases insulin resistance and worsens other risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome.
6. Reduce Stress:
• Chronic stress can negatively impact your metabolic health. Incorporate stress-reducing practices like mindfulness, meditation, or yoga into your routine.
7. Prioritize Sleep
• More sleep will help in every aspect of your life. Seriously, every aspect.
• If you aren’t getting at least 7 hours per night, this should be a huge focus.
• The good news is that better sleep will improve all symptoms of metabolic disease. Improving your metabolic disease markers will help improve your sleep!
8. Get Regular Bloodwork
• It’s hard to fix problems you don’t know that you have. And you can’t track progress unless you have a good starting point.
9. Track Your Progress!
• If you don’t track your progress, you have no idea if what you are doing it working.
• The more data you have, the better you can adjust and focus on the changes you are making. Frequent weigh-ins, waist measurements, blood sugar checks, blood pressure checks, blood work, etc., all are an integral part of taking control of your health.

Take Control of Your Health Today

If you learned anything from this article, I hope it is this:

METABOLIC DISEASE IS PREVENTABLE AND REVERSIBLE.

Please read that again.

It’s true, I promise.

You don’t need to take a bunch of different medications for the rest of your life.

The medication you need is a few simple dietary changes and a simple, basic exercise routine.

That’s it.

If you don’t already have metabolic disease, maintaining good, healthy habits will prevent it.

If you have metabolic disease, making a few simple lifestyle changes will reverse it.

Really.

You can reverse it; you just need to take responsibility for your situation and put in some effort.

And honestly, not as much effort as you think.

By making small, consistent changes to your lifestyle, you can significantly reduce your risk of developing serious health issues associated with this syndrome.

If you're ready to take back control of your health and improve your life, fill out this form for a free consultation on how I can help you: .Free 30 Minute Video Consultation

Early intervention and a proactive approach to your health can make all the difference.

Do It For Your Kids

The worst part of the recent increase in incidence of metabolic syndrome?

A syndrome that used to only be seen in those 60 and older is now being seen in young children.

If you have kids, you have a responsibility to be a good role model for them.

And guess what?

No matter how much your kids love you, they don’t want to have to spend 20+ years of their lives taking care of you because you refused to take care of yourself.

They don’t want to have to push you around in a wheelchair and change out your colostomy bag when you’re 65 because you refused to make a few simple lifestyle changes.

They don’t want to have to explain to their kids why grandpa can’t play with them anymore.

Or why grandma isn’t here anymore.

Living an unhealthy lifestyle is not ok; I don’t care how busy you are.

And I don't care how "normal" it has become.

Just because all of your friends and family are overweight and sedentary doesn't mean you have to be.

You NEED to focus on your health becasue your poor health doesn’t just affect you.

It affects those you love.

Most importantly, your kids.

You are their example and what you do, what you say, and how you live your life has a MASSIVE impact on what kind of person they will grow up to be.

If your declining health hasn’t negatively impacted your relationships with your loved ones yet, it will if you don’t make some changes.

So stop waiting.

Make those changes before that “sudden” stroke that has been 40 years in the making leaves you in a wheelchair and unable to move one side of your body for the rest of your life.

Make those changes before you “suddenly” have to get your foot amputated due to your Type 2 Diabetes that you were “suddenly” diagnosed..

And make those changes before you “suddenly” go into cardiac arrest due to decades of absuing your body with shit food and minimal physicaly activity.

Make those changes before you die without seeing your grandkids grow up.

Please.