Integral Guide to Metabolic Syndrome
An Integral Study Guide
Greetings, dear reader, and welcome to the Integral Fitness guide to Metabolic Syndrome! This article, like my others, is written as a “Cliff Notes” or “SparkNotes” style study guide. It is a distillation of those elements which current research has determined to be most integral to metabolic health. Enjoy!
Chronic disease in the United States is highly prevalent. In fact, 47 percent of the U.S. population suffer from at least one chronic disease. Further, evidence suggests that the high prevalence of chronic disease may be partially responsible for the devastating effects of the covid pandemic.
Of the various factors linked to the vast majority of chronic disease, autoimmunity as well as susceptibility to infections of all types, three of the strongest links are:
1. Factors and behaviors leading to Metabolic Inflexibility (poor metabolic health, see below for details)
2. Smoking & alcohol consumption
3. Insufficient nutrient levels (in particular Vitamins A, B complex, C, D and E as well as Magnesium, Potassium and Chromium)
Metabolism is the set of life-sustaining chemical reactions leading to energy production in organisms. Metabolic flexibility is the ability to respond or adapt to conditional changes in metabolic demand and is how we view overall metabolic health. Recent data reveals that 88% of Americans have poor metabolic health! Alarming!!!
There are five primary parameters we can use to assess metabolic health:
1. waist circumference (more than 35 inches for women and more than 40 inches for men)
2. insulin sensitivity (can be indicated by a level equal to or greater than 100 mg/dL)
3. blood pressure (130/80 mm Hg or higher)
4. triglyceride levels (more than 150 mg/dL)
5. low HDL cholesterol levels (less than 40 mg/dL for men and less than 50 mg/dL for women is considered low)
Having three or more of these five parameters in the abnormal range is indicative of pathology called Metabolic Syndrome.
The leading causes of abnormality in those five parameters are the following:
* Eating too often
* Eating too much (especially excess carbohydrates)
* Eating wrong type of carbohydrates (especially too much High fructose corn syrup and other refined, processed carbs with too little fiber)
* Eating in the wrong order. The order in which you eat your food plays a huge role in the metabolic effect. Eating carbs last versus first is more beneficial in reducing insulin and glucose, which plays a big role in weight gain. To maximize weight loss, eat the carbs last.
* Environmental toxicants which disrupt the microbiome and the endocrine system (such as glyphosate, PCBs, BPA, phthalates, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances [PFAS] )
* Poor sleep
* Too little (or even excessive) exercise
* Other types of stress such as
psychological
emotional stress
recreational and prescription drug use
* Other sources of inflammation (allergies, poor gut health)
Use this online calculator to determine your severity of Metabolic Syndrome. The higher your Z score and your percentage the higher your level of metabolic syndrome severity.
How do you give yourself your best chance at keeping these five metabolic parameters within healthy ranges?
Optimize circulatory health (see my other article for detailed information)
Frequent time spent outside for fresh air and sunlight exposure (lower stress, increase Vitamin D)
Eat the proper amount, proper frequency, proper types and proper order. If you’re struggling here connect with a professional for assistance!
Nutrient-dense whole foods (fruits, veggies, healthy fats, adequate protein and fiber)
Include fermented foods in your diet for gut health (see my article on how to Optimize Your Gut Health)
Low intake of refined simple carbs. As a general rule keep daily sugar (including alcohol) intake to 25g or less.
Low intake of liquid calories (juice, soda, milk, alcohol, etc)
Reduce snacking and eat only at mealtimes most days
Intermittent fasting
Sufficient hydration with filtered water (ideally a quality, multi-stage reverse osmosis filtration system)
Regular physical activity (High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT is especially effective for improving metabolic flexibility)
Sleep 7-9 hours
Meaningful socialization and recreation
Prayer/meditation/conscious breathing
Work with your physician or dietician to have your Vitamin D level monitored and kept to an optimal level (most current research points to a level of 50-60 ng/ml)
Strategic nutritional supplementation to fill in gaps and further optimize benefits of the above.
From here I would suggest readers continue on to my study guide on how to Optimize Your Energy Levels which covers mitochondrial health and more.
I hope you find this “cheat sheet” useful and, with further exploration, are able to integrate these ideas into your personal, integrated wellness routine.
Thank you for reading and I welcome your comments below!
This information is not meant to be comprehensive but rather to be used as a foundation and study guide to support your own further research and experimentation. See link below if you’d like to consider personalized fitness & nutrition guidance.
Finally, always consult with a qualified medical and/or nutritional professional well versed in this subject. Maintain regular checkups. Never attempt to self-diagnose.
INTEGRAL FITNESS – UPLIFT YOURSELF AND UPLIFT OTHERS
TO BE HEALTHY, HAPPY AND HELPFUL!
For list offerings of online fitness/nutrition coaching services see: