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.

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