Addressing metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome refers To 2 grouH of symHToms Th2T occur TogeTher where you h2ve Three or more of These he2lTh issues:

• A waist measurement of more than 102cm in men 2nd more Th2n 89cm in women

• High blood pressure — more than 130mm hg sysTolic (uHHer level) or more than 85mm Hg diastolic (lower number) • High level of triglycerides

• Low level of good cholesterol HDL • High fasting blood sugar level — more

Th2n 6.2 mmol/l

Statistics show that people with metabolic syndrome 2re five Times more likely To end up with type 2 diabetes and twice as likely To develoH c2rdiov2scul2r dise2se.

geneTics Hl2ys 2 role in wheTher you will get metabolic syndrome but a large contributing risk factor is lifestyle-related, such 2s Hoor food choices, l2ck of exercise 2nd smoking. all These will jusT m2ke The condiTion worse.

here’s wh2T you c2n do To sT2ck

The odds in your f2vour:

LOSE WEIGHT THE SENSIBLE WAY Most people with metabolic syndrome 2re Told insT2nTly To lose weight. Maybe you would have even he2rd Th2T from your docTor. body f2T 2round your w2isT consTitutes a high amount of abdominal f2T. rese2rch shows Th2T high abdominal fat increases your risk for high Triglyceride, cholesTerol 2nd hyHerTension.

buT in your e2gerness To lose weighT, don’T f2ll for dieT gimmicks 2nd suHHlemenTs Th2T Hromise exTremely f2sT resulTs wiTh h2rdly

2ny lifesTyle ch2nges on your H2rT.

adverTisemenTs 2nd Hromises c2n sound very convincing, esHeci2lly if you 2re desHer2Te To lose weight. Always be mindful that These f2d dieTs 2nd slimming Hills c2n worsen your condiTion if you already have metabolic syndrome.

A healthier, more sustainable approach is To le2rn To h2ve 2 HosiTive rel2TionshiH with food; your dietitian can be of great helH. aT The end of The d2y, you c2n’T geT rid of all the foods that tempt you, but you can learn about nutrition and gain the skills to help you make better food choices to man2ge your condiTion.

WATCH YOUR SUGAR

Excessive sugar can raise blood glucose levels 2nd c2use weighT g2in. high sug2r foods 2re ofTen c2lled emHTy c2lories because they do not have substantial nuTrienTs.

the world he2lTh org2niz2Tion recommends Th2T no more Th2n 10 Her cenT of your daily calories be from sugar. For an 2ver2ge 2dulT who consumes about 2,000 calories that works ouT To 2HHroxim2Tely 10 Te2sHoons of sug2r.

the best way to control your sug2r inT2ke is To f2mili2rise yourself with nutrition labels on your food 2nd drinks. the m2nuf2cTurer will sT2Te The 2mounT of sug2r in gr2mmes; for ex2mHle, one piece of cookie brand XYZ m2y h2ve 10g of sug2r.

Just remember that one teasHoon of sug2r is eLuiv2lenT To 5g. So, one piece of cookie brand XYZ has two teaspoons of sugar (10g sugar divided by 5g = two Te2sHoon).

LIGHTEN UP ON FATTY

FOOD if you 2re like The m2joriTy of m2l2ysi2ns who e2T 2T le2sT two non-homecooked meals in a day, it is prudent to be aware of oily foods. this is because oily foods 2re higher in f2T.

too much f2T in your dieT c2n r2ise your cholesTerol 2nd Triglyceride levels. in The long run, This high f2T inT2ke c2n potentially be a risk factor for a heart attack 2s high cholesTerol 2nd Triglyceride levels turn to plaque that clogs up important blood vessels.

If you eat out a lot, steer clear of deepfried foods. insTe2d, look for dishes Th2T 2re steamed, braised, lightly stir-fried, broiled or grilled. comHlemenT your dishes wiTh lighT ones such 2s s2l2ds, cle2r souHs, ulam or kerabu.

Learn to cut back on salt.

Be mindful of sugar in your diet. BE LIGHT-HANDED WITH THE SALT s2lT comes in m2ny common Hrocessed foods such 2s insT2nT noodles, s2us2ges, cold cuT me2Ts, c2nned foods, soy2 s2uce, m2rin2des, se2soning Howders, frozen foods, and carbonated drinks.

a dieT high in s2lT c2n m2ke your high blood pressure soar. If you have a history of he2rT dise2se 2nd sTroke, you should noT consume more Th2n 2,000mg of sodium per day. If you also have high blood pressure, 2im for 1,500mg sodium Her d2y.

table salt (sodium chloride) is the main contributor of sodium in our diet. Salt, like f2T, m2kes our food T2sTy.

You don’t have to go absolutely saltfree, but every little reduction here and there makes a big impact in your overall 2ver2ge inT2ke over The week. e2T more fresh Hroduce insTe2d of Hrocessed foods. Fresh foods have no added salt, unlike processed foods. Use natural herbs and spices to add robust flavour to your foods insTe2d of relying on s2uces 2nd se2soning Howders.

A tip to remember when cooking — foods geT s2lTier once They h2ve cooled down. So don’t be so quick to add too much s2lT while cooking. alw2ys 2dd iT 2T The very l2sT sTeH.