| The most common set of diseases facing | | | | to the insulin, in turn leading to increased risk of |
| Americans moving into their 40's and beyond has | | | | obesity, hypertension, heart disease, diabetes, and |
| been termed "metabolic syndrome". Metabolic | | | | premature death. Low-glycemic carbohydrates |
| syndrome is a collection of disease symptoms | | | | include most fruits and vegetables. Eating a diet |
| that tend to occur together. These are excess | | | | that limits or avoids high-glycemic grains, potatoes, |
| body fat around your waist, high blood pressure, | | | | and sugars, and includes more low-glycemic fruits |
| high LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, elevated | | | | and vegetables, fish, and lean meat can |
| triglyceride levels, and high fasting blood sugar. | | | | dramatically improve your insulin sensitivity. |
| As more Americans are carrying high-deductible | | | | Eat the Right Fat |
| health plans along with health savings accounts, | | | | We've talked in previous issues about the |
| many say they are beginning to pay more | | | | seemingly miraculous health benefits of fish oil. Fish |
| attention to their health. Health savings accounts | | | | oil improves insulin sensitivity. Eskimos, who |
| (HSAs) allow you to put aside pre-tax money to | | | | consume high quantities of fish oil, rarely |
| be used for future medical expenses. Because | | | | experience diabetes, even though they are often |
| deposits grow tax-deferred and are not taxed for | | | | overweight. Though the mechanism by which fish |
| medical withdrawals, if you fund your account and | | | | oil works isn't yet understood, many researchers |
| stay healthy, you could have hundreds of | | | | believe that fish oil makes the cell membrane |
| thousands of dollars in your HSA by the time you | | | | more "fluid", enabling the Glut-4 transporters to |
| retire. | | | | more easily move to the surface of the cell in |
| The fundamental metabolic disturbance that | | | | response to insulin. Everyone who does not eat |
| seems to be common in almost all people who | | | | fish on a regular basis should consider taking a |
| have metabolic syndrome is insulin resistance. | | | | high-quality fish oil. |
| Insulin is a hormone that your body uses to move | | | | Saturated fats and trans-fats, in contrast, make |
| the carbohydrate that you eat into your cells. If | | | | the cell membrane more stiff and inflexible, and |
| you are insulin resistant, your cells don't respond | | | | also reduce insulin sensitivity. Saturated fats are |
| well to insulin, and your pancreas has to produce | | | | found primarily in beef, pork, and dairy products |
| higher amounts in order to keep your blood sugar | | | | and trans-fats are found in processed foods. |
| from going too high. (Once your pancreas is no | | | | Saturated fats should be minimized, and trans-fats |
| longer able to keep up with this increased | | | | should ideally be completely eliminated from your |
| demand, you become diabetic.) If you are insulin | | | | diet. |
| sensitive, your body is responding well to smaller | | | | Eat Enough Protein |
| amounts of insulin. | | | | If you're avoiding starches, you'll need to replace |
| Fortunately, metabolic syndrome is almost entirely | | | | those calories with something else - that should |
| preventable. Avoid it, and you'll greatly increase | | | | be lean protein. Protein satisfies your appetite |
| your chances of also avoiding cardiovascular | | | | more than any other macronutrient, it increases |
| disease, breast cancer, colon cancer, prostate | | | | metabolism, and it will contribute to weight loss. |
| cancer, stroke, and many other serious conditions. | | | | The best proteins are lean meats like turkey |
| Though all the mechanisms behind the metabolic | | | | breast and chicken breast, lean beef, fish, and |
| syndrome have not been worked out, the | | | | eggs. And if you are overweight, nothing will |
| evidence is strong that combinations of several | | | | improve your insulin sensitivity faster than losing |
| lifestyle strategies are very effective in | | | | some weight. In fact, weight loss significantly |
| preventing this condition. | | | | improves all aspects of metabolic syndrome. Eat |
| Exercise | | | | the right foods, and your body will tend to |
| Exercising does more than just burn calories or | | | | normalize at the right weight without you having |
| build muscle. One of the most profound benefits | | | | to count calories or starve yourself. |
| of exercise is its effect on insulin sensitivity. When | | | | Take Action |
| insulin is released in response to carbohydrate | | | | Remember, just reading an article has never |
| ingestion, glucose transporters come to the | | | | made anyone healthier. Though there are drugs |
| surface of the cell in order to carry the glucose | | | | available to treat some of the symptoms, |
| into the cell. In muscles and fat cells this | | | | doctors have no pharmaceutical cure for |
| transporter is called Glut-4. Exercise itself helps | | | | metabolic syndrome, and almost all individuals |
| Glut-4 to move through the cell membrane to the | | | | become more insulin resistant as they age. It is |
| surface of your muscle cell, causing these cells to | | | | the lifestyle choices and the actions that you take |
| be much more insulin sensitive. Even a single bout | | | | today to improve your insulin sensitivity that will |
| of exercise will cause your muscles to respond | | | | have a powerful impact on the length and quality |
| more effectively to insulin. | | | | of your life. |
| Eat Low-Glycemic Foods | | | | The characteristic that many people like about |
| The glycemic index is a measure of how quickly a | | | | HSAs is that they reward those who take |
| food raises our blood sugar. The high-glycemic | | | | responsibility for themselves. By putting aside |
| carbohydrates in the American diet are primarily | | | | money to pay for future medical expenses, you |
| the "white foods" (bread, pasta, rice, white | | | | are being a responsible citizen, and deserve the |
| potatoes, and sugar). These foods cause many of | | | | tax benefits that an HSA offers. Make the same |
| the changes associated with metabolic syndrome, | | | | investment in your health, and you'll not only have |
| including lower HDL levels, and higher triglycerides. | | | | the good health to enjoy your retirement, but |
| When a person eats these foods year after year, | | | | you'll also have plenty of money in the bank as |
| insulin levels remain chronically high. The result is | | | | well. |
| that eventually the cells become less responsive | | | | |