Diet Tips for Metabolic Syndrome

When you’ve been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, your health care professional will likely prescribe a few lifestyle changes to get you heading in the right direction. He or she may also prescribe medication such as low-dose aspirin to help with blockages and cholesterol-reducing meds to lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. I hope your doctor also suggests some diet tips for metabolic syndrome.

If you want to avoid medications and reverse metabolic syndrome, you can try changing your diet. However, do listen to your doctor’s recommendations.

Here are some diet tips for metabolic syndrome that may help you course correct:

* Eat a Low-Fat Diet – You don’t need to eat fake food to eat a low fat diet. Many foods are naturally low in fat. Choose food that is low in fat the way it’s naturally made, and you’ll avoid dangerous hydrogenated fats and processed fake fat. Processed low fat foods often have added sugar and salt to replace the taste that left with the fat. Yes, fat has flavor!

* Fill Your Plate with Veggies – The first thing you should put on your plate as the main course is the veggies. Fill half the plate with veggies. You can eat most veggies in large quantities because of their low calorie content and high nutritional components. The most important veggies are leafy greens which are particularly high in nutrients. One of my favorite health gurus, Dr. Joel Fuhrman says, “The salad is the main dish!”

* Drink Water – It’s hard to overstate the importance of drinking fresh, filtered water every single day. Most people may need between 12 and 15 cups of water a day, but the most recommended amount is 8 glasses per day. It’s important to know how much you need, so begin with the recommended daily amount of 8 glasses and see how you feel.

* Eat Lean Protein but Not Too Much – Most people think you need much more protein than you do. Most food has protein, but you only need about 46 to 56 grams of protein per day unless you’re weight lifting or recovering from surgery. You can visualize this as the size of a single deck of playing cards.

* Avoid Processed Food – The real killer for most of us isn’t protein, and it’s not fruit and veggies either – it’s processed food. This includes sugar and most products that have been made in a food factory (such as chips).  Also included are so-called healthy options like some cereals and other snacks people refer to as being healthy.

* Add More Beans and Lentils – Legumes are very good for you. They are very nutrient-rich while also being low in fat. You cannot eat enough beans. There are so many varieties of beans and lentils. They’re also very inexpensive, so if you’re on a budget, consider eating more beans and lentils.

* Eat Whole Grains Daily – Unprocessed whole grains will help fill your body with fiber, which helps remove fat from your arteries and keeps your digestive system moving along as it should. Whole grains like oats, wild rice, and quinoa are good choices.

* Make Meat a Condiment – Most meat is high in fat even if they say certain cuts aren’t. You may be surprised to learn that chicken is not lower in unhealthy fat than lean beef. Best practice is to make meat a condiment so it adds flavor instead of being the main course.

* Eat Low on the Glycemic Scale – People who have metabolic syndrome tend to have blood sugar issues. Eating food that is low on the glycemic scale can help you avoid problems with your blood sugar and still allow you to eat fruit and berries. Berries are especially important as they are high in antioxidants!

Because approximately one third of all adults in the U.S. is believed to have metabolic syndrome, eating a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise is the best thing you can do for your life right now and for your future health. If you don’t have health issues yet, you can avoid developing them. If you do have health issues, it’s possible to reverse symptoms of disease with positive changes in diet.

Helping you achieve Major wellness!

Cheryl A Major

I’m  author, health coach, and entrepreneur Cheryl A Major, and I would love to connect with you. If you’re new to the world of creating a better mindset for yourself, please check out my training on how to do just that at Embrace Optimism. Learn how to improve your mindset and create a happier and more positive life for yourself and those around you.

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