What is Metabolic Syndrome?

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:30:00 +0000

Metabolic syndrome was first known as Syndrome X and later as Insulin Resistance Syndrome, but now it is understood that it is caused by an imbalance or disturbance to ones overall metabolism. Metabolism is the chemical processes occurring within a living organism that are necessary for the maintenance of life. Most people who have been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome know it as pre-diabetes, but it is much more than that.

People who have metabolic syndrome have developed dysfunction in the chemical processes in their body that are necessary for the maintenance of their health and their life and are putting themselves at risk for many different diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and many types of cancer. What’s becoming more and more disturbing is the growing number of Americans who have metabolic syndrome! It is estimated that presently one in every five adult Americans has metabolic syndrome.

Those who have metabolic syndrome have three out of the following five criteria:

1. Waist Circumference greater than 35 inches for women and greater than 40 inches for men.

2. Triglycerides greater than 150

3. HDL cholesterol less than 50 for women and less than 40 for men.

4. Blood pressure greater than 130/85

5. Fasting blood sugar greater than 100

So, why is this becoming such a concern? There is a direct link between ones weight or more precisely with ones percentage of body fat with the development of metabolic syndrome. The more glucose (sugar) one eats causes the body to have to put out more insulin to digest or metabolize that sugar and the excess gets stored as fat. Therefore, people become fatter and over time their body cannot keep up and they develop insulin resistance which means they have to put out more and more insulin to be able to metabolize the same amount of sugar.

Therefore, what people need to learn is how to eat foods that are not high in sugar and this is not common sense. All foods have a different amount of glucose in them and cause ones blood sugar to rise at different rates. This is known as the glycemic index and learning how to eat a diet that is full of foods with a low glycemic index would be one step in the direction of avoiding or reversing metabolic syndrome.

If you have been diagnosed with metabolic syndrome or based on the criteria think you may have metabolic syndrome T. Murray Wellness Center, Inc. has a program that can help you. Firstline therapy is an organized program of education and objective measurements to help each individual learn how to change their lifestyle to be healthier and know exactly how well they are doing along the way. If you are interested in hearing more about this program you can call our office at (603)447-3112.

What is the Glycemic Index?

Wed, 16 May 2012 20:25:00 +0000

What is the Glycemic Index?

By, Dr. Trish Murray

Back in January I wrote an article about metabolic syndrome. In that article I explained that people who have metabolic syndrome have developed dysfunction in the chemical processes in their body that are necessary for the maintenance of their health and their life and are putting themselves at risk for many different diseases including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and heart disease. Metabolic syndrome is predominantly caused by obesity and insulin resistance which occur as a result of eating a diet to high in glucose or to many foods with a high glycemic index.

The glycemic index is a measure of how much each gram of available carbohydrate in a food raises a person’s blood glucose level. Glucose has a glycemic index of 100 so all other foods are compared to this. Foods with carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high glycemic index; whereas, foods with carbohydrates that break down more slowly, releasing glucose more gradually into the bloodstream have a low glycemic index. The concept was developed by Dr. David Jenkins and colleagues in 1980-1981 at the University of Toronto in their research to find out which foods were best suited for people with diabetes. Foods with a low glycemic index (55 or less) do not cause as high a spike in blood stream glucose and therefore do not require as much insulin to metabolize that glucose; while foods with a high glycemic index require much more insulin to metabolize the sugar or glucose load.

Examples of high glycemic index foods include: white bread, most white rices, corn flakes, or breakfast cereals and have a glycemic index of 70 and above. Some examples of low glycemic index foods include: most fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, chick peas, beets and have a glycemic index of 55 or less. A low glycemic index food will release sugar more slowly and steadily, which leads to more suitable after meal blood glucose readings.

Over the years postprandial or after meals high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) has been considered a risk factor for the development of diabetes; but more recent evidence shows that it is also a risk for heart disease and kidney disease in the non-diabetic population. A study from the University of Australia also showed that having a breakfast of white bread and sugar-rich cereals, over time, made a person more susceptible to diabetes, heart disease and even cancer.

There are areas in the world where people eat high glycemic index foods such as potatoes and rice, but without a high level of obesity or diabetes. In these areas of the world, such as Asia and South America, beans and fresh fruits and vegetables are also eaten at such a high amount that the overall glycemic effect is lowered. The balance of high and low glycemic index foods produces a moderate glycemic index effect.

If you have a waist circumference greater than 40, triglycerides greater than 150, HDL cholesterol less than 50, blood pressure greater than 130/85 or a fasting blood sugar greater than 100 you may have metabolic syndrome and should consider learning more about the glycemic index of foods that you eat on a daily basis and making an effort to choose foods that have a lower glycemic index.

At the T. Murray Wellness Center, Inc. we offer a program called First Line Therapy. First line therapy is an organized program of education and objective measurements to help each individual learn how to change their lifestyle to be healthier and reverse metabolic syndrome. If you are interested in hearing more about this program you can call our office at (603)447-3112.