An Effective Metabolic Syndrome Diet Plan
Metabolic Syndrome or Insulin resistance syndrome is a combination of high blood pressure, high blood sugar level, high level of triglycerides, low level of HDL or good cholesterol, and too much fat around the waist. This group of conditions put one at high risk of heart disease and diabetics.
Medications do not contribute to reversing metabolic syndrome, and preventing and or treating metabolic syndrome requires changes in lifestyle through exercise and diet. The metabolic syndrome diet plan involves a combination of calorie control, and adherence to smart eating and food preperation tips.
Calorie Control
Obese people are more susceptible to metabolic syndrome and the diet for metabolic syndrome need to center around increasing or decreasing calories to maintain body weight to within 20% of the “ideal” weight. The optimal body weight for men is 106 pounds for the first five feet of height, and six pounds for every additional inch. For women, the optimal weight is 100 pounds for the first five feet of height, and five pounds for every additional inch.
While the total quantity of calories consumed is important, the quality of calories consumed also plays a major role in controlling metabolic syndrome. While most people do not need more than 2,000 calories a day, consumption of less than 1,200-1,500 calories a day would deprive the body of key nutrients. Patients suffering from metabolic syndrome need a “smart diet” that eliminates “empty calories” so that the calorie count remains within optimal limits.
Smart Eating Habits
Smart eating habits go a long way in controlling metabolic syndrome and constitute an important part of the metabolic syndrome diet plan.
A good eating approach is to eat small quantity of food in the range of 150 to 200 calories frequently than one or two large meals a day. This approach helps in maintaining energy and optimal nutrient levels. These mini-meals or snacks should however be consumed on a regular basis, for infrequent eating cause the body to go into a “stress mode” between meals.
Another good eating habit is to eat early when energy levels are at the highest and not skipping breakfast in any case. It is optimal to consume most of the daily calories by midday, and fewer calories at night.
Food Preparation
A major part of the metabolic syndrome diet plan is selecting the right kind of cooking oil. The best cooking oil are that which contain unsaturated fats, no trans-fats, and limited saturated fats.
Polyunsaturated fats from sources rich in Omega-3 and Omega-6 ranks among the best cooking oil. Oil from Fish, walnut, flaxseed and soybeans are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, whereas corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil and soybean oil are rich in Omega-6 fatty acids. It is important to maintain a reasonable balance of less that 10:1 between Omega 6 and Omega 3 oils.
Olive oil, Canola oil and other cold-pressed oils that contain monounsaturated fats are also good cooking oil options. The cooking oils that need avoidance are solid dairy or vegetable fats such as butter, margarine and Crisco.
The best option is however to avoid frying altogether and bake, grill, broil, braise or sauté the food.
Adherance to a metabolic syndrome diet plan reduce blood pressure, and blood sugar levels, leading to lesser risk of heart disease and diabetics.
References
- Medicine Plus: U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health: https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/metabolicsyndrome.html
- American Family Physician: https://www.aafp.org/afp/2004/0615/p2887.html
Image Credit: flickr.com/rjp
This post is part of the series: Healthy Eating Tips for Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a group of conditions that puts one at high risk of heart attack and diabetics. Controlling calorie intake, following healthy eating habits and judicious choice of food help to keep these disease in check.