About Metabolic Syndrome

High Cholesterol

cholesterol-149091_960_720 How are you going to even know when you have high cholesterol? There are no symptoms. Only a blood test can detect high cholesterol meaning you need to have been or need to go to a clinic or doctor for that determination. You could have it and not even know it!

Why would you get high cholesterol? Well, some people inherit it from their parents, but it is often a result of an unhealthy lifestyle, one that is without a good diet or proper exercise.

So what is cholesterol anyway? It is a waxy substance found in the fats in your blood. When you are melting Crisco in a pan, there is a point where some of it is melted and some is not. It is sort of like that where there are fluid fats and a more solid substance.

Is cholesterol needed? Your body needs cholesterol but having too much can be bad for you. Too much can deposit a sort of build up on the walls of your blood vessels. Sort of like when your drains get clogged in your kitchen with too much cooking grease going down the drain and then building up on the pipes. If your blood vessels get clogged with cholesterol then it decreases blood flow to areas like the heart and brain and lessens oxygen getting to where it is needed. This can all lead to heart attacks or strokes.

What happens if I’m told I have high cholesterol? There are three basic things that can be done about it. Change your diet and eat foods lower in cholesterol. Exercise can help lower need for it. Too, there are medications that can help level out the cholesterol. It may be a combination of all three.

Cholesterol IS something to be concerned about, but it IS preventable or manageable if you take the right steps. Make sure you regularly get physical examinations at your healthcare facility!

For more information visit this site:
Mayo Clinic – High Cholesterol
American Heart Association Cholesterol Guide

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High Blood Pressure

blood-pressure-monitor-1952924_960_720

What is high blood pressure?

It is basically the pressure of your blood against the inside of your arteries. How much blood your heart pumps and how much resistance your arteries have in pumping throughout your body determines the pressure level.

How do you know you have high blood pressure?

Most people don’t know until it is diagnosed on a visit to a healthcare provider. Sometimes a headache, nosebleed or shortness of breath can be a tip off that you have high blood pressure, but not always, and these symptoms could indicate another health issue entirely.

You should check your blood pressure every couple of years when you are 18 and older. When you are 40 you should check every year. If you are not regularly having a check up with a healthcare provider (and you should!), there are blood pressure units you can buy or find at pharmacies to test your own blood pressure. Anything that is considerably over or under 120/80 is reason for concern and a discussion with your healthcare provider.

Why would you get high blood pressure?

It can develop over a long period of time. Sometimes it is inherited through your parents.

You know those long carnival balloons that you can twist into shapes like dogs or giraffes? Well the balloon looked normal when it was deflated and before it was blown up. Once blown up fully, it looks like a long smooth hot dog before it is shaped. Then pressure is put on it to make the shapes. You can even see some areas are darker and lighter on the balloon because the darker areas are thicker and the lighter areas are thinner. When you deflate the balloon, it doesn’t look anything like it did before it was blown up because pressure extended the walls to make the shapes. It is kind of like that on the walls of your arteries. They can get weakened in some areas and misshapen because of the pressure in them.

See High Cholesterol page. Also, the more cholesterol lining your blood vessels, the narrower your arteries are and the higher the pressure can be.

What happens if I am told I have high blood pressure?

There could be an increased risk of heart attack and stroke with high blood pressure. Exercise, weight loss (if needed) and medications can often control high blood pressure, as determined by a healthcare provider.

For more information please visit this site:
Mayo Clinic – High Blood Pressure

There is also some good information at Positive Health Wellness about Everything You Need to Know About High Blood Pressure.

Too, I love a good infographic and this one might help you with your foodchoices, courtesy of Positive Health Wellness. However, IF you are metabolic… beets, bananas and oatmeal have to be in very limited quantities, if at all. However, there are many other alternatives on the list to indulge in!

#lowcarb4ever

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What are Triglycerides?

So one fifth of the Metabolic Syndrome diagnosis is having high triglycerides, but what the heck are they?

Basically they are a type of fat in your blood. It is usually referred to as a “lipid”. When you eat you then use some of the calories contained in food. The ones you don’t use get stored in your fat cells and are later released for energy between meals. If you aren’t exercising or doing anything to burn off the stored triglycerides then the amount you have stored can be quite high. You want under 150 milligrams per deciliter in a lipid blood test.

The higher the triglycerides, the greater risk for heart disease and stroke. No thank you!

There are medications which can help with triglycerides, but who really wants to take more meds?

Here are some things you can do to help lower your triglycerides. It is not much different than any sensible diet, but it will need to be a lifestyle change.

Lose weight. Aim for 5 or 10 pounds. Every bit helps!
Cut the calories… especially the carbs!
Olive and Canola Oils are your friends
Limit your alcohol intake. Triglycerides LOVE alcohol.
EXERCISE! There is a novel idea!

Okay, I’m being sarcastic about that last one but only because I HATE exercising… because I hate to sweat.

Medications should be your last resort unless you have no will power whatsoever.

Make sure to discuss any diagnosis of high triglycerides or steps to lower triglycerides with your health care provider!

To learn more about Triglycerides please check this link out:
Mayo Clinic – Triglycerides

Here is some good information about triglycerides from Positive Health Wellness: Ultimate Guide to Lower Triglycerides

Also, they have a terrific infographic which gives you some additional ways to lower your triglycerides:

#lowcarb4ever

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What is Metabolic Syndrome?

yoga-2756796_1280 I went and looked up Metabolic Syndrome online. I was horrified and realized I was on the fast track to insulin resistance. Both my sisters have the same diagnoses that I have without the Metabolic Syndrome term diagnosis and have much worse numbers than I do. One sister IS insulin resistant. The other is fast becoming insulin resistant. Their glucose readings are truly alarming.

If you have been told you are “metabolic” or have “metabolic syndrome” then you most likely have:

Diabetes
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
High triglycerides
Fatty liver

A horrible quintet of diagnoses that leads to a host of not so pleasant outcomes.

For further information please read:
Mayo Clinic – Metabolic Syndrome

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Fatty Liver

liver-2934612_1280 So what does “fatty liver” exactly mean? Doesn’t sound too harmful at first. We have fat deposits all over the body. However, fat deposits on organs that keep your body functioning is NOT a good thing!

There is Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease or NAFLD. More than 10% of your liver is fat. There is Alcoholic Fatty Liver (ALD). Similar to NAFLD but brought about by heavy drinking. You can reverse these unless it has lead to cirrhosis of the liver. Cirrhosis is incurable and has a host of causes including fatty liver diseases, hepatitis B & C and heavy drinking. There is also Acute Fatty Liver in Pregnancy which is rare and life threatening in the third trimester.

A severe form of non-alcoholic fatty liver is called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (or NASH) and is like the damage heavy alcohol use can do to your liver and can lead to irreversible damage, scarring and progress to cirrhosis and liver failure. Liver failure means a transplant is your only option to continue living. Scary right? It should be!

Fatty liver often happens with the combination of being overweight or obese, have high blood sugar, have high fats (triglycerides) in your blood and your insulin are not working with your cells to utilize sugar properly. Type 2 Diabetes often increases chances of having a fatty liver. Insulin resistance is definitely linked to having a fatty liver. Sometimes this all progresses to NASH, but not always.

So how do you know you have a fatty liver? Your doctor has to diagnose it. There are blood and other tests that they will perform. Usually there are no signs or symptoms. However, you may have an enlarged liver, pain in that area and be fatigued. (NASH has a whole other set of symptoms that are quite visible, particularly jaundice. ALWAYS see your doctor if the whites of your eyes or your skin is yellowish.)

The thing is, you can DO something to sometimes reverse this or at the very least lessen its affects. Okay, maybe your genetics plays a small or large hand in this, but you CAN reduce your weight, sugar and blood fats through diet and exercise leading to better managed diabetes and fatty liver. Aim to reduce your weight by at least 10%. Don’t let this progress to liver failure!

For more information, follow this link:
Mayo Clinic – Fatty Liver (non-alcoholic)

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About Metabolic Syndrome

High Cholesterol

High Blood Pressure

What is high blood pressure?

How do you know you have high blood pressure?

Why would you get high blood pressure?

What happens if I am told I have high blood pressure?

What are Triglycerides?

What is Metabolic Syndrome?

Fatty Liver

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