Syndrome X, or metabolic syndrome, is diagnosed when at least three of a group of cardiac risk factors are present. These risk factors include insulin resistance, high blood pressure, obesity, elevated triglycerides, reduced HDL (the good cholesterol), elevated fasting glucose, abnormalities in blood clotting and lipid abnormalities.
Instructions
1. Eat healthy. If you are overweight, chances are you are eating the wrong foods and too much of them. Change your eating habits to include only healthy choices. Then eat in moderation and avoid snacking. Consider what each food can do for your body. Take, for instance, the avocado. While high in fat, the avocado is high in the good fat that increases your HDL--or .
2. Maintain a healthy weight. To do this properly, you must incorporate a healthy diet with reasonable portions and moderate, regular exercise. As general guidelines, men should not allow their waistline to exceed 40 inches. Women should not allow theirs to exceed 35 inches. Any has negative effects on your health--but when the excess weight accumulates aroung the stomach area it has the worst effects on overall health and becomes one of the risk factors for syndrome X.
3. Exercise on a regular basis. Moving or standing all day at work does not constitute exercise. Proper exercise works all the muscles. Furthermore, a cardiac workout increases the heart rate, thus making the heart muscle stronger. In most cases, to work off weight, you have to sweat. One exception would be a workout swimming laps in a pool.
If you have not exercised in a long while, join a gym and let a trainer help you design an exercise program suitable to your age and condition.
4. Monitor--and if need be, treat--your blood pressure. Besides eating those foods that raise your HDL, which helps protect your blood vessels, you can practice calming techniques to reduce stress--another key factor in raising blood pressure.
Consider yoga or tai chi or other meditative practices.
5. Watch your blood sugar levels, especially if you are at risk for diabetes.
Tags: blood pressure, risk factors, exceed inches, excess weight, good cholesterol, should allow, your blood