The day this episode airs, I will be just 60 days away from 60 years old. So, I want to share a little bit about what that means to me, the journey I’ve been on, and how I made my 50s the healthiest years of my life.

When I was diagnosed with metabolic syndrome in 2007, I immediately took action and made significant lifestyle changes. I dramatically reduced my weight from 289 pounds to 180 pounds, and along the way, I became passionately interested in functional medicine. Eventually, I received my certification for functional health coaching through the School of Applied Functional Medicine, and I now believe that everyone can benefit from knowing more about functional medicine.

What is metabolic syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is a metabolic disorder that involves not one, not two, but a combination of three or more of the following health issues: abdominal obesity, high blood sugar, high triglyceride levels, high blood pressure, and low HDL (“good”) cholesterol.

The term “metabolic” refers to the biochemical processes involved in the body’s normal functioning. When you have metabolic syndrome, your body is in a state of serious malfunction. Metabolic syndrome increases your risk for some very concerning and possibly deadly health issues, including heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Foods that Make Metabolic Syndrome Worse

• Fake and processed foods. This isn’t exactly new information for anyone, I hope, and it’s not hard to figure out why processed foods contribute to these health issues. If you don’t know what the ingredients are in what you’re eating, or you can’t pronounce them, there’s a decent chance it’s not good for you.
• Artificial Sweeteners. Products like Splenda have been directly linked with the occurrence of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Accumulating evidence suggests that frequent consumers of sugar substitutes containing aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin may also be at an increased risk of excessive weight gain, as well as development of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This also includes diet sodas, which generally just replace high fructose corn syrup with artificial sweeteners.
• Trans Fats (Trans Fatty Acids). Trans fats are found in foods made with hydrogenated oils and fats, such as margarine; baked goods like cookies, cakes and pies; crackers; frostings; and coffee creamers. They raise LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which is bad news for your waistline, heart health and metabolic disorders.
• Refined Carbohydrates and Sugar. Consumption of these two are major culprits when it comes to high blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, and the development of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Sugar, especially when used to sweeten beverages, is a major culprit, as are refined carbs. A recent study conducted in Korea, where metabolic syndrome incidence is high, looked at the effects of refined carbohydrates on this metabolic disorder. What the researchers found was that “the percentage of energy from carbohydrates in men and intake of refined grains, including white rice, in women were associated with metabolic syndrome.”
• Alcohol. Limiting alcohol intake is key to metabolic syndrome and good health in general.

Medications for Metabolic Syndrome