Thin people with metabolic syndrome may also be affected! Nutritionist reveals: Don’t step on these three dietary landmines

Many people think that only obese people will have metabolic syndrome, but in fact, thin people can also suffer from this disease. Metabolic syndrome is a disease caused by multiple factors, including excessive waist circumference, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. If left untreated, metabolic syndrome can lead to serious conditions such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.

Waist circumference is an important indicator of metabolic syndrome, but it is not the only indicator. Thin people are also prone to metabolic syndrome if they lack exercise or have an improper diet. In this regard, nutritionists specifically remind that whether you are fat or thin, you should stay away from the three major dietary landmines and use three good helpers in moderation to help maintain your health.

In recent years, people's health awareness has increased. Many people have heard the slogan "waist circumference of 80 to 90 centimeters". They know that if a waist circumference of more than 80 centimeters for women and more than 90 centimeters for men, it means abdominal obesity and they should be careful about metabolic syndrome. Gao Huiwen, a nutritionist at the Millennium Love Health Foundation, said that abdominal obesity is caused by excessive visceral fat, which can easily lead to free fat and cause the three highs. It is medically recognized as the predecessor of the three high diseases. Therefore, clinicians often call on people with excessive waist circumference to be careful!

Even if your waist circumference is not excessive, you may also be suffering from hidden metabolic syndrome

However, obese people with large waistlines are not the only candidates for metabolic syndrome! Nutritionist Gao Huiwen pointed out that people with normal or underweight body shapes who like to eat sweets and fried foods and have no exercise habits should not be careless even if their waist circumference is within the standard, because they may become invisible metabolic syndrome patients due to high blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipid levels. In addition, those with a family history of the three highs are also a high-risk group and should not be taken lightly.

According to a survey published by the Millennium Love Health Foundation, 74.8% of people have heard of metabolic syndrome, but less than 30% actually understand the indicators. What exactly is metabolic syndrome? It can be examined based on 5 major indicators. Clinically, it is believed that as long as 3 or more of them are met, it can be diagnosed as metabolic syndrome. Special attention should be paid to health to prevent it from developing into a disease more deadly than cancer.

According to research, people with abdominal obesity have a 50% chance of developing metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome 5 indicators

• Abdominal obesity: waist circumference ≧80 cm for women and ≧90 cm for men.

• High blood pressure: systolic pressure ≧130 mmHg, diastolic pressure ≧85 mmHg.

• High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is too low: less than 40 mg/dl for men and less than 50 mg/dl for women.

• High fasting blood sugar level: ≧100 mg/dl.

• Triglycerides are too high: ≧150 mg/dl.

According to research, people with abdominal obesity have a 50% chance of developing metabolic syndrome. Moreover, if they do not actively manage their health, patients with metabolic syndrome will have a 6, 4, 3, and 2 times higher chance of developing diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, heart disease, and stroke than the average person in the future. The combined mortality rate of these derivative diseases even exceeds that of cancer and should not be underestimated!

How to stay away from metabolic syndrome? Maintaining an active lifestyle (Do exercise), controlling waist circumference and the three highs (Do Control), and choosing a healthy diet (Do healthy diet) are the golden triangle! In the diet section, nutritionist Gao Huiwen specifically listed the "dietary landmines" that are most common among Chinese people, reminding the public to pay attention; at the same time, she recommended good food helpers that can help control blood lipids and blood pressure, so that everyone can eat healthily and happily!

Don't step on these three dietary landmines

1. Ketogenic diet: The ketogenic diet has sparked heated discussions both at home and abroad this year. Although many people on the Internet have testified that they can lose considerable weight in a short period of time, its dietary pattern is biased towards meat and there is no limit on fat intake. If ordinary people do it without the guidance of a doctor or nutritionist, they may suffer from excessive fat intake, which may lead to increased blood cholesterol.

2. Fruit juice: Fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and various phytochemicals with strong antioxidant capacity, and have always given people the impression of being "healthy food". However, if they are squeezed into juice, whether fresh or packaged, and whether sugar is added or not, the sugar content is relatively high. If consumed in large quantities for a long time, it may cause an increase in triglycerides in the blood, which in turn increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

3. Alcoholic beverages: During the New Year and other holidays, many people drink alcohol to liven up the atmosphere when they get together with friends. However, alcohol is high in calories (the higher the alcohol concentration, the higher the calories). Excessive intake can easily lead to the formation of fat and cause obesity. It can also easily lead to the formation of triglycerides, increasing the risk of fatty liver.

3 great helpers for healthy diet

1. Whole grains – oats

Oats are rich in dietary fiber, which can increase satiety and reduce the absorption of sugar and fat in food, thereby lowering blood sugar and blood lipids. At the same time, it can stabilize blood sugar and avoid fluctuations in blood sugar. In particular, β-glucan in fiber has been shown to have cholesterol-lowering effects. In addition, oatmeal is low in calories. It is recommended to replace 2/3 of the staple food with whole grains every day. It is very good to eat oatmeal as breakfast or mix it with rice for lunch and dinner.

2.Soybean products - soy milk, tofu, etc.

Soybeans are low in calories and rich in high-quality protein, which can help the body function normally while avoiding muscle loss caused by eating less when losing weight; they are rich in dietary fiber, which can increase satiety, stabilize blood sugar and lower blood lipids; the soy lecithin in the ingredients helps lower blood cholesterol and triglycerides; it contains soy isoflavones, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, and can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease caused by the three highs (high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and high blood sugar).

It should be noted that Taiwanese people are good at making various foods and dishes out of soybeans. It is recommended that when purchasing soybean products, priority should be given to soy milk, tofu, ordinary dried soybeans and tender tofu buns, while tofu and fried tofu should be eaten as little as possible because additional oil is added during processing and they are higher in calories.

3. Nuts

Whether it is walnuts, pistachios, cashews, almonds or hazelnuts, nuts as a whole are rich in mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids and plant sterols, which can help lower bad cholesterol (LDL-C) in the blood and help increase good cholesterol (HDL-C). In addition, the Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in walnuts and pecans have been found to help lower inflammatory indicators in the body, thereby preventing cardiovascular disease caused by the three highs.

Nutritionist Gao Huiwen said that a study published in Circulation magazine in 2015 pointed out that consuming 28.4g of mixed nuts (about 3 tablespoons) per day can help reduce total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides. However, it should be noted that due to their high calories, nuts should still be consumed in moderation. It is recommended to reduce the use of oil in meals and replace it with nuts to better control calories.

To prevent metabolic syndrome, you can also do this

According to foreign research, health apps can help people manage their health, but a survey by the Millennium Love Health Foundation found that 70% of Chinese people have never downloaded health apps and are negligent in self-health management. Nutritionist Gao Huiwen suggests that in order to prevent metabolic syndrome, in addition to referring to the above, people can also keep up with the trend and download health apps that can record physiological data, diet management, and exercise, and measure and record regularly to help themselves stay away from abdominal obesity, the three highs, and metabolic syndrome more effectively.