Metabolic syndrome is not just about waist circumference! Nutritionist: Stay away from the three major dietary landmines

Metabolic syndrome is a popular disease of civilization in modern times. Once metabolic syndrome occurs, the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, heart disease and stroke will increase significantly and should not be taken lightly. Usually, one of the indicators for determining metabolic syndrome is "abdominal obesity". Nutritionists remind us that even if the waist circumference is not over the standard, but one is addicted to desserts and fried foods, and lacks exercise, he or she may be at risk of the three highs (high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and high blood sugar). Whether you are fat or thin, you should stay away from the three major dietary landmines and choose high-quality foods such as whole grains and nuts to maintain your health.

As people in China become more health conscious, we often hear the slogan "A waist circumference of 80 or 90 cm keeps you healthy." This means that if a man's waist circumference is ≥ 90 cm (35 inches) or a woman's waist circumference is ≥ 80 cm (31 inches), they are considered to have abdominal obesity and must be careful about developing metabolic syndrome, which is harmful to their health. 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. If the waist circumference exceeds the standard, special attention should be paid.

Don't think that only those with excessive waist circumference will suffer from metabolic syndrome. Nutritionist Gao Huiwen pointed out that in clinical practice, we often see many people with normal or too thin body shape who like to eat sweets or fried foods and have almost no exercise habits. Although their waist circumference is not excessive, the measured blood pressure, blood sugar and blood lipid values ​​may be high. If there is a family history of the three highs, they will be a potential high-risk group for metabolic syndrome.

What exactly is metabolic syndrome? You may want to examine the following five indicators. Clinically, it is believed that as long as three or more of them are met, it can be diagnosed as metabolic syndrome. Special attention must be paid to health status to prevent potentially fatal diseases.

5 indicators of metabolic syndrome

●Abdominal obesity: Waist circumference ≥80 cm for women and ≥90 cm for men.

●High blood pressure: systolic pressure ≥130mmHg, diastolic pressure ≥85mmHg.

●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: ≥100mg/dl.

●Triglycerides are too high: ≥150mg/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!

So how can we 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 the Chinese people often step on, reminding the public to pay more attention to them, and recommended high-quality diets that help control blood lipids and blood pressure, which is beneficial to physical health.

To prevent metabolic syndrome, beware of three dietary landmines

1. Ketogenic Diet:

The ketogenic diet has sparked heated discussions both at home and abroad in recent years. Although many people have testified online that it can help people 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 be at risk of elevated blood cholesterol due to excessive fat intake.

2. Juice:

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

3. Alcoholic Beverages:

Whether it is a birthday celebration, a celebration banquet or various happy events, many people are accustomed to drinking to liven up the atmosphere. However, alcohol is high in calories (the higher the alcohol concentration, the higher the calories). If consumed in excess, it can easily form fat and lead to obesity. It can also easily form triglycerides, which in turn increases the risk of fatty liver.

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 the bad cholesterol in the blood and help increase the good cholesterol.

Stay away from metabolic syndrome, 3 high-quality health foods

1. Whole grains – oats

It is rich in dietary fiber, which can increase the feeling of fullness, reduce the absorption of sugar and fat in food, and thus lower 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. Soy products - soy milk, tofu

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.

According to a study published in Circulation in 2015, consuming 28.4 grams 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.

[Nutritionist's Tips]:

In order to prevent metabolic syndrome, in addition to avoiding dietary landmines and eating more high-quality foods, nutritionist Gao Huiwen recommends that people can also use 3C software and choose to download health apps that can record physiological data, manage diets, and exercise, and measure and record regularly to help themselves stay away from abdominal obesity, the three highs, and metabolic syndrome more effectively.